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What the Pope Did or Did not Say this week about the pastoral application of church teaching in the area of same-sex relations (III): The Pillar:

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The story came from language in the pope’s July 11 letter, published by the Vatican. In response to a question about whether it is possible for the Church to consider same-sex unions as “possible goods,” the pope wrote several paragraphs which emphasized that there are relationships — presumably same-sex relationships among them — which are “not morally acceptable.”

The pope added that “the Church avoids any kind of rite or sacramental that could contradict” its doctrine regarding marriage, or “give the impression that something that is not marriage is recognized.”

Still, Pope Francis also allowed for the possibility that some kind of blessing could be conferred on one or more Catholics in “not-marriage” unions.

“Pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage. Because when a blessing is requested, one is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a Father who can help us to live better.”

In short, the pope seemed to say, when people in an irregular union — perhaps a same-sex union — come to the parish for a blessing, it is worth discerning what they’re really asking for, and whether there is some way the Church can respond to that, even while avoiding the appearance of a nuptial blessing.

Read it all.

Posted in Anthropology, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Pope Francis, Religion & Culture, Roman Catholic, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion), Spirituality/Prayer, Theology, Theology: Scripture

What the Pope Did or Did not Say this week about the pastoral application of church teaching in the area of same-sex relations (II): Ian Paul

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Pope Francis’s Response to the Second Dubium

a. The Church has a very clear understanding of marriage: an exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to procreation. Only this union can be called “marriage.” Other forms of union realize it only in “a partial and analogous way” (Amoris Laetitia 292), so they cannot be strictly called “marriage.”

There is a clear understanding of what marriage is in the Bible and the Christian tradition.  Other forms of union may have some similarity to marriage, but they are not marriage.

b. It is not just a matter of names, but the reality we call marriage has a unique essential constitution that requires an exclusive name, not applicable to other realities. It is undoubtedly much more than a mere “ideal.”

Church teaching is that male/female marriage is a ‘thing’: an actual institution that exists in the lives of men and women, and does not just a distant ideal that we may strive for, or a malleable concept that can be redescribed.

c. For this reason, the Church avoids any type of rite or sacramental that might contradict this conviction and suggest that something that is not marriage is recognized as marriage.

In the UK context, this indicates that the Pope might accept civil partnerships as legal and social arrangements between people, but emphasises that they should not be celebrated in such a way as to make it seem as though they are marriage in the proper sense.

d. However, in our relationships with people, we must not lose the pastoral charity, which should permeate all our decisions and attitudes. The defence of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity; it also includes kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot be judges who only deny, reject, and exclude.

Charity (love) is of course always of prime importance in any discussion of human relationships.Part of charity is to speak the objective truth (i.e., that marriage is a ‘thing’ as per points a and b) but speaking objective truth cannot be the whole – the sum total – of a charitable response, which also must include an understanding and compassionate approach to people’s individual circumstances.

e. Therefore, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not convey a mistaken concept of marriage.

Read it all.

Posted in --Civil Unions & Partnerships, Anthropology, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Pope Francis, Roman Catholic, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality, Spirituality/Prayer, Theology, Theology: Scripture

What the Pope Did or Did not Say this week about the pastoral application of church teaching in the area of same-sex relations (I): Crux

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

On whether the practice of blessing same-sex unions is in keeping with Catholic revelation and the Church’s magisterium, Francis said “the Church has a very clear concept on marriage: An exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to begetting children.”

“Only this union is called ‘marriage.’ Other forms of union are only realized ‘in a partial and analogous way’, which is why they cannot strictly be called ‘marriage,’” the pope said.

Sacramental marriage “is much more than a mere ‘ideal,’” he said, adding this is why the Church “avoids every type of rite or sacrament that can contradict this conviction and imply that something is recognized as marriage which is not.”

However, Pope Francis stressed the need for compassion in the Church’s pastoral care of homosexual individuals, and signaled an openness to blessing same-sex unions on a case-by-case basis.

