The following people were murdered in the metro New Orleans area this past week:
7/22/09 Terrell Bart 21 M Shot Orleans
7/23/09 Charmaine Carroll 29 F Shot Jefferson
7/25/09 Unidentifified 38 M Shot Orleans
7/25/09 Demetrius Jackson 19 M Shot Jefferson
7/26/09 Eric Lee 21 M Shot Orleans
7/29/09 Jonathan Hudson 28 M Shot Jefferson
Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.
30 July 2009
28 July 2009
Irene Chrysovalantou
Icon of cypress trees bending toward Irene (with apples and angels)28 July
Irene Chrysovalantou, deacon, abbess of a community of women at Constantinople, died in 921.
Irene was born about 826 to the prominent Gouber family in Byzantium. The empress planned to marry her to Prince Michael III. According to legend, on the way to the wedding she delayed to listen to the wisdom of a hermit. When she arrived at Constantinople, the prince was already married to someone else. Irene gave her jewelry to the church, entered the monastery of Chrysovalantou, and immediately engaged in vigils and prayer. Soon she was ordained deaconess and became the new abbess.
Increasing her spiritual struggles, with great trust in God to guide the community properly, she developed the gifts of foresight and exorcism. Her prayer through the night continued in the courtyard of the monastery, causing her to levitate and the cypress trees to bend toward her. She was granted three apples from John the Theologian and visions of angels. Icons often portray her with bending trees, apples, and angels. She appeared in a vision to the emperor to release an unjustly convicted man. After her death in 921, she continued to be a wonder worker. Her veneration and miracle working include a miraculous weeping icon of St. Irene, written in 1921 by a monk at Mount Athos. It is now in the Orthodox monastery bearing her name at Astoria, Long Island.
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus
28 July
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, deacons, companions of Stephen and Philip, died 1st c. (see Acts 6:5).
All except Nicolaus were Hellenistic Jews who became Christians. According to tradition, Prochorus (or Prochoros) accompanied St. John the Divine in exile on the island of Patmos. In icons Prochoros is portrayed as a scribe in a cave, taking dictation as John describes his vision of the Apocalypse (Revelation). Prochoros became bishop of Nicomedia and died in peace. Nicanor was stoned to death in Jerusalem. Timon became bishop of Bostra in Arabia and ended his life in martyrdom by fire at the hands of the pagans. Parmenas died in peace in Jerusalem. Nicolaus (or Nikolaos), a pagan from Antioch who became a Jew and then a Christian, was a deacon in Jerusalem.
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, deacons, companions of Stephen and Philip, died 1st c. (see Acts 6:5).
All except Nicolaus were Hellenistic Jews who became Christians. According to tradition, Prochorus (or Prochoros) accompanied St. John the Divine in exile on the island of Patmos. In icons Prochoros is portrayed as a scribe in a cave, taking dictation as John describes his vision of the Apocalypse (Revelation). Prochoros became bishop of Nicomedia and died in peace. Nicanor was stoned to death in Jerusalem. Timon became bishop of Bostra in Arabia and ended his life in martyrdom by fire at the hands of the pagans. Parmenas died in peace in Jerusalem. Nicolaus (or Nikolaos), a pagan from Antioch who became a Jew and then a Christian, was a deacon in Jerusalem.
27 July 2009
George of Palestine
27 July
George, deacon and martyr, monk from Palestine, with four companions, killed at Córdoba in Spain, c. 852.
George and his four companions were martyred under Emir Abd ar-Rahman II. Aurelius and Felix, with their wives, Natalia and Liliosa, were Spaniards whose family backgrounds, although religiously mixed, legally required them to profess Islam. Given four days to recant, they were condemned as apostates for revealing their previously secret Christian faith. Deacon George was a monk from Palestine who was arrested along with the two couples. Though offered a pardon as a foreigner, he chose to denounce Islam again and die with the others.
George, deacon and martyr, monk from Palestine, with four companions, killed at Córdoba in Spain, c. 852.
George and his four companions were martyred under Emir Abd ar-Rahman II. Aurelius and Felix, with their wives, Natalia and Liliosa, were Spaniards whose family backgrounds, although religiously mixed, legally required them to profess Islam. Given four days to recant, they were condemned as apostates for revealing their previously secret Christian faith. Deacon George was a monk from Palestine who was arrested along with the two couples. Though offered a pardon as a foreigner, he chose to denounce Islam again and die with the others.
