My little town

Small towns are peculiar in that their uniformity often belies their uniqueness.

Main Street USA is so iconic that even Disney has made it the centerpiece of their Theme Park.

Yesterday, I posted a piece on the shocking appearance of hate in our community in the form of anti-Semitic "litter" that appeared on our streets.

It is shocking precisely because it is so out of context with the rest of the town. I mean, look at that picture above. It's the view of Main Street from the intersection of Center Ave. The second door down is 'Angie's' - my favorite place where you can eat breakfast while you get the latest on the 'buzz' in the town.

Sweet, right?

Perhaps that's what makes places like Chatham the preferred target of bigots and other hostile, anxious, angry people.

Didn't Jesus tell us something about the Light and how Darkness tries to destroy it? The metaphor has its power in the truth.

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal had this article, however, which speaks volumes about the goodness that is here.

Some of you may remember the story about "Fr. Ed" - my Roman Catholic colleague who was murdered, allegedly by the sexton, "Mr. Jose" - while he was in the rectory.

Mr. Jose's children continue to attend the church's elementary and middle schools. His eldest daughter just graduated from the eighth grade.

The WSJ post is a reflection from the father of one of her classmates about the tragedy and the community which is trying to live out the Gospel.

Here's a bit of it:

And so the people of St. Pat's rallied. There were the staff and teachers who worked hard to keep things normal and see Mr. Jose's daughter graduate. The school parents who opened their homes. The basketball coaches who looked out for her, without ever making it obvious. The local police who made quiet drive-bys, to ensure no kook showed up to disturb the peace.

Even so, of course, awkward moments were inevitable. So early on, at a meeting of parents, the principal was asked what we should tell our kids lest they inadvertently say something hurtful. This good woman replied, "Tell them, 'when you speak, let Christ fill your hearts.'"

The principal's trust was well founded. In the days following the killing I mentioned to my daughter that her classmate might not return, with her mom maybe fearing someone might say something unkind. "They'd better not," responded my eldest. Thus would she and her fellow eighth-graders wrap their classmate in their love.

This is the real stuff and the real people behind the perfect facade of Main Street USA.

Yes, there will always be an "undercurrent of hostility" in small towns that is often unseen to the untrained eye.

Some people do live 'lives of quiet desperation'. Suburbia is filled with them. Sometimes, the desperation of those lives erupts in sudden, shocking ways. To try to ignore or deny it is only to fuel the desperation.

And yes, the "Main Street USA" in all small towns will continue to be the target of the angry hostility and violence of bigots.

Meanwhile, good people, decent, regular people, like those at St. Pat's, are living lives of quiet faith that speak to the hearts that long for a world where love and peace may grow and flourish.

Yes, this is an article about the community of St. Pat's, but there are people like this in churches and synagogues in this town and in this area.

As the author says, let us be grateful when any child anywhere can "come of age in a place where the commandment to love was deemed most precious when it was most difficult."

I Hate Hate

I don't understand hate.

Oh, not the kind of hate that makes your stomach lurch when you look at a plate of lima beans and you hate your mother for making you eat them (With apologies for those of you who actually like lima beans. Please don't hate me.).

Or, the kind of hate you feel in your heart when you really, really need some sleep and your neighbors are having a party in their back yard and it's 2 AM and you actually contemplate committing an act of violence.

I'm talking about the kind of hate that makes people hate other people so much that they want to kill them. Or worse, eliminate a whole class or group of people from the face of the earth.

I have read and studied the psychology of hate and I "know" that a piece of it can come from a primal fear - a Xenophobia - of others who are "different" and therefore perceived as a threat.

Indeed, I've been the object of such hate myself.

I still don't understand it.

So, yesterday, this article appeared in the local newspaper.

CHATHAM - Police are looking for the people responsible for scattering pieces of paper with the words "kill Jews'' scrawled on them in the area of Main Street and Tallmadge Avenue last Wednesday, police said.

At about 8:20 a.m., police walked the street from 1 Main St. to Passaic Avenue and collected a total of 35 pieces of paper with the same writing, scribbled in black marker.

Police were unable to locate any suspects and it is unknown how long the pieces of paper were on the sidewalk.

The following day, more pieces of paper were found on Fairmount Avenue with the same writing on them.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office was notified and is assisting in this investigation.

Summit and Millburn police departments have reported similar incidents in the past.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Chatham Borough Police Department.

This is Chatham, NJ. Affluent, suburban Chatham. A community of about 8,500 people, 96.7% of whom are Caucasian. The average home costs around $600,000. More than half the town self-identifies as being Republican and "religious" with 38% claiming to be Roman Catholic, 8% Protestant and 7% Jewish.

Summit and Millburn are nearby affluent suburban communities in the "serious suburbs" of Northern New Jersey.

These are, for the most part, sleepy little "bedroom communities" filled with highly educated people who insist on excellent education for their children. And, for the most part, they get it.

Summit and Millburn have way more diversity than does Chatham, but with the NFL Training Camp located in the next town, we are getting more and more people of color living in town - mostly because of the school system.

We're also seeing more women in full length dresses and head scarfs around town whose husbands work at the nearby Pharmaceutical Companies. We do have some apartment complexes that rent at standard market rate that are conveniently located near the train station. And then, there is the school system.

Who could have done this? Theories abound:

Restless adolescents at the end of the school year on a hot summer night (an easy place to start)?

"Visiting" Tea Baggers? (I have no doubt there are some "Tea Party" members in Republicanville but I would be shocked to find actual "Tea Baggers" living in our midst).

The recent Gaza Flotilla Crisis ?

The state of the economy, the rise of anxiety and the need to "shame and blame" someone?

I have a very clear memory from my childhood. It was a beautiful summer day and I was skipping rope on the sidewalk in front of our tenement house with some of my friends. A group of adolescent boys from another neighborhood came by and started taunting us for being "dirty Greenhorns".

The taunts soon escalated to the boys taking our jump rope. Just as my anxiety began to rise, my grandmother appeared from the front of the house. She had a garden hose in her hand and turned it on full blast, taking direct aim at the boys.

They whooped and hollered and yelled at her, "You crazy old woman!" But, they soon walked away - soaking wet.

My grandmother looked at us and said, "That's the way you handle mad dogs."

They don't make them like my grandmother anymore. Perhaps they should. Perhaps what we really need is someone like my beloved VaVoa to come and lower the temperature of hate with a cold splash of reality.

There is, of course, no excuse for the behavior of hate fueled by prejudice. No matter the age of the person or persons who littered the town with the hateful message to 'kill Jews', it's still stupid, adolescent behavior.

And, it's behavior that is filled with hate - and rage.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Prejudice kills brain cells.

Which is why the work of justice requires persistence and vigilance.

It's easy to 'tsk tsk' this away as an aberration. An unseemly and impolite public 'burp' in an upscale, polite town.

Parents have been trying to do that with the increase in teen drinking, drunk driving and under-age 'house parties' that have also been in the news. Thankfully, we have other parents in town who have been putting up signs all over their lawns that warn about the consequences for lack of parental supervision: "Under age drinking? Parents lose the most."

It's meant to be a sobering message. A cold slap of reality like my grandmother's water hose.

I think members of religious communities have a special responsibility to speak out against hate and the fear that fuels it.

Perhaps we need another "lawn sign" campaign to get out the message that "hate is not a family value". Not in this town. Not if you live here. Not if you are 'just visiting'. Not no-how. Not nowhere.

We've apparently got some work to do in Chatham this summer.

It's just a long shot, but I have a sense that you do, in your town, too.