“In dealing with people we must not lose pastoral charity, which must pass through all of our decisions and attitudes,” he said, saying “the defense of the objective truth is not the only expression of this charity, which is also made of kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement.”

Read it all.

Posted in --Civil Unions & Partnerships, Anthropology, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Pope Francis, Religion & Culture, Roman Catholic, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion)

A Prayer for the Feast Day of William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Almighty God, who didst plant in the heart of thy servants William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale a consuming passion to bring the Scriptures to people in their native tongue, and didst endow them with the gift of powerful and graceful expression and with strength to persevere against all obstacles: Reveal to us, we pray thee, thy saving Word, as we read and study the Scriptures, and hear them calling us to repentance and life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the day from William Temple

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst pray for thy disciples that they might be one, even as thou art one with the Father: Draw us to thyself, that in common love and obedience to thee we may be united to one another, in the fellowship of the one Spirit, that the world may believe that thou art Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Posted in Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Bible Readings

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel.

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law—though not being myself under the law—that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law—not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ—that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

–1 Corinthians 9:16-27

Posted in Theology: Scripture

St. John’s Anglican Parish Church Purchases Property on Johns Island

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The congregation raised the entire $1.6 million needed to purchase the property outright in less than three months. Shelton remarked, “The faithfulness of the Lord brings all of us to greater faithfulness, obedience, and generosity every day. The Lord has been good to St. John’s Parish Church these last 15 months, and we are sure He will continue the good work He has begun.”

Senior Warden, Ben Dixon, said, “I feel extremely fortunate to be part of this process, one that we as a Parish have not undertaken in almost 300 years. It is exciting to own new property on which to build a church. It has also been a blessing to experience the steadfastness of our congregation as we stepped out in faith during this process. While this is only the beginning of our journey, we now have a place to call home, to minister to the people of Johns and Wadmalaw Islands, for many years – and generations – to come.”

Read it all and watch the video.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * South Carolina, Parish Ministry, Stewardship

(Terry Mattingly) Boring sermons happen; preachers need to spot them

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Meanwhile, there are common mistakes that quickly lead to “boring” sermons. After decades of advising preachers, in person and in his writings, McKeever warned pastors against:

♦ Assuming that anecdotes about their own lives and faith journeys are appropriate. “It’s important to tell stories when preaching,” he told me. “Personal details can be interesting and relevant. But a steady stream of that kind of content week after week can turn into an ego thing.”

♦ Preparing sermons that would impress seminary professors — but are likely to fail with people who are struggling with issues at work, home, school and in the rest of their daily lives. “If you spend lots and lots of time describing why a specific Greek word is so important, three people in the pews may think that’s wonderful, while everyone else is rolling their eyes.”

♦ Forgetting to clearly state, at least once, a sermon’s big idea. “It’s like reading a newspaper column and thinking, ‘When are you going to say what you’re trying to say,’” he said. “Not all the extras. Not all the mind-numbing details. Not the stuff the writer thought was interesting, without thinking about the readers. What’s your point?”

♦ Failing to deliver a message that is inspiring. McKeever noted that when Abraham Lincoln was asked if he liked a popular preacher’s sermon, he was said to have replied: “Not very much. … He did not ask me to do anything great.”

Read it all.

Posted in Christology, Language, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Religion & Culture, Theology, Theology: Scripture

(WSJ) Russia Withdraws Black Sea Fleet Vessels From Crimea Base After Ukrainian Attacks

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Russia has withdrawn the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet from its main base in occupied Crimea, a potent acknowledgment of how Ukrainian missile and drone strikes are challenging Moscow’s hold on the peninsula.

