Devotional: God's Word will never pass away...

God's Word will never pass away, but looking back to the Old Testament and since the time of Christ, with tears we must say that because of lack of fortitude and faithfulness on the part of God's people, God's Word has many times been allowed to be bent, to conform to the surrounding, passing, changing culture of that moment rather than to stand as the inerrant Word of God judging the form of the world spirit and the surrounding culture of that moment. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, may our children and grandchildren not say that such can be said about us. ...Francis A. Schaeffer image by Pirate J

Fr. Nigel update, Saturday 10/31/09

Saturday 10/31/09, 9:21 a.m.

Today is similar to yesterday. Fr. Nigel is still critical but he continues to be stable. He is maintaining his breathing levels, which is a positive sign in itself. He continues to battle a pesky fever which goes up and down. Although there are not huge improvements, the fact that he is stable is a welcome answer to all of your prayers. This is going to be a long road and your prayers will be needed for an extended period of time, so although he may be moving ahead at what seems like a turtle’s pace, he is moving forward. Once again, this is all on God’s schedule rather than ours.

Please continue to pray for:
* healing of his lungs so that he may be removed from the ventilator
* all organs that they continue to function, especially his kidneys
* elimination of his fever and whatever is causing his fever

Please keep the doctors and nurses in your prayers. They are a very dedicated group in the ICU.
As always, thanks be to God for your steadfast prayers, and praise be to God for the work that is being done.

Albany Intercessor

Conservative Doug Hoffman forces GOP choice out of Tuesday's House race in N.Y.

October 31, 2009

Under pressure from conservative forces within her own party, Dede Scozzafava, the regular Republican nominee in the interim House race for New York's 23d District, suddenly withdrew from the race today.

Though endorsed by the Republican National Committee and big GOP establishment names like ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Scozzafava had fallen to third place in polls of the upstate longtime Republican district next to the Canadian border.

Her retreat came in the face of a vigorous campaign by Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who was backed by Sarah Palin, Dick Armey and Fred Thompson, among others.

Her surprise move sets up a two-man showdown in just 72 hours between Hoffman and Democrat Bill Owens in a slick attempt by Obama White House strategists to add another seat to their party's overwhelming House majority.

The president had appointed the Republican incumbent, John McHugh, as secretary of the Army, hoping to use a special election and the president's 52% popularity there last fall to break the GOP's historic hold on the district that runs back to the 19th century. the rest

Vatican to decide each case of Anglican priests

posted October 31, 2009

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says it will admit married Anglican priests to the Catholic priesthood case by case.

Vatican officials recently announced changes to make it easier for Anglicans to convert, as many conservative Anglicans are disillusioned by their own church's allowing women priests and gay clergy.

The new move left some wondering whether Rome would embrace married Anglican priests in large numbers. the rest

UK: Pope invited to visit North East

Pope Benedict XVI has been invited to speak at Durham Cathedral when he visits the UK in 2010.
Friday, 30 October 2009

The invitation, from a partnership of Anglicans and Catholics, follows a visit by a Vatican representative to Durham University in March.

It was made by Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, and is supported by Bishop Seamus Cunningham of the Catholic diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

If accepted, it would be the first Papal visit to north-east England. the rest

Saudis Try to Head Off Swine Flu Fears Before Hajj

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
October 29, 2009

Every year, the single largest gathering on the planet is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca: 2.5 million people from 160 countries packed into a small city in Saudi Arabia for five days.

This year, some will be bringing swine flu.

The Saudi authorities, fearing that the hajj could turn their holy city into a petri dish for viral mutations and a hub for spreading a new pandemic wave around the world, are working hard to head that off. They have asked some worshipers, including pregnant women and the elderly, not to make the trip, which is scheduled for the last week of November. the rest

Fr. Nigel update, Friday afternoon, 3:27pm

10/30/09
From: Elizabeth Strickland

Fr. Nigel continues in critical condition, but your prayers are bringing tiny changes for the better. His breathing is a little better today and is more level, although he remains on the ventilator. His x-rays show that his lungs are starting to clear, but please persevere in praying for continued healing of them. Thanks to your prayers and God’s healing touch, his temperature has come down a little, but Lynn asks that you persevere in praying for an elimination of his fever and whatever is causing his fever. Please also persevere in praying that all of his organs, especially his kidneys, continue functioning.

This marks the 20th day of Fr. Nigel’s time in the hospital and the 20th day of Lynn’s time in the hospital as well. Please continue to hold up Lynn in your prayers for protection and endurance, and for solid rest at night. May God bless you all for your persistent prayer.

Albany Intercessor

New York Times refuses to publish Archbishop Dolan's op-ed on anti-Catholic bias

New York City, N.Y.
Oct 30, 2009

(CNA) The New York Times declined to publish an op-ed presented by the Archbishop of New York, Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, in which he made the point that the “Gray Lady” has been reporting stories with a strong anti-Catholic bias.

In his new blog on the archdiocese’s website, Archbishop Dolan explains that his article was submitted in a slightly shorter form to the New York Times as an op-ed, but the Times declined to publish it.

In the blog version, Archbishop Dolan says that next to baseball, “sadly, America has another national pastime, this one not pleasant at all: anti-Catholicism.”

“If you want recent evidence of this unfairness against the Catholic Church,” writes the Archbishop, “look no further than a few of these following examples of occurrences over the last couple weeks.” the rest

Evangelical leader Dobson leaving radio show

By ERIC GORSKI
posted Oct. 30, 2009

COLORADO SPRINGS — James Dobson, the voice of conservative Christian group Focus on the Family since its inception, is leaving the organization's flagship daily radio broadcast.

Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger says Dobson will go off the air at the end of February. He said Friday it was a mutual decision of Dobson and the board, and that more details are forthcoming. the rest

Archbishop of Canterbury to meet Pope Nov 21

Fri Oct 30, 2009

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict will hold talks with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on Nov 21 in their first meeting since a Vatican initiative making it easier for disaffected Anglicans to convert to Catholicism.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Friday the spiritual leader of the 77-million member worldwide Anglican communion will meet the pope while he is in Rome for a conference at a Rome pontifical university.

The meeting will take on great significance because it is their first since the Vatican announced a new structure on Oct 20 to welcome conservative Anglicans who want to convert.

The Vatican initiative could lead to hundreds of thousands of Anglican faithful, dozens of bishops and thousands of married Anglican priests converting to Catholicism. the rest

Fr. Nigel update 8:32 AM

Albany Intercessor
Friday morning

Fr. Nigel continues to be in critical condition. He had a good night and is stable. He continues to battle a fever which goes up and down, so prayers for the fever will continue. He continues to have improvements on the scale of a mustard seed, so your prayers are so, so important.

