The Visitation of Our Lady

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Visitation of Our Lady to S. Elizabeth. The event is recorded in Luke 1:39-56. Having heard that her older cousin Elizabeth (who should be beyond child-bearing age) is six months pregnant, Mary goes to visit her in the hill country. We know that babies begin to hear in the womb at about 20 weeks. When Mary arrives, Elizabeth feels the baby kicking and says that the sound of Mary's voice is giving her baby cause to jump for joy in the womb.

I have wondered about the date of the feast. In the old kalendar, it was on July 2nd. In the new Kalendar, is it on May 31st. The old date of July 2 goes back to 1389 when Pope Urban VI established it as a feast to be kept throughout the Western Church. It was moved to May 31 in 1969 by Pope Paul VI in the revision of the kalendar. The date chosen was May 31st, which was already the minor commemoration of Mary as Queen of the Apostles. It would round out the month of May, which is particularly set aside for devotion to the Virgin. It would also bring the celebration in line with the timing of Christmas (six months before) and Annunciation (three months after) for Mary and for Elizabeth, it would coincide with the conception (six months after) and nativity (three months before) of John the Baptist.

Our little Matkin

For those interested in tracking baby updates, Melisa and I have set up a blog called Our Little Matkin. You can see how we are doing, see pictures, find our gift registry (there are no theology books in our registry, I promise), and our pregnancy countdown graphic. The momma is better about posting than I am, but my ideas are coming. Check it out.

Let us forever adore the most holy Sacrament

O God our Father, whose Son Jesus Christ in a wonderful Sacrament, hath left unto us a memorial his passion: Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of thy redemption; who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

Fantastic new product

Available here.

Lambeth on (new) provinces

The 1930 Lambeth Conference issued the following resolutions on the topic: "The Anglican Communion-Provincial Organisation."

Resolution 52
Saving always the moral and spiritual independence of the divine society, the Conference approves the association of dioceses or provinces in the larger unity of a "national Church," with or without the formal recognition of the civil government, as serving to give spiritual expression to the distinctive genius of races and peoples, and thus to bring more effectively under the influence of Christ's religion both the process of government and the habit of society.

Resolution 53
1. In view of the many advantages of the organisation of dioceses into provinces and the difficulties and dangers of isolation, the formation of provinces should everywhere be encouraged.
2. The minimum organisation essential to provincial life is a college or synod of bishops which will act corporately in dealing with questions concerning the faith, order and discipline of the Church.
3. The minimum number of dioceses suitable to form a province is four.
4. The balance between provincial authority and diocesan autonomy may vary from province to province according to the constitutions agreed upon in each case.

Resolution 54
Without prejudice to the provisions of any constitution already adopted by any province or regional Church, the Conference advises that when the bishops of a group of dioceses under the oversight of the Archbishop of Canterbury or attached to some other province have prepared and accepted a tentative constitution for a province, they should notify this to the authorities under which they have hitherto worked, and request that the new province be recognised as such and that they be released from obedience to other authority, as far as is necessary to enable them to subscribe to the constitution of the new province, and (if so required) take the oath of canonical obedience to its metropolitan. If this request be granted, the new province may then be formally constituted. The proper procedure would be that the bishops and clergy should subscribe to its constitution and that the bishops (if so required) should take the oath of canonical obedience to its metropolitan. The metropolitan or presiding bishop should thereupon notify all metropolitans and presiding bishops in the Anglican Communion of the formation of the province.

Two bishops, same city, same issue, two views

With totally opposite comments as Christian leaders. The issue is the 4-3 ruling of the California Supreme Court on May 15th , 2008 to strike down California's existing statutes limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples as unconstitutional. The opinion, written by Chief Justice Ronald George, cited the court's 1948 decision that reversed the state's interracial marriages ban. It found that "equal respect and dignity" of marriage is a "basic civil right" that cannot be withheld from same-sex couples, that sexual orientation is a protected class like race and gender, and that any classification or discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is subject to strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause of the California State Constitution.

The comments come from two bishops in San Francisco--Archbishop George Niederauer and Bishop Marc Andrus. Can you tell which one is the Episcopalian and which one is the Roman Catholic?

Here is one view:
In regard to this decision of the court, the Catholic Bishops of California have said that "Catholic teaching maintains that marriage is a faithful, exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman joined in an intimate partnership of life and love-a union instituted by God for the mutual fulfillment of the husband and wife as well as for the procreation and education of children."

