The "Blue Book" (the official pre-agenda) for the 2009 General Convention is now available on line. This includes all the reports of the past 3 year period and the resolutions proposed for this term.
Read the reports here
Read the resolutions/hand books etc.
As I get the time to read through it, I'll make further posts and look forward to your comments.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
"Dinner in Abraham's Tent,"
Representatives of the three great faiths that trace their heritage back to Abraham (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) will gather on March 27 in Omaha, Nebraska to talk about peace. Our Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori will be one of the three participants. The other representatives are: Rabbi Peter Knobel, immediate past president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America.
Best of all, it will be web cast! at 8:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time/9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and may be viewed at www.trifaith.org.
You can read the Episcopal News Service story here.
Best of all, it will be web cast! at 8:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time/9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and may be viewed at www.trifaith.org.
You can read the Episcopal News Service story here.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Episcopal Church prevail in Grace and St. Stephen's church property dispute
Great news for the Diocese of Colorado!
District Court Judge Larry E. Schwartz has ruled in the favor of TEC and the diocese. "Founding documents, various bylaws, relevant canons of the general church and consistent parish loyalty to the Diocese over most of its 135-year existence demonstrate a unity of purpose on the part of the parish and the general church that reflects the intent that all property held by the parish would be dedicated to and utilized for the advancement of the work of [the Episcopal Church]."
Read the article here!
District Court Judge Larry E. Schwartz has ruled in the favor of TEC and the diocese. "Founding documents, various bylaws, relevant canons of the general church and consistent parish loyalty to the Diocese over most of its 135-year existence demonstrate a unity of purpose on the part of the parish and the general church that reflects the intent that all property held by the parish would be dedicated to and utilized for the advancement of the work of [the Episcopal Church]."
Read the article here!
Monday, March 23, 2009
More Drug Cartel Violence in Tucson
The Sierra Vista paper is carry a great story about the movement of how drug related violence is crossing the border from Mexico to the U.S.
Click Here for the story
Be informed and keep your eyes open. Many politicians in both the U. S. and Mexico are trying to spin this crisis to their political advantage. Be sure you keep you eyes on the facts.
Click Here for the story
Be informed and keep your eyes open. Many politicians in both the U. S. and Mexico are trying to spin this crisis to their political advantage. Be sure you keep you eyes on the facts.
Monday, March 16, 2009
U.S. teens are accused of acting as Mexican cartel hit men in Laredo, Texas
CNN is running a story on Mexican drug cartels recruiting U.S. teens as hit men. According to CNN the cartel recruited teens who visited night clubs on the Mexican side. The youths were well trained by the cartel and (because of there U.S. citizenship) were used for killings on our side of the border.
Read the story here
This story comes from investigations, arrests and convictions, lead by the Laredo Police (Texas). I am not aware of this happening in our Arizona border region but it would be truly naive to think that it couldn't.
Read the story here
This story comes from investigations, arrests and convictions, lead by the Laredo Police (Texas). I am not aware of this happening in our Arizona border region but it would be truly naive to think that it couldn't.
Pew Foundation Study
The Pew Foundation has released a new study on religion in the media - no surprise, religion does not get much attention. What is interesting is that other equally important aspects of our society's concerns also got very little attention.
Religion filled about the same space in the news media (1%) as immigration, race/gender and education.
Here is the foundation's release
Religion filled about the same space in the news media (1%) as immigration, race/gender and education.
Here is the foundation's release
Monday, March 9, 2009
Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Cycle B
You can find the Biblical reading here!
My sisters and brothers, let us rededicate ourselves to Christ and his church.
In our first reading we heard about God establishing the covenant with Abram and Sarai. They are childless and advanced in years; they have no heir. So this covenant is a bit outlandish.
A covenant is between two parties, each of whom have benefits and obligations; they enter into it mutually, and either party can terminate it. God’s covenant with Abram is different:
Abram’s change of name is significant: the gift of a new name signifies a new relationship, a new status, a new stage in life. It was believed that such a change altered one’s personality and fate. Sarai shares in God’s blessing, as shown by her change in name. She will be blessed with fertility; together they will produce nations.
In our second reading, Paul uses Abraham as and illustration of his point. Righteousness for Abraham was grounded in his “faith” not in any adherence to the Law. In Chapters 2 and 3, Paul has argued that through the gospel, it is faith that brings humans into harmony with God. Now he considers Abraham as an example. At the time, some rabbis argued that God’s blessings came to Abraham because he kept Mosaic Law (which, they said, he knew in advance – before Moses received the tablets on Mount Sinai.) Paul argues against this rabbinic lore: Abraham was blessed because he believed and had faith.
In today’s gospel story, Peter challenges Jesus about his predictions the spiritual leaders would reject him, he would suffer, be killed and then rise. Jesus makes the point that only those who will use themselves up for the gospel are worthy of life. It is one of the great ironies of our faith. Before this conversation, Jesus has asked his disciples: “... who do you say that I am?” Peter was the only one courageous/insightful enough to give the definitive answer: “You are the Messiah.” This sets up the story for Jesus to predict his Passion for the first time.
