The Blessing - Bishop Gene Robinson

"Blessing given by the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, at the end of services at All Saints Church Pasadena on Sunday, July 15, 2007."

The video is an example of a blessing by Bishop Gene Robinson - a taste perhaps of the type of invocation we may expect from him at the opening event of the Inaugural Week activities, “We are One,” to be held at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, January 18, at 2:00 pm.

Of course, the choice of Bishop Robinson by President-Elect Obama and the bishop's announcement that the blessing will be neither "happy Clappy" nor specifically Christian are already being roundly criticized by the Christian right, but no matter. It is good and right that he should do this.

Today Is A Better Day

A picture of me yesterday

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the day trying to get my flight reservation to England fixed. After I had already paid my credit card bill for the flight to England, I noticed, much too late, that another person's name was on my e-ticket. I checked the airport and flight information on the printout, but I did not check the name. Who would think that someone else's name would be on the ticket? Not I.

Into stress and panic mode and on the phone with the number punching and long waits. I thought it would be a simple matter of correcting the ticket, but no, the airline, which I would dearly like to name, but I won't, said that they would have to initiate a fraud investigation to make sure that no one stole my reservation. They let it slip that the person whose name was on the ticket was from California. If my credit card number had been stolen, it seems to me that I would have had other fraudulent charges on my bill, but I did not. What I believe happened is that someone typed in the wrong name to my reservation made with my credit card, but the airline would not admit that and their attitude was "take no responsibility and CYA". It's not as simple as I have stated, because I was passed from person to person, then to a supervisor, with long waits in between conversations.

The airline said that they would contact my credit card company after they had done their investigation, but I did not trust them, so I called the company myself. Their service was excellent. The person I talked to laughed when I said that the airline was doing a fraud investigation. The rep said, "This happens often. The airlines put in the wrong name." Ha! She said that they would proceed to challenge the charge and issue me a credit and give me a new card number "just in case".

So now I have no reservation, because the other was canceled. I checked around the internet and made a couple of calls, because I really, really did not want to fly with the same airline, but no other airline had flights which were equal in price and convenient flight times, so I booked again with the same airline, and I now have a ticket in my very own name, for which I had to pay, of course.

Part of this trouble was my own doing for not reading the information on the ticket carefully. I am not a detail person, but, nevertheless, I should have read every word on the ticket. I've learned a lesson - I hope.

Grandpère took my place in picking up the grandchildren from school and staying with them until I could get my affairs arranged and get myself together to go to my son's house to relieve him. I wanted to see my grandchildren, because it was their last day with their dad.

End of story.

Uh-Oh!

Gunfight at the OK Corral?

However, most everybody pictured Vice President Cheney next week heading out of Dodge after the inauguration and virtually four decades of inside government experience -- and fishing, enjoying Wyoming, family, six grandchildren, hunting, all that.

He will.

But Cheney, the silent sly one who's words were mostly saved for the ears of the president, just told Sean Hannity today that he's seriously considering writing a book.

"I never have," Cheney said. "and my family has been bugging me about it. I've got 40 years since I came to town to stay 12 months. I've got a lot of stories to tell. And a few scores to settle."

From the Los Angeles Times Blog

The Bailout Solution

Aha! I knew it. Sounds right to me!

Little Johnnie in Montana bought a horse from a farmer for $100.

The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day.

The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the horse died.'

-------------------

Johnnie replied, 'Well, then just give me my money back.'

The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already'

Johnnie said, 'Ok, then, just bring me the dead horse.'

------------

The farmer asked, 'What ya gonna do with him?

Johnnie said, 'I'm going to raffle him off.'

The farmer said, 'You can't raffle off a dead horse!'

Johnnie said, 'Sure I can, Watch me. I just won't tell any body he's dead.'

------------------

A month later, the farmer met up with Johnnie and asked,

'What happened with that dead horse?'

Johnnie said, 'I raffled him off.

I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece and made a profit of $898..'

The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?'

Johnnie said, 'Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back.'

-------------------------------

Johnnie grew up and works now for the government.

He was the one who figured out how to "bail us out".

UPDATE: If you think this is only a joke, here's a word from TPM:

Last week, Congress's oversight panel for the TARP funds confirmed in a report that the Treasury Department essentially has no idea what banks have done with the astronomical sums they've been handed.

Strange In Seattle

From the New York Times comes a story of one of the strangest churches I've ever heard of.

Mark Driscoll is American evangelicalism’s bête noire. In little more than a decade, his ministry has grown from a living-room Bible study to a megachurch that draws about 7,600 visitors to seven campuses around Seattle each Sunday, and his books, blogs and podcasts have made him one of the most admired — and reviled — figures among evangelicals nationwide. Conservatives call Driscoll “the cussing pastor” and wish that he’d trade in his fashionably distressed jeans and taste for indie rock for a suit and tie and placid choral arrangements. Liberals wince at his hellfire theology and insistence that women submit to their husbands. But what is new about Driscoll is that he has resurrected a particular strain of fire and brimstone, one that most Americans assume died out with the Puritans: Calvinism, a theology that makes Pat Robertson seem warm and fuzzy.