25 July 2009
Olympias of Constantinople
25 July
Olympias of Constantinople, deacon, benefactor, cathedral staff member at Constantinople, and friend and disciple of the banished John Chrysostom, died on 25 July 410.
Born into a wealthy noble Constantinople family, about 361, Olympias was orphaned as a child and given over to the care of Emperor Theodosius by her uncle, the prefect Procopius. At about age twenty she married Nebridius, prefect of Constantinople, but he died soon after. She refused several offers of marriage, and Theodosius put her fortune in trust when she also refused his choice for a husband. When he restored her estate in 391, at age thirty, Patriarch Nectarius ordained her deaconess, and with several other women she founded a community. She was so lavish in her almsgiving that her good friend John Chrysostom remonstrated with her, and when he became Patriarch of Constantinople in 398 he took her under his direction. She established a hospital and an orphanage and gave shelter to the expelled monks of Nitria.
When John Chrysostom was expelled from Constantinople in 404, Olympias became his firm supporter. She was fined by the prefect, Optatus, for refusing to accept the usurper Arsacius as Patriarch, and Arsacius’ successor, Atticus, disbanded her community and ended her charitable works. She spent the last years of her life beset by illness and persecution but comforted by Chrysostom from his place of exile. She died in exile in Nicomedia on 25 July 410, less than a year after the death of Chrysostom. [Also observed 17 Dec.]
23 July 2009
Murdered
The following people were murdered this week in the metropolitan New Orleans area:
7/19/09 Gendra Bolden 41 M Shot Orleans
7/21/09 Emmanuel Williams ? M Shot Orleans
Adding the names in Baton Rouge, for those who wish to use them, began July 1 and since that time, Deacon Elaine Clements, the tabulator, has gotten things a bit confused. She says: "I'll blame it on being out of town so much due to my mom's illness (but it just may be that I got confused. . .)." Anyway, the following murders have taken place in Baton Rouge in July:
Khrissel Tyler, 26, shot, 7-7-09
Adrian Stewart, 27 shot, 7-9-09
Marcus Thomas, 24, shot, 7-9-09
Babriella Eisworth, 20, shot, 7-9-09
Jeanearo Allen, 25, shot, 7-10-09
Willy Brown. 23, shot, 7-13-09
Sandra Carter, 43, shot,7-14-09
Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.
7/19/09 Gendra Bolden 41 M Shot Orleans
7/21/09 Emmanuel Williams ? M Shot Orleans
Adding the names in Baton Rouge, for those who wish to use them, began July 1 and since that time, Deacon Elaine Clements, the tabulator, has gotten things a bit confused. She says: "I'll blame it on being out of town so much due to my mom's illness (but it just may be that I got confused. . .)." Anyway, the following murders have taken place in Baton Rouge in July:
Khrissel Tyler, 26, shot, 7-7-09
Adrian Stewart, 27 shot, 7-9-09
Marcus Thomas, 24, shot, 7-9-09
Babriella Eisworth, 20, shot, 7-9-09
Jeanearo Allen, 25, shot, 7-10-09
Willy Brown. 23, shot, 7-13-09
Sandra Carter, 43, shot,7-14-09
Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.
22 July 2009
Theodora of Gaul
22 July
Theodora of Gaul, deacon, died 22 July 539. Her tomb carried this Latin inscription: “Here rests in peace and of good remembrance Theodora the deaconess who lived about 48 years and died on 22 July 539.”
Theodora of Gaul, deacon, died 22 July 539. Her tomb carried this Latin inscription: “Here rests in peace and of good remembrance Theodora the deaconess who lived about 48 years and died on 22 July 539.”
20 July 2009
Paul of Saint Zolas
Paul of Saint Zoilus, deacon and martyr of Córdoba in Spain and a member of the community of Saint Zoilus in that city, beheaded in 851. Paul devoted much of his effort to bringing aid to Christians imprisoned by Muslim officials. Seized by members of the ruling Islamic government, he was beheaded.
Barhadbesciabas of Arbela
20 July
Barhadbesciabas (sometimes called Barhadbesaba), deacon and martyr of Arbela in Persia, killed by beheading, in 355. He was caught up in the persecution conducted by Sassanid King Shapur II and was tortured by the governor of the Persian region of Adiaban in modern Iran. Aggai, an apostate Christian, was ordered to behead Barhadbesciabas. He used the ax with such clumsiness that he had to strike the martyr again to slay him.