What did you do on your 'summer vacation'?

I worked for zero-tolerance of hate!

Sounds like a great essay for the Fall.

Or, for that matter, any time. Any where.

But, especially right now. Right here.

Because, if it can happen in Chatham, it can happen anywhere.

Blackbird, fly

There is a red winged black bird who has been visiting me of late.

I have become absolutely enchanted by him.

His visits have become a bit of a ritual. He comes and perches on my window and stays for a few minutes. Then, he comes right up to the window and looks at me. Right in my eyes. Bold. Unafraid.

This lasts for a few moments and then he returns to his perch and starts to sing. It's a lovely little song. Short but quite intriguing. There's something almost hypnotic about it. Something that draws me closer to him. Makes me pay closer attention.

It's as if he wants me to learn it.

He finishes his warble, takes one more look in my window and then flies away.

He returns throughout the day. Sometimes just flying by. Other times, perching somewhere in the yard.

He is, as you can see, quite handsome. I haven't seen his mate but I suspect she's nesting somewhere in the marsh.

I've wondered if he's telling me she's in trouble and needs help, or if he's telling me that we can co-exist in "his" territory if I behave myself.

Then again, he's just being a bird. Flying. Singing. Doing what birds do.

Isn't it amazing how we project our own stuff onto animals?

I've grown curious about my new friend and have been checking out different sources on the net. I'm fascinated by this entry:

Another variation of the blackbird is the red-winged blackbird. This bird has a red path on its wings, with a dash of yellow as well. These colors connect this bird to the level know as Binah in the Quabalistic Tree of Life. This is the level associated with the Dark Mother and primal feminine energies. This bird has ties to all of the creative forces of nature. On the Tree of Life, black is the color for Bnah and red is the color for Geburah (Mars type of energy). Yellow or amber is the color of the path that connects the two, and it is the path of Cancer, the mother sign of the zodiac. The red-winged blackbird is thus a totem associated with the stellar energies of Cancer.

The male red-winged blackbird will lose its luster during the winter. This reflects how the summer is the time of vibrancy and vitality for those with this bird as a totem. It indicates the need to use the winter to go back into the great womb of life in order to be able to bring forth new energy and expressions of energy the following summer.

Blackbirds nest in swamps, marshes, and low brush-usually just a few feet from water. Again this reflects a tie to water, an ancient symbol for the feminine force for Nature. They often use cattails as perches. A study of the herbal qualities and characteristics of cattail will also provide further insight.

Blackbirds are known for fiercely staking out their own territory, and they will often drive off any other of their kind that are in the vicinity. Because of this, the sight of two blackbirds sitting together is often considered a good omen. In Europe, blackbirds came to be associated with St. Kevin, and one story tells of how they nested in his hand. Again because of this association, to have blackbirds nesting in your environment is usually a beneficial sign. St. Kevin was known as a person of tremendous gentleness and love.

Europeans used to eat blackbirds in a pie, as reflected in the nursery rhyme. Most of the time though, live blackbirds were hidden in empty pie shells to provide amusement at gathering. If the blackbird has come into your life as a totem, you will open up to new surprises and to a new understanding of the forces of Nature as they begin to migrate into your life.

I have absolutely no idea what half of any of that means, really, but I find it fascinating. At least I'm in good company with St. Kevin.

This morning, when my handsome, hypnotic friend came to my window, I had a song for him. One as equally short, mysterious and compelling.

I waited for him to sing to me and, after he had finished, I sang the Lennon-McCartney song - named for Sr. Blackbird - to him:

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

I sang it softly, like a lullaby. To my complete astonishment, he sat there the whole time, listening through the window pane. He kept himself very still, moving his head slightly now and again as he listened intently.

As he continued to look at me, I was surprised to find myself weeping. It suddenly occurred to me that I had been singing his song. The one he had taught to me. The 'human' version of it.

I was awash in an unexpected surge of emotions and feelings that come with the gift of understanding and insight. I was embarrassed and elated, all at the same time. Relieved and energized. Open and vulnerable and beginning to heal.

I am taking my broken wings and my sunken eyes, and I am about to fly, with my beloved kid brother - the one with Alzheimer's - into the light of a dark black night.

I'm still a bit fearful. This is unknown, uncharted territory. It's not my territory. It is the Land of the Blackbird.

I need to remind myself, however, that I am flying over the waters that connect me to the Divine Feminine.

I've only been waiting for this moment to arise.

I'm sooOOOooo excited

Okay, I'm addicted.

Totally. Completely.

I LOVE True Blood.

I mean, what's not to love?

Eternal life. Love. Sex. Blood - as the elixir to Eternal Life.

Throw in some ritual. Religion. Add some vampires, shape-shifters, and clairvoyants and, this season, some werewolves, and I'm so totally in, I am addicted.

I know. I know. It's total, mindless escapism.

Listen, when you deal with as much reality as I do in the course of a 24 hour period, a little mindless escapism ain't half bad.

So, off I go then. I've got popcorn to pop and drinks to prepare.

The Season Premiere of True Blood is on tonight.

Can I just say, "Woo Hoo"?

UPDATE: The season premiere exceeded expectations. It's still fun/funny, sexy, intelligent, good writing, acting and directing.

All that and the introduction of werewolves.

Sunday nights. 9-10 PM. You'll know where to find me.

Jon's Excellent Sermon

Jon Richardson has preached yet another excellent sermon.

It's over at his blog, "The Ultimate Word."

Here's a piece of it:

It was the sinful woman, however – not the righteous man – who really offered the grace of radical hospitality. While the man gave of a portion of what he had, the woman gave all that she had – even her very self. She washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. The Pharisee, undoubtedly of substantial means, gave just enough. The woman, undoubtedly of humble means, gave even more.

But while hospitality is a spiritual discipline that merits our attention and our practice, it is not the goal. There is something more. Hospitality is simply a means to an end.

Hospitality is about welcoming others. But we are called through the example of Christ to break down the walls that divide us and to recognize that, in Christ, there are no others. We are one – with each other and with God.

G'won over there an read it.

You won't be disappointed.

Hospitality and Unholy Women

I've been thinking a great deal about the lessons from the Revised Common Lectionary for tomorrow.

I'm not preaching tomorrow (thanks be to Jesus) and this isn't a sermon, but it is simply irresistible for me not to say something when so many women fill so many lessons - with the words of St. Paul (Galatians 2:15-21) sandwiched in among them as, I suppose, a justification of sorts.

The choice of lessons from Hebrew Scripture is either the story of Jezebel and her sulking husband Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a) or Bathsheba and that scoundrel David (2 Samuel 11:26-12:10,13-15).

The gospel lesson is from Luke 7:36-8:3 - wherein "a woman in the city, a sinner" washes the feet of Jesus to the outrage of the assembled dinner guests.  It ends with this note:

Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

Reading the scripture lessons for tomorrow is a little like watching the "Disney Women":

Cruella de Vil (say it fast: d'evil) whose obsession with fur leads her to do anything to take her nephew's Dalmatian puppies (“Poison them drown them, bash them on the head!”).

Doesn't get much more charming than that, eh?

Then, there's the Evil Ursala, the lip-pouting, manipulative octopus, who collects souls so they can live out the rest of their lives in misery. First she steals the Mermaid Princess Ariel's voice so she might have her handsome prince (don't get me started on THAT one).  Then, she successfully tricks Ariel and steals her soul so she may inherit her father's kingdom.

Once "the fairest of them all" begins to age and lose her beauty, The Queen plots to kill her beautiful step daughter, Snow White, and demands that she have her heart to feed on. (Nice, right?)

