What Will Replace Western Civilization? Watch and See

May 06, 2009

Found here

ADV Welcomes New Congregation in Richmond

FAIRFAX, Va.
(via email)

May 7, 2009–The Anglican District of Virginia has announced that Holy Cross Anglican Church, Richmond, Va., has joined the orthodox Anglican organization.

“We are pleased to welcome Holy Cross Anglican Church and are grateful that we continue to see growth within ADV. More people are becoming emboldened to stand up for Biblical truth and are excited to be a part of an orthodox Anglican body in the U.S. ,” said ADV Contact Bishop David Bena.

Holy Cross Anglican Church was formed in 2007 and the Rev’d Jonathan Pietschman has served as its rector from the beginning. “We feel ADV is a fit for us because of its tie to the Common Cause Partnership and the emerging Anglican Province . Our parish wants to remain a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion and ADV represents a good place for us to be. In addition, we already have a sense of fellowship with ADV given that congregants are friends with members of other ADV parishes. We look forward to partnering with ADV in mission and ministry,” he said.

Before getting into the ministry, Mr. Pietschman was in the U.S. Air Force for 25 years, both on active and reserve duty. He graduated from Baptist Theological Seminary in 1995. He served for four years as the pastor of Colonial Place Christian Church in Richmond . He has been a chaplain for the Henrico County Division of Police for 10 years and was a chaplain for seven years at Bon Secours, St. Mary’s Hospital, Richmond , before currently serving as a patient advocate.

Holy Cross Anglican Church worships on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. at Bennett's Funeral Home, 14301 Ashbrook Parkway , Chesterfield , VA 23832 . They offer a children’s church service at the same time as the regular service. For more information, visit http://www.holycrossanglicanrichmond.org/.

Western Louisiana Backs Bishop on Church Polity

May 7, 2009

The standing committee of the Diocese of Western Louisiana voted unanimously May 6 to approve a statement that affirms the integrity of diocesan governance in The Episcopal Church.

“As a diocesan standing committee, we acknowledge and desire to be a diocese in full communion with the wider Anglican Communion and the See of Canterbury,” the statement reads in part. “As a diocese we oppose any actions by General Convention that would mandate financial assessments from dioceses to the General Convention budget, or exercise control of trust interests on diocesan or congregational assets.”

The statement is intended to demonstrate the standing committee’s support for its diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. D. Bruce MacPherson, who is one of 11 diocesan bishops who recently endorsed a statement of concern that the polity of the The Episcopal Church as a “voluntary association of equal dioceses” was in grave peril because of uncanonical actions by the Presiding Bishop and her appointed staff. the rest

A.S. Haley: From the Outside in, or Vice Versa?

May 7th, 2009

How Others See the Episcopal Church (USA):

An Anglican priest, a Muslim and a Zen Buddhist walk into a bar. The bartender says, "What can I get you, lady?"

Anglican jokes, like Anglicans, aren’t something you run across too often. That’s too bad, because there’s a rich vein of absurdity to be mined in the Church of the Frozen Chosen.

Thus Toronto writer Nancy Gall opens her recent piece, "Ecumenism Gone Wild", in the Holy Post, the religion blog of Canada's Daily Post. The "Church of the Frozen Chosen" is explained elsewhere this way: "Where the Lord warms your heart---but only a little bit." Ms. Gall continues:

Take Reverend Ann Holmes Redding — or just plain Ann as she’ll soon be, having been deposed as an Episcopalian priest for declining to stop being a Muslim. Ms. Redding, a priest of 20 years standing and the director of faith formation at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, WA., saw no reason to turn in her white collar when she found herself drawn to Islam in 2006. Given a year or so to think it over, the “Islamopalian,” as she’s known in the hillbilly encampments of the Anglican blogosphere, was finally deposed by her bishop earlier this month when she refused to disavow her dual religious identity.

“I am both Muslim and Christian, just like I’m both an American of African descent and a woman,” she told the Seattle Times in June, 2007. “I’m 100% both.”

"Church of the Frozen Chosen," "Islamopalian"---the epithets just ask to be invented, given that the subject is religion as witnessed by today's Episcopal Church. First, of course, comes its current leaning toward Zen Buddhism: the rest-don't miss this!

Proposed Moratorium on Litigation Omitted from Draft Resolution

The Living Church
May 7, 2009

One of the foremost items on the Anglican Consultative Council’s agenda is consideration of the final report of the Windsor Continuation Group (WCG). During a May 6 press briefing, the Rt. Rev. Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St. Asaph (Wales) and former deputy secretary general of the ACC, said he did not know why a fourth moratorium—on litigation—had been noted in the WCG’s final report but was omitted from the draft resolution of nine recommendations proposed by the Joint Standing Committee of the ACC and primates (JSC) for approval by the ACC.

The WCG was set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2007 to advise him on the implementation of the recommendations of the Windsor Report, how best to carry forward the Windsor Process in the life of the Communion, and to consult on the “unfinished business” of the report. The ACC will be discussing the WCG report and considering a resolution about it on May 8.

ACC representatives approved a series of resolutions on May 5, including one from the International Anglican Women’s Network (IAWN) that “requests that appointments to all inter-Anglican standing commissions, and all other inter-Anglican committees, design groups, or appointed bodies … provide equal representation of women on each body.” the rest

Questions raised over goals and funding of ACC's proposed “Continuing Indaba Project"

Thursday, May 07, 2009
BabyBlueOnline

According to reports coming out of the ACC meetings in Jamaica, "The 14th Anglican Consultative Council today welcomed the proposal for a 'Continuing Indaba Project,' the next stage of the so-called Listening Process on the issue of human sexuality in the Anglican Communion.

"The "Continuing Indaba Project" is extended to 2011 and is to be funded by the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine.The Satcher Health Leadership Instituter's funding programs, it has been learned, includes financing directly from the secular Ford Foundation, author of the progressive initiative, Sexuality and Social Change: Making the Connection.

the rest

Obama Admin Terrorism Dictionary Calls Pro-Life Advocates Violent, Racist

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 5, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- More details are emerging about a terrorism dictionary the administration of President Barack Obama put together in March. The newly-revealed document comes on the heels of a report the Department of Homeland Security sent out saying pro-life advocates were right-wing extremists.

The latest report to cause national outrage is a document known as the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon," essentially a terrorism and political extremism dictionary for the Obama administration's internal use.

The March 26, 2009 document features numerous definitions and the headline "antiabortion extremism," appears on page two of the eleven-page manual.

The Obama administration calls pro-life advocates violent and claims they employ racist overtones in engaging in criminal actions. the rest

European Fascist Movements are Led by Homosexuals According to Gay Journalist

Says gay men have been at the heart of every major fascist movement that ever was - including the Third Reich
By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
BRITAIN, May 6, 2009

(LifeSiteNews.com) - With the rise of an increasingly militant and even violent homosexual movement which has threatened and assaulted Christians for their opposition to their political agenda, homosexual activists in the U.S. and Europe have been increasingly accused of "homofascism.

"Now, a self-described "gay left-wing" journalist in Britain has admitted that the fascist tendency of homosexuals is far more than a conservative rhetorical trope.

Johann Hari, a reporter for the Independent newspaper points out in a recent article for the ultra-leftist Huffington Post that, despite their official condemnation of sodomy, the leadership of European fascist movements is dominated by homosexuals.

"If you inter-railed across Europe, only stopping with gay fascists, there aren't many sights you'd miss," Hari writes with amazing frankness. the rest

JAMAICA: Egyptian Archbishop Questions Listening Process Affirming Homosexuality

Mouneer Anis Says Money Used as a Weapon to Influence TEC's Pro-gay Agenda
By David W. Virtue in Jamaica
http://www.virtueonline.org/
5/6/2009

The Rt. Rev. Mouneer H. Anis, President Bishop of the Episcopal/Anglican Church of Egypt and the Middle East, told delegates to the Anglican Consultative Council-14 that if the Anglican Communion tolerates the practice of homosexuality, it will require a different kind of dialogue.

