concupiscence

For several years now I have been promising the members of my EfM group that I was bound and determined to use the word concupiscence in one of my sermons. Sadly I never found the opportunity. But I was dismayed to discover that someone was able to use it in an article in the May 18th, 2008 edition of "The Living Church". I guess I just didn't try hard enough!

Thought for today

Many of you have figured out that I very much enjoy the thoughts of the Ven. Shi Wuling, an American Buddhist nun. Here is another to ponder.

may all beings
become messengers of peace
in times of chaos and conflict.
may they
become the calm voice of reason
in times of anguish and anger.

Ven. Shi Wuling, an American Buddhist nun

Calif. court refuses to stay gay marriage ruling

Good news for equal rights for all in our country.

AP reports:

SAN FRANCISCO - California's highest court Wednesday refused to stay its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, clearing the final hurdle for gay couples to start tying the knot this month.

Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its May 15 order requiring state and local officials to sanction same-sex unions from becoming effective until voters have the chance to consider the issue in November. The justices' decisions typically become final after 30 days.

Read it all here.

Dark night of the soul

Another great quote from "The Dark Night of The Soul" by Gerald G. May. In it he writes: "the dark night of the soul is an ongoing transition from compulsively trying to control one's life toward a trusting freedom and openness to God and the real situations of life."

I was struck by the power of this thought. I have been coming to grips with my own efforts of "compulsively trying to control" my life and my circumstances. While I hardly know if I'm in the middle of a dark night of my soul, I do know that I want to work on making the transition he is speaking about in my own life.

Oh happy day

These Panda's look pretty happy! I don't know what it is about panda's that make them so lovable!

Thought for today

in developing compassion, we care for
those we love
those we know.

eventually we will even care for
those we do not like
those we do not know.

Ven. Shi Wuling, an American Buddhist nun

How to pick a Primate of your very own

This is a snippet from the Anglican Journal.


Meanwhile, a former Canadian Anglican bishop who is now licensed by the Southern Cone said that the network contacted other foreign primates as possible leaders but aligned itself with the British-born Archbishop Venables because of his background.

“We did talk to a couple of primates of different colours,” said Bishop Donald Harvey, formerly of the diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, in an interview. But Archbishop Venables was willing to take on the job, is well respected by other primates, and brings few cultural barriers and no language limitations, he said.

End of snippet.

But I have a suggestion. The best primate if you are shopping for one to jump to so you can "have it your way" so to speak, would be a dead one. Then you not only don't have to worry about cultural barriers, language limitations, or racism and even better you don't have to worry about the troublesome issue of someone potentially telling you what you have to do!

Oblivion is bliss, or is it?

Anglicans Online has a weekly article which this week focused on symbols. They made, what was for me at least, the startling observation that "every elevator in the Western world has a five-pointed star on or next to the button that will take you to the floor that exits the building." It was startling to me because I have never noticed this. And I have occasionally found myself in a elevator trying to figure out which button would take me to the floor where I could exit the building.

Imagine all the time I could have saved myself if I would have learned this simple little trick. Who ever thought of it, and who knows about it and why did they never tell me? Perhaps I'm just an overly oblivious person (ok, no perhaps about it, I really am an oblivious person). I think someone should write one of those "Dummy" books for us oblivious people to help clue us in!

Thought for today

“If we thanked God for the good things, there wouldn’t be time to weep over the bad.”

Yiddish proverb

Just Emma and me

Emmanuel headed off (with much trepidation) to an Elton John concert this Friday and left Emma in my care for the night. He bravely only had to call and check up on us twice and I happily report that Emma and I had a wonderful time. Thanks to our friend Deborah who came over with pizza and ice cream for dinner (alas, only formula for Emma though!).

Emma survived with no apparent ill effects and I really enjoyed taking care of her.

And if you want to see many more pictures of this beautiful angel you can see them here.

Thought for the day

before we can help,
we need to understand,

before we can understand,
we need to listen,

before we can listen,
we need to be quiet.

Ven. Shi Wuling, an American Buddhist nun

Religion and politics

This news item from Reuters does a good job outlining some of the problems in presidential elections. Pandering to the religious right has done no good for McCain and has eventually forced him to repudiate some of his endorsements. Obama likewise continues to be dogged by his former pastor problems.

Perhaps religion should just be left out of politics.

Obama and McCain have "righteous" problems

By Ed Stoddard - Analysis

DALLAS (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain has a "Religious Right" problem. His likely Democratic rival, Barack Obama, has a Rev. Wright problem.

