Bishop Gene Robinson's Letter

Cartoon by Dave Walker from The Church Times.

Bishop Robinson has been excluded from full participation in the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion. Although he is the duly elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire and has received consent from the Episcopal House of Bishops, he was offered only a place at the margins by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams - a place to which he already has access without anyone's permission. Here's an excerpt from the whole text of Bishop Robinson's letter in response to being uninvited. From Walking With Integrity:

I first want to thank Ed and Bruce and Tom. (ed.note - the bishops who tried to negotiate with Lambeth for Gene and the House of Bishops) They have been so true to what they were asked to do by the Presiding Bishop. They have been in close communication with me. I have felt very supported by them. They have represented me extremely well.

I want to be clear than I am not here to whine. I learned of the result of this negotiation on Friday evening. I have been in considerable pain ever since.

But I want to acknowledge that I am not the first or last person to be in pain at a House of Bishops meeting.

My own pain was sufficient enough that for 36 hours I felt the compelling urge to run, to flee. My inspiration for staying came from my conservative brothers in this house. I have seen John Howe and Ed Salmon and others show up for years when there was a lot of pain for them. I see Bill Love and Mark Lawrence, and I know it is a very difficult thing for them to be here right now. For me, the worst sin is leaving the table. And that is what I was on the verge of doing. But, largely because of you, I stayed. Thank you for that.

I want to tell you why I declined the invitation as it was proposed. I really had high hopes that something might work out. I have been talking with the Anglican Communion Office for almost a year now. I got my first phone call four days before the invitations to Lambeth went out. I thought something would work out.

The offer to be hosted at the Marketplace is a non-offer. That is already available to me. One workshop on one afternoon and being interviewed by the secular press was not anything I was seeking. I wasn't going to Lambeth to have another interview with the secular press. If interviewed at all, I want to talk with a theologian. I want to talk about the love of Christ. I want to talk about the God who saved me and redeemed me and continues to live in my life. I want to talk about the Jesus I know in my life.

But my mind boggles at the misperception that this is just about gay rights. It might be in another context, but in this context it is about God's love of all of God's children. It's a theological discussion, it's not a media show. I have been most disappointed in that my desire was to participate in Bible study and small groups, and that is not being offered. It makes me wonder: if we can't sit around a table and study the Bible together, what kind of communion do we have and what are we trying to save?

I am dismayed and sickhearted that we can't sit around a table, as brothers and sisters in Christ, and study scripture together.

It has been a very difficult 48 hours sitting here and hearing your plans for Lambeth.

In my most difficult moments, it feels as if, instead of leaving the 99 sheep in search of the one, my chief pastor and shepherd, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has cut me out of the herd.

I ask two things of you. Some of you have indicated that if I am not invited, you won't go either. I want to say loud and clear - you must go. You must find your voice. And somehow you have to find my voice and the voices of all the gay and lesbian people in your diocese who, for now, don't have a voice in this setting. I'd much rather be talked to than talked about. But you must go and tell the stories of your people, faithful members of your flock who happen to be lesbian and gay.

For God's sake, don't stay away.

And second, please don't let them separate me from you. Please don't let that happen. It will be difficult, and we will have to be intentional. I know that the last thing you will need at the end of the day is another meeting just so I can catch up with you. But I hope you will be willing to stay in touch with me.

From the day I have walked into this House I have been treated with respect and welcome, even, and perhaps especially, by those of you who voted no on my consent.

I can never thank you enough for that. I will always and every moment treasure your welcome and your hospitality.

Don't let them cut me off from you.

All this is really sad for me and for my diocese. I won't have the experiences you will have, to share with them. But I will be there in the marketplace, willing to talk with anyone who wants to talk, especially with those who disagree with me. If you know me at all, you know that that's true.

Now, my focus has to change. Maybe this is what God has in mind. I had hoped to focus on the community of bishops at Lambeth, making my own contribution to its deliberations. But now, I think I will go to Lambeth thinking about gay and lesbian people around the world who will be watching what happens there. I will go to Lambeth remembering the 100 or so twenty-something's I met in Hong Kong this fall, who meet every Sunday afternoon to worship and sing God's praise in a secret catacomb of safety - because they can't be gay AND Christian in their own churches. I will be taking them to Lambeth with me. They told me that the Episcopal Church was their hope for a different, welcoming church. They told me they were counting on us. Yes, the things we do in the Episcopal Church have ramifications far, far away - and sometimes those ramifications are good.

I hope we can talk about the ways we can stay in touch in Lambeth. I will be praying for you, all the time. I know it will seem very strange, being separated from you. But we can do it if we want to. I have nothing but respect and sympathy for the Archbishop of Canterbury and the difficult place he is in. I was trying to help him, and it just didn't work.

Pray for me. I will need that. A lot.

I intended to quote excerpts from the letter, but I could not choose what to leave out. I have highlighted the parts of the letter that resonated the most with me.

I confess that I don't understand his exclusion at all, not at all. Bishop Robinson's words from his heart speak for me, however, as painful as it is to me that he is excluded, his pain is much greater. The whole of the Anglican Communion will be diminished by his exclusion from a gathering in the name of Jesus, who included all in his invitation to come.

Thanks to Ann for posting the letter

Middle Name Meme

Padre Mickey tagged me for the Middle Name Meme. My middle name is Florence, which I like better than my given name June. It's also the name of one of my favorite cities - the one in Italy.

Here are the rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person (or blogger of another species) for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

F - Feisty
L - Lazy (sometimes)
O - Odd (at least where I live)
R - Romantic
E - Easy (Grandpère suggested this)
N - Naughty
C - Crazy
E - Earnest (GP gave me this one, too)

This was hard. I had to get help.

I'm supposed to tag eight people, but I'm not. Anyone who'd like to play, go right ahead in the comments here.

The Surge Is Working!

As the members of the Bush maladministration and John McCain continue to assert that the surge is working, here's this from NPR:

A day after the U.S. military announced that overall violence was down in Iraq, eight American soldiers were killed in a pair of attacks. That's the highest single-day toll in months, and it's not the only recent incident of violence.

Bombings throughout Iraq killed and wounded numbers of Iraqis, including members of the Awakening Council in Fallujah, and 20 bodies were found in a mass grave near Samarra.

And this from the AP via Yahoo News:

The flow of blood may be ebbing, but the flood of money into the Iraq war is steadily rising, new analyses show. In 2008, its sixth year, the war will cost approximately $12 billion a month, triple the "burn" rate of its earliest years, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and co-author Linda J. Bilmes report in a new book.

But how much longer will the flow of blood remain at ebb tide? Perhaps, even now the tide is beginning to turn. I pray not.

The flow of money will continue until Bush runs out the clock in his term in office and beyond, as he leaves the task of cleaning up his messes to the next president.

These numbers don't include the war's cost to the rest of the world. In Iraq itself, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion — with its devastating air bombardments — and the looting and arson that followed, severely damaged electricity and other utilities, the oil industry, countless factories, hospitals, schools and other underpinnings of an economy.

No one has tried to calculate the economic damage done to Iraq, said spokesman Niels Buenemann of the International Monetary Fund, which closely tracks national economies. But millions of Iraqis have been left without jobs, and hundreds of thousands of professionals, managers and other middle-class citizens have fled the country.

So. This is what we have wrought by "liberating" the Iraqis from the cruel despot, Saddam Hussein. This is how the surge is "working".

A Profile In Courage - Lindy

Please go read Lindy's post at Two Fruits in the Sukka on her recovery from an injury which damaged her brain. Her story is one of such bravery and courage that it makes me proud to know her, even if it's only a virtual knowing. Here's a snippet, but I urge you to read the whole post.

I am not the person I was before I got hit on the head. That other person is gone. I used to miss myself quite a lot but now I am a new self and it all seems OK. I am a little stunned at the change. My buddy Wilma from my days on the farm is the only one of my friends who was able to make the transition with me from whoever it was that I was to who I am now. People just couldn't handle it. I understand. I couldn't either at first.

I've Lost A Friend

I've lost a friend.
How did it happen?
A misunderstanding surely.

The timing was bad.
I did not know.
How did it go so wrong?

