captain jacksie

madpriest's bog-standard sermonfor the fifth sunday after trinity

King Herod heard of the healings and other miracles because Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.”

But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”

But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him.

But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.”

And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.”

Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother.

When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Well, that was a particularly grisly reading for a Sunday morning Christening service, wasn’t it? Poll dancers and heads on plates. Yuk! But, I’m afraid, we can’t choose our readings. We have to follow a calendar that is followed by the vast majority of churches in the world and this was the reading set for today.

However, there is something we must always bear in mind when we come across stories like this in the Bible and that is that the Bible is not a history book. There is, of course, history in the Bible, a lot of history. But the people who wrote the Bible didn’t do so in a dry academic style. They were more like historical novelists like Antonia Fraser, for example. They took the stories that had been passed down the generations by word of mouth, which had no doubt become embellished in each telling, and then added to them to make them more interesting so they would attract their reader’s attention, and also so that they could make specific points about God and his people that were on their minds at the moment in time that the words were written down.

My best guess is that John the Baptist was almost certainly executed, possibly beheaded and more than likely on the orders of Herod. The rest of the story I’m not so sure about. It seems a little far fetched to be honest and definitely has the feel of invention about it. Mark has certainly done his job well here, he certainly gave us an interesting story that immediately grabs our attention. In fact, it is one of the stories in the Bible that people all the world, of all different faiths, have come across, even if it’s only through the phrase, “head on a plate” or “head on a platter.” there have been many plays, films, operas based on this story. I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever came up with that scene in “The Godfather,” where a man wakes up face to face with the head of his favourite horse, had this story in the back of his head when he wrote it.
It has to be admitted that, when viewed with modern eyes, Mark has been a bit naughty in the way he has used female characters to portray deceit, manipulation and the evil people are capable of. But that is how women were viewed back then and up to quite recently in our own country. In fact, when you come across Church of England priests saying that women can’t be priests, or when you read statements from the pope forbidding girls from being servers in the Roman Catholic church once they hit puberty, you realise that it is still a common attitude among men, and also far too many women as well. Stories from the Bible that use women as scapegoats for all that is wrong in the world, like this one, do not help the situation, as people who have not studied the Bible tend to take everything in the Bible literally and this means that historical prejudices of which we should grown out of by now, are still perpetuated, even in a supposedly enlightened country like England.

But Mark’s readers would have been accustomed to the imagery of the female representing deceit, the most famous example of which is the story of Eve in the book of Genesis. And so, by playing to their prejudices, especially the prejudices of men who were, no doubt, in charge of the churches at the time, just as they mostly are now, he grabs their attention so he can get them to listen to what he has to say.

I’m going to ask you a question. Who do you think is the central character in this story of John’s beheading?

I think the answer is Jesus.

Yes, it’s just like that famous joke about squirrels, isn’t it? I’m sure you’ve all heard it.

A Sunday school teacher was giving a talk to the children of his church one Sunday morning. He wanted them to understand that Christians should be industrious people and he intended to use squirrels as an example of such industry.

The teacher started by saying to the children, “I’m going to describe something, and I want you to raise your hand when you know what it is.”

And all the children nodded eagerly.

“This thing lives in trees... and eats nuts...”

No hands went up.

“And it is grey... and has a long bushy tail...”

The children were looking at each other, but still no hands raised.

“And it jumps from branch to branch... and chatters and flips its tail when it’s excited...”

Finally one little boy tentatively raised his hand. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief and called on him.

“Well,” said the boy, “I know the answer must be Jesus ... but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!”

Of course, our gospel reading is about Jesus. Everything in the New Testament is about Jesus. We are told about John the Baptist in the Bible because the things we learn about John teach us more about Jesus.

Although John The Baptist was just a human being, no different to you and me, there were many things that linked him to Jesus. There were many many similarities between the two men in what they did, what they said and what happened to them both during their lives. John lived an ascetic life in the desert - Jesus spent time at the start of his ministry fasting in the wilderness. John had disciples - Jesus had disciples. John told people to repent and baptized them in water as a sign of their repentance. Jesus sent out his disciples to call on people to repent and to baptize. Jesus healed the sick and so did John and his disciples. John was executed because he spoke out about God and what God required of his people. Jesus met a similar fate. Both men were killed by the authorities. Both men died because they were betrayed.

Mark places the story of John the Baptist’s death near the beginning of his gospel as a pointer to what is going to happen at the end of his gospel. Mark is preparing his readers for the tragedy of Christ’s crucifixion and showing them how easily, even the most holy and most loved of people can be gotten rid of by powerful people without any real obstacles being placed in their way and without there being any earthly repercussions. The story of John’s betrayal shows us the strong grip evil has in our world, a lesson we have to learn if we are going to fully understand Christ’s death and subsequent resurrection.

Now, I said that, even though he was only human, John, in a way, represented Christ in the Gospel narratives. But that’s not all he represents. He also represents other humans, especially Christians. And it is this fact which makes this story of John’s life very important for every Christian, including all of us here this morning.

John, prepared the way for Jesus in the hearts of the people he lived among. He was also a signpost pointing away from himself and towards Jesus. And he followed, in many ways, the same path of suffering that Jesus walked. Because is the everyman of the New Testament, because he represents us, then it follows that we too should always be preparing the way for Jesus in the hearts of those we live among today. We should always be pointing away from ourselves and towards Jesus. Our words, our actions, should show people the way to salvation. And, and I’m sorry about this, we must be prepared to suffer as we go about God’s business in this world. The words of Christ are more challenging to the status quo today than they were in the time of Christ. The powerful today are just as scared of God’s commandments being followed by the people under their authority as Herod and Pilate were two thousand years ago. Believe me, if you truly live your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ then you will be ridiculed and attacked, you will lose friends, you may be sacked from work and you will be considerably less well off than you could be if you were able to ditch your conscience and make easy excuses for every selfish decision you make in life.

The rewards of the Christian life are great but the responsibilities we have to accept to enjoy those rewards can lead us into dark and painful places. Like John and Jesus we will, most likely, spend time in the wilderness, in the desert. None of us are strong enough to cope with this on our own, but that’s okay because we are not alone.

When we are baptized into the church of Christ, God offers us the help and protection of his holy spirit. That gift is never rescinded, although we can turn our back on it if we wish. And all of us can too easily forget the power that God offers to us to help us overcome evil and pain within our lives. That is why it is so important that Christians come together to listen to the great stories of the Bible. Because they were written to be a constant reminder to us of the achievements of Jesus Christ and the rewards and responsibilities that are ours if we choose to receive the benefits of those achievements.

the dvant disco

It's Saturday. The sun is shining on
Newcastle Upon Tyne. So all I need
is an uptempo dance mix to get my
body grooving and all will be well
with the world.

Oh good. Here it is.

Dance Freak - Chain Reaction
Out Of Work - Jesse Gould
New York Apple Jack
- Scott Davis And The Movements
Take Me I'm Yours - Mary Clark
Shake Off That Dream - Eddie Owen

don't blame madpriest. blame Ellie!

An elderly couple was having dinner one evening when the husband reached across the table, took his wife's hand in his and said, "Emma, soon we will be married 50 years, and there's something I have to know. In all of these 50 years, have you ever been unfaithful to me?"

Emma replied, "Well Herman, I have to be honest with you. Yes, I've been unfaithful to you three times during these 50 years, but always for a good reason.

Herman was obviously hurt by his wife's confession, but said, "I never suspected. Can you tell me what you mean by 'good reasons?'"

Emma said, "The first time was shortly after we were married, and we were about to lose our little house because we couldn't pay the mortgage. Do you remember that one evening I went to see the banker and the next day he notified you that the loan would be extended?"

Herman recalled the visit to the banker and said, "I can forgive you for that. You saved our home, but what about the second time?"

Emma asked, "And do you remember when you were so sick, but we didn't have the money to pay for the heart surgery you needed? Well, I went to see your doctor one night and, if you recall, he did the surgery at no charge."

"I recall that," said Herman. "And you did it to save my life, so of course I can forgive you for that. Now tell me about the third time."

"All right," Emma said. "So do you remember when you ran for president of the synagogue, and you needed 73 more votes?"

caption competition

It's that woman again!

whoops! there goes the day job

A new report by the website, "Ex-Gay Watch", has cast a dark cloud of skepticism over "ex-gay" activist Matthew Manning's tale of being "delivered" from homosexuality and AIDS. According to the report, Manning has been repeatedly dragged into court for allegations of inappropriate behavior and was even banned from a popular gym after improper sexual advances were made on a 22-year-old heterosexual male. Manning, a frequent television guest and the founder of Lighthouse World Evangelism Inc., based in Santa Rosa, California, has yet to comment on the allegations made in the investigative report.

"The ex-gay myth is one of the largest frauds ever foisted on the American consumer," said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. "We call on Manning to immediately close down his snake oil shop. We also urge those in the media who promoted his fake miracle to apologize and update their audience on the sordid facts that have been revealed."

Full story at OUTCOME BUFFALO.

Thanks to IT for sending in this story to MadPriest Towers.

don't blame madpriest.blame saintly ramblings

A new Middle East crisis erupted last night as Dubai television refused to broadcast 'The Flintstones'.

A spokesman said the people of Dubai people do not understand the humour; however, those in A bu Dhabi do......

malia loses it, big time,in pennsylvanian bar

From THE DAILY NEWS:

Champagne-swilling, club-hopping cleric Gregory Malia has been busted for pulling a gun during a dustup between two gal pals and his estranged daughters at a Pennsylvania bar, police said. Cops said Malia kept the daughters' boyfriends at bay while one of his companions fought with his own flesh and blood.

"My heart is broken," the Episcopal priest's daughter, Marilyn Malia, 23, said on Thursday as she nursed a broken nose. "They beat the living hell out of me and my father just stood there and watched and enjoyed it, and protected the girls who beat me."

Her father was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct after Tuesday night's fracas. He was released on $25,000 bail.

The incident happened at the River Street Ale House in Luzerne, Pa., where Malia and two women were hanging out, when, by chance, his daughters and their boyfriends arrived.

"My father and one of the women started dancing, and they came over and they were swirling so close that they brushed my arm," Marilyn Malia said. "They were kind of taunting me. I got really upset. I looked at my Dad and threw my beer in his face."

Marilyn and her sister Amanda left the bar with the guys and were in a car when the priest approached with his friends.

"I felt bad for throwing the beer in his face, so I got out to try to talk to him," Marilyn said.

One of Malia's pals, Angela Sweet, 26, stepped in and a fight broke out. When the daughters' boyfriends tried to intervene, the reverend pulled out a gun, a police report says.

"[He] pointed it first at my sister's boyfriend, and then my boyfriend, and told them to get out of there," Marilyn Malia said.

Malia fled the scene with the two women in a black Jaguar, but was later arrested.

Thanks to Rick+ for sending this story in to MadPriest Towers.

they said it couldn't be done...

