PRAY FOR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD

From the State Journal-Register:

The Rev. Christopher Ashmore has pored through reams of material and watched hours of DVDs on the 14 nominees for the office of bishop for the Springfield Episcopal Diocese. And he has his own personal thoughts about his top four candidates.

Asked how he expects Saturday’s nominating synod to play out, Ashmore, rector of Trinity Church in Jacksonville and secretary of the standing committee, which has ecclesiastical authority in the diocese in the absence of a bishop, was at a loss for words.

“I’m not really sure (of the outcome),” admitted Ashmore. “And that’s the end product of a lot of thought.

“It could come out any number of ways. I’m completely mystified.”

If all goes as expected, clergy and lay delegates from around the diocese, comprised of 60 counties and about 5,000 communicants, will pare down the number of nominees for bishop to four candidates. The Electing Synod will choose a bishop from among the four next month.
....

The past few years, the Springfield diocese has been a battleground over theological differences within the Episcopal Church. In 2006, Bishop Peter Beckwith, whose Feb. 1 retirement shocked many, requested oversight from the Anglican community, a volley at Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, with whom Beckwith had tangled.
....

“The fear is that everyone will go in different directions (dividing up the votes),” said the Rev. John Bettman, vicar of St. Paul’s Church in Carlinville. “That would be awkward, but I’ve seen that before.”

Said Chuck Evans, a lay delegate from St. George’s Church in Belleville: “I’m cautiously hopeful that the process will be executed the way it should be, that there won’t be parliamentary manipulations.

“We may have a long day ahead of us. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as it remains peaceful and civil in the process."

‘Ourselves to blame’

“We’ve been greatly fractured, and we have ourselves to blame,” conceded Ashmore. “We’ve lost the grace and dignity of who we are — brothers and sisters in Christ.”

The prayer at the head of my sidebar on the right is for the election of a bishop but, with only a few words edited, is suitable for the nomination process for a bishop.

Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall nominate candidates for bishop for the Diocese of Springfield that they may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip them for their ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOOD NEWS FROM MEXICO CITY

From CBS:

The Mexican Supreme Courthas upheld the constitutionality of gay marriages in Mexico City. Gay marriages have been legal in Mexico City since March, but have drawn opposition from the Catholic Church and the Mexican government.

The 8-2 vote not only upheld gay marriage in Mexico City, it also said the law was valid to allow homosexuals to possibly adopt children.

Mexico City is the only area in Mexico that allows gay marriages and it is the first area in Latin America to have such a law.

H/T to Timothy Kinccaid at Box Turtle Bulletin for the link.

JESUS AND MO

From Jesus and Mo.

THE CHURCH LADY

The lady was a fine upstanding Southern Baptist who attended services and taught Sunday School every week. On one Sunday, an out of town slight acquaintance, a gentleman, was in the pew right behind her. He noted what a fine looking woman she was and, while they were taking up the collection, he leaned forward and said, "Hey, how about you and I having dinner on Tuesday?"

"Why yes, that would be nice", the lady responded.

Well, the gentleman couldn't believe his luck. On Tuesday he picked the lady up and took her to the finest restaurant in that part of South Carolina. When they sat down, the gentleman looked over at her and suggested, "Would you like a cocktail before dinner?"

"Oh, no," said our circumspect fine example of southern womanhood, "Whatever would I tell my Sunday School class?"

Well, our gentleman was set back a bit, so he didn't say much until after dinner, when he pulled out a pack of Lucky Strikes and asked, "Would you like a cigarette?"

"Oh my goodness, no," said the woman. "I couldn't face my Sunday School class if I did!"

Well, our boy felt pretty low after that, so they left, got in his car and as he was driving the lady home, they passed the local Holiday Inn. He'd been morally rebuffed twice already, so he figured 'What the Hell', he had nothing to lose so he ventured forth with, "Ahhh ... mmmm, how would you like to stop at this motel?"

"Sure, that would be nice," she said in anticipation. The gentleman couldn't believe his ears, and did a fast u-turn right then and there, and drove back to the motel and checked in.

The next morning, after a wild and passionate night of the most incredible love making imaginable, the gentleman awoke first. He looked at the lovely Dixie Darling lying there in the bed and with remorse thought, "What the hell have I done?"

He shook her awake and asked, "Whatever are you going to tell your Sunday School class?"

The lady said, "The same thing I always tell them, "You don't have to smoke and drink to have a good time.."

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

PROPOSITION 8 RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN CALIFORNIA

From The Lead:

According to the ruling by Judge Vaughn R Walker, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California:

Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same sex couples.

Good news, indeed. One battle won, but the fight is not over.

For more information and quotes, check out The Friends of Jake.

"THE SOLUTION TO GAY MARRIAGE"

Chrislove at Daily Kos:

Larry is an ardent NOM [National Organization for Marriage] supporter and a believer in “traditional” marriage. And he apparently represents Cross Bearer Ministry in Indianapolis.

