. . .this time, it's religion and politics.
An early morning note from +Gene.
Well, in a few hours, after an ordination this morning, we'll be off to Washington for the inauguration. VERY exciting. Here are a few items that might be of interest. Please feel free to share them with whomever you deem appropriate.
1. I will be blogging from Washington, using my summer's blogspot: http://www.canterburytalesfromthefringe.blogspot.com/
Perhaps this should be renamed "Tales from Closer to the Center" but I didn't have time!
2. Sunday's opening inaugural event at the Lincoln Memorial will be taped by HBO. You may be able to watch it LIVE on HBO (I'm not sure.) What I DO know is that HBO will be airing it on Sunday evening -- and the signal will be available to EVERYONE, WHETHER OR NOT you are a subscriber to HBO! This may turn out to be an edited version of the event. Given that HBO is an ENTERTAINMENT channel, my prayer may be edited out. Who knows?! It's hard to understand why Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder would be more important than the Bishop of New Hampshire, but there you go!
(Note to some of you on the Right: This is a little joke. +Gene is making a little joke here. Not a very sophisticated one, but it may still confuse some of you. This is only a joke. If this had been a serious comment, you would have been able to smell the hubris. That smell is not hubris. It's Aramis Cologne, which, for whatever reason, always seems to me to be what hubris must smell like. Must be the sandalwood or something. We now return to our previously scheduled announcement.)
3. The text of my inaugural event prayer will be available on our diocesan website (http://nhepiscopal.org/) on Sunday afternoon.
4. On Tuesday night, after attending the lgbt ball, sponsored by HRC and others, I will be Jon Stewart's guest on The Daily Show, a special live-from-Washington edition. At least here in the East, it is broadcast at 11:00pm on the Comedy Channel, and then rebroadcast the next night. Check local listings.
This promises to be an awesomely wonderful time. I am so honored and humbled to be so included. The President Elect has invited me to attend a small, private worship service on the morning of the inauguration, to attend the swearing in/inauguration itself, to view the parade from the Presidential viewing stand, and to attend the National Prayer Service at National Cathedral on Wednesday. I hope that through these invitations, in some small way, ALL of you will feel included in these events by our next president.
Please pray for me as I undertake this awesome honor. I hope to do us and the Episcopal Church proud!
+Gene
Looking down, I see nearly all middle aged, middle to upper middle class; pretty much NPR at prayer.
ReplyDeleteIf current statistics continue, soon you'll have one minister for every lay member.
If current statistics continue the way they have for the past 30 years, by 2061, Anglicans will have disappeared from Canada.
I've read that the Prophet Spong reduced episcopalians in northern NJ by 1/4th. Quite a feet-run twice as fast and go backwards.
At least soon you'll have McCreavy and be able to reach out to alienated gay upper middle class ex-catholics. Good to see that you're reaching out to underrepresented groups for your clergy.
Gee, Fred, angry much?
ReplyDeleteFred, Fred, Fred, Fred, Fred. Always spreading good cheer.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, thanks.
My word verification is "logick".
Because as we all know, its soo easy to tell someone's gender, skin-colour, and socio-economic upbringing from the top of their head
ReplyDelete(NOT)