In a country where high levels of belief and church attendance often translate into a major role for religion in election campaigns, analysts say faith may well be a poisoned chalice for the likely contenders in the November White House race.

The faith problem for Obama, who would be the first black president and is within striking distance of the Democratic nomination, stems from voter anger over anti-American sermons by his former pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Wright has said the September 11 attacks were retribution for U.S. foreign policy and the U.S. government had a hand in spreading AIDS to harm blacks.

Obama has publicly severed ties with Wright but opinion polls persistently show the relationship matters to some voters.

McCain's trouble lies with the Republican Party's conservative evangelical base, the so-called Religious Right, which rallied behind President George W. Bush but has been less than enthusiastic about McCain because of his past support for stem-cell research and his failure to back a federal ban on gay marriage.

"The religious right challenge to McCain is far more significant and problematic for his candidacy than the Rev. Wright problem for Obama. The reason is because religiously committed Christians are fundamental to a Republican winning the White House," said Michael Lindsay, a political sociologist at Rice University in Houston and a noted expert on faith and politics.

"That is not the case for Democratic candidates, in fact quite the opposite. The so-called secularist wing of American politics is part of the core of Democratic support and especially Obama support," he said.

But that does not mean Obama can exorcise the ghost of Wright, and Lindsay said it could haunt him in swing states -- those states that often switch from one party to the other and where the margin of victory in presidential elections is often narrow.

"I think the Wright controversy will continue to plague Obama's candidacy in swing states where religious voters can make a difference like Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania."

Polls of voters taken after Tuesday's Kentucky Democratic primary, which Hillary Clinton won easily in what many see as one of her last stands, showed that more than 50 percent of those who voted thought Obama shared Wright's views.

This highlights the scope of the Wright problem for Obama among Clinton's white, working class and often church-going supporters in swing states -- voters who could be up for grabs in an Obama-McCain showdown.

CAN MCCAIN REAP THE WRIGHT STUFF?

But can McCain reap what Wright has sown?

Many of the conservative evangelicals whom McCain needs to woo are staunchly patriotic and are enraged by Wright's inflammatory statements. That could help divert attention from McCain's perceived drawbacks.

"I don't think the McCain campaign will dwell on it but the rest of the Republican machinery will try and keep the Rev. Wright controversy at a low boil," said Cal Jillson, a political analyst at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

McCain also has positions and qualities that many conservative Christians find appealing, such as his consistent opposition to abortion and his status as a military hero and former prisoner of war in Vietnam.

But Obama's ease at talking about his personal faith -- a trait he shares with Bush -- stands in stark contrast to McCain's obvious discomfort with the subject.

McCain attends a church affiliated with America's largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, but he was raised in the more reserved embrace of the Episcopal faith. Obama is an adult convert to the United Church of Christ and the convert's passion gels easily with his speaking style.

"The political problem Obama faces (because of Wright) can be solved by personalizing the issue of faith," Jillson said.

Obama's campaign also has a faith outreach program aimed at religious voters, which helps dispel false rumors that he is a Muslim.

Clyde Wilcox of Georgetown University in Washington said he saw the Wright issue fading but it has still hurt "because there are people who are looking for a reason to doubt him (Obama) ... But Obama can survive this, he talks so very well about religion and has forcibly distanced himself (from Wright)."

(Editing by Eric Beech)

Obscurity of the dark night

I continue to find some wonderful thoughts in the book "The Dark Night of The Soul" by Gerald G. May. In it he writes: "The obscurity of the dark night is so constant that I sometimes say, "If you're certain you're going through a dark night of the soul, you probably aren't!"

I think one thing true in my own life, is that I often see things much clearer in hindsight. I supposed I might have lived a better and more effective life if I could see things as clearly at the beginning as at the end, but that does not seem to very true in my life.

Of course, I have also learned that sometimes I never seem to see things clear at all until much later, and sometimes perhaps too late. But I'm counting on God to continue to work with and through me and to grant me new insights and new visions as to what the future holds for me.

Fr. Matthew presents

Fr. Matthew presents is an great short video series which I encourage you to check out. They are all posted on YouTube and if you search there for Fr. Matthew you will find many that he has done, in addition to this series on the Eucharist.

Ordination: Father Matthew Presents the Sacraments

Want to know what Ordination is all about? Only have three minutes? Well, you're in luck! Episcopal priest, Matthew Moretz, at Christ's Church in Rye, NY continues his series "Father Matthew Presents the Sacraments" with a look at the sacrament of ordination: the way deacons, priests, and bishops are made. You can find sermons and church info at www.ccrye.org. You can contact Fr. Matthew at curate@ccrye.org. Peace be with you!