This teaching of the Church follows forth from the teaching of Jesus Christ: "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?" (Matthew 19: 4-5)

At a moment in our society when we need to reinforce the strength of marriage and family this decision of the Supreme Court takes California in the opposite direction. This action challenges those in society who believe in the importance of the traditional understanding of marriage to deepen their witness to the unique and essential role that marriage between a man and a woman has in the life of society.

Here is another view:
I welcome the ruling of the California Supreme Court affirming the fundamental right of all people to marry and establish a family. All children of God should be afforded the same rights under the law, and this decision recognizes that all Californians, regardless of sexual orientation, have equal access to one of our fundamental human institutions. This decision gives our church another opportunity to partner with our state to ensure that all families have the support they need to build relationships that strengthen our communities, state and country. Jesus tried to free his disciples from a narrow definition of what it means to be his follower. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus says “whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” God affirms the good in the world outside the boundaries of religious creeds and dogmas. In this spirit, we also affirm and rejoice in this decision by the California Supreme Court precisely because we are Christians. Clearly, this momentous decision will have ecclesial implications for the Episcopal Diocese of California. I intend to be in prayerful consultation with the people of our diocese to see how we can use this decision to strengthen our support of our lesbian and gay sisters and brothers, and our witness to God’s inclusive love. The Diocese of California will issue an appropriate statement in due course.

A new spin on an old scam

I was amused by this letter from FBi (sic) Director Robert Mueller, but I am honored that he took the time to write. Apparently, $49 million has been transferred to me via ATM from Nigeria but only $10 million of it was allowed through. I have to demonstrate that I am not a terrorist or a drug dealer before the rest of the funds will be processed. (Actually, I checked my bank account today. It is nearly $10 million short.)

I understand that it is the duty of the Anti-Terrorist & Monitory (sic) Crime Division, as a "word wide commission" (sic) to look after these matters and protect our country. I appreciate that. If I can prove I'm on the straight-and-narrow, I can get the rest of my cash. Actually, $10 million is plenty for me; they can keep the remaining $39 million.

One thing I don't quite understand is how I could more easily obtain my "rap sheet" than the FBi could. Another thing that seemed a little fishy is that FBi Director Mueller's email address is: fbifundsnewyork2@myway.com. Anyway, read the letter and decide for yourself.

ANTI TERRORIST & MONITORY CRIME DIVISION
ATTENTION: FUND BENEFICIARY

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL ADVICE FROM THE FBI FOREIGN REMITTANCE/TELEGRAPHIC DEPT. IT HAS COME TO OUR NOTICE THAT THE H.S.B.C BANK LIVERPOOL DISTRICT, HAS RELEASED 49,500,000.00 U.S DOLLARS INTO YOUR ACCOUNT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BY ATM MEANS.

THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA KNOWING FULLY WELL THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FACILITIES TO EFFECT THIS PAYMENT FROM UNITED KINGDOM TO YOUR ACCOUNT, USED WHAT WE KNOW AS A SECRET DIPLOMATIC TRANSIT PAYMENT S.T.D.P TO PAY THIS FUND THROUGH ATM ,THEY USED THIS MEANS TO COMPLETE THE PAYMENT, AND INSTEAD OF PAYING 49.5 MILLION, THEY PAID $10,000,000.00 THEY ARE STILL, WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION FROM YOU ON THE ALREADY
TRANSFERRED FUNDS WHICH WAS CONVERTED TO ATM SO THAT THEY CAN DO FINAL CREDITING TO YOUR ACCOUNT.

SECRET DIPLOMATIC PAYMENTS ARE NOT MADE UNLESS THE FUNDS ARE RELATED TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES WHY MUST YOUR PAYMENT BE MADE IN SECRET TRANSFER, IF YOUR TRANSACTION IS LEGITIMATE, IF YOU ARE NOT A TERRORIST, THEN WHY DID YOU NOT RECEIVE THE MONEY DIRECTLY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT; THIS IS A PURE CODED, MEANS OF PAYMENT? RECORDS WHICH WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS METHOD OF PAYMENT IN THE PAST HAS ALWAYS BEEN RELATED TO TERRORIST ACTS, WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO GET INTO TROUBLE AS SOON AS THESE FUNDS REFLECT IN YOUR ACCOUNT IN THE U.S.A, SO IT IS OUR DUTY AS A WORD WIDE COMMISSION TO CORRECT THIS LITTLE PROBLEM BEFORE THIS FUND IS DELIVERED. DUE TO THE INCREASED DIFFICULTY AND UNNECESSARY SCRUTINY BY THE AMERICAN AUTHORITIES WHEN FUNDS COME FROM OUTSIDE OF EUROPE, AND THE MIDDLE EAST, THE F.B.I BANK COMMISSION FOR EUROPE HAS STOPPED THE TRANSFER ON ITS WAY TO DELIVER PAYMENT OF $10,000,000.00 TO DEBIT YOUR RESERVE ACCOUNT AND PAY YOU THROUGH A SECURED DIPLOMATIC TRANSIT ACCOUNT (S.D.T.A).

