Even More On Bishop-Elect Morris Thompson

From the Times-Picayune:

Several delegates said Thompson made a strong impression with his pastoral skills, a special need in the storm-battered diocese of 55 congregations and about 18,000 members.

"He's a very gentle, deeply spiritual man. A kind man," said the Rev. Henry Hudson, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, who nominated Thompson. "His first instinct is always the pastoral word. He's a listener, and that's going to be very helpful."
....

At the Episcopal church's General Convention last summer, Thompson was with the majority of delegates who voted to declare partnered gay men and lesbians eligible for any ordained ministry. He also voted to direct church resources to preparing rites for same-sex unions.
....

"I believe the church is moving in a direction that is more inclusive when it comes to the issue of sexuality, and I think the church needs to support people who are gay," Thompson said in an interview Saturday.
....

What people in New Orleans should know about him, he said, "is that I'm passionate about ministry, about people having a relationship with Christ. And we all have a place at the table, no matter who we are."

That a candidate was elected who voted in favor of opening all ordained ministries to all the baptized and in favor preparing rites for same-sex unions is a milestone here in Louisiana. Those of you from other areas of the country may not fully realize the election as the break-through that it is.

It pains me to see that Morris Thompson is being trashed on the conservative websites, not only as a "revisionist", but as a "heretic", and that few on the progressive side even take note of the election of a fine man who will be an excellent addition to the House of Bishops.

And I know I said that I was moving on, but I changed my mind.

Where Are You?

Note to my progressive friends with blogs: The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana elected a bishop yesterday, but you seem to have missed the story. Now I know that not all my blog friends cover news stories, but those of you who do, where are you?

I rejoiced in the election of two women in the Diocese of Los Angeles who made several holes in the glass ceiling, and I posted the news here on my blog.

Was our election in Louisiana not controversial enough? Did you miss telling the story because we are way down south nearly in the Gulf of Mexico? Are we too French and not Anglican enough? Why? A bishop-elect is a bishop-elect, no matter that he's a straight white male. Are we not part of the Episcopal Church?

I'm disappointed and a little miffed that my progressive friends do not see our election as important enough to note. Would you like to know which blogs covered the story? The conservative bloggers are quite vocal about the new "revisionist" bishop-elect in Louisiana. I have the sense that we're perhaps not seen as a true part of the Episcopal Church. I have that left-out feeling.

And if you take note after my petty little rant, it will be like getting birthday and anniversary greetings only after you remind loved ones that they missed the event.

My thanks to John Chilton at The Lead for his article on the election and to my fellow Louisianian, Ormonde Plater for his posts. If others out there in progressive blogland covered our election, and I've left you out, I apologize in advance.

To all of you who stopped by in the comments to congratulate us and wish us well here in our remote little diocese in the Louisiana swamp and bayou lands, I say a big THANK YOU.

There. I had to get that off my chest. And now I shall move on to other matters.

Well THAT Didn't Take Long

Posted On : December 6, 2009 9:54 AM
ACNS:

The election of Mary Glasspool by the Diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan bishop elect raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole.

The process of selection however is only part complete. The election has to be confirmed, or could be rejected, by diocesan bishops and diocesan standing committees. That decision will have very important implications.

The bishops of the Communion have collectively acknowledged that a period of gracious restraint in respect of actions which are contrary to the mind of the Communion is necessary if our bonds of mutual affection are to hold.

The archbishop CAN move swiftly, when he chooses.

And what about Uganda? It appears that the archbishop is still in gracious restraint mode regarding a condemnation of the pending draconian anti-gay bill that is under consideration.

H/T to Counterlight.

Second Sunday In Advent

Readings:

AM Psalm 148, 149, 150; PM Psalm 114, 115
Amos 6:1-14; 2 Thess. 1:5-12; Luke 1:57-68


Collect

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(BCP, p. 211)


The Song of Zechariah
Benedictus Dominus Deus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

(Luke 1: 68-79)

Photo from Nike Chillemi.

Addendum: Doorman-Priest has a lovely sermon for 2 Advent posted at his site. I haven't had a chance to read the sermon yet, because I must get ready for church, but I will, when I return home. I know that the sermon is lovely because Doorman-Priest cannot tell a lie.

More On Bishop-Elect Morris Thompson

The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana elected The Very Rev. Morris Thompson, as the 11th Bishop of Louisiana today at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans. Thompson was one of six final candidates voted on by clergy and lay representatives from every congregation in the diocese. Thompson succeeds the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins who has served since 1997 and announced his retirement effective January 2010.

Thompson said, "I am honored and humbled to serve you as the 11th Bishop of Louisiana. Your rich tradition, your attention to the survival of your diocese, and the possibilities are what attracted me when I first read your profile. Under God's grace and with our shared ministry, I look forward to being among you as your pastor."

Rev. Thompson currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife, Rebecca. He serves as the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral. He and Rebecca have two children, Virginia and Trey.

Under the canons of the Episcopal Church (III.11.4) both a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must consent to the election within 120 days of receiving notice. If sufficient consents are received, Thompson will be consecrated on May 8, 2010, at Christ Church Cathedral, with the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding.

