Saturday, 10 March 2012
Friday, 9 March 2012
GUMBY OF THE DAY
Today's award for excellence in the field of disingenuously disguised bigotry goes to God's spokesman, himself, Benny the I'm Right About Everything, for his latest contribution to a subject he knows absolutely bugger all about.
From ABC13 ACTION NEWS:
Pope Benedict XVI is telling U.S. bishops to beef up their teaching about the evils of pre-marital sex and cohabitation and denouncing what he calls the "powerful" gay marriage lobby in the United States. He says a weakened appreciation for marriage between man and woman, as well as a widespread rejection of responsible sexuality, had led to "grave social problems bearing an immense human and economic cost."
Erm? I would have thought that responsible sexuality would involve the responsible and prudent use of contraception so that there aren't so many poverty stricken Roman Catholic children running around the streets of the world's cities having to steel and sell their bodies just to survive. And in a overcrowded world surely the Roman Catholic dogma of one baby per shag most definitely contributes to "grave social problems bearing an immense human and economic cost."
But what do I know? I'm just a person who is married and has a sex life.
From ABC13 ACTION NEWS:
Erm? I would have thought that responsible sexuality would involve the responsible and prudent use of contraception so that there aren't so many poverty stricken Roman Catholic children running around the streets of the world's cities having to steel and sell their bodies just to survive. And in a overcrowded world surely the Roman Catholic dogma of one baby per shag most definitely contributes to "grave social problems bearing an immense human and economic cost."
But what do I know? I'm just a person who is married and has a sex life.
LOUD FRIDAY
Oh, this is very good indeed. I am pretty certain that Loud Friday fans are going to like this one.
BAND'S WEBSITE
Buy from Amazon via the shop page at SAINT LAIKA'S.
FRIDAY CAT BLOGGING
This is Smoogie. I'm not 100% certain but I think he lives with an old friend of mine, John Dray.
John was one of the finest priests I ever had the good fortune to meet and get to know. We did our post-ordination training together and were both members of the infamous "Curates Behaving Badly" gang. I think it was because of wanting to be nearer his family but he moved from the relative safety of Newcastle Diocese to the den of Satan himself, Rochester Diocese. He is no longer working as a priest but has his own IT business. He has enjoyed a loving relationship with his partner, Alan, since 2006.
Check out his blog
CURIOUS MEANDERINGS
or I'll come round and git yer!
GOD BOTHERING - FRIDAY 9TH. MARCH 2012
If you have a prayer request you want including on Monday's prayer list, please let me know in the comments to this post, go to St. Laika's and leave it on the Our Prayers forum or drop me an email at madpriestx@sky.com.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
I'M ALRIGHT JACK - AND SO SHOULD THEY BE
The former Labour Justice Secretary, Jack Straw has attacked the opposition to marriage equality by the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.
A central principle common to all world religions is the idea that we should behave towards others in the way in which we would expect others to behave towards us. Christ devotes much of his teaching to this theme, building on the Old Testament injunction that we should love our neighbours as we love ourselves. ’Judge not, that ye be not judged’, and ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’, are two of his most powerful, and enduring, messages about how individuals, local communities, and whole societies, should live peacefully, and happily, with others.
I happen to be, in the modern jargon, ‘straight’. It doesn’t make me a better person. I didn’t choose to be straight. It’s how I am. It would be no different if I were gay. I would neither be a better, nor a worse, person because of it. It would simply be how I was.
Because I am straight, I have a right to marry a woman. But if I were a gay man, or a lesbian woman, in love with another gay man, or lesbian woman, I can get to a half-way house with a “civil partnership”, but the law currently says that I cannot marry.
Some Church leaders say the law should stay that way, on the spurious grounds that the sanctity and importance of heterosexual marriage will somehow be damaged. How, why? I know of no-one who is married who feels threatened by the idea that another couple, same sex, wishes to cement their love for each other by marrying. Why should this not be a matter of celebration, rather than of prohibition?
How on earth do these church leaders square their present stand with those biblical injunctions about treating others as you would expect to be treated yourself?
A central principle common to all world religions is the idea that we should behave towards others in the way in which we would expect others to behave towards us. Christ devotes much of his teaching to this theme, building on the Old Testament injunction that we should love our neighbours as we love ourselves. ’Judge not, that ye be not judged’, and ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’, are two of his most powerful, and enduring, messages about how individuals, local communities, and whole societies, should live peacefully, and happily, with others.
I happen to be, in the modern jargon, ‘straight’. It doesn’t make me a better person. I didn’t choose to be straight. It’s how I am. It would be no different if I were gay. I would neither be a better, nor a worse, person because of it. It would simply be how I was.
Because I am straight, I have a right to marry a woman. But if I were a gay man, or a lesbian woman, in love with another gay man, or lesbian woman, I can get to a half-way house with a “civil partnership”, but the law currently says that I cannot marry.
Some Church leaders say the law should stay that way, on the spurious grounds that the sanctity and importance of heterosexual marriage will somehow be damaged. How, why? I know of no-one who is married who feels threatened by the idea that another couple, same sex, wishes to cement their love for each other by marrying. Why should this not be a matter of celebration, rather than of prohibition?
How on earth do these church leaders square their present stand with those biblical injunctions about treating others as you would expect to be treated yourself?
IT'S STILL MARCH, IT'S STILL MAD
AND IT'S STILL ONE HECK OF A SALE
It's only the eighth of March which means that there are still three Sundays and the Feast of the Annunciation in the March issue of "New Words for Holy Communion" that are still fresh and waiting for you to use in your eucharistic services or as part of your personal devotions. And I'm giving them away for nought!
All you have to do is purchase a copy of the April issue for just £2.49 and when I email it to you I will also attach a copy of the March edition.
This offer does not apply for Kindle downloads but anybody who buys, or has bought, a copy of the April issue on Kindle who wants a copy of the March issue should just drop me an email and I will will send a PDF version of the March issue to them.
The Kindle edition has proved far more popular than I expected.
For the US edition CLICK HERE.
For the UK edition CLICK HERE.
It should also be available on other Amazon sites. Just go to the Kindle section and type "New Words For Holy Communion" in the search box.
Why not spread the word about "New Words" by generously buying a copy for a friend or colleague who might be interested in using it on a regular basis? You can do this with Kindle and with the PDF version. But don't forget to tell the recipient of your generosity where he or she can buy their own copy for May.
GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY
I particularly like the way God has infiltrated Google's Adsense programming.
THEY'RE TOUGH LITTLE DOGS
From THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:
Barbara Bagley says she never gave up hope that her dog would be found alive in the Nevada desert after the animal bolted from the scene of a crash that critically injured her and killed her husband. But the Salt Lake City woman endured plenty of frustration until her beloved 4-year-old Shetland sheepdog, Dooley, was tracked down Feb. 18 after surviving 53 days in the wild on roadkill and scattered ranch water sources.
The Dec. 27 single-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 near Battle Mountain, about 225 miles east of Reno, sent Bagley and her 55-year-old husband, Brad Vom Baur, to the hospital in critical condition. Their other sheltie, Delaney, was killed in the wreck. Dooley ran away and vanished.
Bagley, 48, suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a shattered wrist and two punctured lungs. As soon as she mustered up enough strength, she turned her attention to a search for her dog in the sprawling sage-covered plains and hills of northeastern Nevada. Realizing what Dooley could mean for her recovery, dozens of Nevada volunteers responded to a Facebook plea for help in looking for him. But the search was canceled before it began after the Jan. 6 discovery of what appeared to be the dog's remains along the interstate. The same day, her husband died.