Please pray for:
-healing of his lungs so that he may be removed from the ventilator
-all organs that they continue to function, especially his kidneys
-elimination of his fever and whatever is causing his fever.

Come Holy Spirit, come now with more power.

Blessings to all of you for your prayers.

From: Elizabeth Strickland

Also "continue prayers for protection from sickness for Lynn. You can imagine how exhausted she is." From Fr. Haskell last night.

Three babies aborted every day due to Down's syndrome

Three babies are being aborted every day due to Down's syndrome, according to a study which shows the number of terminations has more than trebled in the last 20 years.
By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor and Chris Irvine
26 Oct 2009

An increasing number of pregnant women are being told their babies have the condition because of a growing number of women putting off having children until their 30s and 40s and improvements in screening, doctors say.

And around nine in ten women who are told they are going to have a baby with the problem opt for a termination.

The research shows that around 1,100 babies in England and Wales are aborted every year because of Down's syndrome, an increase from 300 in 1989/90. the rest

Noonan: Americans feel increasingly disheartened, and our leaders don't even notice.

OCTOBER 29, 2009
by Peggy Noonan

The new economic statistics put growth at a healthy 3.5% for the third quarter. We should be dancing in the streets. No one is, because no one has any faith in these numbers. Waves of money are sloshing through the system, creating a false rising tide that lifts all boats for the moment. The tide will recede. The boats aren't rising, they're bobbing, and will settle. No one believes the bad time is over. No one thinks we're entering a new age of abundance. No one thinks it will ever be the same as before 2008. Economists, statisticians, forecasters and market specialists will argue about what the new numbers mean, but no one believes them, either. Among the things swept away in 2008 was public confidence in the experts. The experts missed the crash. They'll miss the meaning of this moment, too.

The biggest threat to America right now is not government spending, huge deficits, foreign ownership of our debt, world terrorism, two wars, potential epidemics or nuts with nukes. The biggest long-term threat is that people are becoming and have become disheartened, that this condition is reaching critical mass, and that it afflicts most broadly and deeply those members of the American leadership class who are not in Washington, most especially those in business. the rest

Educational Pornography?

By Chuck Colson
Thu, Oct. 29 2009

(This commentary contains material that may not be suitable for children.)

Women’s groups are going to have their work cut out for them at the University of Maryland. So will the health clinics and campus police. They’re going to be busy cleaning up the mess if the school decides to give a green light to showing X-rated films on campus.

Last spring, Maryland students planned to screen a triple-X-rated film at the student union. When State Senator Andrew Harris heard about it, he threatened to cut off the school’s share of state operating funds. Good for him!

The school canceled the film, but defiant students showed a portion of it anyway in a lecture hall where they did not need permission from school authorities.

Many students are portraying this as a case of academic freedom. And the Washington Post agrees. The newspaper mocked Senator Harris for wasting the school’s time. But it’s just possible that Senator Harris knows a lot more about the consequences of viewing hardcore porn than does the Washington Post. the rest

Albert Mohler: “Free to Live and Love as We See Fit?”

Friday, October 30, 2009

Excerpt:
There was no surprise in the fact that President Obama signed the bill. The shock came, not in the fact that he signed it, but in what the President said in his comments. "This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade. Time and again, we faced opposition," said the President. "Time and again, the measure was defeated or delayed. Time and again we've been reminded of the difficulty of building a nation in which we're all free to live and love as we see fit."

Does President Obama actually mean what he said here? Does he really call for a society "in which we're all free to live and love as we see fit?" The hate crimes bill he signed into law covers gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The courts will have to sort out all that is covered in those categories.

But the "free to live and love as we see fit" language was set in a context larger than the hate crimes bill. President Obama is an intellectually serious man. He knows that words matter. When he speaks of all citzens being "free to live and love as we see fit" he opens the door far beyond the categories of heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual. Does he mean to include polygamists in this vision? The "polyamorous?" Incest? The catalogue of sexual interests claimed by some as "loves" goes far beyond these. the rest

Conservatives Vow to Keep Eye on New Hate Crimes Law

MAJOR NEWSPAPERS BLAST CATHOLICISM

October 28, 2009

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:

Last Friday on the Washington Post blog, “On Faith,” English atheist Richard Dawkins said the Catholic Church was “surely up there among the leaders” as “the greatest force for evil in the world.” He labeled the Eucharist a “cannibal feast,” adding that “possession of testicles is an essential qualification to perform the rite.” He also blamed the Church for sending missionaries “out to tell deliberate lies to AIDS-weakened Africans” regarding condoms. The Church’s outreach to Anglicans, he said, makes it “a common pimp,” noting that those who convert “will be joining an institution where buggering altar boys pervades the culture.”

On Saturday, a Los Angeles Times editorial said that “church leaders, including popes, have changed their thinking over the years about everything from usury to the culpability of Jews for the Crucifixion….” It concluded, “You don’t have to be Catholic (or Anglican) to realize that society as a whole would be better off if the church’s views of women and gays underwent a similar evolution.” the rest

Devotional: Today Thy gate is open...

Today Thy gate is open, and all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome, and pardon for their sin;
The past shall be forgotten, a present joy be given;
A future grace be promised, a glorious crown in Heav’n.

O all embracing Mercy, Thou ever open Door,
What shall I do without Thee when heart and eyes run o’er?
When all things seem against me, to drive me to despair,
I know one gate is open, one ear will hear my prayer.
...Oswald Allen image by Paul J. Everett

Fr. Nigel update 5:10 pm

Albany Intercessor
Thu, 29 Oct 2009

From: Elizabeth Strickland

Fr. Nigel continues to be critical, but there are miniscule improvements. Your constant prayers are having an impact. Please keep praying to our Lord for Fr. Nigel's healing! These prayers may seem repetitious but this is what his needs are and as we all know, our healing is on God's time -- not our time.

Fr. Nigel continues to need prayer for:
+ all organs that they continue to function, especially his kidneys
+ elimination of his fever and whatever is causing his fever
+ healing of his lungs so that he may be removed from the ventilator

Please pray for protection from sickness for Lynn. You can imagine how exhausted she is. Prayer for a restful evening for both of them.

Thank you for your faithfulness.

Pittsburgh: Anglicans appeal ruling on property division

Thursday, October 29, 2009
By Vivian Nereim, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A group of 55 congregations that split last year from the Episcopal Church announced today that they will appeal a court ruling that awarded all centrally held diocesan assets to the 27 congregations that remained in the Episcopal Church.