Rev. Thompson is originally from Cleveland, Mississippi. He received his M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and attended University of the South and Lexington Theological Seminary.

Diocese Of Los Angeles Elects Two Women Bishops

From The Lead:

In a seven ballot election The Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool has been elected a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles pending the required consents. The second woman elected bishop bishop in the diocese in as many days, she is also a partnered lesbian.

The Diocese of Los Angeles elected the Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce suffragan bishop of the diocese in the first of two elections taking place in that diocese this weekend. Bruce is the first woman elected a bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles pending the required consents.

Two women, one in a partnered lesbian relationship. Excellent news! The Diocese of Los Angeles moves forward.

The Very Rev'd Morris Thompson Elected 11th Bishop Of The Episcopal Diocese Of Louisiana

His biography is here. (pdf file)

Final vote:

Clergy - 62

Laity - 73

Thanks be to God!

Fr. Thompson was my first choice. I am thrilled!

Equality Over Conscience?

From a link at Thinking Anglicans, the title of a post by Archbishop Cranmer at Cranmer leaped out at me:

EU forces Government to put gay equality over Christian conscience

The writer lists references from the Hebrew and Christian Testaments and from the Qur’an which are presumed to forbid same-sexuality and bemoans the loss of England's national sovereignty to the European Union. You can read it all at the link.

As I said in the comments to the post:

The title of the post caught my attention from the link at Thinking Anglicans.

"EU forces Government to put gay equality over Christian conscience"

Why did the headline startle me? Because I rather foolishly believe that the Christian conscience would compel one to support gay equality. If you think same-sexuality is wrong, then refrain from the act. It's not as though the EU is forcing same-sexuality on anyone.

I doubt that God cares more about national sovereignty than about fair and equal treatment of human beings. It seems to me that the secular EU has become the Christian conscience of England.

An excerpt from the rebuttal to my comment:

D. Singh said...

Madam,

It is sad to read a note from, presumably a Christian such as yourself support a measure which is destructive of the church in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Again, you may read the full response at the link.

I answered:

Sir, if the church groups keep themselves free from employing LGTB persons, will the communities then be pure and undefiled? Are there none employed in the church communities who have transgressed? Are none guilty of any of the seven deadly sins?

Pride
Covetousness
Lust
Anger
Envy
Gluttony
Sloth

There is no such entity as a pure church. The church is for sinners. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."

I don't expect that I shall turn you around to my way of thinking, nor will you convince me that your way is right. I commented here simply because I was truly startled by the title of the post. The seeming dissonance in the phrasing jumped out at me.

Peace to you in this season of hope and expectancy as we await the celebration of the coming of Our Lord to dwell amongst us.

The response:

D. Singh said...

Madam,

Because some in the church commit those seven sins is not a justification to add another.

There you have it. I'm not one to continue with an endless argument in which I am close to certain that no minds or hearts will be changed, therefore I'm done. From that number of comments to the post (73, so far), I conclude that the blog is popular, with comments from both conservatives and progressives alike. I suppose that I don't get around enough.

Republican "Tough Love" For Health Clinics In NOLA

From the Times-Picayune:

Confronting a panel of health professionals seeking continued federal support for a fragile network of New Orleans health clinics that emerged in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked Thursday whether the city is becoming a ward of the federal government.

"Is everyone so poor in Louisiana that the state cannot do more for you?" Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., asked the panel. "Are you going to be a permanent ward of the federal government?"

Issa's question, which he said was born out of "tough love," drew a wrathful response from Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

Of course, that the overflow of water into New Orleans after Katrina was a FEDERAL FLOOD due to faulty levees, constructed by the US Corps of Engineers, should not be in the equation as Louisiana goes a-begging for help to provide health care for the poor. And nevermind that a better description for Republican "tough love" would be Republican "shriveled hearts". (H/T to Michael Gerson. See sidebar.)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich said:

"You're trying to keep alive a health infrastructure to assist people, and we are getting ready to spend $160 billion next year on a stupid war in Afghanistan," Kucinich said.

"If we can't see that New Orleans is still suffering, if we can't see that New Orleans has a health-care infrastructure that is not adequate to meet the needs of people who are still recovering from the hurricane, if New Orleans has to come with a tin cup to beg for money for clinics "," Kucinich said. "Our country is falling apart, and what's happening in New Orleans is a signal condition of where America's priorities are totally fouled up."

Do you see why I wanted Dennis to be my president? He has the priorities right. All right, perhaps he could not have governed, but a girl can dream, can't she?

And then Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, R-New Orleans, spoke up to:

thank Kucinich "for his passion and his understanding of the situation in New Orleans," and he agreed with Kucinich's characterization that "FEMA was still nickel-and-diming the city," especially in its haggling over what Louisiana is owed for the damaged Charity Hospital, a dispute that is now in arbitration.

If you recall, Cao was the lone Republican to vote to move the health reform bill out of the House of Representatives. He knows well that his people need help.

Easy Option

I'm not that good at live & let live, she
told me, when it's just as easy to avoid &
then I don't even have to think about it.


From StoryPeople.