Saturday, 18 August 2012
WORSHIP AT SAINT LAIKA'S
A SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
THE TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
All are welcome to join me in taking communion.
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.
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.
Click on the arrow on the player to stream.
Download via the MP3 icon below the player.
MP3 File
CLICK HERE for order of service and credits (opens in new window)
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THE HOOPLA CHURCH
Grandmère Mimi and me are having a extended break from each other to preserve our sanity. However, there are still occasional emails between us and I recently received the following cartoon from the venerable, Louisianan blogger. I must admit that it's spot on as far as the Church of England is concerned. It seems that everything has to be complicated, every request or suggestion is viewed negatively to begin with, problems are sought rather than opportunities. Basically the Church of England is a drag - on and on and on. A person could die waiting and, at the moment, that is my greatest fear.
Friday, 17 August 2012
ANOTHER AMAZING (CHRISTIAN) RECORD SLEEVE
There's something unsettling about this record sleeve. I can't quite put my finger on it, but if I could, I don't think I would.
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Thursday, 16 August 2012
ANOTHER AMAZING (CHRISTIAN) RECORD SLEEVE
To be fair the two of them sing really lovely like, although the tunes are a bit maudlin. Even so, there's no excuse for the sleeve. I mean, the idea is that it should sell the record not send potential customers running out of the shop screaming.
LYING BASTARD
I accept that my blogging activities do not help when it comes to me finding a job. Then there's my history (ancient) of mental illness and the fact that I was a curate for so many years; those things don't help either. Also, there's the way bishops swap notes with each "off the record;" that really does not help when you have publicly outed your bishop as a person who uses legal exemptions to get away with actions that are illegal under secular law. All these things are a big enough hurdle for me to get round. You would think the haters would be content with that.
But no. Today a Church of England priest contacted me who was under the impression that Ruth Gledhill of The Times had blogged that I had been sacked for presiding at the marriage of a gay couple. Of course, this is completely untrue. I've never even been asked to and have never been in a position in a church where it was up to me to arrange the weddings. Anyway, as I have made it perfectly clear on this blog on various occasions, I don't knowingly break church law as I believe this would weaken my verbal attacks on the injustices and bigotries of my church.
So, I Googled it and discovered that Ruth had said no such thing but someone, called David Ould, had posted the following on a website entitled "Stand Firm" in 2010.
Now, I don't bother reading the opposition's websites because I campaign from a positive position and I don't have a word search in place looking for my name on the Internet, so this was the first time I had seen this. It's quite horrid. In fact it's libellous, especially if it has effected my chances of getting a job both in the past and in the future. The fact that a perfectly nice, inclusive minded priest had given this story credence shows that I may not be being paranoid in believing that it is part of the reason why I am still unemployed and that nobody, who could do so, is eager to stick their necks out to help me.
The full libellous article can be read at STAND FIRM.
What really upsets me is that Ruth Gledhill contacted my former diocese and they said nothing to crush the rumour. they just said that they could not comment because it was "a matter between a priest and his bishop."
And it's me who is being kept out of the ministry having to accept a year's probation if I want to "work in the wider church?"
God help us.
But no. Today a Church of England priest contacted me who was under the impression that Ruth Gledhill of The Times had blogged that I had been sacked for presiding at the marriage of a gay couple. Of course, this is completely untrue. I've never even been asked to and have never been in a position in a church where it was up to me to arrange the weddings. Anyway, as I have made it perfectly clear on this blog on various occasions, I don't knowingly break church law as I believe this would weaken my verbal attacks on the injustices and bigotries of my church.
So, I Googled it and discovered that Ruth had said no such thing but someone, called David Ould, had posted the following on a website entitled "Stand Firm" in 2010.
Now, I don't bother reading the opposition's websites because I campaign from a positive position and I don't have a word search in place looking for my name on the Internet, so this was the first time I had seen this. It's quite horrid. In fact it's libellous, especially if it has effected my chances of getting a job both in the past and in the future. The fact that a perfectly nice, inclusive minded priest had given this story credence shows that I may not be being paranoid in believing that it is part of the reason why I am still unemployed and that nobody, who could do so, is eager to stick their necks out to help me.
The full libellous article can be read at STAND FIRM.
What really upsets me is that Ruth Gledhill contacted my former diocese and they said nothing to crush the rumour. they just said that they could not comment because it was "a matter between a priest and his bishop."
