Episcopalians Are A Reasonable, Thoughtful Group

It was interesting to "wander around" the blogs this week-end. When I do that I actually learn something, sometimes, and in some ways. This week-end was no exception. Let's look at a thoughtful post by James at the Three-legged Stool. James says,

"And, let's face it, friends, TEC has its faults and although it hurts to have one's faults pointed out. At least Mr. Jordan does so in a gentlemanly fashion."

And this is only the most recent and reasoned explanation of whatever is Episcopalian. Mark does that at Preludium, and several others including Jake over at his place all liketo be reasonable and polite recognizing the failings we Epsicopalians exhibit from time to time. We are after all, a group of thoughtful, reasonable folks who rely on scripture, reason, and history to illuminate our way. We are, "nice" people.

Now, over at GAFCON, our wonderful doctrinal warrior gives us this little tidbit to chew on

: "Nine years ago today almost 3,000 people died because 19 gullible young men were convinced God wished them to commit an act of unspeakable evil. Today we call these murderers “fundamentalists”, but that's probably according them a degree of systematic coherence they clearly lacked. In reality they were just another teardrop in the vast ocean of post-adolescent males who’ve been seduced by a dangerously stupid cocktail of testosterone and religious idealism. A cocktail which continues to be served unimpeded, and not just in socio-theological basket cases like Iran and Afghanistan.

Sure the after-effects are rarely so obvious: the self-righteous drinkers in Pittsburgh might not execute homosexuals as their counterparts do in Tehran, and those imbibing in the ACNA Diocese of San Joaquin might not allow their revolting misogyny to express itself as blatantly as their Taliban equivalents in Quetta (although I fear it’s only a matter of time before someone emails with news of the evangelicals of Sydney stoning women caught reading the bible aloud while clad “immodestly”), but talk to any of them privately, when their guard is down, and you’ll invariably reach the frightening conclusion that their deepest hope is it’s only a matter of time…"

The Episcopal response to all the havoc and the mayhem set upon our beloved Church by the mob of Duncan, Iker, Schofield, and all the young fundamental radicals has been one of nice and genteel responses. You know, we love the sinner and hate the sin kind of stuff. Big tent stuff, even for those who would (figuratively) load the Episcopal Church into a rail car bound for nowhere good. That is correct. Has anyone seen anything from any blog or writing or memo or letter or communication that says, "Oh, ACNA just wants to allow everyone to live and let live. We mean the Episcopalians no harm. We at ACNA just want everyone to know that we can co-exist with the the Episcopal Church." Have you? Well, have you?!

So what, pray tell, are we waiting for? We formed the Anglican Communion, we are the driving force behind this confederation and we must have had a reason. Why are we so willing to allow ourselves to be beaten, besmirched, belittled, and bedraggled by a group of old men who lead young men into a battle to wipeout the Episcopal Church. When are we going to wake up and smell the coffee? It is past time to "gird our loins and put on the shield or righteousness" and do battle with the evil forces that are out there -- the evil forces mustered by Akinola, Orombi, the sneak of an Archbishop in South America, Mr. Schofield, Iker, Duncan and the whole lot of them. There is no reason to treat them kindly or gently. Why are we not insisting that those who have crossed borders are not brought to justice? Why are we not out there insisting that those who have been inhibited and defrocked are held accountable for their despicable deeds? Why are we not out in every province in every country insisting that the Episcopal Church is the one and only Anglican presence in the United States and there is no other.

We need to drop this facade of kindness and gentle loving and get on with the business at hand. Please be sure to understand, I am not suggesting we stoop to the tactics that they are currently using, though it is appealing, but rather we use those tools at hand and use them effectively. AND, we do not give quarter where quarter is not due. This idea that we can talk about the "Episcopal Church warts and all" aids and abets those who would bury the Episcopal Church. No more!

We Should Be Impatient -- It Is Overdue

The time has come to merge the House of Bishops with the House of Delegates. Bishops do not need political power, at least not nearly the amount they have now. They are for pastoral care, primarily for clergy. It is overdue -- we need to create a unicameral legislative/executive body.

Do We Really Need All The Friends We Can Get?

How would you classify a group of people who are only "trying to help you"? Most of us would say that anyone trying to help us would be a friend, and in this day and age we could sure use a friend. Just ask James Taylor if you do not believe me. "Ain't it good to know you got a friend."