When the man she sends to do the deed is too kind to kill Snow White, she flies into a rage and uses her special magical powers to transform herself into an old hag to bring Snow White a poison apple.

My personal favorite is Maleficent who has so much evil in her,  she was even named for it.  (In case you missed the point, look: her hat has evil-like horns.) All of her insidious plans are devised out of spite.  She casts a spell on Aurora ("Sleeping Beauty") to ensure that "Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die."


And you thought Jezebel was evil.  Ha!  She ain't got nothin' on old Maleficent.

Last but not least is Cinderella's psychologically abusive "wicked stepmother," Lady Tremaine.    She ruthlessly toys with the poor girl’s hopes and dreams, treating  Cinderella as a slave rather than an equal.

In an attempt to prevent  Cinderella from attending the grand ball, she locks her away with no  chance of meeting her prince. Lady Tremaine  successfully manages to inflict extreme suffering on Cinderella without  laying a finger on her.

Evil women plotting against innocent women.  Men who are easily manipulated or "just can't help themselves" because they have been so smitten by the beauty of women.

Hmm . . . wonder where "Uncle Walt" Disney got his ideas about women?

I know, I know.  Many very fine essays have been written and college courses taught on the subject of the sexism and misogyny of Walt Disney. I'm not going to go into any great depth here.  This is not a sermon and it's not a definitive essay on the subject of Disney women.

Or, the controversy surrounding the accusations of sexism combined with the racism inherent in Disney films like Pocahantas and Mulan.

Oh, BTW and PS - Y'all know the story about the supposed 'gay purge' during the writing of "The Little Mermaid", right? 

And, how the LGBT community got their last laugh?

Look over there to the right and you tell me if it's not true that "Hell hath no fury like a scorned Quean."

I understand this was on the cover of the VCR release. It has since, apparently, been . .  ahem . . . "cleaned up."
 
The folks at Disney finally did sort of woke up to their own misogyny - or, perhaps, heard the howls of protest from women and liberated men - and started giving us characters like "Belle" from "Beauty and the Beast", who would rather read a good book than be wooed into marriage by the most handsome, available bachelor in the village.

Generations of young girls and boys, however, have gotten the message. And, are getting it, still. DVDs preserve these stories for generations to come.

And then, of course, there's scripture.

Holy Scripture about unholy women.

Yes, of course, there are exceptions.

Esther, wife of King Xerxes of Persia and the Queen of her people, who saved them from certain death because she, of all women, knew that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

I'm talking, the whole Magilla here, if you know what I mean.

I always try to get myself invited to someone's Purim party.  They are the BEST.

The courage and tenacity of Ruth and Naomi have inspired generations of women and men.  Their journey from Bethlehem to Moab and back could only be accomplished by the mutual reliance that comes from a relationship based on a love that knows know boundaries of country or kin.

No wonder it is often read at weddings.

There are many others, but my personal favorite is Judith.  I love the moral complexity of the story - the ethical dilemma it presents in the ever-unfolding story of God's actions in the world.  It is often seen as a parable or, as Wiki notes, "perhaps one of the first historical novels".

You know the story, right? Judith is the beautiful young widow of Manasseh who had died of sunstroke during the barley harvest while the armies of Holofernes were advancing on the nation of Israel.

Chapters nine and ten of the Book of Judith contain some of the most beautiful, complex passages written about women in all of scripture (indeed, I had parts of it read at my priestly ordination).

Judith prays fervently to God for direction and guidance. She mourns her husband, Manasseh and then arises from her sack cloth and ashes, bathes herself in her best perfume, dresses in her finest clothing, puts on all of her jewelry, and gets the maids of her household to help her pack up her things so she can get Holofernes good and drunk and seduce him before she kills him.

In the beheading of Holofernes, the Assyrians have lost their leader and the nation of Israel is saved.

You know, it just doesn't get better - or, more morally complex - than that. 

So, of course, a woman is involved.

I'm quite certain that tomorrow, the safe bet is on hearing a sermon on hospitality. Indeed, there will probably be no end to the number of safe sermons preached tomorrow about hospitality.

I, on the other hand, would probably be preaching about the holiness of women who are considered "unholy" and "possessed of demons".

I'd no doubt be talking about how women have always provided for the Body of Christ out of the meagerness of their resources.

I would absolutely be talking about Jezebel, Bathsheba, Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Susanna as morally complex icons of the radical hospitality of women.

Oh, and I probably could not resist talking about Disney women.

It would be quite a sermon - if I would write it and preach it.

I'm thinking some place, somewhere in Western Christendom, someone is breathing a deep sigh of relief.

Then again, didn't St. Paul say,

"For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing."

Somebody in the church - somewhere - give the man an "Amen."

(Oh, and give a listen to the Presiding Bishops talk about Mission or "Incarnate Engagement" here.) She is clearly speaking in the tradition of that 'unnamed woman' who washes the feet of Jesus.

Broken Glasses

You'll forgive me, I'm sure. I'm not sure if I can forgive myself.

I broke my glasses.

I was reaching for some beach towels in the laundry room. They cam crashing down on me. The next thing I know, my glasses were broken.

I did get a pair of one of those butt-ugly $14.99 CVS glasses for general purposes, but they are not for reading.

I'm heading over to my optometrist's office to see if I can get them replaced today. I'd much rather keep my money local but if they can't do it, it's off to feed the corporate machine and use Lens Crafters.

So, bear with me.

I know. I'm asking you to do more than I am able to do myself.

I'll be back as soon as I can.

Elephants and Sacred Cows

There has been a great discussion over on HOB/D (House of Bishops/Deputies Listserv) concerning the current battle in "The Anglican Wars".

The recent skirmish has been made manifest in the exchange of Letters in the Season of Pentecost between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church USA.

Then, of course, came the letter from the Rev'd Canon Kenneth "The Hammer" Kearon, detailing the cost of our discipleship in electing and consecrating +Mary Glasspool as Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of LA.

Someone on HOB/D was talking about what he saw as "the elephant in the room" in our conversations about these developments.

Here's my response:

There are many, many elephants - and they are killing the 'sacred cows' of what it means to walk the Anglican way of following Jesus.

Yes, the first elephant is the "severe and unrelenting pressures mostly within the Global South who are enraged at TEC" - who declare themselves out of communion with TEC (whatever that means) and "refuse to participate in meetings where TEC is represented, threaten to withdraw from the Anglican Communion and accept no leadership from Abp. Williams."

Forgive me if I'm misreading or misinterpreting your remarks, but you sound sympathetic to +++Rowan for having had to "live with this excruciating dilemma for years."

Leaving the assessment of the success or failure of the Lambeth Conference aside, I have to raise my voice about +++ Rowan's living with what you describe as an "excruciating dilemma".

From the perspective of systemic organizational concerns, (aka "Anglican Unity") I understand what you are saying. I, too, would like us to preserve what we can of this rare, divine, mysterious gift of the unity of our diversity that has always been the hallmark of Anglicanism.

That being emphatically said, I can not deny - as a woman who has fashioned her life in accordance with the gospel with another woman - my own perspective, which is quite different from yours.

On a personal, spiritual and religious level, I don't see much of a dilemma, much less an "excruciating" one.

The "elephant" in this particular room of discussion is hate. Hate that is born of fear. Fear that is born of ignorance. We know what St. Paul had to say about "perfect love".

Those of us who follow Jesus know what He had to say about unity ("that you all may be one") that is based on "loving one another" (as He loves us). With all due respect to St. Paul, I don't think we have to be "perfect" in our love, but we do have to, at the very least, be "loving".