... that flowers wouldn't bloom in the desert. But they were wrong.

And here is the proof. The first official photograph of the (very nearly, almost) green, green grass that Rick+ calls home.

And here is a photograph of Rick+'s own, personal water supply which he needs to achieve this miracle.

I am hoping to be able to post regular updates on Rick's lawn and eventually set up a Rick+'s Lawn Fan Club.

the great ocicbw... chin wagsaturday 11th. july 2009

This is the general chit chat post for the Of Course
I Could Be Wrong... crowd.

A new thread will be started everyday.

You may use this post to talk to each other about
whatever you like.

the prayer list

I've added something new to The Prayer List. After you have read the requests and offered up your prayers to God, please finish your intercessions through the simple act of lighting a virtual candle. The reasons for doing this are exactly the same as they are for lighting a candle in church when you pray. As our daily prayers are not a competition the number of candles lit for each post will never be made public.

***

From MARY:

I have a prayer request on behalf of the Reverend Bob Massie and his family. After a long, long wait Bob has finally received a liver transplant (this morning!). Please pray for his safe recovery, and of course thanksgivings for this wonderful opportunity.

***

From JIM:

I ask your prayers through Blessed Laika and all the canine saints for our dog, Jana, who was diagnosed with cancer today. She has numerous tumors in her lungs and elsewhere; we're not sure where the primary site is. She is 11 and a half, and up until Tuesday was her usual frisky, demanding and lovable self, although every now and then it seemed like her legs would give out and she would stagger or fall. On Wednesday she refused to eat and just sat wherever she dropped, not even lifting my head when Terry (who has been her human since she was 6 weeks old) came home. It took less than 36 hours to get her in to see the vet, and to get xrays and tests (far quicker than if it had been one of us), but the news has devastated us. We aren't going to put her through the torture of radiation or chemo, so now we are just trying to keep her comfortable and enjoy whatever time we have left with her.

***

From LINDY:

Thank you, and everyone, for the prayers said for my friend Tom Douglas Holcomb, Jr and his family. I spoke with Tom's mother this evening. She said that besides his head injury Tom Douglas has a fractured collar bone and a few broken ribs. All in all, not too serious. The doctors have taken the probes out of his brain since it seems to have stabalized, and he's been given a trach instead of a breathing tube, all for more comfort I think.

Linda, Tom's mother, asked for prayers that Tom Douglas will regain good brain function as that is the primary concern. He is able to lift two fingers when requested but is not otherwise responding. Obviously, this has been very stressful for the whole family which has had its share of troubles these past couple of years. Please do continue your prayers. Tommy and Linda, and Tom Douglas, and the dogs too... they are all precious to me and to God.

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This was shown on English television last night. In my opinion it is the greatest half hour of comedy that I have had the privilege of watching since the likes of "Steptoe and Son" back in the 1960s.

At the very least you should keep watching until the video tape scene which is just surreal.

By the way it's part of a series, but you'll pick up what's going on.

This post will self destruct quicker than usual.

news flash

As of Sept. 1, the diocese of Niagara will allow its priests to bless same-gender couples who have been civilly married.

Niagara becomes the second diocese in the Anglican Church of Canada, after the Vancouver-based New Westminster, to offer a sacrament for same-sex blessings. (The diocese of New Westminster, which allowed same-sex blessings in 2002, currently limits the rite to eight parishes.)

"The Niagara Rite is intended for the voluntary use of priests who wish to offer a sacrament of blessing regardless of the gender of the civilly married persons..." the DIOCESE OF NIAGARA said on its Web site

Read the rest of the story at ANGLICAN JOURNAL.

COMMENT: I promise you that this is the truth (and people of my age or older will not doubt me). When I opened up the email this news flash came on, my brain read "Diocese of Nigeria."

My brain tries its best to make my life more interesting than it actually is.

freedom bound corrupts nation

From PINK NEWS:

The (schismatic, right wing, pressure group), Anglican Mainstream, has described the Greenbelt (Christian Arts) Festival, as the "gayification of the church." This year the festival will feature gay groups OuterSpace and Journey, while bands include Athlete and Royksopp.

In an article posted on its website, they (the ironically named, bigots collective) state: "This is rather worrying: it is called the gayification of the church. Almost more insidious is that it exists, cheek by jowl, with other worthwhile, really important and solidly orthodox aspects."

Describing Gene Robinson, the Bishop of News Hampshire who will speak at the festival, as a "gay bishop poster boy", the article adds that the festival is "deeply discriminatory".

“There is no reason why Greenbelt should only push one ideological agenda and only grind one axe, unless it is wanting to slant the argument and deprive its audience of expert opinion on the other side."

Anglican Mainstream were the group behind the 'gay cure' conference in London in April, which provoked outrage from the gay community. It featured talks from practictioners such as Joseph Nicolosi, who claims gays can be treated to reduce their attraction to the same sex. More than 100 people protested outside the event.

COMMENT: Oh, come on, girls. It's not a just a matter of inviting such bigots - it's finding one who is expert enough, even to tie their own shoe laces, that is the big problem. Greenbelt audiences tend to consist of people of above average intelligence and they expect the speakers to be able to deliver a logically consistent argument along with other things like telling the truth.

But this is excellent news. The fact that the gay media has picked up on this means that Anglican Downstream (and sinking fast) have managed to bring to the attention of secular gay people and their supporters that it is not just a few Christians who are inclusively minded in line with the teachings of their Saviour. But, in fact, the vast majority do not give a tinker's cuss who fancies who just as long as everybody is nice to each other (which is, as you all know, primary Church of England doctrine). So, thanks, boys!

The Greenbelt Festival started back in 1974 (I think). At the beginning it was an easy going event based mainly on the residues of 60s hippy mentality. Unfortunately, after a few years it was hijacked by evangelicals (the Graham Cray faction), and became stricter and stricter concerning the type of thing they thought suitable for young Christians. However, the heart of Greenbelt was always more anarchic than "The Committee" and the people gradually won back their festival. About 20 or so years ago gay Christians were given a protected space at Greenbelt and, although this seemed terribly cowardly and patronising at the time, it has led to the current situation where friends of OCICBW..., like the legendary Freedom Bound, could probably waltz around the site in tight, pink boxers singing "It's Raining Men" at the top of his voice, without anyone even raising an eyebrow.

My brilliant God!!! We really have come a long way in one man's lifetime. Sometimes it doesn't feel like we have but when you stand back and look at what has been achieved you just have to conclude "there ain't no stopping us now - we're on the move!"

Thanks to Ann for sending in this story to MadPriest Towers.

we robots

We are living in a time dominated by science and technology, and it's a sterile, mechanical science and technology at that. Creative academic disciplines and the art of the people have been ridiculed into a position of being nothing more than an entertainment with no discernible influence on our human culture and knowledge. No longer are there learnéd men and women capable of studying the cold hard facts of our physical insistence whilst at the same time creating out of themselves the poetry to describe it in a way that talks to our hearts as well as our minds.

There are some imaginative people fighting a rearguard action, for example in the worlds of classical music and the painterly arts where straight lines are being replaced by curves. These are brave people as the gatekeepers and critics of these art forms often deride such classical ways of seeing stuff. Modernity is the rallying cry of the commentators. "A curse on your bendy things," they say with a fear of the unconstrained that comes from the same well of insecurity and loathing as fundamentalist religion.

But it may be too late to regain that which has been lost as the mechanical has almost completely taken control of popular culture. In cinema a director no longer has to use his imagination and creative skill to create illusion through the camera and onto the screen. Now, the director merely gets a techie to impose impossibility onto the final work with powerful software programmes. The paint brush has been replaced by the computer keypad and the only craft involved is the craftsmanship of putting numbers in the right order.

The organic and analogue is now almost completely absent in popular music. Most of the sounds we hear on the records we listen to are created electronically by technicians not artists. When "real" music is encountered it has usually been stolen from the works of the performers of the past. This has resulted in talent and inventiveness becoming unnecessary in the record industry. A situation encouraged by the profit seekers as the product of computers and turntables is cheaply and easily made.

But we have lost so much more than just the skills of our artists. We have all lost happiness. There is simply no way that the robotic sounds of contemporary popular music is as exciting and enjoyable as the sounds that used to be created by real musicians on real instruments. You see, human beings are not restricted by a programme or by the regimental beats and melody that musical software is only capable of. Part of the major pleasure of listening to real musicians, although often subconscious, is not knowing what is going to happen next. The real musician can confuse the brain into happiness by deliberately delivering the unexpected or fortuitously doing so through small errors in timing or melody. There is also far more opportunity for ornamentation and improvisation when a tune is performed by a real musician.

In short: modern popular music has no heart or soul. It is created out of the dead and it remains dead.

The following is a dance record from 1978. There is nothing special about the tune but the production and the talent of the performers turns the ordinary into a total body experience. Unless you are as deceased as a Norwegian Blue parrot, when this record gets going you cannot stop yourself from getting down and you cannot resist the feeling of euphoria it engenders. Listen to the talent of the singer and backing musicians - they are in control, not you or some bit of programming in a machine. Listen to how the producer builds up the layers on the track as it progresses which culminates in a full on gospelesque extravaganza of pleasure button pushing excitement at the end. But above all listen to the imagination on this recording. It does the unexpected. The singer bends and embellishes the basic notes she has been given to perform and the producer places the organic, real time sounds of the musicians in a way that leads the emotions of the listener on a journey that cannot be achieved by the constrained abilities of computers.

Or just get with the groove and enjoy yourselves.

quote of the day

The problem is, with friends like the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FOCA), marriage doesn’t need any enemies. What the FCA is doing is associating marriage with the worst sort of narrow right-wing agenda and down right prejudice — and this has the capability of putting many people off. Listening to the likes of the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, I can imagine many thinking: “If that is marriage, I want no part in it.”

... you can quote all the scripture you like, but if you do so without love or compassion in your heart, then people will hear you as saying something nasty, shrill, and cruel. They will not hear you preaching good news, but will hear a hectoring religious obsessive, with a prurient interest in controlling others’ sex lives and bashing gay people over the head with an ancient text that knew nothing of stable same-sex relationships. And most people will run a million miles from all that.

... (FOCA) will suck Christian marriage into a narrow religious ghetto, associating it with suburban 1950s curtain-twitching, thus making it even less popular than it is now. The FCA is a danger to marriage. So, for the sake of marriage itself, will it please pipe down and go home.

Giles Fraser
THE CHURCH TIMES

not in his backyard!

From THE CHURCH TIMES:

A situation in which the sole candidate for the bishopric of Northern Malawi is an American priest whose diocese has aligned with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is unlikely to continue, the Bishop of Botswana, the Rt Revd Trevor Mwamba, confirmed on Tuesday.

Scott Wilson, Northern Malawi’s nominee, was a candidate in the 2001 election. He is a former Diocesan Youth Missioner in Pittsburgh, and has led a Cursillo team in Malawi. But his diocese, Fort Worth, is now part of ACNA.