WE GOVERN AND OVERSEE FUNDS TRANSFER FOR THE WORLD BANK AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. WE ADVICE YOU CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY, AS THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN STOPPED AND ARE BEING HELD IN OUR OFFICE HERE , UNTIL YOU CAN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US, (WITH THE ENCODED F.B.I ORDER FOR TRANSFER),WE ADVICE YOU PRESENT US WITH A DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY SEAL OF TRANSFER WITHIN 3 DAYS FROM THE BANK WHERE THE FUNDS WHERE TRANSFERRED FROM FOR US TO CERTIFY THAT THE FUNDS THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE FROM NIGERIA ARE ANTITERRORIST/DRUG FREE OR WE SHALL HAVE CAUSE TO CROSS AND IMPOUND THE NAME WE HAVE ON THE FUND AS THE RIGHTFUL BENEFICIARY IS YOUR NAME THAT IS WHY WE HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU DIRECTLY TO ACQUIRE THE PROPER VERIFICATIONS AND PROOF FROM YOU TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHTFUL PERSON TO RECEIVE THIS FUND, BECAUSE THE ABOVE MENTIONED AMOUNT IS A BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY, THAT IS WHY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS A CLEAR AND LEGAL MONEY YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE BE INFORMED THAT THE FUND HAVE HIT YOUR ACCOUNT , BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ASK THE

YOU ARE TO FORWARD THE DOCUMENTS TO US IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HAVE IT WITH IN YOUR POSSESSION, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT LET US KNOW SO THAT WE WILL DIRECT AND INFORM YOU WHERE TO OBTAIN THE DOCUMENT AND SEND TO US SO THAT WE WILL ASK THE BANK HOLDING THE FUNDS THE BANK OF AMERICA TO GO AHEAD CREDITING YOUR ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY. THIS DOCUMENTS ARE TO BE ISSUED TO YOU FROM THE PLACE WHERE THE FUND WAS TRANSFER FROM, SO GET BACK TO US IMMEDIATELY IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DOCUMENT SO THAT WE WILL INFORM YOU THE PARTICULAR PLACE AND WHAT IT WILL TAKES TO OBTAIN IT IN FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, BECAUSE WE HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT THE FUND IS TRANSFERRED FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

AN FBI IDENTIFICATION RECORD AND CERTIFICATE OF OWNERSHIP OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD OR RAP SHEET IS A LISTING OF CERTAIN INFORMATION TAKEN FROM FINGERPRINT SUBMISSIONS RETAINED BY THE FBI IN CONNECTION WITH ARRESTS AND, IN SOME INSTANCES, FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT, NATURALIZATION, OR MILITARY SERVICE. THESE CONDITION IS VALID UNTIL 20TH OF MAY 2008 AFTER WE SHALL TAKE ACTIONS ON CANCELING THE PAYMENT AND THEN CHARGE YOU WITH THE FOR ILLEGALLY MOVING FUNDS OUT OF NIGERIA.

GUARANTEE: FUNDS WILL BE RELEASED ON CONFIRMATION OF THE DOCUMENT.: DOCUMENTED PROOF OF OWNERSHIP .final instruction: 60f credit payment instruction: irrevocable credit guarantee 61e beneficiary has full power when validation is cleared 62 beneficiaries bank in u.s.a. , can only release funds- 62 upon confirmation from the world bank/united nations. 64 bearers must clear bank protocol and validation request

NOTE: We have asked for the above documents to make available the most complete and up-to date records possible for the enhancement of public safety, welfare and security of Society while recognizing the importance of individual privacy rights.. If you fail to provide the Documents to us, we will charge you with the FBI and take our proper action against you for not proofing to us the legitimate of the fund you are about to receive.