These are folks who want to 'eradicate' - or, at least eliminate through life imprisonment - the world of people like me.

And, Louie.

And, Susan.

And, +Gene (Once described as "the most dangerous man in the Anglican Communion").

And, +Mary. (Who, while not ever having been described as 'dangerous', has, apparently, by her election and consecration, caused the unraveling of the Anglican Communion. Gotta really watch those women named 'Mary'. They are the "bearers" of things that change and transform the world.)

That last bit was a little joke. The rest is not.

There is a new documentary that has been produced by PRA (Political Research Associates) which is called "Exporting Hate".

You can watch it here.

The documentary exposes conservative US Evangelical Protestants who use their political and financial influence to export their hate for LGBT people to Africa.

There are a number of other resources on this topic, including "The Family" - a book by Jeff Sharlet, and an important paper written by Anglican priest Kapya Kaoma: "Globalizing the Culture Wars: US Conservatives, African Churches and Homophobia" .

The President of the United States, the Secretary of State, and all the major leaders of other major countries and the leaders of humanitarian, justice and health organizations - including ones on the front lines of the AIDS pandemic - as well as many, many religious leaders have spoken out on this attempted genocide.

They have also worked hard to "kill" the "Kill The Gays Bill" and have, apparently, successfully stalled it in legislative committee.

Except the leader of the World Wide Anglican Communion who has neither named this Elephant of Hate nor worked to make it leave the room.

Where you see an "excruciating dilemma" I see a question:

Why is the spiritual leader of the World Wide Anglican Communion allowing himself to be intimidated by the Elephant of Hate? Indeed, why is he even giving it space in the room - even the "roomiest room in Western Civilization"?

I want to be clear: I am not advocating kicking the sexist, misogynist, homophobic, heterosexist members of our Anglican Communion off the Anglican Island.

I'm asking why The Episcopal Church is being punished for believing that all the sacraments are, indeed, for all the baptized - and, taking the risk of that belief which has been tested and discerned in community over several decades?

I'm asking why the Archbishop of Canterbury believes he can have a say in - much less punish or exclude those whom he needs to be in conversation with - matters over which (and in a country where) he has no authority?

Which brings us to the old, classical Anglican Elephant in the room: Authority.

This is what really needs to be named. It's what ++Katharine named in her response to +++Rowan

It seems to me that another elephant in the room is that what we are really enganged in is the start of the Second Reformation.

It seems to me that we are dealing with the same, old question. We seem to be doomed to have the issue 'authority' as our 'Sisyphusian Elephant' in our roomiest of rooms.

What is it the French say? Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

Our elephants seem to be killing our sacred cows.

Hasn't it ever been thus?

For other people naming other elephants, check out this Open Letter to Bishop Katharine from Canon Giles Goddard at Inclusive Church.

Then, listen as ++Katharine kicks more Anglican Elephant butt with this interview in ENS wherein she reportedly says:

Asked how Anglicans can focus on mission amid its issues over the place of gays and lesbians, Jefferts Schori said, "By focusing on mission, on the broader context. The hot button issues are an aspect of our mission."

The issue of human sexuality has a place in the communion's Five Marks of Mission, she said. "Where is good news in this conversation about human sexuality? I think we heard some in the [General Synod human sexuality] report ... That people felt they could speak to each other, be heard and speak in a gracious way and that was reported to be a significant shift from the last General Synod."

Part of the church's mission is to gay and lesbian people, she added. "Where's the good news in this for them?"

Another deals with addressing human suffering, she said. "Suicide rates among gay and lesbian teenagers are much, much higher than the national average in Canada and the U.S. How do we address that? That's an aspect in these Marks of Mission."

Developed by the Anglican Consultative Council, the Five Marks of Mission are:

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom;
To teach, baptize and nurture new believers;
To respond to human need by loving service;
To seek to transform unjust structures of society;
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

How angry are you?

Enough to stop - or seriously limit - your use of fossil fuels?

Note to Lambeth: Stop calling

I don't know. Our man in Canterbury just won't quit will he?

Have you read the latest missive from Lambeth Palace?

Those boys are flexing muscles they ain't never used before, and I suspect don't even know how to use properly.   I'm a little concerned.  I mean, really.  They could hurt themselves, you know? 

Okay.  I exaggerated.  I'm not even a little concerned.

You can read it here, and the ENS article here, but, essentially, because +++Rowan wrote this in his Pentecost Letter. . . .

“I am therefore proposing that, while these tensions remain unresolved, members of such provinces – provinces that have formally, through their Synod or House of Bishops, adopted policies that breach any of the moratoria requested by the Instruments of Communion and recently reaffirmed by the Standing Committee and the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) – should not be participants in the ecumenical dialogues in which the Communion is formally engaged. I am further proposing that members of such provinces serving on IASCUFO should for the time being have the status only of consultants rather than full members”.

. . . Secretary General, the Rev'd Canon Kenneth Kearon, wrote this:

Last Thursday I sent letters to members of the Inter Anglican ecumenical dialogues who are from the Episcopal Church informing them that their membership of these dialogues has been discontinued. In doing so I want to emphasise again as I did in those letters the exceptional service of each and every person to that important work and to acknowledge without exception the enormous contribution each person has made.

I have also written to the person from the Episcopal Church who is a member of the Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Unity Faith and Order (IASCUFO), withdrawing that person’s membership and inviting her to serve as a Consultant to that body.

I have written to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada to ask whether its General Synod or House of Bishops has formally adopted policies that breach the second moratorium in the Windsor Report, authorising public rites of same-sex blessing.

At the same time I have written to the Primate of the Southern Cone, whose interventions in other provinces are referred to in the Windsor Continuation Group Report asking him for clarification as to the current state of his interventions into other provinces.

Words fail to express my astonishment - and my anger - at the many ways and numerous time that man - Mr. Williams - has tried to screw us over.

I think he may be taking lessons from BP Executive, Tony Hayward. You know. The one who just wants his life back after the "Oil Spill" in the Gulf Coast.

+++Rowan has enacted the odious, punitive - and still widely controversial - measures of Section IV of the PROPOSED - not ADOPTED - Anglican Covenant.

Never mind that he has no authority to do any of this. Did I mention that the Anglican Covenant is not yet ADOPTED but PROPOSED??????

It's British open heart surgery, performed under the glaring light of arrogance, with the razor sharp blade of certainty, under the dull anesthetic of politeness.

An effective and efficient way to remove a piece of the heart of the Anglican Communion whilst causing maximum pain to the Body.

I have rarely been in favor of the "dollar referendum" method, but I think if ever there were a solid reason and just cause to employ this form of protest, this is it.

It's well past time to dump our ecclesiastical tea in the baptismal font.

Look, it's like this: We are who we are. We did what we did. We are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ nor the risks we feel we must take for it. Neither are we unwilling to take responsibility for our actions and suffer the consequences.

I mean, we've been at this for more than 50 years. We've not been flying by our ecclesiastic pants. We are not rebellious children, "doing a new thing" just to piss off our parents.

We have entered into this deliberately and intentionally, after decades of study and prayer and obedience to the Spirit.

Oh, and did I mention that +++He has no authority to take this action?

Can you say, "Colonialist"? Okay, how about "Imperialism"?

Some are calling him "Pope Rowan".

I just wish he would stop calling.

Perhaps he'll listen to Lady Gaga.

Hello, hello, baby
You called, I can’t hear a thing.
I have got no service
in the club, you see, see
Wha-Wha-What did you say?
Oh, you’re breaking up on me
Sorry, I cannot hear you,
I’m kinda busy.