And it's me who is being kept out of the ministry having to accept a year's probation if I want to "work in the wider church?"
God help us.
EMAIL TO GOD
Dear God, as you will be aware, as I understand you miss nothing, I am getting older and, let's face facts, in the big scheme of things, a blink of your eye, it won't be long before I join you in that place you have prepared for me. I fully realise that it's going to be great and I'm going to be happy for evermore and all that, so what I am going to say next may come across as being a bit petty and irrelevant. But I believe it was your Son who said that we should live life in the moment and he was usually right about such things. So I'm going to say it and damn the consequences. It's like this, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sorting it out so that I can be a parish priest again before I die and for a long enough period for me to feel that all the work and disappointment and set-backs and tears etc. etc. have been worthwhile and that I have actually achieved something in life. I know, because people have told me, that I have achieved some good stuff in my life already, and thanks for that, but great as that is, none of it has been what I really had my heart set on. I know it's greedy and unrealistic to have everything you want in life so how about this: I'll forego winning the Euromillions lottery for the parish priest job as long, that is, that the parish priest job is paid. If you can't manage this then, although it would be in no way a satisfying substitute, giving me the winning ticket in the lottery would, I am sure, help to take my mind off the disappointment. Your foolishly faithful servant. Jonathan. Amen.
YOU JUST CAN'T WIN
When I was attending loads of interviews and being turned down every time, one of the most common reasons I was given for being rejected was that I didn't come across as a strong enough leader. I tried to do something about this. I bought books on interview techniques and read them. I developed a confident persona even though inside I was full of self doubt. The first time I get the chance to put this confident attitude into practice I am turned down for being too forceful.
I would attempt to strike a happy medium but all of the clairvoyants I know are a singularly miserable lot.
I would attempt to strike a happy medium but all of the clairvoyants I know are a singularly miserable lot.
FAILED
In order to get permission to officiate in my new diocese I have to work, unpaid, for at least a year, attached to a parish church. Getting a place has been dragging on for a year now. Yesterday I went to meet a vicar of two relatively local churches. We spent three hours together. Everything seemed to be fine. We arranged that I would celebrate and preach at one of the churches this coming Sunday. I was really excited. This morning I received an email saying that overnight the vicar had decided he didn't want "to work with me." Evidently I came across as too "forceful." That's all he said.
It's not going to be until the second half of September before they can return to looking for a place for me. More waiting.
It's very depressing to discover that you can't even get a job working for free. Retaining any confidence in myself and calling is getting more and more difficult with each rejection.
I really am the world's worst actor. I do attempt to read the signs and pretend accordingly but the real me always comes through and I screw up the protocol. I find pretending to be unskilled, and therefore not a threat, particularly difficult. Most people do not find this social dissembling a problem, it appears to be how the world works. What is really annoying is how other people interpret the motivations of those of us who are just us and nothing else. They never think that you are just an on the surface, honest sort of person who will always give you a straight answer and be happiest if you are always straight and honest in return. They seem to only be comfortable with complicated role play. I just can't do it. I have the overwhelming desire to always seek the simplest way of doing things. This is very useful when I am writing or trying to sort out somebody else's problems. But it places me outside of the normal conventions and requirements of society, a society that is intent on always making a mountain out of a molehill and seeing problems where there aren't any.
It's not going to be until the second half of September before they can return to looking for a place for me. More waiting.
It's very depressing to discover that you can't even get a job working for free. Retaining any confidence in myself and calling is getting more and more difficult with each rejection.
I really am the world's worst actor. I do attempt to read the signs and pretend accordingly but the real me always comes through and I screw up the protocol. I find pretending to be unskilled, and therefore not a threat, particularly difficult. Most people do not find this social dissembling a problem, it appears to be how the world works. What is really annoying is how other people interpret the motivations of those of us who are just us and nothing else. They never think that you are just an on the surface, honest sort of person who will always give you a straight answer and be happiest if you are always straight and honest in return. They seem to only be comfortable with complicated role play. I just can't do it. I have the overwhelming desire to always seek the simplest way of doing things. This is very useful when I am writing or trying to sort out somebody else's problems. But it places me outside of the normal conventions and requirements of society, a society that is intent on always making a mountain out of a molehill and seeing problems where there aren't any.
OOH! IT'S SO ROMANTIC
Our good friend, CAMINANTE,
a.k.a. Lee Crawford, is no longer
in a civil partnership but MARRIED!
Hurrah!
To be honest, it was about time her
wife made an honest woman out of her.
THE WELSH HAVE A FAR RIGHT PARTY MASQUERADING AS CHRISTIANS FOR IT
From "CHRISTIAN TODAY":
The Christian Party in Wales has become the first faith-based political party to win a mayoral election. Cllr Jeff Green, leader of the Christian Party in Wales, has just started his first full term on Llandrindod Wells Town Council after being elected as mayor in the last session. He is keen to see the development of tourism in the area, and to utilise the town's best assets, such as the lake, where boating and a popular restaurant are available to visitors. He also wants to make sure people living within driving distance of Llandrindod Wells know about the town's existence and everything it has to offer.
Don't you just hate the way those non-Christian councillors refuse to promote tourism in their own towns.
The Christian Party in Wales has become the first faith-based political party to win a mayoral election. Cllr Jeff Green, leader of the Christian Party in Wales, has just started his first full term on Llandrindod Wells Town Council after being elected as mayor in the last session. He is keen to see the development of tourism in the area, and to utilise the town's best assets, such as the lake, where boating and a popular restaurant are available to visitors. He also wants to make sure people living within driving distance of Llandrindod Wells know about the town's existence and everything it has to offer.
Don't you just hate the way those non-Christian councillors refuse to promote tourism in their own towns.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
IT'S ONLY FUNNY IF IT'S TRUE
Like most of the people who live on this planet, I know quite a lot about the head of state of the USA's office. I know how they are elected and what they can do without reference to Senate and Congress. I do not expect that anybody who does not live in the UK to know anything about the office of our head of state, our monarch. That is unless they decide to declare publicly their opinion on our monarchy.
Since the Olympics I have read, over and over again, comments and quips about our Queen losing the ownership of other countries. I have read (over and over again) stuff by people, who claim to be educated to a reasonable standard, comments that show that they believe that our monarch "rules" in a "telling people what to do" and making laws way. I even read such uniformed drivel on a Canadian website which is effing ridiculous.
Look, Wiki is your friend and urban myth is your enemy.
Gen up or shut up!
Since the Olympics I have read, over and over again, comments and quips about our Queen losing the ownership of other countries. I have read (over and over again) stuff by people, who claim to be educated to a reasonable standard, comments that show that they believe that our monarch "rules" in a "telling people what to do" and making laws way. I even read such uniformed drivel on a Canadian website which is effing ridiculous.
Look, Wiki is your friend and urban myth is your enemy.
Gen up or shut up!
THE WELSH HAVE A POEM FOR IT
I like to read poetry
before I turn off the
light and go to sleep
each night. Last night
I was enjoying a dip
into the collection,
"No Truce With The
Furies" by the late,
Welsh priest and poet,
R. S. Thomas, when
I came across the
following poem which
is entitled, "Nuance."
It's as good an explanation
of our part in the prayer
of the universe that I
have ever read or heard.
With the cathedrals thundering
at him, history proving
him the two-faced god, there were
the few who waited on him
in the small hours, undaunted
by the absence of an echo
to their Amens. Physics' suggestion
is they were not wrong. Reality
is composed of waves and particles
coming at us as the Janus-faced
chooses. We must not despair.
The invisible is yet susceptible
of being inferred. To pray, perhaps, is
to have a part in an infinitesimal deflection.
Monday, 13 August 2012
DON'T BLAME MADPRIEST, BLAME MADDAD
A Haredic Jewish couple, preparing for their wedding, meet their local rabbi for counselling. He asks if they have any last questions about their wedding day.
The man asks, "We realise it's a tradition in our faith for men to dance with men, and women to dance with women. But, at our wedding reception, we'd like your permission to dance together."
"Absolutely not," says the rabbi. "It's immoral, disgusting and leads to depravity. Men and women always dance separately."
"So after the ceremony I can't even dance with my own wife?"
"No," answered the rabbi, "It's forbidden."
"Well," says the man, "What about sex? Can we finally have sex?"
"Of course!" replies the rabbi, "Sex is OK within marriage, to have children!"
"What about different positions?" asks the man.
"No problem," says the rabbi.
"Woman on top?" the man asks.
"Sure," says the rabbi. "Go for it!"
"Doggy style?"
"Sure!"
"On the kitchen table?"
"Yes, yes!"
"Can we do it with on rubber sheets with a bottle of hot oil, leather harnesses, a bucket of honey and a porno video?"
"You may indeed!"
"Can we do it standing up?"
"No." says the rabbi."
"Why not?" asks the man.
"It could lead to dancing," replies the rabbi.
The man asks, "We realise it's a tradition in our faith for men to dance with men, and women to dance with women. But, at our wedding reception, we'd like your permission to dance together."
"Absolutely not," says the rabbi. "It's immoral, disgusting and leads to depravity. Men and women always dance separately."
"So after the ceremony I can't even dance with my own wife?"
"No," answered the rabbi, "It's forbidden."
"Well," says the man, "What about sex? Can we finally have sex?"
"Of course!" replies the rabbi, "Sex is OK within marriage, to have children!"
"What about different positions?" asks the man.
"No problem," says the rabbi.
"Woman on top?" the man asks.
"Sure," says the rabbi. "Go for it!"
"Doggy style?"
"Sure!"
"On the kitchen table?"
"Yes, yes!"
"Can we do it with on rubber sheets with a bottle of hot oil, leather harnesses, a bucket of honey and a porno video?"
"You may indeed!"
"Can we do it standing up?"
"No." says the rabbi."
"Why not?" asks the man.
"It could lead to dancing," replies the rabbi.
UNITED STATES OLYMPIC TEAM DROPS TO
FORTY SEVENTH IN FINAL MEDAL TABLE
It would appear, that due to the extreme competitiveness of my readership, that I am in a minority when it comes to wanting to rid the Olympic Games of its medal ceremonies. However, I think I have come up with a way of tinkering around the edges that will make the whole thing slightly fairer. This morning I asked Professor MadPriest (CSE Maths) of the Newcastle Academy of Creative Statistics to come up with a medal table that takes into account the populations of each competing nation. He has come up trumps, I must say. The following table gives a much more accurate picture of the comparative sporting abilities of the world's Olympic teams than you will get on Fox News or even the BBC. I cannot tell you how this mathematical miracle was achieved as Professor MadPriest wants to sell the film rights but I can tell you that the number beside each country is now known as "The MadPriest Number."
Unfortunately, although this is a major breakthrough in sporting fairness it is only a slight improvement on existing methods. A truly accurate and fair medal table would have to take account of the wealth of each nation and how much they spend on sport. Also, there are unfairnesses built into the events of the Olympic Games. For example, swimmers and cyclists are much more likely to pick up multiple medals than pole vaulters. So, if you have the best female track cyclist in the world you will probably pick up multiple medals whilst if you have the best female heptathlete you are only going to get one medal.
When you take mitigating factors into consideration, the most pathetic sporting nation in the world is China. That's interesting.
1 Grenada 38444
2 Jamaica 11907
3 Bahamas 11615
4 New Zealand 7933
5 Trinidad And Tobago 5990
6 Hungary 4988
7 Slovenia 4585
8 Montenegro 4252
9 Lithuania 4196
10 Denmark 4099
11 Croatia 3965
12 Australia 3862
13 Georgia 3609
14 Mongolia 3360
15 Belarus 3269
16 Cuba 3225
17 Netherlands 3059
18 Estonia 3009
19 Great Britain 3004
20 Czech Republic 2677
21 Norway 2443
22 Latvia 2422
23 Cyprus 2408
24 Ireland 2396
25 Azerbaijan 2346
26 Kazakhstan 2273
27 Sweden 1991
28 Gabon 1752
29 Armenia 1734
30 Switzerland 1700
31 Republic Of Korea 1674
32 Taipei 1547
33 Russia 1468
34 Qatar 1438
35 Germany 1398
36 France 1376
37 Botswana 1324
38 Serbia 1296
39 Slovakia 1235
40 Italy 1175
41 Romania 1131
42 Ukraine 1088
43 Puerto Rico 1088
44 Bahrain 1016
45 Finland 998
46 Canada 974
47 United States 971
48 Spain 940
49 North Korea 782
50 Tunisia 756
51 Moldava 755
52 Japan 694
53 Dominican Republic 668
54 Kenya 614
55 Poland 563
56 Bulgaria 539
57 Singapore 519
58 Belgium 488
59 Kuwait 477
60 Iran 449
61 Colombia 372
62 South Africa 372
63 Uzbekistan 275
64 Portugal 253
65 Greece 238
66 Argentina 231
67 Brazil 226
68 Ethiopia 222
69 Turkey 201
70 Tajikistan 193
71 Hong Kong 190
72 China 190
73 Guatemala 182
74 Mexico 144
75 Malaysia 140
76 Venezuela 138
78 Uganda 117
79 Algeria 112
80 Thailand 97
81 Egypt 65
82 Saudi Arabia 48
83 Morocco 42
84 Afghanistan 38
85 Indonesia 17
86 India 9
NOT MY FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN
I've been trying to work out why I have been so ambivalent, at times antagonistic, towards the Olympic Games. Last night I realised that it was down to a mixture of envy and an overwhelming feeling of exclusion.
There were many agendas behind the staging of the Olympic Games in the UK, many of them noble but some of them merely opportunistic. I am certain that the British Government saw it as a way to reenact the Festival of Britain, to make the Brits feel good about themselves in a time of recession, unemployment and hardship. For millions of people this obviously worked. They were able to own the success of the British medal winners for themselves. I have been unable to do that. As far as I'm concerned it was the individual winners who won, not me, and this is where the envy kicks in. The winning line in my life was to become a parish priest. I trained hard for it and gave up the enjoyment of a "normal" life putting in the hours that becoming a good priest requires. But as I was running along the home stretch towards the finish I was tripped up by other "competitors" and fell flat on my face. Nobody would stop to pick me up, they were too worried that in doing so they would end up being disqualified by the "judges" themselves.
So now, when I see somebody winning I am unable to celebrate their achievement as I am just reminded of my own failure. This is probably the reason why I spent the last sixteen days feeling sorry for the losers. Last night, at the closing ceremony, I was disgusted that the medal winning athletes came into the stadium wearing their medals. I can't imagine what is needed to pick yourself up from failure, as I have been singularly unsuccessful in coping with my own failure, but I guess that it took a lot of guts for many of those competitors to go back into the stadium and party. They certainly must have had mixed emotions about it. To be constantly reminded of their failure by the winners showing off their medals so enthusiastically, must have hurt.
And it's the same for me with the meta-narrative of the Games. The message was "Britain is great." But it's not so great. I've experienced the nastiness and pettiness of its institutions, its old school tie networks, its class system and its cruel indifference to the failures in its midst. We have become a nation that is all about the success of the individual. The community spirit of the idealised Olympics is false. It exists no longer in my country. We have to be told by self-interested politicians when to behave like a community and, even then, they control how and where we are to do so. If we try to do it for ourselves they prosecute us, as the Law has taken away all our rights to spontaneous celebration. The London Olympics 2012 was not the Festival of Britain redux. Back in the early fifties there was hope. There is no hope today. We know that it will only be the rich who benefit from these Games and that all our Governments, no matter what their political claims, are now only interested in protecting bankers and their like at our expense. We know that they are prepared let ordinary working people suffer in their pursuit of big business happiness. Their promises mean nothing and even the easily fooled will soon forget their sporting achievements by proxy during the last two weeks.
There were many agendas behind the staging of the Olympic Games in the UK, many of them noble but some of them merely opportunistic. I am certain that the British Government saw it as a way to reenact the Festival of Britain, to make the Brits feel good about themselves in a time of recession, unemployment and hardship. For millions of people this obviously worked. They were able to own the success of the British medal winners for themselves. I have been unable to do that. As far as I'm concerned it was the individual winners who won, not me, and this is where the envy kicks in. The winning line in my life was to become a parish priest. I trained hard for it and gave up the enjoyment of a "normal" life putting in the hours that becoming a good priest requires. But as I was running along the home stretch towards the finish I was tripped up by other "competitors" and fell flat on my face. Nobody would stop to pick me up, they were too worried that in doing so they would end up being disqualified by the "judges" themselves.
So now, when I see somebody winning I am unable to celebrate their achievement as I am just reminded of my own failure. This is probably the reason why I spent the last sixteen days feeling sorry for the losers. Last night, at the closing ceremony, I was disgusted that the medal winning athletes came into the stadium wearing their medals. I can't imagine what is needed to pick yourself up from failure, as I have been singularly unsuccessful in coping with my own failure, but I guess that it took a lot of guts for many of those competitors to go back into the stadium and party. They certainly must have had mixed emotions about it. To be constantly reminded of their failure by the winners showing off their medals so enthusiastically, must have hurt.
