”Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.”

It’s come to my attention that some Episcopal parishes are changing what they say after the scripture lessons. In the 1979 prayer book, for Holy Eucharist Rite II, “The Word of the Lord” is said with the people responding “Thanks be to God.”

There’s also the option of saying, “Here ends the Reading.”

But now some parishes are saying, “Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches” or a variant.

That sets off alarm bells with me, to put it nicely. Yes, I’m aware that’s a quote from Revelation. But it’s not an appropriate closure to a scripture lesson.

First, it comes across (to me at least) as a flowery attempt to avoid the authority of God’s Word. The parish leaders don’t want to announce scripture as the word of God, but simply saying “Here ends the Reading” isn’t good enough for them for some reason.

So they say something that makes no clear commitment about the authority of the scripture just said. “Hear what the Spirit is saying . . . “ could easily mean, “We don’t know how much of what we just read is from God, so listen real hard to figure out what God is really saying to us.”

And, frankly, ECUSA leaders have been blaming a lot of their revisionism on the Holy Spirit lately. This change goes right along with that. I for one think that is no coincidence.

Even if I'm being overly alarmist and paranoid (and I'm not), the bad messages this innovation sends, even if inadvertent, are good enough reasons to snuff it.

But, again, you can’t blame the 1979 prayer book for this – it’s not in there. I’ve been told it comes from Enriching Our Worship and is therefore authorized by ECUSA. Which brings up an important reason for having a prayer book liturgy, without an excess of alternative liturgies running amuck – quality control. And part of its quality control is that it disallows at least many hobby horses from entering parish worship. (Although the 1979 BCP, even on its own, certainly allows more hobby horses than more traditional prayer books.)

For example, I come from a Fundamentalist background. But when I do my lector duties, it’s not appropriate for me to say, “This is the God-breathed, plenary inspired, inerrant Word of the Lord.” And the REC Prayer Book would not allow it, and I would lose my Lector’s license if I kept it up. Instead, I can say, “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Similarly, someone in a church whose leadership thinks the Holy Spirit is saying all sorts of strange stuff to the churches should not be allowed to say, “Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

That’s not to mention that such liturgical innovations further separate a parish from the historic catholic church through the ages. I like traditional liturgy because it links a church with the saints of centuries past. Needless innovations fray those links.

In any case, this liturgical innovation is one hobby horse that should be shot.

First Sunday as Lector

First, my prayers go out to those trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina. The situation in and around New Orleans sounds especially bad.

---------------

My first Sunday as Lector went well, but not without nerves.

When I stood at the lectern and tried to take a breath before beginning the first reading, I couldn’t! It was like I hit an air pocket. Finally, I figured I needed to start reading sometime. So I announced the lesson and read Micah 6:1-8. I was afraid I would gag, but I couldn’t just keep standing up there. But I did o.k. even if there was a bit of nerves in my voice.

It’s a bit strange that I got so nervous since I have plenty of public speaking experience, some in much more trying circumstances. I guess it goes to show how seriously I take Lector duty.

Between the two readings, my forehead was sweating. And it took me a second to find my second lesson, Philippians 4:4-13. But it went better. I did say “passes” instead of “passeth” because saying trying to say “passeth” was too big a risk for me. Sorry, King Jimmy.

I told people I was going to change a word, but even they couldn’t tell which one.

The Epistle lesson during Holy Communion, Galatians 5:16-24, went well. I didn’t even come close to cracking a smile while saying “lasciviousness.” And I wasn’t nearly as nervous. You think I would be since Holy Communion is our main service. But I guess Morning Prayer got the nerves out of my system.

Oh yes, I wore a new dark blue pinstripe suit for the occasion. That met with approval/shock.

My readings tomorrow

As I mentioned, my first Lector duties are tomorrow morning. The readings are Micah 6:1-8 and Philippians 4:4-13 for Morning Prayer and the Epistle lesson, Galatians 5:16-24, for Holy Communion.