"We believe we have to make this stand," said the Rev. Jonathan Millard, rector of Church of the Ascension in Oakland and chair of the Alliance for an Anglican Future.

The group also announced that it was changing its name to The Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. It was formally known as the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican). The group they split from is known as the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church of the United States. the rest

Clunkers: Taxpayers paid $24,000 per car

Auto sales analysts at Edmunds.com say the pricey program resulted in relatively few additional car sales.
October 29, 2009
By Peter Valdes-Dapena

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A total of 690,000 new vehicles were sold under the Cash for Clunkers program last summer, but only 125,000 of those were vehicles that would not have been sold anyway, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the automotive Web site Edmunds.com.

Still, auto sales contributed heavily to the economy's expansion in the third quarter, adding 1.7 percentage points to the nation's gross domestic product growth.

White House blows a gasket on Clunkers critique

The Cash for Clunkers program gave car buyers rebates of up to $4,500 if they traded in less fuel-efficient vehicles for new vehicles that met certain fuel economy requirements. A total of $3 billion was allotted for those rebates.

The average rebate was $4,000. But the overwhelming majority of sales would have taken place anyway at some time in the last half of 2009, according to Edmunds.com. That means the government ended up spending about $24,000 each for those 125,000 additional vehicle sales. the rest image by kodiax2

Washington Presbytery appeals property case loss

By Edward Terry, The Layman
Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Having just celebrated a victory more than two years in the making, the Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church in Venetia, Pa., has received word that the battle for its property isn’t over.

The Presbytery of Washington (Pa.) has appealed the Washington County Court of Common Pleas’ decision awarding Peters Creek full ownership of its property and assets. The judge had ruled in favor of Peters Creek based on the neutral principles of law, declaring that neither Washington Presbytery nor the Presbyterian Church (USA) hold an interest in Peters Creek’s property by trust or otherwise. the rest

Benedict the Radical

By Patrick J. Deneen
October 28, 2009

Excerpt:
This "ordering of the house" of Christianity goes beyond any simple - and frankly, almost laughably irrelevant - invocation of "liberal" and "conservative" position reflected in today's American politics. If one reads Benedict/Ratzinger's writings as a whole, one sees that he has consistently argued that Christianity is entering a period in which it will, as a whole, need to strengthen itself by shrinking to a core of the faithful. His is not an electoral strategy, but a gambit to preserve Western civilization. In the book Without Roots, then Cardinal Ratzinger (in a conversation with Italian Prime Minster Marcello Pera) articulated his view that the future of Christianity (and specifically, the Church) will lie in "creative minorities." He wrote there that he viewed such "creative minorities" (comparing them explicitly to the monastic communities of the Middle ages) as a "yeast [Matthew 13:33] - a persuasive force that acts beyond the more closed sphere until it reaches everybody.... The minorities renew the vitality of this great community at the same time as they draw on its hidden life force, which forever generates new life" (122-3).

What's important to note about Benedict XVI's "radicalism" is that it does not rest upon success in the political sphere; his vision for the Church fundamentally eschews much of what actually is shared in common between contemporary "liberals" and "conservatives." In the American context, "liberals" and "conservatives" alike are too much and too often in the throes of the modern orthodoxies, particularly a near-fanatic embrace of science and technology, devotion to "progress," "choice," and "growth," and a fealty to "the Market." Both are essentially earth-oriented, power-hungry and materialist.

We make a grave mistake if we interpret and understand the actions and activities of Pope Benedict XVI through the narrowly political lens that we all tend to wear in these times. He's engaged in a project far greater, and with world-historical significance. He is a radical traditionalist, and in a most untraditional age, such devotions call for radical creativity. Just don't call him "liberal" or "conservative"; both labels are too narrow for his capacious ambitions. He is endeavoring to save Christendom - from those outside it who would wish its demise - but even more, from those within, regardless of their political label.
the rest image

This Is Your Brain Without Dad

By SHIRLEY S. WANG
October 27, 2009

Conventional wisdom holds that two parents are better than one. Scientists are now finding that growing up without a father actually changes the way your brain develops.

German biologist Anna Katharina Braun and others are conducting research on animals that are typically raised by two parents, in the hopes of better understanding the impact on humans of being raised by a single parent. Dr. Braun's work focuses on degus, small rodents related to guinea pigs and chinchillas, because mother and father degus naturally raise their babies together.

When deprived of their father, the degu pups exhibit both short- and long-term changes in nerve-cell growth in different regions of the brain. Dr. Braun, director of the Institute of Biology at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, and her colleagues are also looking at how these physical changes affect offspring behavior.

Their preliminary analysis indicates that fatherless degu pups exhibit more aggressive and impulsive behavior than pups raised by two parents. the rest image

Membership drops in the Episcopal Church

Thursday, 29th October 2009
By George Conger

Membership and average Sunday attendance in the Episcopal Church have continued their downward spiral, statistics released by the church last week report.

Average Sunday attendance for the Episcopal Church’s domestic dioceses declined by three per cent from 2007 to 2008; with an additional 22,565 people missing from the pews last year. Average Sunday attendance for 2008 was 705,257.

The church’s membership, counted as active baptized members, also declined by three per cent, falling by 59,457 to 2,057,292. The rate of decline in attendance and membership also rose last year, with the 10-year rate of decline in attendance rising from 13 to 16 per cent, and the 10-year rate of decline in active membership rising from 10 to 11 per cent.

Fifty per cent of US Episcopal churches saw a decline in attendance last year, while only 35 per cent registered growth. The median average Sunday worship attendance in 2008 was 69. the rest

Detroit imam killed in shootout with FBI

The slain Detroit imam called his followers to violence and wanted to establish a separate Islamic state within the US, according to a federal complaint.
By Ben Hancock
October 29, 2009

The leader of a Detroit mosque was killed Wednesday in a shootout with the FBI, which had charged him and 11 of his followers with arms violations and conspiracy to commit federal crimes. The shootout followed a raid by the FBI on a Dearborn warehouse in which the imam refused to surrender and opened fire on agents.

Authorities say Luqman Ameen Abdullah, the slain imam, espoused violence and wanted to create a separate state within the US under Islamic sharia law. Friends and some who knew the religious leader were in disbelief over the allegations. the rest

Christ Church Savannah To Appeal Property Ruling

Thursday, October 29, 2009
Via email to Stand Firm:

(Savannah, GA) Christ Church, the oldest church in Georgia, has appealed the ruling of Judge Michael Karpf, which granted control of the congregation’s property to the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia.