"It was a horrible day for me," Bagley recalled. "But something inside me told me Dooley was still alive out there. I wasn't 100 percent sure, but I didn't grieve for Dooley like I did for my husband and our other dog."
More than three weeks later, Bagley's spirits were buoyed after a woman reported spotting "a Lassie-type" dog near the accident scene. A subsequent search joined by Bagley turned up nothing, but a railroad crew spotted a dog matching the same description in mid-February in the same area about 15 miles east of Battle Mountain.
Further searches netted a positive identification of Dooley but frustration as well because the skittish dog kept fleeing from Bagley and other searchers. Finally, Shannon Sustacha of Lamoille, who was on horseback, and a Bagley friend driving a Jeep cornered Dooley only five miles from the crash scene. The friend managed to nab the sheltie and put him in the Jeep.
An ecstatic, tearful Bagley arrived at the scene a short time later.
When Barbara opened the door and looked at him, she said, 'My beautiful boy, my beautiful boy, you're home.'
While Bagley is still going through the grieving process over her husband's death and recovering from her injuries, Dooley's presence has picked up her spirits immensely.
"He's the physical and mental affection that I need to recover," she said. "I owe him so much for the hope I have now and the renewed faith I have in prayer. Dogs are so great because of their unconditional love."
COMMENT: This is a sad/happy and beautiful story but the survival of the little Sheltie doesn't overly surprise me.
Any dog bred to put up with the weather on the Shetland Isles is going to be able to take a couple of months lost in the Nevada desert in its stride.
They're cute and tiny but they're also tough little dogs.
Thanks to IT for this story.
Barbara Bagley says she never gave up hope that her dog would be found alive in the Nevada desert after the animal bolted from the scene of a crash that critically injured her and killed her husband. But the Salt Lake City woman endured plenty of frustration until her beloved 4-year-old Shetland sheepdog, Dooley, was tracked down Feb. 18 after surviving 53 days in the wild on roadkill and scattered ranch water sources.
The Dec. 27 single-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 near Battle Mountain, about 225 miles east of Reno, sent Bagley and her 55-year-old husband, Brad Vom Baur, to the hospital in critical condition. Their other sheltie, Delaney, was killed in the wreck. Dooley ran away and vanished.
Bagley, 48, suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a shattered wrist and two punctured lungs. As soon as she mustered up enough strength, she turned her attention to a search for her dog in the sprawling sage-covered plains and hills of northeastern Nevada. Realizing what Dooley could mean for her recovery, dozens of Nevada volunteers responded to a Facebook plea for help in looking for him. But the search was canceled before it began after the Jan. 6 discovery of what appeared to be the dog's remains along the interstate. The same day, her husband died.
"It was a horrible day for me," Bagley recalled. "But something inside me told me Dooley was still alive out there. I wasn't 100 percent sure, but I didn't grieve for Dooley like I did for my husband and our other dog."
More than three weeks later, Bagley's spirits were buoyed after a woman reported spotting "a Lassie-type" dog near the accident scene. A subsequent search joined by Bagley turned up nothing, but a railroad crew spotted a dog matching the same description in mid-February in the same area about 15 miles east of Battle Mountain.
Further searches netted a positive identification of Dooley but frustration as well because the skittish dog kept fleeing from Bagley and other searchers. Finally, Shannon Sustacha of Lamoille, who was on horseback, and a Bagley friend driving a Jeep cornered Dooley only five miles from the crash scene. The friend managed to nab the sheltie and put him in the Jeep.
An ecstatic, tearful Bagley arrived at the scene a short time later.
When Barbara opened the door and looked at him, she said, 'My beautiful boy, my beautiful boy, you're home.'
While Bagley is still going through the grieving process over her husband's death and recovering from her injuries, Dooley's presence has picked up her spirits immensely.
"He's the physical and mental affection that I need to recover," she said. "I owe him so much for the hope I have now and the renewed faith I have in prayer. Dogs are so great because of their unconditional love."
Any dog bred to put up with the weather on the Shetland Isles is going to be able to take a couple of months lost in the Nevada desert in its stride.
They're cute and tiny but they're also tough little dogs.
Thanks to IT for this story.
NEW BROOM SWEEPS ST. PAUL'S
INTO THE REAL WORLD
From THE GUARDIAN:
The Very Rev Dr David Ison, who was appointed as the new dean of St. Paul's Cathedral by the Queen this week, said the church should welcome gay people wanting to take on the virtues of marriage, such as faithfulness.
"We need to take seriously people's desire for partnership and make sure that the virtues that you see in married relationships are available to people who are gay," he said.
Ison told the Times that there was a problem of "word definition" about gay marriage because of the history and the tradition of the church. He added that it was more helpful to talk of "Christian marriage" than homosexual or heterosexual unions.
"You can regard two Christian gay people as wanting to have the virtues of Christian marriage. For Christian gay people to model that kind of faithfulness, in a culture which, historically, has often been about promiscuity, is a very good thing to do."
He added that gay couples should also be allowed to adopt children: "I think that ... anyone who can provide a loving, stable, caring home should be able to adopt."
Asked whether the government was right to change the law on gay marriage, Ison said a commitment to being together was "the best pattern for how to flourish if you're going to be in a relationship ... whether you're gay or straight."
He added: "Marriage doesn't belong to the Church."
My goodness! How did that happen? Just when you think you've got the Church of England sussed they go and do something completely out of the blue that reminds you that it is all about God and love and stuff rather than politics and swanning around the world on the weekly offerings of the faithful.
Hey! I hardly dare to say this out loud as it is seems like an impossible dream at this precise moment in time, but hows about David Ison becoming Archbishop of Canterbury in the not too distant (please, God) future?
In his previous position as dean of Bradford Cathedral, Ison conducted ceremonies to affirm and pray for gay couples civil partnerships. He said he would be happy to do the same at St Paul's.
For being a candle
lighting up the darkness,
the Very Rev Dr David Ison
is OCICBW...'s:
BRICK OF
THE DAY
The Very Rev Dr David Ison, who was appointed as the new dean of St. Paul's Cathedral by the Queen this week, said the church should welcome gay people wanting to take on the virtues of marriage, such as faithfulness.
"We need to take seriously people's desire for partnership and make sure that the virtues that you see in married relationships are available to people who are gay," he said.
Ison told the Times that there was a problem of "word definition" about gay marriage because of the history and the tradition of the church. He added that it was more helpful to talk of "Christian marriage" than homosexual or heterosexual unions.
"You can regard two Christian gay people as wanting to have the virtues of Christian marriage. For Christian gay people to model that kind of faithfulness, in a culture which, historically, has often been about promiscuity, is a very good thing to do."
He added that gay couples should also be allowed to adopt children: "I think that ... anyone who can provide a loving, stable, caring home should be able to adopt."
Asked whether the government was right to change the law on gay marriage, Ison said a commitment to being together was "the best pattern for how to flourish if you're going to be in a relationship ... whether you're gay or straight."
He added: "Marriage doesn't belong to the Church."
My goodness! How did that happen? Just when you think you've got the Church of England sussed they go and do something completely out of the blue that reminds you that it is all about God and love and stuff rather than politics and swanning around the world on the weekly offerings of the faithful.