Russia has moved powerful vessels including three attack submarines and two frigates from Sevastopol to other ports in Russia and Crimea that offer better protection, according to Western officials and satellite images verified by naval experts. The Russian Defense Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The move represents a remarkable setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose military seizure of Crimea in 2014 marked the opening shots in his attempt to take control of Ukraine. His full-scale invasion of last year has now boomeranged, forcing the removal of ships from a port that was first claimed by Russia in 1783 under Catherine the Great.

The withdrawal from Sevastopol follows a series of strikes by Ukraine in recent weeks that have severely damaged Russian vessels and the fleet’s headquarters.

Read it all.

Posted in Defense, National Security, Military, Russia, Ukraine

(Guardian) Global carbon emissions from electric power may peak this year, report says

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Carbon emissions from the global electricity sector may peak this year, after plateauing in the first half of 2023, because of a surge in wind and solar power, according to a climate thinktank.

A new report on global electricity generation found that the growth of renewables was so rapid that it was close to the incredibly fast rate required if the world is to hit the tripling of capacity by the end of the decade that experts believe is necessary to stay on the 1.5C pathway.

It also noted that there had been only a slight increase in emissions in the first six months of the year, compared with the same period a year before.

The findings suggest the world may be close to reaching the peak of the global power sector’s carbon emissions, and they could soon even begin to fall in line with global climate targets.

Read it all.

Posted in Corporations/Corporate Life, Ecology, Energy, Natural Resources, Ethics / Moral Theology, Science & Technology

Andrew Goddard–Prayers Of Love And Faith, (Arch-)episcopal Power, And Anglican Identity

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

We have archbishops openly rejecting the teaching they vowed to uphold. The bishops are showing a lack of respect for a clear, recognizable link between liturgy and doctrine, refusing to follow the proper synodical processes for introducing new (particularly controversial) liturgy in the life of the church, sidelining public theological reasoning and the work of FAOC, and possibly seeking to introduce new guidance contrary to existing doctrine without the proper synodical process that respects the principle of bishops not acting on their own but always as bishops in synod. Alongside this they are also effectively tearing the Church of England away from the Anglican Communion and wider church catholic.

These are not minor technical matters. These actions threaten to dissolve part of the glue that holds the church together and enables bishops to act as a focus of unity. The bishops appear to be abandoning precious gifts that have helped preserve, structure, and cultivate our often fragile common life together across our differences. They are disregarding and undermining well-established, tried and tested, theologically and pastorally (not simply legally) founded principles and practices that enable “good disagreement.” It is, however, only by living within their constraints that bishops will nurture trust and embody integrity, especially as we navigate contentious proposed changes in our teaching and practice.

It is a serious matter for the church to err on marriage and sexuality. That, however, is a problem in one specific, albeit vitally important, area. These developments, and how episcopal and archepiscopal power is being used — on the sole basis, it seems, that these means are necessary to reach the desired end goal — are much more serious. They go beyond a single, possibly reversible, error of judgment, to weaken and potentially destroy core features of Anglican identity and essential characteristics of any healthy ecclesial body.

Read it all.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, - Anglican: Analysis, --Civil Unions & Partnerships, --Justin Welby, Anthropology, Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, Church of England (CoE), CoE Bishops, England / UK, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Religion & Culture, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion), Theology, Theology: Scripture

A Prayer for the day from Frank Colquhoun

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Blessed Lord, who putteth down the mighty from their seat and exaltest those of low degree: Save us, we beseech thee, from pride and vainglory, from self-seeking and false ambition. Give us a humble and contrite spirit, that we may think less of ourselves, more of others, and most of all of thee, who art our mighty God and Saviour; to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit we ascribe all praise and glory, now and for evermore.

Posted in Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Bible Readings

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually!

–Psalm 105:1-4

Posted in Theology: Scripture

(Church Times) Private briefings held with interest groups on LLF process towards same-sex blessings

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The process towards a decision on how to introduce prayers of blessing for same-sex couples inched forwards this week when advocacy groups on both sides of the debate were briefed confidentially.