Barhadbesciabas (sometimes called Barhadbesaba), deacon and martyr of Arbela in Persia, killed by beheading, in 355. He was caught up in the persecution conducted by Sassanid King Shapur II and was tortured by the governor of the Persian region of Adiaban in modern Iran. Aggai, an apostate Christian, was ordered to behead Barhadbesciabas. He used the ax with such clumsiness that he had to strike the martyr again to slay him.
19 July 2009
Arsenius the Great
19 July
Arsenius the Great, deacon of Rome and hermit in the desert of Egypt, died c. 449.
Born about 360, Arsenius was the scion of a Roman senatorial family. He had an early career as tutor to the sons of Emperor Theodosius the Great. Pope Damasus I is said to have ordained Arsenius to the diaconate and to have recommended the learned cleric to the emperor. Arsenius later became a hermit at Sketis, in the desert near Alexandria in Egypt, and a disciple of John the Dwarf. After barbarians began to raid the monasteries, Arsenius moved to Troë near Memphis, and he spent fifteen years wandering in the desert. Numbered among the desert fathers, Arsenius wrote a guide to monastic life and a commentary on the gospel according to Luke, which describes the contemplative life.
Arsenius the Great, deacon of Rome and hermit in the desert of Egypt, died c. 449.
Born about 360, Arsenius was the scion of a Roman senatorial family. He had an early career as tutor to the sons of Emperor Theodosius the Great. Pope Damasus I is said to have ordained Arsenius to the diaconate and to have recommended the learned cleric to the emperor. Arsenius later became a hermit at Sketis, in the desert near Alexandria in Egypt, and a disciple of John the Dwarf. After barbarians began to raid the monasteries, Arsenius moved to Troë near Memphis, and he spent fifteen years wandering in the desert. Numbered among the desert fathers, Arsenius wrote a guide to monastic life and a commentary on the gospel according to Luke, which describes the contemplative life.
Macrina the Younger
19 July
Macrina the Younger (also Makrina), deacon, older sister of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, died in 379.
Macrina the Younger was born to a holy family in Cappadocia in 340. Her grandmother, Macrina the Elder, for whom she was named, lived in the days of the Emperor Diocletian, who made a determined effort to destroy the Christian faith. She and her husband fled into hiding, and survived into the time of Constantine. One of their sons, Basil the Elder, and his wife Emmelia had nine children. Five are commemorated as saints: Macrina the Younger, Basil the Great, Peter of Sebaste, Gregory of Nyssa, and Theosebia the Deaconess (see 10 January).
Macrina was the oldest child. She was betrothed at the age of twelve, after the custom of the day, but when her fiancé died she decided to devote her life to prayer, contemplation, and works of charity. After the death of her father, she convinced her mother to sell the family estates, and they formed a community of women who shared her goals. This convent or monastery was the first group of Christians living under the rules of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Macrina often brought poor and hungry women home to be fed, clothed, nursed, or otherwise taken care of, and many eventually joined the community, as did many women of means.
After the death of their parents, Macrina was chiefly responsible for the upbringing of her younger brothers. When they were inclined to be conceited about their intellectual accomplishments, she deflated them with affectionate but pointed jibes. Her example encouraged some of them to pursue the monastic ideal and to found monastic communities for men. Although Basil the Great is remembered as the founder of eastern monasticism (all Orthodox monks follow a variation of Basil’s monastic rule), the community of monks organized by Basil was preceded and inspired by the community of nuns organized by Macrina. Three of her brothers (Basil, Gregory, Peter) became bishops, and all of them were leading contenders for the faith of Nicaea against the Arians. She was buried in a grave shared with her parents, with a eulogy by her brother Gregory of Nyssa. In his Life of Macrina, Gregory records his last visit with her, her farewell speech, and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.
Troparion (Tone 8)
The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother,
for you took up the cross and followed Christ.
By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
Therefore your spirit, O Holy Mother Macrina, rejoices with the angels!
Kontakion (Tone 4)
Since the light of righteousness shone brightly in you,
you were an example of the life of piety for all,
teaching the virtues to them that cry:
Rejoice, Macrina, you boast of virginity.
17 July 2009
Louisiana votes
At General Convention:
Louisiana deputies voted NO on both D025 (ordination of gays and lesbians) and C056 (same-sex blessings). There is no information on individual votes.