What could I have done?
Kept quiet, I suppose.
Too many words.

Prayers for his father.
Prayers for his mother.
Prayers for the one who was my friend.

For my offense, forgive me.
If I wounded, Lord bring healing.
Mend broken hearts.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

June Butler 3/10/08

UPDATE: I posted this poem and a few words asking forgiveness of Jonathan in the comments at his site. I've done what I can do, and the matter is in God's hands and his.

Episcopalians, Anglicans,Take Note!

No. 1 on a long list of helpful household hints sent to me by my daughter:

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Drama And Church Drama

Before I left for New York, I had read the review of David Mamet's play, "November" in The New Yorker. I love Nathan Lane and his larger than life performances and, since the review was favorable, I thought I'd like to see the play. Prices for tickets were quite expensive, so I did not buy before I left. Once I arrived, the ticket agent at my hotel found me a ticket for considerably less than I had been quoted online. A single ticket is often easier to find than multiple tickets. Not that the ticket was cheap, by any means, but I bought it anyway.

I should have paid more attention to the review in the New York Times. The story is of a buffoon of a president of the US who is running for reelection, but whose numbers are abysmally low in the polls. The president is NOT BUSH - or so they say. For the first minutes of the play I wondered if all the humor of the play was to be based on variations of the F-word. The audience was guffawing loudly, but I could not get into the spirit of the thing. I can stay home and say those words, and it won't cost me a dime. It's not that I'm offended by the word, but I wanted to see something more in the way of humor that was not based on one word. Ten or fifteen minutes into the play, things got somewhat better, and although the laughs came from low humor, at least a bit of cleverness began to appear in the dialog. The part of the lesbian speech-writer, who wants to marry her love and has adopted a Chinese baby, is played by Laurie Metcalf, who is superb in her role. Nathan Lane is always a pleasure to watch, but I found the play lacking.

The High Altar and Reredos of Saint Thomas Church

 On Sunday, I attended the 11:00 service at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue, which was only two blocks from my hotel. Caminante had already told me that I would find no women priests there, and she was right. The only woman seated in the chancel was the lector. At least, they permit women to do that.

The music was excellent, with the men and boys choir singing during the service, accompanied by one of St. Thomas' two magnificent organs. The large church was about three-quarters full.

If the liturgy has not already begun, my custom, as I take my seat, is to greet the people on either side unless they appear deep in prayer. This I did, but no one returned the greeting. I suppose customs are different at St Thomas. The liturgy was east-facing, which is not my favorite (pace, Tobias). The priest seemed remote at the high altar, with the large chancel between him and the congregation. At St. James in Fordham, Tobias does an east-facing liturgy, but he seemed to turn more often toward the congregation, but perhaps I'm only imagining this. I liked Tobias' way more than that of the priest at St. Thomas.

The coffee hour is suspended during Lent, with the exception of Laetare Sunday, which it was the day I was there. The congregation was encouraged to have a taste of the simnel cake. I could be wrong, but the coffee hour appeared to be catered. There was coffee and other beverages, including wine and Bloody Marys with a sign on the table encouraging a $3.00 donation for the alcoholic drinks. There were several slightly different-looking simnel cakes set out. I took a slice of one of the cakes and a glass of red wine, dutifully depositing my donation in the basket. The cake was delicious. As I stood there, no one came to talk to me - no one at all for a good 15 minutes.  Once I could no longer stand being embarrassed for the folks there, I approached several people, and they were quite affable once I introduced myself, and we had brief conversations thereafter. I felt like the hostess. I made a point to introduce myself to the rector to let him know that I was from Thibodaux, Louisiana, for I thought that I might be his first encounter with someone from my town. He knew and liked Bishop Jenkins. Do I sound like a mystery worshipper from Ship of Fools?

Then I was on my way downtown in a taxi to meet with Queer For Christ, his partner, and a friend of theirs. I was going to include my next two meetings with friends in this post, but since I've run rather long on the play and the church service, I'll get to my other meals with friends in another post.

Drawing from The New Yorker.

St Thomas picture from Wikipedia.

New Bishop In Edmonton

From the Anglican Journal in Canada:

Jane Alexander, rector of All Saints Cathedral and dean of Edmonton, was elected on March 8 bishop of the diocese. Chosen on the third ballot, she received 52 clergy votes and 89 lay votes.

A relative newcomer to holy orders, she was ordained to the priesthood in 2001, served several parishes in the diocese and has served as dean since 2006. She began her professional life in 1981 as a music teacher in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, however her interest in church life was apparent as her B.A. in music from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, earned in 1980, analyzed English liturgical music from 1370 to 1430.

Tim Chesterton, of Tale Spin, who is an Anglican priest, musician, and writer in the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, sent me the news and the link to the article.

May God bless Jane Alexander in her new ministry as Bishop-elect of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton.

Brits Send Us Their Best

From Reuters via Talking Points Memo:

BOSTON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will teach at Yale University in the next academic year starting in September, leading a course on "faith and globalization," the Ivy League school said Friday.

Yale, the alma mater of President Bush, said Blair had been appointed Howland Distinguished Fellow, a post that dates to 1915 and which has been occupied by such notable individuals as former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and journalist Sir Alistair Cooke.

How kind of the British to send him over and for Yale to receive him. Why not a class taught jointly with Archbishop Rowan Williams? Now that would be sheer perfection.

Dining With Friends - Part One

Wow! Was it only a week ago? So much activity crammed into one week makes it seem like an age ago since I lived anything like a normal life. My plane was delayed an hour in departing from New Orleans due to mechanical problems. I made it with little time to spare to meet with Tobias, James, and Fran to go to dinner. We met at my hotel and walked a couple of blocks to Molyvos, a Greek restaurant nearby, where Grandpère and I had previously eaten and enjoyed the meals. Since quite a few of the other patrons were going to Broadway shows, the crowd in the restaurant thinned quite a bit after an hour or so. Since we were in no hurry, the staff very kindly allowed us to stay from 6:30 until 10:30. Yes. Four hours.

The food was good, and the company was even better. What pleasure to meet Fran in real life. I had met James briefly at St. James in Fordham, where Tobias is vicar, when I attended a service there on the Sunday after our Friday in October gathering. Tobias and I were seated across from each other, so we did have a chance to talk in October. Anyway, we all hit it off from the beginning and had a lovely dinner, along with absolutely sparkling dinner conversation. Although I had invited everyone, the "boys" gallantly picked up the check.

I offered the extra bed in my hotel room to Fran, so we would not have to rush dinner in order for Fran to begin her trip home to Albany that evening. In true girl slumber party manner, we stayed up until midnight talking, talking, talking, as though we had known each other for ages. In fact, the four of us dove right in from the beginning as though we were old friends. Amazing.

The picture above is the only one I have of any of my meals with blog friends, and you can see that it's dark, and I did not know how to brighten it up. Fran remembered to ask the waitress to take the picture. I wish I had pictures of my other meetings now, but I forgot to ask anyone to take our pictures, and my companions did not ask either. I'm afraid that I'm not a good reporter. Here's a link to Fran's post on the event with a picture that's less dark.

On Saturday, I met with David, aka Reverend Boy, for brunch at The Eatery, a restaurant about two long blocks away from my hotel. David lives within walking distance of the restaurant, too, so it was convenient to both of us. David is such a dear and so good-looking that I wanted to pack him up and take him home with me as an honorary grandson. We had lovely conversation during a very good meal. We caught up on the latest news on both sides. David has taken a leadership position in the Integrity chapter in New York, and has a post about it, which I have not yet had time to read.

If anyone knows how to PhotoShop the picture, you are welcome to copy it and email the PhotoShop to me, and I will post it.

To be continued....

UPDATE: Thanks to the skill of my brilliant dog pal, Clumber, I have posted a brightened and clearer version of the picture of our Friday dinner.

Welcome Home To Me!

What a fantastic trip! But it's great to be home again. You'll hear about it until you're bored silly.

In the meantime here's an old family picture sent to me by my daughter.



Isn't she a sweetie?

