SAMMY THE SQUIRREL SAYS...

 

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

THE DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA MOVES FORWARD (OR NOT) ON SAME-SEX BLESSINGS

Whereas, the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston stated in his pastoral address to the 215th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia:

“I do regret that, in this address, some important matters in our common life will seem to be slighted while others are omitted, such as the several topics arising from the debate on sexuality. But I look for us to address these issues thoroughly in regional forums in 2010. It is unfortunate that some of the weightiest deliberations that come before us cannot be adequately and justly dealt with in the very short time allowed by Annual Council....”

All of the resolutions which passed and the entire text of Bishop Johnston's address to the 215th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia on moving forward (or not moving forward) on same-sex blessings may be found at the diocesan website.

Below are the resolutions which address the matter of same-sex blessings. My first question is whether the same standards apply in deciding whether a blessing is given to a same-sex couple as would apply for a heterosexual couple.

Resolved, the 215th Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia recognizes that:

1. Our clergy and people remain divided over the wisdom and theology of blessing same gender relationships, as well as how much weight to give to the views of others in the Anglican Communion about these issues, particularly to views from those with whom we are in mission partnership;

True, surely.

2. The growing differences between Christian and Civil understanding of marriage and relationships create immediate pastoral issues for our clergy and congregations;

True. As states move forward to approve same-sex partnerships and same-sex marriages, immediate pastoral issues will arise.

3. There are numerous same-gender couples in our diocese engaged in long-term monogamous relationships who have engaged in productive and vital ministries for the proclamation of the Gospel. Many of these couples strongly desire the church’s blessing of their relationships;

True again. And why is it so difficult to decide that ALL faithful, monogamous couples have a right to equal treatment in the matter of blessings?

4. These issues deserve to be collectively addressed in an orderly, careful, and deliberate way assisted by appropriate legal and canonical experts; and

"[O]rderly, careful", yes, but not with long delays. Equality delayed is equality denied.

Recommends that:

1. Our Bishop is asked to empanel a group of clergy and lay people, including attorneys admitted to practice in Virginia and recognized experts on canon law, as well as knowledgeable clergy and lay representatives of a variety of theological perspectives on the issue of blessing same-gender relationships.

Form a committee. That's one way to delay making controversial decisions. Not to decide is to decide against blessings for same-sex couples for the present and the immediate future.

2. Such panel shall recommend consistent standards to be written into diocesan canons so that, if services of blessing same-gender unions are authorized, our clergy and people have a clearly understood and enforceable set of rules to guide the application of clergy discretion in providing pastoral care to same-gender couples seeking such blessings.

I expect that the standards are for the protection of clergy who don't want to preside at same-sex blessings. Who would want a clergy person to preside over their wedding if that person did not want to be there? A downer, surely.

3. In formulating these recommendations, the following issues may be addressed (based in part on General Convention Canon I.1.18 and I.1.19):

(a) Whether individual members of the clergy have the right, as a matter of theological principle, to decline to conduct any such service, without adverse disciplinary consequences or personnel action;

Are clergy presently forced to conduct blessing ceremonies? I don't think so. Why must the matter be taken up?

(b) Whether individual members of the clergy have the right to decline to conduct such a service for a particular same gender couple, without adverse disciplinary consequences or personnel action, similar to the current rule for clergy asked to conduct weddings;

Same answer as above.

(c) The age, capacity and degree of kinship, if any, of the parties;

Other than following the civil laws, are these matters under consideration for blessings of heterosexual couples?

(d) The effect of prior marriages or unions blessed by a licensed clergy person or registered with civil authorities, the responsibility to any former spouse or partner in such union, and responsibility to minor children of any prior marriage or union;

Same as above.

(e) The appropriateness of advance medical screening, if any;

Same as above.

(f) The effect of any legal union or marriage entered into between the parties in another jurisdiction;

Yes, the question should be settled for the sake of the couples who were married or granted a civil-partnership in another state.

(g) The appropriate role of the Bishop for advanced review of any proposed blessing of a specific same-gender couple;

Does the bishop do an advanced review of blessings for couples of the opposite sex?

(h) Review of financial arrangements to protect the parties in the absence of state law presumptions governing married couples, presumptions intended to protect the weaker party from potential exploitation, oppression, or improvident action by the other party in the relationship;

I'd be quite surprised if such reviews are required of heterosexual couples.

(i) Other factors listed in the General Convention canons for marriage, Canons I.1.18 and I.1.19, including the baptismal status of the parties, the commitment to life-long union, the voluntariness of consent, the absence of coercion, fraud, mistake of identity of the other party;

Apply the same rules as for heterosexual couples.