Bishop Jenkins voted NO on D025 and YES on C056. He has not signed the Anaheim Statement by minority bishops.
UPDATE: On Friday, the last day, C056 passed House of Deputies by more than two-thirds--lay 78 yes 23 no 7 divided, clergy 74 yes 27 no 7 divided.
Louisiana deputies voted NO on both D025 (ordination of gays and lesbians) and C056 (same-sex blessings). There is no information on individual votes.
Bishop Jenkins voted NO on D025 and YES on C056. He has not signed the Anaheim Statement by minority bishops.
UPDATE: On Friday, the last day, C056 passed House of Deputies by more than two-thirds--lay 78 yes 23 no 7 divided, clergy 74 yes 27 no 7 divided.
Stare decisis
Have you been wondering what "stare decisis" (pronounced star-ay dee-ci-sis) means?
Stare decisis (short for Stare decisis et non quieta movere or maintain what has been decided and do not alter what has been established) is the legal principle under which judges are obliged to follow the precedents established in prior decisions.
Stare decisis (short for Stare decisis et non quieta movere or maintain what has been decided and do not alter what has been established) is the legal principle under which judges are obliged to follow the precedents established in prior decisions.
In case of swine flu
From a letter issued by John Packer, bishop of Ripon and Leeds (Church of England):
Government advice envisages that during a flu pandemic the distribution of the consecrated bread at Holy Communion will continue, but specifies that communion should not be given on the tongue. Care ought to be taken to ensure that the fingers of the person distributing the sacrament do not come into contact with the communicants’ hands. High standards of hand hygiene should be adopted. (Soap and water is an effective means of cleaning hands, and handrubs can be used as an alternative.) . . .
Neither the alcoholic content of wine nor the antiseptic qualities of noble metals will provide any protection against a pandemic flu virus. Government advice is that in the event of pandemic flu affecting centres of population, administration of the common cup ought to be suspended. . . .
In the event of pandemic flu affecting centres of population, the bishop of the diocese concerned should advise the clergy that communion should be administered in one kind only in that area (the priest alone receiving in both kinds) until the danger has passed... Should it become necessary to do so, the Archbishops will issue such advice in respect of Holy Communion in the Church of England as a whole. Where such advice has not been issued, communicants may nevertheless choose to receive Communion in one kind only. The clergy should emphasize that while communion in both kinds is the norm in the Church of England, in faithfulness to Christ’s institution, when it is received only in one kind the fullness of the Sacrament is received none the less.
I didn't realize that members of the C of E even went to church.
Government advice envisages that during a flu pandemic the distribution of the consecrated bread at Holy Communion will continue, but specifies that communion should not be given on the tongue. Care ought to be taken to ensure that the fingers of the person distributing the sacrament do not come into contact with the communicants’ hands. High standards of hand hygiene should be adopted. (Soap and water is an effective means of cleaning hands, and handrubs can be used as an alternative.) . . .
Neither the alcoholic content of wine nor the antiseptic qualities of noble metals will provide any protection against a pandemic flu virus. Government advice is that in the event of pandemic flu affecting centres of population, administration of the common cup ought to be suspended. . . .
In the event of pandemic flu affecting centres of population, the bishop of the diocese concerned should advise the clergy that communion should be administered in one kind only in that area (the priest alone receiving in both kinds) until the danger has passed... Should it become necessary to do so, the Archbishops will issue such advice in respect of Holy Communion in the Church of England as a whole. Where such advice has not been issued, communicants may nevertheless choose to receive Communion in one kind only. The clergy should emphasize that while communion in both kinds is the norm in the Church of England, in faithfulness to Christ’s institution, when it is received only in one kind the fullness of the Sacrament is received none the less.
I didn't realize that members of the C of E even went to church.
16 July 2009
Murdered
The following were murdered this week in the New Orleans area:
7/10/09 Ricky Hubbard 42 M Stabbed Orleans
7/11/09 Kenneth Williams 17 M Shot Orleans
7/12/09 Jonathan Davis Jr. 18 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Christopher Sartin 29 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Roderick Smith 23 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Derrick Holiman 17 M Shot St. John
7/14/09 Bryan C. Smith 22 M Shot Orleans
7/15/09 D’Andre Rumbley 16 M Shot Orleans
7/16/09 Unidentified 58 M Shot Orleans
Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.