Speaking from the floor following a presentation by Canon Philip Groves who heads the London-based Listening Province, Archbishop Anis asked what (the Anglican Communion) would like to achieve. If we are to achieve better pastoral care and to prevent homophobia, we need to know how to care for people with homosexual orientation. Homosexual practice does not go with Christian love, he said.

"But if the achievement is to tolerate the practice of homosexuality, it requires a different kind of dialogue. We cannot just listen to people who are homosexual but we need a cultural dialogue as well. For me in our context I am aware of people of homosexual orientation, but for youth seeking help it is something abnormal, it is shameful thing in our culture and it is a crime and people can be punished for supporting its practice." the rest

Hymn sung by delegates:

Lord of our Diversity
Unite us all we pray
Welcome us to fellowship
In your inclusive way

Sanctify our listening
And help us get the sense
Of perplexing arguments
Before we take offence

Teach us all to have respect
To love, and not deride
Save us from the challenges
Of selfishness and pride

Teach us that our opinions which
At first may seem quite strange
May reflect the glory of
Your great creative range

May the Holy Spirit
Show us the way preferred
May we follow the commands
Of your authentic word

Ten Years Later, Boy's 'Hand of Hope' Continues to Spark Debate

Wednesday, May 06, 2009
By Joshua Rhett Miller

Nearly 10 years after a stunning photograph of his tiny hand traveled the world, Samuel Armas has a firm grip on what "The Hand of Hope" means to him.

"When I see that picture, the first thing I think of is how special and lucky I am to have God use me that way," Samuel told FOXNews.com. "I feel very thankful that I was in that picture."

On Aug. 19, 1999, photographer Michael Clancy shot the "Fetal Hand Grasp" — his picture of a 21-week-old fetus grasping a doctor's finger during innovative surgery to correct spina bifida. Nearly four months later, on Dec. 2, Samuel Armas was "born famous."

The photo, which first appeared in USA Today on Sept. 7, 1999, quickly spread across the globe as proof of development in the womb and was later cited during congressional debates on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which passed in 2000. the rest image

Report from ACC-14 Day 5 part 2

Coming to a church meeting near you: Indaba funded from Atlanta, Georgia
May 7th, 2009

Today the report was presented from the Listening Process. In short, the ideology of seeking common ground between contradictory points of view that has characterized the listening process so far, has been combined with the Indaba process at Lambeth and extended to cover a range of theological issues.

The listening process has been extended to 2011 and funded by the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine, for a project of Continuing Indaba.

Vinay Samuel has written of the Indaba Process:

“The Lambeth centre of the Anglican Communion is experienced as exercising colonial power. How else can the continued resistance of the Anglican Communion instruments to carrying out the decisions of the Primates Meeting over the last five years, leading to the acknowledged dominance of the 2008 Lambeth Conference by Archbishop Williams, be explained?

The Lambeth centre continues to impose its hegemony by introducing into all the central meetings of the Communion, Lambeth, the Primates’ Meeting in Egypt and the ACC meeting in Jamaica, the indaba process. This is designed to maintain matters as they are and avoid all discussion and decision about Anglican identity, membership and morality. Worse, this process claims to use a deracinated process that those from the Global South are expected to acknowledge as a tribute to their cultural contribution.

The GAFCON Primates Council has created for itself uncolonial space; the GAFCON Conference and Jerusalem declaration witnessed to the power of the gospel to liberate and transform people not only from oppression in their own societies but also from the power of a colonial mindset which needed to acknowledge the Church of England as their mother church to bolster their own identity.

Indaba is the badge of oppression. It is the badge of a non-revelational faith and an untransforming gospel. It should be resisted.”

Here is how this has happened.... Full report

Devotional: Patience is not indifference...

Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He "endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible." A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure, and the power to endure is there because you see God. ...Oswald Chambers image

Pakistani Christian girl raped and murdered

by John Pontifex
Saturday, May 2, 2009

A nine-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan was reportedly gang-raped before being killed and dumped in a canal – and outrage is growing amid reports that almost a month later nobody has been arrested.

Nisha Javid was walking close to her home when she suddenly disappeared, prompting her parents to mount a search for her.

Barely two days later, with a police-led search underway, her body was found in a canal not far from the Javids’ home in Essangri village, outside the town of Jaranawala, Faisalabad. A post mortem revealed Nisha had been gang-raped and had died after repeated blows to the head. the rest

Christian girl is gang-raped and murdered in Pakistan

US cyberbully bill 'a threat to free speech'

Proposed law could threaten valid online criticism, say bloggers
Wednesday 6 May 2009

American bloggers have reacted angrily to proposals for a new law that could potentially make it illegal to criticise or make fun of somebody online.

Linda Sanchez, a Democratic congresswoman for California, is leading a bill intended to combat cyberbullying – but opponents say the law's limits are vague and threaten freedom of speech.

The bill, which is being submitted to Congress for the second time, proposes that any electronic communication intended to "coerce, intimidate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress" could be punished with a fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

According the proposals, the new rules would cover email, blogs, instant messaging and texts.

Opponents are concerned that it could violate the US constitution's first amendment – which guarantees freedom of expression – and threatens valid online criticism, despite Sanchez's assertion that "ranting" would not become illegal.

But Eugene Volokh, a professor at the UCLA school of law and one of the most high-profile political bloggers in the US, has attacked the proposals as "overbroad" and "constitutionally vague". the rest

Prison Awaiting Hostile Bloggers

Oklahoma legislature asserts sovereignty, overrides veto

May 6, 2009
by Ed Morrissey

The Oklahoma House defied a veto from Democratic Governor Brad Henry to approve a resolution asserting its sovereignty under the Constitution. The Senate had approved the initial resolution 29-18, just shy of the two-thirds needed to sustain an override, but this new bill does not require his signature. Backers are optimistic that they will succeed in sending a message to Washington DC to start limiting themselves to truly federal tasks: the rest

Rectors’ Declaration of Support for the Bishops’ Statement on the Polity of the Episcopal Church

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Found here

A group of Bishops of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion have issued a statement on the polity of the Episcopal Church with which we as Rectors of churches in the Episcopal Church are in full agreement. Our understanding of the seat of authority in the Episcopal Church, as elaborated by the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, is consistent with that elaborated in the Bishops’ statement. We also find the arguments supporting the statement to be compelling and worthy of intentional study by the sundry dioceses, bishops, deputies, clergy and laity of the Episcopal Church.

The authority of the Episcopal Church resides at the diocesan level. This is witnessed to by the structure of the church as “that of a voluntary association of equal dioceses.” Also, the Constitution and Canons of the Church make no provision for either a central hierarchy or a Presiding Bishop with metropolitan authority. Furthermore, our General Convention representation is as dioceses and not as communicants, with only an administrative role for the convention leadership, the voting members of the leadership themselves drawn from the diocesan deputations. In addition, the ordinal does not contain any language acknowledging or committing to submit to any metropolitan or central hierarchal authority.
We agree with the statement by the Bishops that the “traditional doctrine and worship and the historic polity of the Church are in grave peril.” In the matter of utmost importance to the catholic nature of the Church, we stand with the signing Bishops who “intend to exercise [their] episcopal authority to remain constituent members of the Anglican Communion.” For those of us who faithfully serve in dioceses that choose to reject or ignore the covenant, we ask our Diocesans not to impede the adoption of the Covenant by parishes in our dioceses. Such grace will allow these parishes and clergy to obey their consciences and calling to be members of the Anglican Communion and the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

April 22nd, 2009

The Rev. Dr. Charles Alley
Rector, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
Richmond, Virginia