Regards
Robert S Mueller
Director Fbi Washington Dc

Pentecost and Mother Church

It is common to look to the Feast of Pentecost as the birth-day of the church. If we can say that the Church was conceived in Matthew 16:18 with Jesus’ words to St Peter near Caesarea-Philippi, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church,” then we should say that Pentecost is the church’s joyous birth when she manifests to the world the gifts of the spirit and like a newborn baby, cries out to the world with a vigorous proclamation of the Gospel.

As it is also Mother’s Day, my mind is taken back to the image of the Virgin Mary, who is often pictured in the center of paintings of Pentecost (like the one above), awaiting with the disciples in the Upper Room, as Acts tells us, the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, signified in the tongues of fire illuminating their minds with God’s truth and in the miracle of languages to proclaim the Gospel.

May is the month of devotion to the blessed Virgin Mary. As Our Lady is called the Virgin Mother of God, so also is she looked upon as the Mother of those who find new life in the Savior she bore. She is likewise the first Christian, who heard the Word, responded in faith, carried Christ within her, followed him to the cross, and suffered along with him as he bore his passion. She is the Christian prototype.

As it is Mother’s Day, my mind is also drawn back to that famous quote from St Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage in Northern Africa. About AD 250, he asked rhetorically, “Can one have God as his Father, before one has had the Church for his Mother?”

Perhaps you remember the children’s book, Are you my Mother? by P.D. Eastman. It was a favorite of mine growing up, and I think it may help us to learn more about holy Mother Church today. If you have ever changed denominations or moved to a new city and looked around for a church, you can empathize with the bird’s search in this book: “Are you my mother?”

The story begins when an egg begins to twitch. The momma bird knows her egg will soon break and goes to find some food for her newborn. Sure enough, the egg hatches while she is away getting a worm. The baby bird stumbles out of the nest in search of his mother. He comes first to a kitten, then a hen, a dog, and a cow. “Are you my mother? Did I have a mother,” the baby bird thinks to himself. “I know I did. I will find her.” So he wanders on looking for mom.

He runs into an old car, a boat, and an airplane. But these are not his mother either. He then hops into the digging bucket of a backhoe. “Are you my mother?” The contraption lets out a “Snort!” and rumbles to life. The bird is caught in the rising arm of this crawler, being transported to some unknown destination.

Just when he thought he was about meet his end, the bucket dumps the bird back into his own nest in his own tree. And there is a creature who looks very much like himself and has a fresh meal waiting for his hungry belly. “Do you know who I am?” she said to the baby bird.

“Yes, I know who you are. You are not a kitten, a hen, a dog, or a cow,” he said. “You are not a car, a boat, a plane, or a snort. You are a bird, and you are my mother.” Once the little bird saw his mother, the contrast became quite obvious. None of these other things looked even remotely like his mother.

St John, to whom Jesus entrusted Mary as his mother at the cross, used this kind of high contrast in the Book of Revelation to illustrate the nature of our holy Mother Church. There is no confusing the Christ and the anti-Christ or the church and the world. The forces of evil are pictures as a seductively-clad harlot, full of abominations, drunk on the blood of the saints. She is the personified goddess Roma, riding on the back of the empire—the beast with seven imperial horns, trampling over the nations of the earth. Who could possibly confuse this with the Church, the spotless bride dressed in the purest linen, and a jewel-encrusted city with room for all coming down from heaven, the eternal home for the bride to share with Christ, her beloved husband.

“Are you my mother?” How do you know? What does the church look like? In confirmation class, we talk about the four “marks” of the church in the creed. The Church is "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic." The Church is One (in spite of all our efforts to the contrary) because our Lord is one. Christ is not divided, and the church is his body, united to Christ as its one head.

The Church is Holy (despite all our shortcomings in the moral life) because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit. "Holy" Church is a way of saying that we are a community that belongs to God.

The Church is Catholic (which means we are Catholics) because we hold the faith together—that which has been believed “everywhere, always, and by all”—not because we hold some unique modern or American version of the faith. We could say that the local church only is the Church, insofar as it is the local manifestation of the Universal Church.

The Church is Apostolic, because it comes to us from the apostles themselves and carries on their apostolic zeal for the Gospel and witness to the risen Lord. “Are you my mother?” We remind ourselves each Sunday in the Nicene Creed what the Church (momma bird) is supposed to look like.

Of course, these are not the only attributes of the Church, though we must have those four. It is schismatic to depart from the Unity with Christ, the Holiness of life, the Catholicity of faith and the Apostolicity of ministry that God entrusted to his Church. These are non-negotiables.