7/10/09 Ricky Hubbard 42 M Stabbed Orleans
7/11/09 Kenneth Williams 17 M Shot Orleans
7/12/09 Jonathan Davis Jr. 18 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Christopher Sartin 29 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Roderick Smith 23 M Shot Orleans
7/13/09 Derrick Holiman 17 M Shot St. John
7/14/09 Bryan C. Smith 22 M Shot Orleans
7/15/09 D’Andre Rumbley 16 M Shot Orleans
7/16/09 Unidentified 58 M Shot Orleans
Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.
C056
Yesterday the House of Bishops dealt with C056 (same-sex blessings), stirred it in the pot, added something new and took out something blue, and came up with:
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge the changing circumstances in the United States and in other nations, as legislation authorizing or forbidding marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian persons is passed in various civil jurisdictions that call forth a renewed pastoral response from this Church, and for an open process for the consideration of theological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same gender relationships; and be it further
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consulation with the House of Bishops, collect and develop theological, and liturgical resources and report to the 77th General Convention; and be it further
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consulation with the House of Bishops, devise an open process for the conduct of its work inviting participation from provinces, dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are engaged in such theological work, and inviting theological reflection from throughout the Anglican Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That this Convention honor the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality; and be it further
Resolved, That the members of this Church be encouraged to engage in this effort.
The House of Deputies still has to act on this, but because of time constraints (convention ends tomorrow) they probably won't mess with it.
What's it all mean? Will there be a generous pastoral response in Louisiana? That's not too clear. But . . . if you're gonna ordain 'em, you might as well bless 'em.
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge the changing circumstances in the United States and in other nations, as legislation authorizing or forbidding marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian persons is passed in various civil jurisdictions that call forth a renewed pastoral response from this Church, and for an open process for the consideration of theological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same gender relationships; and be it further
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consulation with the House of Bishops, collect and develop theological, and liturgical resources and report to the 77th General Convention; and be it further
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consulation with the House of Bishops, devise an open process for the conduct of its work inviting participation from provinces, dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are engaged in such theological work, and inviting theological reflection from throughout the Anglican Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That this Convention honor the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality; and be it further
Resolved, That the members of this Church be encouraged to engage in this effort.
The House of Deputies still has to act on this, but because of time constraints (convention ends tomorrow) they probably won't mess with it.
What's it all mean? Will there be a generous pastoral response in Louisiana? That's not too clear. But . . . if you're gonna ordain 'em, you might as well bless 'em.
15 July 2009
Gundisalvus Hendriquez
15 July
Gundisalvus Hendriquez, Portuguese deacon and martyr, Jesuit scholar, killed with companions in the Canary Islands on 15 July 1570.
Gundisalvus Hendriquez was a friend and companion of Ignatius de Azevedo (1528-1570), superior and leader of a band of forty Spanish and Portuguese Jesuit missionaries martyred by the Huguenot Jacques Sourie while en route to the West Indies. They were killed by drowning.
Gundisalvus Hendriquez, Portuguese deacon and martyr, Jesuit scholar, killed with companions in the Canary Islands on 15 July 1570.
Gundisalvus Hendriquez was a friend and companion of Ignatius de Azevedo (1528-1570), superior and leader of a band of forty Spanish and Portuguese Jesuit missionaries martyred by the Huguenot Jacques Sourie while en route to the West Indies. They were killed by drowning.
Catulinus (Cartholinus) of Carthage
15 July
Catulinus (also called Cartholinus), deacon and martyr, with companions Januarius, Florentius, Julia, and Justa, killed at Carthage in North Africa, under Diocletian in 303. Nothing is known of their martyrdom. Their bodies were buried in the basilica of bishop Faustus in Carthage. In praise of Catulinus, St. Augustine preached a panegyric to the faithful.
Catulinus (also called Cartholinus), deacon and martyr, with companions Januarius, Florentius, Julia, and Justa, killed at Carthage in North Africa, under Diocletian in 303. Nothing is known of their martyrdom. Their bodies were buried in the basilica of bishop Faustus in Carthage. In praise of Catulinus, St. Augustine preached a panegyric to the faithful.