Calvinism mixed with macho. Thus it ever was, I suppose, but the style is entirely new. I don't know where to begin to note the twists and contradictions that I see in Driscoll's teachings, nor can I fathom the reason for his appeal.

Driscoll represents a movement to revamp the style and substance of evangelicalism. With his taste for vintage baseball caps and omnipresence on Facebook and iTunes, Driscoll, who is 38, is on the cutting edge of American pop culture. Yet his message seems radically unfashionable, even un-American: you are not captain of your soul or master of your fate but a depraved worm whose hard work and good deeds will get you nowhere, because God marked you for heaven or condemned you to hell before the beginning of time. Yet a significant number of young people in Seattle — and nationwide — say this is exactly what they want to hear. Calvinism has somehow become cool, and just as startling, this generally bookish creed has fused with a macho ethos. At Mars Hill, members say their favorite movie isn’t “Amazing Grace” or “The Chronicles of Narnia” — it’s “Fight Club.”

But wait! There's more.

God called Driscoll to preach to men — particularly young men — to save them from an American Protestantism that has emasculated Christ and driven men from church pews with praise music that sounds more like boy-band ballads crooned to Jesus than “Onward Christian Soldiers.” What bothers Driscoll — and the growing number of evangelical pastors who agree with him — is not the trope of Jesus-as-lover. After all, St. Paul tells us that the Church is the bride of Christ. What really grates is the portrayal of Jesus as a wimp, or worse. Paintings depict a gentle man embracing children and cuddling lambs. Hymns celebrate his patience and tenderness. The mainstream church, Driscoll has written, has transformed Jesus into “a Richard Simmons, hippie, queer Christ,” a “neutered and limp-wristed popular Sky Fairy of pop culture that . . . would never talk about sin or send anyone to hell.”

It's a long article, but quite an amazing read. Driscoll rules with an iron fist and brooks no criticism. I'd guess that the church won't outlast Driscoll, because he is the church and arrogates ever more power to himself. I can't think of much in the way of commentary, but if I attended a service at Mars Hill Church, I'd feel that I was in the middle of a nightmare.

Blame it on Dennis.

Only In Alaska

 

This guy raised an abandoned moose calf with his horses, and believe it or not, he has trained it for lumber removal and other hauling tasks.

Given the 2,000 pounds of robust muscle, and the splayed, grippy hooves, he claims it is the best work animal he has.

He says the secret to keeping the moose around is a sweet salt lick, although during the rut he disappears for a couple of weeks, but always comes home....

Thanks to Doug

Good News!

From the Episcopal Cafè:

We received this email from Bishop Robinson this morning:

I am writing to tell you that President-Elect Obama and the Inaugural Committee have invited me to give the invocation at the opening event of the Inaugural Week activities, “We are One,” to be held at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, January 18, at 2:00 pm. It will be an enormous honor to offer prayers for the country and the new president, standing on the holy ground where the “I have a dream speech” was delivered by Dr. King, surrounded by the inspiring and reconciling words of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. It is also an indication of the new president’s commitment to being the President of ALL the people. I am humbled and overjoyed at this invitation, and it will be my great honor to be there representing the Episcopal Church, the people of New Hampshire, and all of us in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
+Gene

I'm quite pleased to hear that Bishop Gene will be so honored. Obama redeems himself somewhat for the choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation on Inauguration Day. I hope that he won't restrict himself to choosing Christians for all the prayers.

Thanks to Renz and others for sending this in.

UPDATE:

As for himself, [Bishop] Robinson said he doesn't yet know what he'll say, but he knows he won't use a Bible.

"While that is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans," Robinson said. "I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer. This is a prayer for the whole nation."

Robinson said his prayer will be reflective of the times.

"I think these are sober and difficult times that we are facing," he said. "It won't be a happy, clappy prayer."

From the Concord Monitor via TPM

Please Continue To Pray

JCF has left a new comment on your post "Please Continue to Pray For Sue And Fr. Ed":

Update: Sue's still at home (couldn't get into the rehab center they wanted). FrEd still sounds very stressed out. Please continuing praying!

I Will Be Leaving The Country

York Minster

It's probably way too early to post on my trip to England, which will not happen until the latter part of March, but I'm quite excited about it, and I can't wait any longer to tell about it. I have not left the US for 10 years, but for a few brief forays into eastern Canada from a cruise ship. I hadn't traveled abroad for a couple of years before Bush was elected, and then after he was elected, I was ashamed to visit another country.