In a sign that the College and House of Bishops might be coming to a common mind about a way forward, both liberal and conservative campaigners were invited to confidential meetings this week with the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) team.

One pro-LGBT campaigner and General Synod member present, Professor Helen King, wrote in her blog afterwards that the conversations had mostly revolved around familiar concerns: “How best to move forwards, what are the implications of various canons that could be used, how are everyone’s consciences to be honoured, what — if any — compromises would be acceptable?”

But Professor King, who had also taken part in the Living With Difference facilitated conversations last month, suggested that the House of Bishops had yet to “make up its collective mind” and, instead, was still trying to take the temperature of the Church and establish what the response would be to various options.

Read it all.

Posted in Anthropology, Church of England (CoE), CoE Bishops, England / UK, Ethics / Moral Theology, Pastoral Theology, Religion & Culture, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion), Theology, Theology: Scripture

(BBC) Wigan: Up to 19 churches could close in town amid rising costs

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Up to 19 churches in a town could close because of rising costs.

The plan has been put forward by the Diocese of Liverpool, which oversees churches in Wigan, Greater Manchester.

It has already outlined four churches that will be “released” with another 15 sites at risk of closure.

The diocese said they had to “face the reality that they cannot afford to invest” in all churches as it currently costs £1m per year to maintain church buildings in the borough.

Read it all.

Posted in Church of England (CoE), England / UK, Parish Ministry, Religion & Culture, Stewardship

(Economist) Africa’s coups are part of a far bigger crisis

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

For many years, coups in Africa seemed a thing of the past. But in the 2020s they are back with a vengeance: the nine this decade account for more than a third of successful African putsches this century. At this rate there will be more of them in the 2020s than in any decade since the 1960s.

Aside from the latest one, in Gabon on August 30th, the seizures of power have been in the “coup belt”. It is possible, if inadvisable, to walk some 6,000km from the Atlantic coast of west Africa to the shore of the Red Sea and stride only through countries where there have been coups in the past three years (see map). The trek from Guinea to Sudan would cross the Sahel, the region south of the Sahara where there have been two coups each in Mali and Burkina Faso since August 2020, and one in Niger in July.

Africa—which covers an area larger than America, China, India, Japan and western Europe combined—is more than its coup belt. Yet the takeovers are part of a much broader political crisis. The most recent surveys by Afrobarometer, a pollster, find that in 24 of 30 countries approval of military rule has risen since 2014.

Read it all.

Posted in Africa, Burkina Faso, Defense, National Security, Military, Foreign Relations, Mali, Niger, Politics in General, Violence

(CH magazine) Francis of Assisi’s Obedience

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

When he had been led before the bishop, Francis neither delayed nor explained himself, but simply stripped off his clothes and threw them aside, giving them back to his father. He did not even keep his trousers, but stood there in front of everyone completely naked. The bishop, sensing his intention and admiring his constancy, rose and wrapped his arms around Francis, covering him with his own robe. He saw clearly that Francis was divinely inspired and that his action contained a mystery. Thus he became Francis’ helper, cherishing and comforting him.

This holy man, having changed his attire and repaired the aforesaid church, went to another place near Assisi and began to rebuild a certain dilapidated and nearly ruined church, ceasing only when the task was finished. Then he went to still another place called the Portiuncula, the site of a church dedicated to the blessed virgin, the mother of God. This church, built long ago, was now deserted and cared for by no one. When the holy man of God saw how destroyed the church was, he was moved with pity and began to spend a great deal of time there, for he burned with devotion toward the mother of all good. It was in the third year of his conversion that he began to repair this church. At that time he wore a sort of hermit’s attire, a leather belt around his waist and a staff in his hands, and he went about wearing shoes. One day, however, when the gospel story of Christ sending his disciples to preach was read in the church, the holy man of God was present and more or less understood the words of the gospel. After mass he humbly asked the priest to explain the gospel to him. He heard that Christ’s disciples were supposed to possess neither gold, nor silver, nor money; were to have neither bread nor staff; were to have neither shoes nor two tunics; but were to preach the kingdom of God and penance.

