A New Episcopal Mystery is Afoot... [And it has nothing to do with Convention!]

There is a new Episcopal [that's right] mysteries series afoot. [low groan from readers]. The hat tip goes to those wonderful clergy women and their friends at The Reverend Gal Blog Pals webpage. This site can lead you to wonderful and beautiful places, excellent writing and godly inspiration, as well as laughter, joy and compassion.

Here is a series I had not heard of. Sure I had heard of and have read most of the crime mystery series involving women Episcopal priests by Michelle Blake and Julia Spencer-Fleming, but this new series will prove "hilarious" and a good read. Here is what the RGBP's had to say about the first book in the series "The Alto Wore Tweed".

And we all need a fun and engaging read during these Convention and Dog Days of summer!

On the last Monday of this month, the RGBP [Reverend Gal Blog Pals] Book Pals will be discussing The Alto Wore Tweed by Mark Schweizer. This is the first in his hilarious Liturgical Mysteries series which includes The Bass Wore Scales, The Soprano Wore Falsettos, The Tenor Wore Tapshoes, etc.

The Alto Wore Tweed introduces you to St. Germaine, North Carolina and Hayden Konig--chief of police and choirmaster extraordinare of St. Barnabus Episcopal Church. He is also a big fan of mystery writer Raymond Chandler, who he tries to imitate. The author is also a church musician and his send-ups of the follies of church life are spot-on. And funny!

How can you resist a book that features a Christmas pageant entitled 'The Penguin of Bethlehem" set amidst the town's Nativity Feud between the Kiwanians and the Rotarians. Or the author's setting of The Moldy Cheese Madrigal?

For extra credit, go to the publisher's website here and you can download the music to the Moldy Cheese Madrigal ("some milk and moldy cheeses we give to the Holy Jesus. Fa-la-la-la etc.") or listen to a performance of it.

Catherine

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. -- Galileo --

"Not Angels, but Anglicans" : Diana Butler Bass

Christian Episcopal author and speaker, Diana Butler Bass, has posted her thoughts and commentary on The Episcopal Church's General Convention 2009 on her blog Progressive Revival at beliefnet.com. It is a good read as well as a clear perspective on our Church and its' future.

Some readers have asked if I have blogged about DO25 and CO56 yet. Don't know what those are? I highly recommend you find out here what the excitement is about, if you don't already know. You may have to backtrack as developments are constantly happening ALL the time.

If you want a running live commentary and reaction from deputies and attendees at Convention, sign onto Twitter and join the "Twub" at #ecgc, to get second by second reporting from the floor of Convention along with pictures and video clips.

Catherine

General Convention News and Resources

The other night I had been working on a blog post that would have proven useful and informative but Blogger had other ideas...like obliterate the post Catherine has been working on for over an hour, creating hyperlinks and that sort of thing to help her local church family as well as bloggers and readers across the globe understand and experience what is taking place in Anaheim.

Well, Blogger did not save as its supposed to every so many minutes or seconds and the whole thing--yet unfinished--went poof and was no more. Imagine my chagrin and exasperation...well, that's ok if you can't but it was still there and though I grumped about it earlier today, I am ready to make another attempt using the auto post email address for my blog so that I can write the article as an email and then send it to Blogger for me edit and format for posting. Safer. Less crazy-making for me.

So we begin. Resources and news information sites that will aid and albeit the understanding and knowledge of the mystery of General Convention and what is going on there...

Official and semi-official Episcopal Church pages for news and updates:

The General Convention of the Episcopal Church Official homepage

Episcopal Life Online

Episcopal Cafe, starring The Lead

epiScope

TEC Media Hub//General Convention 2009

Oregon at General Convention 2009

Integrity's Resolution Home Portal: How it's all panning out page

The Daily, a daily Convention newspaper with in-depth stories on all kinds of issues, provided by the Diocese of California. PDF versions are available here.

Episcopal bloggers, both clergy and lay, who are reporting or commenting somewhat daily from GenCon, adding a unique perspective to developments there:

Canterbury Tales from the Fringe by Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire

What the Tide Brings In by The Rev. Ann Fontaine of Wyoming

Telling Secrets by The Rev Elizabeth Kaeton of New Jersey

An Inch at At Time by The Rev. Susan Russell, President of Integrity USA

My Manner of Life by Lisa Fox, writing from Jefferson City, Missouri

Preludium by The Rev Canon Mark Harris from the Diocese of Delaware

The Living Church site

IntegriTV, a video source by Integrity USA

The "New" Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth

The Episcopal Church on Facebook

Entangled States by The Rev. Nicholas Knisely and Friends

Walking With Integrity, homepage for Integrity USA with great coverage of votes

The Episcopal Diocese of California.

