EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY DON'T IT

One very cool grandchile! (Just thought I would throw this one in for fun.)
One very cool deacon!
One very cool bishop going!
The same very cool bishop coming in!
Lots of very cool banners made at convention!

Remember every picture tells a story don't it! 

Rod Stewart

GUNSLINGERS: Who Else Would Show Up At Convention

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin ended it's three day fest with a celebration of life.  The Eucharist was sung, danced, spoken and the ship that had been wrecked was now repaired and back to sea with a full crew ready willing and able to continue the work placed before us.  

Overall the convention was a rousing success!  There was but one bit of tension.  This is a tale of caution for those diocese headed into the inevitable or maybe already there or maybe just starting. It is the tale of a gunslinger that came to convention.  A gunslinger at an Episcopal Diocesan Convention?  Yep, some of you may already recognize the person I am talking about.  It is the clergy person, usually a priest (as opposed to a bishop) that is walking a very fine line.  This person sees personal gain to be made by walking a fine line between those that are leaving and those that are staying.  (There may be one of these in the schismatic side but how would I know that?).  This person has served the original bishop/diocese in a capacity of Standing Committee or Diocesan Council of Ecclesiastical Court or some other semi-powerful position.  The person thinks that he/she (although generally a he) is smarter and faster than the rest of the diocese including the new bishop.  When asked to deliver resolutions and amendments for convention this person holds them close and then presents them in such as a fashion as to "out parliamentarian" the diocesan Parliamentarian.  See, they know procedure better than anyone else and can out maneuver all the rest at convention.  This person brings their delegates primed for "if I can't have it my way then you are all just a bunch of liberals trying to eliminate the rest of us orthodox from the diocese."  When things do not go his/her way they pout. They do not vest for services and they do not sit with the rest of the clergy during those services.  

You all must be getting the picture by now.  This person, at least on appearances, still wants to play the game by his/her rules.  For example, bested by the Chancellor now wants to out fox everyone with resolutions of incorporation.  See, I think this gunslinger suffers from delusions of grandeur.  The person wants to be "bishop" of his own flock in his own way and when he/she does not get his way he/she cries foul!  You liberals just do not appreciate what I have done for you!  

A word to the wise, I have seen this type of gunslinger in at least one other diocese in the mid-west.  They are hard to control but the good news was at convention, some of the delegates, when the gunslinger wasn't looking, filled the chamber with blanks!

Episcopal Convention: San Joaquin Style

The day broke bright and sunny. The temperature was 86± degrees. Continental breakfast was served and at 7:30am the Daughters of the King met. You just cannot keep hard chargin' prayer warriors down. Breakout sessions went on all day long. +Lamb called the convention to session at 10:00am. All 19 faith communities were present including our newest, Kernville. Fr. Eaton from St. John's Tulare finally, publically recognized +Lamb.
There were several cononical/constitutional amendments. One was to adjust assessments to real time income That made sense to everybody. There were a couple that allowed for laity to hold positions originally reserved for clergy. One was to allow Standing Committee to meet electronically. Two allowed parishes to incorporate. Two caused hackles to rise. The first eliminated a clause in the canons that said clergy could only have sex in Holy Matrimony. Immediately the librals were out to get the rules loosened for gay people. This finally passed overwhelmingly. The second was similar. It called for the creation of an equality commission to investigate and report the issues surrounding marginalized persons in this diocese. It spelled out those that have been marginalized including poor, LGBT, ethnic minorities, the handicapped, and other socio-economically disadvantaged. Wow! Would have never happened 2 or 3 years ago. It passed with flying colors! What a great day!

Tonight, chili and apple treats.

Ya'll come back ya hear!

Yahoo! WE ARE AT IT AGAIN!

Yep, the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is at it again. We have begun our second convention without you know who. It would be our first for you reasserters. The place is jumpin' and there is a renewed life. Several conference sessions were held. Delegates and attendees were in particularly good spirits. A meal was served for many attendees and it all ended with Compline.
Hey, Bishop Jerry was out and about and meeting and greeting and talking with everyone. THAT is a really big change!
Tomorrow is another day and more new and renewal. Wait until you all get a glimpse of some of the resolutions. Wowsers!

BTW: I am posting via a Blackberry Curve. If you saw my fingers and this keyboard you would have pity.

ARE WE TOO LATE?!