K-kinda busy
K-kinda busy
Sorry, I cannot hear you, I’m kinda busy.

Just a second,
it’s my favorite song they’re gonna play
And I cannot text you with
a drink in my hand, eh
You shoulda made some plans with me,
you knew that I was free.
And now you won’t stop calling me;
I’m kinda busy.

Stop callin’, stop callin’,
I don’t wanna think anymore!
I left my hand and my heart on the dance floor.
Stop callin’, stop callin’,
I don’t wanna talk anymore!
I left my hand and my heart on the dance floor.

A Walking Sacrament

It's not going to surprise too many of you to know that I probably have more earned time - educational, spiritual retreat, hours worked over my contracted 50 per week - than I should.

It's not healthy. Really. No one knows this better than I, moi, myself.

So, I'm taking advantage of having another ordained person on staff and taking some time off in June. I'll be spending some time with my family, which I'm really anticipating with great joy. And, a little time to heal.

Oh, I still have things to do - a wedding at the end of the month, people to see for counseling sessions - grief, marriage/divorce - and spiritual direction and a few building projects in the hopper - but I'm intentionally taking all four Sundays off in June.

Jon+ preached a perfectly wonderful 'ordinary' sermon this morning. You can read it here on his blog.

I went to a Presbyterian church this morning to hear Dr. Paul Smith - a dear friend, colleague and, my spiritual director - preach and experience worship in the church he formerly pastored. Paul's been retired about five years now and this was one of his visits 'home'.

While the church is founded on - and lives out - good, solid, Reformation Theology, I'm quite sure the liturgy was nothing at all what John Calvin had in mind.

The first thing you need to know is the mission statement of the church:

"First Church is home to a growing congregation energetically committed to serving Christ in the church family, the community and the world. We are intentionally a racially and culturally mixed congregation on an enlightened journey of faith."

Here's the thing: They mean it.

No, I mean, they really mean it.

The congregation was filled with Asians, Hispanics, African Americans, Islanders, Caucasians, and everyone in between and beyond.

It was like Pentecost.

They are also actively involved in God's mission - among themselves, in their community and in the world. Just like their mission statement says.

And the music. Oh, Lord have mercy, the MUSIC!!

Weren't nobody nohow gonna sit down while that choir was singing - especially when the prelude was "Woke up this morning with my mind on Jesus." That was followed by a call to worship and then the congregational hymn "Love Divine".

Here's the Confession:

Gracious God
whom we have seen in Christ
in whom all things hold together -
we have not turned to you as One.
We have eaten the children's inheritance,
we have fed the Leviathan of war;
we have watched the wretched from a distance
but their prison, their nakedness, their disease, their hunger
has touched us not.

Attune us to the song that never ends -
the song of being
ready to die to live
in Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then came not Absolution but an Assurance of Pardon, of course, followed by a sung Gloria Patri.

The Anthem was "For Every Mountain" - words and music by Kurt Carr - which the soloist and the choir knocked right out of the church.

No joke. Right out of the church and onto the street and into the neighborhood.

"I've got so much to thank God for
So many wonderful blessings
And so many open doors
A brand new mercy
along with each new day
that's why I praise You
and for this I give You praise.

For every mountain You brought me over
For every trial You've seen me through
For every blessing
Hallelujah, for this I give You praise."

The joint was positively jumpin'.

We were ready to hear the Word of God. My friend Paul did not disappoint.

He took Mark 10:46-52 - the story of Blind Bartemaeus - as his text.

The title of his sermon was "Praise and Protest". He began with this quote from Rolf Jacobson, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, from Working Preacher.

"What if what a sermon is supposed to do is invite people into the biblical text (into its narratives, its poems, its parables, its letters and proverbs and prophecies) so that people can both see themselves and their own lives in the Bible and also see God in their lives? What if what a sermon is supposed to do is give people eyes to see God at work in the world, to give them ears to hear God's word when it is spoken in the workplace, to give them minds that can make sense of their daily lives in light of Jesus Christ?"

Using that as his standard, he first broke open the Word by retelling it in a contemporary setting: Jesus had just come out of Madison Square Garden and the crowds outside were pressing around him when an old man, a blind man, named Bartemaeus, started calling to him.

The ones who were not blind, the ones who had sight, tried to quiet him, but that old blind Bartemaeus, he just kept callin' out to Jesus, "Yo! Jesus! Could you help a brother out?"

Jesus stopped and said to them, "Let me talk to the man." And, when they told him that Jesus would see him, the man jumped to his feet, threw his cloak aside, and came to Jesus.

When Jesus saw the man he said, "What do you want me to do for you?"

This question, said the preacher, is the one Jesus asks of us this morning.

And then, the preacher got personal. And, as we all know, the personal is always political.

He started with the "Tea Party folks" - all of whom have health care benefits, along with power and privilege - who say to those who don't - "Be quiet. We will speak for you / do something for you."

He moved onto the Bush Administration, and then quoted Tony Hayward, the President and CEO of BP who is widely reported as having recently said, "I'd like my life back."

He said this, mind you, even as he was apologizing to the people of the Gulf Coast for the worst oil spill in the history of this country.

Some apology. Why are we still trying to believe ANYTHING that comes out of this man's mouth? Even his apology sounds like a lie.

The preacher then asked, "Why do we praise Jesus but not protest those who want us to remain silent? Why aren't we in the streets protesting those people who want us to be quiet?"

He left the pulpit then, walked into the congregation, looking them each in the eye, and asked, "Do you have faith in God? Go," he said, "your faith has made you well. Your faith in God is sufficient for whatever your needs may be. Your faith in God is enough for you to praise God and protest against those who would quiet those who are in need."

As if that wasn't enough, he started to sing that James Cleveland favorite, "I don't feel no ways tired." And the choir started to sing right along with him.

And, we did, too.

I don't feel no ways tired.
I've come too far from where I started
Nobody told me the road would be easy.
I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me."

As my heart soared, the eyes of my soul were suddenly opened.

It was then I had a realization about "Walking Sacraments".

Reformed Theology has a very high doctrine of The Word, with a much lower sacramental theology.

Episcopalians are people of Word and Sacrament. We're very keen on that balance.

Interestingly enough, it was Anglican theologian Austin Farrer who wrote an excellent sermon on the priesthood entitled "Walking Sacraments."

In the midst of that very Protestant service, as I watched my friend walking up and down the aisle of that church, opening up the Word of God so that God's people could be fed, I experienced my friend's ministry, his priesthood, as a Walking Sacrament.

Now, John Calvin, I'm quite sure, would have had great difficulty with that idea.

Some of you might, too - for a wide variety of reasons.

I submit that the discomfort some might experience with that notion comes from a mistaken understanding that the relationship between the ministry of the laity and the ministry of the ordained is a zero-sum game - that the edification of Christ's Body can only come from de-emphasizing the ministry of the ordained and clericalizing the laity.

On the other hand, some want to elevate the ministry of the ordained to a status of Supreme Parent or near deification, with the attendant, concurrent infantilizing and anesthetizing of the laity.

I think those impulses are not only mistaken, I think they're part of what's wrong with the church.

The Sacraments of the church are not a zero-sum game. We need to let clergy be clergy and laity be laity and ALL of us be part of the Priesthood of All Believers.

We should stop trying to domesticate or institutionalize the grace that comes from the sacramental nature of the priesthood given to us all at baptism.

Do you have a gift for preaching? You don't need to be ordained to be a Walking Sacrament.

Do you have a gift for teaching? You don't have to be a member of the laity to be a Walking Sacrament.