(j) The minimum time line between notification of the clergy of a desire to obtain such a blessing and the performance of the ceremony;

Same as above.

(k) The number of witnesses and the record-keeping requirements for the clergy and any congregation involved;

Same as above

(l) Any requirement for written affirmation by the couple that the commitment is to a life-long union;

Same as above.

(m) Any statement of the theological basis for the union to which the partners are to subscribe;

Same as above.

(n) Provision to address possible dissolution of a blessed same-gender relationship, including the considerations of factors enumerated in Canon I.1.19 to address marriages which are in distress or which have been terminated by a civil court, as well as the circumstances, if any, under which another same-gender relationship may be blessed where both partners to an earlier such relationship remain living;

Yes, provision would need to be made for this eventuality.

(o) The restriction in the General Convention canon on marriage in the church to heterosexual couples;

I thought the resolutions were about blessings.

(p) Whether any blessing service for same-gender union may be used in lieu of marriage for heterosexual couples under any circumstances, and if so, what those circumstances are;

I wonder how this resolution will play out.

(q) How these might apply to all members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans-gendered community;

Will the blessings apply to ALL in a big tent kinda way?

(r) Any other factor deemed important by the panel.

Whoa! Will the panel meet the deadline with the "Any other factor" in the resolution?

3. If the Bishop appoints such a panel, the panel shall strive to deliver its report (including proposed canonical language) to the Executive Board by All Saints Day, 2010, in time for careful and orderly consideration of its recommendations by the 216th Annual Council of the Diocese. The panel is not to opine on whether the blessings of same-gender unions should be authorized, but it is to set forth its canonical recommendations to govern blessing such relationships if such services of blessing are authorized.

No opining, ya hear!

4. The consideration of any authorization for Virginia clergy to enter same gender unions should be deferred until after consideration of the preceding process.

Wait, wait, wait. Stay in your sacrificial place.

Are these resolutions the Virginia diocese's attempt at separate but equal? Separate is never equal. Seems to me that the panel could save themselves a lot of time if the members decided to apply the same rules across the board for same-sex and opposite-sex couples whenever possible. Of course, there will be a few exceptions. As to the wording of the liturgy, slight changes in the blessing, such as instead of saying "this man and this woman", say "this man and this man" or "this woman and this woman" and - voila! - problem solved. To me, certain of the resolutions are unnecessary and, in some instances, demeaning to same-sex couples.

STORY OF THE DAY - BOX FOR THE FUTURE

this is a dress-up box for the future &
it's filled with stuff like courage & love &
play because they're the only things that
are any use at all when you get Right
down to it.


From StoryPeople.

"IT'S DISCRIMINATION...."

From the Times:

Sir, The Civil Partnership Act 2004 prohibits civil partnerships from being registered in any religious premises in Great Britain. Three faith communities — Liberal Judaism, the Quakers, and the Unitarians — have considered this restriction prayerfully and decided in conscience that they wish to register civil partnerships on their premises. An amendment to the Equality Bill, to allow this, was debated in the House of Lords on January 25. It was opposed by the Bishops of Winchester and Chichester on the grounds that, if passed, it would put unacceptable pressure on the Church of England. The former said that “churches of all sorts really should not reduce or fudge, let alone deny, the distinction” between marriage and civil partnership.

In the same debate, the bishops were crucial in defeating government proposals to limit the space within which religious bodies are exempt from anti-discrimination law. They see that as a fundamental matter of conscience. But it is inconsistent to affirm the spiritual independence of the Church of England and simultaneously to deny the spiritual independence of the three small communities who seek this change for themselves (and not for anybody else).

The bishops’ “slippery slope” argument is invalid. Straight couples have the choice between civil marriage and religious marriage. Gay couples are denied a similar choice. To deny people of faith the opportunity of registering the most important promise of their lives in their willing church or synagogue, according to its liturgy, is plainly discriminatory. In the US it would be unconstitutional under the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise . . . of religion.

The amendment will be re-presented by Lord Alli on March 2. We urge every peer who believes in spiritual independence, or in non-discrimination, to support it.

Above is a letter submitted by leading scholars, bishops, and clergy in support of an amendment to the Equality Bill pending before the English Parliament to permit ministers of religious bodies who so choose to officiate at civil partnerships between same-sex persons. No minister or rabbi would be forced to register civil partnerships between persons of the same sex. The list of those who signed the letter may be found at the Times link.