When the priest had finished, Francis, rejoicing in the spirit of God, said, “This is what I want! This is what I’m looking for! This is what I want to do from the bottom of my heart!”

Read it all.

Posted in Church History

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Francis of Assisi

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant unto thy people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of thee delight in thy whole creation with perfectness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the day from Charles Kingsley

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Take from us, O Lord God, all pride and vanity, all boasting and self-assertion, and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness; the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity; and the true power that shows itself in modesty; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Posted in Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Bible Readings

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him.

–1 Corinthians 8:2-3

Posted in Theology: Scripture

Archbishop Justin Welby joins Pope Francis blessing thousands at ecumenical prayer vigil

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The Archbishop of Canterbury took part in a historic ecumenical prayer vigil, presided over by Pope Francis, in St Peter’s Square on Saturday 30 September. Along with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, church leaders from different denominations were invited to join the Pope in prayer, entrusting the work of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod to the Holy Spirit.

Before the vigil, the crowd shared in Taizé-style music, prayer and hymns. The Archbishop lead the Lord’s Prayer, and at the end of the vigil joined with all the Christian leaders present to collectively pray and bless the crowd.

The vigil was attended by thousands of people from across Christian denominations, including many young people.

Read it all.

Posted in --Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Church of England (CoE), Ecumenical Relations, Pope Francis, Roman Catholic

(Reuters) Mali in meltdown as militants advance and U.N. withdraws

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Islamist militants in Mali began a blockade of Timbuktu by cutting road access in August and then shut off river and air routes in an offensive that has put the city once again on the frontline of a jihadist insurgency.

The bombing began soon after. On Sept. 21, witnesses said rockets hit a hospital, killing two children, and landed near a school where survivors of a passenger boat attack that killed more than 100 people were sheltering.

“Our worry is the shelling,” businessman Sory Touré said in Timbuktu, which was occupied by jihadists a decade ago. “It creates a real psychosis and leaves a lasting impression. I have this fear within me.”

Read it all.

Posted in Defense, National Security, Military, Foreign Relations, Mali, Politics in General, Terrorism

(NYT) With Surge in Attacks, Militants Begin New Era of Bloodshed in Pakistan

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

It was a bloody reminder that the dark days of extremist violence appeared to have returned to Pakistan: a suicide attack on a religious festival in the country’s southwest this past week that left around 60 people dead.

For nearly a decade, Pakistan had seemingly broken the cycle of such deadly attacks. In 2014, the country’s security forces carried out a large-scale military operation in the tribal areas near Afghanistan, forcing militants across the border and returning a relative peace to the restive frontier region.

But since the Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021, offering some groups safe haven on Afghan soil and starting a crackdown on others that pushed their fighters into neighboring Pakistan, the violence has roared back. The number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan rose by around 50 percent during the Taliban’s first year in power, compared with the year before, according to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, which monitors extremist violence and is based in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

This year, the pace of attacks have continued to rise.

Read it all.

Posted in Afghanistan, America/U.S.A., Foreign Relations, Pakistan, Politics in General, Terrorism, War in Afghanistan

(Wash. Post) An Epidemic Of Chronic Illness Is Killing Us Too Soon

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The United States is failing at a fundamental mission — keeping people alive.

After decades of progress, life expectancy — long regarded as a singular benchmark of a nation’s success — peaked in 2014 at 78.9 years, then drifted downward even before the coronavirus pandemic. Among wealthy nations, the United States in recent decades went from the middle of the pack to being an outlier. And it continues to fall further and further behind.

A year-long Washington Post examination reveals that this erosion in life spans is deeper and broader than widely recognized, afflicting a far-reaching swath of the United States.

Read it all.