Well folks, from the Diocese of Rio Grande comes another parish "leaving" TEC. This time the vestry removed the parish from TEC and filed for summary judgement for the current members of the parish to take the property with them. See The Three-Legged Stool for more on this.

Let's see: We have the Diocese of San Joaquin and the Diocese of Pittsburgh. We have parishes in the Diocese of Los Angeles and the the Diocese of San Diego. We have parishes in the Diocese of Rio Grande and pending we have the Diocese of Fort Worth and the Diocese of Quincy and maybe the Diocese of Louisiana. Then of course we have more alphabet soup than one can easily maneuver and one really hot ex bishop that thinks he is God's gift to the Anglican communion (literally).

We have lawsuits in more counties and states than one can possibly imagine and it looks like it is only going to get more expensive. We are going to fight tooth and nail over inch and mile of the entire country. Are we tired of this? NO! Is it going to get better? NO! Do we wish to continue in this ever spiraling circle of depression and disaster? NO!

So, given all of that how about a solution? What do you say we try to get in front of this power curve before we are so caught up in this incredibly stupid schism that we are doing nothing but suing, being sued, chasing Bob Duncan all over hades, telling Greg Venables to get a life and Peter Akinola to retire. How about a proactive solution that goes something like this.

1, We state what and who we (TEC) are and reiterate what we are all about. Clearly, definitively and without reservation. We ask each and every person at general convention to get on board.

2, we set yup a special,national, ad hoc, committee designed to deal with those parishes and dioceses that will not conform. This committee will be the clearinghouse for all schismatic fools that seem to think that there is something to be gained by stirring up s**t inside the TEC. This group can streamline the process for separating the fools (lay and clergy alike) from TEC. This group would be empowered by the General convention to claim property and help clergy and lay persons who no longer wanted to be affiliated with TEC. This group would also be empowered by General Convention to assist any persons, lay or clergy, who were "trapped" inside a diocese or parish that was schismatic.

3, Our presiding Bishop, along with the Presiding Bishop of Canada would prepare a document that would be sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury that would remove any transgressors from the Anglican communion immediately upon separation from our respective provinces. That in keeping with existing formularies the Archbishop of Canterbury would go on record as also not recognizing those persons removed from TEC or the CoC.

4, There would be another group authorized by General convention to travel into all the diocese to hear and respond to complaints of all sorts. That this group would be a reconciliation group made up of all types willing to work within the TEC to make our church stronger.

It is time to get on with the business we began almost 220 years ago. In fact it is time to get on with the business established over 2008 years ago. An old saying "Lead, follow or get out of the way."

Highway 61 and Reasserters

In my recent ramblings around the bloasphere I bumped into several folks who, in my opinion reminded me of some of the differences between love and like. Between law and love and between the Bible as a commandment and the Bible as a love story. Sadly, this song came to mind:

Highway 61 Revisited

Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."

Well Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose
Welfare Department they wouldn't give him no clothes
He asked poor Howard where can I go
Howard said there's only one place I know
Sam said tell me quick man I got to run
Ol' Howard just pointed with his gun
And said that way down on Highway 61.

Well Mack the Finger said to Louie the King
I got forty red white and blue shoe strings
And a thousand telephones that don't ring
Do you know where I can get rid of these things
And Louie the King said let me think for a minute son
And he said yes I think it can be easily done
Just take everything down to Highway 61.

Now the fifth daughter on the twelfth night
Told the first father that things weren't right
My complexion she said is much too white
He said come here and step into the light he says hmm you're right
Let me tell the second mother this has been done
But the second mother was with the seventh son
And they were both out on Highway 61.

Now the rovin' gambler he was very bored
He was tryin' to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61.

Copyright ©1965; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Private Meetings

No doubt there will be much made over the ABC's meeting with Moderator Robert Duncan on October 15, 2008. "The Lambeth Palace press office confirmed that the meeting took place on October 15, but would not disclose details of the conversation between Williams and Duncan, saying it was “one of many private meetings” the archbishop hosts at his London residence." (Hat-tip Thinking Anglicans).

Before too much is made of this in the context of a second North American province, all should remember that Cantuar had a private meeting with Bishop Gene Robinson on November 3, 2005. The statement from Lambeth Palace at that time was "...The encounter came as part of the Archbishop's commitment to listening to the voices of all concerned in the current challenges facing the Anglican Communion."

Let's all remember what happens when people make assumptions.