Daily Archives: November 1, 2009

In Southern California Anglican Bishop is ordained before hundreds

Anglican clergymen from as far away as Uganda and Newfoundland visited Newport Beach on Saturday to ordain a new bishop in the fledgling Anglican Church of North America.

Formed in 2008, the church is made up of congregations in the United States and Canada that have broken away from the Episcopal Church over differing views on homosexuality and the Scriptures.

The movement includes Newport’s St. James Church on Via Lido.

“This is an important, historical day for the whole church,” said Archbishop Robert Duncan of the Anglican Church of North America, who presided over the incense-drenched ceremony at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Saturday. “You can see the excitement in the people today.”

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Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)

All Saints Day (II)

Almighty and Everlasting God,
who dost enkindle the flame of Thy love in the hearts of the saints,
grant unto us the same faith and power of love;
that, as we rejoice in their triumphs
we may profit by their examples, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Posted in Uncategorized

All Saints Day (I)

Almighty God,
who hast knit together thine elect
in one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body of Your Son, Christ our Lord:
Give us grace so to follow Your blessed saints
in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come
to those ineffable joys
that thou hast prepared for those
who unfeignedly love thee;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth,
one God, in glory everlasting. Amen

Posted in * Christian Life / Church Life, Spirituality/Prayer

Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee sues to reclaim church

Bishop John Bauerschmidt of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee has been hoping that God would resolve a conflict between the diocese and St. Andrew’s Parish in Nashville.

But the dispute is now headed to court.

At issue is the future of St. Andrew’s Parish and the church’s property at 3700 Woodmont Blvd. in West Nashville.

The Rev. James Guill, rector of St. Andrew’s, says his congregation left the Episcopal Church and joined a breakaway Anglican diocese based in Quincy, Ill. They claim to have taken the deed to their property with them.

The bishop disagrees. He says that St. Andrew’s is still an Episcopal church. Guill and church members can vacate the building and join any group they want, said Bauerschmidt, as long as they leave the church keys by the door when they go.

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Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * Culture-Watch, Episcopal Church (TEC), Law & Legal Issues, TEC Bishops, TEC Conflicts

The right call: More Baseball Replays

I never thought that I’d be in favor of expanding instant replay for baseball, especially in the sport’s most important games in the postseason. But then I never thought umpiring could get this bad.

It’s time for baseball to seriously consider, and I would strongly suggest that it adopt, the use of instant replay for every postseason game.

No, not on balls and strikes. But there should be an extra umpire in a TV booth who communicates with the chief ump on the field. And that extra ump should have the authority, if he deems it necessary, to review any close or controversial play.

As a perfect illustration, in Game 3 of the World Series here on Saturday night, Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees hit a ball that was originally ruled a double off the top of the right field wall. For now, the only baseball plays that can have instant replay are just such “boundary calls.” The umps assembled, left the field, consulted replay and got the call correct — a two-run homer. But it took a few minutes. With a special-replay ump, the whole process might not have taken even one minute.

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Posted in * Culture-Watch, Sports

ENS: Minnesota diocese elects Brian Prior as next bishop

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Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, Episcopal Church (TEC), TEC Bishops, TEC Diocesan Conventions/Diocesan Councils

From the Do Not Take Yourself Too Seriously Department: Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie

Watch it all.

Posted in * Culture-Watch, * General Interest, Humor / Trivia, Movies & Television

NPR: Emma Thompson And Elena, Exposing The Sex Trade

Emma Thompson may be best known for the stories she’s been part of on screen and stage, but now she wants to tell you a different sort of tale. It’s the story of a young girl, Elena, who was forced into the global sex industry.

Elena is from a small town in the Eastern European republic of Moldova. At the age of 18, she was promised a job and a future in the U.K. When she arrived, she was made into a prostitute.

Thompson, who met Elena through her involvement with a group that works to help survivors of such experiences, has curated and championed an art installation inspired by Elena’s story. It’s called Journey, and it has its New York opening this November. The installation comprises seven shipping containers, each designed by a different artist to interpret one part of what Thompson calls Elena’s “journey into hell.”

Thompson tells Scott Simon that she was immediately drawn to Elena ”” to protect her privacy, NPR isn’t using Elena’s last name ”” because “she’s a survivor, and most survivors are extraordinary people.” As they got to know each other better, however, one of Elena’s qualities struck a particularly special chord with Thompson: “Her capacity to tell this story whilst laughing and smiling and being positive about it and herself.”

I caught this by accident this morning on the way to the grocery store and it is still haunting me. Take the time to listen to it all (about 8 1/2 minutes).

Posted in * Culture-Watch, Art, Ethics / Moral Theology, Sexuality, Teens / Youth, Theology, Women

Lapses Helped Scheme, Barnard Madoff Told Investigators

The new exhibits consist of 6,157 pages of interviews, letters, e-mail messages, telephone records and other background material gathered during Mr. [David] Kotz’s 10-month investigation of how the commission handled, and mishandled, numerous tips and warnings it received about Mr. Madoff over the years. His full report,released last month, found the agency had received six substantive complaints since 1992 ”” and botched the investigation of every one of them. He found no evidence of any bribery, collusion or deliberate sabotage of those investigations.

In fact, Mr. Madoff said in the jailhouse interview that, on two occasions, he was certain it was only a matter of days or even hours before he would be caught. The first time, in 2004, he assumed the investigators would check his clearinghouse account. He said he was “astonished” that they did not, and theorized that they might have decided against doing so because of his stature in the industry.

This just makes one so mad he wants to scream. Read it all.

Posted in * Culture-Watch, * Economics, Politics, Bernard Madoff Scandal, Economy, Law & Legal Issues, Stock Market, The U.S. Government

Pastors grow congregations via satellite broadcast of worship

[/i] It’s just before 11:30 on a Sunday morning, and at a nondescript strip mall on Main Street in Hendersonville it’s about time for church.

In the parking lot, volunteers welcome latecomers with cups of free coffee. Inside a converted office suite turned worship space, a countdown clock on a video screen reaches zero, and the band breaks into song.

Within seconds, the Rev. Craig Groeshel appears on a video screen, beaming his satellite message to the crowd, because he is almost 500 miles away in Oklahoma.

Welcome to LifeChurch.tv ”” one of the biggest churches in America. [/i]

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Posted in * Christian Life / Church Life, * Culture-Watch, Liturgy, Music, Worship, Parish Ministry, Science & Technology