At the end of their meeting this week in Quito, members of the Executive Council sent a message saying that the Diocese of Central Ecuador may provide a model for the reconstitution of the Diocese of San Joaquin, in addition to reviewing the financial health of the Episcopal Church (which ended the year with a $1 million surplus).
Now that the field has been winnowed down, Time is taking another look at the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination, recounting the mistakes made in 2004 and how today’s candidates seem to have learned from them in a sidebar to coverage of Super Tuesday. In addition, some religious conservatives don’t seem too thrilled that McCain is emerging as the Republican frontrunner, and may be exploring the possibility of supporting a third-party candidate.
The Right Rev. Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle, addressing what Ruth Gledhill calls “a fringe meeting of the General Synod” that marked the release of God, Gays and the Church, tossed off a remark that was probably meant to be witty and seems to be coming round as something else. At the very least, it seems that Bishop Dow did not intend for his remarks to go outside of the audience.
Over at the Christian Century blog Theolog, John Dart made an observation about the value of humor when it comes to the art of preaching and our own relationship with faith. Being able to connect with people’s ability to laugh, he says, is a gift that helps diffuse tension.
… or is it hermeneutics? A preacher who sounds remarkably like the character Jack on Lost explores Biblical mandates regarding the male urinary posture. Elizabeth Kaeton, bless her heart, unearthed this gem on You Tube.
Archbishop of York John Sentamu kicked off debate about the Anglican Covenant with the comment that he doesn’t feel the covenant is creating walls of exclusion but rather is “sails to empower the boat of Communion to sail again unafraid of the storms.” But the other comments from delegates to the synod reflect a wide range of reactions and emotions, including weariness, admiration, reservation, and excitement.
The draft covenant speaks softly. But the big stick has not been thrown away but rather closeted in the appendix, where the machinery for ‘relinquishment’ is laid out. The language is of ‘request’ rather than ‘ultimatum’. Yet, it is enough for one ‘church’ to accuse another to set the ball rolling towards a request for compliance that would have the same effect as a demand to cease and desist on pain of excommunication.
When the time came for him to set out from this world to the peace of his heavenly homeland, [Cyril] prayed to God with his hands outstretched and his eyes filled with tears: “O Lord, my God, you have created the choirs of angels and spiritual powers; you have stretched forth the heavens and established the earth, creating all that exists from nothing.