On Pentecost, we are also reminded that the Church is a gifted community. When the Church was filled with the Holy Spirit, she immediately manifested the gifts that come with that empowerment. The first sign was the gift of tongues to spread the Gospel.

There are a myriad of spiritual gifts that God has imparted to his Church through the Holy Spirit. St Paul explains in today’s epistle, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good,” and he mentions some of these: wisdom, knowledge, words of faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, spiritual discernment, tongues and the interpretation of them. “All these are activated by one and the same Spirit,” he said, “who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” We can also recognize Mother Church by the giftedness she has and her faithfulness in using spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ.

Looking at that first Pentecost Sunday, we also note that the Church is missionary. Just before he ascended into heaven, Luke tells us that our blessed Lord told the disciples: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem (that is, at home), in Judea and Samaria (a little further out of your comfort zone), and to all the ends of the earth.”

The collect for the day reminds us of this central purpose of the Church: “Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: shed abroad this gift by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth . . .” My mother looks like a missionary. She is hard at work sharing the Gospel with people at home and with people abroad.

Another defining characteristic we see in holy Mother Church is the splendor of truth. In our Gospel today, Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

The Church receives truth from her Lord—the truth about God, about man, about sin and redemption, about the way of salvation—all these come from God. As the Holy Spirit imparts the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, Jesus refers to him as the Spirit of truth who dwells in the Church. We find these revealed truths in the Bible (the written Word) and in the sacred tradition of the Church’s faith. The Holy Spirit guides us by reason into this truth.

“Are you my mother?” In his first letter to Timothy, St Paul described our mother as “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Tim 3:15)

Finally, we recognize Mother Church because of the love she shares. How did the baby bird in our story know he had found his mother? He found a creature that loved him, that was waiting with his first meal.

In our Gospel, Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” At first that may sound a bit pretentious. But what does he mean by that? If we turn back to the previous chapter, we find the answer. Jesus said, “I am giving you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are to love one another.”

We do this most fully by entering into the inexhaustible love of God. In his theology of the Trinity, St Augustine of Hippo described the third person of the Trinity as the Spirit of love—he is the love that binds the Son to the Father and the Father to the Son.

In the midst of perfect love, we find the bond of perfect unity. Remember that question from St Cyprian posed earlier about “Mother” Church? It came in his book On the Unity of the Catholic Church. After examining the nature and attributed of the church, he comes around to answering his own question. And he closes with a word of caution: “If you leave the Church of Christ, you will not come to Christ’s rewards. You will be an alien, an outcast, an enemy. You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the Church for your Mother.”

“Are you my mother?” My mother loves me, and I can see that she is totally, head-over-heels in love with Jesus, her husband. My mother believes the truth. My mother talks about it all the time, sharing the truth with the world, even to the ends of the earth. And my mother shows the gifts that she has, using them to strengthen our faith and build us up as a family.

You may have been looking for a mother like that, and if that’s the case, welcome home. Come celebrate with us, because it’s mom’s birthday and we’re having a party.

How well do you know your Bible?

Melchior, Casper, and Balthasar--but that's not actually in the Bible.

The stork is on its way

My wife Melisa and I are happy to share the news that we are expecting our first child this November. "Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a gift" (Psalm 127:3).

Why is everybody laughing?

It's too bad Obama's staff won't let him visit two of the most beautiful states in our great 60 state union.

Turning down the red hat

I have heard mention several times of Archbishop William Laud being offered a cardinal's hat as a carrot to get him to become a Roman Catholic. Other than that, I don't know much of the story. Perhaps you could point me to more information. Here is the entry from his autobiography that mentions it:

[1633] August 4, Sunday. News came to Court the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury's death and the King resolved presently to give me, which he did, August 6.
August 4. That very morning at Greenwich there came one to me seriously and that avowed ability to perform it and offered me to be a Cardinal. I went presently to the King and acquainted hint both with the thing and the person
August 7, Wednesday. An absolute settlement between me and K.B. after I had made known my cause at large God bless me in it.
August 14, Wednesday. A report brought to me that I was poisoned.
August 17, Saturday. I had a serious offer made to me again to be a Cardinal. I was then from Court but so soon as I came thither (which was Wednesday, August 21), I acquainted his Majesty with it. But my answer again was that somewhat dwelt within me which would not suffer that till Rome were other than it is.
August 25, Sunday. My election to the Archbishopric was returned to the King then being at Woodstock.
Sept 19, Thursday. I was translated to the Archbishopric of Canterbury.

