UGH! NOT AGAIN

From the New York Times:

An ExxonMobil pipeline running under the Yellowstone River in south central Montana ruptured late Friday, spilling crude oil into the river and forcing evacuations.

The pipeline burst about 10 miles east of Billings, coating parts of the Yellowstone River that run past Laurel — a town of about 6,500 people downstream from the rupture — with shiny patches of oil. Precisely how much oil leaked into the river was still unclear. But throughout the day Saturday, cleanup crews in Laurel worked to lessen the impact of the spill, laying down absorbent sheets along the banks of the river to mop up some of the escaped oil, and measuring fumes to determine the health threat.

Yes, again ...and again, and again and again.

Clean up the mess, guys.

Thanks to Ann.

FROM DAVID@MONTREAL

beloved Giants

as corny as it may sound,
sitting here, having given heart-felt thanks for the life, ministry, and brave articulate example of our Kirstin

i'm very mindful of what an extraordinary circle of grace and faithful lives we've all been a part of in accompanying our treasured friend

our loose, loving interconnectedness via the internet, which has been a source of grace/love/prayers/strength and support to so many over the years, and the incredible network which grew to surround our Kirstin-

'by their fruits' Scripture tells us- and i can't help but feel that what the Holy Spirit works/worked through this blessed interconnectedness says something of how/where our Church is called to grow.

so this morning, i'm deeply, profoundly grateful for each one of you - remembered by name, with gratitude and love

I am sending out one great Montreal hug- a group hug, in dear Kirstin's honour as we hold the memory of her, her life and example close to our hearts

and strive to live Life even more intentionally, more......... unconditionally present in our slow waltz with Ruach, all to G-d's greater glory.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Group hug))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

thank-you my beloved Giants

love always-always Love

David@Montreal

Thank you, cher David. You made me cry, but that's okay. I've been teary throughout the day anyway.

Love to you.

GOOD NIGHT, SWEET KIRSTIN

From Andee:

Kirstin died a few minutes before 8 p.m. After a day of many of us singing to her, she is now singing with the angels. Rest in peace, my little one.

And the angels sang thee to thy rest, dear Kirstin.

From Kirstin at Barefoot and Laughing:

And this will be the psalm at my memorial:

The Rev. Virginia Going, “Today”

Let me live today.
Let me be open to the miracle of this day.
Let me breathe the best of today.
Let me not miss the heart of today.
Let me find the gift of today,
hidden like a jewel in rubble of care, duty, and detail.

Let me pause to hear
the steady beat of the heart of God—
hoping, aching, sorrowing, expectant, patient,
despairing heart of God.

Listen, listen.
Do you hear it?
Ever so faint but steady, steady,
rhythmic organ, strong muscle,
thumping, beating, pumping, sustaining, encompassing,
wildly dancing heart of God.

Let me live this day, aware, open, listening, breathing, alive.

Also from Kirstin's blog: The Indigo Girls - "The Wood Song"



I send prayers, love and blessings to all who cared for Kirstin, especially to an angel named Andee.

May God give comfort, consolation and the peace that passes understanding to keep the minds and hearts of all who love Kirstin.

HAPPY CANADA DAY! - BONNE FÊTE CANADA!

May God bless all my dear Canadian friends. Have a lovely day, and enjoy William and Kate during their visit.

A WORD FROM GÖRAN...

...from a friend's Facebook page:

Not quite back on FB, Password doesn't work... Wish to thank you all from my heart for your prayers and good wishes!

God bless you, Göran. It's good to hear from you. I send love, blessings and prayers your way.

FROM DAVID@MONTREAL

dearest Giants of prayer and practice

before anything else, I'd beg your prayers/practice/love for our cherished Kirstin Paisley as she continues on her sacred path. prayers also for Andee, Kirstin's primary caregiver. our cherished sister magaret has the latest from Andee at http://leaveitlay.blogspot.com/

i'd encourage your ongoing prayer for Ann Bally in California. an began 18 week of chemo therapy today: six courses of treatment every three weeks. i'd commend Ann's primary caregivers her sister Jane, husband Dave, and Jane and Ann's parents Isabel and Bob here in Montreal.

Bob continues to experience serious reduced mobility and vision issues.

Margerie also stands in need of your prayerful support and she continues to live with treatments for aggressive cancer and livelihood challenges.

finally i'd ask traveling mercies for Prince William and Kate who arrived in Canada to huge crowds. unfortunately the indépenditistes in Quebec have threatened to disrupt their visits to Montréal and Québec on July 2 and 3, so prayers for personal safety please. tomorrow is not only Canada Day, but would have been the 50th anniversary of Prince William`s mother, Princess Dianna. William and Diana will join the nation on Parliament Hill for national celebrations tomorrow (and yes there will be pictures in an e-mail for a certain beloved sister who got up in the middle of the night for their wedding.)

thank-you beloved Giants and Blessed Canada Day, Blessed July Fourth

Lord, hear our prayers.