Posted in America/U.S.A., Health & Medicine

A Prayer for the Feast Day of John Mott

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

O God, the shepherd of all, we offer thanks for the lifelong commitment of thy servant John Raleigh Mott to the Christian nurture of students in many parts of the world; and we pray that, after his example, we may strive for the weaving together of all peoples in friendship, fellowship and cooperation, and while life lasts be evangelists for Jesus Christ, in whom alone is our peace; and who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the day from Daily Prayer

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Lord Jesus Christ, who by precept and example hast taught us that the greatest of all is the servant of all, and that the humble shall be exalted: Make us content to take the lowest place; and if it shall please thee to call us higher, do thou preserve within us a simple and lowly spirit; to thy great glory.

–Daily Prayer, Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs, eds. (London: Penguin Books 1959 edition of the 1941 original)

Posted in Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Bible Readings

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ”˜Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you.

“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

–Matthew 7:1-12

Posted in Theology: Scripture

(TLS) Jonathan Buckley reviews Jim Down’s new book “Life in the Balance: A doctor’s stories of intensive care”

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

As Down says, the grey areas are what interest him most. Intensive-care guidelines are in place to ingrain the most effective procedures, and thereby reduce the stresses of decision-making in the chaos of a medical crisis. They are not infallible, however. One of Down’s patients is taken off ventilation but then dies from an “airway catastrophe”, even though the guidelines have been followed to the letter. Sometimes doctors might save a patient by deviating from the protocols, but how many more would suffer if they improvised more freely? In many cases there is not a single correct procedure to follow, and failure isn’t necessarily instructive. Good luck and bad luck play a part.

Down and his colleagues have no choice but to honour the wishes of an intelligent young patient who refuses to undergo blood transfusion on religious grounds, even though she is aware that her refusal might prove fatal. By good fortune, she pulls through. Conversely, an alcoholic patient declines rapidly and inexplicably on Down’s watch. Her symptoms suggest an abdominal collapse, but tests don’t find any evidence. Finally it is established that violent vomiting has ruptured the woman’s oesophagus, allowing acidic stomach contents to seep into her chest, lethally. The condition is known as Boerhaave syndrome, and Down berates himself for not arriving at the diagnosis sooner, even though the outcome would have been no different had the rupture been located quickly – the patient could not have survived an operation.

Read it all.

Posted in Books, Health & Medicine

Recovery grant gives St John’s Ryhall a new lease of life

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

A Covid-19 recovery grant from Historic England kickstarted a major new lease of life and a successful fundraising drive for further renewal at a village church.

St John’s Ryhall, a Grade 1 listed building in the Diocese of Peterborough, had 28 roof leaks, blocked drains and was damp and cold.

An earlier fundraising drive was cancelled due to Covid-19, while bad winter weather had exacerbated existing damage.

The church was awarded £11,000 from the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of the Government’s Culture Recovery fund, to help sites hit by Covid-19, to repair its drains, pipes and gutters on its roof.

Rainwater was damaging the walls, and repair work was vital before roof renovation could take place.

Read it all.

Posted in Church of England, England / UK, Parish Ministry, Politics in General

([London Times) Campaign intensifies to ‘save the parish’

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Emma Thompson makes for an unlikely rebel. Her Christian faith was nurtured through Anglican choral music and the Book of Common Prayer. She teaches Sunday school and conducts a choir in her church.

“The local level, in my book, is where all the good happens — the love, the looking after your neighbour, the delivery plan for being a Christian,” says Thompson, a former City solicitor and now a company secretary and freelance journalist.

Her passion for local parish churches is fierce to the point that, she says proudly, the two most senior clerics in the Church of England have described her as a “rascally voice”.

Attendance in the Church has fallen by nearly 40 per cent since 1979, according to the British Religion in Numbers online data resources, and by more than 15 per cent alone since 2013.

Read it all (subscription).

Posted in Church of England (CoE), CoE Bishops, England / UK, Parish Ministry, Religion & Culture, Stewardship
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