14 July 2009
D025 passed
Having already passed in the House of Bishops, D025 passed on Tuesday afternoon in the House of Deputies, clergy 77-19-11 and laity 78-21-9, a pretty substantial majority:
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 76th General Convention reaffirm the continued participation of The Episcopal Church as a constituent member of the Anglican Communion; give thanks for the work of the bishops at the Lambeth Conference of 2008; reaffirm the abiding commitment of The Episcopal Church to the fellowship of churches that constitute the Anglican Communion and seek to live into the highest degree of communion possible; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention encourage dioceses, congregations, and members of The Episcopal Church to participate to the fullest extent possible in the many instruments, networks and relationships of the Anglican Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention reaffirm its financial commitment to the Anglican Communion and pledge to participate fully in the Inter-Anglican Budget; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm the value of "listening to the experience of homosexual persons," as called for by the Lambeth Conferences of 1978, 1988, and 1998, and acknowledge that through our own listening the General Convention has come to recognize that the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships "characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God" (2000-D039); and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention recognize that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relationships have responded to God's call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and are currently doing so in our midst; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm that God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church, and that God's call to the ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge that members of The Episcopal Church as of the Anglican Communion, based on careful study of the Holy Scriptures, and in light of tradition and reason, are not of one mind, and Christians of good conscience disagree about some of these matters.
COMMENT: So how did the Louisiana deputies vote? From the vote of the bishops, it appeared that the opposition came mainly from the old magnolia belt, from South Carolina through Western Louisiana, with the exception of Atlanta, long an upstart representative of the New South.
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 76th General Convention reaffirm the continued participation of The Episcopal Church as a constituent member of the Anglican Communion; give thanks for the work of the bishops at the Lambeth Conference of 2008; reaffirm the abiding commitment of The Episcopal Church to the fellowship of churches that constitute the Anglican Communion and seek to live into the highest degree of communion possible; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention encourage dioceses, congregations, and members of The Episcopal Church to participate to the fullest extent possible in the many instruments, networks and relationships of the Anglican Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention reaffirm its financial commitment to the Anglican Communion and pledge to participate fully in the Inter-Anglican Budget; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm the value of "listening to the experience of homosexual persons," as called for by the Lambeth Conferences of 1978, 1988, and 1998, and acknowledge that through our own listening the General Convention has come to recognize that the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships "characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God" (2000-D039); and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention recognize that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relationships have responded to God's call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and are currently doing so in our midst; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm that God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church, and that God's call to the ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge that members of The Episcopal Church as of the Anglican Communion, based on careful study of the Holy Scriptures, and in light of tradition and reason, are not of one mind, and Christians of good conscience disagree about some of these matters.
COMMENT: So how did the Louisiana deputies vote? From the vote of the bishops, it appeared that the opposition came mainly from the old magnolia belt, from South Carolina through Western Louisiana, with the exception of Atlanta, long an upstart representative of the New South.
D025
This is the resolution before General Convention which affirms the ordination of partnered gays and lesbians.
On Sunday D025 passed the House of Deputies by more than two-thirds vote in both clerical (74-35) and lay (77-31) orders. Then, yesterday, it passed the House of Bishops 99-45-2. Because the bishops added a small, insignificant clause, the resolution has gone back to the deputies. Final passage is inevitable.
Bishop Jenkins voted against it, according to blogs listing the voters. We have not been informed how the Louisiana deputies voted. Why not?
Here is the key clause: "God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church." In Louisiana, the first part is true. I know of at least two previous bishops, within the last 35 years, who ordained partnered gays and lesbians as priests and deacons. They may not have known this reality at the time, but God called and they laid hands.
Will the second part of the clause become true? Maybe not soon, but eventually. The history of this diocese includes refusing ordination to women and people of color, but now we ordain them. Despite the gnashing of teeth heard in some corners of the diocese, we will get around of ordaining gays and lesbians.
And this is the opening of Psalm 26, the first psalm of Morning Prayer today:
Give judgment for me, O Lord,
for I have lived with integrity . . .
On Sunday D025 passed the House of Deputies by more than two-thirds vote in both clerical (74-35) and lay (77-31) orders. Then, yesterday, it passed the House of Bishops 99-45-2. Because the bishops added a small, insignificant clause, the resolution has gone back to the deputies. Final passage is inevitable.
Bishop Jenkins voted against it, according to blogs listing the voters. We have not been informed how the Louisiana deputies voted. Why not?
Here is the key clause: "God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church." In Louisiana, the first part is true. I know of at least two previous bishops, within the last 35 years, who ordained partnered gays and lesbians as priests and deacons. They may not have known this reality at the time, but God called and they laid hands.