The Rev. John D. Badders, Jr.
Rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church
McAllen, Texas

The Rev. Phyllis Bartle
Rector, St. Jude’s Episcopal Church
Orange City, Florida

The Rev. Milton E. Black, Jr.
Rector, Church of the Good Shepherd
Corpus Christi, Texas

The Rev. Christopher Andrew Bowhay
Rector, St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church
Houston, Texas

The Rev. William J. Cavanaugh
Rector, Church of the Epiphany
Richardson, Texas

The Very Reverend Anthony Clark
Dean, St. Luke’s Cathedral
Orlando, Florida

The Rev. Joseph N. Davis
Rector, Church of the Resurrection
Franklin, Tennessee

The Very Rev. Canon Richard C. Doscher, Sr.
Rector, St. Alfred’s Episcopal Church
Palm Harbor, Florida

The Rev. Mifflin Dove, Jr.
Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Katy, Texas

The Rev. Robert G. Eaton
Rector, St. John Episcopal Church
Tulare, California

The Rev. Theodore W. Edwards, Jr.
Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church
Bradenton, Florida

The Rev. Richard H. Elwood
Rector, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
Fredericksburg, Texas

The Rev. Frank E. Fuller
Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
Beaumont, Texas

The Rev. Ronald E. Greiser, Jr.
Rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church
Portsmouth, Virginia

The Rev. Laurens A. Hall
Rector, St. John the Divine
Houston, Texas

The Rev. John F. Hardie
Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
Corpus Christi, Texas

The Rev. Theodore E. Hervey, Jr.
Rector, Epiphany Episcopal Church
Bertram, Texas

The Rev. John M. Himes, OSF
Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church
Marshall, Texas

The Rev. Charles L. Holt
Rector, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Lake Mary, Florida

The Rev. Robert Horowitz
Rector, Church of the Redeemer
Greenville, South Carolina

The Rev. Thomas S. Hotchkiss
Rector, Church of The Advent
Nashville, Tennessee

The Rev. Robert T. Jennings
Rector, St. Francis in the Fields
Harrods Creek, South Carolina

The Rev. Bennett G. Jones, II
Rector, St. Paul Episcopal Church
Munster, Indiana

The Rev. Timothy Jones
Senior Associate Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church
Nashville, Tennessee

The Rev. Jerome A. Kramer
Rector, Church of the Annunciation
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Rev. Gerald W. Krumenacker, Jr.
Rector, Christ Church
Dallas, Texas

The Rev. Ronald James LeBlanc
Priest-in-Charge, Church of the Incarnation
Lafayette, Louisiana

The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr.
Rector, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church
Houston, Texas

The Rev. John S. Liebler
Rector, St. Andrew’s Church and Academy
Fort Pierce, Florida

The Rev. Ramiro E. Lopez, Jr.
Rector, St. George Episcopal Church
San Antonio, Texas

The Rev. Daniel H. Martins
Rector, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church
Warsaw, Indiana

The Very Rev. Dr. Jean McCurdy Meade
Rector, Mount Olivet Episcopal Church
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Rev. Mark A. Michael
Rector, Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church
Sharpsburg, Maryland

The Rev. Ian Montgomery
Retired Rector, St. Thomas Church
Menasha, Wisconsin

The Rev. Joel J. Morsch
Rector, Christ Church
Bradenton, Florida

The Rev. Elizabeth L. Myers
Rector, St. Francis of Assisi
Lake Placid, Florida

The Rev. David G. Newhart
Rector, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church
Sebastian, Florida

The Rev. John Newton
Rector, Messiah Episcopal Church
Saint Paul, Minnesota

The Very Rev. Timothy C. Nunez
Rector, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
Belleview, Florida

The Rev. Robert P. Price
Rector, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church
Houston, Texas

The Rev. Dr. Darrel D. Proffitt
Rector, Church of the Holy Apostles
Katy, Texas

The Rev. Fredrick Arthur Robinson
Rector, The Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota, Florida

The Rev. Mark Seitz
Rector, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
Wheeling, West Virginia

The Rev. John Thomas Sheehan
Rector, The Church of Our Redeemer
Aldie, Virginia

The Rev. Dr. Jerry Smith
Rector, St. Bartholomew’s Parish
Nashville, Tennessee

The Rev. Leigh Spruill
Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church
Nashville, Tennessee

The Very Rev. Canon Harold L. Trott, SSC
Vicar, Church of Our Saviour
Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Rev. Eric W. Turner, Sr.
Rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church
Melbourne, Florida

The Rev. Guido Verbeck
Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Shreveport, Louisiana

The Very Rev. Dr. Edward A. Weiss, OSB, APC
Rector, Church of Our Saviour
Okeechobee, Florida

The Rev. John T. Wells
Rector, Episcopal Church Of The Holy Spirit
Waco, Texas

The Rev. Ted Welty
Interim Rector, Christ Episcopal Church
Tyler, Texas

The Rev. Stockton Williams, Jr.
Rector, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Kerrville, Texas

The Rev. Dr. Kenneth A. Wolfe
Rector, The Parish of Christ Church
Fitchburg, Massachusetts

The Rev. Michael Wyckoff
Rector, St. Luke’s on the Lake
Austin, Texas

Setback for Third Province movement in San Jaoquin ruling

Wednesday, 6th May 2009
By George Conger

The third province movement in the United States may have received a severe setback this week after a California court issued a tentative ruling holding that dioceses are creatures of the national Episcopal Church and may not secede.

On May 4, Judge Adolfo Corona of the Fresno Superior Court issued a preliminary opinion, stating that he would likely issue a summary judgment on behalf of the Episcopal Church against Bishop John-David Schofield and the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin.

As a matter of law and fact the judge argued, the Episcopal Church was a “hierarchical church is one in which individual churches are organized as a body with other churches having similar faith and doctrine, and with a common ruling convocation or ecclesiastical head vested with ultimate ecclesiastical authority over the individual congregations and members of the entire organized church.”

“In a hierarchical church, an individual local congregation that affiliates with the national church body becomes a member of a much larger and more important religious organization, under its government and control, and bound by its orders and judgments,” he said. Under this principal, a parish is a subunit of a diocese, which is itself a subunit of the national Episcopal Church, the Judge Corona reasoned. the rest

Archbishop Williams: Moratoria, Listening Process Both Essential

May 6, 2009

During a 40-minute presentation to participants at the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, on May 5, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams linked the continuation of the listening process with the continuation of a three-fold moratoria on same-sex blessings, the consecration of homosexual persons to the episcopate, and cross-border incursions by bishops.

Without such a commitment [to listening] “we’re not going to move forward at all in mutual understanding,” and without the moratoria, “it’s unlikely the listening process will go anywhere,” the archbishop said.

Archbishop Williams’ remarks came as he explained the recommendations of the Windsor Continuation Group’s final report. The 22-page document was commissioned to recommend ways in which the Anglican Communion could maintain unity amid a diversity of understanding about human sexuality and theology. the rest

No need for a Welsh ‘flying bishop’

Wednesday, 6th May 2009
By George Conger

There is no need for a “Flying Bishop” for Welsh traditionalists, the Archbishop of Wales told members of the church’s Governing Body last week, as the pastoral care offered by the current bishop’s bench is sufficient to meet the needs of all Welsh Anglicans.

Responding to a question from a member of the Governing Body during is April 22 session in Llandudno, Dr Barry Morgan said the bishops were offering “pastoral and sacramental care to every member of the Church in Wales, without exception.”

He added that there was “room in the Church in Wales for those who in conscience cannot accept the ordination of women.” However this latitude did not extend to episcopal oversight. the rest

Albert Mohler: The Disappearance of God: Dangerous Beliefs in the New Spiritual Openness

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

I am very pleased that my latest book, The Disappearance of God: Dangerous Beliefs in the New Spiritual Openness was released yesterday by Multnomah Books. This new book takes a look at many of the most controversial issues facing the church today. My hope is that it will serve the church well.

