President-Elect Obama On The Economy

Clarification On The Blogging Break

When I first began blogging, I wrote what I really wanted to write. By some unfathomable aligning of the stars, I became what I considered a "success" as a blogger. People read and responded in numbers beyond what I ever believed possible.

Then, at some point, blogging morphed into what I should write, rather than what I wanted to write. This or that cause was so good and important that I must write about it. The pressure was on, but who was putting pressure on me? Me, myself, and I, that's who.

Then, as my readership increased, the desire for even more readers began to creep into my motivation for writing. I'm embarrassed to say that. It's shameful, but it's true. I was a success, and I wanted to be even more of a success. But what is success, and what is it worth, if your motivation becomes skewed so that success means more than loving what you do? I stopped loving what I was doing.

The intrusion of the blog into my everyday life began to get out of control. I had to write about this, and I had to write about that, and I had my online public to whom I was responsible, but my relationships with the real people in my life suffered for it. I tried to cut back, but I could not, and thus I came to the conclusion that I must stop altogether, at least for a while.

When and if I start blogging again, (and I probably shall) I want to enjoy it. I don't want to feel pressured to write at all, not even about excellent causes, unless the cause is what I want to write about. There are many good folks out there writing about those causes, and I must accept that I cannot save the world. And I never, ever want to let numbers of readers and responses in the comments effect what I write again.

I Need A Break

The election is over. I'm burned out from advocating for causes for the time being. I'm burned out for a lot of things. I don't really know what I'm doing on my blog any longer. My whole blogging enterprise seems a little crazy right now, and I need some time to sort things out. Maybe instead of being so scatter-shot in my posts, I need more focus.

I'm taking a break for a while. I don't know for how long. It could be for a few days. It could be for a few weeks or longer. I could very quickly get the urge to start up again. I can't say really.

The blog will stay up, but the comments will be turned off for now. If you want to reach me, email me. Remember that I'm not giving up my real life and virtual friends, just the blog. I still love you all. Whatever is good about Wounded Bird, you've helped make it so. See you around the intertubes, but not here for a while.

From North Texas Episcopalians

From Katie Sherrod at Desert's Child:

A STATEMENT FROM THE STEERING COMMITTEE NORTH TEXAS EPISCOPALIANS

The Steering Committee North Texas Episcopalians laments the divisive and uncanonical actions taken at the 26th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth today.

Bishop Jack Iker and his adherents, no longer comfortable in the Episcopal Church, tried to remove the entire diocesan structure, including real estate, from the church and align with another Anglican province based in South America. The Constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church do not permit such actions, and we anticipate a lengthy legal engagement to sort out the issues created by this action today.

Though the bishop and his colleagues are departing the Episcopal Church today, many Episcopalians in the diocese will not, and the remaining Episcopal laity, clergy, and congregations will move soon to reorganize the diocese as a fully involved entity of the Episcopal Church in union with its General Convention. We acknowledge the authority of the Most Rev Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop. The Episcopal Church’s work of Christian ministry and evangelization will go forward as Episcopalians worship and work together within the context of the Church’s historical faith, creeds, and Holy Scriptures.

Read the rest at Katie's website and scroll down to read her other posts on the convention in Fort Worth - the Statement from Fort Worth Via Media, how the voting went, Bp. Iker's address.

Those who chose to remain within the Episcopal Church in Fort Worth exhibited great courage.

Let us pray for Fort Worth Via Media:

O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let us pray for those who chose to leave. It's sad, but it's no surprise.

Thibodeauxville

Thibodeauville is an annual festival in downtown Thibodaux to remind the folks who live here that we still have a downtown area with shops and restaurants. We are not restricted to shopping at the big box stores and chain restaurants on North Canal Boulevard, an area of bloated blight from the day that it developed. Sadly, many of the locally owned businesses have closed, because they could not compete with the big box stores.