Hey! I hardly dare to say this out loud as it is seems like an impossible dream at this precise moment in time, but hows about David Ison becoming Archbishop of Canterbury in the not too distant (please, God) future?
In his previous position as dean of Bradford Cathedral, Ison conducted ceremonies to affirm and pray for gay couples civil partnerships. He said he would be happy to do the same at St Paul's.
For being a candlelighting up the darkness,
the Very Rev Dr David Ison
is OCICBW...'s:
BRICK OF
THE DAY
GOD BOTHERING - THURSDAY 8TH. MARCH 2012
If you have a prayer request you want including on tomorrow's prayer list, please let me know in the comments to this post, go to St. Laika's and leave it on the Our Prayers forum or drop me an email at madpriestx@sky.com.
THERE'S A BETTER HOME A-WAITING IN THE SKY
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MIKE MELVOIN
Pianist
Father of Wendy, Susannah
and Jonathan Melvoin
May 10, 1937
- February 22, 2012
HAZY OSTERWALD
Jazz singer, pianist,
trumpeter, drummer,
and vibraphone player
February 18, 1922
- February 26, 2012
DAVY JONES
Singer, drummer
and actor
Member of
The Monkees
December 30, 1945
- February 29, 2012
BETTY BARNES
Rockabilly singer
Rockabilly
Hall Of Fame
Inductee
October 2, 1927
- February 14, 2012
GERARD RINALDI
Musician and actor
Member of Les Charlots
Died March 2, 2012
aged 69
CHRISTOPHER REIMER
Guitarist
Member of Women
Worked with The Dodos
Died February 21, 2012
aged 26
RONNIE MONTROSE
Guitarist, bassist,
mandolin, koto, and
mandocello player
Member of Montrose
November 29, 1947
- March 3, 2012
We start off with a cat and end up with a dog.
All Cats Turn Gray When The Sun Goes Down - Mike Melvoin
The Call - Hazy Osterwald Sextet - Hazy Osterwald Sextet
This Just Doesn't Seem To Be My Day - The Monkees
My And My New Baby - Betty Barnes
Merci Patron - Les Charlots
Black Rice - Women
Mach 1 - Ronnie Montrose
Gonna Buy Me A Dog - The Monkees
Right! A lot of rubbish was said about the musical abilities of The Monkees when Davy Jones died. I don't know where the myth that none of them could play an instrument began but it just isn't true. Mike Nesmith was a talented guitarist, bass player and songwriter before he joined the group. Peter Tork could play several stringed and keyboard instruments and also tried his hand at songwriting. Micky Dolenz was a guitarist who learned how to play the drums for the programme. Both Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz were fine singers.
As for their well received live shows (which The Monkees themselves decided to do against the wishes of the producers of the programmes) just let Wiki be your friend:
The four Monkees performed all the instruments and vocals for most of the live set. The most notable exceptions were during each member's solo sections where, during the December 1966 – May 1967 tour, they were backed by the Candy Store Prophets. During the summer 1967 tour of the United States and the UK (from which the Live 1967 recordings are taken), they were backed by a band called The Sundowners. The results were far better than expected. Wherever they went, the group was greeted by scenes of fan adulation reminiscent of Beatlemania. This gave the singers increased confidence in their fight for control over the musical material chosen for the series. With Jones sticking primarily to vocals and tambourine (except when filling in on the drums when Dolenz came forward to sing a lead vocal), the Monkees' live act constituted a classic power trio of electric guitar, electric bass, and drums (except when Tork passed the bass part to Jones or one of the Sundowners in order to take up the banjo or electric keyboards).
So please, lets have no more dissing The Monkees.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
WHAT A WASTE OF TIME
I don't know why he went to all the bother. Up here in Newcastle Upon Tyne we've created a race of the living dead using a cocktail of cheap lager and alcopops. We call them "students."
MORAL BLACKMAIL
So we're like one big family are we? In that case what Rowan William is saying is that if a son in a real life family discerns that he is gay and if his father might be a bit upset to find that out, then the son should remain in the closet and avoid getting into a loving relationship for the rest of his life.
Take a look at Rowan's face right at the very end of this video - just before the fade out.
Take a look at Rowan's face right at the very end of this video - just before the fade out.
INTERFERENCE FROM WITHIN
It is rumoured that this Friday in every mosque in the United Kingdom a letter will be read out that will call on all muslims to oppose any government that refuses to replace the British legal systems with Sharia Law.
OCICBW... contacted somebody with an Islamic sounding name who we found in our local telephone directory and asked him if this was fair. He replied that if it was okay for Williams and Sentamu to demand that secular law fitted in with their personal take on Christian morality then it should be okay for the muslims in Britain to demand the same and in the same aggressive way.
OCICBW... then contacted the Grand Tufti and he told us that the muslim demand was fine with him as he had long campaigned for the adoption of Sharia law himself.
OCICBW... contacted somebody with an Islamic sounding name who we found in our local telephone directory and asked him if this was fair. He replied that if it was okay for Williams and Sentamu to demand that secular law fitted in with their personal take on Christian morality then it should be okay for the muslims in Britain to demand the same and in the same aggressive way.
OCICBW... then contacted the Grand Tufti and he told us that the muslim demand was fine with him as he had long campaigned for the adoption of Sharia law himself.
MORE FOREIGN INTERFERENCE
President Po Kin Nohzin, of the Peoples Republic of Kuku (a tiny independent state in the Kingdom of Bhutan) has, this week, sent a letter to every Buddhist in England, demanding that they oppose the British government's plan to increase parking charges outside the Palace of Westminster.
Nohzin, who doesn't own or drive a car himself, maintains that the increase in parking charges will break with traditions that go back two and a half years to when the charges were last increased.
"It's bad Khama," he says in his letter, "And, if there was such a thing as God he wouldn't like it one bit."
David Cameron (the prime minister of Britain) is rumoured to be more than a bit worried about the President of Kuku's letter. Buddhists are particularly hyper at the moment as they have all started eating meat for Lent.
Nohzin, who doesn't own or drive a car himself, maintains that the increase in parking charges will break with traditions that go back two and a half years to when the charges were last increased.
"It's bad Khama," he says in his letter, "And, if there was such a thing as God he wouldn't like it one bit."
David Cameron (the prime minister of Britain) is rumoured to be more than a bit worried about the President of Kuku's letter. Buddhists are particularly hyper at the moment as they have all started eating meat for Lent.
CARDINAL SIN OPENS IN MANCHESTER
Full details of the Vatican's new, emerging (from the closet) church venture can be found at NEWS MANC.
Thanks to Suem for this story.
POCKET OF WISDOM AND INTEGRITY
FOUND IN CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
CHURCH POLICE TO INVESTIGATE
From THE TELEGRAPH:
Lord Harries of Pentregarth, who retired as Bishop of Oxford in 2006, said it was not too late for the church to give its blessing to civil partnerships.
He said: "The Churches have only themselves to blame for their current predicament, in which they face a major rewriting of the law on marriage. Instead of at first opposing civil partnerships, and then only accepting them grudgingly with gritted teeth, they should have welcomed them warmly from the first and immediately proposed services of commitments and blessing in church. They should do this even now."
Yesterday, the British Jewry's Reform movement, which represents around 60,000 Jews in the UK, publicly gave its support to gay marriage. Liberal Judaism, the Unitarians and the Quakers have also backed the reforms.