Here is the Preface to The Disappearance of God:

Has God disappeared? The tragic reality is that we are living in an age that is marked by so much spiritual and theological confusion that the God of the Bible has largely disappeared from view -- replaced by less imposing deities that are more amenable to the modern mind.

In one sense, we are witnessing the result of secularization and the evaporation of biblical theism from our public life. To this we must add the privatization of truth and the fact that millions of Americans claim a divine right to their own spiritual cocoon and belief system. As the song suggests, Americans now lay claim to “their own personal Jesus.” This personal vision of Jesus Christ may well bear little or no resemblance to Jesus as he is revealed in the Bible. the rest

Israel's Hebrew Catholics keep the faith

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

With just 400 faithful, the Hebrew-speaking Vicariate is dwarfed by the much larger Palestinian Christian community, estimated at some 180,000 in Israel and the Palestinian territories, which will be the main focus of the pope's eight-day visit starting Friday.

Established in 1955 by a small group which included several converted Jews, some of them Holocaust survivors, the vicariate largely keeps to itself in a country founded as a Jewish state in which Christians are often suspected of being missionaries.

The Hebrew prayers reverberate through the humble Catholic chapel in Jerusalem where whitewashed walls are adorned with a small metal cross and two pictures of Jesus lined with Hebraic inscriptions.

The worshippers are part of a tiny Hebrew-speaking Catholic community, some of them descendants of Holocaust survivors, that has quietly kept the faith in the heart of Jewish state for half a century and will remain in the shadows during the visit by Pope Benedict XVI.
the rest

Obama to be prayer day no-show

President to sign proclamation, observe privately
By Julia Duin
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

President Obama is distancing himself from the National Day of Prayer by nixing a formal early morning service and not attending a large Catholic prayer breakfast the next morning.

All Mr. Obama will do for the National Day of Prayer, which is Thursday, is sign a proclamation honoring the day, which originated in 1952 when Congress set aside the first Thursday in May for the observance.

For the past eight years, President George W. Bush invited selected Christian and Jewish leaders to the White House East Room, where he typically would give a short speech and several leaders offered prayers. the rest

Delegates weigh ‘tighter time frame’ for covenant approval process

Marites N. Sison
staff writer
Kingston, Jamaica
May 5, 2009

Bishop Gregory Cameron, former deputy secretary general of the Anglican Communion and secretary to the Covenant Design Group said he detects that many delegates to the 14th Anglican Consultative Council meeting here would like a “tighter time frame” for the approval process of the proposed Anglican Covenant rather than the recommended 2014 deadline.

The question of when member churches of the Anglican Communion should state whether they would be signing on to the Covenant “is obviously surfacing” and he has heard from some council members “that they would like to see a tighter time frame for the reception of the covenant than that proposed,” Bishop Cameron told a press briefing. “Obviously it’s too early to say where the mind of the council will settle. But there are certainly some that say a tighter time frame would be more appropriate.” the rest

Anglican Curmudgeon: Arguments in San Joaquin

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Oral argument was held in the San Joaquin litigation today. There were three matters before the court, of which only two were significant - the motion for summary adjudication by Bishop Lamb, the plaintiff "Diocese of San Joaquin", and ECUSA; and their demurrers to Bishop Schofield's cross-complaint, which seeks reimbursement for the expenses (including legal fees) he has had to incur in defending against their main lawsuit.

Arguments began a little after 3:30 p.m., and did not conclude until a little after 5:00 p.m. In between, the court had to hear some other matters, and so in the final analysis, the court heard about an hour of argument on the motion for summary adjudication, and about twenty or so minutes on the demurrers. After it was all over, Judge Corona thanked counsel for their presentations, and took the matter under submission.

There are normally two kinds of outcome to this kind of oral argument after a tentative ruling. In the first, the judge listens politely to all the parties, lets them have their say, and then issues an order affirming his tentative ruling a day or so later---he scarcely changes a thing. the rest

Archbishop Williams calls for more cohesive, theologically aware communion

Anglican Consultative Council considers recommendations for strengthening bonds
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
May 05, 2009

[Episcopal News Service -- Kingston, Jamaica] Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams told the representatives of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) meeting here May 5 that he wants the Anglican Communion be "more cohesive and more theologically aware."

During his 40-minute presentation on the recommendations of the Windsor Continuation Group's final report, Williams said that he does not have "complete and absolute confidence that the Anglican Communion in something like the form it had 20 years ago is going to survive this crisis" over authority and differing theological perspectives.

He told those participating in the May 2-12 gathering that there "may or may not be a lasting division" in the communion, "but before we do say goodbye to each other in the communion, we owe it to the Lord of the church to have those conversations and to undertake that effort at listening to one another and taking one another seriously in the Gospel." the rest

Report from ACC 14-Day Four

By the Rev. Can. Dr. Chris Sugden, Anglican Mainstream
and the Rev. Philip Ashey, C.O.O, American Anglican Council
May 5th, 2009

So what are we presented with? In essence it would appear that the Archbishop is preparing himself and the communion for a significant change. He admitted it could no longer be the communion it was 20 years ago. Therefore the proposals are not an attempt to put the clock back, put Humpty Dumpty back together again or the toothpaste back in the tube.

Rather they could be seen as a time-honoured process, whereby a group with senior power seeks to retain that power while all along seismic shifts are taking place at other levels. These proposals are not about solving the current crisis or bringing the divisions in the Communion to an end. These proposals are about continuing the listening process, enabling people to restate their positions over and over again without any time limit, and accepting that there will be some ruptures and breaks but still keeping them within the current instruments of communion which are being modified to take account of them.

I tested this observation on two senior Episcopal participants in the current meeting who agreed with this analysis.

Now on to the Rev. Philip Ashey’s comments on the Pastoral Visitors Scheme and the idea of mediated conversation on parallel jurisdictions....

And here:
Those who left TEC after years of "dialogue" over the fundamentals of the faith and issues of human sexuality understand the futility of this process. They crossed the Red Sea (figuratively speaking) and were rewarded by inhibition, deposition, loss of income, costly litigation, and/or loss of their churches. At present, during this post-Alexandria Communiqué period of "gracious restraint," (1) the Rev. Don Armstrong and his wife are today being evicted by TEC litigation from the home they purchased with the vestry of Grace Church; (2) the 18 volunteer vestry members of Grace Church are being sued by TEC and the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado individually for the mortgage on the church buildings from which they have just been evicted; and (3) the vestry of St. James Newport Beach is also being sued individually for $6 million in legal fees by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

For such victims of TEC’s attempt to literally destroy them corporately, individually, and financially, all such talk of "professionally mediated conversations" by the Archbishop of Canterbury, his representatives and the ACC is pure fantasy and utterly divorced from reality.

They will not be repatriated to Egypt-and certainly not under any arrangement that views them as the problem, and not TEC.

And there lies the rub with a "provisional holding arrangement". Anyone familiar with legal language knows what a "holding arrangement" or "holding tank" is: it’s the room where "troublemakers" are held before they are brought before judge and/or jury for a plea, trial and sentencing.

the rest-full report

Devotional: The more I understand and contemplate Jesus' surrender of Himself for me...

The more I understand and contemplate Jesus' surrender of Himself for me, the more do I give myself again to Him. The surrender is a mutual one: the love comes from both sides. His giving of Himself makes such an impression on my heart, that my heart with the self-same love and joy becomes entirely His. Through giving Himself to me, He of Himself takes possession of me; He becomes mine and I His. I know that I have Jesus wholly for me, and that He has me wholly for Him....

