When Jesus began his ministry, he delivered an inaugural address, too, most likely written without a team of consultants. And like those Washington speechwriters, Jesus also squirreled himself away for a while. Jesus always removed himself for a time of prayer before making his move.
When the holy Abba Anthony lived in the desert he was beset by accidie, and attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God, “Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts do not leave me alone; what shall I do in my affliction? How can I be saved?”
As longtime visitors will recall, the Cafe’s editor in chief is crazy about the NBC’s drama Friday Night Lights. It returns for its third season tomorrow night. Here’s a sneak preview.
We ask those authorities that failed to protect the well-being of our children by knowingly and secretly transferring predator priests from parish to parish without informing the laity of the reasons for such transfers to resign their current office before June 30, 2009. In our view, any secret transfer constitutes prima facie evidence that … such bishops … put the interests of the institutional church before the safety of its people and their children.
“The present Pope… expressed his sympathy with the tradition of social democracy and said that it was similar to Catholic social teachings. But when American Catholic ideologues reduce Catholic ethics to an exclusive concern with abortion and gay marriage they take the social out of Catholic social teachings and become spokesmen not for the authentic Catholic tradition but for a narrow quasi-Protestant sect.”
Today (Wednesday 14 January 2009) brought more injured and wounded patients to Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, as each of the last 18 days has. One patient who came to Al Ahli recently was Mohan’nad, a 9 year-old boy whose leg was badly injured when a building near his home was damaged. Thankfully, the doctors and staff at Al Ahli were able to save his leg.
The Church of England along with the three other Anglican churches of these isles is in full communion with the Church of Sweden, which is about to debate and probably approve a proposed rite of same-sex marriage. It seems a bit unfair that The Episcopal Church should get it in the neck for Gene Robinson, and Canada for New Westminster, while another church, albeit Lutheran not Anglican, gets away with it.
Mark Harris reports on the provincial directory maintained by the Anglican Communion: The Anglican Communion website now confirms The Episcopal Church’s understanding that there is
Whenever I teach a class, whether it’s at a seminary or in a church, I typically begin with a bit about how the past and the present play into one another in the construction of theological meaning. I’ve done it enough that it’s achieved a fairly fixed form and as I look over lecture notes for things I’ve taught it’s not uncommon to see a line near the top reading “insert history rant here”.
To be “in the mystery,” and thus live a “mystical” life, is to be “in Christ,” dwelling by faith in the light of this great work of God, reconciling his creation. By the same token, “mystical theology” is reflection upon our formation in this “Mysterium Magnum.”