“It isn’t expected to be the case [that there will only be one nomination]. That won’t fly at all,” Bishop Mwamba said.

He pointed out that Canon 6 of the canons and constitution of the Church of the Province of Central Africa did not allow for a bishop to be elected who was part of a province not in communion with Canterbury.

my 15 minutes of fame

If somebody on the spot would like to send me one
of these ace badges, I would be ever so grateful.

Email me for my address.

from james

don't blame madpriest.blame his sister-in-law

The old man placed order for one hamburger, French fries and a drink.

He unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half, placing one half in front of his wife.

He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.

He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them . As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them were looking over and whispering.

Obviously they were thinking, 'That poor old couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them.'

As the man began to eat his fries a young man came to the table and politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said, they were just fine - they were used to sharing everything.

People closer to the table noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.

Again, the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said 'No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything.'

Finally, as the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked 'What is it you are waiting for?'

"The teeth," she answered

ocicbw... guest poet

Fluffy Snuggles, who used to be a regular visitor to this blog and a fine blogger in her own right, recently managed to drag herself away from FaceBook to compose this simple, but well brilliant, poem thing. She posted it on her own blog, EPISCOPALIFEM, but it's a bit dusty and cobwebby over there due to lack of use, so I asked her if I could post it at OCICBW...

And she said "yes." So here it is.

Dark Things
I regard
The darkness
And see myself
Staring back
From deep within
Its shadows.
All the parts I’d
forced
behind the veil.

The dark things
– the unmentionables:
My sinuous sexuality
My blazing jealousy
My furtive deceitfulness
My impulsivity
My laziness
My rage
My sanctimony
My sins
All there
Carefully placed.
Hidden but not gone,
No matter how deep
The shadow into which
They’re pushed.

Not detracting
Nor summating.
But me nonetheless.
Uneasily me.

the great ocicbw... chin wagfriday 10th. july 2009

This is the general chit chat post for the Of Course
I Could Be Wrong... crowd.

A new thread will be started everyday.

You may use this post to talk to each other about
whatever you like.

Optional starter:

Your predictions regarding the TEC General Convention.

the prayer list

Please pray for my friend and parishioner, Dorothy, who died last night after a long and courageous battle with illness. The end was not as peaceful as she deserved so please also pray for her family who had to sit beside her bed witnessing her distress in her last hours. She was a good, honest person. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

***

REBELREVRN has begun blogging the history of the unpleasantness she now finds herself embroiled in at her church. She is approaching a point of resolution and this exercise will help with that. So please pop by her blog and give her a hug.

***

Posted by Lauralew at EPISCOGRANNY:

I went home for a day and a half to MO to see how my mother was doing after her double amputation.

In a phrase, much better than anyone, including her doctors, expected.

In fact, she will be moved out of the ICU as soon as a bed in the progressive care unit comes available. She put in her false teeth and wore her glasses yesterday.

We drove 600 miles today, and I'm tired. More later, just wanted to share.

TBTG! Thanks for the prayers. My family certainly appreciates them.

***

Posted by Mibi52 at REV MIBI:

Still waiting on word about a permanent call; hopefully I will hear something tomorrow. Prospective employers work on their own timetable, and my being anxious about it won't speed things up one whit, so I'll just chill out.

SO is leaving for Paris in a week. I'm more than a little terrified, but she's visiting a friend who is fluent and has already been there for a couple of weeks and knows her way around. They don't teach about this stuff in Mother School.

it's a tree, stupid (2)

Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition seeking to prevent the removal of the stump on the grounds of a Limerick church, in which they see the form of the Blessed Virgin, said the Irish Times.

Labourers carrying out work on the grounds of the Holy Mary Parish Church in Rathkeale made the discovery of the supposed image.

"One of the lads said, 'Look, our Blessed Lady in the tree'," said Noel White, chairman of the local graveyard committee. "One of the other lads looked over and actually knelt down and blessed himself, he got such a shock. It was the perfect shape of the figure of Our Lady holding the baby."

People from the town organised the petition in an effort to have the stump, which was due to be dug out of the ground yesterday, made into a permanent fixture at the church.

"It's doing no harm and it's bringing people together from young and old to black and white, Protestant and Catholic, to say a few prayers, so what's wrong with that? There's enough violence and intolerance going on in the world," said shopkeeper Seamus Hogan.

Local parish priest Fr Willie Russell said on radio station Limerick Live 95FM yesterday that people should not worship the tree. "There's nothing there . . . it's just a tree . . . you can't worship a tree."

A spokesman for the Limerick diocesan office said the "church's response to phenomena of this type is one of great scepticism".

"While we do not wish in any way to detract from devotion to Our Lady, we would also wish to avoid anything which might lead to superstition," he said.

if they can find somethingelse to tell them this colourgoes with that - we're history!

Scientists have finally perfected a dildo that can remove spiders from a bathtub.

The invention, described as the 'Holy Grail of dildo technology' will come with a free scrunchy and a bag of synthetic sperm and be in the shops in time for a man-free Christmas.

Inventor Professor Holly Brubaker said: "Upon discovering a spider the woman simply points the dildo at it and presses the big, pink button marked 'icky spider'. The dildo will emit an ultrasonic pulse and the spider will then run as fast as it can for the nearest available exit."

Full story at THE DAILY MASH.

Thanks to Amelia, who finally emerged from her boudoir this afternoon after mysteriously disappearing in there on Tuesday morning, to send this important story to MadPriest Towers.

the dvant disco

Hurray! The new Nouvelle Vague album is out.



Then French hate the English for three main reasons.

1. Our pop music is great and theirs is crap.
2. Our rugby team beats their rugby team without having to cheat.
3. Everybody in the world speaks English and not French.

At the moment it's reason number 3 that is upsetting the French the most especially as the young people of France speak little else but English (albeit American English). And that's a shame because the French accent is to die for and so much better than any brogue we can muster.

So, I've had an idea. A way of getting the old Entente cordiale back on the table.

I think I can get the French to agree to back English as the lingua franca (pardon the pun) as long as everybody in the world agrees to speak English with their gorgeous French accent.

It'll work. And people everywhere will be a lot sexier and eat better. Okay, we'll have to go back to women having hairy armpits. But you can't have everything and, anyway, it'll keep les lesbiennes happy - well comparatively happy.

a badly behaved people

There you have it. Proof, as if proof is needed, of the
inherent promiscuity of your average, Scottish person.

I blame the easy access afforded by the wearing of kilts.

who will rid us ofthis meddlesome laity

From BISHOP GENE'S blog:

We also had a disturbing private (no one in the gallery) conversation in the House of Bishops that led me to feel discouraged about what lies ahead. That conversation is private, so I can't detail it, but there seems to be a kind of belligerent attitude toward the House of Deputies by some of our bishops. Their vision of the episcopate is way too "high and mighty" for my taste, or my theology, and I am not happy about it. The last thing we bishops need is a larger measure of arrogance. Didn't Jesus save his most serious criticism for the religious powers-that-be of his day who lorded their power and position over others?

COMMENT: Well they can't say the schismatics didn't warn them. They were told that electing a gay bishop would cause damage to the ancient traditions of the church. And what more ancient a tradition is there than that of the bishops lording it over everybody else? They're not going to give that perk up willingly. I mean what's the point in giving up a perfectly good job as a parish priest to deal with boring admin. all day if you don't get to do the stomping around, shoutie bit?

if she had just done as she was told...

From THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD:

A 55-year-old man who beat his daughter over the head with a lump of concrete when she refused to go to his Mormon church "does not understand what all the fuss is about", Hastings District Court has heard.

Judge Geoff Rea said on February 22 this year Muliipu had become involved in an argument with his daughter who refused to attend church. He chased her down the street and back into the house picking up a lump of concrete along the way. He then whacked her over the head in a bedroom with the concrete causing skin on her head to split and start bleeding. They were both "covered in blood" and he kicked her in the face causing bruising.

"When police arrived you told them your daughter was lucky you did not kill her," Judge Rea said.

Defence lawyer Roger Stone told the court Muliipu had been angry his daughter refused to go to church. He had been under stress before the incident. He was a "proud" man who was "disappointed" his daughter had elected not to follow his Mormon faith.

Judge Rea said a probation officer's report made "grim reading" because he "still does not understand what all the fuss is about".

He had been ejected from an anger management course because of his views and had an inability to understand "whacking someone on the head is unacceptable".

In the circumstances there was only one response and that was imprisonment. Muliipu was sentenced to 12 months in jail.

bring back muffin the mule!

From THE BAPTIST PRESS:

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston found that early teen sex may be linked to viewing adult content on television as children. The study tracked children from ages 6 to 18 and found that the sooner children began to view adult content on television programs and movies, the earlier they became sexually active during adolescence.

"Television and movies are among the leading sources of information about sex and relationships for adolescents," said Hernan Delgado, a specialist in adolescent and young adult medicine at Children's Hospital Boston and the study's lead author, in a news release on the study. "Our research shows that their sexual attitudes and expectations are influenced much earlier in life."

COMMENT: Perhaps a contributing factor is that these so-called adult programmes that children love to watch are so childish. There was plenty of adult content on television in England during the 60s and 70s but it was always presented in a "grown up" way in "grown up" programmes after the children had gone to bed. If a child had watched them they would have been left without any doubts that sex was a serious matter and not the same as buying a tube of smarties from the school tuck shop.

Unfortunately, programme makers now treat all viewers as children incapable of having serious thoughts about anything. So everything, including sex, becomes trivialised. From "Eastenders" to The News to "Big Brother" everything is now just an entertainment for a dumb people. Sex is just a useful plot device in soap operas and no longer something that goes hand in hand with being a responsible adult.

thieves without friends or family

Employees at a Telefonica Movistar cell-phone store in Morelia, Mexico arrived for work on Tuesday morning to find that the store had been broken into. An examination of the shop revealed the only items missing were hollow replica phones for display that are completely useless for making calls. Employees say the clueless thieves overlooked real cell phones and cash in another part of the shop.

COMMENT: I feel sorry for these criminals. Obviously they stole the fake phones so they could pretend that there are people who want to speak to them.

like cancer

From TVNZ:

Conservative Anglicans, who oppose the Church of England's stand on issues such as gay clergy, ruled out formally breaking away from the mainstream as a group has done in the United States. Members of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), also unhappy at plans to allow the ordination of woman bishops, said they wanted to create an umbrella movement to promote conservative views within the Church.

"We are a movement for the renewal and reformation and renewed mission focus of our church. We love our church... we're not going anywhere," Bishop Wallace Benn of Lewes in southern England said at the launch of the FCA's UK and Ireland chapter.

"We believe that we stand for the historic Christian faith," he added.

The FCA claims that it has around 1,600 followers from 320 parishes around the country.

Bishops aligned to the movement said the issue was not about homosexuality or the ordination of women, but was about theology and the interpretation of religion.