“This is another step in what we knew would be a long process,” stated the Rev. Marcus B. Robertson, Rector of Christ Church. In order to maintain its fidelity to the historic Christian faith, Christ Church withdrew from the Episcopal Church on September 30th, 2007. “This decision, though set in the context of a legal contest, remains consistent with the commitment we made before God and one another at that time,” Robertson added.

Neil Creasy, Chancellor of Christ Church, said, “The Supreme Court of South Carolina is the only state supreme court to have ruled in a case involving facts, law and issues similar to ours. It ruled in favor of the local congregation. We are confident of a similar result here.”

Numerous messages of support have been given to the parish. “We are grateful for the prayers and words of encouragement we have received from churches and individuals from around the world,” said Sr. Warden Carol Rogers Smith.

Christ Church is a member of the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) and a congregation in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, which came into being in August as a diocese of ACNA, covering north Florida and south Georgia. Stand Firm

N.J. Court Says Americans Have No Right To Buy Handguns

October 28, 2009
by Declan McCullagh

A New Jersey appeals court has concluded that Americans have no Second Amendment right to buy a handgun.

In a case decided last week, the superior court upheld a state law saying that nobody may possess "any handgun" without obtaining law enforcement approval and permission in advance.

That outcome might seem like something of a surprise, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year in the D.C. v. Heller case that the Second Amendment guarantees "the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation." the rest

Parents banned from watching their children in playgrounds... in case they are paedophiles

By Laura Clark
28th October 2009

Parents are being banned from playing with their children in council recreation areas because they have not been vetted by police.

Mothers and fathers are being forced to watch their children from outside perimeter fences because of fears they could be paedophiles.

Watford Council was branded a 'disgrace' yesterday after excluding parents from two fenced-off adventure playgrounds unless they first undergo criminal record checks. the rest

Fr Nigel update 8:45 AM

Albany Intercessor
10/29/09 Thursday AM

Through your prayers, Fr. Nigel has taken another “mustard seed” step. He continues to be critical so your prayers are as necessary as ever but the doctors are cautiously hopeful. Lynne is encouraged by your prayers, so keep them coming.

Please continue to pray for:

-all organs that they continue to function, especially his kidneys
-elimination of his fever and whatever is causing his fever
-healing of his lungs so that he may be removed from the ventilator

Our Lord hears all our prayers. May God heartily bless all you prayer warriors.

Beth Strickland
Deployment Officer
Diocese of Albany
518-692-3350 x504

DUIN: Anglicans wary of pope's invite

By Julia Duin
October 29, 2009

More than a week has passed since Pope Benedict XVI put out a call for disgruntled Anglicans to cross the Tiber after a nearly 500-year separation.

Some are calling this an open door. I see it as Pandora's box. It raises myriad tricky questions that hopefully will be answered with the Vatican's release of Apostolic Constitution, the document that will spell out the details of how whole congregations, even minidenominations along with their bishops, can transfer their allegiance.

Numerically, it's tough to tell how many may take the pontiff's offer. At the initial press conference, Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican's chief doctrinal officer, estimated 20 to 30 bishops along with groups of "hundreds" of laity would switch over. Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, who was also at the press conference, said the number of bishops was closer to 50.

But the bishops who want to defect all seem to be overseas, notably in Britain. The reaction on this side of the pond has been cool. the rest

When looking back on the lives of men and women of God the tendency is to say - What wonderfully astute wisdom they had! How perfectly they understood all God wanted! The astute mind behind is the Mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the Divine guidance of God through childlike people who were foolish enough to trust God's wisdom and the supernatural equipment of God. ...Oswald Chambers image by Never Was An Arrow

IRAQ: St. George's Anglican Church damaged in deadly bomb attack

By ENS staff,
October 27, 2009

[Episcopal News Service] Two major suicide bomb attacks in Baghdad on Sunday, Oct. 25, caused serious damage to St. George's Anglican Church and left at least 150 dead and more than 600 injured on the streets outside.

When the coordinated car bombs exploded in downtown Baghdad at 10:30 a.m. the church was empty. "If the bomb had been just a few hours later, the glass from the windows would have ripped through the congregation causing terrible human damage," said the Rev. Canon Andrew White, vicar of St. George's, the only Anglican church in Iraq. The explosions damaged the church's clinic, bookshop, school rooms and the Mothers' Union buildings.

St. George's is the spiritual home to about 2,000 Christians. In an Oct. 27 email, White confirmed that none of St. George's members had been killed in the attacks although some had been injured. He estimates the damage to the church and its out-buildings to be in the region of $200,000. the rest

Aborted Fetal Material Used in Anti-Wrinkle Creams

The list of products using the cell line include: Bio-Gel, Journee, Bio-Serum, Prevedem, Bio Restorative Skin Cream and Lumiere.
TENNESSEE
Oct. 27, 2009

Christian Newswire/ -- Children of God for Life announced today that Neocutis, a bio-pharmaceutical company focused on dermatology and skin care is using aborted fetal cell lines to produce several of their anti-aging skin creams.

"It is absolutely deplorable that Neocutis would resort to exploiting the remains of a deliberately slaughtered baby for nothing other than pure vanity and financial gain," stated Executive Director Debi Vinnedge. "There is simply no moral justification for this."

For years Children of God for Life has been a watchdog on pharmaceutical companies using aborted fetal cell lines in medical products and they have received thousands of inquiries from the public on the use of aborted fetal material in cosmetics. the rest

Fr. Nigel update, 10/28/09 4:00pm

Albany Intercessor

From: Elizabeth Strickland

Fr. Nigel’s condition continues to be critical, but we are beginning to see “mustard seeds” of healing. Through your prayers and our Lord’s Grace and healing touch, Fr. Nigel is being carried through this crisis.

The Mumfords heartily thank you and ask you to please continue your powerful prayers for:
* all organs that they continue to function
* elimination of his fever and whatever is causing his fever
* healing of his lungs so that he may be removed from the ventilator

Blessings to you all.
Beth Strickland
Deployment Officer
Diocese of Albany

No men OR women needed: Scientists create sperm and eggs from stem cells

By Fiona Macrae
28th October 2009

Human eggs and sperm have been grown in the laboratory in research which could change the face of parenthood.

It paves the way for a cure for infertility and could help those left sterile by cancer treatment to have children who are biologically their own.