The relationship between the state and the Church of England is puzzling to me, and I believe that both church and state would be the better for disestablishment. On the matter of clergy performing civil duties such as marriages and civil partnerships, in my opinion, clergy would be well advised to work to remove themselves from the marriage/civil partnership business, thus opting out of performing the duties of the civil authorities. If a couple - same sex or opposite sex - wants a blessing on their pledge to commit themselves to fidelity to one another after a civil ceremony, then it would fall to the church community to decide whether to perform a blessing ceremony.

However, in the case of the English law, it's not fair that clergy are permitted to register marriages between persons of the opposite sex and forbidden to register civil partnerships between same-sex persons, so the amendment seems like a good thing.

Again from the Times:

The Church of England has so far resisted change, arguing that if some religious groups are allowed to hold civil partnerships then the pressure on the C of E to follow suit will become intolerable. It is a feeble argument. No one is arguing that any church should be forced to conduct a civil partnership. But willing churches should not be precluded from doing so.

What a surprise! And doesn't your heart bleed for the intolerable "pressure on the C of E to follow suit". "It is a feeble argument." Indeed!

H/T to Ann Fontaine at The Lead for the links to the articles.

COMFORT ON THE BUS

I love this one!

From Annie via Paddy Anglican.

MENTAL CHECKUP

It's that time of year for us to take our annual senior citizen test.

Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, it's important to keep mentally alert. If you don't use it, you lose it! Below is a very private way to gauge how your memory compares to the last test. Some may think it is too easy, but the ones with memory problems may have some difficulty. Take the test presented here to determine if you're losing it or not. The spaces below are so you don't see the answers until you've made your answer.

OK, relax, clear your mind, and begin

Question 1. What do you put in a toaster?












Answer: 'bread.'

If you said 'toast' give up now and do something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, bread, go to Question 2.

Question 2. Say 'silk' five times. Now spell 'silk.' What do cows drink?












Answer: Cows drink water.

If you said 'milk,' don't attempt the next question. Your brain is over-stressed and may even overheat. Content yourself with reading a more appropriate literature such as Sports Illustrated. However, if you said 'water', proceed to question 3.

Question 3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from?












Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said 'green bricks,' why are you still reading these??? If you said 'glass,' go on to Question 4.

Question 4. It's twenty-five years ago, and a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over Germany (If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East Germany ). Anyway, during the flight, three engines fail. The pilot, realizing that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure. Unfortunately the engine fails before he can do so and the plane fatally crashes smack in the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and West Germany. The question: Where would you bury the survivors? East Germany, West Germany, or no man's land'?












Answer: You don't bury survivors.

If you said ANYTHING else, you're a dunce and you must stop. If you said, 'You don't bury survivors', proceed to the next question.

Question 5. (To be answered without using a calculator): You are driving a bus from London to Milford Haven in Wales.
In London, 17 people get on the bus.
In Reading, 6 people get off the bus and 9 people get on.
In Swindon, 2 people get off and 4 get on.
In Cardiff, 11 people get off and 16 people get on.
In Swansea, 3 people get off and 5 people get on.
In Carmarthen, 6 people get off and 3 get on.
You then arrive at Milford Haven.












Without scrolling back to review, how old is the bus driver?










Answer: Oh, for crying out loud! Don't you remember your own age? It was YOU driving the bus!!

If you pass this along to your friends, pray they do better than you.

P.S.: 95% of people fail most of the questions!!

From Paul (A.), with no thanks from me.

PLEASE PRAY

Cathy said...

Mimi, this is nowt to do with your Lenten reflections, but could I please post a prayer request here? ... I have an interview tomorrow first thing for a six-month contract where I work (I am currently freelance). I wouldn't mind people's prayers for it, is the thing.

May the Lord be with you, Cathy.

HAITI - LEST WE FORGET

From NOLA.com:

Dr. Yvens Laborde saw Louisianians suffering after Hurricane Katrina, and he has seen first-hand the devastation a massive earthquake brought to his native Haiti on Jan. 12.

As difficult as it may be for some New Orleanians and their neighbors to conceive, the medical director at Ochsner Medical Ochsner-West Bank said, the post-storm landscape of the U.S. Gulf Coast pales in comparison with the total devastation in the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region.

But Laborde said he recognizes a common element in the aftermath of both disasters. “A hope that springs eternal,” he calls it.

“I’ve seen the degree of pain and suffering that crosses all boundaries: age, class, pretty much from one spectrum to the other,” Laborde said of Haiti. “Everybody has suffered, everybody has lost a family member, and everyone at this time is in a significant state of mourning and suffering. But I have seen the strength of our spirit, a resilience of our people."

Laborde, whose first post-quake medical mission spanned three weeks, said of his fellow Louisianians: “What I would like for them to do is identify themselves with that journey,” then build on that bond “to partner with Haitians” in recovery.
....

Dr. Charles Rene, a Haitian-born obstetrician-gynecologist, was already on the ground. Rene worked at the undamaged Hospital St. Joseph in La Vellee, a village near Jacmel, where he has for years served as medical director, returning several times a year to provide patient care and supervision. Anthony Allen, a physician’s assistant who specializes in emergency medicine and traveled with the group, said the damage and its effects “were on a much greater scale” than anything he’d seen previously.
....

The communicable diseases are an even greater threat, Laborde said, as the rainy season approaches with so many Haitians having inadequate shelter. “We have to have a way to keep people dry during the rainy season,” he said. Shelters are also an absolute necessity to keep people away from areas vulnerable to mudslides once the rainy season starts. In the meantime, Laborde said, Haitians are sleeping outside, scared of aftershocks collapsing already damaged structures, but still vulnerable to the almost certain mudslides turning the wrecked landscape to an avalanche of rubble and debris.

The scale of the catastrophe in Haiti is far greater in numbers of dead and injured and destruction of infrastructure than the the disasters of Katrina and the federal flood, but I pray that folks in and around New Orleans and in the rest of the country remember and respond appropriately to the dreadful conditions of the people of Haiti who still need our help and will for a long time in the future. I fear that the devastation and the plight of the people in Haiti are fading far too quickly into the mists of memory, despite the fact that the people in the country remain in a desperate situation.

For the Poor and the Neglected

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons in Haiti whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Oppressed

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in Haiti who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(From The Book of Common Prayer, p. 826, with slight editing)

Here's the link to a video of Dr. Yvens LaBorde talking of his experiences in Haiti.

UPDATE: My charity of choice for aid in Haiti is Episcopal Relief and Development.

A LENTEN DISCIPLINE NEVER MENTIONED

Thus far, the only Lenten discipline that I've mentioned is to attend Evening Prayer, Lenten meditation, and silent reflection on Thursday evenings at my church. I'd made another resolution which I neglected to mention because I forgot. Hmm - why did I forget? The other resolution was to get to church on time, but perhaps I forgot to mention it because deep in my unconscious I knew that was a resolution I was not likely to keep. Yesterday morning, by the time I was dressed and presentable to leave the house, I was late for church. I've been late for several Sundays running, and I was too embarrassed to walk in late again. I told Tom, "I'm not going to church." He was shocked.

I thought for a while and decided that I did not want to miss church on the 1st Sunday of Lent. I went online to look for a church that had an 11:00 AM service. The United Methodist Church offered what I wanted, and I headed for the church. I'd attended one or two organ concerts at the church, but I'd never been to a Methodist service in my whole life, and here was my opportunity to pay a visit. The congregation was the friendliest and most welcoming that I've ever encountered. I was honest about my reason for being there and confessed my habitual sin of tardiness to all. Confessed, and confessed, and confessed. I pray I'm forgiven.

If any of the members of my community at St. John read this post, they will say, "You should have come, late or not!" And I know that they'd mean the words, but I was just too embarrassed, especially after resolving to do better beginning with the 1st Sunday of Lent.

At the Methodist service, we sang some of the old country hymns, which I love like "the Old Rugged Cross", "Blessed Assurance", and "Come Thou Fount". The pastor, the Rev. Donnie Wilkinson, gave a lovely sermon on Matthew 21:1-2, 7-10 and Luke 19:41-45. He made Jesus' journey to Jerusalem come alive, as he described the terrain and the view of the city from Mt. Olivet. It was a good thing for me to pay a visit to the Methodist Church.

To be entirely honest, I must confess that while the service at the Methodist church was lovely, I missed the liturgy of the Eucharist. I thank God often for my church with its frequent Eucharistic celebrations. The Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ are vital to my spiritual life.

What began as a day of failure, at least as I saw it, turned out, in the end, to be not a failure at all, but an opportunity to share worship with fellow Christians in another denomination in my community for which I am thankful.

Romans 8:28

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

"I lose heart"

Rmj at Adventus, in his post titled "There are no atheists in foxholes....", quotes from a soon-to-be-released novel about the Vietnam War. A character in the novel, Cortell, states one of the finest descriptions of faith that I have read or heard - at least of my kind of faith. There it is. In a novel. About Vietnam.