Bishop Harries was the bloke who offered Jeffrey John the bishopric of Reading. He can be a bit stuffy at times but the man has a down to earth mind that is usually well in tune with the mind of Christ in my opinion. He is a Runciite, and the Church of England is in sore need at this time of leaders with Runcie's integrity, wisdom and bravery even when hidden behind a rather wimpish exterior.
Lord Harries of Pentregarth, who retired as Bishop of Oxford in 2006, said it was not too late for the church to give its blessing to civil partnerships.
He said: "The Churches have only themselves to blame for their current predicament, in which they face a major rewriting of the law on marriage. Instead of at first opposing civil partnerships, and then only accepting them grudgingly with gritted teeth, they should have welcomed them warmly from the first and immediately proposed services of commitments and blessing in church. They should do this even now."
Yesterday, the British Jewry's Reform movement, which represents around 60,000 Jews in the UK, publicly gave its support to gay marriage. Liberal Judaism, the Unitarians and the Quakers have also backed the reforms.
Bishop Harries was the bloke who offered Jeffrey John the bishopric of Reading. He can be a bit stuffy at times but the man has a down to earth mind that is usually well in tune with the mind of Christ in my opinion. He is a Runciite, and the Church of England is in sore need at this time of leaders with Runcie's integrity, wisdom and bravery even when hidden behind a rather wimpish exterior.
MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY (2)
A Christian is someone who, like most people says "Do as I say, not as I do." A true Christian is someone who, in good conscience, can say "Do as I do," and is able to leave it at that.
MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
When Christians pretend to be different from or superior to or more righteous than or more moral than everybody else (and as a priest I can tell you that it is most usually pretence) then they make God (who is actually very close to us and, in Christ, one of us) appear aloof. And nobody likes a snob.
I am very ordinary. My blog is very ordinary. It is like a pub on a Friday evening. It's reality with people speaking how they speak when they are not trying to prove they are more refined than everyone else. This is good because it means that when we talk about God we show God to be part of the ordinariness of life. Believe me, a mundane God is far more attractive than a pompous God and, in the case of true Christianity, a lot closer to the truth.
I am very ordinary. My blog is very ordinary. It is like a pub on a Friday evening. It's reality with people speaking how they speak when they are not trying to prove they are more refined than everyone else. This is good because it means that when we talk about God we show God to be part of the ordinariness of life. Believe me, a mundane God is far more attractive than a pompous God and, in the case of true Christianity, a lot closer to the truth.
IN WHICH MADPRIEST IS
FORCED TO EAT HUMBLE PIE
Yes. It is with great shame and embarrassment that I have to admit I was wrong. I said that there was no way an English archbishop, not even one working for the pope, would ever send a letter to all the citizens of the Vatican living in England telling them to oppose our democratically elected government. But I was wrong. the Vatican is now so convinced that the West has returned to the times of Christendom when the Papacy could, and did, interfere in the politics of other nations, that it has allowed the Vatican ambassador to England to do just that.
From THE PINK PAPER:
The Catholic Church will urge its congregation to oppose same-sex marriage in a letter from the Archbishop of Westminster, which will be read out at every mass in the country, this Sunday.
The letter, signed by Archbishop Vincent Nichols (pictured) and his colleague the Archbishop of Southwark, Peter Smith, will be read aloud at 2,500 churches across England and Scotland.
It urges Catholics to oppose government plans to allow gay men and women to marry in secular ceremonies.
Will this influence the government? Not much as we seem to have a conservative prime minister with some integrity. What it will do is give the militant atheists in academia and the media another big stick to whack Christianity with (and in this case, they would be right to do so). Every Christian denomination in England, including the Quakers and members of the Metropolitan Church, will be damaged by the Vatican's bullying of their own citizens. This damage could be alleviated if the leaders of the English churches, especially the leader of the Church of England, spoke out in full support of same sex marriage and equality for gay people in all aspects of English life, including the episcopacy. But they won't do that and "he" certainly won't do that. I'm surprised, in fact, that he has not put his signature on the Cardinal's letter as well. Perhaps he has been to busy writing letters trying to sway due process in the matter of the dioceses voting on the Covenant. This is another prime example of the double speak he has become so renowned for, insomuch as one day he says that as Archbishop of Canterbury he represents all members of the Anglican Communion even if this means going against his own conscience, and then the next day he is excluding a huge proportion of the Anglican Communion by coercing the Church into voting for what he wants.
It's about time that the office of Archbishop of Canterbury became the same as the office of monarch of England - completely removed from party politics. And it's also about time that the houses were got rid of and it became one member/one vote at General Synod.
From THE PINK PAPER:
The Catholic Church will urge its congregation to oppose same-sex marriage in a letter from the Archbishop of Westminster, which will be read out at every mass in the country, this Sunday.
The letter, signed by Archbishop Vincent Nichols (pictured) and his colleague the Archbishop of Southwark, Peter Smith, will be read aloud at 2,500 churches across England and Scotland.
It urges Catholics to oppose government plans to allow gay men and women to marry in secular ceremonies.
Will this influence the government? Not much as we seem to have a conservative prime minister with some integrity. What it will do is give the militant atheists in academia and the media another big stick to whack Christianity with (and in this case, they would be right to do so). Every Christian denomination in England, including the Quakers and members of the Metropolitan Church, will be damaged by the Vatican's bullying of their own citizens. This damage could be alleviated if the leaders of the English churches, especially the leader of the Church of England, spoke out in full support of same sex marriage and equality for gay people in all aspects of English life, including the episcopacy. But they won't do that and "he" certainly won't do that. I'm surprised, in fact, that he has not put his signature on the Cardinal's letter as well. Perhaps he has been to busy writing letters trying to sway due process in the matter of the dioceses voting on the Covenant. This is another prime example of the double speak he has become so renowned for, insomuch as one day he says that as Archbishop of Canterbury he represents all members of the Anglican Communion even if this means going against his own conscience, and then the next day he is excluding a huge proportion of the Anglican Communion by coercing the Church into voting for what he wants.
It's about time that the office of Archbishop of Canterbury became the same as the office of monarch of England - completely removed from party politics. And it's also about time that the houses were got rid of and it became one member/one vote at General Synod.
WELL DONE GOOD BLOGGERS!
Whilst I was off celebrating Mrs MP's birthday with a walk across the North York Moors above Osmotherley, two of my longstanding friends celebrated blogiversaries of note.
LKT's excellent THE INFUSION blog was five years old yesterday and The Cajun's ON TRANSMIGRATION reached six years old on the same day.
These are both blogs that I have followed assiduously since pretty much the start of my own blog. Sometimes I feel quite proud of my own blogging efforts but sometimes I feel they are rather shallow when compared to those of my friends. One thing is for certain, I greatly respect my fellow bloggers who bring gravitas to the blogging experience with their erudite and righteous postings. LKT and The Cajun are most definitely erudite and righteous. May their blogs live long and continue to prosper.
LKT's excellent THE INFUSION blog was five years old yesterday and The Cajun's ON TRANSMIGRATION reached six years old on the same day.
These are both blogs that I have followed assiduously since pretty much the start of my own blog. Sometimes I feel quite proud of my own blogging efforts but sometimes I feel they are rather shallow when compared to those of my friends. One thing is for certain, I greatly respect my fellow bloggers who bring gravitas to the blogging experience with their erudite and righteous postings. LKT and The Cajun are most definitely erudite and righteous. May their blogs live long and continue to prosper.