"TURNING POINT": DEAR ANDEE ON OUR DEAR FRIEND KIRSTIN

Read Andee's post at Barefoot and Laughing.

The time is very soon.

Read the beautiful fairy tale which Kirstin's friend Carol Bower Foote wrote for her. Kirstin reached so many of us, many who had never met her face to face, with her loving touch, her godly touch. Kirstin, we love you.

BISHOP KATHARINE, WE'RE STILL WAITING

John Chilton at The Lead posts on a statement from Bishop Dan Edwards of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada on Bede Parry:

A lawsuit was filed last week against a monastery in Missouri where Fr. Bede Parry, who has served All Saints for 11 years as organist and assisting priest, was a monk in another denomination in the 1980s. The suit alleges that Fr. Bede engaged in inappropriate relationships with youth in their late teens. In response to these allegations, Fr. Bede has resigned from his duties at All Saints and tendered to me his resignation as a priest.

Please read Bishop Edwards' entire statement. In my humble opinion the response by the bishop is weak tea, indeed, but at least he responded. However, according to Chilton, the Presiding Bishop refers all inquiries to her office about Parry to the Diocese of Nevada, which seems somewhat craven and unfair, since she, as the then bishop of the Diocese of Nevada, made the decision to receive Parry into the Episcopal Church as a priest, despite his history of sexual abuse, and presided over his reception. Surely, Bishop Katharine cannot remove herself from responsibility and place the whole burden of addressing the situation on Bishop Edwards.

Further from the post at The Lead:

Questions that need answers:

What process is in place to hear from those who may have been abused since Parry became an Episcopal priest?

How did they monitor him 24/7? How did the rest of community receive protection? Did the church know there was an admitted child abuser in their midst? Did the community around the church know? How did the diocese protect the vulnerable?

We're still waiting.

PRAY FOR KIRSTIN AND ANDEE

From margaret at Leave It Lay Where Jesus Flang It:

Speaking of revealing the Kingdom --Courageous and Compassionate A sent me this response to the prayers I sent her yesterday:

D and I anointed Kirstin, using your prayers, this morning. She was sound asleep when we started, and immediately woke up, sat up, and said, "I want to be awake for this!" She loved it.

Truth be told, I merely took an ancient ritual of anointing --thanking God for every part of the body and sanctifying it, taught me by my teacher --and Kirstin's teacher too --and morphed the ritual a little.

I find myself this morning, doing more of that... taking the ancient bones in the garden.... There used to be whole books to guide one through the waiting for the time of death. Now, in our BCP, there is only a single paragraph --the only transition from Ministration to the Sick, to Ministration at the Time of Death. It reads (p462)

Almighty God, look on this your servant, lying in great weakness, and comfort him with the promise of life everlasting, given in the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please read margaret's entire wonderful and beautiful post about our dear Kirstin and commentary on the readings in Morning Prayer.

I AM THE (KUDZU?) VINE....

From MYFox8:

KINSTON, N.C.—Some residents in Kinston are seeing more than just a vine in a growth of kudzu on a local utility pole.

Reporter Justin Hill of The Kinston Free Press reports people began noticing a utility pole last week with kudzu that they say resembles Jesus on the cross.

Kent Hardison runs Ma's Hot Dog stand and a half mile from the vine and says he was getting ready to spray it with herbicide until he noticed the resemblance.

Hardison and his customers think the vine can be seen as a symbolic reminder that God is watching over people.

Of course, the vine "can be seen" in whichever way we choose.

But wait!

ENCToday.com says the vine is not kudzu but a trumpet vine. Kudzu is such a pest of a vine that I'd prefer a trumpet vine which "can be seen as a symbolic reminder that God is watching over people."

Digtriad.com tells us: Kent Hardison's "first reaction, common here when it comes to kudzu, was to blast it with Roundup herbicide. But then he had second thoughts, according to The Free Press of Kinston.

"'I glanced at it, and it looks like Jesus,' Hardison said. 'I thought, `You can't spray Jesus with Roundup.'"

Years ago, kudzu was imported from Japan to prevent soil erosion. Ha, ha. Perhaps the vine prevented soil erosion, but it created a whole host of other problems. The lesson is don't mess with Mother Nature.

Make of the vine what you will.