This is how Larry feels about gay people:

As my correspondent who sent the picture in an email attachment said in the subject line, "Bit of nastiness to kick-start the morning." I couldn't agree more. At the above link to Kos, you can see Larry in full glory in a video interview.

As Chris says, Larry admits that he "has experienced his share of homosexual feelings...but he apparently had the willpower to resist...."

Ah, yes.

THIS IS KATE

 

Isn't she adorable? Not me. Kate

 

She's tiny, isn't she? Kate weighs 5 pounds 4 ounces. She came to visit today with her daddy, a young friend of ours. I got a good baby fix with the precious little one.

SEEING THE OBVIOUS

Ta-Nehisi Coates writes in The Atlantic about the comparison between the ban on gay marriage and the former ban on interracial marriage. His commentary sheds new light on the the controversy for me.

Much worse, the comparison with interracial marriage actually understates the evil of reserving marriage rights for certain classes of people. Banning interracial marriage meant that most black people could not marry outside of their race. This was morally indefensible, but very different than a total exclusion of gays from the institution of marriage. Throughout much of America, gays are effectively banned from marrying, not simply certain types of people, but any another compatible partner period. Unlike heterosexual blacks in 1960, the ban gays suffer under is unconditional and total and effectively offers one word for an entire sector of Americans--Die. For evading that ban means virtual--if not literal--suicide.

A more compelling analogy would be a law barring blacks, not from marrying other whites, but effectively from marrying anyone at all. In fact we have just such an analogy. In the antebellum South, the marriages of the vast majority of African-Americans, much like gays today, held no legal standing. Slavery is obviously, itself, a problem--but abolitionists often, and accurately, noted that among its most heinous features was its utter disrespect for the families of the enslaved. Likewise, systemic homophobia is, itself, a problem--but among its most heinous features is its utter disrespect for the families formed by gays and lesbians. Of course African-Americans, gay and straight, in 1810 lacked many other rights that gays, of all colors, today enjoy. Thus, to state the obvious, being born gay is not the same as being born a slave. But the fact is that in 1810, the vast majority of African-Americans--much like the vast majority of gays in 2010--lacked the ability to legally marry.

Well, yes. It's obvious, but, before now, I did not see the obvious.

H/T to Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin for the link.

THE REV. JOHN SMYLIE CONSECRATED BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF WYOMING

From Episcopal Life:

The Rev. John Sheridan Smylie was consecrated as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming during a joyful ceremony July 31 at the Casper Events Center.

Hundreds of well-wishers, ecumenical and other guests celebrated the occasion, which represented "an icon of community working together with the Holy Spirit to create a time of celebration that leads to a season of service whose purpose is to love one another and to bring Glory to God," Smylie said in a statement posted on the diocesan website.
....

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was the chief consecrator while Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina served as homilist at the service, which included original music authored by Smylie. Curry also served as a co-consecrating bishop, along with Bishop Brian Prior of Minnesota.

Our friend, Ann Fontaine served as one of the Masters the Minister of Ceremony at the consecration of Bishop Smylie.

Congratulations and blessings to Bishop Smylie and the Diocese of Wyoming.

JONATHAN BUILDS A BOAT...AT AGE 13

From the Daily Comet:

Jonathan Boudreaux, 13, was the youngest person to ever enroll in wooden boat-making classes at the Louisiana Center for Traditional Boat Building.

A November 1994 Daily Comet article describes Boudreaux as “the next generation” of Louisianians to keep the state’s wooden-boat tradition alive.

Tom Butler, center director, made a prediction 16 years ago about Boudreaux: “We’ll all be died off, and this guy is going to still be building boats.”

Boudreaux, now 29, is still making boats, though they are fabricated from cold steel and weigh hundreds of tons.

He is a naval architect and marine engineer, an integral player in the construction of large supply vessels, tugboats and offshore barges.
....

Boudreaux learned about the University of New Orleans’ naval-architecture and marine-engineering program during his senior year in high school. He said he knew instantly that is what he wanted to do.

“I love boats, their power, what they do, what they’re capable of doing,” he said.
....

Butler said many former students have reached out to him over the years, but Boudreaux’s story is particularly meaningful.

“I got kind of emotional,” Butler said. “(The tradition) went on to another generation.”

Tom Butler in the article is Grandpère. After 31 years, Tom finally has a building to house the Center's fine collection of wooden boats, some of them quite old, boat building tools, pictures, art work, etc., but the building, which is owned by the city of Lockport, Louisiana, is not quite finished, and the museum is not officially open. However, boat building classes are presently being taught in the museum. The boats are all made of wood, and the students in the classes are taught the old ways of building wooden boats.

The museum is a historic old building, built in 1917, which was formerly an old Ford dealership. It's ideal for a museum which houses sizable boats, because the set of large doors in the building, which were used to move cars into the showroom, are now used to move boats into the museum. Below is a picture of the building.



The next picture shows some of the boats, still jumbled up. In the center is a very old dugout canoe.




UPDATE: I corrected the date of the building from the 1930s to 1917, after a sharp rebuke from Tom. My bad. I should have let him proofread the post.