Do you have a gift for pastoral care? You don't need to be ordained to be a Walking Sacrament.

Do you have a gift for inspirational music? You don't need to be a member of the laity to be a Walking Sacrament.

You don't even need to have a perfect balance of Word and Sacrament to be a Walking Sacrament.

However, if you are a baptized member of the Priesthood of Believers - lay or ordained - and you are not a Walking Sacrament, you may want to consider if something might not be out of balance in your soul.

Is it well with your soul?

Jesus asked Old Blind Bartemaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" He asks us the same question today.

Jesus said to Old Blind Bartemaeus, "Go, your faith has made you well." He says the same to us today.

So, what are you waiting for? Go. Be a Walking Sacrament. God knows, the world needs us all to be vehicles of sacramental grace.

God needs our praise, but the world also needs our protest.

Go, be a Walking Sacrament.

I didn't have Holy Eucharist in "God's one, holy, catholic and apostolic church" today. But, I was richly, deeply, profoundly fed on the Word.

Can you tell?

I do believe the healing I need has now begun. I think it has a little something to do with having experienced the sacramental grace needed to restore the sight to the eyes of your soul.

"We-ness"

"Slave No More" by Marjorie Borgella.

I came across this prayer, given by an aged African American woman, quoted by Harold Carter in "The Prayer Traditions of Black People."

It's a powerful prayer on many, many levels. I've been thinking that it's probably one of the best prayers to understand the idea of the Trinity as a model of the church.

"We-ness".

That's how this woman prays. She uses 'we" much more than the words "ours," "I," or "us." That's were the energy, the passion, lies in this prayer - in the we-ness.

Without taking any theological courses or study of the African philosophy or ethical systems of the corporate nature of the self, she simply prays words we in the Episcopal Church would immediately recognize as part of the South African idea of Ubuntu - "Because I am, we are, and because we are, I am."

It expresses a basic human desire to be known, to be seen, and to find approval. It involves our finitude and our vulnerability in existence.

It suggests a mutuality and a hope that is relational, that grows out of a grace that ultimately cannot choose between insider and outsider.

Just like The Trinity: "The three in one and One in three."

Finally, this prayer moves from considering the effects of slavery to asking questions about transforming the nation's consciousness. I love the hopeful anticipation at the end of the prayer of the image of Jesus not needing to knock on the door - "We set the door plum open and watch up the road for to see you."

I also love the powerful imagery of not having any cool water to give to Jesus, except to fill the communion cup with the tear of repentance and love poured right from the heart as our humble offering.

"Dat all we hab to gib you, good Massa," she says.

Oh, that we offered that to the Christ in me and the Christ in you and the Christ in and for the world every time we came to celebrate Eucharist! Having been so transformed, how could we not transform the world with the power of the Trinity within us?

Indeed, I think the highly educated 'Massa Rowan' might learn a few things from this wonderful African American woman's prayer.

Okay, I've gone on enough. Here it is. I hope you enjoy this prayer as much - and pray it as often - as I have.

Dear Mass Jesus, we uns beg Ooner come make us a call dis here day. We is nutting but poor Ethiopian women, and people don't care much about we. We ain't trust any of dem great high people for to come to we church, but do'you is de great Massa, great to much daan Massa Linkum, you ain't shame to care for we African People.

Come to we, dear Massa Jesus. De sun, he hot too much, de road am dat long and boggy and we ain't got no buggy for send and fetch Ooner. But Massa, you 'member how you walked dat hard walk up Calvary and ain't weary but to tink about we all dat way. We know you ain't weary for to come to we. We pick out de torns, de prickles, de back slidin', and de quarrel, and de sin out you path so dey don't hurt Ooner feet no more.

Come to we, dear Massa Jesus. We all uns ain't got no good cool water for to give you when you thirsty. You know, Massa, de drought so long, and the well so low, ain't nuttin' but mud to drink. But we gwine to take de 'munion cup and fill it wid de tear of repentance and love clean out we heart. Dat all we hab to gib you, good Massa.

An Massa Jesus, you say you gwine stand at the door and knock. But you ain't gwine stand at we door, Massa, and knock. We set the door plum open and watch up the road for to see you.

Come, Massa Jesus, come! We know you is near, we heart is all tremble, we so glad for hab you here. And Massa, we church ain't good nuff for you to sit down in, but stop by de door just one minute, dear Massa Jesus, and whisper one word to we - one good word - we do listen, Massa.

Somebody in the church gimme an "Amen."

A star is born

Last night was Ms. Mackie's dance recital.

This is the first, only and final Proud Nana Alert. Anyone with an intolerance of sweet things or a predisposition to diabetes or tooth decay may want to stop reading and not go any further.

Yes, it's true. I cook. I read. I even type.

AND, I'm a very proud grandmother.

Ms. Mackie started her dance career with ballet a few years back. I bought her her first tutu, tights and ballet slippers.

She's now into 'lyrical' - or contemporary - dance. It's a modern dance form which fuses modern dance, jazz and ballet. It's very expressive, even including facial expressions in the choreography.

Perfect for a budding Drama T'ween.

If you're on FaceBook, click here and you can see a clip of her performance.

Earlier this year, she was telling me how much she LOVED lyrical dance. She was describing a routine where she and another girl lifted another with their fingers.

"We have to put our fingers like this," she said, clasping her hands together but leaving her two index ("pointer") fingers extended, "and then put them in her armpits."

She was amazed how easy it was to lift someone with "just four fingers."

"There is one problem, though," she said thoughtfully.

"Really? What?" I asked.

"Well," said Mackie, "I think she needs deodorant because after class my fingers smell Really Bad."

Ya gotta love that age.

Last night, she did us all proud.

After the performance, we went to Friendlies for ice cream.

Mackie had a "build your own Sundae" with mint chocolate chip ice cream, M&Ms, sprinkles and hot fudge.

Ms. Abbi had mint chocolate chip with whipped creme and a cherry.

I don't know what heaven is like, but if it's anything like last night, I can wait.

I mean, why rush when I can enjoy it all here and now? ;~)

The Girls of Summer: ++Katie at the bat

I love summer suppers on the deck.

Food prep is quick and easy - lots of marinating and grilling. Everything is casual - including the conversation. And, there's nothing like listening to a baseball game on the radio while you're sitting on the deck after a great supper.

A dear friend came over last night, just to break some bread as we caught up on the stories of our lives. I marinaded some chicken breasts in orange, lemon and lime juice, garlic, ginger and grape seed oil, grilled it, and then served it cold with some cold grilled asparagus, and a thick slice of Jersey beefsteak tomato topped with an even thicker slice of mozzarella, drizzled with EVO, salt, pepper and basil.

We also had the first of the season's yellow corn - well, someone's season, somewhere in the USA. It was a bit tough, but it was a wonderful foretaste of what will be in a few weeks.

There was no baseball game to listen to last night, but, after our supper, my friend's Blackberry started to make a pleasant little sound, which meant that she had a email or text message.

She went to check, started to dismiss it, and then said, "No, wait." A few seconds past and I said, "What is it?" A few more seconds and she looked up and said, "++Katharine Jefferts Schori has just hit one out of the park."

It appears "Our Katie" has stepped up to the bat and decided to play good old fashioned American baseball with the Big Boys across the pond.

I'm sure that, by now, you've read her letter: Pentecost Continues! It's long but well worth the read. If you'd rather, you can listen to an audio tape of ++Herself reading the letter.

It's her response to the Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter, and it's a pip.