And how come I then to the full enjoyment of this blessed life? ...Through faith I reflect upon and contemplate His surrender to me as sure and glorious. Through faith I appropriate it. Through faith I trust in Jesus to confirm this surrender, to communicate Himself to me and reveal Himself within me. Through faith I await with certainty the full experience of salvation which arises from having Jesus as mine, to do all, all for me. Through faith I live in this Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me. ...Andrew Murray image

Obama Democrats Accent Bullying Over Governing

Amity Shlaes

May 5 (Bloomberg) -- So Michele Bachmann’s version of history is “from another planet.” Bobby Jindal, the Republican governor of Louisiana, is “chronically stupid.” And Eric Cantor of Virginia, the second-ranking Republican in the House, is “busy lying constantly.”

That at least is according to posts on three left-leaning blogs.

Writers who are not pro-Barack Obama are suffering character assassination as well. George Will of the Washington Post, the nation’s senior conservative columnist, has been so assaulted by bloggers that his editor, Fred Hiatt, recently wrote, “I would think folks would be eager to engage in the debate, given how sure they are of their case, rather than trying to shut him down.”

The disconcerting thing isn’t that the bloggers or their guests did this slamming. We’re used to such vitriol in campaign time. What is surprising is that the attacks are continuing after an election.

In the past, politicians and policy thinkers tended to be magnanimous in victory. They and their friends focused, post- victory, on policy and strategy -- not on trashing individuals. the rest

St. James Church's legal battle over it's property moves to the U.S. Supreme Court; Writ of Certiorari to be filed this month

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – May 5, 2009 – St. James Anglican Church, at the centerpiece of a nationally publicized church property dispute with the Episcopal Church, announced today that it will file a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court to resolve an important issue of religious freedom: Does the United States Constitution, which both prohibits the establishment of religion and protects the free exercise of religion, allow certain religious denominations to disregard the normal rules of property ownership that apply to everyone else?

Under longstanding law, no one can unilaterally impose a trust over someone else’s property without their permission. Yet, in the St. James case before the California Supreme Court, named Episcopal Church Cases, the Court created a special perquisite for certain churches claiming to be “hierarchical,” with a “superior religious body,” which may allow them to unilaterally appropriate for themselves property purchased and maintained by spiritually affiliated but separately incorporated local churches. St. James will argue before the U.S. Supreme Court that this preferential treatment for certain kinds of religion violates the U.S. Constitution. the rest (h/t babyblueonline)

TLC: California Church Appeals to U.S. Supreme Court

Midwest Conservative Journal: blog down

Temporary site here

Welcome to the new capitalism: Law and contracts no longer have meaning

By Star Parker
Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Excerpt:
For a host of reasons, mostly massive government meddling and social engineering, the mortgage market exploded and thus, we’ve got homeowners who can’t make payments.

The House passed bill proposes to bail these folks out by paying banks servicing the mortgages $1,000 for each one they re-finance, cutting interest rates and payments. Those who actually own the loans—the bondholders—are left out to pasture. And, the bill protects servicing banks from lawsuits to which they would normally be exposed for breaking their contracts.

So taxpayers will subsidize banks to refinance the bad loans they originated but no longer own, homeowners who borrowed beyond their means get bailed out, and investors—the bondholders—are left to bear the costs. On top of this, many of these same banks originated second mortgages on these same homes. The second mortgages, which the banks still own, bear even higher interest rates because they are allegedly more risky. Yet, they will be left secure and undisturbed.

Aside from the costs that our society will bear as law and contracts no longer have meaning, Frey rightly points out that it all will just make future mortgage borrowing more expensive. Who will take risks to lend when politicians can change contracts at the drop of a hat?

Welcome to the new capitalism. Where politicians rule, irresponsible behavior is rewarded, and theft is legal. Full essay

Culture of Death Watch: The Media Are Becoming Increasingly Pro Suicide

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Pay close attention to how the story I am about to discuss from the Philadelphia Inquirer was written to give a favorable impression of a suicide.

It is about a woman named Rona Zelniker, who killed herself because of a disabling disease. Note that the word "suicide" is never used except in a brief reference to the Oregon law. There is no doubt that was deliberate: The (assisted) suicide movement has convinced many in the media not to use that term except in cases of transitory distress or teenagers--because it is judgmental and has a negative connotation. Can't have that: Suicide for reasons of disease or disability should be viewed positively. the rest

Website: N.D. Protest

On Graduation Day at Notre Dame, May 17, the Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society are joining forces for a massive protest of President Obama’s commencement address. image

Website here

Barack Obama's Notre Dame visit provokes huge Catholic backlash, PR disaster

Mormons and the cross

Historian learns early Mormons did not eschew the cross as a symbol
By Peggy Fletcher Stack
The Salt Lake Tribune
05/04/2009

It's no accident that Mormon steeples, temples and necks are free of Christian crosses.

LDS leaders long have said the cross, so ubiquitous among traditional Christians, symbolizes Jesus' death, while Mormons worship the risen Christ. Some Latter-day Saints go even farther, condemning the cross as some kind of pagan or satanic symbol.

Now a historian at California State University in Sacramento claims in a just-completed master's thesis that Mormon aversion to the cross is a relatively recent development in LDS history, prompted in part by anti-Catholic sentiments. the rest

Ron Howard’s ‘Demon’ Defense Doesn’t Hold Water

by Andrew Leigh

People do not believe lies because they have to, but because they want to. -Malcolm Muggeridge

Excerpt:
Reading Angels and Demons, I wasn’t so much struck by the work’s bigotry as by how badly it was written. The cliched style is the literary equivalent of cotton candy. And for someone with so much animus toward religion, Brown employs the deus ex machina more frequently than the Old Testament.

But more disturbing is Brown’s commingling of fact and fiction disguised as fact, aimed at convincing his readership that the Catholic Church is vehemently, even violently anti-science, and therefore anti-progress and anti-reason.

By fiction disguised as fact, I don’t mean standard historical fiction techniques like creating new characters against a backdrop of actual historical events. I mean massively altering or fabricating historical events and chronologies. For instance: virtually every historical fiction writer fudges dates a little, but Brown shifts key timelines by more than a century.

Perhaps Brown counts on most of us to be too lazy or obtuse to fact-check his work on the Internet. And judging from his hordes of unquestioning fans (and, usually, myself), he’s probably right. the rest

Will new evidence clear Bishop Bennison?

Tuesday, 5th May 2009
By George Conger

New evidence has been unearthed that defence attorneys claim exonerates Pennsylvania Bishop Charles Bennison of the charges of conspiracy and misconduct. In an April 17 motion filed with the Episcopal Church’s Court for the Trial of a Bishop, lawyers for the suspended bishop have asked the court to toss out their guilty verdict, or grant the controversial bishop a new trial.

Letters allegedly written by the victim to her abuser, the Rev John Bennison, brother of the bishop, the bishop’s lawyers argue impeach her testimony at trial that the bishop knew about his brother’s abuse but took no action. the rest

Canadian bishops side-step gay debate

Tuesday, 5th May 2009
By George Conger

The global economic meltdown and the Anglican Communion’s divisions over homosexuality took centre-stage last week at the Canadian House of Bishops’ meeting in Niagara Falls.

However, in their April 23 “letter to the church” the bishops declined to address head-on the splits within the Canadian Church over gay marriage, saying only that they had “reviewed motions by General Synod 2007 concerning same-sex blessings.”

Divisions over doctrine and discipline centring round sexual ethics have so far led to the creation of 28 parishes served by three former Anglican Church of Canada bishops and 73 priests and deacons under the umbrella of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) --- the Canadian wing of the third province movement in North America. In 2007 General Synod declined to authorize rites for same-sex blessings, but asked for further study as to “whether the blessing of same-sex unions is a faithful, Spirit-led development of Christian doctrine.” the rest

First Things: Can Barack Obama Be Converted on Abortion?