...and I am sure there are many more truly reliable blogs and sites to peruse. You can easily find more places to explore for information if you go to the blog's sidebar where the author has listed worthwhile blogs to read.

This is a tense yet exciting time for the Church. Remember to pray without ceasing as every deputy, bishop, all youth, all the baptized need our prayers for wisdom and that above all, God's will be done, in the holy and loving name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

Do I hear an AMEN?

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." -- Galileo--

Different voices to preach at daily worship services during Episcopal Church General Convention 2009

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in Union with The General Convention

has provided a schedule of who is celebrating and preaching during Convention courtesy of Thomas Squiers of the real Diocese of Fort Worth. You can visit the new diocese by clicking on the link above.

Here is the schedule:

Eight preachers – ranging from the Presiding Officers and the Archbishop of Canterbury to a popular TV correspondent and an internationally-known activist – will be among the many voices at the daily worship services during General Convention 2009 of The Episcopal Church.

Episcopalians will gather this summer for General Convention 2009 (GC09), July 8 – 17 at the A naheim Convention Center in California (Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles).

A theme has been designated for each daily Eucharist, with a bishop of The Episcopal Church as celebrant. Additionally, a different preacher will address the daily theme. The Eucharists will be held daily at 11:30 am (Pacific); Sunday Eucharist will be held at 10 am (Pacific).

The daily themes were developed by the Liturgy and Worship Subcommittee of the GC09 Planning and Arrangements Committee, chaired by the Rev. Canon Carol Wade of the National Cathedral in Washington DC and the Rev. Frank Wade of the Diocese of Washington (DC).

All the sermons will be available for viewing through the innovative Media Hub, presented by the Office of Communication to bring the actions of General Convention to those who are there and those who can’t be there.

Celebrants and Preachers

On Wednesday, July 8, the worship service celebrant and preacher will be the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.

On Thursday, July 9 the theme is God’s people. The celebrant will be Bishop J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles , the host diocese for GC09. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will conduct a Bible study during the worship service.

On Friday, July 10 the theme is Unity. The celebrant is Bishop Steve Miller of the Diocese of Milwaukee, co-celebrated by a member of the Moravian clergy. The preacher will be President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson.

On Saturday, July 11 the theme is Hospitality. The celebrant is Bishop Frank Brookhart of the Diocese of Montana; he will be joined by a member of the Methodist clergy. The preacher will be Ray Suarez, senior correspondent for PBS’s NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and formerly of NPR’s Talk of the Nation.

Sunday, July 12 will be the main General Convention Eucharist and the Ingathering for the United Thank Offering (UTO), a mission and grant-awarding program of The Episcopal Church. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will be the celebrant and preacher.

On Monday, July 13, the theme is Domestic Poverty. Celebrant will be Bishop Prince Singh of the Diocese of Rochester with preacher Courtney Cowart, Director of Advocacy and Community Affairs for the Office of Disaster Response in the Diocese of Louisiana.

On Tuesday, July 14 the theme is the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The celebrant is Bishop Rob O’Neill of the Diocese of Colorado who is also the chair of Episcopal Relief & Development. The preacher is Abagail Nelson, Senior Vice President of Programs for Episcopal Relief & Development.

On Wednesday July 15, the theme will be Creation and Environment. The celebrant will be Bishop Greg Rick el of the Diocese of Olympia and preacher will be Bishop Steve Charleston, former Dean of Episcopal Divinity School who offers a focus on environmental issues.

On Thursday, July 16, the theme is Evangelism with celebrant Bishop Wilfrido Ramos of the Episcopal Diocese of Ecuador Central. The preacher is Brian D. McLaren, internationally known speaker and activist and author of important works including Finding Our Way Again, and Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis, and a Revolution of Hope.

On Friday, July 17, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will be the celebrant and preacher at the closing Eucharist.

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention, held every three years, is the bicameral governing body of the church. General Convention, the second largest legislative body in the world, is comprised of the House of Bishops, with upwards of 200 members, and the House of Deputies, with clergy and lay representatives from the 110 dioceses, at over 700 members.

The Episcopal Church, with 110 dioceses in 15 nations, is a member province of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

Secret theology committee unmasked: Chicago Consultation makes statement

The following information was found on Thinking Anglicans, a web blog news source for the World Wide Anglican Communion. The secret committee is indeed revealed. This site will also be an excellent source of up to date information the Convention as well as many blogs in the right hand sidebar of my blog.

Lisa Fox of My Manner of Life has published all but two of the names of the group studying same-sex relationships. For background here is the early June report.

See The Formerly Secret Panel (go to original source for live links)

So here are eight of the ten theologians serving on the panel to study same-sex relationships.