Manhattan Bound

Tomorrow, I'm bound for New York City, one of my favorite places. I'm winding down with posting here, because I have to pack. I will turn on comment moderation while I'm gone. If I have access to a computer, I will permit comments to go through, if they're not nasty.

I will be on my own for a few days, and I will be meeting up with some wonderful folks, while I'm there. I will tell you all about them when I return home. The other folks will probably scoop me and tell the stories first and post pictures first, but I will do my best to give you the stories behind the stories when I get home - you know, the juicy parts that they will leave out.

During the second part of my trip, I will be here.


That's a picture of the Metropolitan Opera House, where I will be spending a good bit of time - four operas in five days, including a backstage tour. For many years, I have dreamed of attending a performance at the Met, and now I will do so with a vengeance. I'm yielding to one of those I-want-to-do-this-before-I-die things, and unless something happens in the next few days, it appears that I will have my dream fulfilled.

I usually respond to comments, but if I don't, please understand and forgive me. I will allow comments without moderation until tomorrow.

Images from Wiki.

Diana Now

Some of you may remember our family crisis, (Does it seem that we're often having a family crisis?) when our dog, Diana, made her way out of our fenced yard and got hit by a car. She was blind in one eye, and, at first, we endured a night of believing that she had injured her good eye and that she would be a blind dog.

Thanks be to God, that turned out not to be the case. She had injured the blind eye, and the eye had to be removed. Our wonderful veterinarian did a marvelous work in his surgery on her eye. She was quite uncooperative with the picture-taking, but I finally managed to get a picture of her to show you what a great cosmetic job the vet did. He asked if we wanted a prosthesis for Diana, but we declined that offer.

There she is above in all her one-eyed splendor, relaxing on her L. L. Bean bed, which she adores, and which is the first bed that she has not chewed to pieces. I think she doesn't look bad at all. What do you think? If you click on the picture, you get a better view. Check out her new collar, too. That was Grandpère's idea.

Feast Day Of George Herbert

From James Kiefer at the Lectionary:

After serving at Cambridge as Public Orator, Herbert was ordained to the priesthood.

He served faithfully as a parish priest, diligently visiting his parishioners and bringing them the sacraments when they were ill, and food and clothing when they were in want. He read Morning and Evening Prayer daily in the church, encouraging the congregation to join him when possible, and ringing the church bell before each service so that those who could not come might hear it and pause in their work to join their prayers with his.
....

Today, however, he is remembered chiefly for his book of poems, "The Temple", which he sent shortly before his death to his friend Nicholas Ferrar, to publish if he thought them suitable. They were published after Herbert's death, and have influenced the style of other poets, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Several of them have been used as hymns.

Readings:

Psalm 23 or 1
1 Peter 5:1-4
Matthew 5:1-10

PRAYER:

Our God and King, who called your servant George Herbert from the pursuit of worldly honors to be a pastor of souls, a poet, and a priest in your temple: Give us grace, we pray, joyfully to perform the tasks you give us to do, knowing that nothing is menial or common that is done for your sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

THE HOLDFAST

I threatened to observe the strict decree
Of my deare God with all my power and might:
But I was told by one, it could not be ;
Yet I might trust in God to be my light.

Then will I trust, said I, in him alone.
Nay, ev'n to trust in him, was also his:
We must confesse, that nothing is our own.
Then I confesse that he my succour is:

But to have nought is ours, not to confesse
That we have nought. I stood amaz'd at this,
Much troubled, till I heard a friend expresse,
That all things were more ours by being his.
What Adam had, and forfeited for all,
Christ keepeth now, who cannot fail or fall.

George Herbert

Image from Wiki

Stop The Lies!

From Paul at Byzigenous Buddhapalian:

Here's a little quiz for you:

Where was Barack Obama born?

a. Somalia
b. Kenya
c. Hawaii
d. Indonesia
e. Illinois

Now, here is a sub-quiz:

1. I had to look this up online
2. I knew the answer for certain
3. I just took a guess
4. I have no flipping clue
5. I had a pretty good idea but now I'm not so sure.

So, how did you do?

Here's the answer:

Barack Obama was born on August 4th, 1961, in Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham.

From his Senate web site. Wikipedia specifies that it was Honolulu, where his parents met and where he spent most of his childhood. His father was born in Kenya. He lived for a while in Jakarta, Indonesia (ages 6-10) with his mother and Indonesian stepfather. He is a Senator from Illinois. A photo taken of him in native garb while visiting Somalia (something politicians do now and again) is currently being re-circulated with the implication that he is "from there" (i.e., a non-American nation, and a Muslim one at that, one where American troops have been killed).

Let's review our geography, folks. Honolulu, Hawaii, is in the United States. Try to wrap your minds around that one. I remember when it was admitted as a state, so if you are a geezer this may still seem like something new, but it happened in 1959, two years before Obama was born.

OK. Are we all clear now? Barack Hussein Obama, Jr., was born in the United States. He has lived abroad, something I think would be extremely desirable in a president, given the appalling ignorance of the world around us demonstrated by the current destructive twit.

Now, here is a quote from Democratic Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a Clinton supporter, talking with Pat Buchanan:

JONES: "Understand this: The Clinton campaign does not condone people putting out pictures that they seem to believe are inappropriate. But let me say this: I have no shame or no problem with people looking at Barack Obama in his native clothing, in the clothing of his country."

[Emphasis mine]

I am not making this up:

WTF is this woman on about? Is she that ill-informed? Or that mendacious? I would expect one huge fecking apology out of her, on the assumption that she has a shred of decency.

In conclusion: Now you know. You can do your part to stop misinformation.

--the BB
Posted by Paul at 12:05 PM

Paul gave me permission to lift his whole post except for the pictures. You really should click the link to his blog to see the pictures and to view the appalling video of Stepnanie Tubbs Jones spouting her foolishness, or mendaciousness, or whatever it was.

I left this in the comments at the BB's site:

Grandmère Mimi said...

I failed when I gave my answer, Paul, but I knew better. I knew he was born in Hawaii. The sliming of Obama has penetrated my consciousness. Shame on me. Had he not been born in the US, he could not run for president, right? Shame, shame on me.

Yes, I am ashamed. If this happened to me, it could happen to millions of folks in this country. I fear that the sliming will only get worse, very much worse. We have not hit bottom yet. Far from it.

Bishop Paul Moore's Secret

Not a few bloggers have written of Honor Moore's book titled The Bishop's Daughter, about her father, Bishop Paul Moore, the 13th Episcopal Bishop of New York, and the "open secret" of his sexuality. An excerpt from the book is in the March 3, 2008 issue of The New Yorker.

Caminante posted a lovely reflection on Bishop Moore at her blog, titled "Dear Paul".

There are many who have their Paul Moore stories… mine is taking a quarter-credit course my middler year in seminary with him. The subject was ministry in the urban setting but mostly it was listening to this retired bishop prophet muse about his lifetime of ministry. The papers he had us write were thought-provoking and posed questions I still use in ministry.

Do read the rest of Caminante's moving account of her experience in his class. I felt almost as though I was there with her in the class. In the comments to her post, I left these words, "And don't we all have our secrets that only God knows?"

The article is not available online, but here's the link to an audio interview with Honor Moore at the The New Yorker website.

Other bloggers who have posted on Honor Moore's book are Mark Harris at Preludium and Elizabeth Kaeton at Telling Secrets.

Feast Day Of St. Matthias

I had this ready yesterday, but I forgot to post it, so here it is a day late. The icon is lovely, isn't it?.

Little is known of St. Matthias except that, after Jesus' ascension, he was chosen by lot to replace Judas as one of the Twelve and, according to the account in Acts, he walked with Jesus from the time of his baptism by John until his ascension into heaven.

From the Lectionary:

Readings:

Psalm 15
Acts 1:15-26
Philippians 3:13-21
John 15:1,6-16

PRAYER

O Almighty God, who in the place of Judas chose your faithful servant Matthias to be numbered among the Twelve: Grant that your Church, being delivered from false apostles, may always be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Patronage: alcoholism; carpenters; Gary, Indiana; Great Falls-Billings, Montana; smallpox; tailors

Image from Wiki.