HEADLINE OF THE DAY
Oh, no. What a horrible image for a sunny Wednesday morning.
Thanks to Susan for sending this in.
Thanks to Susan for sending this in.
GOD BOTHERING
If you have a prayer request you want including on tomorrow's prayer list, please let me know in the comments to this post, go to St. Laika's and leave it on the Our Prayers forum or drop me an email at madpriestx@sky.com.
Monday, 5 March 2012
HEADLINE OF THE DAY
From THE MIAMI HERALD:
Well, I have no sympathy for the cardinal. He and is partner should have planned it themselves instead of handing everything over to some overpaid wedding planner. I bet she was straight. That would explain everything.
Well, I have no sympathy for the cardinal. He and is partner should have planned it themselves instead of handing everything over to some overpaid wedding planner. I bet she was straight. That would explain everything.
THOSE HEARTLESS ANGLICANS
From CNN:
Police in Ireland are studying security camera footage from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin after the preserved heart of the city's patron saint was stolen over the weekend. The 900-year-old heart of St. Laurence O'Toole was taken from the iron cage where it is normally kept. Adding to the mystery, there was no sign of a break-in. Nothing was taken from the chapel other than the heart although gold candesticks and other valuables were there.
The Cathedral is Anglican.
Police in Ireland are studying security camera footage from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin after the preserved heart of the city's patron saint was stolen over the weekend. The 900-year-old heart of St. Laurence O'Toole was taken from the iron cage where it is normally kept. Adding to the mystery, there was no sign of a break-in. Nothing was taken from the chapel other than the heart although gold candesticks and other valuables were there.
The Cathedral is Anglican.
DON'T BLAME MADPRIEST, BLAME MAD DAD
Olof Swenson, out in his pasture in northern Minnesota, took a lightning-quick kick from a cow...right in his crotch. Writhing in agony, he fell to the ground. As soon as he could manage, he took himself to the Doctor.
He said: "How bad is it Doc? I'm going on my Honeymoon next veek and my fiance, Lena , is still a Virgin - in every vay."
The Doctor told him: "Olof, I'll have to put your Willy in a splint to let it heal, and keep it straight. It should be okay next week, but leave it on dere as long as you can."
He took four tongue depressors and formed a neat little four sided splint and taped it all together... quite an impressive work of art.
Olof mentioned none of this to Lena, married her and they went on their honeymoon to Duluth . That night in the Motel 6, Lena ripped open her blouse to reveal her beautiful, untouched breasts. She said: "Olof...you're the first vun! No vun has EVER seen deez."
Olof immediately dropped his pants and replied: "Look at dis Lena.... still in DA CRATE!"
He said: "How bad is it Doc? I'm going on my Honeymoon next veek and my fiance, Lena , is still a Virgin - in every vay."
The Doctor told him: "Olof, I'll have to put your Willy in a splint to let it heal, and keep it straight. It should be okay next week, but leave it on dere as long as you can."
He took four tongue depressors and formed a neat little four sided splint and taped it all together... quite an impressive work of art.
Olof mentioned none of this to Lena, married her and they went on their honeymoon to Duluth . That night in the Motel 6, Lena ripped open her blouse to reveal her beautiful, untouched breasts. She said: "Olof...you're the first vun! No vun has EVER seen deez."
Olof immediately dropped his pants and replied: "Look at dis Lena.... still in DA CRATE!"
MADPRIEST'S MAD MARCH SALE
At the moment I am trying to build up a customer base for my liturgical resource, "New Words for Holy Communion" in order to get the money together to advertise it properly. It is my greatest hope at the moment that I can make a humble living off my writing which would please Mrs MP greatly, which, in turn, would make me happy.
With that in mind I am pleased to be able to announce the following special offer:
Anybody who subscribes to "New Words," starting with the April issue, and anybody who buys a copy without subscribing, will receive a copy of the March 2012 issue completely FREE! Of course, the quicker you take advantage of this AMAZING OFFER, the more of the March issue will be useful to you.
This offer does not apply for Kindle downloads but anybody who buys, or has bought, a copy of the April issue on Kindle who wants a copy of the March issue should just drop me an email and I will will send a PDF version of the March issue to them. Heck, you can even lie about buying the Kindle version - I won't know and I wouldn't care if I did. It's only words.
Those of you who didn't visit OCICBW... over the weekend will have missed the ASTOUNDING NEWS that "New Words for Holy Communion" is now available in Kindle format from Amazon.
For anybody who is technologically advanced this format is ideal for church services as it reduces the paperwork you have to carry around in church to zero.
For the US edition CLICK HERE.
For the UK edition CLICK HERE.
It should also be available on other Amazon sites. Just go to the Kindle section and type "New Words For Holy Communion" in the search box.
Here's the blurb:
All the material in "New Words For Holy Communion" is strongly linked to the gospel reading of the day based on the Common Lectionary. It is a truly international and ecumenical resource but it also provides extra material for national peculiarities such as Mothering Sunday in England.
Jonathan reflects, in a modern way, the words and meter of our traditional prayer books. He has also made sure that the new words will fit seamlessly into all orders of service so that congregations will not be confused or worried about changes and innovation.
Each new issue will be sent to subscribers in PDF form already formatted in an easy to read, large print font. The PDF can be printed out and shared electronically with colleagues within the subscribing congregation. It can be altered to fit in with local customs and styles.
Jonathan decided to embark on this project to fulfil his own requirements. To be honest he got a little bit bored with saying the same thing every service and he was also dissatisfied with the failure of many of the set wordings to refer accurately to the theme of the gospel for the day. However, he was aware that it was very time consuming and expensive to compile a new liturgy every week. He was also aware that most congregations are wary of innovation if not downright hostile. So he used to arrive at services laden down with a pile of books which contained alternative words for those parts of the service spoken only by the presiding minister.
"New Words For Holy Communion" provides alternatives for the set words spoken by the minister in just one, user friendly resource. In stead of a pile of books only a few sheets of A4 paper are required. This makes it an ideal resource for busy leaders of eucharistic worship who want to add difference and relevance to their services without scaring and upsetting the people in the pews. It is Jonathan's main aim to ensure that at the end of the eucharist those who have been present fully understand what the "big idea" of the gospel reading has been that day. He believes that in "New Words For Holy Communion" he has achieved this aim.
You may print out as many copies of all, or part of, each issue like and distribute them to anybody who needs them. However, Jonathan would be grateful if you would restrict such copies to members of only those places of worship in which you personally minister. But do hand out one sample (even a whole PDF) to anybody you think may be interested in purchasing "New Words For Holy Communion." Jonathan cannot afford to advertise outside of his own webpage and blog, so your promotion of his work among your friends and colleagues would be very much appreciated. He encourages you to alter the words to suit the particular needs of your congregations and, of course, to add words to make the prayers relevant to the spiritual needs of those with whom you share in worship. Jonathan's hope is that his small contributions to the liturgy of the Church will be a blessing upon all who use them.
With that in mind I am pleased to be able to announce the following special offer:
This offer does not apply for Kindle downloads but anybody who buys, or has bought, a copy of the April issue on Kindle who wants a copy of the March issue should just drop me an email and I will will send a PDF version of the March issue to them. Heck, you can even lie about buying the Kindle version - I won't know and I wouldn't care if I did. It's only words.