There were no swings and misses. She never chocked the bat. Neither did she foul out for an easy walk to first, just to load the bases. She said:

The Episcopal Church has spent nearly 50 years listening to and for the Spirit in these matters. While it is clear that not all within this Church have heard the same message, the current developments do represent a widening understanding. Our canons reflected this shift as long ago as 1985, when sexual orientation was first protected from discrimination in access to the ordination process. At the request of other bodies in the Anglican Communion, this Church held an effective moratorium on the election and consecration of a partnered gay or lesbian priest as bishop from 2003 to 2010. When a diocese elected such a person in late 2009, the ensuing consent process indicated that a majority of the laity, clergy, and bishops responsible for validating that election agreed that there was no substantive bar to the consecration.

The Episcopal Church recognizes that these decisions are problematic to a number of other Anglicans. We have not made these decisions lightly. We recognize that the Spirit has not been widely heard in the same way in other parts of the Communion. In all humility, we recognize that we may be wrong, yet we have proceeded in the belief that the Spirit permeates our decisions.

She looked over the madding crowd, some of whom boo'd while others shouted words of encouragement. She took the bat and hit the dirt from her shoes with this:

We do not seek to impose our understanding on others. We do earnestly hope for continued dialogue with those who disagree, for we believe that the Spirit is always calling us to greater understanding.

We live in great concern that colonial attitudes continue, particularly in attempts to impose a single understanding across widely varying contexts and cultures. We note that the cultural contexts in which The Episcopal Church’s decisions have generated the greatest objection and reaction are also often the same contexts where women are barred from full ordained leadership, including the Church of England.

Then, she seemed to center herself with a deep breath and then a spit, straddled home plate, took steady aim and knocked that sucker right out of the park.

As Episcopalians, we note the troubling push toward centralized authority exemplified in many of the statements of the recent Pentecost letter. Anglicanism as a body began in the repudiation of the control of the Bishop of Rome within an otherwise sovereign nation. Similar concerns over self-determination in the face of colonial control led the Church of Scotland to consecrate Samuel Seabury for The Episcopal Church in the nascent United States – and so began the Anglican Communion.

We have been repeatedly assured that the Anglican Covenant is not an instrument of control, yet we note that the fourth section seems to be just that to Anglicans in many parts of the Communion. So much so, that there are voices calling for stronger sanctions in that fourth section, as well as voices repudiating it as un-Anglican in nature. Unitary control does not characterize Anglicanism; rather, diversity in fellowship and communion does.

We are distressed at the apparent imposition of sanctions on some parts of the Communion. We note that these seem to be limited to those which “have formally, through their Synod or House of Bishops, adopted policies that breach any of the moratoria requested by the Instruments of Communion.” We are further distressed that such sanctions do not, apparently, apply to those parts of the Communion that continue to hold one view in public and exhibit other behaviors in private. Why is there no sanction on those who continue with a double standard? In our context bowing to anxiety by ignoring that sort of double-mindedness is usually termed a “failure of nerve.” Through many decades of wrestling with our own discomfort about recognizing the full humanity of persons who seem to differ from us, we continue to work at open and transparent communication as well as congruence between word and behavior. We openly admit our failure to achieve perfection!

As the crowd roared and cheered, Our Katie took a victory lap around the bases, sliding into home base with this final quote:

As a Church of many nations, languages, and peoples, we will continue to seek every opportunity to increase our partnership in God’s mission for a healed creation and holy community. We look forward to the ongoing growth in partnership possible in the Listening Process, Continuing Indaba, Bible in the Life of the Church, Theological Education in the Anglican Communion, and the myriad of less formal and more local partnerships across the Communion – efforts in mission and ministry that inform and transform individuals and communities toward the vision of the Gospel – a healed world, loving God and neighbor, in the love and friendship shown us in God Incarnate.

Get that, Rowan? We will ". . .continue to seek every opportunity to increase our partnership in God's mission . . ."

She doesn't say decisively whether or not we will abide by the sanctions imposed by the +++ABC, but I'm thinking we will. I'm thinking what she's really saying is, "Okay, whatever, but you can't shut us up or shut us down. You can't stop the Spirit."

We're still going to play baseball on our field and by 'the' rules - not the ones made up by certain "Instruments of Communion" who want to change the rules in the middle of a game that's not going +++His way.

The +++ABC can't be franchise owner as well as the ump who calls the shots as they come over the plate.

So, Rowan, as we say over on this side of the Pond - grab a dog and some suds, park your back end in a stadium seat, keep your pie hole shut and watch the game. You might learn a few things about how to play it.

Rowan, mighty Rowan has struck out, but . . . .

. . . .somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere,
and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing,
and somewhere children shout;
But there is great joy in Mudville - Katie,
Mighty Katie -
has Hit. One. Out!

It's gonna be a GREAT summer!

Handfasting

It's a brave, new world. Or, maybe we're just embracing the old one.

I've been contacted by a young couple who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious". It's all the rage these days. You may have noticed.

They are getting married in August and have asked me to officiate but . . . you guessed it . . . they don't want a 'religious' ceremony.

We've had some interesting conversations. What they've decided they want is a 'handfasting' ceremony.

Apparently, it's an ancient tradition, well known in European and Slavic countries, which is now being 'claimed' by many Neopagans and Wiccans.

It's neither Neopagan nor Wiccan. Necessity has always been the Mother of Invention. It's a ceremony that arose from a people much in the same way that 'jumping the broom' arose from the slave quarters in this country.

People have been 'marrying' themselves since before the Wedding Cake. Indeed, it wasn't until the Council of Trent in 1545 that Rome changed the marriage laws to require the presence of a priest.

Interestingly enough, that law did not apply to the churches of the Protestant Reformation, and in Scotland, marriage by consent was recognized until 1939.

The Church is very clear that we are 'witnessing, celebrating and blessing' what the couple do together 'in the sight of God' and the company of the saints, past, present and yet to come.

The prospective Bride has shared with me some of the language of the ceremony she would like to use. The words are very powerful in their simplicity.

Here's a piece of it:

(To the Bride): will you share his laughter?
I will .
(To the Groom): will you share her laughter?
I will .
[To Both] Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?
Yes.
And so the binding is made. (Drape chord across the couple's hands.)

(To the Groom): might you ever cause her anger?
I might...
Is that your intent?
No.
(To the Bride) might you ever cause him anger?
I might...
Is that your intent?
No.
[To Both] Will you together take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?
Yes.
And so the binding is made. (Drape chord across the couple's hands.)

(The cords are bound together as these words are spoken): Just as your hands are now bound together, so too, are your lives. May you be forever one, sharing in all things, in love and loyalty for all time to come.

As it is, you cannot always be physically joined. (The Hand-fasting Cords are removed, without untying them, and replaced on the altar.) And so, we use the wedding ring to symbolize that connection. It is a constant reminder of the sacred bond shared between a husband and a wife.

There's more - the sharing of burdens, anger, joy, etc.

I don't know for certain, but I suspect that this may be the origin of the term "tying the knot".

While certainly not explicitly, I think the ceremony speaks to some very Christian ideas and notions about vows and promises which we hear, for example, in the hymn St. Patrick's Breastplate.

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

The Cyberhymnal has this note: The lyr­ics are a trans­la­tion of a Gael­ic po­em called “St. Pat­rick’s Lor­i­ca,” or breast­plate. (A “lorica” was a mys­tic­al gar­ment that was sup­posed to pro­tect the wear­er from dan­ger and ill­ness, and guar­an­tee ent­ry in­to Hea­ven.)