Co-facilitators:

* The Rt. Rev. Joe G. Burnett, Bishop of Nebraska
* Ellen Charry, Princeton Theological Seminary

Members:

* Deirdre J. Good, General Theological Seminary
* Willis Jenkins, Yale Divinity School
* The Rev. Grant LeMarquand, Trinity School for Ministry
* Eugene Rogers, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
* The Rev. George Sumner, Wycliffe College, Toronto
* The Rev. Daniel A. Westberg of Nashotah House

The Chicago Consultation has issued this press release:

CHICAGO, July 1, 2009—Ruth Meyers, Hodges Haynes Professor of Liturgics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, General Convention deputy from the Diocese of Chicago, and co-convener of the Chicago Consultation, responded to the news that the names of most members of the House of Bishops Theology Committee panel on same-sex blessings have been made public:

“Continued scholarly work, done with particular attention to the work of the Holy Spirit in committed, life-long, monogamous unions of faithful gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Episcopalians, can liberate the church to discern more fully the work of the Spirit in all life-long unions of fidelity and mutual love. We wish this panel well, and we call upon General Convention to enrich its theological work by establishing a common rite for the blessing of unions across the Episcopal Church.”

“We commit to praying for each of these theologians and their co-chairs by name, and we hope that the remaining two members of the panel will choose to come forward publicly so that we may begin General Convention next week with the spirit of openness and transparency that characterizes our polity and our common life…”

Posted by Simon Sarmiento on Wednesday, 1 July 2009

Episcopal Buffet: the pre-game Convention roundup

There are several topics of information and news I wish to touch on and get out to my local parish as well as everyone else who stops by and reads my offerings. There is a survey that the Episcopal Church is urging everyone to participate in so we have an idea of where the Church might be in 2019.

There is also a wonderful account of the first woman priest to be ordained in the Diocese of San Joaquin! The House of Deputies may hold some unusual sessions regarding the controversial Bo 33 resolution that was passed at the last minute at GenCon 06 and which has large ramifications for this year's Convention as well as the Church at large.

Archbishop of the Church of England, Rowan Williams, will be making an appearance at this year's Convention in Anaheim. See the article below to know more about it.

Hat tips to the Episcopal News Service and their reporters as well as Bob Smietana at The Tennessean online "paper".

Survey invites Episcopalians to shape the future of the Church

By Lynette Wilson, June 24, 2009

What do you want the Episcopal Church to look like in 2019?

An eight-question survey posted online June 24 asks Episcopalians—lay and ordained—to envision the church in 10 years’ time and to prioritize the strategies toward that vision.

Do you favor a multicultural church? Is evangelism "less important," "important," or "very important" to you? Should advocacy and social justice define the church? Or should the church be a combination of mission and worship?

"We are looking at where we are as a church today and addressing hopes and desires," said the Rev. Christopher Johnson, a member of the Strategic Planning Committee formed by Executive Council at its January 2009 meeting in Stockton, California.

The committee’s mandate is to develop a strategic plan for the Episcopal Church Center and the Executive Council that would address mission and ministry, growth, finance, challenges and opportunities, issues and concerns, and to map a way to address those themes. Executive Council expects the committee to present a draft strategic plan by December 31, 2009.

"The survey results will provide us with feedback on the values and priorities of stakeholders … information that will allow us to be mindful in developing a strategic plan," Johnson added. "Of course one of the things that motivates us is, like most mainline Protestant denominations, we've experienced a loss of membership; we'd like to reverse that and initiate growth."

The survey may be completed anonymously. It is composed mostly of option buttons, but also includes text boxes that allow the participant to expand an answer. It can be completed in five to 10 minutes. July 28 is the deadline to complete the survey; the communications office plans to publish the aggregated survey results in fall 2009. You can read the rest of the article here.

SAN JOAQUIN: All-new spirit' prevails as diocese ordains first woman priest

By Pat McCaughan

[Episcopal News Service] Tears, cheers, joy, applause and an "all-new spirit" filled the packed Church of the Saviour in Hanford, California, June 27 as the Rev. Suzanne Lynn Ward became the first woman ordained a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.

"This, my brothers and sisters, is a big deal day," said the Rt. Rev.
Edna Bavi "Nedi" Rivera, bishop suffragan of the Seattle-based Diocese of Olympia, and provisional bishop for the Diocese of Eastern Oregon, who was guest preacher.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_111509_ENG_HTM.htm

Episcopal Church disputes don't shake [presiding] bishop

From The Tennessean

The smile on Katharine Jefferts Schori's face was a mile wide.

A group of Sudanese women had just finished singing, opening a service honoring the 150th anniversary of St. Ann's Episcopal Church in East Nashville. And now a string ensemble and nearly 300 worshippers had joined in a familiar hymn, as St. Ann's choir, pastor and other clergy began entering in processional.