Those of you who didn't visit OCICBW... over the weekend will have missed the ASTOUNDING NEWS that "New Words for Holy Communion" is now available in Kindle format from Amazon.
For the US edition CLICK HERE.
For the UK edition CLICK HERE.
It should also be available on other Amazon sites. Just go to the Kindle section and type "New Words For Holy Communion" in the search box.
Here's the blurb:
All the material in "New Words For Holy Communion" is strongly linked to the gospel reading of the day based on the Common Lectionary. It is a truly international and ecumenical resource but it also provides extra material for national peculiarities such as Mothering Sunday in England.
Jonathan reflects, in a modern way, the words and meter of our traditional prayer books. He has also made sure that the new words will fit seamlessly into all orders of service so that congregations will not be confused or worried about changes and innovation.
Each new issue will be sent to subscribers in PDF form already formatted in an easy to read, large print font. The PDF can be printed out and shared electronically with colleagues within the subscribing congregation. It can be altered to fit in with local customs and styles.
Jonathan decided to embark on this project to fulfil his own requirements. To be honest he got a little bit bored with saying the same thing every service and he was also dissatisfied with the failure of many of the set wordings to refer accurately to the theme of the gospel for the day. However, he was aware that it was very time consuming and expensive to compile a new liturgy every week. He was also aware that most congregations are wary of innovation if not downright hostile. So he used to arrive at services laden down with a pile of books which contained alternative words for those parts of the service spoken only by the presiding minister.
"New Words For Holy Communion" provides alternatives for the set words spoken by the minister in just one, user friendly resource. In stead of a pile of books only a few sheets of A4 paper are required. This makes it an ideal resource for busy leaders of eucharistic worship who want to add difference and relevance to their services without scaring and upsetting the people in the pews. It is Jonathan's main aim to ensure that at the end of the eucharist those who have been present fully understand what the "big idea" of the gospel reading has been that day. He believes that in "New Words For Holy Communion" he has achieved this aim.
You may print out as many copies of all, or part of, each issue like and distribute them to anybody who needs them. However, Jonathan would be grateful if you would restrict such copies to members of only those places of worship in which you personally minister. But do hand out one sample (even a whole PDF) to anybody you think may be interested in purchasing "New Words For Holy Communion." Jonathan cannot afford to advertise outside of his own webpage and blog, so your promotion of his work among your friends and colleagues would be very much appreciated. He encourages you to alter the words to suit the particular needs of your congregations and, of course, to add words to make the prayers relevant to the spiritual needs of those with whom you share in worship. Jonathan's hope is that his small contributions to the liturgy of the Church will be a blessing upon all who use them.
SECRETS AND LIES, DAMNED LIES
My final post in the Church of England was that of an assistant priest at the Church of Saint Francis in High Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne. I was there for over eight years and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I certainly had a ministry there. My vicar, Christopher Clinch, had told the congregation from the pulpit shortly after his arrival at the church, that he did not do visiting, certainly he did not visit people in hospitals. I expect his excuse for this strange statement was that he believed visiting was the job of the laity. But, fine as that might sound in principle, it does not go down well with the laity and people in the parish. So, I saw my opportunity to be of use and spent most of my time visiting people in the parish, especially those who were unwell. I even took courses on the care of the dying to equip myself for this ministry. It was something I was quite good at because my personal experience of the hell of mental illness had left me with no fear of the dark places we all find ourselves in at some time during our lives.
Of course, this made me popular, especially among the elderly and infirm.
When I found out in mid 2010 that my vicar was moving on I decided that I would apply for the post of incumbent of St. Francis. I checked this idea out with the two readers and the wardens and everyone seemed fine with it. But shortly before he left, Christopher Clinch told the choir (who he had personally overseen for all the time he was at St. Francis) that I was the last person in the world who should get the job.
Anyway, he left. In the Church of England, when an incumbent leaves a parish, the rural dean is then in charge of much of the administration of the vacant parish and has responsibility for the worship. Our rural dean met with the two readers and myself and agreed that we should take on the responsibility of organising the worship. This being in his gift, as they say.
The vicar who had left was a control freak. I once asked him why he had to be at every meeting of every group in the church (e.g. the Sunday School leaders' meetings). His reply was that he was better at everything than anyone else. This need to be in charge had meant that he had chosen pretty much every hymn for every service during his time at the church. Now, I'm not that sort of person. So, the week after he had left I went to the leader of the choir and organist and said to them that we would meet up once a month and choose the hymns for services together. I told them that I liked words and enjoyed picking hymn lyrics that fitted in with the theme of each service, but that I was not a musician. I said that together we could come up with some great stuff. They agreed.
A week later the organist came to me and told me that "they had decided that they would be picking the hymns."
I replied that this was okay but I had to have the final word and that sometimes I would want specific hymns included. He agreed to that. Bear in mind that the choosing of hymns was the responsibility of myself and the two readers as we had been given this task by the rural dean.
About a month later I noticed that, on the following Sunday, the organist had chosen "Shine, Jesus, Shine" as the last hymn. Now this hymn was always a problematical choice. Some people in the congregation really enjoyed it. Others hated it with a vengeance. It was the ones who hated it that always went up to the priest afterwards and bent his ear.
So, I told the organist that he should either replace the hymn completely or change it for another one earlier in the service so it wasn't the last thing on the minds of the congregation when they went in for their after service coffee. I could tell he was cross but he agreed to my compromise.
When I turned up for the afternoon service I went up to the choir gallery to discover that there was no organist. The choir leader told me that the organist was cross about my decision and had decided not to turn up (he was a paid organist). I stormed down the stairs and loudly told the warden at the bottom of the stairs that I should sack the organist. Then, realising that I had no authority to do any such thing, I said, "Well, at least I should try and persuade the parish council to sack him." Somehow, in the mind of this particular warden this incident in which I complained about the absence of the organist became me shouting at the organist for not being present. I know that sounds ridiculous but so will most of the rest of this story.
The following week the organist did turn up for the morning service. He completely ignored my request and played "Shine, Jesus Shine" at the end of the service anyway.
I told the bishop, Martin Wharton, and he told me to leave the sorting out of the mess up to the two church wardens. I did this. I told the archdeacon, Geoff Miller, and he told me to keep my mouth shut and not mention the matter to anybody, especially to anybody in the congregation. I faithfully followed his instructions although it would turn out to be the biggest mistake of my working life.
The wardens, without any input from myself, told the organist and choir leader that they should abide by my original compromise. In other words if I needed to change a hymn they should agree to my request. They asked me to make sure I gave the organist plenty of warning of any changes I wanted to make.
Everything was fine until the beginning of November when I received their hymn choices for December. The choices for Advent were okay. But, because they were not liturgists they had the wrong hymns for the Midnight Mass service and the Christmas morning service. The ones they had chosen did not fit in with the readings. Also, for some reason, they had ignored the fact that it was Holy Innocents on the first Sunday after Christmas. So I changed the hymns accordingly and returned them to the organist.
Shortly after lunch I received a phone call telling me that if I insisted on changing the hymns the organist would resign. I said I was not going to change the hymns (reminding him of what they had agreed with the wardens). The organist subsequently resigned and by the evening on the same day the choir had "gone on strike."
They remained on strike all through Christmas. They still went up to the choir loft where they stood glaring at me from a great height, refusing to sing.