Grandpère and I went last Saturday, a beautiful day, sunny and cool. We had lunch there. GP had pastalaya, which is jambalaya made with pasta instead of rice, and I had a crab cake on a bun. Then we walked around, chatting with folks we knew along the way, looked at the cars and the arts and crafts, where I bought four hand towels, each embroidered with a different fleur-de-lis. However, I bought them as gifts, so I'm giving them away. We listened to the music for a while. Then, we came home.

The Booths

The booths are for sellers of arts and crafts.


The Food Tents

For food and food and food. Shown below is a sign featuring the kind of food offered at the festival.


Display Of Old Cars And Trucks

The truck pictured is a 1957 Chevrolet truck. On our little farm in New Roads, we have a 1964 Chevrolet truck, which closely resembles the truck in the picture.


Music And Dancing

The girls are line dancing.


God Was There


Jesus Was There


Nancy Drew's Sporty Maroon Roadster

I know. This one is purple, but it's close enough. And I also know that in some of the stories, the roadster was blue.


Cute Dogs

Last, but, most certainly, not least. What can I add? Awww.

Feast Of The Consecration Of Samuel Seabury

Samuel Seabury was the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. During the colonial period and after the end of the Revolutionary War, the church in the United States had no bishops. Candidates for the priesthood had to travel to England to be ordained before the war, an arduous journey. After the war, the situation was the same, and the requirement that all candidates for ordination swear an oath of loyalty to the British crown became an impediment to sending American candidates to England for ordination. The church in the United States needed a bishop.

Samuel Seabury was chosen to be the first bishop, but, again, because of the oath of loyalty, he went to Scotland, rather than to England, to be consecrated bishop by two bishops of the Episcopal Church of Scotland, which was no longer the established church, and therefore did not include the loyalty oath to the British crown in the ceremony.

James Kiefer at the Lectionary has more information on Seabury.

READINGS:

Psalm 133 or 33:1-5,20-21
Acts 20:28-32
Matthew 9:35-38

PRAYER

We give you thanks, O Lord our God, for your goodness in bestowing upon this Church the gift of the episcopate, which we celebrate in this remembrance of the consecration of Samuel Seabury; and we pray that, joined together in unity with our bishops, and nourished by your holy Sacraments, we may proclaim the Gospel of redemption with apostolic zeal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Note: Reposted from last year on the feast day.

Happy Birthday, Prince Charles!

From the Guardian:

For many men, a 60th birthday is a time for reflection; a winding down of activities, handing over to the kids (passing on the family firm, perhaps), looking forward to retirement.

Not so for the Prince of Wales, whose birthday it is today. All his life, since the age of three, he has been readied for the day when he will succeed his mother. It could happen maybe next week, maybe next year, maybe not for another 20 years. The Queen is fitter than her mother was at the same age, and she lived on to be 101.

Abdication is not written into the royal DNA and so, barring accidents or long-term, incapacitating illness to the Queen, Charles also serves by only standing and waiting. He is already the oldest Prince of Wales and third-longest serving heir-apparent and, in another five years, he would be the oldest person to become king.

Imagine spending one's whole life "only standing and waiting". Retirement before he's ever had a job and may never have a job? I meant to do a serious post on Charles' birthday for my friends from England and the countries of the Commonwealth, but as I saw the official picture and read the article, I began to laugh. The end result is mainly satirical. I blame the Guardian and extend apologies to all his admirers.

Look at the official portrait. It's a flattering picture, showing him at his best, but - really! Isn't the Gilbert and Sullivan uniform a bit over the top? I know it is a real uniform, but still....

And his life. Waiting since he was three years old to be king. The once and future king - not! He could be doddering by the time he takes the throne, or it may never happen.

He seems more settled since his marriage to Camilla, although, it is reported that they quarrel a good bit. However, they get over the arguments and are friends again soon enough.

He has practiced and promoted organic gardening for many years now. His charity work includes sponsoring a trust for educating disadvantaged children, and he speaks out for preserving the environment - all good things, surely.

Charles does not use computers. He prefers long hand-written notes or communicating by phone. His life is presently more peaceful than in tumultuous times past. As the article says:

But now the turmoil is over: he has married the woman he loved all along, his sons are grown and tucked away in the armed services, his charities flourish and, mention it gently, some of his pet causes - the environment, organic farming, human-scale architecture, improving interfaith relations - no longer seem quite so wacky after all.