But it raises a number of moral and ethical concerns. These include the possibility of children being born through entirely artificial means, and men and women being sidelined from the process of making babies. the rest

A.S. Haley: Striking out in Georgia

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Honorable Michael Karpf, Judge of the Superior Court in the Eastern District of Georgia, has now rendered his decision awarding ownership of the oldest Church in Georgia to the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, and to ECUSA itself (which, paradoxically, as a common-law unincorporated association, is deemed incapable of holding any interests in property). I know that there will be knee-jerk reactions on both sides of the issue, but I refuse to respond in that fashion. On this blog, all that counts is faithful application of the actual law to the facts. Where the trial courts get either the facts or the law wrong, I shall point that out to be the case, and explain why the court is wrong. And by the same token, where a court gets things right, I shall point that out, too. Those who are outcome-oriented, and inclined to agree with any decision (regardless how poorly reasoned) that allows them to carve another notch into their gunstock, will receive no comfort here.

De facto victories in the trial courts are nothing to celebrate if they cannot bear up under legal analysis. All of us suffer when a court fails to follow the law. For too long now, the Episcopal Church (USA) has been twisting the facts of its formation, and avoiding confrontations over those facts by moving for summary judgment with hand-tailored affidavits (declarations). It claims the facts are in its favor, when they are not. It argues that there is an abstract entity, called "the Church", which exists in the hierarchical sky over each and every member diocese and parish. Some courts see through the flimflam, but many are taken in by it. the rest

Exorcist shares past experiences with demonic possession

Katie Palmer
Features staff writer
October 28th, 2009

With Halloween around the corner and Hollywood releasing horror movies such as "Paranormal Activity" and "Saw VI," one cannot help but feel chills running down his or her spine. St. John's Catholic Newman Center had the timing right when it invited exorcist Father Vince Lampert to speak about his experiences Monday night at Foellinger Auditorium.

Lampert, the head priest at St. Francis and Clare parish in Greenwood, Ind., was ordained a priest in 1991. He was later asked by the archbishop of Indianapolis if he was willing to train as an exorcist, said Monsignor Gregory Ketcham, director and head chaplain at the Newman Center.

"Father Lampert was asked to take on the role of an exorcist because he is very prayerful and faithful, and he has a lot of integrity — he's a good man," Ketcham said. the rest

Evangelists target spiritually cold New England

The Rev. Wes Pastor, head of the NETS Institute for Church Planting in Williston, Vt., said New England's liberal mainline denominations, such as the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church, have been practicing a "different religion."
By Jay Lindsay
Associated Press Writer
October 28, 2009

WATERTOWN, Mass.—It's hard to tell in the quiet of a color-splashed autumn morning, but Redeemer Fellowship Church is trying to set roots in a rough neighborhood. For churches, anyway.

Until this new church opened last month, its 19th-century Congregational church building in suburban Watertown was empty for nearly two years. Just across the street, a closed Baptist church is filled with condos. So is a former Catholic church a half mile away.

Dead churches are a familiar story in New England, which recent surveys indicate is now the least religious region in the country. But some see opportunity in a place where America's Christian faith laid its roots.

"You look at this area and it's a great area of potential, it's a great area of need," said Redeemer Fellowship pastor Chris Bass, a Houston native.

Several Christian denominations see New England as a "mission field" -- a term often associated with unchurched, foreign lands. As they evangelize and work to plant new churches, they speak of possibility, but also frustration. The area's highly educated population is skeptical and often indifferent to their faith. the rest

Fr Nigel update 10:32 AM

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Albany Intercessor

Fr. Nigel Mumford continues in ICU in critical condition from the pneumonia. He is stable.

Please continue to pray for:
-all organs that they continue to function fully
-elimination of his fever and whatever is causing his fever
-complete healing of his lungs so that he may be removed from the ventilator

Please continue your prayers for Lynn and the family. Lynn is definitely strengthened by them.

Beth Strickland
Deployment Officer
Diocese of Albany
518-692-3350 x504

Tax refugees staging escape from New York

By ANDY SOLTIS
October 27, 2009

New Yorkers are fleeing the state and city in alarming numbers -- and costing a fortune in lost tax dollars, a new study shows.

More than 1.5 million state residents left for other parts of the United States from 2000 to 2008, according to the report from the Empire Center for New York State Policy. It was the biggest out-of-state migration in the country.

The vast majority of the migrants, 1.1 million, were former residents of New York City -- meaning one out of seven city taxpayers moved out.

"The Empire State is being drained of an invaluable resource -- people," the report said. the rest

Anglican Diocese of Sydney welcomes ACNA

October 28, 2009

“On the final night of the 2009 Synod, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has passed a resolution embracing the new Anglican province, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
In the words of the resolution, ‘Synod welcomes the creation of the Province of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) under the leadership of Archbishop Bob Duncan and notes the GAFCON Primates’ Council recognition of the ACNA as genuinely Anglican and its recommendation that Anglican Provinces affirm full communion with the ACNA. Synod therefore expresses its desire to be in full communion with the ACNA.’…”

the rest

Tingbjerg, Denmark: one neighborhood’s nightmare

26.10.09
By Bruce Bawer, HRS

One of the big news stories in Denmark in recent weeks has centered on a small Copenhagen neighborhood called Tingbjerg. Over the years it has been turning gradually into a Muslim enclave in which non-Muslims have been increasingly subjected to harassment and criminality. Among these victims has been the openly gay pastor of Tingbjerg Church, who earlier this month, after several years of being persecuted by local Muslim youths, quit his post and fled the neighborhood, thereby making headlines around the country and sparking widespread discussion and debate about a very widespread phenomenon - namely, the ongoing Islamization of urban areas across Western Europe.

Story

Doctors who back assisted suicide 40 per cent more likely to withdraw treatment

Times Online
October 26, 2009
David Rose, Health Correspondent

Doctors who support the legalisation of assisted suicide are more likely to withdraw or withhold treatment from dying patients, a study has found.

Actively helping someone to die remains illegal in Britain but more than a third of GPs and hospital doctors report making decisions which they expected would accelerate the death of a terminally-ill patient.

A significant minority — 7 per cent — said that they had taken steps such as withdrawing medications, foods or fluid, with the intention of hastening a patient’s death.

But doctors who actively support a change in the law to allow assisted suicide are up to 40 per cent more likely to take such actions, a new analysis has found. the rest

Anglican Society of Catholic Priests Responds to Vatican Decision

Anglican Journal
Oct 27, 2009
New Haven, CT

Today a group of Anglican clergy responded to the Vatican's recent decision to open the way for disaffected Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Robert Hendrickson, the Director of Communications for the Society, released a statement acknowledging that for those Anglicans who disagree with recent developments within Anglicanism, “such a move may make some sense.” He went on to point out that for many in the catholic tradition of Christianity, “such changes are a natural extension of our understanding of the evolution of Tradition in the life of the Church.”