All that was needed to sort this situation out was for the bishop or archdeacon to have told the organist and choir, before it got out of hand, that it was my job to choose the hymns and that my invitation to collaborate with me, back in September, was a particularly fine piece of pastoral sensitivity on my part. But, no. They did no such thing. They never did. They arranged meetings with the choir to hear their side of the story and basically never backed me up at all, even though I was just an assistant priest who had no incumbency status or authority within the church other than that which they had given me.
I went to one meeting with the readers and church wardens at the archdeacon's house. In that meeting I managed to get the warden who had accused me of shouting at the organist (neither of us ever shouted or even exchanged a cross word with each other) that it couldn't have happened because the organist wasn't there. But this didn't seem to register with the archdeacon as he was still accusing me of shouting at the organist a year after I had left the Church's employ.
The outcome of all this was inevitable. Although I applied for the post of incumbent of St. Francis, I did not even get to the interview stage. Worst of all, and most painful, I was never able to tell the congregation what had happened. All they got to hear was what the striking choir members had to say as the archdeacon hadn't instructed them to remain silent on the matter.
After I had left I told the archdeacon that as far as I could work out, the bishop and himself had either deliberately manipulated the situation to get rid of me or they had been grossly incompetent. He got very upset about that allegation but nobody has ever come up with an explanation as to why those in authority hadn't just told everyone involved what the legal situation was or backed up their employee who had no authority himself. I still lie awake at night trying to work out why they didn't. I still cry about it.
This is the first time I have told this story in public. I am no longer under the authority of Bishop Wharton or Archdeacon Miller so I don't mind that I am breaking my agreement to remain silent. The thing is I do not think it is fair for a bishop to put a gagging order on a priest and then talk secretly with other bishops about the situation. This underhand behaviour results in the gagged priest being assessed by any future bishop on the basis of his or her former bishop's secret assessment. I am sure bishops are far more likely to believe other bishops than a priest who has been constructively dismissed by a fellow bishop. But bishops are as human as anybody and many of them far more manipulative than most (otherwise they wouldn't have climbed the greasy pole to get to be a bishop). At least, in a secular court of law both sides get to tell their story. But, as the church is exempt from the law of the land when it comes to employment, bishops can do what they please when they please without having to make account of their decisions public.
So, who am I. Am I the dangerous, mad, troublemaker that Bishop Wharton thinks I am, or am I the priest who visited the dying, who would lay down his life for his friends (and has lost his livelihood for his friends) and who who writes orthodox, inspiring liturgy because he loves God and he loves the Church? I could be either or I could be a mixture of both. But I think people should decide for themselves after talking with me not after talking with my former adversaries. I never let people tell me about other people who are in my care. I always use my own discernment. Gossip and conversations in private are very much the devil's preferred method of doing things. It's about time the Church told the devil to get behind them and to publicly announce that they have done so for all the world to hear.
Of course, this made me popular, especially among the elderly and infirm.
When I found out in mid 2010 that my vicar was moving on I decided that I would apply for the post of incumbent of St. Francis. I checked this idea out with the two readers and the wardens and everyone seemed fine with it. But shortly before he left, Christopher Clinch told the choir (who he had personally overseen for all the time he was at St. Francis) that I was the last person in the world who should get the job.
Anyway, he left. In the Church of England, when an incumbent leaves a parish, the rural dean is then in charge of much of the administration of the vacant parish and has responsibility for the worship. Our rural dean met with the two readers and myself and agreed that we should take on the responsibility of organising the worship. This being in his gift, as they say.
The vicar who had left was a control freak. I once asked him why he had to be at every meeting of every group in the church (e.g. the Sunday School leaders' meetings). His reply was that he was better at everything than anyone else. This need to be in charge had meant that he had chosen pretty much every hymn for every service during his time at the church. Now, I'm not that sort of person. So, the week after he had left I went to the leader of the choir and organist and said to them that we would meet up once a month and choose the hymns for services together. I told them that I liked words and enjoyed picking hymn lyrics that fitted in with the theme of each service, but that I was not a musician. I said that together we could come up with some great stuff. They agreed.
A week later the organist came to me and told me that "they had decided that they would be picking the hymns."
I replied that this was okay but I had to have the final word and that sometimes I would want specific hymns included. He agreed to that. Bear in mind that the choosing of hymns was the responsibility of myself and the two readers as we had been given this task by the rural dean.
About a month later I noticed that, on the following Sunday, the organist had chosen "Shine, Jesus, Shine" as the last hymn. Now this hymn was always a problematical choice. Some people in the congregation really enjoyed it. Others hated it with a vengeance. It was the ones who hated it that always went up to the priest afterwards and bent his ear.
So, I told the organist that he should either replace the hymn completely or change it for another one earlier in the service so it wasn't the last thing on the minds of the congregation when they went in for their after service coffee. I could tell he was cross but he agreed to my compromise.
When I turned up for the afternoon service I went up to the choir gallery to discover that there was no organist. The choir leader told me that the organist was cross about my decision and had decided not to turn up (he was a paid organist). I stormed down the stairs and loudly told the warden at the bottom of the stairs that I should sack the organist. Then, realising that I had no authority to do any such thing, I said, "Well, at least I should try and persuade the parish council to sack him." Somehow, in the mind of this particular warden this incident in which I complained about the absence of the organist became me shouting at the organist for not being present. I know that sounds ridiculous but so will most of the rest of this story.
The following week the organist did turn up for the morning service. He completely ignored my request and played "Shine, Jesus Shine" at the end of the service anyway.
I told the bishop, Martin Wharton, and he told me to leave the sorting out of the mess up to the two church wardens. I did this. I told the archdeacon, Geoff Miller, and he told me to keep my mouth shut and not mention the matter to anybody, especially to anybody in the congregation. I faithfully followed his instructions although it would turn out to be the biggest mistake of my working life.
The wardens, without any input from myself, told the organist and choir leader that they should abide by my original compromise. In other words if I needed to change a hymn they should agree to my request. They asked me to make sure I gave the organist plenty of warning of any changes I wanted to make.
Everything was fine until the beginning of November when I received their hymn choices for December. The choices for Advent were okay. But, because they were not liturgists they had the wrong hymns for the Midnight Mass service and the Christmas morning service. The ones they had chosen did not fit in with the readings. Also, for some reason, they had ignored the fact that it was Holy Innocents on the first Sunday after Christmas. So I changed the hymns accordingly and returned them to the organist.
Shortly after lunch I received a phone call telling me that if I insisted on changing the hymns the organist would resign. I said I was not going to change the hymns (reminding him of what they had agreed with the wardens). The organist subsequently resigned and by the evening on the same day the choir had "gone on strike."
They remained on strike all through Christmas. They still went up to the choir loft where they stood glaring at me from a great height, refusing to sing.
All that was needed to sort this situation out was for the bishop or archdeacon to have told the organist and choir, before it got out of hand, that it was my job to choose the hymns and that my invitation to collaborate with me, back in September, was a particularly fine piece of pastoral sensitivity on my part. But, no. They did no such thing. They never did. They arranged meetings with the choir to hear their side of the story and basically never backed me up at all, even though I was just an assistant priest who had no incumbency status or authority within the church other than that which they had given me.