"If you consecrate woman as bishops or if you don't consecrate women as bishops you will not endanger your spiritual security. It's an issue which ... needs to be talked about so we can find how we can agree to work together because we agree on the salvation issues. The ordination of women is not an issue which will separate us from God," said Rev Gregory Venables from the Diocese of the Southern Cone with Flake.

COMMENT: "The ordination of women is not an issue which will separate us from God." But if you get any of their menstrual blood on your penis then you will burn in hell for all eternity. And why not? That's as logical as saying women can't be bishops because Jesus was a man. And if you are going to follow the magical thinking of a primitive tribal culture from over 2500 years ago you might as well go the whole hog.

1600 supporters in 320 churches. That means that even in churches they consider to be their own there is only an average of 5 people in each congregation supporting their bigotry. Mind you, that may be most of the congregation in many of their churches. I can't imagine that they would be very well attended. All these schismatic movements are the same as men pretending they can still get a hard on when their lifestyle rendered them impotent years ago.

general convention 2009 links

Unlike last time TEC had a big get together, when Father Jake was our main source of information, this year's convention seems to have every American from our neighbourhood attending it. So, can get all the information you need from this horses' mouths without me trying to understand what's going on and blogging on it second-hand.

For accurate and detailed information from someone right at the heart of things I suggest you read Scot Gunn's blog,
SEVEN WHOLE DAYS.

For his usual insightful commentary keep an eye on Mark Harris's blog, PRELUDIUM.

For agitprop and calling the oppressors to account,
THE FRIENDS OF JAKE is the must read blog.

For official notices and news there is the
GENERAL CONVENTION HUB.

And for gossip, fashion notes, indignation, indigestion and loads and loads of photographs of Grandmere Mimi standing next to bishops (various) there is always WOUNDED BIRD. Yes, there is always Wounded Bird. What on earth did I do to deserve that?

If you are blogging live from Anaheim (either the convention or Disneyland) please leave details of your blog in the thread to this post.

If you are not blogging, but would like to post commentary, reportage or photographs at OCICBW... please send your copy to me via email (link on sidebar). I would be really grateful (though not in any kind of financial way) for all the help I can get.

the great ocicbw... chin wagThursday 9th. july 2009

This is the general chit chat post for the Of Course
I Could Be Wrong... crowd.

A new thread will be started everyday.

You may use this post to talk to each other about
whatever you like.

I'm out of ideas. You think of
something to get us started!

the prayer list

Posted by Lisa at RANTINGS:

Been having a bad couple of weeks.

A friend told me, soon after Ian died, that things would get worse before they got better. Well they certainly are. The shock is
finally wearing off and I'm slowly realising that this is for good. Forever. That Ian isn't ever coming home. It's heartbreaking. Work is becoming more and more difficult each day. I'm spending more time in bed sobbing and less time working. Then I get stressed because I'm not getting through the work quick enough and start to feel completely overwhelmed.

Today hasn't been so bad, though. Got through all the work and even found time to sit down and eat a proper, healthy meal. I'm going to go for a drive soon, simply to get out of the house. Don't know where, just see where the car takes me.

Still feeling lonely.

***

Posted by FRAN I AM on her blog yesterday:

UPDATE: It is with great sadness that I read about Samantha's passing upon awaking today. May this angel rest in peace. I can't imagine what Bill and Justine are going through at this time. Please, please pray for them.

***

Posted by Grandmere Mimi at WOUNDED BIRD:

This morning my son ran over Tigger with his car by accident. Tigger had begun to have neurological problems once again, and probably could not get out from under the car quickly enough.

You may ask why a sick cat was outside instead of in the house. Tigger was a stray and is still part feral. He hates being in the house and yowls constantly when he's inside. Only the family can hold him and cuddle him. He's not a mean cat, but he moves away when others try to pet him.

If Tigger is still alive, he will probably need to be put to sleep. My son feels terrible about the accident. Tigger has been with them for 12 years. My grandchildren are due to return to their dad's house today and will take this quite hard.

UPDATE: The deed is done. Tigger has gone on to the sweet bye-and-bye. He was injured, and the ear problem was back, putting him off his equilibrium again. It was time. May he rest in peace. Pray for my son and for my grandchildren who will hear the news this evening.

***

From ROSEANN:

I can't say (deleted) enough about how things went today. They couldn't get an IV started because of my little tiny roly-poly veins. So they had to put in the new permacath with no sedation. Good husband Gary had a feeling something wouldn't go right so he brought me a double dose of pain med and I was able to sleep through most of dialysis.

Then the real fun began. My blood pressure dropped to 60 over 35. Is that dead? No, but damned close. I couldn't even talk. The had to put in almost as much saline as the fluid they'd removed.

They usually don't let family members stay with you in the dialysis room but they let Gary stay. Frankly I think his being there kept me alive. He held my hand and I could feel his energy. I could also feel prayer. I don't know if anyone was praying for me at that specific moment, I just know I could feel God's presence. At one point I said, "are you taking me home now?" And Gary and the nurse were like, "what?????" I didn't mean to say that out loud.

Good news is I'm home now, drugged sufficiently and full of chicken and dumplings.

Love, R

homophobe of the day - the winner

Responding to the Delhi High Court’s ruling legalizing homosexuality, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has reiterated that homosexual acts are immoral and proposed therapy those with a homosexual orientation. Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, president of the CBCI, in a statement warned that government legalising homosexuality must not be construed that it is “morally permissible."

He said, “Giving the impression that homosexuality is moral will bring in sexual anarchy including child abuse in society. The Indian culture which is founded on self-discipline and asceticism should not be allowed to disintegrate by opening the doors to sexual licentiousness which is already rampant in our consumer culture."

While denoting that certain individuals have sexual orientation towards same sex caused by ‘circumstances’ or by ‘birth’, he distinctly outlined it was a “pathological condition that can be reversed by therapeutic methods.”

He said the society at large with the help of religions and governments must help homosexuals to bring themselves back into their normalcy and integrate themselves into family life. “Homosexuals should not be hated or ostracised from the community or family, simply because they have such tendency,” he cautioned.

But he also intelligibly warns that “this does not that mean homosexual acts are moral; these acts are intrinsically evil.”

“The so-called same sex marriage is immoral in any context; there is not even sex act or marriage in it. Homosexual right is a misnomer, just as there is no right for the minority of people who are kleptomaniacs or serial killers who they say are have innate tendencies to steal or kill,” Cardinal Vithayathil said.

the midnight jukebox

It is only coincidental, but tonight we continue
enjoyment of modern Canadian music with just
one song by singer/songwriter, Jon Brooks.

Just one song. But one very good song.
Especially the lyrics which you can read
whilst you listen by clicking HERE.

madpriest's thought for the day

All a man wants out of marriage is love.
All a woman wants is perfection.

great, interesting namesfor a group of our time (1)

the dvant disco

I'm afraid you are all going to have to put up with loud music again. Today, I am about my priestly task tending to the pastoral needs of my good friend, Canuck noise merchant, Eric Scully, whose father died earlier this week. You all know him. He's the bloke who's shacked up with that clever woman.

Hopefully this will help him get some quality sleep. It's a load of tracks off the album "Bright Lights" (UK, US) by veteran, Candian rockers, THE LEATHER UPPERS.

hurray for swine flu!

This has just arrived from my diocesan office:

Pandemic Flu - Advice to Churchwardens,
PCCs and Parish Clergy

It is now considered to be highly likely that we will be affected significantly by a ‘flu pandemic this autumn/winter. There is no cause for immediate alarm, but we do need to prepare ourselves so as to lessen the likelihood of being infected, and so that our churches can continue to offer mission and ministry even during the pandemic. This document is designed for Churchwardens, PCCs and parish clergy to help you formulate plans for your own church and for its continuing life during and after a pandemic.


Being Church – regular worship

It is not automatic that church services will be suspended.

As long as we are able to meet for worship, it will be very important to attend to hygiene, and to be aware of possible contamination points in our churches.

• A high standard of cleaning will be necessary before and after use of the church building, including any silver used. Good personal hygiene is also essential on the part of those leading worship.

• Chalices can spread infection, even though there may be some antiseptic effect of alcohol and silver. The practice of dipping one’s host in the wine should be prevented (fingers also carry germs). There may be a time when the Bishop or Archbishop requires the use of the chalice to be stopped completely. Receiving communion ‘in one kind’ is a perfectly valid and appropriate action. Until such a requirement is given, people should be free to choose to receive communion in one kind if they want, and to be assured that they are receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion. For small congregations wafers may be intincted before the service begins, but this would not be practical for large numbers.

• When distributing the bread, one should not place it on a person’s tongue but their hand, and be careful not to touch hands.

• Avoid close contact such as shaking hands when people arrive. Sharing the peace should be suspended or done with a smile rather than touching hands.

• If services are not suspended, then having coffee after the service should be able to continue too. Good personal hygiene will still be very necessary.

COMMENT: It's true then.
Every cloud does have a silver lining.

jackson receives touching tributefrom the other queen of heaven

"Oh my, I am still so forlorn with sadness and pain over the great Michael Jackson's passing. I can't stop blubbering! Somehow, I managed to record 'The Lord's Prayer' for St. Michael the Musical Archangel and all of his fans. I believe that Michael would want us all to keep on dancing." (Big Mama Capretta)


MP3 File

it ain't over till it's over

From THE NATIONAL POST:

Although large-scale street protests against Iran's presidential election results have been crushed, defiance continues.

Every evening, in a haunting reminder of the rebellion that overthrew the Shah 30 years ago, dissidents in Tehran have climbed onto the city's rooftops to chant "Allahu Akbar" (God is great).

Now, a growing rift among the country's religious elite could become the single greatest challenge to the theocratic leadership since 1979.

After weeks of relative silence, some of Iran's leading ayatollahs and a religious body, the Assembly of Qum Seminary Scholars, have directly challenged Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, for endorsing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial victory in last month's elections

Qum, 125 kilometres south of Tehran, is the largest centre for Shiite scholarship in the world and widely regarded as the religious heart of Iran.

Over the weekend, a significant portion of its religious scholars defied Iran's leaders by branding Mr. Ahmadinejad's re-election "illegitimate."

"The voice of people seeking justice was marred by violence, which unfortunately left several dead and wounded and hundreds arrested," they declared in a statement. "How can one accept the legitimacy of the election just because the Guardians Council says so?"

They also slammed the leaders for failing to investigate complaints of vote rigging adequately and using force to crush huge public protests. Protesters killed were like the "martyrs" who died during the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War.

While the Qum group lacks the practical political clout needed to overturn the election, it may pose a much more serious threat by undermining Ayatollah Khamenei's religious authority and challenging his claim to rule as God's chosen intermediary.

badger on razzle stops traffic

From THE LOCAL (Germany):

Late on Monday night, a driver reported what he thought was a dead animal on county road 32 near Groß Döhren, in Lower Saxony, to police. But when officers arrived on the scene to remove the traffic obstruction, they were stunned to find that the animal was not dead or injured.