By Edward T. Oakes, S.J.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The short answer to that question is: probably not. In a news conference on April 29, a reporter asked President Obama this uncomfortable question:

As a candidate, you vowed that one of the very first things you wanted to do was sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which, as you know, would eliminate federal, state, and local restrictions on abortion. And at one point in the campaign, when asked about abortion and life, you said that it was above—quote, “above my pay grade.” Now that you’ve been president for a hundred days, obviously your pay grade is a little higher than when you were a senator. [Laughter] Do you still hope that Congress quickly sends you the Freedom of Choice Act, so you can sign it?

To which the President made this squirming reply: the rest

BNP denies racism after Sentamu slur

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The British National Party has denied being racist after one of its senior figures called the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, an "ambitious African" and “anti-British”.

Simon Darby, the deputy leader of the BNP said that the Ugandan-born Archbishop had no right to preach to British people and suggested that Ugandans were likely to kill outspoken foreigners with spears. the rest

Paintings of churches not allowed at London hospital

Albert Mohler: True Lips Wait? Sexual Abstinence, Romantic Longing, and Monogamous Lips

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

This will come as no news to most younger evangelicals, but The Tennessean [Nashville] has just taken notice of the fact that a sizable number of younger evangelical couples are saving their first kiss for their wedding ceremony.

As the paper reports, "In a culture where casual sex is the norm, some Tennesseans have taken the purity pledge to a whole new level, through a practice that some teens refer to as the 'Virgin Lips Movement.'"

Reporter Claudia Pinto began her article with the fact that Katy Kruger, who was married on December 13 of last year, experienced her first kiss at the moment her new husband kissed his bride. "The 22-year-old woman, who was married at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ in Brentwood, admits to being nervous and a bit self-conscious about having her first kiss in front of 200 people," Pinto reported. "I wasn't sure what to do," said the bride, "I thought I would mess up." the rest image

Student Wins Suit After Teacher Says Creationism 'Superstitious Nonsense'

Monday, May 04, 2009

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A federal judge ruled that a public high school history teacher violated the First Amendment when he called creationism "superstitious nonsense" during a classroom lecture.

U.S. District Judge James Selna issued the ruling Friday after a 16-month legal battle between student Chad Farnan and his former teacher, James Corbett.

Farnan sued in U.S. District Court in 2007, alleging that Corbett violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment by making repeated comments in class that were hostile to Christian beliefs. the rest

Church of Scotland: Online protest over gay minister

Monday, 4 May 2009

A fifth of all Church of Scotland clergy have signed an online petition against the appointment of an openly gay minister, BBC Scotland can reveal.

Concern has been raised within the Kirk that failure to overturn the appointment could provoke a mass walkout by many members.

The petition relates to Reverend Scott Rennie, the minister at Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen. the rest

California Court Rules Against Bishop Schofield

May 4, 2009

The Episcopal Church has prevailed on all issues in its dispute with the former leadership of the Diocese of San Joaquin, according to a tentative ruling for summary judgment issued May 4 by a Fresno County Superior Court judge.

Oral arguments are scheduled for tomorrow, but the summary judgment indicates that the judge intends to rule in favor of The Episcopal Church, barring unforeseen developments.

“The documents are clear,” according to the ruling. “Only the 'Bishop' of the Diocese of San Joaquin has the right to the incumbency of the corporation originally entitled 'The Protestant Episcopal Bishop of San Joaquin, a Corporation Sole' and given the number C0066488 by the Secretary of State. Moreover, the Episcopal Church has spoken as to who holds the position of Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin – Reverend Lamb. Defendants challenge Lamb’s election as Bishop on procedural grounds such as notice and quorum, but this court has no power to rule on the validity of the Episcopal Church’s election of its Bishops.” The Living Church

ACC-14 Day Three: The Anglican Communion Covenant and Uganda’s right to choose its delegate

Anglican Mainstream
May 4th, 2009

Excerpt:
The second issue, not unrelated, is the issue of the seating of the clerical delegate for the Church of Uganda. The Church of Uganda has oversight of a number of clergy and parishes in the United States. The Archbishop of Uganda selected one of these clergy to be part of the Ugandan delegation to ACC, as an expression of its sovereign right to choose who represented it, and partly to give a voice to those orthodox in the USA whose voice would otherwise not be heard in the councils of AAC 14. Canon Kenneth Kearon informed the delegates on Saturday night and the press on Monday lunchtime that during the roll call of the delegates the status of the Ugandan clerical delegate, Rev Philip Ashey, a priest of the Church of Uganda since 2005 living in Atlanta, had been challenged and Mr Ashey was not allowed to take his seat.

The Church of Uganda has issued a press statement on this matter ( see here ). At the press conference Canon Kenneth Kearon was pressed about the legitimacy whereby the sovereignty of the Church of Uganda in choosing its own delegate was denied. It was drawn to his attention that in 1999, at the ACC-11 in Dundee, the Episcopal Church in the USA was represented by a Bishop Mark Dyer who had retired in 1995. Canon George Conger writes: "The ACC’s constitution at section 4.d says: ‘Bishops and other clerical members shall cease to be members on retirement from ecclesiastical office.’ I asked John L Peterson, in my capacity as a reporter for the Church of England Newspaper, why Bishop Dyer was being seated at the meeting, when the constitution said he was not eligible to be seated. Canon Peterson said that the ACC left it to the member churches to determine who would be their representatives and placed the onus on the sending church to conform with the rules. My commentary would be, in 1999 the ACC (in the person of John L Peterson) said the member churches could pick whom they wanted to send, even if they weren’t eligible. In 2009 the ACC is now saying the member churches are not free to pick their members, even if the delegate is eligible under the rules laid down by the ACC.”

Full report

Orombi writes to Williams as row in the Anglican Church widens

ENS: Church of Uganda nominee denied participation in Anglican Consultative Council

Devotional: Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy...

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Micah 7:8

This may express the feelings of a man or woman downtrodden and oppressed. Our enemy may put out our light for a season. There is sure hope for us in the Lord; and if we are trusting in Him and holding fast our integrity, our season of downcasting and darkness will soon be over. The insults of the foe are only for a moment. The Lord will soon turn their laughter into lamentation and our sighing into singing.

What if the great enemy of souls should for a while triumph over us, as he has triumphed over better men than we are; yet let us take heart, for we shall overcome him before long. We shall rise from our fall, for our God has not fallen, and He will lift us up. We shall not abide in darkness, although for the moment we sit in it; for our Lord is the fountain of light, and He will soon bring us a joyful day. Let us not despair or even doubt. One turn of the wheel, and the lowest will be at the top. Woe unto those who laugh now, for they shall mourn and weep when their boasting is turned into everlasting contempt. But blessed are all holy mourners, for they shall be divinely comforted. ...CH Spurgeon image

Arlen Specter Blames Pro-Life Science Policies for Death of Jack Kemp

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 4, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Fresh from switching from the Republican to the Democratic Party, pro-abortion Sen. Arlen Specter upset pro-life advocates again over the weekend. He blamed the death of pro-life former Congressman and vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp on pro-life policies that he claimed are anti-science.

Kemp died over the weekend after a bout with cancer, with which he was only diagnosed in January. By the time it was caught, it had spread throughout his body.

Now, Specter has, as some pro-life advocates say, "shamefully" used the occasion of Kemp's death to justify his political switch. the rest

Marist poll: How low can Gov. Paterson go?

Only 19 points left to drop, acording to latest survey
By CASEY SEILER
State editor
Monday, May 4, 2009

ALBANY — A new Marist Poll finds Gov. David Paterson once again falling to new lows, and facing long odds in his quest to win election in 2010.

The new survey suggests that only 19 percent of New Yorkers think Paterson is doing an "excellent" (2 percent) or "good" (17 percent) job. That's an overall drop of 7 points from Marist's previous survey on attitudes toward the governor, conducted in March.

The top response to Paterson job performance in the new poll was "poor" (40 percent), followed by "fair" (37 percent).