From Bishop Charles Jenkins Of Louisiana

The Diocesan Convention of 2008 will have a different look than Conventions of recent years. We will be meeting at St. Luke's Church, Baton Rouge, on February 29 and March 1. You are invited to join us - even if you are not elected a delegate from your congregation you may register and attend as a guest. For information on how to do so, please visit our website at www.edola.org/convention2008.php.

We will begin on Friday afternoon, February 29, with the opening gavel at 3 p.m. It is my intention to begin the process of electing deputies to General Convention that Friday afternoon. I then intend to begin a series of reports that will illustrate the life and ministry of the Diocese of Louisiana. This Convention is designed to do more than just the necessary business of the Diocese. The Convention is intended to be one of Community building and restoring the sense of identity common to our life and missions in the Diocese.

Our guest will be the Rev'd Jo Seoka, of the Diocese of Pretoria in the Church of South Africa. I met with Bishop Seoka and his wife, Dr. Timeya Seoke, this past summer when I took part in the mission consultation sponsored by Trinity Church, Wall Street. The Bishop and Dr. Seoka are both well-versed Christians. I have asked Bishop Seoka to address the Convention by preaching at Evensong (Friday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. in St. Luke's Church) and then again on Saturday morning.

I asked Bishop Seoka to come as our guest not simply because he is an impressive Christian but also because of his kn9owledge of and participation in the Truth and Reconcilation Commission in South Africa. As you may know, several of us in New Orleans are in a period of discernment concerning an attempt to do something similar in Louisiana. If God leads us to such a ministry, which is a huge undertaking and a great risk, it may well be that our learning can and should be applied applied elsewhere across the state. I no longer have much contact with the civil parish of my birth but I do not perceive that the issues of education, health care, economic opportunity, racism, and the like are much better in rural Louisiana than in urban Louisiana. So it is that I seek what Ron Heifetz (founder of the Center for Public Leadership) calls an adaptive rather than a more technical response to these issues. A technical fix is important, but without the adaptive remedy the problem will occur repeatedly. As I listen to political hopefuls, there is much rhetoric about technical fixes and only an occasional bit of adaptive remedes. We in Louisiana have too long settled only for the technical fix without seeking the adaptive solution. It is my hope that Bishop Seoka will be a resource for us as we continue in discernment on this matter. I am enthusiastic about the possibilities but must curb that enthusiasm as we as a group wait upon God.

I am certain that Bishop Seoka will also be willing to share with us his perspective on the situation in the Anglican communion. I will speak to this during the Bishop's address at Convention (currently scheduled for mid-morning on Saturday in the gym at St. Luke's) but I need write something of it now. It is my intention to remain a constituent member of the Anglican Communion and active as a Bishop in the Episcopal Church.

I am not compromised by either the left or the right. I will continue to associate with people from both ends of the spectrum. I will continue to hold mission as the essence of the Church and will try my best not to allow disagreement to sidetrack mission. Indeed, there has been and continues to be a great deal of change in my life. My position on the "hot button" issues remains unchanged. Also unchanged is my commitent to the dignity of all and my intention to remain in contact with all who will have me. This perplexes many.

I do not think the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is to be the creation of man or simply an assembly of like-minded people. Call me old fashioned and high church if you need to do so, but I still believe the Church is of the will of God and is brought into being by the action of the third person of the Trinity. Because I am so convinced from Scripture, Tradition and Reason, it is my intention to remain part of this Church and Communion. Never should we underestimate the value of a differentiated presence in the midst of an anxious system.

January 31 of this year was the tenth anniversary of my consecration as the tenth Bishop of Louisiana. Thank you for your graciousness and kindness to me. Please keep me in your prayers.

God's blessings to you,

The Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins

From ChurchWork, Spring Issue, 2008

The issue is not yet online at the website of the Diocese of Louisiana.

Recurring Dream Predicts Blogging

Fran's comment was in response to another blogger's post on recurring dreams:

FranIAm said...

I used to have a recurring dream of becoming someone who communicated with many others on some strange machine that did not yet exist.

Somehow I would type words that others would read and then I would go read words that others had typed and I would put my thoughts down in funny little boxes as part of the theme of their words.

It all went very well and I met so many nice people, especially a very kind, smart and funny woman from Louisiana- some kind of grandmother.

Thenl I fell under the sway of some renegade Anglican from the UK and suddenly the dream took on a strange quality. This priest type was very Svengali like and he had many followers.

The words in the boxes on the funny machines that talk to each other got more and more unusual - some are funny, some are sad, many are quite moving and some of them have songs that seem very scary.

I always wake up at that point.

Funny, that.

(ok i know this was supposed to be serious and people have written of their dreams very beautifully. i am just being my contrary bratty little self over here. do forgive me please.)
25 February, 2008 02:20

When did the requirement to be serious at that blogsite go into effect? No one told me.

I hope everyone pays close attention to the bolded words.

Idle Hours

The other day I spent two hours or thereabouts in my doctor's office waiting to have my ear reamed out. The outer waiting room was quite full, so I expected that my visit would not be in and out, and I was right. I spent a good long time in the outer waiting room, before I was moved to the inner waiting room. Why two waiting rooms? Is it that if all the waiting folks were in one large room, the patients would be disheartened by the sight, so that the patients must be divided up? Then, onto another wait in the treatment cubicle. I almost had the doctor once. He was in the doorway with my chart in his hand, but the nurse called him away to another cubicle. He smiled and said, "Sorry," and put the chart back into it door pocket. They don't call us patients for nothing.

Finally, he came in and reamed out my ear and told me that I would need a cauterization - a minor procedure - to keep me from having to have my ear reamed out so often. Did I want to do it right then? I considered briefly, and said that I wanted to think about it for a bit. The procedure is scheduled for a month from now, after I have thought about it.

The good news is that I had the February 11-18 combined issue of the New Yorker along, with the annual Eustace Tilley cover, a little different from those in years past. One of the articles that I read is Eerily Composed; Nico Muhly, Generation Y Maestro by Rebecca Mead.

Nico Muhly is a young - 26 years old! - composer. From the profile, I get a picture of a charming young man, someone I'd like to meet and get to know.

Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English composers of religious music, in particular William Byrd and John Taverner, are among Muhly’s chief influences, though he also draws musical inspiration from the spare repetitions of Philip Glass and Steve Reich and from the off-kilter rhythms of songs by Björk, whose recordings he has worked on.

The article is intriguing on different levels, but what captured my attention was the young boy's immediate connection with liturgical music:

When he was eight years old, Muhly began to learn the piano, on an old upright in the basement of the Rhode Island house, but it was not until a friend at school invited him to join a church choir that his musical affinities truly began to emerge. “My mother was horrified: she would come and hear us sing, but grudgingly,” Muhly says. (His mother is half Jewish, and his father comes from a Lutheran family; both are more likely to celebrate the solstice than any Judeo-Christian religious observance.) Muhly, however, loved the repertory of Byrd, Weelkes, and Orlando Gibbons. “I found myself immediately at home in it musically,” he says. “I was really entranced by early music, and how the lines worked. It felt so much more emotional than the Romantic stuff I was playing as a pianist—Chopin, or Schumann, or Tchaikovsky, which always felt sort of Hallmarky.”
....

Muhly says that, even as a boy, he was fascinated by the emotional function of church music as opposed to that of concert music. “Church music is more directional music, pointing upward,” he says. “And the satisfaction of a job well done is the only one you are going to get. When you finish the piece, you don’t look at the audience and smile; you don’t graciously bow. And the composer vanishes, too, in addition to the performers. If you are really good, you disappear.”
....

Since moving to New York, seven years ago, Muhly has regularly attended St. Thomas Church, on Fifth Avenue at Fifty-third Street. In 2005, he composed a “Bright Mass with Canons” for its choir. “The organ writing is very colorful and very brilliant, and what is so attractive to me is that he is using ancient techniques,” John Scott, the director of music at St. Thomas, says. “Canon, where voices imitate each other and sing the same music but not at the same time, came to its fruition among early-sixteenth-century Flemish composers. Nico Muhly is in a sense coming from there, but it is dressed up in a very contemporary musical language that has aspects of minimalism.”

Muhly’s youthful anti-clericalism has been tempered by time: though Scott told me that he and Muhly have never discussed questions of faith, he added, “I suspect that he is quite serious about it.” Muhly told me, “I am quite serious about church music. Musicians have always enjoyed a ‘question-free zone’ about faith, because religious music can help people explore their relationship with the divine, which I think is a much more powerful altruistic act than making a big scene of your own personal relationship. I started going to St. Thomas here, and it wasn’t even a question for a second that I wanted to live a life that includes liturgical music as a major part.” (My bolding)

To me, that's a rather fine statement of faith.

You can listen to Muhly's music here.

Any doctors out there reading this, take note that I love my doctors, and my wait was due to surgery which took longer than expected, which I quite understand.

From Our Canterbury Correspondent

From the comments to my Water vs. Wine post which included this statement:

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh*t.

Lindy said...

What I want to know is how can we get water banned at Lambeth because I think some of those bishops must have been drinking quite a lot of it already.

and then:

PseudoPiskie said...

Lindy has a good point. And perhaps an abundance of the fruit of the grape might make the gathering much friendlier.

and finally, THE WORD, from our Canterbury correspondent:

Mary Clara said...

I am advised by someone closely involved in planning for the upcoming Lambeth Conference that at the 1998 Conference, the pubs and the wine shops on the University of Kent campus were well patronised.

So we can hope.

Thanks for the good news, Mary Clara.

"Ode to the Louisiana Legislature"

From my new blog friend and fellow Louisianian, Jim, at JindalWatch, comes a video for Louisiana folks: (and any other crazies who care to watch) a moving musical tribute to our elected officials who work so hard for us in Baton Rouge.

As you watch, keep in mind that the headline in today's issue of the Baton Rouge Advocate is: "Jindal’s Ethics Plan On Track", and in the article, Jindal says, “We are thrilled at the progress”.

Water vs. Wine

A Monday morning wake-up call:

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine and those who don't.

As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day , at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh*t.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service.

A wise friend says: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather a skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO!!!!!" What a ride!!!!

From my daughter in an email. I have no idea if the scientific information is true.

Waning Gibbous Moon

Waning gibbous moon
Shining brightly shining low
Hides behind the trees


Anyone wanna add a haiku, go right ahead. It doesn't have to be about the moon.

Photo from Infinite Focus

Road Rage?

After church today, Grandpère and I headed to our favorite (not!) food chain, Chili's, to eat lunch. We had a gift card, so what could we do? As I was driving there, I moved into the left turning lane, and, just as I saw my way free to go forward, a car darted into my lane right in front of me. We could easily have collided. The driver, a young woman, pulled into a parking place at Chili's and got out. We went on to park and went into the restaurant. As we were sitting in the restaurant, I saw the woman sitting in a corner with two friends. I asked GP, "Do you think I should go over and say something to her?" He said, "No, don't do that."

I had ordered my usual glass of red wine (for medicinal purposes, only, of course) and - lo! - a special of the day was two glasses of wine for the price of one, so GP got a glass of wine, too. He drank a little, but he does not like red wine, so I poured the rest of his into my glass and drank it, too, after I'd finished mine. If one glass of red wine is heart-healthy, then two must be even healthier, right?

Time to go. They say that alcohol reduces inhibitions. I looked over at the girl, and told GP, "I'm going over there." He rolled his eyes, but he knew that he was not going to stop me. I went over to her table and said, "You cut right in front of me. You could have caused an accident. You should learn to drive less aggressively and more carefully. Thank you." I don't know what the thank you was about, but I threw it in. She sat with a smirk on her face as I was talking. I left after I said my piece, so she didn't have a chance to respond. I felt a lot better. I didn't snarl at her or raise my voice, or anything. I spoke as nicely as I could saying something like that.

I have a moderate case of road rage, which I've got to watch for, but I don't think I'd categorize that as road rage. What do you think?

What surprised me a bit was the immense satisfaction that I felt, after advising the young woman to mend her driving ways.

The Man Who Orders Three Beers

the three beers
Originally uploaded by Sam Judson

An Irishman moved into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry, walked into the pub and ordered three beers. The bartender raised his eyebrows a wee bit, but (with reservation) served the man the three beers, which he took to a nearby table and quietly drank them all by himself.

The next evening the man came to the pub and again ordered three beers and carried them to table by himself and proceeded to drink the three beers all by himself. For weeks, this man came into the pub regularly and when he did, he ordered 3 beers and took them to a table and drank the 3 beers all by himself.

Soon the entire little hamlet of County Kerry was whispering about the "man who orders three beers."

Finally, after many weeks, the bartender broached the subject on behalf of the village.

"I don't mean to be prying but folks around here are wonderin why your always order three beers and drink them alone?"

"Tis a wee bit odd I would be supposin" the man replied. "You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America and the other went to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order two extra beers, whenever we would partake, as a way of keeping up the family bond."

The bartender and the entire hamlet of County Kerry were pleased with his answer and with the reverence for family and soon the "man who orders three beers" became somewhat of a local celebrity and source of pride to the hamlet.

Then one evening the man came in and ordered only two beers. The bartender served them with a heavy heart. The Irishman took them to the table and drank the 2 beers all by himself. On the next visits to the pub, the "man who orders three beers," would only order two beers. And drink them all by himself. Word spread around the hamlet quickly. Prayers were offered for the soul of one of the brothers. The next day, the bartender said to the man, "Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer our condolences to you for the death of your brother, you know - only two beers."

The man pondered for a moment then replied, " You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I, meself, have decided to give up beer for Lent."

Flat-out stolen from Caminante without her permission. I did ask, but this was so good that I did not wait for an answer. And Lent is moving right along.

Me And My Congressman

Several days ago, I attempted to participate in a live phone forum with my representative in Congress, Charlie Melancon. He has voted the right way at times, especially on the bill to privatize Social Security, and I thank him for that. I know Charlie, and I like him, but he voted in favor of a bill to permit "enhanced interrogation techniques", a euphemism for torture, so far as I am concerned. I understand that he will sometimes cast votes with which I disagree, because the majority of his constituency, unlike me, is conservative, but that vote, I just didn't get. Folks around here were just not paying much attention at the time, and I believe he could have voted the other way without facing serious consequences. As I see it, torture is a moral question, and I can't see how it would be right to vote to allow it:

On August 4, 2007, Melancon created much controversy when he and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu broke ranks with Democrats and sided with Republicans and the Bush Administration in voting for the Protect America Act, an amendment to the USA Patriot Act further expanding wiretap powers, authorizing torture and suspension of rights of American citizens that many feel is unconstitutional.

In the phone forum, I wanted to ask Charlie about how he would vote on the FISA bill, which gives the Telecoms immunity for illegally spying on us. If I break the law and get caught, I must pay the price. Why should the Telecoms, who spied on you and me, get immunity for breaking the law?

I waited for my turn to ask a question, but it took too long. I got tired of waiting and hung up. While I was waiting, I listened to Charlie's explanation of how the refund checks that will be in the mail come May will help jump-start the economy. Now, I'm sure that in these hard times of a failing economy, gas prices rising, the housing market going bad, etc., etc., etc., the checks will be welcome to many, but to think that these checks will jump-start the economy is ludicrous.

Well, I don't have to wait any longer for my answer on how he will vote on the FISA bill and immunity for the Telecoms. From the February 23, 2008 issue of the Times-Picayune:

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, and 20 other members of the Congressional Blue Dogs, conservative to moderate House Democrats, said the House needs to pass the Senate bill for immunity quickly.

I'm tired of being represented by a member of the Blue Dog Democrats, who, these days, too often seem to be Republicans in disguise. I'm ready to be represented by a real Democrat.

Feast Day Of St. Polycarp

St. Polycarp was Bishop of Smyrna, now called Ismir, in Turkey, and an early martyr of the church. As the fire was being lit to burn him, Polycarp said the following prayer:

Lord God Almighty, Father of your blessed and beloved child Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of you, God of angels and hosts and all creation, and of the whole race of the upright who live in your presence: I bless you that you have thought me worthy of this day and hour, to be numbered among the martyrs and share in the cup of Christ, for resurrection to eternal life, for soul and body in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. Among them may I be accepted before you today, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, just as you, the faithful and true God, have prepared and foreshown and brought about. For this reason and for all things I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through the eternal heavenly high priest Jesus Christ, your beloved child, through whom be glory to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, now and for the ages to come. Amen.

Further biographical information can be found at Padre Mickey's and at The Lectionary.

Readings:

Psalm 116:10-17 (before Lent) or 34:1-8 (in Lent) or 121
Revelation 2:8-11
Matthew 20:20-23

PRAYER

O God, the maker of heaven and earth, who gave to your venerable servant, the holy and gentle Polycarp, boldness to confess Jesus Christ as King and Saviour, and steadfastness to die for his faith: Give us grace, following his example, to share the cup of Christ and rise to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Image from Wiki.

I Know Not

What is my life to be?
I know not. I know not.
And will I cross the sea?
I know not. I know not.
And will you stay with me?
I know not. I know not.
Alas, I see! I see!
I know not what my life shall be.

Grandmère Mimi - 7-27-07

The Wisdom Of The Desert

Some elders once came to Abbot Anthony, and there was with them also Abbot Joseph. Wishing to test them, Abbot Anthony brought the conversation around to the Holy Scriptures. And he began from the youngest to ask them the meaning of this or that text. Each one replied as best he could, but Abbot Anthony said to them: You have not got it yet. After them all he asked Abbot Joseph: What about you? What do you say this text means? Abbot Joseph replied: I know not! Then Abbot Anthony said: Truly Abbot Joseph alone has found the way, for he replies that he knows not.

Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert - LXXVIII

A Funny Thing Happened

A couple of days ago, a local men's store called to say that they had been cleaning out their dark corners and that they had found a pair of men's slacks with Grandpère's name on them and did we want them. I said that I would ask GP when he came home. When I asked, he had no recollection of buying pants or anything else at that store recently. We were both mystified.

Today, as I was running errands, I went to the store to have a look at the pants. I found a nice pair of dark olive twill pants. I asked if anything was owed on the pants, and the clerk said no. She said that they had been left to be hemmed and never picked up. There was no date on the slip of paper pinned to the pants with GP's name on it.

I took them home, and they were not familiar to GP. We examined the tags on the slacks and found one that had 2000 on it. We're not sure, but that could be a date. Could the pants have been there for 8 years? That was back before either of us was slipping into senility. I guess we'll never know.

"Reviving An Old Insult...."

When I left the Roman Catholic Church 11 years ago, I made a promise to myself that I would not be a bitter ex-Catholic, that I would not go about bashing the church which was my home for so many years. For the most part, I have kept that promise, except for an occasional slip. I attended RC schools for 17 years of my life, and, for the most part, I was well-taught. Since I live in an area that is heavily Roman Catholic, my family and many of my friends are Catholic. We live in peace together.

For some time, I have enjoyed James Carroll's columns in the Boston Globe. I have read his books, and his fat tome, Constantine's Sword is next on my reading list. Carroll is a former priest of the RCC, who left the priesthood and married, but has remained a loyal member of his church.

In his latest column, Carroll writes of the recent decision by the Vatican to authorize once again the common use of the old Tridentine Mass liturgy. Up until my 30s, the Latin Mass was all I knew. A stateliness and grandeur characterized the liturgy, when it was done properly, and I understand folks wanting to experience that again. As Carroll says, permitting the use of the old liturgy seems innocent enough.

The most important change in Catholic belief involved recovering the memory that Jesus was a Jew, and that his preaching was an affirmation, not a repudiation, of Jewish belief. Vatican II's high point was the declaration "Nostra Aetate," which condemned the idea that Jews could be blamed for the murder of Jesus, and affirmed the permanence of God's Covenant with Israel. The "replacement" theology by which the church was understood as "superseding" Judaism was no more. Corollary to this was a rejection of the traditional Christian goal of converting Jews to Jesus. The new liturgy of Vatican II dropped all such prayers.

But the Latin Mass published by the Vatican last year resuscitated the conversion insult, praying on Good Friday that God "lift the veil" from "Jewish blindness." Catholics and Jews both objected.

I'm pleased that there were protests about the language, which is, most certainly, a step backwards and not at all helpful to relations between Catholics and Jews. The Vatican backed away a bit and changed the language to "enlighten" the hearts of Jews "so that they recognize Jesus Christ, Savior of all mankind."

That's not good enough. The Vatican is still heading in the wrong direction.

Carroll begins his column with a joke:

AS THE priest began his sermon, he had trouble with the sound system, and muttered, "There's something wrong with this microphone." To which the congregation automatically replied, "And also with you."

Carroll ends his column with these words:

This is a drastic retreat from the most important theological development of the modern era. Something is wrong with that development, now say Vatican reactionaries. To which the people reply, "No. What's wrong is you."

Ouch! James Carroll, a loyal Roman Catholic, said it. He's right, and that makes me very sad.

Geaux, Tigers!

(The photo, from a December board meeting, shows teacher, Peter Pfister, who organized the trip, along with three students who also spoke before the board — Lincoln Spear, Orion Pearce, and Kelsey Barnes.)

My friends, I'm going to ask you to take a little trip down memory lane with me. Back in December I posted on an article by Allison Hantschel aka Athenae at First Draft, in the Chicago Southtown Star about a group of high school students from Rockland, Maine, who wanted to go, as a group, to help with the recovery in New Orleans. The group sought permission from the local school board. During the discussion about the trip by the Rockford school board, one member objected, saying that it would be like sending the students into a "war zone" Allison's article is no longer available at the SouthTown Star, but I believe that the motion was tabled for future consideration.

Today, in the comments to that December post, I received this:

Tigers has left a new comment on your post ""New Orleans A 'War Zone'?"":

Hi! I am actually with the group, Tiger Outreach, in Rockland ME, that is planning to go to New Orleans. I belive that you would be happy to know that, although 2 members still voted against our trip, we still gained school board approval! We are now only concerned about getting the funding, but we are very optimistic that our goal will be reached. I would like to thank you for writing about this and giving us your support!!!
P.S.-Send donations to
Rockland District High School-Tiger Outreach c/o Jo Talbot
400 Broadway St.
Rockland, Maine
04841
(not to be tacky

Posted by Tigers to Wounded Bird at February 20, 2008 2:01 PM

Not tacky at all, Tigers. Thanks for letting me know. Here's the story from the Bar Harbor Times.

Anyone of a mind to pony up a little cash, you have the address.

UPDATE: I was remiss in not thanking you, Tigers, and Peter Pfister, your teacher, who organized the plan for the trip. I am a native of New Orleans, and I was devastated by the destruction of my home town. I am immensely grateful to all of you for wanting to help New Orleans and its people toward recovery. There's much still left to do.

Smiling Baby Ray

From The Sunday Mail:

With its odd smile and translucent body this creature could be mistaken for a young cousin of one of Doctor Who's adversaries.

In fact it is the underside of a young thornback ray, pushing itself up the inside of an aquarium.

Isn't this adorable? The baby ray lives at the Blue Reef Aquarium at Southsea, Hampshire. It is one of a dozen hatched in a captive breeding program.

The baby ray measures 12 centimeters. In maturity, thornback rays measure approximately 1.2 meters in length.

A Blue Reef spokesman said the babies were proving very popular with visitors.

He said: "Their faces are very distinctive, especially the apparent smile.

"Some people have likened them to an alien or even the 'The Last Human' featured in Doctor Who.

Oh, and the black objects are not eyes, but gills. The eyes are on the topside.

From My Very Favorite Anglican Diocese

The latest update to the Pharisaios Journal from the Diocese of Wenchoster is out! Here is the Gospel for the second Sunday of Lent according to the Wenchoster Bible:

John 3: 1-10.

1. And behold, there was a man named Nicodemus, one of the Jews and very bearded with an tall hat. And cometh he unto Jesus at night.

2. And He sayeth unto him, Wither dost thou come unto me at night, for verily it is dark and spooky.

3. And Nicodemus nodded, for it was indeed so.

4. Then sayeth he unto Jesus, Rabbi, could’st not thou run that bit about being born again by me once more?

5. And behold, it was done. Yet he was still perplexed.

6. Look! Sayeth Jesus unto him, Think of it like the wind. It bloweth when it wants to.

7. And Nicodemus did agree, saying, Lo! Mine does.

8. And He proceeded to open the window.

9. Then said Jesus unto him, Now wither does it go?

10. Yet Nicodemus answered him not, for it was exceeding late, and still dark.

I had not heard of this version of the Bible before today. Live and learn, even in old age.


I wanted to highlight the words of another of the contributors to the journal, but Bishop Roderick Codpecium's words are so right for the season that I felt compelled to quote him once again. From The Bishop's Column:

Hello! End how is the Linten farst going for you? Mane is most difficult, as each day I wristle with temptat-i-ons in may study, end fall to may knees in prar. I awlways think thet Satan moves most cunningly in the hars of the nate, end thet is when I must awlways be on may guard lest he prevail in a moment of wickness, of which there are an arthly few.

The story of Nicodemus coming to Our Lawd et nate is a tale thet fortifies me, yet fills me with many quest-i-ons. Way et nate? What was on his mained? Was anyone else in the hice et the tame? We will niver know the answers, yet the imagined scene of Jesus end a mysterious bearded cliric chewing the theologicel fet intrigues me. Et three o’clock in the morning it gives me hope! What else is there to do et thet har?

Be sober, be vigilint!

+ Roderick Codpiecium



A Pictorial Lesson For Thurifers


And last, but not least, a sampling of a Lenten hymn from Wenchoster, with what I believe to be original lyrics. Editors, please correct me if I'm wrong about the lyrics:

LENTEN FAST

Once again that time is hear, (sic)
Time for introspective thought.
Time to dwell on sin in fear,
And forgiveness that is sought.

Naughty days and naughty nights,
Things we ought not, yet have done.
Things we’ve said, illegal rites,
Those good works we’ve ne’er begun. (Cont.)

At the site, you will find all of the verses, and if you click on the musical note, you can sing along to the tune of "Forty Days and Forty Nights".

There's more, so much more at the website, more wonderful captioned illustrations, more words of wisdom from other members of the cathedral staff, un véritable embarras de richesses.

A Contest Up To The Convention?

Not a few Democrats deplore the the fact that the party has not yet settled on a candidate. I'm afraid that I can't join them in their concern. In the olden days, choosing a candidate at the convention was the norm.

Athenae of First Draft, aka Allison Hantschel, has a column in the Southtown Star on this very subject. She says:

I may be alone in this, but I, for one, hope the Democratic primary campaign goes all the way to the last primary.

A long, knock-down, drag-out fight is presumed to harm an eventual nominee, leaving him or her damaged and weakened from months of attacks by primary opponents, crippled by debt racked up in early states and just plain used up, all the good arguments already expended on the trail. Easy pickings for the opposition.

Hantshel is not alone, because I agree with her. I don't see the dangers that she mentions coming to be. In the first place, the original purpose of the national political conventions was to choose the candidates for president and vice-president. But, as though our campaign cycle is not long enough, states have moved their primaries and caucuses to earlier and earlier dates, so that by the time of the party conventions, the candidates have long been anointed. The conventions provide little in the way of suspense or excitement and have become mostly boring, cheer-leading affairs.

Think how tired we'll all be of John McCain by November. That the Democrats still have a contest going puts McCain somewhat in the shadows. Plus, the Democratic strategists have one specific target to go after, while the Republicans' plan of attack is more difficult, because, for the present, they have two moving targets.

Hantschel goes on to say:

However, so long as the race stays relatively clean, a longer Democratic contest can only benefit both major candidates.

In the first place, it grants relevancy to later-calendar states like Wyoming, North Dakota and Wisconsin, whose choices in these contests have been nearly beside the point in past elections. The more states feel they have a role in choosing the nominee, the more Democrats will be involved in and have ownership of that nominee's particular political fortunes

I'd hope that the Democratic candidates don't get down and dirty in campaigning against each other. If they do, it could backfire and hurt more than help. I believe they know that.

For the first time in many years, my vote in a primary has counted for something. Usually, it's all over by the time we vote. Even in primaries later than ours in Louisiana, folks will have their chance to make a difference, and I see that as entirely a good thing.

I'll be watching to see how the Republicans drum up any excitement at all about John McCain at their convention. I saw in the news today that he has promised not to raise taxes. Surprise, surprise! A Republican who will not raise taxes! He'll have his 100 year deployment of our troops in Iraq and will ask no sacrifices of the rest of the citizens. The cost will be passed on to our children and grandchildren, and perhaps even our great-grandchildren. Could he possibly be a worse president than Bush? I thought that no one could be worse, but I'm beginning to have doubts.

As for the Democrats, on with the race, on with the challenges, on with the excitement.

"Louisiana Ethics 101"

An excellent video from Jim at JindalWatch, via Oyster at Your Right Hand Thief.

Via, via, via. Nothing original from me, but I had to showcase this one. It's terribly embarrassing, but, unfortunately, it's quite true.

But, hey! That's great music by our Hank. In Louisiana, we have our priorities right.

Little Tich - Serendipitous Hilarity

My faithful stringer, Lapin, sent me the link to the above video with these comments:

I just - serendipity - ran across this film, made around 1900, of the late 19th-early 20th century British comedian Little Tich (pronounced "Titch"). Haven't seen it before and it's hilarious. It's fair to assume that he was an influence on Chaplin, but I was surprised to read in his Wikipedia entry that "the surviving film of the Big Boot dance [this film], made by Clément-Maurice for the Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre in 1900, was described by Jacques Tati as 'a foundation for everything that has been realised in comedy on the screen'"

It had me laughing out loud. Hope it works for you.

Yes! It worked very well for me. I had never heard of Little Tich, but I'm quite pleased with the introduction and the good laugh from the video. He is absolutely charming.

Going Nowhere This Lent

It's been quite a long time since I have written anything on spirituality. I've posted of my outrage at the state of our country and my disgust with the actions of the leadership. I've posted jokes and trivia. But now it's Lent, and Lent is one of my favorites of the church seasons, along with the Advent. It seems that the preparation periods draw me more so than other seasons, with their sense of expectancy, the sense of something coming.

So far this Lenten season seems to be somewhat of a failure. Perhaps, it's because I was traveling on Ash Wednesday and missed the initiatory ritual of the season, the ashes, but I cannot seem to get started and, therefore, I'm not getting anywhere.

Before Lent, when I tried to decide what my Lenten discipline would be this year, nothing seemed quite right until I was able to half-articulate on another blog that my desire for this season of Lent and beyond was to increase in quantity and quality those times when I seemed to be at my best in following the way laid out by Jesus in the Gospels - as seldom and as weak and unproductive as my efforts during those times seemed to be. The method I'm trying is to stay centered in Jesus, the Word of God, and his words in the Gospels, Jesus who loves me and is ever-present with me. Even as I must focus on other matters, I'd like to take brief, but frequent, breaks to draw inwardly to a consciousness of that presence, until the sense of the God's presence becomes something of a habit, with the hope that, in the end, I will be changed for the better, that I will be enabled to put into practice the teachings of Our Lord with more success and for a greater portion of my time. I don't know how this will go, or even if the method makes any sense at all, but I will try and see what happens.

Now I had written the above, painfully and slowly, with many revisions, still not getting to where I wanted to go in articulating my goal and describing the centering process, which is, in a way, a physical experience.

So. While taking a break from my struggles, I visited Of Course, I Could Be Wrong to find that MadPriest had posted a sermon which explains it all for me. Did that ever take the wind out of my sails, pop my balloon, take the stuffing out of me - I think of any number of metaphors which signify a taking-down!

I want you to think back to a time in your life when you felt an incredible amount of love for somebody, or something, maybe a pet, or, maybe even, a religious experience that was centred around a feeling of great love.

Now don’t think about it using words. Just try to experience the feeling you had, once again. If you’re like me you’ll probably feel it in the pit of your stomach. I wonder why that is.

Right, now I want you to imagine that you have to tell somebody about the way you just felt. Try to come up, in your own minds, with the words you will need to describe fully the feeling you felt inside of you.