“Right in the middle of the street there was a badger sitting and staring at the officers incredulously,” a police statement said.

The officers quickly discovered that the animal – which was not frightened by their presence – had been snacking on the overripe cherries on a nearby tree.

“The animal’s belly digested the fruit to alcohol and the badger was, as the saying goes, ‘drunk as a blackbird’,” the statement said, adding that the little mammal was also suffering from “diarrhoea containing cherry pits.”

Officers directed the badger off of the road, where he could “sleep off his intoxication in a meadow.”

men richer butunhappier after divorce

From THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:

Four years after a marriage break-up divorced men are significantly better off than divorced women - and better off than before the separation. But the men are much more likely than the women to cry poor, a study has found.

The research, by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, says that over the five years of economic prosperity to 2007 the incomes of divorced fathers with children under 18 rose 24 per cent, adjusted for family size, while divorced mothers' income rose on average only 1.8 per cent. The divorced men's income rose even faster than that of fathers who stayed married.

The divorced men's average incomes were $33,356 after they had paid child support, while the mothers' incomes averaged $26,512 after they had received child support. Yet while the fathers reported feeling more prosperous than when married, 9.7 per cent regarded themselves as poor or very poor four years after the divorce, compared with 4 per cent of the mothers.

Matthew Gray, the institute's deputy director, and lead author of the study, said the men's perceptions in part might reflect the overall quality of their life after divorce.

"They might have more money but many used to have someone doing the cooking and cleaning and organising the social life, and some are alienated and angry because they don't live with their children. And a lot of men really don't want to pay child support."

COMMENT: I've always thought it totally unfair that an "innocent" party in a divorce can end up being separated from his or her own children while still having to pay to support them. I would have thought it would be better for the children if they were to stay with the parent who has demonstrated that he or she is more capable of long term commitment and longer lasting love.

do not go closetedinto that good night

From THE LOCAL (Sweden):

Elderly homosexuals in Stockholm are hopeful that their long-held hopes of having a nursing home of their own may soon become a reality. While the idea of creating an elderly-living facility catering specifically to members of Stockholm’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual communities has been around for more than a decade, plans are finally starting to move forward in earnest.

According to Christer Fällman, a project leader for the planned Regnbågen (‘Rainbow’) nursing home, many gays in Sweden are interested in having the option of spending their final years in an environment suited to their particular needs.

“What we want to avoid is the situation which sometimes occurs today where a guy doesn’t dare to tell nursing home staff that it’s his boyfriend of however many years who is coming for a visit,” he said.

snake meets trouser snake

From TYPICALLY SPANISH:

The owner of a house in the San Blas area of Alicante met an unexpected visitor last Saturday night. At about midnight he went to his bathroom to urinate only to find a python in the toilet. The snake was poking out from under the toilet seat which was down.

The man told the información newspaper that he could not believe it and was scared to death when he realised what it was. He said before he turned on the light he thought it was an umbrella handle or something similar.

He called the Local Police and two agents arrived shortly after. They decided to kill the reptile, which turned out to be a metre and a half long.

COMMENT: The man was scared? Imagine how scared the poor snake must have been when it woke up and saw some Spanish bloke unzipping his flies in front of its face.

opposites attractlike horse flies to shit

I don't normally plug Father Christian because he is
so absolutely brilliant that I just assume everyone
visits his blog everyday. But, his post,
TRACTARIANS CANONIZE BENEDICT ARNOLD,
concerning the Machiavellian ways of the head of
the family firm, Dr. Selflove, is so special that I
mention it here just to publicly acknowledge our
spiritual leader's sheer wonderfulness.

like a demon

Polish Catholic groups are planning Mass and prayer sessions to intercede against pop star Madonna performing in Warsaw on the Feast of the Assumption.

Unexpected support came from Lech Walesa, ex-leader of Poland's anti-communist Solidarity trade union.

"This looks like a Satanic provovation," said Walesa.

Head of the regional Mazowieckie council, Marian Brudzynski, is coordinating two weeks of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy prayer on the rosary and an outdoor Mass at Warsaw City Hall, all in the name of blocking the pop star's concert in the capital. A committee she leads, the Pro-Polonia Committee on Faith Defense and National Traditions, had unsuccessfully appealed to parliament and regional governments to step in and ban the concert, so now the groups have decided to take up more direct forms of protest and are even appealing to a higher power, Polskie Radio reported.

the great ocicbw... chin wagWednesday 8th. july 2009

This is the general chit chat post for the Of Course
I Could Be Wrong... crowd.

A new thread will be started everyday.

You may use this post to talk to each other about
whatever you like.

Optional starter:

General Convention? What General Convention?

Our image today is entitled "The Parliament Of Birds." The following is the Wikipedia entry for the work by William Chaucer on which this painting is based:

The "Parlement of Foules" (also known as the "Parliament of Fowls," "Parlement of Briddes," "Assembly of Fowls" or "Assemble of Foules" or "The Parliament of Birds") is a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343?-1400) made up by approximately 700 lines. The poem is in the form of a dream vision in rhyme royal stanza and is interesting as it is the first reference to the idea that St. Valentine's Day was a special day for lovers.

The poem begins with the narrator reading Cicero’s Somnium Scipionis in the hope of learning some “certeyn thing.” When he falls asleep Scipio Africanus shows up to guide him up through the celestial spheres and then to Venus’ temple. The narrator then passes through Venus’ dark temple with its friezes of doomed lovers out into the bright sunlight where Nature is convening a parliament at which the birds all choose their mates. There the three tercel eagles make their case for the hand of the formel until the birds of the lower estates begin to protest and launch into a comic parliamentary debate, which Nature herself finally ends. None of the tercels wins the formel, for Nature allows her to put off her decision for another year. The dream ends with the mate-choosing ritual being put off for yet another year, though various birds sing to commemorate the yearly departure of lady Nature and to welcome the new summer. The dreamer awakes, still unsatisfied, and returns to his books, hoping still to learn the thing for which he seeks.

Same as it ever was, then.

the prayer list

Posted by Lauralew At EPISCOGRANNY:

Mom was taken emergently to surgery today and both of her legs were taken off, one at the knee and one just below. I'm on my way there. Her lab results were indicative of blood poisoning related to her rotting feet, thus the sudden speed. My brother said she is headed for the intensive care unit as soon as she is discharged from post anesthesia recovery.

Continued prayers are appreciated.

***

Posted by Cecilia at (UN)CLOSETED PASTOR:

There are so many things going on today, and so many people involved... it's hard to single out any one thing.

But I will ask this: prayers for the ongoing ministry of the church I serve, and for its wonderful people, and for those who will soon be making decisions that will affect us all.

Today a body meets that will decide, pretty much, whether I am able to continue as pastor here.

And while all this is going on, my dad is trying to figure out what he wants, what he can and cannot do, what he will and will not do, and how his children figure into all of it.

***

Posted by Roseann posted at
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE, PLEASE!:

Thanks everyone. Your prayers and kind words mean so much to me. I just don't know what is going to happen but I guess none of us ever do. It is so hard to want to live when I am this sick. I broke down and cried yesterday. I want my mommy, I want to feel good, I want to walk in the grocery store instead of ride the go-cart thing. I want to whine and cry and pitch a fit because that always makes things better, right?

Thanks for listening to me and praying for me. When I get well I'll have a big bar-b-q and you're all invited.

***

FRAN I AM has a lengthy prayer list up on her blog. Please go take a look at it.

where does he find them?

I am so, so sorry.

I think I must be possessed by a very naughty demon.

i thought he was a lot older

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENNIS
FORTY YEARS OLD TODAY

"A little older, a little more confused."

prayer list extra

From Eileen Scully,
wife of Eric Scully
(a.k.a. Eric Duerrstein):

the dvant disco

Today we have some mightily crucial tunes by
THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH from their
1975 album, "Cosmic Truth."

I hope my good friend, Roseann, notices this
because they should be right up her street.

ocicibw... guest poet

Today's poem and blessing was written by
our good friend, TheraP, whose new blog,
NOTHINGNESS, should, most definitely, be
added to your blogrolls. So add it!

give them a nice, cold shower!

From NEWS.COM (Australia):

A US preacher, who is set to visit Adelaide, says young Christians should not kiss or cuddle before marriage because they will get carried away and end up having sex. Evangelist Sy Rogers, who says he is a former prostitute, transsexual and gay man, told AdelaideNow that "kisses and cuddles" and the "good old pash" are foreplay that people should not engage in before marriage.

Rogers, who says homosexuality can be "cured" with prayer, will speak at a conference at Enfield Baptist Church next month.

In a preview released yesterday, he promoted an extreme form of chastity.

"So when is it time to stir up sexual desire?" he asked. "When you can afford to: in marriage.

"Control sexual desire; don't let it control you."

very highly recommended

My friends,

For the Catholic Church In Ireland, the game is over.

The Irish people, and I am convinced it is the majority, no longer wish to have the Catholic Church in their country, or in their lives, and possibly not in their faith.

I cannot blame them.

The Church is solely to blame for this, from front to back, start to finish. It is reaping what it sewed. Although running away from a fire rather than toward it is not the example many of us in the Church believe should be our service to God and His Children, it may be best for all that we settle up our debts, hand over our criminals, and catch the next plane out of Dublin. I am sure that, after a transition period, many of the services the Church provides in Ireland can be contracted to others, and I would hope whatever damage settlements we must and should pay will smoothe that changeover.

From the article, "Memo to: Catholic Church / From: Irish people / Re: Your services are no longer needed" posted at IRISH CENTRAL by the courageous and prophetic Jesuit missionary, Father Tim. Go read the rest of his piece. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Florence for sending the link
for this article in to MadPriest Towers.

big cat diary

From THE HENLEY STANDARD:

There has been another sighting of the mysterious “black cat of the Chilterns”. A woman, who doesn’t want to be identified, was leaving her daughter’s house in Crisp Road, Henley, on Tuesday last week as the light was fading when she came across the creature.

She said: “It was on the pathway that leads from Crisp Road towards the rear of Friar Park and Badgemore Lane. It was lying down and munching on something. I could hear what sounded like bones cracking.

“I was only about 20ft away and it and stayed there as I watched it. It had very broad shoulders and round, piercing eyes. It was about the size of a labrador. I backed away as it walked towards Friar Park. I noticed its tail, which was about 3ft long and held straight out, not curved like in other sightings. It definitely was not a domestic cat.”

There have now been 13 sightings of the animal since 1998 — six in the last two months.

doo doo, doo, doo, doo

From THE TELEGRAPH:

A crop circle depicting a 300ft-long hummingbird has appeared in a barley field in Wiltshire. The enormous pattern formed around a dew pond in a field and has left crop circle experts scratching their heads for a meaning.