The results note that if the Democratic gubernatorial primary were held today, Paterson would draw 21 percent support to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's 70 percent. the rest

Non-approval of proposed covenant could 'make or break' Anglican Communion, warns design group chair

Draft document gives churches ‘autonomy … with strong glue’
Marites N. Sison
staff writer
May 4, 2009

Kingston, JamaicaArchbishop Drexel Gomez, chair of the Covenant Design Group (CDG), Monday urged delegates of the 14th Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) to send out “for consideration and adoption” the third and final draft of the proposed Anglican Covenant to the member churches of the Anglican Communion, saying “what is decided here is likely to make or break the communion.”

Archbishop Gomez, who recently retired as primate of the Church of the Province of the West Indies, warned that while at least three provinces have questioned whether there was a need for a common covenant among Anglican churches worldwide, “I have to say to you in all seriousness, the communion is close to the point of breaking up.” He did not identify which provinces are cold to the idea of a covenant, which was recommended by the Lambeth Commission on Communion as a way to address deep fissures among Anglican churches worldwide triggered by the issue of homosexuality. the rest

Funniest Movie Line Ever

Here is a clip from the 1940 film, "The Ghost Breakers." The actors in the clip are Paulette Goddard, Bob Hope and Richard Carlson.

ACC Meeting Starts with Credentials Flap

May 4, 2009

The Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) meeting in Jamaica began May 2 under protest when the credentials of the Rev. Philip Ashey, the clergy representative designated by the Church of Uganda, were rejected by the Joint Standing Committee (JSC) of the primates and the ACC.

“The Joint Standing Committee has discussed this at length,” wrote the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the ACC in a letter dated April 30 and sent to the Most Rev. Henry Orombi, Archbishop of Uganda. “We understand that the Rev. Philip Ashey’s relationship with the Church of the Province of Uganda is as a result of a cross-provincial intervention, and note that such interventions are contrary to the Windsor Report and other reports accepted by successive meetings of the Instruments of Communion, including Primates’ Meetings you have attended.” Canon Kearon was to offer a statement on the credentials situation at the conclusion of a May 4 press briefing.

Archbishop Orombi wrote to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on May 2, claiming that the JSC exceeded its authority in rejecting Fr. Ashey, because the Windsor Report and similar documents do not have the authority to override the constitution of the ACC. the rest

[Episcopal] Bishops: Don't go near the (bottled) water

Joel Connelly
May 4, 2009

Episcopal bishops from the West have defined a new secular commandment: Stay away from bottled water, and don't bring it into the church's upcoming General Convention in Anaheim, Calif.

"We urge you to encourage delegates not to buy bottled water, but instead to bring metal or ceramic water bottles that can be refilled with tap water," said a letter signed by 12 bishops from six Western states.

The two diocesan bishops in this state, the Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel in the Diocese of Olympia and the Rt. Rev. James Waggoner in the Diocese of Spokane, signed the letter. So did a pair of other Washington-based bishops serving temporary duty in Oregon dioceses, Bishops Nedi Rivera and Sandy Hampton.

The thumbs-down on bottled water was contained in a passionate, quite political and politically correct post-Easter message on global warming and a needed response by the faithful.

"We urge you to vote for political candidates who will help our country make a swift transition to clean, safe and renewable energy," the bishops wrote. the rest

Anglican Consultative Council Refuses to Seat Ugandan Delegate

by Kendall Harmon
TitusOneNine
May 4, 2009

(Church of Uganda News)
On the first day of the ACC-14 meeting, the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council made an unconstitutional decision to refuse to seat the clergy delegate from the Church of Uganda. The Church of Uganda is entitled to three delegates – a Bishop, priest, and lay person.

In an e-mail dated 24th April, Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, wrote the Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, saying, “I’m grateful for the nomination of Rev. Philip Ashey as ACC Delegate…and I look forward to welcoming him to ACC.”

Rev. Philip Ashey is a priest of Ruwenzori Diocese in the Church of Uganda, living and working in Atlanta, USA.

During the first press briefing, Venerable Paul Feheley, the ACC’s Spokesperson, stated that each province appoints its own delegates to the ACC, as written in the constitution of the ACC.

In a surprising move, the Joint Standing Committee, meeting on 1st May, exceeded the limits of their authority, reversed Canon Kearon’s decision of 24th April, and determined that Rev. Ashey was not “qualified” to serve as a delegate, citing section 4(e) of the Constitution of the ACC. Their reason? Rev. Ashey is an American who was received into the Church of Uganda in 2005. the rest

Stand Firm: Anglican Consultative Council Refuses to Seat Ugandan Delegate

Anglican Curmudgeon: Arguments in the San Joaquin Case

Sunday, May 3, 2009
by A. S. Haley

Tomorrow the Fresno County Superior Court will post its tentative ruling on the Motion for Summary Adjudication filed by the Episcopal Church (USA), the Rt. Rev. Jerry A. Lamb, and what they call the "Diocese of San Joaquin" and "The Protestant Episcopal Bishop of San Joaquin, a corporation sole" against the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield (whom the complaint names as "Mr. Schofield"), the Episcopal Foundation of San Joaquin, Inc., the Diocesan Investment Trust of the Diocese of San Joaquin, and the Anglican Diocese Holding Corporation. The motion is ambiguous, because it asks the court to adjudicate "Count I" of the Second Amended Complaint (which is practically identical to the First Amended Complaint posted here, except for some explanatory headings), and the Complaint does not contain any section entitled "Count I". The motion also appears to be procedurally defective on a number of grounds under the California Rules of Court. Thus the court could deny the motion on any of these procedural grounds without reaching the merits of the matter; this will be known only when the court posts its tentative ruling late Monday afternoon (at this site---to avoid congestion, please wait until after 3:45 p.m. PDT to try to view the ruling).

the rest-read the comments, too

Feds Will Spend $400,000 to Study Drinking and Sex Habits of Homosexuals in Argentina

Monday, May 04, 2009
By Matt Cover

(CNSNews.com) – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding a study that seeks to discover a link between drinking and having sex among homosexuals in Argentina.

The study will send researchers to six bars in Buenos Aires to interview both patrons and proprietors in an effort to discover what it is about those bars that may encourage the risky behavior.

The study began on Sept. 30, 2008, and runs through Aug. 31, 2010. It already has cost taxpayers $198,776. By the time the project ends, it will have cost $403,902, according to NIH. the rest

Gay-marriage bills corner 2 governors

By Valerie Richardson
Monday, May 4, 2009

Two New England governors are facing a choice between their principles and their party as same-sex-marriage bills move nearer to landing on their desks.

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch and Maine Gov. John Baldacci had staked out clear positions against gay marriage before this year's legislative sessions. Then bills to extend marriage to same-sex couples began moving faster than expected through the Maine and New Hampshire legislatures.

The bills' supporters and detractors have been divided largely along party lines, with Democratic legislators overwhelmingly in favor. The problem for Mr. Baldacci and Mr. Lynch is that they are Democrats, and New England Democrats who oppose gay marriage are increasingly rare. the rest

100 Rabbis Prepare to Welcome Pontiff to Holy Land

Affirm Unity in Commitment to Interreligious Dialogue
2009-04-30

JERUSALEM, APRIL 30, 2009 (Zenit.org).- More than a hundred rabbis of various denominations will sign a message welcoming Benedict XVI to the Holy Land and encouraging dialogue between Jews and Christians.

The presidents of the International Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Education, Adalberta and Armando Bernardini, told ZENIT that the message is due to be published on the Web site of an Israeli newspaper, "Ha'Arezt."

The initiative is being promoted by one of the foundation's members, Rabbi Jack Bemporard, also director of the New Jersey based Center for Interreligious Understanding.

