PRAYER FOR THE PRIMATES' MEETING...

...from the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town.

Lord Jesus Christ, you washed your disciples' feet,
and called them to follow your example.
Bless the leaders of our churches as they gather at the Primates' Meeting.
As they take counsel together, give them grace to grow in prayer and fellowship,
so they may bear one anothers' burdens and share one anothers' joys,
and find mutual support in their heavy responsibilities of servant leadership.
Refresh and encourage them as they meet,
and empower them to lead your people
in lives of faithful worship, witness and service,
that bring your redemptive gospel to this broken and needy world.
Amen

The meeting starts today, January 25, in Dublin, Ireland, and runs until January 30.

H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead

MAMIES

The video is funny, but it's not funny, if you know what I mean. That could be me in a year or two, but I must say I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

"HEADLINES YOU HAVE TO LOVE"

From The State in South Carolina.

Shagging with Tyrone Power Jr.

I didn't say that. The newspaper headline writer said it.

From Lapin.

"BLOGGER LIFE"

This isn't actually about any specific issue at the moment, but one ongoing thing is that often people perceive my failure to comment on issue X as some sort of...well, I don't know, as meaningful in some way. Sometimes I just don't really have anything to say.

Atrios at Eschaton.

Ah yes. Me, too, but I'd add that sometimes I have something to say, but I don't have time to address the issue.

And Atrios' blog has held on to its vast numbers of comments in the face of Facebook. Why his comments ARE a virtual Facebook! Check them out. How does he do it?

MADPRIEST TURNS PIOUS

ELSEWHERE ON THE OCICBW... EXPERIENCE

THE ANCHORHOLD: "About Spiritual Direction"and a Westminster Abbey Choir vid.

ST. LAIKA'S: Daily prayer with music. I particularly like the version of the hymn, "Lord, teach us how to pray aright," that I bunged into the service today.

Posted by MadPriest

No doubt helped along by the good influence of the lovely Ellie, who runs The Anchorhold, MadPriest has taken up praying and even posting entire prayer services on his alternate webpage, St Laika's. I suspect that the posting is done by his alter-ego, the kind, gentle, compassionate, polite MadPriest, whom we catch a glimpse of only from time to time. But, if you visit the web page, you will see that, hidden away though he may be for much of the time, the alter-ego is real.

GOLF MATCH

A guy was getting ready to tee off on the first hole when a second golfer approached and asked if he could join him. The first said that he usually played alone, but agreed to the twosome.

They were even after the first few holes. The second guy said, "We're about evenly matched; how about playing for five bucks a hole?" The first guy said that he wasn't much for betting, but agreed to the terms.

The second guy won the remaining sixteen holes with ease.

As they were walking off number eighteen, the second guy was busy counting his $80.00. He confessed that he was the pro at a neighboring course and liked to pick on suckers. The first fellow revealed that he was the parish Monsignor.

The pro was flustered and apologetic, offering to return the money. The Priest said, "No, you won fair and square, and I was foolish to bet with you. You keep your winnings."

The embarrassed pro said, "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

The Priest said, "Well, you could come to Mass on Sunday and make a donation. And, if you want to bring your mother and father along, I'll marry them."


Cheers,

Paul (A.)

You're a good man, Paul (A.). What would I do without you and my other joke suppliers? Why I'd have nothing, nothing at all to keep my readers entertained.

PRAY FOR THOSE KILLED AND WOUNDED IN THE MOSCOW AIRPORT BOMBING

From the NewYork Times:

MOSCOW — A bomber strode into the arrivals hall at Moscow’s busiest airport on Monday afternoon and set off an enormous explosion, eyewitnesses and Russian officials said, leaving bodies strewn in a smoke-filled terminal while bystanders scrambled to get the wounded out on baggage carts.

Russian authorities said at least 31 people were killed and 150 injured in the attack. The Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, said in televised remarks that the blast was an act of terrorism and ordered police to track down the perpetrators.

O merciful Father, who taught us in your holy word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve your children: Look with compassion upon your people who were killed and wounded in the Moscow airport. May those who died rest in peace and rise in glory. Bring healing to the wounded, for whom our prayers are offered; remember them, O Lord, in mercy. Nourish the souls of those who sorrow for their loved ones with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRESIDING BISHOP'S STATEMENT ON PRIMATES MEETING

January 24, 2011

I look forward to greeting many old friends at the Primates Meeting in Dublin, and I look forward to meeting those who have been elected in the past two years. I am deeply grateful that we may begin to focus on issues that are highly significant in local contexts as well as across the breadth of the Anglican Communion. Certainly issues of serving our brothers and sisters, offering good news for body, mind, and spirit, are the central ones in our province. The Episcopal Church is urgently focused on rebuilding in Haiti, seeking increased ways to bring good news to the poor in indigenous communities, inner cities, and expanding and depopulating rural areas in all the nations in our province. Across the globe, in partnership with Anglicans and others, we seek to serve the least of these, bringing light in the midst of darkness, peace in the midst of war and violence, and hope in the face of devastating natural disasters and the growing reality of climate change. We own our domestic responsibility to change our habits and ways of life that contribute to environmental damage and destruction. In all we do, we seek to recognize the face of God wherever we turn, realizing that the body of God’s creation will only be healed when all members of the body of Christ are working together.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

H/T to Jim Naughton at The Lead.

STORY OF THE DAY - OLD CAT

Sometimes I think I'm going to end up
all alone in a cold apartment living on
cat food from a can but I guess that's
not so bad since I'm a cat after all.

From StoryPeople.

PRAYER FOR THE PRIMATES' MEETING...

...from the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town.

Lord Jesus Christ, you washed your disciples' feet,
and called them to follow your example.
Bless the leaders of our churches as they gather at the Primates' Meeting.
As they take counsel together, give them grace to grow in prayer and fellowship,
so they may bear one anothers' burdens and share one anothers' joys,
and find mutual support in their heavy responsibilities of servant leadership.
Refresh and encourage them as they meet,
and empower them to lead your people
in lives of faithful worship, witness and service,
that bring your redemptive gospel to this broken and needy world.
Amen

The meeting will take place in Dublin, Ireland, January 25-30.

H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead