Sunday, March 30, 2008

Symbolic of his struggle against reality


News of the bizarre

Transgender man is pregnant

Thomas Beattie lives in Oregon and is married to a woman named Nancy. He's pregnant.
To our neighbors, my wife, Nancy, and I don’t appear in the least unusual. To those in the quiet Oregon community where we live, we are viewed just as we are -- a happy couple deeply in love. Our desire to work hard, buy our first home, and start a family was nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until we decided that I would carry our child.
I am transgender, legally male, and legally married to Nancy. Unlike those in same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, or civil unions, Nancy and I are afforded the more than 1,100 federal rights of marriage. Sterilization is not a requirement for sex reassignment, so I decided to have chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy but kept my reproductive rights. Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire.
Then, this crazy doctor:


Male Pregnancy Now an Option, Beijing Surgeon Says

Doctor Chen Huanran is looking for a few good men -- to get pregnant.
The Beijing doctor -- one of China's most-prominent sex change surgeons -- says he has developed the technology to impregnate a man, and now he wants to use his technique to help his transsexual patients have children of their own.

If successful, it would be the first time ever that a male human has become pregnant, with the possible exception of the Arnold Schwartzenager movie "Junior."

Chen, who works at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said he has already lined up four men for the procedure and an Internet discussion of his "male mother" project has caused hundreds of men around the country to volunteer for swollen ankles, morning sickness and the many other joys of pregnancy.

"We want to help the transsexuals we operate on to realize their basic right of delivering a baby," Chen said yesterday.

All of it reminds me of this, back from when you could actually still mock the insanity.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Millions for litigation, but not a penny for missions

Okay, so we can afford $600 per hour but we can't come up with $500 per month? Just where are the priorities of 815 here? Property & power or mission & ministry? You decide.

Then the NATIONAL CHURCH announced this week that its missionary operating budget is being dramatically cut. Compensation to its missionaries being cut, prompted concerns over equity, and budget constraints. According to a letter from the Rev. David Copley, Anglican and Global Relations mission personnel officer, sent to all overseas missionaries, the church will no longer pay them a monthly stipend (about $500, in most cases) or cover their airfare, relocation expenses, language study, vaccinations, and any health expenses not covered by insurance. You can read the full story in today's digest. Do note however that there is plenty of money in the budget for lawsuits and David Booth Beers who demands $600 an hour (with a discount of course) for his legal services. How long do you think the missionary enterprise will last with these cuts? It was woeful to begin with. It will only get worse.


From David Virtue

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Episcopal Church - Taking the Gospel to all the World

Missionaries who work outside of the United States under the auspices of the Episcopal Church will soon see major changes to their compensation.

According to a letter from the Rev. David Copley, Anglican and Global Relations mission personnel officer, sent to all overseas missionaries, the church will no longer pay them a monthly stipend (about $500, in most cases) or cover their airfare, relocation expenses, language study, vaccinations, and any health expenses not covered by insurance.

Read the rest...

Sunday, March 23, 2008

In Christ Alone



Thanks to BabyBlue for this link. It's late at night & I can't seem to get the link right to her website, but you all know who she is.

Blessed Easter Morn to everyone.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Boundary Crossings

Women's Caucus Plans Uninvited Visits to 11 Dioceses

The Episcopal Women’s Caucus recently announced plans to target at least 11 dioceses of The Episcopal Church for visits not at the invitation of the local bishop under its expanded Angel Project.
"not at the invitation of the local bishop" -- isn't that the greatest sin against the canons?

“New times create new opportunities,” wrote the Rev. Elizabeth Kaeton, EWC president and rector of St. Paul’s Church in Chatham, N.J., in an article on “listening” in the latest issue of the Ruach, the EWC newsletter. “The caucus board has conceived of a new incarnation of this project. Based on communication we have received, we have identified 11 dioceses that are decidedly hostile to the ministry of women, lay and ordained. There are, no doubt, many more.”
The dioceses to be targeted are: Albany, Central Florida, Dallas, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy (Illinois), the Rio Grande (New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle), San Joaquin (California), South Carolina, Southwest Florida and Springfield (Illinois).

"decidedly hostile to the ministry of women, lay and ordained" - that should come as a great big giant surprise to my fellow female postulants & candidates for holy orders. Albany is hardly a hostile diocese. Do some here not believe in or support women in holy orders? Sure. But I'll bet you some people in Keaton's diocese have qualms about the issue as well. And this whole "lay and ordained" is just a smoke screen. We all know darn well exactly what she means - PRIESTED women. That's the only order they care about. Well, maybe now women bishops as well. But there is little to no real belief that doing lay ministry or diaconal ministry is valuable.

Diocesan officials and female clergy from at least three of the dioceses named were amazed to learn that their diocese was included on the list.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Peter Frank, director of communication for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. “We have women clergy at all levels of leadership, including our senior staff officer in charge of clergy placement. If this is what hostility looks like, they really don’t have much to worry about.”
In his formal March 14 response denying charges of abandonment of communion to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh noted that his support and encouragement for the ministry of women in holy orders was the one aspect of his episcopacy to what “faithful Anglicans and mainstream Christians have always preached and taught.”
What Peter Frank doesn't get is that this is not really about women's ministry. This is about the revisionist agenda. This is just the foot in the door, the camel nose in the tent.
Clergy and laywoman from the dioceses of Central Florida and Southwest Florida were equally incredulous to learn of their inclusion.
“I was very surprised when I saw the article,” said Karen Patterson, who is president of the Standing Committee in the Diocese of Southwest Florida. “I had to re-read it to make sure I was understanding correctly,” she said in an interview with The Southern Cross, the Diocese of Southwest Florida’s newspaper.
Ms. Kaeton denied to the reporter from The Southern Cross that the caucus was compiling a hit list.
“It’s not at all,” she said. “It’s a list of places where, for years, we have heard women say the ministry of women, lay and ordained, is not being celebrated, or is flat-out hostile. And we want to go and hear those stories and provide some companionship and some hope.
“If we can raise awareness and educate and begin the process of change in the church, I think that will be a success,” she said. “Maybe by providing a picture of what it’s like for a woman in The Episcopal Church, we might be able to bring about some change.”
She hits all the buttons here, doesn't she? "for years"- this is an ancient evil that is grinding down the poor girls in these dioceses. "not being celebrated" - well, I guess the darn women can do ministry, but let's not give them too much acknowledgment, it'll just encourage more of them to do it. "flat-out hostile" - yeah, you didn't throw me a party for me & my ministry (not the Lord's ministry, mind) so you're hostile!! (pretty little foot stamp inserted here) "hear those stories" - gag, more listening. "raise awareness and educate" - do we get a pretty awareness ribbon to wear?

But this is my favorite:
“Maybe by providing a picture of what it’s like for a woman in The Episcopal Church, we might be able to bring about some change.” Yeah, it's tough being a woman in the Episcopal Church. I mean, I gotta wear that burqa thing & never speak in public & nobody ever throws me a party to celebrate me.

The first Angel Project was created by the caucus after the 73rd General Convention in 2000 criticized the dioceses of Fort Worth, Quincy and San Joaquin over the refusal of the bishops in those dioceses to ordain women. Those visits included celebration of Holy Eucharist in some cases. The canons of The Episcopal Church permit a priest to function in a diocese without a license from the local bishop for up to 59 days.

"This is not about using the sacrament as a act of protest or defiance and there will be no bishops involved," Ms. Kaeton said. "We are very clear about sending a priest and a lay person. Any celebration of the Eucharist would be done in a private, pastoral setting in response to an invitation from the women. It would certainly not be done in a church, either."


Oh, this is so about "using the sacrament". The sacrament is nothing but a prop to these people. This is just agitprop, designed to make people think there is a problem where there is no problem, to sow seeds of discontent.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

The Bishop of Fort Worth writes to his clergy

Whatever difference I may have with the good bishop of Fort Worth (I stand more on the +Pittsburgh side), this man is not only standing for the gospel, he has a great sense of humor.

I LIKE IKER!

From StandFirm....

Please advise as to what alternatives to palms you will be using tomorrow at church, so that we do not continue to rape the earth's green plants.

Green streamers will not do (inspiring as they are!), as they are not bio-degradeable.

Also, please - no live donkeys in the procession this year! Like the cattle we raise, they emit gases injurious to the atmosphere and contribute to excessive rains and flooding for our South Pacific neighbors.

Now that you have completed your MDG Stations of the Cross, I expect that they will be duly honored (blessed be the MDG's) in the prayers of the people tomorrow.

Make no doubt about it: I will be watching you!

+JLI

Vestments or Oven Mitt? You decide!
















This is just downright hideous. Who designs these things the PB wears? It does look like an oven mitt. The woman has no fashion sense. And the rainbow "I support our LGB brothers & sisters" is so tiresomely in-your-face. Can she back off just a little bit during Holy Week?

Monday, March 17, 2008

Paddy's Lamentation

A Tribute to the Irish Brigade

Great American Irish Festival

Check out this outstanding Irish Festival if you are on the East Coast.

The Great American Irish Festival

The Wearing of the Green

The Band of the Royal Irish Regiment - The Part Glass

Now, these are PIPERS!


St. Patrick's Confession

The Minstrel Boy

Mary Mack by Hair of the Dog

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


Patronal Feast Day!

An excuse for all sorts of paddy-whackery.

I shall indulge myself.....


ABOUT SAINT PATRICK

Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."

(taken from the website St. Patrick's Day.com. Follow the link above to check it out.)

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Once to Every Man and Nation




With thanks to BabyBlue for the inspiration...

Palm Sunday



All Glory Laud and Honor

Friday, March 14, 2008

Is +Stacy Sauls On His Way Out At DioLex?

Stacy Sauls was a nominee for PB, if you recall. Looks like he's cut of the same cloth as +Katharine.


“At present, the Diocese of Lexington is not functioning as it should. The lines of authority set out in scripture, tradition and canon have been repeatedly and purposely crossed.”




Check out the rest of the story at Still on Patrol......

Continuing Reconciliation

From the comments on TitusOneNine:

Don Armstrong wrote:

O’Neill of Colorado just sent a letter to an 89 year old priest with Parkinson’s disease telling him he was going to be defrocked for asking Archbishop Ping for help in 2001...Paula Nesbitt’s work on reconciliation at the HOB meeting must have been very moving...and how about those Windsor Bishops--our hope in ages past?

More about Bishop MacBurney


Bishop MacBurney was ordained a priest in 1952.

His son is in hospice, dying. This was apparently well known to the Presiding Bishop and the House of Bishops.

Can't you just feel the love?

The Reckoning contiunes......


From ENS
House of Bishops consents to deposition of John-David Schofield, William Cox

The House of Bishops voted March 12 to consent to the deposition from the ordained ministry of the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, and the Rt. Rev. William Jackson Cox, bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Maryland (resigned).

From the Tulsa World: Bishop William Cox: “I feel sorry that they felt they needed to do this. A more charitable thing to do would be to say, ‘We recognize that you are now a member of the church in Argentina and ask God’s blessing on your ministry.’ ”

Did I mention that Bishop Cox is 86 years old and was ordained a priest in 1958??? Thank you for 50 years of faithful service to this Church; now we are deposing you.



Bishop Schofield's response:

The question that begs to be answered by the House of Bishops,” said Bishop Schofield, “is, why bishops who continue to teach and publish books that deny the most basic Christian beliefs are not disciplined while those of us who uphold the Christian Faith are?” He added, "At least I am in good company. It is a privilege to know that I am standing along side of one of the outstanding theologians of our time, J. I. Packer, who is under similar discipline by the Canadian Church and who, also, has placed himself under the authority of the Southern Cone."



Interesting that when I checked Church Publishing's on-line clerical directory, I got "no results found" when looking for stats on Bishop Schofield. Hmmm.

Next we get this:


Former Quincy Bishop Charged



Bishop Edward MacBurney
Bishop Edward MacBurney, bishop retired of the Diocese of Quincy, has been formally charged with canonical violations by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. These charges stem from events occurring in June, 2007 when Bishop MacBurney was invited to make a pastoral visit to a non-Episcopal church in San Diego, California. MacBurney, 80 years old, retired from his position as a diocesan bishop in 1994, but as a bishop in good standing still actively ministers to churches throughout the country and also in other parts of the Anglican Communion..

The basis of the charges against MacBurney relate to the allegation that he did not receive permission to perform liturgical rites from the sitting Episcopal diocesan bishop in San Diego. Even though the church MacBurney visited had severed ties with the Episcopal Church in the United States and had re-affiliated with the Anglican Bishop of Argentina, a primate of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the charges allege that MacBurney impermissibly crossed Diocesan boundaries.





Flying Monkeys Alert!!!




From Matt Kennedy at Stand Firm

Presiding Bishop Plans to Try Bishop Duncan before the Lambeth Conference

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church plans to poll the House of Bishops in April 2008 for approval of a plan to move the possible deposition of Bishop Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh forward from September 2008 to May 2008.

This was announced at the post-meeting press conference yesterday. Bishops Ed Little, Roskam, Curry, and Alvarez were among those present at the conference.

The reasons for this move have not been made public, however, the effect of such a move is clear. The Lambeth Conference begins in July. Were Bishop Duncan to be deposed prior to the Lambeth Conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury would be forced to decide whether to honor the Episcopal Church’s deposition and disinvite Bishop Duncan or to disregard it, a decision similar to the one he faces with regard to Bishop Schofield of San Joaquin.

Orthodox Anglicanism for Dummies


This is brilliant! I have no idea who created it.

Found at HotRodAnglican

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Did you notice this threatening little bit?

We base much of our approach to loving God and our neighbors in this world on our baptismal covenant. Yet our latest prayer book was written just a bit too early to include caring for creation among those explicit baptismal promises. I would invite you to explore those promises a bit more deeply -- where and how do they imply caring for the rest of creation?


Apparently a little foretaste of plans for the NEW IMPROVED BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER! coming our way. I look forward to the Trial Use books, which will not doubt include many prayers to "this earth, our island home". Isn't Eucharistic Prayer C enough to inflict on the faithful?

Holy Cow! The Presiding Bishop's Easter Message

So, the Presiding Bishop has issued her Easter Message. Is it about Christ rising from the tomb? Is it about the new life we receive, the forgiveness of our sins, the glorious hope of resurrection for all who believe in the Lord? No. It's about cows and their digestion.

What the heck? Has this woman ever opened a Bible or stepped into an actual, real, Bible-preaching church? Or is her only experience of "church" of the Unitarian variety?

(Answers: No & yes.)

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

What was he thinking?????


Analysts Ask: What Was Spitzer Thinking?


By JOCELYN NOVECK, AP National Writer
3:46 PM PDT, March 10, 2008
NEW YORK -- It's the simplest question in the world, but it was the one repeated over and over Monday after the staggering news broke about Gov. Eliot Spitzer: What in heaven's name was the man thinking?

Yet if the New York governor is proved to have been involved in a prostitution ring, it would hardly be the first time a powerful, brilliant person in public life has done something dizzyingly self-destructive.

Why do otherwise smart, successful people do such risky things? For psychologists and political analysts who found themselves dissecting the Spitzer story, it was a question of the chicken or the egg: In such situations, does the risky behavior precede the powerful job? Or does something about being in power cause the behavior?

the rest here...

Monday, March 10, 2008

ON USING RITE 1

Just a trivial observation. My parish is using Rite 1 during Lent. We can not seem to get the hang of passing the peace. Being the last Sunday before Palm Sunday, we seem to have finally settled into this:

"The LORD be with you.
And also.... with thy Spirit."

Hey, does anybody read this blog?

Leave a comment now and again, okay?

Just who is doing the leaving?

The future of the Church

Implications for the Church

More J. I. Packer

Dr. James Packer on the Current Unpleasantness

This is part of a 10-part series on YouTube. There is nothing I would even venture to say. Listen to the wisdom and the pain in the voice of this great theologian.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

"Provisional Bishop"???????


Walkabout Scheduled for San Joaquin Provisional Bishop Nominee


A single candidate chosen to be the provisional Bishop of San Joaquin will participate in a two-day walkabout visitation to the diocese immediately after the House of Bishops’ meeting concludes at Camp Allen in Texas on March 12.

The bishops are scheduled to vote on whether to depose the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin during a “business session” after Morning Prayer on that day. Bishop Schofield has already formally resigned from the House of Bishops. Bishops with jurisdiction must obtain consent from the House of Bishops to resign, according to national church canons.


read the rest here..

I am pretty sure this isn't even legal under the Canons. What exactly is a "provisional" bishop? Is that like provisional baptism - if you aren't sure you have a bishop, here's one in case? Or, is the consecration provisional? - If it turns out they already have a bishop, you aren't really consecrated? What the heck is 815 up to?

And, really, don't the National Canons specify that the Standing Committee is the Ecclesiastical authority until such time as that Committee calls for an election of a new bishop? Just when did 815 or the PB get that authority? I know she has "fired" the Diocese of San Joaquin Standing Committee, but, again, she does not have the authority to do so. They were duly and legally elected and have not left TEC for the Southern Cone.

But, hey, who cares. As long as the Millennium Development Goals and all things homosexual are affirmed as the highest & holiest good, they can do anything. This PB and her minions can do whatever they want, for they are on the side of the angels - the fallen kind.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Jeeves and the Missing Theology




This is brilliant.
Captain Yips has done a wonderful pastiche of Wodehouse.
I think I understand the ABC a bit more now, realizing that he's an old school chum of Bertie's.


And the MDG Hotel!!!


Our PB is something of an Aunt, isn't she?