Duncan Deposed: From "The Lead"

The House of Bishops has acted to depose CANA bishop Robert Duncan+.

The Lead at Episcopal Cafe has the scoop:

The Episcopal Church's House of Bishops has deposed Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh for abandonment of communion. Eighty-eight bishops voted in favor of deposing Duncan, 35 voted against and four abstained according to several sources in the House of Bishops.

Two statements from the Diocese, which was clearly expecting this outcome, are here and here. Note that Geoff Chapman, author of the Chapman Memo is a member of the Standing Committee. The statement is not unanimous. The Rev. James Simons, who opposes secession, did not sign. Geoff Chapman, as you may recall was the author of the "Chapman Memo" which put forth a plan by which a group of conservative Episcopalians intended to gain control of the assets of the Episcopal Church.

You can read the rest here and also find links to related statements by the group Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh as well as the actual document of the deposing of this alleged bishop.

This comes as the Diocese of Pittsburgh is preparing to meet in convention on October 4th.

Catherine

Of Ill-gotten Memos and Pouty Fundamentalists

The Right Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, wrote a memo--though not released to the public--but available to read [though obtained by the fundies of Stand Limp (officially known as StandFirm, if you can imagine that)...most dishonorably by Greg Griffiths] on their supposedly orthodox but tainted blog. Talk about bridge to nowhere...

The memo is clear that a presentment is in the offing against the pretender bishop of CANA, Robert Duncan+. What is abundantly clear is the following of canon law as we know it in the Episcopal Church as revealed by ++Katharine, which certain others think they are too good enough to follow and obey when it is used to its fullest and destined intent.

I must warn you that the comments by readers of Stand Limp are acidic, caustic, banal, ignorant and lacking in Christian charity of any kind, regardless of how you disguise it. You will have a foul taste in your mouth and sadness in your heart, not for our PB but for these obviously miserable and pouty, "if we don't get our cake, nobody can have any", sad excuses for supposedly godly men and women that they profess to be...not. You will only need the armor of God and the Holy Spirit in all of Her goodness to persevere.

You can read the memo [remember, obtained in an ill-gotten manner] and the pathetic attempts to discredit ECUSA and our duly chosen Presiding Bishop, here.

You can read the full text of the letter here. Episcopal Life Online has a very informative article here.

Catherine

Prayer Request Update & September 25 Day of Prayer

Last week I asked for prayer, healing prayer, for a little three year old boy named Tanner and a friend's former partner, Juls. Ya know, it is working. Not that I doubted it for minute, but I wanted you to know that I am thankful for your lifting them up to God.

Tanner is now able to resume his wagon rides down the hallways, and today he ate a nutrition bar, solid food for the first time in months. He still has his feeding tube and receives enteral feedings daily, and he still has the trach so he can breathe while the chemotherapy works on getting this Juvenile Xanthogranuloma under control. The hope is that the chemo will eradicate it entirely, thereby sparing his internal organs an attack that his throat and vocal cords are enduring. Good news indeed. He may get to go home this Friday.

Juls is somewhat better. I don't have a picture of Juls so imagine a beautiful, active woman struck down by this devastating disease. The pain is lessening in micro increments [its the only way it can be described]. Her spirits are better than they were but she also knows that there is no cure, and she will have to deal with her MS the rest of her life. All the same, her condition has improved.

[hand over my heart, and bowing slightly, and humbly] Thank you.


Remember the MDG's? Well Mike Kinman+, bless his heart is an MDG crusader. He has occasionally visited the ol' blog but I have gotten to know him a bit better through Facebook. Come and meet him here on his Facebook page.

To know more about the September 25th Day of Prayer in Support of the MDG's, you can visit the Facebook page that outlines exactly what it is, what its for, who it benefits, what you will need to do, and where you can do it. So, kindly mark you calendars for September 25th.



If you don't want to become a member of Facebook but would still like to participate, you can go to the web site for the Day of Prayer. I know what I'm going to be doing that day, and what I will be putting in the parish offering plate that next Sunday. This day is sponsored by the Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, that thing that my Rev Anne and thousands of other Episcopal priests gave homilies about this last Sunday. Of course before the homily could be delivered, the Gospel had to be read by--in our case--The Reverend Deacons Meredith Pech and Carol Howser...awesome reading, but then it always is when these godly women read aloud the truly good news of Jesus, our most gracious Lord.

Catherine

Two things I ask...

There are two very ill people who I know of-- but do not know personally --that I request prayer from all of you. I know them through their family and friend, and because I care for each respectively, I entreat your supplications.

One is a little three year old boy, my company's Area Manager's son, who was stricken a few months ago with an extremely rare secondary illness following a bout with pneumonia. His is only the fourth case ever documented in the United States. His name is Tanner and he is a very sick little boy. His father and mother, as well as siblings, are stressed to the max at the possibility of him becoming even worse in his condition than he already is. If you go to his CaringBridge website, you can read about him and his family there and their day to day struggle to keep faith and trust in the healing power of prayer and the latest treatments for his horrible infection.

The other person is a young woman named Julie or Juls to her closer friends near Minneapolis. She is stricken with a difficult form of Multiple Sclerosis, which most recently has attacked her brain stem and spinal cord. She cannot sleep because every two minutes, unspeakable pain runs through her nervous system, preventing her from sleeping. She is numb from the shoulders down and her legs are paralyzed at this time by the tightening of her muscles and connective tissues to the extent that she has bruises all over her legs. She is losing control of bodily functions as well. Her mind is alert and active, and she managed to type a letter to her former partner which has been forwarded to those who care about her so we can know how to pray for Julie.

Julie doesn't have a CaringBridge site but stills needs to be held in deep prayer and love.

Thank you for what you can pray and offer up on the behalf of both of these suffering individuals and their families and friends...

For Tanner and Julie:

Heavenly Father, watch with us over your children Tanner and Julie, and grant that they may be restored to that perfect health which it is yours alone to give; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



Catherine