Karen Alexander, a crop circle expert, said: "This is the first crop circle in the world to include real water elements, so it is very exciting. We believe it is a close relative of the jellyfish crop circle which appeared earlier in June, but beyond that we are still trying to decode the message of it. There are a myriad of theories about what these crop circles are trying to tell us, but at the moment we are no closer to knowing the truth it is incredibly exciting."

OCicbw... guest sermonon love - a wedding sermonby Douglas Spencer

Today is a very special day for Flick, one of my most dear friends, and for someone she loves very much. I'm very aware that my views on marriage, on faith, on religion, and on the relationships between them, are in a minority; but they remain my views, and they condition my state of mind whenever I'm preparing for a wedding. It's sensible, therefore, to write a little about how I feel today; about how I feel whenever I'm at an event like this, and about how I feel about today in particular.

As man and woman we were made
That love be found and life begun,
So praise the Lord Who made us two,
And praise the Lord when two are one;
Praise for the love that comes to life
Through child or parent, husband, wife.

John writes "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [...] Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (I John 4:7-8,11-12) You'll see, therefore, that love is absolutely central to my faith, and that whenever I see love demonstrated it brings my faith to mind. Very recently, (a fellow blogger posted) about creeds. I wrote "I believe in God, who loves me, and who hopes and trusts that I will respond to that love." Love is endorsed by my faith; is expected by my faith; is mandated by my faith. My faith, as it says in this icon, is built on love.

Now Jesus lived and gave His love
To make our life and loving new;
So celebrate with Him today
And drink the joy He offers you;
That makes the simple moment shine
And changes water into wine.

So that faith, the love which flows from it, the love which lies at the heart of the ceremony today, places my God in the very centre of my response to today's events. God loves us, He loves us completely and wholeheartedly, and he longs for us to have the best life that it's possible for us to have. He longs to see us give that love to others and to receive it in return. The love of one person for another is the best gift someone can give to God; the most complete, most apt, most faithful reflection there can be of God's love for us.

And Jesus died to live again,
So praise the love that, come what may,
Can bring the dawn and clear the skies,
And waits to wipe all tears away;
And let us hope for what shall be,
Believing where we cannot see.

I've had my fair share of tears; elsewhere I've quoted Matheson writing "I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be." Today is a good day to wipe those tears away. For Flick, I wish the best life that it's possible for her to have. I'm pleased, delighted, to see her give and receive love with someone she finds very special indeed. Praise God for love, his best gift to humankind; like him, I hope that everyone finds love, and finds it in all its fullness.

Then spread the table, clear the hall,
And celebrate till day is done;
Let peace go deep between us all
And joy be shared by everyone;
Laugh and make merry with your friends,
And praise the love that never ends!

(Song lyrics are by Brian Wren)

Doug blogs at
SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE.

MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Love is never having to say God hates somebody else.

nasty ali

From THE INDEPENDENT:

Michael Nazir-Ali has been accused of pandering to hate and homophobia after calling on homosexuals to repent. His controversial remarks were published just hours after more than half a million people, including the Prime Minister's wife, Sarah, took part in the Gay Pride parade in London.

Sharon Ferguson, of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, condemned Dr Nazir-Ali for making comments that she said would encourage hatred.

"It feeds to the more fundamental individuals who are looking to have their opinions ratified and speak hatefully and behave hatefully. His comments are likely to cause more of a schism within the Church of England. He's saying their [gays and lesbians] sexuality is a sin. It's not. It's a gift from God. God made us all. He is telling people 'You have to repent' for something they have no control over. It's like asking someone to repent because they have blue eyes," she said.

Peter Tatchell, the gay rights campaigner, said he was "shocked" at the level of anti-gay prejudice voiced by the bishop. "Homophobia is a social and moral evil, just like racism. Bigotry, even in the guise of religion, has no place in a compassionate, caring society," he said. "I call on the bishop to repent his homophobia. His prejudice goes against Christ's gospel of love and compassion."

Labour MEP Michael Cashman accused the Bishop of Rochester of being "selective" about which parts of the Bible he upheld. "When he calls for the closure of all the banks, finance houses and credit card companies because of what it says in the Bible about usury, then I'll take him seriously," he said. "Until then, unless he can say anything good, he should shut up."

it's a tree, stupid

... and a rather fine tree too.

From THE LOCAL (Germany):

Residents of the southeastern Polish city of Jaslo are debating whether to destroy a 67-year-old oak tree. The tree was given to the city in 1942 as a birthday gift from Hitler to the then-head of the town council. Local politicians have called for the tree to be removed.

“The tree remembers the biggest criminal in the history of mankind,” Jaslo mayor Maria Kurovska told a Polish newspaper. She has ordered the oak to be chopped down and publicly burned.

But the oak has its defenders.

“Hitler was the guilty one, why should the oak suffer for that?” said city councilman Krzysztof Czelusnik.

COMMENT: So, to erase the memory of a mass murderer they are going to kill something. This is magical thinking at its most pathetic and infantile.

the great ocicbw... chin wagTuesday 7th. july 2009

This is the general chit chat post for the Of Course I Could Be Wrong... crowd.

A new thread will be started everyday.

You may use this post to talk to each other about whatever you like.

Optional starter:

My perfect vacation would be...

the prayer list

From LINDY:

I have a prayer request.

Tom Douglas Holcomb, Jr. was in a serious motorcycle accident on the Fourth of July. He was life-flighted to a hospital in the Texas Medical Center in Houston where he is being carefully monitored. Tom was wearing a good helmet, he was very careful to always have the best safety gear, but he still has a serious brain injury. He is now in an induced coma. He is listed as being in critical condition.

In an email this evening his mother, also named Linda, btw, writes: "Please pray for him and ask everyone you know to pray for him. He is a wonderful son and a good man. I can't say enough good things about him and how good and wonderful he has been to us."

Also pray for his parents, Linda and Tommy, as this has been hard on them.

They are all friends of mine.

And to inspire you to intercession here is a photograph of Lindy's friend, ROWAN, praying for Tom as hard as a little dog can.

***

Posted at FRAN I AM:

OK, some quick updates.

First and foremost, things do not seem quite as dire regarding my SIL's health. It it too much to go into here, but we have reason to be optimistic at the moment.

She did cancel the trip to Hawaii, which Miss Thing has taken well. She also has decided, as I had mentioned already, that she will keep Skittles.

Thanks for the prayers, please feel free to keep them coming. We are all grateful.

***

Posted by Roseann at
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE, PLEASE!

I am now having problems with blood clots. I couldn't do dialysis today because of blood clots in my catheter. At least they sent me home from the hospital as there is nothing they can do and I'm more comfortable at home.

Roseann is at home and so has access to her computer.
Pop over and give her a hug!

arrogant, manipulative, nepotistical, despotic, schismatic, pharasaical, misogynistic creative accountant accuses UK of being unchristian.

From THE TIMES:

Britain is facing a “battle for the soul of the nation”, an archbishop warned yesterday at the inaugural meeting of a group that threatens to split the Church of England.

The Head Of The Family Firm called for a spiritual renewal of Church and State in his keynote speech to the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in London. Dr Selflove, arguably the most powerful evangelical in the Anglican Communion and a driving force behind the conservative revival, said: “In this country, the Christian foundations have been shaken. In this and the next generation there will be fought what may amount to the last battle for the soul of the nation.

“It will be an ideological war, a war of ideas. But great issues will hang upon the outcome: the fate of a culture and the eternal fate of souls.” He warned: “The culture of the West has adopted and promulgated anti-Christian belief and practice. It confronts every Christian with the choice of submission or harassment. It pretends to be the true heir of the Christian faith, and that the entire structure of Christian thought can disappear into the receding past. The conflict is over the authority of Jesus Christ. The fact that sexual ethics is where the contest is sharpest should not divert us from this basic truth.”

COMMENT: "... arguably the most powerful evangelical in the Anglican Communion and a driving force behind the conservative revival..."

Oh yes? Father Christian has retired has he? I don't think so. This Antipodean clerical caesar is nothing but a half-baked pretender.

the true face of scottish evangelicalismby Andrew Mogendorff

My dear old mum is having quite an exciting time in Aberdeen with Scott Rennie's first few days at Queen's Cross. The first service went really well apparently - mum sings in the choir and said that the music went great. I think there was a minor security concern but the undercover security guys took care of it very discreetly.

Yesterday she was one of the first people to get to church and saw that there was a sign which had been nailed to the front door:

"THIS CHURCH IS NOW A DEN
OF INIQUITY AND IS DAMNED!!"

Mum said "I waited until a couple of other people had arrived, so at least there was someone else in the building, and then got out the tool box and prized the huge nails, over 20 of them, out of the wood (kept the nails cos they might come in useful if WE ever want to nail notice boards about the place!). There were also three candles underneath it which I removed, but sadly couldn't keep to use again because they had burnt themselves to the bottom. The notice was amazing really - it must have taken a lot of thought and time to make and paint (patently with a lot of venom involved), let alone hammer into place, and I thought that probably the person or people responsible had not done such a piece of artwork since their nursery school days of sloshing paint about and sticking and pasting. Again the church was packed for the service but all was peaceful outside. So next Sunday we have the first service that Scott will lead and then I reckon all the fuss will die down. What an extraordinary thing to have been part of all that has gone on over these last eight months, and then being part of the induction process."

What she didn't know was that she was photographed by the local paper (THE PRESS AND JOURNAL) as she was removing the sign. That's her on the right in the black top.

Andrew blogs at ANDREW.MOGENDORFF.COM.

madpriest's thought for the day

"Anaheim Convention Center
(near Disneyland) in Southern California."

Planned or coincidence?

the dvant discoloud monday

When I was hanging around the English punk scene back in 1976/77 I was well aware of all the US new wave bands that had gained notoriety because of their performances at CBGBs and Max's Kansas City. Later I could see that the English punk style influenced the American noise bands of the early eighties such as The Dead Kennedies. What I did not realise up until this week was how early the English punk style was taken up by bands over on the West Coast of America. I only became of this phenomenon when I came across an album by ROZZ REZABEK from 1977. This is the blurb on the record posted on the CD BABY site where you can also purchase the download.

Rozz was the lead singer for the notorious "NEGATIVE TREND" when they formed in 1977. By mid 78' rozz was moving in a poppier direction. While other founding members split off to form TOILING MIDGETS and FLIPPER respectively, Rozz recorded these songs (having written most all the words and music himself) at Peter Millers Marina studio in 4 hours!.. including overdubs and mixing..it is a sonic blast of the purest punk pop. A stunning accomplishment for a young teenager,..these nine songs are classic gems..sometimes known as THE BELFAST COWBOYS..DAVID BASIC,BOBBY BARRAGE, an RON SOMETHING played on these tracks..it was originally re-released by WHITE NOIZE records in 2000 as "the POP sessions"..THE BIG TAKEOVER review called this the "third best document of the Era".

So, for the very few of you who will appreciate this gorgeous racket, here are five tracks off the album.

episcopal "cattle market"upsets feminist theologians

From MPN.NOW:

Episcopal SeniorLife Communities will celebrate Gorgeous Grandma Day on July 23 with a Gorgeous Grandma contest.