Will the second part of the clause become true? Maybe not soon, but eventually. The history of this diocese includes refusing ordination to women and people of color, but now we ordain them. Despite the gnashing of teeth heard in some corners of the diocese, we will get around of ordaining gays and lesbians.
And this is the opening of Psalm 26, the first psalm of Morning Prayer today:
Give judgment for me, O Lord,
for I have lived with integrity . . .
13 July 2009
The monk and the wolf (2)
The blog machine did not provide a line for comments at the end of "The monk and the wolf" (below). If you want to comment, do so here.
12 July 2009
Fortunato of Aquileia
12 July
Fortunato, deacon and martyr, killed with his bishop Ermacora at Aquileia, near the northern Adriatic coast of Italy, in 1st c. According to legend, St. Mark converted and ordained Ermacora during a mission to northeastern Italy. The cathedral at Udine contains a painting of the two martyrs by Tiepolo (1737).
Fortunato, deacon and martyr, killed with his bishop Ermacora at Aquileia, near the northern Adriatic coast of Italy, in 1st c. According to legend, St. Mark converted and ordained Ermacora during a mission to northeastern Italy. The cathedral at Udine contains a painting of the two martyrs by Tiepolo (1737).
11 July 2009
The monk and the wolf
Here's a monk who is apparently the Serbian equivalent of St. Francis, at least when it comes to wildlife. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, "Glory to God for All Things."
09 July 2009
Murdered
The toll of those murdered this week in the New Orleans metro area is higher than usual:
6/30/09 Kenyra Johnson 20 F Shot Orleans
7/2/09 Brandon Morgan 26 M Shot Orleans
7/3/09 Anthony Paul 23 M Shot Jefferson
7/4/09 Hasan Williams 25 M Shot Orleans
7/4/09 Derek LeBlanc 29 M Shot Jefferson
7/7/09 Genevia Berinard 33 F Shot Orleans
7/7/09 Derrick Bush 35 M Shot Orleans
7/7/09 Lance Jones 19 M Shot Orleans
7/7/09 Tracey Andrews 21 M Shot Orleans
7/8/09 Darryl Every 20 M Shot Orleans
Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.
6/30/09 Kenyra Johnson 20 F Shot Orleans
7/2/09 Brandon Morgan 26 M Shot Orleans
7/3/09 Anthony Paul 23 M Shot Jefferson
7/4/09 Hasan Williams 25 M Shot Orleans
7/4/09 Derek LeBlanc 29 M Shot Jefferson
7/7/09 Genevia Berinard 33 F Shot Orleans
7/7/09 Derrick Bush 35 M Shot Orleans
7/7/09 Lance Jones 19 M Shot Orleans
7/7/09 Tracey Andrews 21 M Shot Orleans
7/8/09 Darryl Every 20 M Shot Orleans
Pray for them, their families, and their murderers.
06 July 2009
Isaurius of Apollonia
6 July
Isaurius, deacon and martyr, with companions, beheaded at Apollonia in Macedonia in 283-284. Isaurius and his companions Innocent, Felix, Hermias, Basil, and Peregrinus were Athenians, suffering for Christ in the Macedonian city of Apollonia under the emperor Numerian (283-284). Beheaded with them for believing in Christ were two city officials, Rufus and Ruphinus.
Isaurius, deacon and martyr, with companions, beheaded at Apollonia in Macedonia in 283-284. Isaurius and his companions Innocent, Felix, Hermias, Basil, and Peregrinus were Athenians, suffering for Christ in the Macedonian city of Apollonia under the emperor Numerian (283-284). Beheaded with them for believing in Christ were two city officials, Rufus and Ruphinus.
05 July 2009
Athanasius of Jerusalem
5 July
Athanasius, deacon and martyr, killed at Jerusalem in 452. Athanasius denounced Theodosius, a heretic who usurped the see of Jerusalem, formerly held by bishop Juvenal. Arrested for this act, Athanasius was beheaded.
Athanasius, deacon and martyr, killed at Jerusalem in 452. Athanasius denounced Theodosius, a heretic who usurped the see of Jerusalem, formerly held by bishop Juvenal. Arrested for this act, Athanasius was beheaded.
03 July 2009
Jessie Carryl Smith
3 July
Jessie Carryl Smith, deaconess at Holy Trinity Church in Paris, France, and later in Alaska, New York, and Philadelphia, died 3 July 1923.