Parish Picnic at River Legacy Park

Special thanks to parishioners Weldon Waln and Meredith Killingsworth for sharing some of their pictures.

Also, here is that Old Testament story I talked about in the homily.

2 Kings 2:1-15
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it." Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho. The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it." Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on. Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not." As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

Together for the sake of the Gospel

Amos 3:3
"Can two walk together, without being in agreement?"

The Most Rev'd Gregory Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone, (pictured left) visited with Bishop Iker and the clergy of the diocese yesterday. It was a joy to welcome his presence among us and experience a true fellowship in the Gospel. He will be visiting with the people of the diocese this Saturday and Sunday. I thank him for his graciousness, love, and concern. It is wonderful to know that we have friends on the front lines of Christian mission all the way to Cape Horn.

Reports: Fr Randall Foster from the cathedral has a nice and very appreciative summary, "Venables in Diocese of Fort Worth." For a picture behind the scenes, take a look at Pat Salazar's account, "Bonnell's, Buffalo, and the Archbishop." For sarcasm and ridicule, don't forget to check out Katie Sherrod's entry, "Jesus loves me but he's not so sure about you."

Steering Committee Drops F-Bomb on Venables: In their press release, the Steering Committee (which aims to be the unelected TEC replacement standing committee come November, as far as I can gather) noted: "Venables graciously and ably presented the fundamentalist case for a literal interpretation of selected scripture. He also continued to misstate the position of our presiding bishop and the Episcopal Church regarding the role of Christ in salvation and characterized Christianity as an 'intolerant' faith." Given some of the people I know on the committee who should know better, I was surprised that they seem to think that any Christian who is not an outright revisionist must be a fundamentalist. To me, that seems pretty clueless. Perhaps it is just an attempt to return the favor to those who have used "the R-word" about them.

Audio: To listen to Archbishop Venables at St John's in Vancouver, click here. More audio should be accessible soon.

Video: Below is a video from Anglican TV of Archbishop Venables conducting a seminar on Anglicanism as well as his recent sermon from St James Cathedral in Fresno.


Video: Below are two short clips from Fr Cantrell of Archbishop Venables' presentation at St Vincent's Cathedral School in Beford. The first is on Jesus and the second is on the Word of God.

A telling comparison?

Someone who used to attend St Alban's recently pointed to the question of how Scripture is used on the websites of the Episcopal Church and of the Episcopal Diocese of Forth Worth. The diocesan site, fwepiscopal.org (pictured below), begins with a page of Scripture from the New Testament. If you click on it (or wait awhile), it will take you to the index page where you will discover that the Scripture verse you clicked on to enter (Ephesians 4:12) is also the mission statement of our diocese. There is no doubt what we believe in and what we are all about.


If you go to the Episcopal Church website, episcopalchurch.org (pictured above), you first find the motto: "The Episcopal Church welcomes you." On the front page (I love the layout, by the way), you'll find an alternating parishioner picture, links to information about the church, links to church news, and links to church websites. Church, church, church, church, church. There is no doubt what we believe in and what we are all about.

But except for what might be included in the news headlines at the time, what you will not find is any Scripture, nor of a mention of "God," "Christ," or "Jesus." Is it a telling comparison? Perhaps. I would say that's a bit of a stretch, that it is certainly not anything conclusive. But it is important to ask the questions: How are we seen? What looks most important to us in the eyes of others? What is our witness? I think we can always do more to direct attention to our Lord and less to ourselves.

Crucifixion or the Ascension?

I have been intrigued recently on the passages from the Gospel of John which take place in the Upper Room at the time of the Last Supper. What is interesting is the context and the content of Jesus' words. While the context is the night before the crucifixion, the content has often been used (including in the liturgy) as text about the risen Christ ascending into heaven.

John's gospel is different in many ways. He does not give us the familiar narratives of the Last Supper nor of the Ascension. Instead, the second part of his gospel, often called the "Book of Glory," focuses on the crucifixion (the supreme moment of Jesus' glorification) and the resurrection (the epiphany of Jesus' glory). Some scholars have suggested that the prayer of Jesus before the crucifixion has post-resurrection material read back into it. Of course, Jesus could have prayed this basic prayer every night with his disciples. The thing to recognize is that many passages from the crucifixion context "work" in the context of the ascension, which says something about the glory of both. For example:

13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God...

13:19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I AM.

13:31-33 Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.'

14:1-12 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."

14:15-20 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you."

16:7-8 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment...

16:28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.

17:4-5 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

17:11-15 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.