Any child age 5-13 who thinks his or her grandma is gorgeous can submit an application to ESLC explaining 3 reasons why Grandma is gorgeous and a description of what the applicant likes to do with Grandma. A photo or illustration of the applicant with his or her grandma must be attached, along with the name, age, and phone number of the applicant.

Prizes will be awarded based on creativity, clarity and thoughtfulness.

Applications can be mailed to 535 Mt. Hope Ave. Rochester 14610, or emailed to agreenman@episcopalseniorlife.org. Include “Gorgeous Grandma” on the subject line. Applications must be received by July 15. Winners will be notified by phone by July 17 (and again on July 18 and July 19 and July 20 and...)

made in scotland

From THE GUARDIAN:

A book by an American historian, published this weekend, has made the startling claim that Scotland invented democracy and the American dream. Linda MacDonald-Lewis hopes that Warriors and Wordsmiths of Freedom: The Birth and Growth of Democracy will bring an understanding on both sides of the Atlantic of the true debt Americans owe to the Scots.

The daughter of a Scot who divides her time between America and Scotland, MacDonald-Lewis believes the Declaration of Independence, the charter that laid out the early principles of democracy in the United States, was not based on a model from the ancient Greeks or the Magna Carta as is widely believed, but was in fact based on the 14th-century Declaration of Arbroath.

"It's time to highlight these links much more widely and in language people can understand," she said. "If Americans want to understand their history, they need to look to Scotland, because that is where their ideals come from. And Scots should look across the Atlantic to see where their homegrown doctrines and ideas have been most fully embraced."

Presented to the pope in 1320 to confirm Scotland's status under Robert the Bruce as a state with an ancient constitution, and to reject any English claim of sovereignty, the declaration drawn up at Arbroath Abbey formalised the idea of equality for all. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 was written to reject the British rule.

MacDonald-Lewis believes the similarities between the cries of freedom in both documents are a deliberate move by America's founding fathers - half of those who signed the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish ancestry. Robert the Bruce, meanwhile, was the first ruler in Europe to be brought to power by a system recognisable as modern democracy, by "due consent and assent of us all".

COMMENT: Well, that would explain all the cheating that goes on in American elections.

no more holy watering holes

From THE TIMES OF INDIA:

It's a cold rainy evening and you want to warm yourself with a shot of feni at St Francis Xavier bar. Or after a hard day's labour, you wish for a chilled draught or two at Durga bar, or Vailankani bar, St Anthony bar or St Thomas taverna.

The pleasure will be yours no more. No, the government's not taking away your right to drink, it's taking away the hallowed name of your favourite tavern.

The government has just amended the excise rules to ban liquor bars with religious names. In fact, the rule "comes into force at once", since a notification to this effect was issued on June 26, 2009. While it immediately affects those seeking new licenses and renewals, excise officials said the government would have to take a policy decision on existing bars.

Goa has about 6,500 licensed liquor bars and it is not uncommon to find them named after gods, goddesses and saints.

COMMENT: Politicians should not get involved in theological matters as they usually do not have enough knowledge of the subject to make informed decisions. In this particular case they have failed to understand that the saint on the pub sign is only an icon through which the believer venerates the true object of his or her devotion - BEER.

ocicbw... guest sermonthe fourth sunday after trinityby gloria cadman

I have the great privilege of working at a healthy, exciting and intelligent church. For a start we are blessed with four very competent preachers on our sermon rota - the best of whom is our reader, Gloria. The following is the sermon she preached yesterday which is a very fine example of how to construct a sermon as well as being full of many excellent and well made points.

Whilst I am on the subject of sermons - remember that OCICBW... is actively seeking input from community members and this includes sermons. If you are a preacher and you have a sermon that you would like to reach a wider audience than just your congregation, and you don't have your own blog, please do send it in to me by email. As long as it is roughly on message and not complete crap I will be more than happy to post it and would be grateful for your assistance in keeping OCICBW... fresh and interesting.

PROPER NINE:

2 CORINTHIANS 12:2-10
I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows - was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

MARK 6:1-13
Jesus came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded.

They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”

And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.

He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

A few weeks ago there was a minor media frenzy when Barak Obama demonstrated his presidential power by killing a humble house fly with his bare hands during a White House interview. Implicit in the British media's coverage of this piece of nonsense was their intention to contrast the forcefulness of the American leader with the impotence of our own Prime Minister whom the media has been vilifying for months on account of his perceived weakness. The coverage played to human admiration of strength. People like their leaders to be strong and they want their country to be strong. Many Britons have stili to come to terms with the fact that but for our membership of the European Union our voice on the international stage would barely be heard. Christians are also not immune from being seduced by strength and we tend to believe that it's important for the church to be strong. Many of us are anxious, especially in this country, about the decline in church membership, In spite of the fact that more than 70% of the population claim to be Christian. The church seems unable to make its voice heard above the clamour of secularism or to influence values or protect the Christian traditions of our society. And at local level parishes spend an inordinate amount of time and energy worrying about buildings and paying the parish share because they seem important if we are to stave off further decline. We want the powers that be to get a grip on the situation, flex some muscles.

Of course our flirtations with human power stop short when we suspect that it is being abused. We are appalled when we hear that the Iranian authorities have used excessive force to crush peaceful opposition, just as we were appalled 20 years ago when we watched a lone, and still unknown, man attempt to hold back the Chinese army's tanks in Tiananmen Square with no more than a couple of shopping bags. Yet I suspect even in the freer parts of the world there are some who have a sneaking regard for the Iranian and Chinese governments. As if to prove my point, The Times reported yesterday that Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula 1 boss, had declared that Hitler was a good leader because he got things done! In its long history the Church itself has not been afraid to use its power to control people, Its worst excesses seen in a period from the late middle ages to the seventeenth century when people might be tortured and put to death for deviating from orthodox teaching. And while I know of no Christians who would want to return to those practices, there are nevertheless stili some who would wish to employ such power as they have to get rid of those with whom they disagree. Why are humans so attracted to the strong and powerful, even to regimes and institutions which abuse them? The answer lies probably in the way in which we have evolved. For the first humans on earth survival was the main goal, and to survive and make good use of life they had to be strong. So humans have evolved to believe that if we are weak, no one will respect us and we may even put our lives at risk. Strength seems to achieve everything. Might is right, as the saying goes.

First century Roman emperors certainly went along with the view that their might was right, and those who exercised power on their behalf did so in an often arbitrary and cruel fashion. Without fear of contradiction Roman officials could boast of their power since only those prepared to risk terrible retribution challenged imperial might. This was the world in which the earliest Christians lived. This was the context In which St Paul pursued his missionary calling. It's hardly surprising If some of his fellow Christians felt that the best way to compete with pagan Rome and draw others to Christ was to boast of the power they possessed. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians was written in part as a response to this development within Christian communities. The passage which we heard today is usually referred to as Paul's fool's speech because Paul uses the word himself and because it seems so foolish and counter-intuitive to write: "Whenever I am weak, then I am strong".

What we heard today was Paul constructing a sharp defence of his ministry by waging an equally sharp attack on some Christian preachers who had made their way to Corinth and destabillsed his authority there. Paul was also aware that the so-called super apostles had attacked him on the grounds that he did not exhibit powers appropriate to an apostle, neither accomplishing great deeds, nor having marvellous spiritual experiences, nor working great miracles because, If he had, he would have boasted of them. Paul feels obliged to point out that the accusations are false and that, If he chose to, he could boast as they do. However, Paul differs from those who crltlclse him: he is able to make a clear distinction between human power and God's power. He is able to do this because he is aware of a constant and recurring weakness, what he refers to as his "thorn---in the flesh". His disability causes him to look in a wholly different way from his contemporaries at himself and at God. He humbly acknowledges that the powers he has are not his but are derived from God and asserts that the "thorn--In the flesh", and we've no way of knowing what it actually was, is no obstacle to God, whose power works through it.

In the same way we see God's power working through weakness to achieve his purpose in today's gospel passage from Mark. Jesus commissions the twelve to
go In twos on their own missionary journeys and we can't help but be struck by their apparent weakness: no food, no bag, wearing only one tunic and sandals on their feet, reliant on the hospitality of strangers. But not only do they have few material resources, they also appear largely unready to be missionaries. For although they have been with Jesus as he taught, exorcised demons and healed, their main recorded response to him up to this point in Mark's gospel has been the accusation of not caring about them in the middle of the storm and impatience with him over the healing of the haemorrhaging woman. But Jesus' decision to send them anyway shows that he's willing to work with flawed disciples, and God's power at work In them enables them to heal and to carry out a ministry of exorcism. Of course, that the disciples submitted to such a harsh apprenticeship demonstrates courage and perseverance, not to mention great trust in Jesus, but they had his example to inspire them, for he too had been made weak. They had witnessed Jesus' arrival in his home town and his rejection, not just by the populace in general, but also by his own family. They had seen that his own rejection had rendered him almost powerless to do any miracle, but he had not been discouraged by his weakness. He merely left Nazareth, never to return again. From there he presses onwards to where God's power working In him can be put to use, resuming his ministry In other villages. The key to the whole enterprise is faith.

Be that as It may, people in general, both then and now, are bound to struggle with the notion that weakness can ever be good; the pull and the influence of the world in which we live is great. We have no way of knowing how the Corinthians responded to Paul's assertion that whenever he was weak he was strong. Perhaps they were unconvlnced, though knowing the stories of their pagan gods they might believe it made sense not to indulge In arrogant behaviour{hubris) because ruin lay in wait for those who sought to usurp the gods' power. Even the mighty Roman emperor parading through a throng of cheering crowds at a triumphal procession was accompanied by a slave whose job it was to whisper in the emperor's ear: "Remember you too are mortal". As for those early Christian communities for whom the evangelists wrote, they heard how those who had witnessed Jesus' crucifixion had at first believed that the cross was the ultimate sign of weakness, but Jesus' triumph over death convinced them that the brokenness of Jesus on the cross pointed to the glory of the resurrection. God's power had indeed been made "perfect in weakness".