Jessie Carryl Smith was an actress in New York. At the age of thirty, she entered the New York Training School for Deaconesses, graduating in 1902. She was set apart as a deaconess at Holy Trinity Church in Paris in 1906. While in Paris she ran a small hospital infirmary. During World War I Deaconess Smith served on the front lines in France at various field hospitals, including one that cared for wounded Senegalese soldiers serving with the Third Army of France. For her work on the front lines, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre with the Medaille de Reconnaissance by the government of France. In 1920 Smith traveled to Fort Yukon in Alaska to serve in the mission field, returning in 1921 to New York. She served the parish of St. Simeon in the Bronx and was also manager of the St. Paul’s Chapel Lunch Club in lower Manhattan. In 1922 she took a position at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Philadelphia where she taught a course in church history at a private girls’ school. She died suddenly on 3 July 1923 at Kings Park, Long Island, New York. [research of Deacon Geri Swanson]
Jessie Carryl Smith, deaconess at Holy Trinity Church in Paris, France, and later in Alaska, New York, and Philadelphia, died 3 July 1923.
Jessie Carryl Smith was an actress in New York. At the age of thirty, she entered the New York Training School for Deaconesses, graduating in 1902. She was set apart as a deaconess at Holy Trinity Church in Paris in 1906. While in Paris she ran a small hospital infirmary. During World War I Deaconess Smith served on the front lines in France at various field hospitals, including one that cared for wounded Senegalese soldiers serving with the Third Army of France. For her work on the front lines, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre with the Medaille de Reconnaissance by the government of France. In 1920 Smith traveled to Fort Yukon in Alaska to serve in the mission field, returning in 1921 to New York. She served the parish of St. Simeon in the Bronx and was also manager of the St. Paul’s Chapel Lunch Club in lower Manhattan. In 1922 she took a position at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Philadelphia where she taught a course in church history at a private girls’ school. She died suddenly on 3 July 1923 at Kings Park, Long Island, New York. [research of Deacon Geri Swanson]
Irenaeus of Clusium (Tuscany)
3 July
Irenaeus, deacon and martyr, with the Roman matron Mustiola, killed at Clusium (Chiusi) in Tuscany, in the reign of the emperor Aurelian, in 273. Irenaeus was arrested for burying the martyred Felix of Sutri and was slain in the presence of Mustiola. She was beaten to death with a club after spurning the advances of a local magistrate.
Irenaeus, deacon and martyr, with the Roman matron Mustiola, killed at Clusium (Chiusi) in Tuscany, in the reign of the emperor Aurelian, in 273. Irenaeus was arrested for burying the martyred Felix of Sutri and was slain in the presence of Mustiola. She was beaten to death with a club after spurning the advances of a local magistrate.
01 July 2009
Canonization started
The Diocese of Western North Carolina has proposed adding a deacon saint to the calendar of The Episcopal Church. He is William West Skiles (1807-1862), already observed on my more efficient Calendar of Deacon Saints. See here for the resolution and its explanation.
Murdered
The following people have been murdered in the New Orleans metro area in the past week:
6/25/09 Lashaun Butler 31 M Shot Orleans
6/25/09 Calvin Johnson 23 M Shot Orleans
6/25/09 Darran Lane 17 M Shot Orleans
6/27/09 Joseph Veal 19 M Shot Orleans
6/27/09 Nathaniel Burton 15 M Shot Orleans probable negligent homicide
6/28/09 Freddie McCoy 21 M Shot Orleans
6/29/09 Wayne Wooden 46 M Shot Jefferson
There were also an amazing number of people shot this past week--thirteen this past weekend alone--and some of them remain in critical condition.
Pray for the murdered and their murderers.
6/25/09 Lashaun Butler 31 M Shot Orleans
6/25/09 Calvin Johnson 23 M Shot Orleans
6/25/09 Darran Lane 17 M Shot Orleans
6/27/09 Joseph Veal 19 M Shot Orleans
6/27/09 Nathaniel Burton 15 M Shot Orleans probable negligent homicide
6/28/09 Freddie McCoy 21 M Shot Orleans
6/29/09 Wayne Wooden 46 M Shot Jefferson
There were also an amazing number of people shot this past week--thirteen this past weekend alone--and some of them remain in critical condition.
Pray for the murdered and their murderers.
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