Jesus then describes true discipleship: first, a disciple must renounce self-centeredness and follow him. Those who are prepared to give even their lives (“take up their cross”) for his sake and for the sake of spreading the gospel will have eternal life. Again the irony, to get it you must be willing to lose it.
Dedication to God is important. Without it we can be blown on any wind of spiritualism that blows in our direction. It can sometimes require serious effort on our part. Abraham and Sarah are the Jewish archetypes of commitment and loyalty to God - Even in the face of being promised the absurd. They did not walk away. For the second generation of Christians, experience of being required to put faith in what was absurd. That Jesus died (as did most of the prophets before him) was a painful thought. Further more, to believe that he had risen from the dead was beyond reason. Yet, that is how Jesus’ closest followers experienced him and what they testified to as they spread the good news.
Its no secret that we as a Church, nationally and internationally, did find the past three years difficult. The discussions and at times strident debates over sexuality have not been easy on any of us. Some have chosen to keep the conversation going, to not let differences become hatful divisions. Others have chosen the path of spite and some have even run off. We at St. Stephen’s and the vast majority of our diocese have chosen to let Christ be in charge of our church, not issues. We work on sticking together for the sake of being a church and faith community committed to Christ. If we are committed enough to go along for the ride, the Holy Spirit will lead us through any and all challenges.
Today, let us use the Nicene Creed and Holy Communion we will share in a few moments to rededicate our selves to Christ.
My sisters and brothers, let us rededicate ourselves to Christ and his church.
In our first reading we heard about God establishing the covenant with Abram and Sarai. They are childless and advanced in years; they have no heir. So this covenant is a bit outlandish.
A covenant is between two parties, each of whom have benefits and obligations; they enter into it mutually, and either party can terminate it. God’s covenant with Abram is different:
- God makes and establishes it
- most of the obligations are God’s and benefit Abram (making him “the ancestor of a multitude of nations”
- Abram has one obligation: to walk before God and be blameless
Abram’s change of name is significant: the gift of a new name signifies a new relationship, a new status, a new stage in life. It was believed that such a change altered one’s personality and fate. Sarai shares in God’s blessing, as shown by her change in name. She will be blessed with fertility; together they will produce nations.
In our second reading, Paul uses Abraham as and illustration of his point. Righteousness for Abraham was grounded in his “faith” not in any adherence to the Law. In Chapters 2 and 3, Paul has argued that through the gospel, it is faith that brings humans into harmony with God. Now he considers Abraham as an example. At the time, some rabbis argued that God’s blessings came to Abraham because he kept Mosaic Law (which, they said, he knew in advance – before Moses received the tablets on Mount Sinai.) Paul argues against this rabbinic lore: Abraham was blessed because he believed and had faith.
In today’s gospel story, Peter challenges Jesus about his predictions the spiritual leaders would reject him, he would suffer, be killed and then rise. Jesus makes the point that only those who will use themselves up for the gospel are worthy of life. It is one of the great ironies of our faith. Before this conversation, Jesus has asked his disciples: “... who do you say that I am?” Peter was the only one courageous/insightful enough to give the definitive answer: “You are the Messiah.” This sets up the story for Jesus to predict his Passion for the first time.
Jesus then describes true discipleship: first, a disciple must renounce self-centeredness and follow him. Those who are prepared to give even their lives (“take up their cross”) for his sake and for the sake of spreading the gospel will have eternal life. Again the irony, to get it you must be willing to lose it.
Dedication to God is important. Without it we can be blown on any wind of spiritualism that blows in our direction. It can sometimes require serious effort on our part. Abraham and Sarah are the Jewish archetypes of commitment and loyalty to God - Even in the face of being promised the absurd. They did not walk away. For the second generation of Christians, experience of being required to put faith in what was absurd. That Jesus died (as did most of the prophets before him) was a painful thought. Further more, to believe that he had risen from the dead was beyond reason. Yet, that is how Jesus’ closest followers experienced him and what they testified to as they spread the good news.
Its no secret that we as a Church, nationally and internationally, did find the past three years difficult. The discussions and at times strident debates over sexuality have not been easy on any of us. Some have chosen to keep the conversation going, to not let differences become hatful divisions. Others have chosen the path of spite and some have even run off. We at St. Stephen’s and the vast majority of our diocese have chosen to let Christ be in charge of our church, not issues. We work on sticking together for the sake of being a church and faith community committed to Christ. If we are committed enough to go along for the ride, the Holy Spirit will lead us through any and all challenges.
Today, let us use the Nicene Creed and Holy Communion we will share in a few moments to rededicate our selves to Christ.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Anglicans in the Americas share vision
Here is emerging "good news" about the Episcopal Church's relationships with other Anglican Churches in the Americas. Especially worth noting in this article is that several representatives came from diocese in the Southern Cone despite that provinces antagonism towards us.
Read the story here
Read the story here
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