And it's the same for me with the meta-narrative of the Games. The message was "Britain is great." But it's not so great. I've experienced the nastiness and pettiness of its institutions, its old school tie networks, its class system and its cruel indifference to the failures in its midst. We have become a nation that is all about the success of the individual. The community spirit of the idealised Olympics is false. It exists no longer in my country. We have to be told by self-interested politicians when to behave like a community and, even then, they control how and where we are to do so. If we try to do it for ourselves they prosecute us, as the Law has taken away all our rights to spontaneous celebration. The London Olympics 2012 was not the Festival of Britain redux. Back in the early fifties there was hope. There is no hope today. We know that it will only be the rich who benefit from these Games and that all our Governments, no matter what their political claims, are now only interested in protecting bankers and their like at our expense. We know that they are prepared let ordinary working people suffer in their pursuit of big business happiness. Their promises mean nothing and even the easily fooled will soon forget their sporting achievements by proxy during the last two weeks.
Sunday, 12 August 2012
ARREST HIGHLIGHTS PITIFUL EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS OF ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS
See also THE STRANGE CASE OF
THE FRANK N. FURTER PRIEST.
From THE FREE PRESS:
The pastor of a Catholic parish was completely undressed and told city police, "I like to drive around naked," after he was pulled over last week, according to the arresting officer's report. He was stopped at 11:18 p.m. on 2nd. August when another motorist had called 911 after noticing the priest was naked while driving north on Telegraph near Michigan Avenue.
Police said the priest's clothes were scattered across the inside of his 2002 Volkswagen Passat. He was allowed to get dressed before stepping out of the vehicle for sobriety tests, which he failed. The police report said officers detected a strong odor of alcohol in the vehicle and that the priest was unable to recite the alphabet correctly or count backward.
"I don't know what to say. I'm embarrassed," police quoted the 57-year-old as saying.
What sort of a "Land of the Free" is it where a man isn't allowed to drive around naked when he's hot? There are still tribes in the Amazonian Rain Forrest who refuse to wear clothes, are they arrested and subjected to on the spot literacy tests? No they are not! And as one correspondent reminded us in a comment on my original post on this incident,
"Who among us has never gone out for a naked drive before?"
However, much as I condemn the harassment of this man I also condemn the Roman Catholic Church for allowing people who cannot even recite the alphabet to become priests. It presents an extremely bad example to the young people of their congregations who are always looking for an excuse to bunk off school and hang around the mall. There are only twenty six letters in the alphabet, it doesn't take that long to learn them. And honestly, if you can count forwards, you can count backwards. The Pope needs to tighten up his denomination's selection criteria. Illiteracy is okay if you're just a Republican president of the United States, but in a parish priest it is not on.
THE FRANK N. FURTER PRIEST.
From THE FREE PRESS:
The pastor of a Catholic parish was completely undressed and told city police, "I like to drive around naked," after he was pulled over last week, according to the arresting officer's report. He was stopped at 11:18 p.m. on 2nd. August when another motorist had called 911 after noticing the priest was naked while driving north on Telegraph near Michigan Avenue.
Police said the priest's clothes were scattered across the inside of his 2002 Volkswagen Passat. He was allowed to get dressed before stepping out of the vehicle for sobriety tests, which he failed. The police report said officers detected a strong odor of alcohol in the vehicle and that the priest was unable to recite the alphabet correctly or count backward.
"I don't know what to say. I'm embarrassed," police quoted the 57-year-old as saying.
What sort of a "Land of the Free" is it where a man isn't allowed to drive around naked when he's hot? There are still tribes in the Amazonian Rain Forrest who refuse to wear clothes, are they arrested and subjected to on the spot literacy tests? No they are not! And as one correspondent reminded us in a comment on my original post on this incident,
"Who among us has never gone out for a naked drive before?"
However, much as I condemn the harassment of this man I also condemn the Roman Catholic Church for allowing people who cannot even recite the alphabet to become priests. It presents an extremely bad example to the young people of their congregations who are always looking for an excuse to bunk off school and hang around the mall. There are only twenty six letters in the alphabet, it doesn't take that long to learn them. And honestly, if you can count forwards, you can count backwards. The Pope needs to tighten up his denomination's selection criteria. Illiteracy is okay if you're just a Republican president of the United States, but in a parish priest it is not on.
WORSHIP AT SAINT LAIKA'S
A SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
THE TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
All are welcome to join me in taking communion.
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.
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.
Click on the arrow on the player to stream.
Download via the MP3 icon below the player.
MP3 File
CLICK HERE for order of service and credits (opens in new window)
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