Well, we here in the Episcopal Church of the United States of America have a bunch of friends, they call themselves the "Communion Partners". The most current help they have given is the help in trying to unconsecrate Mary Glasspool as bishop in the diocese of Los Angeles. The document is called A Statement from the Communion Partners Clergy Steering Committee On the Bishop Suffragan-Election In the Diocese of Los Angeles. This is a nifty little article on the idea that sharing our faith with everyone is not quite what Jesus had in mind. Apparently we are too edgy for them as they echo the Global South and Mr. Duncan's stance on only some people get to fully share in the faith while others have to hope for the crumbs that fall from the table.
Then there is this little gem, Communion Partner Rectors Ask Global South Anglicans To Endorse the Anglican Covenant. In that little ditty apparently the Communion Partners really do wish to see the Episcopal Church removed from the Anglican Communion since that IS the REAL rationale for the Anglican Covenant. It is a poison pill setup by a few evil men to eliminate the Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion. The lone voice of inclusion would be silenced by male dominated imperialist leaders who would rather see the communion break into a million pieces than accept a power-sharing arrangement that includes all persons sharing fully in the gifts of Jesus Christ.
And in another "erudite document" the Communion Partners on behalf of the Episcopal Church "humbly accept" the admonitions and discipline from the Archbishop of Canterbury for having nominated Mary Glasspool as bishop of Los Angeles.
These friends are just wonderful aren't they? They go to visit the Archbishop of Canterbury without a so much as "by your leave" from our primate, Kathryn Jefferts Schori to talk about not being forgotten when the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Magesterium kick out the Episcopal Church from the communion; they accept the punishment on behalf of a grateful Episcopal Church and are all but ready to fill the gap if and when the Episcopal Church is removed from the Communion all the while professing to be our friends. All the while they do not want to leave the Episcopal Church. WOW! What are we waiting for? These folks need to get medals! Why have we waited so long? Can't we see that all we need are these folks to lead us out of the quagmire and into the bright sunlight? Hip Hip Hooray for the Communion Partners. And, what is even more astounding, we have one of those "great men" in our midst! That is correct San Joaquin. The Reverend Rob Eaton is one of these brave and true lads that is trying to be our friend. He can hardly wait to become a bishop -- in fact he is so anxious to do so it appears he left John David Schofield high and dry to come over to our side and help us. My God, are we lucky or what? When you see the reverend Eaton next at convention in October let him know how much you truly appreciate his help and his friendship!

Why does the Episcopal Church allow these fellows to continue to perform their duties as clergy in the Episcopal Church? Why can't something be done when all they are waiting to do is take over? The only difference between them and the others is the others have the guts to setup an opposing organization and face the Episcopal Church. The communion Partners are nothing but vultures waiting for someone else to do the killing so that they can pick the bones clean. There must be something, with friends like this, who needs enemies?

Mr. Duncan "Pops Off" Again

Mr. Duncan, the former bishop of Pittsburgh and the person who currently occupies the "Chief Pooba" of the Conelonialists had this to say:

"As archbishop I have articulated four areas that I believe need to become our distinctives:

1) that we know ourselves to be the beloved of Jesus;
2) that we become a people committed to personal holiness
3) that we understand our work as fore-runners of Jesus; and
4) that we are those who sacrifice for the sake of others.
Among other things, such distinctives would form us
into a different people than we presently are.

1) If they knew themselves to be the beloved of Jesus Christ would they not take more seriously the two great commandments. Notice I said to upon which "hang all the law and the prophets".

2) If they were committed to personal holiness would they not be more concerned with their relationship with God rather than someone else's relationship with anyone else?

3) If they understood more about how their work fore-ran Jesus Christ would they not be focused on their relationship with Jesus and not their attempts to help other people relate to Jesus Christ?

4) If they were folks who "sacrificed" for the sake of others why are they refusing to return property they hold that belongs to the Episcopal Church?

Sure makes you different.

In conclusion I call every one's attention to a Peter, Paul and Mary song/medley. The medley is a Union song but the part that most intrigues me as it pertains to this post is the following line:

"Put it on the ground boys, spread it all around boys". Once again the Grand Pooba has done just that.

BTW: Oral arguments on the property issues in San Joaquin have been postponed again. Whopee!

How About Them Yankees?

Well, there has been as much ink (digital and otherwise) expended on this Anglican Covenant to drawn at least the horse we rode in on. But, the Presiding Bishop and the Executive Council believes that we "ought to play the game". By that is meant, please consider the Anglican Covenant in time for the next triennial convention. And they said that with a straight face!