Hendrickson also points out that though the move appears to highlight the differences between Anglicanism and the Roman Catholic Church over recent developments, it actually highlights the "amazing degree of overlap" between two ecclesial bodies over a wide degree of theological questions and spiritual practices. Here he agrees with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who said in an earlier joint statement with the Archbishop of Westminster, that this news was an outgrowth and fruit of continued ecumenical dialog between the two bodies. the rest

Bats pose pricey problem for Church of England

Wednesday, 28th October 2009
By George Conger

Bats in British belfries has become an expensive problem for the Church of England, the Second Church Estates Commissioner told Parliament last week, in response to a query from the member for North-West Norfolk about the church’s work with Natural England on protecting rare bats found in church roofs.

Speaking for the Church of England, Sir Stuart Bell told Mr Henry Bellingham (Con) the Archbishops’ Council was working with Natural England as well as English Heritage, the Bat Conservation Trust and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to “strike a sensible balance between the protection of church buildings and their contents, and the protection of bats.”

Mr Bellingham asked Sir Stuart whether he was aware that a number of churches in his constituency have had much-needed restoration work delayed by Natural England, which had required “lengthy and costly bat surveys.” the rest image

Judge rules against breakaway Christ Church

Episcopalians granted 'immediate possession' of property
October 28, 2009
By Dana Clark Felty

A two-year legal battle over ownership of the 276-year-old Christ Church came to a close in Chatham County court Tuesday with a judge ruling in favor of the national Episcopal Church's claims to the historic property.

Superior Court Judge Michael Karpf rejected the argument of former members and clergy who broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2007 that the church belonged to them.

The ruling grants "immediate possession" of Christ Church Savannah and its property in the city's historic district to the Right Rev. Henry I. Louttit, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. the rest

Judgement

Update on Fr. Nigel Mumford

October 27, 2009 9:30 pm
From: Robert F Haskell+

Dear prayer warriors,

-Beth Strickland tells me that Nigel has improved enough during the day so that at 9pm on Tuesday, 10/27, his condition can be described as critical and stable. Other than that, he is about the same as he was this morning which, at this point, is good. -Bob

Albany Intercessor

Mike Huckabee in Syracuse

10/27/09 -Mike Huckabee was in Syracuse today and spoke at a Conservative Party dinner honoring local leaders. As usual, he ended playing bass with the band. -Pat Dague

(Pictures by Raymond Dague)

Church of Scientology convicted of fraud in France

By NICOLAS VAUX-MONTAGNY,
Associated Press Writer
posted October 27,2009

PARIS – A Paris court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than euro600,000 ($900,000) on Tuesday but stopped short of banning the group as prosecutors had demanded.

The group's French branch immediately announced it would appeal the verdict.

The court convicted the Church of Scientology's French office, its library and six of its leaders of organized fraud. Investigators said the group pressured members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain and used "commercial harassment" against recruits. the rest

Anglican Reunion will Create "Huge Cultural Shift" to the Extreme Left in Anglican Church

By Hilary White
ROME
October 26, 2009

(LifeSiteNews.com) - By focusing on the issue of married clergy in the Catholic Church, the secular media has got the thin end of the story of last week's offer of reunion from the Vatican to "traditionalist" Anglicans. The more interesting story, says Fr. Philip Powell, a Dominican priest based in Rome and a former Episcopalian, is the "huge cultural shift" in the Anglican Church that it presages.

Fr. Powell gave his analysis of the move in an interview with LSN, saying that despite accusations from the left and from some quarters of the Anglican Communion, it was not an opportunistic grab for numbers by the Vatican preying upon the Anglican Churches. The decision, he said, is purely a matter of pastoral concern and a provision for people in real spiritual "distress."

"It was a request that has been made twice now by the traditional Anglican community in England and Australia and this is a very pastoral response," said Fr. Powell, a popular clerical Catholic blogger and a graduate student in philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

"Cardinal Levada said it best, this is not an initiative on the part of the Holy Father; it's a response." the rest

Rebuff for Vatican offer to Anglicans

Tuesday, 27th October 2009
By George Conger

A mass exodus of overseas Anglo-Catholics in response to last week’s announcement of a proposed Anglican enclave within the Roman Catholic Church is unlikely, a review of the Communion by The Church of England Newspaper finds.

While overseas leaders acknowledge that individual Anglicans may take advantage of the provisions of the proposed Apostolic Constitution for the creation of “Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church,” no diocese or province is set to quit the Anglican Communion for Rome. the rest

Barred From Field, Religious Signs Move to Stands

By ROBBIE BROWN
October 26, 2009

FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. — In response to the Sept. 11 attacks, the football cheerleaders at a public high school here wanted to make the Bible a bigger part of Friday night games. So, to the delight of fans, they painted messages like “Commit to the Lord” on giant paper banners that the players charged through onto the field.

That eight-year-old tradition ended last month after a parent expressed concern that it could prompt a First Amendment lawsuit. Church and state were not sufficiently separate, the school district agreed, and the banners came down.

Now, a month later, the new policy has produced an unexpected result: more biblical verses than ever at football games, displayed not by cheerleaders but by fans sitting in the stands. the rest

Interview With Msgr. Stetson of the Pastoral Provision

By Karna Swanson
HOUSTON, Texas
OCT. 26, 2009

(Zenit.org).- News broke last week that Benedict XVI will allow groups of Anglicans wishing to enter full communion with the Catholic Church to do so through personal ordinariates, while preserving elements of the Anglican spiritual and liturgical tradition.

The provision for the ordinariates is the Vatican's response to Anglicans who have expressed wishes to become Catholic. It is estimated that between 20 and 30 Anglican bishops have made such a request. the rest

Pennsylvania Episcopal church considers future after Anglican provision announcement

Philadelphia, Pa.
Oct 27, 2009

(CNA).- A Pennsylvania Episcopal church which joyously greeted the announcement of a provision to assist Anglicans who wish to become Catholic could be among the first to take advantage of the church structure put forward by Pope Benedict XVI.

The Church of the Good Shepherd, an Episcopalian parish in the Philadelphia Maine Line suburbs, is an “Anglo-Catholic” parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. According to the Rosemont Journal, its liturgy is celebrated in the “high church” style reminiscent of traditional Catholic churches: with incense, elaborate vestments, and a choir that may sing in Latin.

The parish has objected to recent changes in the denomination, such as its allowing women and homosexuals to become priests and bishops.

Bishop David L. Moyer, who leads the Church of the Good Shepherd, said that for two years the parish had been praying daily for the Pope’s action towards Anglicans. the rest

Abortion/Obama graphics displayed at liberal bastion Berkeley

Jill Stanek
October 27, 2009

Yesterday was a landmark day for abortion awareness when the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform was finally able to launch its Genocide Awareness Project at one of America's most liberal universities: University of CA at Berkeley.