A 'lorica' reminds me of the 'scapular' - a religious pendant of cloth worn under the clothing, which is usually adorned with the picture of a saint - which we were given as young Roman Catholic children.

I've long forgotten the symbolism of the various colors - red, green, black, white, blue and brown as I recall - but I know from Ms. Conroy's work in Hospice that many people who haven't darkened the door of a church since their Confirmation (or Wedding, or child's Baptism) insist on having a brown scapula because the promise is that if you are wearing one at the time of death, you are promised immediate entrance into heaven.

Actually, here's what a little online research revealed:

According to Catholic tradition, the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Simon Stock at Cambridge, England, on Sunday, 16 July, 1251. In answer to his appeal for help for his oppressed order, she appeared to him with a scapular in her hand and said: "Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant".

The Brown Scapular thus carries with it the promise never to die without the opportunity to confess or otherwise achieve forgiveness of sins. It also carries the second promise of being freed from Purgatory on the first Saturday (the day of Mary) after death. Like the rosary, the Brown Scapular has become the badge of the devout Catholic and the true servant of Mary. Any priest can invest a layperson with this scapular.

Well, and there it is, then.

Here's the thing: I don't know if we have much room, as members of an 'organized religion' to criticize what some young people are choosing to reclaim as part of the deep spiritual experience of exchanging vows and promises in marriage.

We can try to dismiss it as 'Wiccan' or 'Neopagan', but it seems to me that the church has always taken what is common - and, sometimes, deemed 'unholy' - and blessed it with the authority - and, therefore 'purity' - of the institutional church.

I mean, is not our Eucharistic liturgy a symbolic, religious, spiritual reclaiming of the Temple ritual of the 'sacrifice of the lamb' for atonement of sins? Which, actually, is a religious, spiritual reclaiming of pagan sacrifice?

Is this not a wee bit of the 'pot calling the kettle beige', as it were?

Mind you, I find the words of the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage in the Book of Common Prayer beautiful and timeless. It's a ceremony I would like for myself and my Beloved, when that day comes in the not-too-distant future (please, God).

But, this is not my ceremony. It's theirs.

My job is to 'witness and celebrate and bless' the holy union of vows and promises entered into by two people who profess their love and faithful, life-long devotion to each other.

It seems to me that everything else - like the actual words - is just details.

No, this ceremony won't take place in a church.

No, there won't be Eucharist.

In this role, I will be functioning as an agent of the State who happens to be an ordained religious person.

Which is interesting, don't you think?

I mean, they want a 'religious' person to officiate at their 'spiritual but not religious' marriage. I suspect they don't know it - and it's probably a good thing - but my very presence there makes it a 'religious' ceremony.

It's also ironic to me that the word 'religion', can be translated from Latin as "bind".

Modern scholars such as Tom Harpur and Joseph Campbell favor the derivation from ligare "bind, connect", probably from a prefixed re-ligare, i.e. re (again) + ligare or "to reconnect."

So, this young couple - like so many, many others - want to be 'bound' together and to each other. Just not to any particular religion.

And, given the track record of most organized religions, who could blame them? More harm has been done - is now being done and probably will be done - in the name of God, or Allah, or Jesus, or Jehovah, or Yahweh than anyone else.

My job, as I see it, is not only to "witness, celebrate and bless" this Holy Union of Marriage, but to be a representative of the goodness and holiness that institutional religion can be.

I am, in the midst of this Binding Ceremony, to be a 'prisoner of hope' - bound to bring all of what's good about the past into the present that it might be carried into the future in the midst of a Most Holy Moment - which is, I think, what this couple is trying to do as well.

At least, that's what I'm going to attempt.

Might I fail?

I might.

Would that be my intent?

No.

But, I promise to take the best of what church is for me - the Incarnate Love of Jesus who bound himself to the cross - and bind it into the love that is shared by these two wonderful, thoughtful, caring, intelligent, spiritual, unintentionally-but-none-the-less religious people.

This is my solemn vow.

In the Name of the One who is Love, who is Lover, who is Beloved. Amen.

Renovation

There's bad news and good news about the recession.

The bad news, is . . . well, everybody knows the bad news. We live it everyday, right?

The good news is that interest rates on lending are lower than they have been in years. And, everyone is looking for work.

I've been on the phone and online most of the day, talking to the folks who do renovation and looking at their work online.

Ms. Conroy and I have been seriously considering renovating Llangollen, our wee cottage on Rehoboth Bay. We thought we'd wait a year or so, but it seems wise to begin to move ahead in this current climate.

We had always thought that we'd simply sell the old prefab house, raise the foundation to bring it more in code with the new FEMA regs for Flood Zones, and put on a new house.

Now, I'm much more excited about renovation.

First of all, I love the layout of this house. It's got great Feng Sui, which, translated literally from Chinese means "wind-water".

Perfect for a house on the water, right?

The house needs serious upgrades. All the kitchen appliances need to be replaced - or will need it in a couple of years, so why not now?

The kitchen cabinets are sort of 'Early-Americana' which are outdated and, frankly, just not my style. The wallpaper in the bedrooms also carry that theme.

I mean, really! Do I look like an 'Early Americana' kinda gal? Besides, they simply don't go with the whole ocean theme we've been working on creating in the living room and in the sun room. You know?

The siding, doors and windows will all need to be replaced, eventually. Certainly within the next couple of years. When we do that, we get up to an $8,000 tax credit because of the energy we'll be saving.

The sun room is a hand-made structure which has great character, but it has definitely seen better days. It will, most assuredly, need to be replaced. And, with that, the deck, of course. Finally, the yard needs some simple landscaping care and tending and, well, design.

You're thinking - "Okay, so she's talking Big Bucks here."

And, I'm saying - "You don't know Delaware."

All this renovation is going to cost us LESS THAN HALF of what we'd pay for a BRAND NEW prefab.

Yes way.

I have to tell you that the young man I spoke with at the renovation place was perfectly delightful. This is a family business so they already had my heart. When I found them online and saw who I was talking to, my heart melted.

These boys could be my uncles and cousins. Ms. Conroy calls them, "Workermen."

Let me give you a visual: Flannel shirts. Baggy jeans. Knit/baseball caps. Long hair and beards. And lots and lots of ink.

I spoke with Brian who was just as nice as nice could be. When I explained my profession and limited income he said, "Not to worry, Ma'am. We understand. We'll give you good quality work and a good finished product we'll both be proud of. We're used to working on a budget. Heck, we all live on pretty tight budgets ourselves."

Can you tell I'm in love?

Oh, of course I'm checking other businesses and getting comparative prices. I'm thinking this one just might be worth it.

I meet with him next week. He's bringing over his dad, because, "Well, he's my best friend, you know? He picks up things I miss and I do the same for him."

Before we got off the phone, he said he was going to "hand me over to my Aunt Betty. She really runs the show and keeps me organized. You're gonna love her."

He was right. We must have talked for another five minutes after we set up my appointment. We talked about the new 'Harris Teeter' Grocery Store in Long Beach. She says their cheese section is the best.

I can't wait to meet them - Brian and his dad. I'm going to make a coffee cake or muffins or something - enough to take back to Aunt Betty in the office and the boys on the crew.

It's going to be a couple of hours. There are conversations to be had and stories to be told before you get into the measuring of windows and doors, you know?

It's the way things are done in LSD = Lower, Slower Delaware.

What I really love is the whole idea of renovation. Improving an existing structure. Making something you love even better.

Re. Novation.

I'm thinking that there's something decidedly Christian in that notion.

Besides, it's our own "stimulus package".

For the economy and the spirit.

That's really good news.