From May 8 to 15 the Pope will visit the Holy Land, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, in a visit described by the government of Israel as a "bridge for peace." the rest

Israeli president pushing government to yield key Christian sites to the Vatican

Bishop Nazir-Ali: Is the Anglican Covenant fit for purpose?

Monday, 4th May 2009
By Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester

This week the Anglican Consultative Council meets in Jamaica. One of the items on its agenda is the latest draft for an Anglican Covenant. This is an opportune moment to ask if the draft is ‘fit for purpose’ and if it will make any difference to the situation, if it is approved by the member churches of the Communion.

This latest draft of an Anglican Covenant, and its accompanying commentary, has taken account of the many responses and submissions made in respect of the earlier drafts. This means that the theological and ecclesiological sections of the proposed Covenant are stronger than they were before. A question remains as to why the Introduction is still not part of the Covenant. This weakens the theological basis of the Covenant, even if the drafters now tell us that it “shall be accorded authority in understanding the purpose of the Covenant” (4:4:1).

The first section opens by telling us that each church in the Covenant affirms its ‘communion’ in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church but it does not say anything about the communion between or among particular churches which is the issue at the moment. What is the basis for such fellowship and how can one church recognise the presence of the Church of Jesus Christ in another? This section claims also that our mission is shared with other churches and traditions beyond the Covenant. Which churches do the drafters have in mind and what is the extent of this sharing? If we are not careful, this could lead to the very carte blanche the Covenant is being designed to avoid. the rest

Anglicans to decide on sending covenant out for approval

No need for ‘flying bishop’ in Wales, says Archbishop

May 4, 2009
by George Conger

There is no need for a “Flying Bishop” for Welsh traditionalists, the Archbishop of Wales told members of the church’s Governing Body last week, as the pastoral care offered by the current bishop’s bench is sufficient to meet the needs of all Welsh Anglicans.

Responding to a question from a member of the Governing Body during is April 22 session in Llandudno, Dr. Barry Morgan said the bishops were offering “pastoral and sacramental care to every member of the Church in Wales, without exception.”

He added that there was “room in the Church in Wales for those who in conscience cannot accept the ordination of women.” However this latitude did not extend to episcopal oversight.

The bishops would not “perpetuate a system whereby conscientious objectors may avoid not only the ministry of ordained women but also the ministry of male bishops who have ordained them. That leads in the end to fundamental division and a denial that things are other than they are – that we do live in a church that ordains both women and men,” he said. the rest

Gledhill: Covenant: Is this an instrument to castrate Gafcon?

‘Worship: Jamaica-style’ reflects celebration and message of hope

May 3, 2009
Marites N. Sison

Kingston, JamaicaDelegates of the 14th Anglican Consultative Council Sunday joined thousands of Jamaican Anglicans in a service that showcased this island nation’s prodigious musical gifts and liturgical expressions, including pulsating reggae music made popular worldwide by its most famous son, Bob Marley.

“It was a great service. I just wish I had more room to dance,” said Bishop Sue Moxley of the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, who is one of the Anglican Church of Canada’s three delegates to the ACC meeting here. “I loved the music and it all flowed together without any people quite obviously running around and getting all anxious about whether it was going to happen or not.” the rest

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles seeks legal fees

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles wants St. James Anglican Church to pay for legal costs associated with church’s separation.
By Brianna Bailey
Saturday, May 2, 2009

In a move an attorney for St. James Anglican Church called “threatening and bullying behavior,” the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles will try to recover attorneys fees and court costs from the church and some of its members who voted to break away from the Episcopal Church in 2004, resulting in a bitter legal battle over St. James’ Via Lido campus.

“They are doing this so no one ever dares leave the Episcopal hierarchy ever again,” said attorney Daniel Lula, who represents St. James.

Attorney John Shiner, who represents the diocese, said Friday that he didn’t know how much money his client would try to recover from St. James and individual members of its vestry, which functions like a board of directors.

“We’re doing nothing more than what we’re entitled to do legally,” Shiner said.

An Orange County Superior Court judge is slated to hear the matter May 15.

The fact that the diocese has not disclosed yet how much money it will seek from St. James and its members led Lula to speculate on Friday it will be “an obscene amount.”

“These are volunteers — it’s not like they’re the board of directors at General Electric. These are retired people, school teachers and stay-at home-moms,” Lula said.

Legal fees are bound to be high in the case, which involved a small army of attorneys.

The church property dispute went all the way to the California Supreme Court. In the case, the diocese claimed it had a right to keep St. James’ Newport Beach church after it left the Episcopal Church. The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the diocese in January.

St. James is considering taking the case to the United States Supreme Court — church leaders have until the end of May to file, Lula said.

St. James cut ties with the Episcopal Church in 2004, over differing views on theology and homosexuality. The Newport Beach church became one of three conservative Southern California parishes that placed themselves under the jurisdiction of a Ugandan bishop after the Episcopal church consecrated a gay bishop in 2003. Other Episcopal bishops began sanctioning gay marriages about the same time. the rest

Devotional: It is not power, but love that redeems us!

The human race-everyone of us-is the sheep lost in the desert which no longer knows the way. The Son of God will not let this happen; he cannot abandon humanity in so wretched a condition. He leaps to his feet and abandons the glory of heaven, in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it, all the way to the cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity; he carries us all-he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep...When the shepherd of all humanity, the living God, himself became a lamb, he stood on the side of the lambs, with those who are downtrodden and killed... It is not power, but love that redeems us! This is God's sign: he himself is love... God, who became a lamb, tells us that the world is saved by the Crucified One, not by those who crucified him. ...Benedict XVI image

Two Prominent Episcopal Leaders Leave The Episcopal Church Citing Foundational Differences

By David W. Virtue
Virtueonline
5/3/2009

Two prominent lay Episcopal leaders, one a woman professor, the other an African American, have announced they are leaving The Episcopal Church, citing irreconcilable differences over the innovative theology and morals that are now all pervasive in the national church.

Dr. Edith M. Humphrey, William F. Orr Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, said in her letter of resignation that the foundations of The Episcopal Church and Anglicanism have been compromised and have become unrecognizable.

"After over 13 years of discernment, I will be chrismated and received into the Eastern Orthodox Church on Orthodox Pentecost, June 7th. I will be making my church home at St. George Antiochian Cathedral in Oakland (Pittsburgh)."

Humphrey said she had worked for the health of the Anglican Communion, but cited "foundational differences" in understanding the Church, the sacraments, and the place of tradition. the rest

Walking in the Messiah's Footsteps: Israel Opens Jesus Trail

By SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD
JERUSALEM, May 1, 2009

The Jesus Trail is 40 miles long and starts in Jesus' home town of Nazareth.

Recently completed, its route winds through the towns and villages of the Galilee region in northern Israel. This is the place where Jesus and his disciples established their ministry. It is a landscape steeped in the history of the New Testament and the gospels.

The free trail is the brainchild of local Israeli tour operator Maoz Inon, who runs a guesthouse in Nazareth in partnership with American David Landis, who has a track record in adventure tourism. They hope it will attract Christian pilgrims from around the world and help boost the local economy.

It took several years to plan in coordination with Israeli tourist authorities and has opened in time for the arrival of the pope and an expected spike in Christian tourism. the rest

White House boycott of National Day of Prayer?

5/3/2009

COLORADO SPRINGS - Organizers of this week's National Day of Prayer still don't know whether the White House will participate.

The event's evangelical character earned it a White House welcome during President George W. Bush's eight years in office. But Brian Toon, vice chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, says to date, there's been no mention of a White House observance being held this year.

According to an article this past week in the Colorado Springs Gazette, advocacy groups for so-called inclusive dialogue on faith in America are "trying to break what they perceive as the organization's monopoly on the event."

The newspaper went on to say that the "Interfaith Alliance and Jews on First sent a letter this month to President Barack Obama asking him to declare that the National Day of Prayer is for Americans of all faiths - and even for nonbelievers." the rest