Near the end of the line was the Most Rev. Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, in all her vestments, clearly enjoying the moment. All this despite the heat, which was already close to 90 degrees, even at 9 in the morning.

"It was God's people gathered to give thanks," she said after the service was over. "What could be better than that?"

Jefferts Schori's visit to Nashville comes at an uneasy time in the Episcopal Church.

You can read the rest of the news story here.

House of Deputies may convene unusual sessions on Resolution B033

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service] The House of Deputies will be asked to consider meeting in two unusual sessions early in the 76th meeting of the General Convention to discuss Resolution B033 passed by the last convention.

"The purpose of this discussion will be to exchange information and viewpoints among the deputies, and to inform Legislative Committee #8 World Mission, to which committee all the resolutions relative to B033 have been assigned," House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson wrote in a June 29 letter to deputies and first alternate deputies.

Anderson wrote that she believes the House of Deputies "will benefit by having an opportunity to discuss B033 apart from the context of legislative procedure" and noted that "many deputies have indicated their longing to discuss B033 together as a house."

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_111601_ENG_HTM.htm


Private meeting with Williams at convention will address sexuality, ministry

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service] Eight members of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies are scheduled meet privately with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams at General Convention in a session that is intended in part to address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in the church.

General Convention meets July 8-17 in Anaheim, California, and Williams will be present July 7-9.

The session is not an official convention meeting and thus there has been no announcement of the plans. However, when contacted by Episcopal News Service, the Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe of the Diocese of California confirmed the details.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_111717_ENG_HTM.htm

A month later...

It has been exactly one month and a day since I did the very bad thing to my knee. I am, however, so much better that I have returned to work--June 8th--and I am doing just fine. I am still in a hinge-brace a good part of the time but I think its just a security blanket but as I become braver and my knee becomes stronger, I will be able to get by without it entirely...at some point. I am not rushing myself in this healing process...no good every comes of that.

I was also able to return to church last Sunday for the first time in a good while. That was especially healing for my heart and soul. To lose myself in worship of my most courteous Lord was indeed refreshing and renewing. To be surrounded by my church family was superb, and to see my priest and hear her saying the Eucharistic prayer once again simply sent my spirit soaring with elation. Singing the hymns and the fraction anthem, the Venite, chanting the psalm, all of it...inexpressible joy.

This Sunday I will be going with the LEM after the 10 am service to take communion to a home bound parishioner out in the hills outside of Ashland. The home bound parishioners are ones I have never met until I resumed being a Lay Eucharistic Minister I & II recently, and before the Great Knee Incident. Some of these dear hearts have not much time left on this side of the veil but they are ready for the other side nonetheless. These are the Prayer Warriors of old, staunch allies of God, part of the Greatest Generation. Solid and nearly indestructible. They remind us of where we are all headed, and its really ok.

As far as Church News, I haven't heard a whole lot since I last reported about the change in the statement of the IAmEpiscopal.org site. Funny how things fall silent all of a sudden. I need to dig around on the other reliable Episcopal blogs to find out the skinny on what is going on with that if anything. And when I find something to share, I will post it here with links to them directly.

We do need to be praying in preparation for General Convention 2009 coming up in a few weeks and for those who will participating and voting on various resolutions. I know my priest will be one of those delegates from the Diocese of Oregon, as she was in years before. Thank goodness for the one clear-headed person I know will be there making prayerful and deliberate decisions on how she will vote and what she will say if called upon.

We also need to be praying about and watching the tense situation in Iran. The people had their voice snuffed out in the so-called election, and now they want it back. Pray for those who seek freedom and religious freedom from the current theocracy and tyranny of the current president and master-mind of this hijacked election process. Democracy my a**. The corrupt holders of the government wouldn't know democracy if it hit them in the face. Just as George Bush tried to create and almost succeeded in creating a theocracy here in America, the people spoke for freedom, their rights and for change. And we got it. Anything is better than what was happening in this country and to its people. We cannot stand idly by and see it happen to another country and another people longing to be free from oppression. So pray, talk about it, encourage those there by sending or commenting on Twitter and on the blogs by Iranians there and in the USA. If you are participating in Twitter, just input #Iranelection in the search box and "hear" what is going on "live feed".

I have plans for returning library books today. I also will check out the Big Bookstore since I haven't been there in months. Its something to do and gets me out walking around, good for rehab of the ol' knee. I may start trimming the laurel hedge this afternoon, a little anyway. One must start somewhere or my front outdoor room will be swallowed by it!

I bid you all a good week and may the Lord bless you in all you encounter and attempt!

Catherine