In addition to this feat, GAP unveiled a new set of 28 signs "that not only show the truth of abortion, but also highlight the hypocrisy of our current President, who talks about justice but denies it to the most helpless of all," according to an email from CBR's Fletcher Armstrong.

the rest-caution, photos and links have some graphic images

European Union Will Soon Outlaw Criticism of Islam and Homosexuality

Patrick Madrid
October 26, 2009

I recently returned from two weeks in Spain. As I have done while on other visits to that country (where my father's side of the family has its roots), I made a point of asking Spaniards about their attitudes toward Muslims.

Without exception, the responses were always negative, often bitterly so, and usually based on their fear that Islam was rapidly reconquering the Iberian Peninsula through immigration and fertility. Huge numbers of Muslims emigrate to Spain each year, especially from Morocco. As is widely known, this emigration trend is happening throughout the European Union.

These Spaniards say they're worried that before too long, Islam will reassert itself as the dominating religious force, due to the vacuum which the Catholic Church, now moribund there, has left in the wake of its steadily receding presence and influence among the Spanish people. Spain is a veritable treasure house of Catholic cultural artifacts — churches, shrines, convents, castles, monasteries, martyrs' tombs — but the vitality of the Catholic Faith is very weak indeed among the largely Catholic population. the rest

Yes, Obamacare does mean federally funded abortion.

Absolutism in Disguise
by Ivan Kenneally
11/02/2009

During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama adopted the two-step strategy on abortion that has become standard among liberal politicians: oppose abortion as a matter of personal conviction but deny that that conviction is relevant to public policy. This rhetorical sleight of hand is meant to accomplish two things: First, it creates the impression of an ideological neutrality regarding public administration that is the characteristic pretense of technocratic politics--rather than the evangelical proselytizing of his predecessor, Obama promises scientific objectivity and nonjudgmental open-mindedness. Second, Obama styles himself a small government federalist who insists on the limitations of any administration to effectively play the role of moral umpire--this is what he meant when he claims the issue of abortion is above his "pay grade."

If one were to take seriously the central premise of Obama's ersatz science of politics--the distinction between political facts and moral values--the inescapable conclusion is that our president turns out to be a staunch libertarian proponent of minimal government. Abortion, however, reveals, maybe better than any other issue, the brazen disingenuousness of such small-government posturing, and the convenient faux libertarianism often espoused by leftist proponents of greater centralized bureaucracy. It also illuminates the moral dogmatism that often lurks behind any technocratic claim to be guided by an administrative science unencumbered by moral attachments. the rest

Obamacare: Mandatory Purchase of Health Insurance May be Unconstitutional

Devotional: Like supernatural effervescence...

Like supernatural effervescence, praise will sometimes bubble up from the joy of simply knowing Christ. Praise like that is...delight. Pure pleasure! But praise can also be supernatural determination. A decisive action. Praise like that is...quiet resolve. Fixed devotion. Strength of spirit. ...Joni Eareckson Tada image by kiskisbreeze

Updates on Fr. Nigel Mumford

2009 10 26, 12:45 PM

Fr. Nigel continues in ICCU in critical condition. His fever is elevated again.

Please pray for:
- all organs that they continue to function
- expeditious healing of his lungs
- elimination of his fever
- his condition to improve so that he may be removed from the ventilator

Please continue to uphold Lynne, his wife, Megan, his daughter, and the rest of his family in your prayers.

Thank you and God bless you for all your prayers.

Albany Intercessor

Update at 5:24 pm:
From: Elizabeth Strickland
Hi Torre,
There has been no change so there is no reason to change the posting. We are changing the time so that people know that that is the latest info.
Thank you for getting the word out.
Blessings to you both. Beth

Fall in Syracuse, NY

Here are some pictures Raymond took yesterday and today (except for the kayak one which he took at an earlier time with the CNY Kayakers Club). These last two days were absolutely beautiful with the bright blue sky seen only in the fall, mild temperatures and trees at or past peak. It has been breathtaking! -Pat Dague

Magnificent tree at Woodlawn Reservoir, one block from our house.

Late blooming roses from our garden (Trumpeter)

Yellow gold against the sky.

Herschel looking intense.

Kayaking trip near Speculator in the Adirondacks.

Walking in Onondaga Park, Syracuse-two blocks from my house.

Reminds me of Lothlórien.

Gazebo at the edge of Hiawatha Lake-wedding parties often come here for pictures.

Onondaga Park, Syracuse, NY

Bishop Lawrence's Diocesan Address

Gobal South Primates: A Pastoral Exhortation to the Faithful in the Anglican Communion

25th October 2009

1. We, under-shepherds of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church of Jesus Christ, bring greetings to the faithful in the Anglican Communion. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. For in his great love for us, we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2: 19-22).

the rest

Bp. Stanton: Diocese and Covenant: Reflections on Dallas, its History and Future

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

“Every Diocese is an independent and sovereign state, held in the unity of the Catholic Church by its Episcopate, according to the rule of St. Cyprian.” With these words, Bishop Alexander Charles Garrett – our first Bishop and,be it noted, once the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church – addressed the organizing Convention of the Diocese of Dallas in 1895. “The Diocese thus becomes the ecclesiastical unit, a full and perfect integer sufficient of itself for all purposes of growth and development.”

It was for the privilege of so organizing and of taking the key next step, that of a selection of Bishop, that the body was convened, he said. the rest

The Poetry of Autumn

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
...R.L. Stevenson Autumn Fires

Oct 26, 2009

David B. Hart

Excerpt:

Perhaps it’s only because I come from the east coast of North America that I think fall the most poetical of months. Of course, every season is a season for poetry, and every season has been the subject of poetry; but I tend to think of this time of year as the most intrinsically poetic in nature. This may just be because of the contrasts in color: all that purple, crimson, scarlet, orange, cadmium, gold, and so forth, shifting and intermingling against a backdrop of luminous gray; it all seems like such a perfect coincidence of gaiety and melancholy, exuberance and death. Or perhaps it’s because of a certain strange quality in the air that imbrues everything with an additional tincture of mystery: whole days washed in a kind of opaline twilight, the sun blanched to a cold silver by ubiquitous clouds, wood smoke floating through soft rains, and so on. Or perhaps it’s simply because, as the temperature drops, one spends more time inside, ideally by a fire, and so has more time to devote to reading poetry. the rest image by rkramer

Albert Mohler: The Idolatrous Religion of Conscience-A Lutheran Lesson for Us All

Monday, October 26, 2009

"It wasn't primarily about sex." With those words, Lutheran theologian Robert Benne explained that the actions recently taken by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to normalize homosexuality were not primarily about sex at all, but about theological identity. "The ELCA has formally left the great tradition for liberal Protestantism," Benne declared.