Blog Reability

I found this on another blog and out of curiosity decided I would check out the readability level of my blog. Here is the result:

Movie Reviews

Today's sermon

My sermon for today has been posted on my sermon blog. The podcast has also been uploaded to my podcast site. You can also find my podcasts at Itunes by searching for episcopalpadre.

A dose of humor for today

Father Christian over at the GAFCON blog continues to post wonderfully witty things. Warning, you have to appreciate sarcasm of the Anglican right to appreciate this blog!

Minorities Create Majorities.

The Bible teaches that all sin is equally abhorrent unto the Lord, but human nature is such that we readily consider some sins more shameful than others. The wise preacher understands this, and uses it to lay guilt upon a minority of his congregation, thereby encouraging the majority to feel self-confident and smug.

This tactic is at the heart of GAFCON Christianity, and one has only to see how homogeneously self-righteous churches are growing to understand its importance. Nobody likes being a loser, so inviting the insecure to join a large triumphant mob jeering at an alienated minority can rapidly develop a large and yet pliable congregation willing to do whatever one asks lest any disobedience results in them being on the receiving end of what they’ve grown used to throwing at others.

Yet sadly Clergy have of late been losing their creativity when it comes to creating alienated and oppressed minorities. Time was that within any diocese countless ways of achieving this could be seen; some preached against a particular race or ethnic group, others against women, or even against different flavors of Churchmanship or regional accents. Nowadays this wonderful variety has gone, and we hear nothing but sodomy, sodomy, and sodomy. What’s happened to the Communion’s imagination? Have today’s preachers never learned of the dangers in placing all of one’s eggs within a single basket?

The Anglican/Episcopalian leaders of tomorrow must be men who can vilify traditional minorities while at the same time developing new ways of fostering a pack mentality among believers. It’s not enough to simply assume that our present targets will remain vulnerable forever; we must find new groups to victimise lest our children find themselves in a world where liberal notions of inclusivity dominate. Just as the Israelites could enjoy slaughtering more than just Hittites, but were also blessed with an abundance Amorites, Perizzites, and Hivites - not to mention the Jebusites and Canaanites - to overcome and destroy, so also must we vigilantly ensure we discover a continuing supply of minorities with whom to fuel growing churches.

I’m Father Christian and I teach the Bible.

A little humor for today

This comes from the blog of the MadPriest. Hope it makes you laugh today.

don't blame me, blame Scott

from Of course, I could be wrong... by noreply@blogger.com (MadPriest)

This is all very funny. But the funniest are the two right at the end which I added myself.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN McCAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me, although I clearly remember having to dodge enemy fire as Chelsea and I tried to cross the road.

DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.


GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...
.
JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.

RUSH LIMBAUGH:
Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn't that intewesting? In a few moments, we will be wistening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a sewious case of molting, and went on to accompwish its wife wong dweam of cwossing the woad.

ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY:
Where's my gun?

AL SHARPTON:
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT:
damn that chicken. Does that make me unpatriotic?

TONY BLAIR
It was a long pilgrimage which just so happened to coincide with the chicken losing the job of appointing Church of England bishops.

CHERIE BLAIR
Because I told him to.

From the GAFCON blog

As you can see, I have (in just 5 minutes) become a huge fan of this blog!

The Importance of Hatred

from GAFCON by The Rev. Dr. Christian Troll

”As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Rom 9:13

Something the liberals destroying our Church with their perverted message of love never mention is that The Word makes it clear that hating some folks is simply part and parcel of what every Bible believer must do. The Sodomites and wishy-washy liberals can squirm and scream like babies all they wish, but the fact is that The Bible shows some people were only created so those prepared to show obedience to Orthodox teaching can do so by hating them.

In the examply of Esau we are called to hate him because he was red and hairy (Gen 26:25). There can be no apology for saying that Scripture teaches we must sometimes despise people for the way they look. That’s just the way things are, and it’s why I cannot accept any compromise whatsoever when it comes to hiring domestic staff for the Manse. Servants must be pleasing to the eye, even if they come from lands where most folk are Roman Catholics, hairy and despicable. God loved Jacob because he was a smooth man (Gen 27:11), and if we are to be faithful to The Word we have no option other than to similarly value those qualities.

fun blog

I found a new blog which seems loads of fun. You can read it here.



It is called GAFCON, which stands for God and Father Christian: Obscuring Nothing.

The author is (as described on the blog)

The Rev. Dr. Christian Troll

Doctrinal Warrior

Vicar Superior
St. Onuphrius'
Ichabod Springs