I went to one meeting with the readers and church wardens at the archdeacon's house. In that meeting I managed to get the warden who had accused me of shouting at the organist (neither of us ever shouted or even exchanged a cross word with each other) that it couldn't have happened because the organist wasn't there. But this didn't seem to register with the archdeacon as he was still accusing me of shouting at the organist a year after I had left the Church's employ.
The outcome of all this was inevitable. Although I applied for the post of incumbent of St. Francis, I did not even get to the interview stage. Worst of all, and most painful, I was never able to tell the congregation what had happened. All they got to hear was what the striking choir members had to say as the archdeacon hadn't instructed them to remain silent on the matter.
After I had left I told the archdeacon that as far as I could work out, the bishop and himself had either deliberately manipulated the situation to get rid of me or they had been grossly incompetent. He got very upset about that allegation but nobody has ever come up with an explanation as to why those in authority hadn't just told everyone involved what the legal situation was or backed up their employee who had no authority himself. I still lie awake at night trying to work out why they didn't. I still cry about it.
This is the first time I have told this story in public. I am no longer under the authority of Bishop Wharton or Archdeacon Miller so I don't mind that I am breaking my agreement to remain silent. The thing is I do not think it is fair for a bishop to put a gagging order on a priest and then talk secretly with other bishops about the situation. This underhand behaviour results in the gagged priest being assessed by any future bishop on the basis of his or her former bishop's secret assessment. I am sure bishops are far more likely to believe other bishops than a priest who has been constructively dismissed by a fellow bishop. But bishops are as human as anybody and many of them far more manipulative than most (otherwise they wouldn't have climbed the greasy pole to get to be a bishop). At least, in a secular court of law both sides get to tell their story. But, as the church is exempt from the law of the land when it comes to employment, bishops can do what they please when they please without having to make account of their decisions public.
So, who am I. Am I the dangerous, mad, troublemaker that Bishop Wharton thinks I am, or am I the priest who visited the dying, who would lay down his life for his friends (and has lost his livelihood for his friends) and who who writes orthodox, inspiring liturgy because he loves God and he loves the Church? I could be either or I could be a mixture of both. But I think people should decide for themselves after talking with me not after talking with my former adversaries. I never let people tell me about other people who are in my care. I always use my own discernment. Gossip and conversations in private are very much the devil's preferred method of doing things. It's about time the Church told the devil to get behind them and to publicly announce that they have done so for all the world to hear.
SECRETS AND LIES
The issue of secrecy and secret deals within Anglican churches appears to be an emerging theme in today's posts. I have just received the following email from the administrator of the EPISCOPAL CHURCH DISCIPLINE: A GUIDE FOR LAITY blog.
Someone recently called my attention to the conversation at DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON HERE?.
In case that question was not rhetorical, and because the underlying content might interest an English priest and his readers in how church discipline operates on the American/Episcopal side of the pond, I send along some follow-up information. The web site below describes the subsequent seven months of legal maneuvering after the 10/2011 posting on your blog site. In effect, a priest in California was investigated by a Diocesan-appointed lawyer and indicted by a Diocesan review board, and a Diocesan trial court twice rejected the priest's attempts to avoid trial, only to have the bishop stop the trial process and sentence the priest to "life coaching".
For full details check out my blog that has some of the relevant details about the behavior of the priest which led to two of his female parishioners being assaulted (one raped) and at least a third of his parish leaving in dismay and disgust, with no repentance or disciplinary consequences. It gives new meaning to Milton's statement something like "We are unchurched because of our prelates". As you gather, this is not just some snobs being upset about church outreach to the poor, nor is it related to the church's involvement in the Occupy! movement such as at St. Paul's. Indeed, our local Occupy! events ignored the church
altogether. Maybe that's because the priest makes $100K/y and bishop twice that.
Oddly enough, the bishop who aborted the disciplinary process in this case (and who voted to over-turn a conviction in another) was recently in England (Gloucester) but this email comes too late to alert your readers.
Best wishes from
-EpiscopalChurchDiscipline (an oxymoron)
Someone recently called my attention to the conversation at DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON HERE?.
In case that question was not rhetorical, and because the underlying content might interest an English priest and his readers in how church discipline operates on the American/Episcopal side of the pond, I send along some follow-up information. The web site below describes the subsequent seven months of legal maneuvering after the 10/2011 posting on your blog site. In effect, a priest in California was investigated by a Diocesan-appointed lawyer and indicted by a Diocesan review board, and a Diocesan trial court twice rejected the priest's attempts to avoid trial, only to have the bishop stop the trial process and sentence the priest to "life coaching".
For full details check out my blog that has some of the relevant details about the behavior of the priest which led to two of his female parishioners being assaulted (one raped) and at least a third of his parish leaving in dismay and disgust, with no repentance or disciplinary consequences. It gives new meaning to Milton's statement something like "We are unchurched because of our prelates". As you gather, this is not just some snobs being upset about church outreach to the poor, nor is it related to the church's involvement in the Occupy! movement such as at St. Paul's. Indeed, our local Occupy! events ignored the church
altogether. Maybe that's because the priest makes $100K/y and bishop twice that.
Oddly enough, the bishop who aborted the disciplinary process in this case (and who voted to over-turn a conviction in another) was recently in England (Gloucester) but this email comes too late to alert your readers.
Best wishes from
-EpiscopalChurchDiscipline (an oxymoron)
Sunday, 4 March 2012
GUMBY OF THE DAY
What about this for episcopal double speak (O'Brien is referring to the English government's plans to legalise same sex marriage):
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, said the plans were a "grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right."
It's not just Cardinal Gumby's brain that is hurting. My brain is in serious danger of complete melt down if I carry on trying to make sense out of that one.
Oh, and there's more. The "If I'm not allowed to do it then I am damn well going to stop you doing it" brigade have obviously had enough of comparing equality for gays with Nazism. O'Brien has decided on a new slur. According to this particular celibate, same sex marriage is the same as owning slaves.
"Imagine for a moment that the government had decided to legalise slavery but assured us that 'no one will be forced to keep a slave'. Would such worthless assurances calm our fury? Would they justify dismantling a fundamental human right?"
What a nasty little man.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, said the plans were a "grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right."
Oh, and there's more. The "If I'm not allowed to do it then I am damn well going to stop you doing it" brigade have obviously had enough of comparing equality for gays with Nazism. O'Brien has decided on a new slur. According to this particular celibate, same sex marriage is the same as owning slaves.
"Imagine for a moment that the government had decided to legalise slavery but assured us that 'no one will be forced to keep a slave'. Would such worthless assurances calm our fury? Would they justify dismantling a fundamental human right?"
What a nasty little man.
WORSHIP AT ST. LAIKA'S
A SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
All are welcome to join me in taking communion.
There are no exceptions.
There are no exceptions.
The order of service is posted beneath the audio file so that you can join in with the service. The words in bold type are the ones we say together.
If you want to physically partake of communion you will require a small piece of bread and a small amount of drink (preferably made from grapes and containing alcohol). How you view the nature of this part of the service is completely up to you.
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MP3 File
CLICK HERE for order of service and credits.
A service like this costs me about £15.00 to put together. As my internet ministry is my only source of income I invite you, if you have enjoyed it or found it useful, to make a small donation to allow me to continue this work. I would suggest £1.00 ($1.50) as being appropriate, but more or less is okay with me. In fact, nothing at all is okay with me. I'd rather you listened than didn't listen because you are unable or unwilling to donate anything at this time.
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