Christians in our own time, I suspect, have rather more trouble than those early Christians in disengaging from the wisdom of the world which dictates strong is good, weak is bad. We are sometimes tempted to judge priests and congregations by the quantities of people and the quantities of money which they attract because that's the way the world judges success. We assume Christians have been driven to the margins of society because the work that Christians do and the things they say are rarely reported by the secular press. Who notices, we might think, when an Anglican bishop speaks on an Important issue in the House of Lords? What they say appears to be of no consequence in the real world. But the message of today's texts indicates otherwise. Though Christians do not glorify weakness, we do know that God works through us whether in worldly terms we are weak or strong. In fact from today's texts it appears God works most effectively when those he calls are humble and accepting of their limitations. Christians do not need the trappings of worldly power. St Paul, rushing around Asia Minor and parts of western Europe, careless of his health and status, was a huge success; without him we can reasonably argue that Christianity as we know It would never have existed. The church began not as a building, nor as a hierarchical institution bound by complex doctrines, nor as a voluntary social organization. The church began with Jesus, a humble Jew, who was unencumbered by money and possessions and uncompromised by contact with women, outcasts and the ritually unclean but who, empowered by his Father in heaven, walked the dusty roads of a remote province of the Roman Empire 2000 years ago to proclaim the Good News of God's kingdom. He formed a community of disciples, powerless by worldly standards, who reached out to a wider community, embracing both gentile and Jew. They were able to continue his work of spreading the Good News because he had commissioned them. Through our baptism he has commissioned us no less.

vatican makes U.S. bishops look stupid

Cardinal George Cottier, 87, former theologian of the papal household under Pope John Paul II and Vatican adviser, has praised US President Barack Obama's "humble realism" and measured approach to abortion. He compared the president's approach to abortion to the thinking of St Thomas Aquinas and early Christian tradition about framing laws in a pluralistic society.

His views, published in an essay in the current issue of 30 Giorni, reputedly the most widely read journal of Catholic affairs in Italy, analysed two Obama speeches - a May 17 commencement address at the University of Notre Dame and a June 4 speech to the Islamic world in Cairo.

Cardinal Cottier's essay was overwhelmingly positive, repeatedly arguing that Obama's "realism", as well as his commitment to finding "common ground", resonate with Christian tradition and the social teaching of the Catholic church.

for self-assured readpompous and arrogant

An unprecedented inquiry into alleged misconduct of Anglican bishop Michael Hough could cost the Australian Anglican Church nearly a third of its financial reserves, a report said. An independent investigator, Sydney lawyer Geoff Kelly, is set to probe into claims of bullying and harassment by the Ballarat diocese bishop against clergy and laypeople, according to The Age. It will cost an estimated $400,000. Depending on his findings, the Episcopal Standards Commission will set up a tribunal with power to depose the bishop, also unprecedented in Australian history, which could cost another $350,000.

The Anglican Church of Australia's reserves were $2.5 million, said national treasurer John McKenzie.

The complaints from 13 past and present clergy and several senior laypeople have not been made public. In a report by the newspaper in January about the complaints, Ballarat Cathedral Council member Euan Thompson described the bishop as "a difficult, obnoxious, prickly person who has poor people skills and an abrasive manner."

Hough had responded that the complainants were a small group of malcontents. Asked if he would resign to save the investigation costs, Bishop Hough said: "I'm not sure why I would go. Whatever garbage went on at the synod, our business is preaching the gospel and building the church, and I'm an integral part of it. I don't have time to muck around with this. I'm too busy on God's business."

the death of blogging (continued)

Is Facebook what we have always really wanted, despite our protestations to the contrary:

A gated communion community - a church where we get to decide who can come in and sit next to us?

This is the general chit chat post for the
Of Course I Could Be Wrong... crowd.

A new thread will be started everyday.

You may use this post to talk to
each other about whatever you like.

There was an advert on the back of "New Scientist"
last week for the new Panasonic Blu-Ray recorder.
In large letters it claimed that it provided "Infinite
HD possibilities.

You know, I somehow doubt that it does.

Today's optional starter: ADVERTISING.

the prayer list

From Sue:

Subject: Roseann

I had gotten a note from Roseann this afternoon, saying the doctors are having a hard time getting the right drug to treat her staph infection, the nausea is raging again so she is remaining on the feeding tube.

I see entries on FB for the mafia wars that she has been playing, so that is a good sign, I hope.

***

Posted by Sharecropper at
23 ACRES OF BLACK DIRT:

Some of you have read my story of non-ordination and the ensuing 20 years of ministry, and some of you know that I have not been a church-goer much less a participant in several years.

Today I attended a small church in Jacksonville, NC, and felt as if I entered a place of blessing. One Sunday, one communion, but a changed attitude. I remember singing, "Just as I am......." ad infinitum in the Baptist Church, but always being moved by the simplicity of its message. The simplicity of getting in the car and driving to this church, walking in the door, and participating in the liturgy made me feel as if I had never been away.

God and I have been getting along rather well, but I suspect a new ministry is going to present itself to me soon. I've been having dreams of being in the wrong place but having to bide my time for the right place.

So, Baptist or otherwise, I continue to sing "Just as I am...." and "here I am, Lord"
and, if I can only touch the hem of the garment....

the midnight jukeboxsunday go to church special

Tonight, something rather special for the blues fans among you. "Jesus Is On The Mainline" followed by five more tracks off the new album, "I did the same mistake again" (CD and download available from CD BABY), by Austrian blues legend
SIGGI FASSL.

Siggi is a long time member of the internationally renowned, veteran blues group, THE MOJO BLUES BAND. But on this album he performs solo and, my goodness, his genius really shines through.

is your bishop schismatic?

The Fellowship Of Christian Athletes (FCA - "A non-profit, interdenominational ministry that reaches out to the young athletes of the world. currently meeting in London") "are encouraged by the number of Church of England Bishops who have indicated their attendance."

So far the list consists of the following:

Bishop Michael Langrish, Exeter
Bishop David Urquhart, Birmingham
Bishop Michael Nazir Ali, Rochester
Bishop John Hind, Chichester
Bishop Wallace Benn, Lewes
Bishop Colin Fletcher, Dorchester
Bishop Keith Sinclair, Birkenhead
Bishop John Broadhurst, Fulham
Bishop Andrew Burnham, Ebbsfleet
Bishop Keith Newton, Richborough
Bishop John Ball (Retd – Assistant in Chelmsford)
Bishop Colin Bazley (Retd – Assistant in Chester)
Bishop John Ellison (Retd – Assistant in Winchester)
Bishop Maurice Sinclair (Retd – Assistant in Birmingham)

COMMENT: It's not that impressive. Only four of these grumps have any real diocesan authority: Langrish, Urquhart, Nasty Alley and Hind. The people of Exeter, Rochester and Chichester are well used to the male centred views of their bishops but it is damaging to have such a reactionary at Birmingham, England's second city.

And the elephant in the room continues to loom large at these schismatic conventions. I know for a fact that Burnham, Broadhurst and Newton each have more gay friends than I have. The fact that these gay friends will sacrifice their integrity, self-fulfillment and happiness just to keep the "monstrous regiment of women" down is one of the most bizarre and hypocritical episodes in the history of English Anglo-Catholicism. One day this will all explode in their faces and there will be great disharmony among the bigots. I mean, they can't all become Warden Of the Walsingham Shrine.

Information from THINKING ANGLICANS.

firework retailers getrocket from muslims

From TWIN CITIES.COM:

Run Hadji Run" fireworks are drawing the ire of a local Muslim advocacy group who say the pyrotechnic products are spreading racist images. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Friday made a public plea for retailers to pull the products off their shelves because of "derogatory imagery," according to Jessica Zikri, a spokeswoman for the council's St. Paul office. On one side, the package contains cartoon depictions of men in Middle Eastern-style clothing riding camels, with a stealth bomber flying overhead. On another side is an image of Uncle Sam pulling the beard of a graying man in a turban.

"It looks like something that could have come out 50 or 60 years ago, but not today," Zikri said. "I guess it's just a signal that these anti-Arab sentiments are still out there. And we don't think they should be for sale."

fad ends

Posted at BENE DICTION BLOGS ON:

MadPriests comment:

U.S. catholic bishopsexcommunicate pope

Well, we're in trouble now. U.S. bishops, not all of them but clearly a vocal few, have brought the church to the point of serious confusion. By denouncing Notre Dame for inviting President Obama to give the university's 2009 commencement address and, in the course of that ceremony, to receive the honorary degree awarded to eight U.S. presidents before him, the bishops are surely in an awkward position. To say the least.

The problem is that on July 10, Pope Benedict XVI will receive President Obama at the Vatican itself. That kind of reception is, of course, no small honor for anyone and surely a symbol of dialogue and listening at the highest level of Vatican diplomacy.
So will those same bishops denounce the Vatican, too, as they did Notre Dame? And if not, what is that saying?
(Joan Chittester)

Full article at THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER.

Thanks to Amelia for sending in the link.

the great ocicbw... chin wagSunday 5th. july 2009

This is the general chit chat post for the
Of Course I Could Be Wrong... crowd.

A new thread will be started everyday.

You may use this post to talk to
each other about whatever you like.

Well, that's as good an optional starter as any
- "What was your first childhood memory?

the prayer list

From ANDREW MOGENDORFF:

Thanks for including my mum in the prayer list earlier in the week. You may have been following the story of Scott Rennie going to Aberdeen - thought you'd like to know that his induction service was today. HERE'S the story from their local paper. Interesting that they would call it a "hate campaign" against him - I think that is indeed what it was, but there was probably also a lot of basic concern at tradition being thrown out and all that. Not to defend the bigots, but it was probably a little more than just hate.

Cheers
Andrew

***

Posted by Lauralew at EPISCOGRANNY:

Mom is in the hospital and has been since Wednesday. The night previous to the day she was to have her lung tapped, though, she could not sleep due to the pain in her pre-gangrenous feet. In fact, she was screaming. My brother and his wife got her into their car and took her to the emergency room. It took lots of IV pain medication to get her to the point she did not scream. In the meantime, the doctors ran a couple of tests which made them realize that both feet are gone. On top of that, her lab tests indicated that she had had a mild heart attack. Three quarters of a litre of fluid was drained by the lung doc the next morning from her right lung. Preliminary reports are that is clear. The plan for Mom at present is to get her stable medically, her pain under control, then proceed with a double amputation.

***

Posted by REBELREVRN:

There is something about being asked not to attend a church service that feels like the ultimate rejection. I knew that it was time to leave. I had made my decision a few days earlier while on retreat in upstate New York. I planned to do the 'jobs' I was scheduled to do during the month of June, ask to be taken off the rota for the summer and gradually fade into the sunset.

I wanted to tell the priest that she was being cruel by criticizing everything I did or said. I was a 'lay' volunteer in her church not only was she cruel but she had no right to criticize me, she wasn't my boss. I didn't need it anymore, my identity is not wrapped up in being a 'lay eucharistic minister' or the person who wrote the prayers, it was time to move on, to "shake the dust off my feet" as it was clear I wasn't wanted. But I didn't say anything because it didn't seem loving, it didn't seem like it would bring about justice, and nothing redemptive would come out of it. Fading into the sunset seemed to be the compassionate thing to do. The day after I got home, I received a voiced demanding a meeting. When I insisted she tell me why, and ask that she call me when I could answer the phone. The next day a voice mail asking me not to attend that coming sunday.

***

Posted by Dianne at FORKS OFF THE MOMENT:

My grandbaby was born at 10:09 PM on July 3

SHE weighs 7 lbs 9 0zs and is 20.5 inches long

She's fine. Mom is fine. Dad is fine. Nana HiDi is fine.