A large minority of provinces, led by the Southern Cone, want The Episcopal Church of the United States gone, yes gone, defunct, out of business, and dead in the very worst way and they re willing to go to any lengths to accomplish this task. Keep in mind that the "Anglican Magisterium, most recently asked for sanctions against the Episcopal Church in the United States for consecrating Mary Glasspool, and got them! Yes our personal envoys to at least one committee was reduced to "observer status" because we dare to include ALL our brothers and sisters in FULL life of Christ on earth.

This group of neer-do-wells is aided and abetted by a large group of disaffected (and generally speaking dumber than the proverbial fence post) Americans led by old white guys that are tired of sharing power with women, gays, and disabled/marginalized persons who really should not be in positions of power anyway! The group, led by former bishops Robert Duncan, Martyn Minns, John David Schofield, Jack Iker, John Guernsey et al are chomping at the bit to push the Episcopal Church over the edge so they can become the "one true Catholic church" in the Untied States.

So, into this cauldron, we as the laity and clergy of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America are thrown! We are now supposed to consider thoughtfully, prayerfully, meditatively, the current edition of the Anglican Covenant!? Just what have these folks been smokin? The Anglican Covenant in all its glory, is simply the Episcopal Church in the United States of America's way of committing assisted suicide! It is nothing less than the Global South's way of removing us from the Anglican Communion, quietly, discreetly and with our own approval. Now, we may, as a matter of course, take ourselves out of the communion, and we may not (after all it was us that began the concept) but why would we hand someone else the necessary approval to remove us from the communion? We are perfectly capable of doing it ourselves, if we choose. I am not sure that is what we choose.

And in the meantime, what have we done with our unruly bandits here in the United States? Well, we continue to allow them to play all sorts of games that allow Bob Duncan and his unholy crowd to out maneuver us on all fronts. We should be lobbying every primate including the Archbishop of Wontebury to remove these evil folks from their roles and responsibilities since they continue to perform cross boundary incursions and continue to not uphold our inhibitions. Why are we not out in public and all over the world constantly hammering at these folks in the press and in the court of world opinion? No, instead we are here,at home, asking politely to please consider the Anglican Covenant.

How About them Yankees?

Why Are They Still Here? Why are they still Bishops?

Well folks, the "All Africa Bishops Conference" is now over and we are once again, the main target of their venom. We being the Episcopal Church in the United States. To this "All-African Bishops" we add folks like Robert Duncan and Martyn Minns and John Guernsey and a handful of other interlopers. Interlopers being those who are currently crossing provincial boundaries to actively break up and destroy the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

This action, cross boundaries work is illegal. Many of these "bishops" and "priests' have been inhibited/defrocked. So, why is it Bishop Schori does not have a contingent sitting on ABC Williams door step insisting that the ABC take some form of affirmative action to eliminate this activity? Why is it we do not have a contingent from our Church travelling the world stopping at each province and working the primate until these folks are abandoned just as they abandoned the Episcopal Church in the United States? What are we waiting for? Why can't we get this done? What is keeping us from reducing these wrong-headed fools to a footnote in religious history?

Just asking?

They Bite the Hand . . .

If you do not read Jon Carroll (SF Chronicle) then one is missing a very fine columnist. In the September 2, edition Mr. Carroll takes on the "greed" that seems to have overtaken our country. In the middle of his column Mr. Carroll writes this, "Very rich people always believe that thier success is the result of a hard work and great virtue. They don't like to think that they are the beneficiaries of a rigged system." The gap is growing ever so much larger between the rich and everyone else. What strikes me as odd is that many of "us" think that we (us) are in that 1% that are considered rich.

Now, someone is not playing with a proverbial full deck, yet, those who enjoy the fruit provided by unions are now thinking that unions are the cause of all our problems. There are many of "us" that think that pensions are "too high" and must be cut. There are still more of us that want so badly to have health benefits but will shop at non-union organizations and organizations that make a living on non-union non-full-time workers, Walmart.

There are those of "us" who now want to repeal social security and medicare and supplemental income because they are "too expensive". Where are their minds? When they get to 65 (or whatever) and there is no social security or it is so low that they cannot survive then what?

And what gives the Wall Street "whiz kids" the right to be bailed out and then dump on the American public when new taxes are suggested (actually not new taxes, just a repeal of the cuts made by my favorite president). A significant drawback to capitalism, particularly big corporations, ones that have been "bailed out" is that they now believe they are invincible -- or at least untouchable because they are "essential to our capitalism economy".

And one expects this from Meg Whitman, Daniel Loeb, Haliburton, and others but from Joe the plumber and Jim Sixpack?