Happy Birthday, Prince Charles! And many more to you - standing and waiting.

“God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o’er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.”

John Milton

UPDATE: If you think I'm bad, watch the video at the site on the Guardian's cartoonist, Steve Bell and how he was able to capture Charles in his drawings.

A Gathering For Peace

From the Global Peace Initiative of Women on their recent gathering in Aspen, CO:

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

-- Jesus, according to the Gospel of St. Matthew

"If you want peace, work for justice."

-- H.L. Mencken and/or Pope Paul VI (depending on whom you ask)

The setting was perfect for the task at hand -- the pristine, alpine grounds of the Aspen Institute, freshly dusted with a coating of snow, in the offseason quiet of Aspen, Colo.

More than 150 religious leaders from diverse traditions -- monastic Christian, Sufi Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Native American and others -- gathered last week in the Colorado ski town to try to figure out how best to speak with one voice on the issue of peace (and justice), and how to encourage President-elect Barack Obama to make compassionate decisions in his new administration.
....

Obama's election was, for many of the leaders present, an indication not only of a shift in political power, but of spiritual power as well. Among the issues the leaders agreed were most pressing -- the economy, the environment, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, global poverty -- as the president-elect looks toward setting his agenda for the all-important first 100 days of his administration, was helping the nation heal from what many said was eight years of fear-mongering.

Some called Obama a prophet. Others spoke of him almost as a savior. But as the conference wore on, cooler heads prevailed. "This transformation is not about Barack Obama, it's about us," Brown Campbell said on the last day of the five-day conference. "We make heroes of people too quickly and . . . rest the responsibility on his shoulders [alone]. He's always said 'us.' Every time it's pointed to him he's said, 'No. It's all of us.' "
....

On Sunday afternoon, before they scattered to the four winds, the spiritual leaders held hands in three concentric circles for a Sufi zikr -- a prayer ritual. They chanted praise to God, asked for blessings of peace, and concluded by singing the Christian hymn "Amazing Grace" over and over again while dancing a simple side step.

"I once was lost, but now am found," they sang, "was blind but now I see."

It was both a prayer and a declaration of faith.

And it was also a hope, that we all -- including our elected leaders -- might work for peace and act with compassion and grace.

Read the vision statement of the group here.

With thanks to Holy Foolishness.

The Priest Understands...

Version I:

A new priest, born and raised in Texas, is nervous about hearing confessions, so he asks an older priest to sit in on his sessions. The new priest hears a couple of confessions and then the old priest asks him to step out of the confessional for a few suggestions.

The old priest says, "Cross your arms over your chest, and rub your chin with one hand and try saying things like 'yes, I see,' and 'yes, go on,' and 'I understand.'

The new priest crosses his arms, rubs his chin with his hand and repeats all the suggested remarks to the old priest.

The old priest says, "Now, don't you think that's a little better than slapping your knee and saying, 'No way. What happened next'?"

Version II:

The last quote is "No shit. What happened next?"

I posts 'em the way I gets 'em.

From my friend in Houston.

Sex Challenge

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

DALLAS — The pastor of a megachurch says he will challenge married congregants during his sermon Sunday to have sex for seven straight days — and he plans to practice what he preaches.

“We’re going to give it a try,” said the Rev. Ed Young, who has four children with his wife of 26 years.

Young, 47, said he believes society promotes promiscuity and he wants to reclaim sex for married couples. Sex should be a nurturing, spiritual act that strengthens marriages, he said.

“God says sex should be between a married man and a woman,” Young said. “I think it’s one of the greatest things you can do for your kids because so goes the marriage, so goes the family.”

Young said he will deliver his seven-day sex challenge while sitting on a bed in front of his Dallas-area church campus.

Although it may be "one of the greatest things you can do for your kids", one hopes he will not "give it a try" on the bed in front of the church.

Actually, since there's only a limited amount of sex available, he's probably right to "reclaim sex for married couples" before the supply runs out.