[Katharine] Jefferts Schori, president bishop of the Episcopal Church, preached to a packed house of clergy and lay delegates of the 168th annual convention of the Jacksonville-based Episcopal Diocese of Florida. The convention began with the 4 p.m. Eucharist service and continues today at the cathedral and at the Marriott Hotel.
The homily compared the diocese, the denomination, the nation, the world, other cultures and religions to the human body. The body is healthy when its different parts work in harmony, but breaks down when they don’t, Jefferts Schori said.
The miracle of the human body is that its different limbs and organs, together with digestive bacteria and other micro-organisms can work together to create a healthy life. But sometimes the body turns on itself, creating anti-bodies against needed organisms it perceives as outsiders and threats.
This kind of piece, which borders on parody, reminds me why I took “inactive member” status in TEC three years ago.
“Episcopalian Karyn Brode had hoped to receive communion Friday from her denomination’s top spiritual leader, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori. ‘I was right there at the corner and missed her by one person,’ said a smiling Brode, who runs outreach ministries at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in downtown Jacksonville. ‘It’s a bummer.’â€
She’s just experienced the Presence of her Risen Lord and comments, “It’s a bummer.” Celebrity culture run amok. And her comment is completely unironic.
“The homily compared the diocese, the denomination, the nation, the world, other cultures and religions to the human body. The body is healthy when its different parts work in harmony, but breaks down when they don’t, Jefferts Schori said.”
The body: like the Anglican Communion? Or just TEC? Presumably the latter only.
“The miracle of the human body is that its different limbs and organs, together with digestive bacteria and other micro-organisms can work together to create a healthy life.”
Somehow St Paul said it better.
“’Was she totally amazing, or what?’ one woman shouted to another after the service.”
Totally.
“’It was about being one body in Christ and getting on with the mission and ministry of the diocese,’ Howard said.”
But when does “being one body” become coercive? And what if the uniformity of that one body separates it from the larger body? The very dumbed-down new TEC pridefully gets on with it without even acknowledging the obvious questions, let alone facing the problems.
[blockquote]But sometimes the body turns on itself, creating anti-bodies against needed organisms it perceives as outsiders and threats.[/blockquote] Litigation
We are all part of one body!… said the cancer to the liver
The Diocese of Florida certainly could use some inspiration. The 2002 through 2009 experience was terrible with Members down 22.8 precent, ASA down 28.8 percent, and Plate & Pledge (adjusted for inflation) down 32.8 percent. Only 3 dioceses (of 95) had a worst record. Then, add to all these dismal facts that Infant Baptisms declined from 547 in 2002 to 324 in 2009 for a decline of 40.8 percent. Statmann
Litigation? Of course it is theft of property — not very bibilcal — that lead to litigatation.
I was there, it was great…and her message on point…so very true! The Presiding Bishop was articulate and her words very well received. Her message resonated in a diocese that has been hurt by acrimony and schism but has healed and is hopeful for the future. I was so proud of our bishops and our church! May God bless and continue to lead the Episcopal Church….! Cant wait till tomorrow as she visits and preaches at Iglesia Episcopal San Lucas where she will be warmly received!
Blessings
seraph
St. Luke’s-San Lucas in Jacksonville welcomes the presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church!
http://stlukesjax.org/News_and_Events.html
I suppose this provides clarity about exactly who Bishop Howard is and how “orthodox” and “conservative” he is–assertions to which the lie should have been given long before now, given his decimation (with Schori’s help) of a once-thriving and vibrant diocese. The diocese is a case study in how the sort of faux Christianity that the Presiding Bishop advances results in nothing but calamity for the church. If there’s any question about priorities being totally askew, the aspects of personality cult in the article (and perhaps in some comments above) make the case rather convincingly.
As counterpoint to the rapture exhibited in #6, a little history courtesy of a commenter to the original article,
[i]Howard moved into the diocese snubbing his predecessor, never once consulting him on diocesan matters before he arrived or afterwards. Jecko lived in a humble $100,000 home, Howard demanded, and got, a $1 million dollar residence, one, he no doubt thought, that befit a priest who had spent his previous years at the wealthiest church in the world – Trinity Wall Street in New York City. He bought most of his home with other peoples’ money (OPM).
Then began his ecclesiastical reign of terror. He was not gospel driven, he was an institutionalist, a corporatist, obedient not to those who paid his bills in the diocese, but as the CEO of a diocese whose boss resided at 815 2^nd Avenue, New York, a city with which he was all too familiar.
For the orthodox clergy of the diocese, the joy quickly turned into disillusionment when it became clear that Howard had adopted the party line and would not go against the liberal Episcopal House of Bishops or his uber boss, then Frank Griswold later Katharine Jefferts Schori.
When he first came into the diocese as Bishop Coadjutor, Howard demanded a bigger portion of the budget for himself and insisted that he be allowed to bring his administrative assistant, Paul Van Brunt with him from Trinity Wall Street. He got both wishes.
Then Howard started to play hardball with parishes that refused to cough up their full assessment. One of the larger Network churches in the Diocese of Florida, All Soul’s Jacksonville, resolved to send 9% of its 10% to the Diocese of Florida, and to redirect the additional 1% to the Anglican Communion Network. This was in 2004. When All Soul’s sent their 9%, Bishop Howard returned the check because it did not, in his mind comply with the letter of the diocesan resolution, i.e., the Network was not a valid choice for their 1%, even though they were supporting the diocesan budget with their 9 %.
The truth is Bishop Howard wanted it all, said a source at that time. All money was to go through him with no local options. When the Rev. Neil Lehbar rector, Church of the Redeemer, Jacksonville, stood up and asked when his church and the others who were withholding funds from the diocese would be “put on notice.” Howard replied: “You are already on notice.” [/i]
[blockquote] The church is charged with bringing comfort to parts of society and the world that are hurting, Jefferts Schori said, adding that it is through spiritual discipline that Christians learn to “moderate our allergic reactions†to people with different skin color, political beliefs or theologies. [/blockquote]
I think she has confused The Episcopal Organization with the Salvation Army. The church is charged with saving souls.
RE: “The diocese is a case study in how the sort of faux Christianity that the Presiding Bishop advances results in nothing but calamity for the church.”
Yup — but it *is* fun to read Soviet Pravda style “reports” on the Dear Leader, isn’t it? Heh.
It’s like the old “Flowers for Stalin” painting — I love to read this stuff.
“…Jefferts Schori said, adding that it is through spiritual discipline that Christians learn to “moderate our allergic reactions†to people with different skin color, political beliefs or theologies”.
If she is a Christian, she should exercise some Christian spiritual discipline, and moderate her allergic reaction to people with a traditional Christian theology by negotiating for property buyouts instead of litigating.
I for one have no desire to listen to anyone who won’t practice what they preach.
This part of the body has something to say to the head:
“Stop making me wade through all this muck,” said the little toe to the big mouth.
No 10–“Tomb01”–I don’t want to be accused of taking this thread off-topic. However, I think that, in addition to advancing the corporal acts of mercy, the mission of the Salvation Army also has a spiritual (indeed, salvific) aspect.