Now, I am completely certain that, even if you are as good a poet as Elizabeth Barrett Browning you will fail miserably in conveying what you felt inside. You will only scratch the surface and end up saying to the other person, “Well, you know what I mean, you know what it’s like.”

The thing is, it is difficult enough to describe a physical object to somebody else. When it comes to describing emotional stuff we are, always, at a loss for words.

Well, dammit, that's it! And don't you know that he starts the sermon with Elizabeth Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?" All my struggles and there it is laid out for me after the fact. I tell you, I'm feeling a little frustrated. All that effort, and had I waited a day or so, I would have had it without the struggle.

The physical sense of God's presence is centered in the pit of my stomach. It's as if Father, Jesus, and Spirit fit in that little place inside me, filling that space with love and giving me peace. It's as though the whole Gospel is there inside, and all I need do is reach in and take and share with everyone I meet the love and the Good News that is right there inside me.

Now whether this centering process will have the desired effect is a whole other question, to which I don't have an answer yet. It has seemed to work to good effect recently, because in the centering, I feel a peace which seems to extend to my relations with the people and events in my life in a beneficial manner.

My other discipline is to attend the Thursday Evening Prayer service at my church, which is followed by soup and sandwiches and then a DVD presentation by Bishop N. T. Wright on his series Simply Christian, followed by a discussion.

Last night, the subject of the talk was evil. Bishop Wright and a professor from Duke University shared a conversation on the the problem of evil in the world which Christ has redeemed and in which he has established his kingdom. I preferred Bishop Wright's comments to those of the professor from Duke. Last year, we watched DVDs from the Alpha series during Lent. I'm afraid I didn't care for them at all. I like Bishop Wright's presentations much better than Nicky Gumble's.

After watching the DVD, we had a lively discussion - very lively, at the end - especially between one of our young parishioners and - surprise! - moi. He is a candidate for the priesthood, and I am quite fond of him. I hope we didn't frighten the others with the intensity of our discussion, (OK, argument) but I'm sure we are fine with each other. He reads my blog, so I have to say nice things about him. In all seriousness, I am delighted that he was accepted as a candidate for the priesthood, and I believe he will make a wonderful priest.

Thanks be to God.

Gov. Bobby Jindal Watch - Four

I was gonna do it, but why do it, when I can steal from others who have done it better?

Oyster has given us his take on the story of Jindal's chief of staff, Timmy Teepell, and the free tickets to the Hannah Montana concert. As to when that squeaky-clean, no-perks-accepted, we-will-give-the-example administration of Gov. Clean will begin to function, the Big O says, "All in good time, I guess."

And then from C. B. Forgotston:

As I read of Governor Jindal’s actions and his reaction to the lege’s reaction to his proposed “gold standard” of ethics in Louisiana, the more I understand that Jindal is just another Louisiana politician. (My bolding)

Could it be? I think it be. Forgotston goes on:

The more I watch the pragmatic Jindal at work the more I come to the conclusion that even when it comes to writing laws (not even enforcing them), the “gold standard” is quickly becoming the “aluminium standard.” It’s light-weight and flexible.

Gov. Clean dared us to watch him run a squeaky-clean operation, and we are watching, Gov. Clean; we are watching.

Padre Mickey, This One Is For You

From the comments:

Blogger Padre Mickey said...

I like the photos of the flowers. As far as the second shot is concerned, you should have included a telephone in the photo. Then you could sing "put your tulips a little closer to the phone."

For you, Padre:

Put your tulips a little closer to the phone
Just pretend that we're together all alone
Tell the man to turn the juke box way down low
You can tell your friend there with you, she'll have to go

Sorry, Lovely Mona, but Padre started this. And no one tell Grandpère, please.

Show And Tell

So you want to know if I received flowers yesterday. Or perhaps, you don't want to know if I received flowers yesterday. Here's a show and tell anyway.

The flowers pictured above are camelias from our garden, and the half-dozen roses came from Grandpère, who wanted to show his great love for me. I like a half-dozen roses, or even a single rose, for a dozen roses can be a little overwhelming.

The picture is a result of a great struggle with my new digital camera, and another great struggle to upload the photo onto my computer. Technology is aging me at a rapid rate.

The picture below is of the tulips sent me by my daughter - from Martha Stewart - selected and arranged by the great lady herself, I'm sure. No doubt, they cost the earth, but they are gorgeous and will last a long time.

Now you know what you've been dying to know. I hope that you're happy.

True Friendship

From my lovely daughter:

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good,

But never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.

You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card-

Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.


1. When you are sad -- I will jump on the person who made you sad
like a spider monkey.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in..

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much Worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay away from me until you are well
Again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsiness.

9. This is my oath.... I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask;
'because you are my friend'.


Friendship is like peeing your pants,

everyone can see it,

But only you can feel the true warmth.


Send this to 10 of your closest friends,

Then get depressed because you can only think

of 4.

A Very Special Valentine

From Americans United for Change:

Unfortunately, John McCain and President Bush's relationship goes beyond cards and heartfelt embraces. From tax cuts for the rich to the war in Iraq, George and John count on one another in the public arena, too.

Just yesterday Senator McCain went back on his long-held opposition to torture methods like waterboarding. He voted "no" on a bill that would have required all government agencies - including the CIA - to comply with the Army Field Manual's prohibition on torture.

Why would he do such a thing? For love.

President Bush has threatened to veto this legislation if it crosses his desk. His "partner in crime" John McCain wanted to prevent the bill from ever getting there - even at the expense of his long-standing principles.

If John McCain would go back on his opposition to torture, what else would he do at the request of his Valentine, George Bush?

Too Good For The Comments

And another thing about Valentine's Day, the day of the mating of the birdies:

Blogger Lapinbizarre said...

Got an email message two days ago from a college buddy from whom I have not heard in many years. This reminded me that 43 years ago today (how's that for precision?), he, I and three other friends walked to the Sunday morning service ("mass" - it was a bells and smells church) at a parish church a couple of miles from the campus. About half way there we were distracted by two sparrows having frantic, furious sex in the middle of the street. Dust everywhere (it was a back road) and totally engrossed in what they were doing - we could have picked them up or stamped on them without their noticing. Being a town boy, I had never before actually witnessed the mechanics of bird sex, so I was extremely impressed.

At the church, the priest broke off about a third the way into the service to do the "kiddy homily" thing. He comes down to the children in the front pews and asks "Do you know what day it is today, children?" Lots of muttering and many "No, Father's", until finally a kid yells "It's St. Valentine's Day", at which point Fr. Sparks said "That's right, children, it's St. Valentine's Day - when the little birdies take a mate"!

Our pew disolved into screams of uncontrolled laughter and damn near had to be carried out, handkerchiefs stuffed in mouths. To this day, when I hear the words St. Valentine's Day, I always think of those two sparrows.

Excellent, you cwazy wabbit!

When you leave here, pop over to visit Elizabeth at Telling Secrets to watch a video which will leave your jaw on your keyboard.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My funny valentine
Sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable
Unphotographable
Yet youre my favourite work of art

Is your figure less than greek
Is your mouth a little weak
When you open it to speak
Are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little valentine stay
Each day is valentines day

Virtual hugs and kisses all around. Mwah, Mwah, Mwah!


UPDATE: Today is truly a saints' day. St. Valentine has been dropped from the calendar of saints, nevertheless, Paul has a lovely icon and prayer in honor of Valentine. Whoever he was, or whether he ever was, he has left his mark.

And, of course, our master biographer of the early saints, Padre Mickey. has a wonderful post on Sts. Cyril and Methodius, whose official feast we celebrate today in the Episcopal Church.

UPDATE 2: The prayer for today's celebration of the feast of Cyril and Methodius is quite timely and appropriate:

PRAYER

Almighty and everlasting God, who by the power of the Holy Spirit moved your servant Cyril and his brother Methodius to bring the light of the Gospel to a hostile and divided people: Overcome all bitterness and strife among us by the love of Christ, and make us one united family under the banner of the Prince of Peace; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

UPDATE 3: Oh, my goodness, yes! Another update. Here's a wonderful bit of history of the celebration from Rmj at Adventus. How fortunate I am to have such scholars for blog friends.