In the years before Bush, I'd travel across the sea every two or three years. During Bush's reign, I considered going abroad, but I could not quite bring myself to do it, especially once we invaded Iraq. The thought of having to explain everywhere I went that I didn't like Bush either, was too much, and then, very quickly, 10 years passed. Well, Bush will be gone in just 9 days, and I'm ready to travel.

A couple of months ago, Grandpère said that he would like to go to England again, but that he wanted to go to a different area of England than we'd been before, perhaps the Yorkshire area. We talked about when he wanted to go. Great chunks of the year are blocked out for no travel for him. There's the spring planting of the vegetable garden, then the period when the produce comes in, which takes us from April to June or early July. In September, the saltwater fishing season begins and lasts until December. Hunting season starts sometime in the fall and ends in the latter part of January. That leaves late July, August, late January, February, and March. I said that I didn't want to go to England in January or February, so he suggested March. Fine.

I went online to look for flights several times. In the meantime, GP began to get cold feet about the trip. He's going, he's not going, etc., etc., etc. It was his idea! The travel bug had bitten me, so I decided that I'd go whether he went or not. I found a good deal on a flight on Continental Airlines from Newark directly to Manchester, UK, not through Heathrow or Gatwick, which I wanted to avoid if I could. I asked GP if he was ready to fly away, and he said that he couldn't make the committment yet. I said, "OK, I'm buying my ticket." He said, "I still might want to go." I said, "That's fine, but we may not be on the same flight." As of today, he is not going.

Throughout all of this time of decision, Doorman-Priest was my counselor and my guide (I almost typed my God - he was that good!). He guided me to Manchester as the most suitable airport and suggested Leeds as a base. Need I say that I won't be driving? I'll depend on other sources of ground transportation, like my feet, trains, and coach tours. He found a family style hotel not far from the town center and within walking distance of his home, where I'll stay. DP and his lovely wife even went to visit the hotel to check it out, picked up a brochure, and mailed it to me.

DP and his wife have made my trip a family project. Isn't that kind? In addition, I am invited to this concert of the Leeds Philharmonic Society, to which DP lends his wonderful voice, plus a post-concert engagement in one of the newly smoke-free pubs.

At first, I was going to divide my hotel stays between Leeds and York, but I don't like packing up and moving from one hotel to another, so I will probably stay the entire time in Leeds. York is only a half hour away from Leeds by train. I emailed DP to tell him I was ready to make my hotel reservations, and I received this reply:

And we're ready for your arrival. Bunting is being put up all over the North of England as I write...


Yorkshire Moors

MOURNERS’ KADDISH IN TIME OF WAR & VIOLENCE

Yitgadal V’yit’kadash Shmei Rabah

May Your Great Name, through our expanding awareness and our fuller action, lift You to become still higher and more holy.

For Your Great Name weaves together all the names of all the beings in the universe, among them our own names,
and it is we who give You the strength to lift us into holiness — (Cong: Amein)

B’alma di vra chi’rooteh v’yamlich malchuteh b’chayeichun, u’v'yomeichun,
u’v'chayei d’chol beit yisrael, b’agalah u’vzman kariv, v’imru: — Amein.

— Throughout the world that You have offered us, a world of majestic peaceful order
that gives life to the Godwrestling folk
through time and through eternity —- And let’s say, Amein

Y’hei sh’mei rabbah, me’vorach, l’olam almei almaya.

So may the Great Name be blessed, through every Mystery and Mastery of every universe.

Yitbarach, v’yishtabach, v’yitpa’ar, v’yitromam, v’yitnasei, v’yit’hadar, v’yit’aleh, v’yit’halal — Shmei di’kudshah, –

Brich hu (Cong: Brich Hu)

May Your Name be blessed and celebrated, Its beauty honored and raised high, may It be lifted and carried,
may Its radiance be praised in all Its Holiness — Blessed be!

L’eylah min kol bir’chatah v’shir’atah tush’be’chatah v’nehematah, de’amiran be’alma, v’imru: Amein (Cong: Amein)

Even though we cannot give You enough blessing, enough song, enough praise, enough consolation to match what we wish to lay before you -
And though we know that today there is no way to console You
when among us some who bear Your Image in our being
are slaughtering others who bear Your Image in our being -

Yehei Shlama Rabah min Shemaya v’chayyim { aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru Amein.

Still we beseech that from the unity of Your Great Name
flow a great and joyful harmony and life for us and for all who wrestle God; (Cong: Amein)

Oseh Shalom bi’m'romav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yisrael v’al kol yishmael v’al kol yoshvei tevel — v’imru: Amein.

You who make harmony in the ultimate reaches of the universe,
teach us to make harmony within ourselves, among ourselves –
and peace for the Godwrestling folk, the people Israel;
for the children of Ishmael;
and for all who dwell upon this planet. (Cong: Amein)

From Dandelion Salad.