Taking its stand with the radical theological revisionism of the Protestant Left, the ELCA "left the Great Tradition of moral teaching to identify with United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church," Benne lamented.

Writing in Christianity Today, Benne argued that his denomination had abandoned the Gospel for a social gospel. "The liberating movements fueled by militant feminism, multiculturalism, anti-racism, anti-heterosexism, anti-imperialism, and now ecologism have been moved to the center while the classic gospel and its missional imperatives have been pushed to the periphery." the rest

Conservatives Maintain Edge as Top Ideological Group

Compared with 2008, more Americans “conservative” in general, and on issues
by Lydia Saad
October 26, 2009

PRINCETON, NJ -- Conservatives continue to outnumber moderates and liberals in the American populace in 2009, confirming a finding that Gallup first noted in June. Forty percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36% as moderate, and 20% as liberal. This marks a shift from 2005 through 2008, when moderates were tied with conservatives as the most prevalent group. the rest

Devotional: When God is the center of a soul...

When God is the center of a soul, although disasters may crowd in on all sides and roar like the waves of the sea, there is constant calm within. The world can neither give nor take away this kind of peace. What is it that causes people to shake like leaves today at the first hint of danger? It is simply the lack of God living in their soul, and having the world in their hearts instead. ...R. Leighton image by David Sifry

Fr. Nigel Update: Sun, 25 Oct 2009, 5:30 pm

From: Elizabeth Strickland

Hi Torre and Bob,
Fr. Nigel is still listed as critical but stable. His fever has dropped to low grade.

Please pray for:
**all organs that they continue to function, especially his kidneys
**expeditious healing of his lungs
**elimination of his fever

Please continue to pray for Lynne, his wife, Megan, his daughter, and the rest of his family.
Thank you and God bless you for all your prayers.
Beth

Beth Strickland
Deployment Officer
Diocese of Albany

More-emails and comments at Albany Intercessor

Coastal Episcopal diocese votes for distancing from national church

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009
By Adam Parker
The (Charleston) Post and Courier

CHARLESTON -- Episcopal officials voted Saturday to distance the Diocese of South Carolina from the national church and engage other disaffected orthodox Episcopalians in response to recent church actions affirming the rights of gays and lesbians and to other theological concerns.

The resolutions presented at the special convention, held at Christ Episcopal Church in Mount Pleasant, were meant to reinforce the autonomy of the Diocese of South Carolina and assert a theology that, in the words of Bishop Mark Lawrence, rejects “the false gospel of indiscriminate inclusivity.”

Four of the five resolutions passed overwhelmingly, including one that calls on the bishop and standing committee “to begin withdrawing from all bodies of The Episcopal Church that have assented to actions contrary to Holy Scripture, the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ as this Church has received them.” the rest

Dio. of South Carolina Convention Results

Four of Five Resolutions Overwhelmingly Passed at Special Diocesan Convention

Four of the five resolutions proposed by the Diocese of South Carolina’s Standing Committee were passed at the Special Convention held October 24, at Christ Church in Mt. Pleasant. All resolutions were drafted in response to Bishop Lawrence’s address to the clergy of the Diocese on August 13, which called the church to fight the “false Gospel of indiscriminate inclusivity.”
the rest

S.C. Distances Itself from Episcopal Bodies
As Bishop Lawrence urged approval of the resolutions, he acknowledged criticisms that they have attracted: “The resolutions that are before us, while seeming tepid to some, have to others the feel of haste, even imprudence.”

Rock of Ages, Cleft by the Pope

By A. N. WILSON
October 24, 2009
London

THE images and clichés came spluttering out of the laptops of church people and religious affairs correspondents on Tuesday: The pope has parked his tanks on the Church of England’s lawn; Rome has made a hostile takeover bid for Canterbury. It is understandable if people are at a loss for words, since the move has been made so decisively and so without warning. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, knew nothing of the plan until a few days ago.

What has happened? Basically, it seems that Pope Benedict XVI has offered disgruntled Anglicans the opportunity to come over to Roman Catholicism en masse. Such an arrangement already exists in America. Anglicans who dislike the way they see things going in their own church (female bishops, gay bishops, gay female bishops — take your pick) are allowed to regroup within the Church of Rome. Although their priests will need to be retrained and re-ordained, they will be able to continue to use their traditional rites and Prayer Books, and to stay together as congregations.

There is talk in England of as many as 1,000 clergy members taking this offer. Even allowing for the numerical exaggeration, which always occurs when enemies of liberalism congregate, this is a huge potential figure. Let us say 500 Anglican priests and perhaps 10 bishops joined the new arrangement. Let us suppose they took with them plausible congregations. This would deliver a body blow not just to the Church of England, but to that whole intricately constructed and only semi-definable phenomenon, the British Establishment. the rest

Senior Anglican bishop reveals he is ready to convert to Roman Catholicism

The Rt Rev John Hind, the Bishop of Chichester, has announced he is considering becoming a Roman Catholic in a move that could spark an exodus of clergy.
By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent
24 Oct 2009

Bishop Hind said he would be "happy" to be reordained as a Catholic priest and said that divisions in Anglicanism could make it impossible to stay in the church.

He is the most senior Anglican to admit that he is prepared to accept the offer from the Pope, who shocked the Church of England last week when he paved the way for clergy to convert to Catholicism in large numbers.

In a further blow to the Archbishop of Canterbury's hopes of preventing the Anglican Communion from disintegrating, other bishops have cast doubt over its survival.

The Rt Rev John Broadhurst, the Bishop of Fulham, even claimed that "the Anglican experiment is over". He said it has been shown to be powerless to cope with the crises over gays and women bishops. the rest

Devotional: At the heart of the cyclone...

At the heart of the cyclone tearing the sky

And flinging the clouds and the towers by,

Is a place of central calm;

So here in the roar of mortal things,

I have a place where my spirit sings,

In the hollow of God's palm.

...Edwin Markham image by ideowl

Prayer for Nigel+: Notes from the Front Line

Please go to this post at Albany Intercessor and read all the emails, prayers and comments from intercessors for Nigel Mumford+.

It will bless and encourage you!

Continue in prayer!

Obama declares swine flu a national emergency

By PHILIP ELLIOTT (AP)
posted October 24, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.

The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government's initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.

Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the flu, known as H1N1, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million doses have gone out to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials. the rest