There’s no weird unpronounceable names, thanks be to God. But I do have to say “lasciviousness” and “emulations” with the utmost solemnity. Since those words have provided me much amusement in the past, this is a matter for prayer.

It’s also a matter for practice, so I better go.

Continuing Anglican Smackdown!

The archflack for the Episcopal Diocese of Easton wrote a snooty letter to the local newspaper objecting to a continuing Anglican church daring to use the name “Anglican” in their church name. He also objected to the paper not adding a disclaimer every time that church is mentioned. (:SNORT!:)


Star Democrat, Easton, Maryland
Letters to the Editor for August 25, 2005

Anglican connection?

Recent articles printed in The Star Democrat about the St. Andrew Anglican Church and its purchase of what had been Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Easton are misleading to your readers.

The name this group has chosen for itself — Anglican — implies it is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In fact, this local group of Christian worshippers has no relationship whatsoever to the Archbishop of Canterbury or any of the other agencies that define Anglicanism. The only denomination in this country that is part of the Anglican Communion is The Episcopal Church in the United States of America, of which the Episcopal Diocese of Easton is the regional representative.

We trust that in any future articles you will note that St. Andrew Church, regardless of its name, is not a member of the Anglican Communion.

REESE S. RICKARDS, Archdeacon and Communications Officer, Episcopal Diocese of Easton


So today, if all went well, St. Andrew’s ran this ad in the paper. My comments are in italics.


Saint Andrew Anglican Church

Corner of Goldsborough & Aurora Streets

An open letter to the Episcopal Diocese of Easton:

In a transparent attempt to damage the little Saint Andrew Anglican Church, corner of Goldsborough and Aurora, Reese S. Rickards, Archdeacon and Communications Officer of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton, treads upon black ice in his livid letter to the editor of August 25, 2005.

That Saint Andrew's is not part of the Episcopal Church has always been among its most desirable and distinctive characteristics. (Ow! That’s gotta hurt!) Saint Andrew's has no ardor to be part of it, but to offer safe haven for the those who, by conscience and the desire to remain within the classic Christian, Anglican tradition, have left the Episcopal Church or have been forced from it.

Certainly, we grieve that we must walk apart from the Archbishop of Canterbury, his various contradictory opinions having so badly compromised his position, his unsteady hand at the helm of the Anglican Communion in the wild seas created by the Episcopal Church.

As for the hundreds of traditionalist Anglican parishes across the United States, like St. Andrew's, which are not part of the Anglican Communion, the 1998 Lambeth Conference of all of the bishops of the Communion recognized these and the need for their existence.

Not to mention the several primates who support and are even in communion with continuing Anglican churches. Or are they not Anglican, too, Mr. Archdeacon?

Because of the crisis in the Episcopal Church, and the steady loss of laity because of its arbitrary, massive changes and substitutions in doctrine since the 1970s, these traditionalist bodies took firm root and would not go away. The Conference urged the U.S. bishops to initiate relations with these orthodox bodies, such as St. Andrew's and the Diocese of The Chesapeake. Instead, in 2003, the Episcopal Church went on to promote a new bishop, a man who had abandoned his wife and children to live in an open and adulterous relationship with another man, further distancing the denomination from the mainstream of the Anglican Communion.

I do not understand the sea change in attitude of the Episcopal Diocese toward our traditionalist body. The good Bishop Martin Townsend, the previous ordinary, gave permission for my episcopal consecration in Christ Church-St. Michaels, and even attended vested in choir, full witness to the Apostolic Succession conferred upon myself by four regular bishops, thus legitimizing St. Andrew's and its companion traditionalists of the Diocese of The Chesapeake. We enjoyed an occasional lunch. However, even though I called to congratulate the present Bishop of Easton upon his election, he has never reciprocated with the suggestion of a similar relationship as that enjoyed with Bp. Townsend.

Sounds like yet another ECUSA diocese where a decent bishop is replaced by a sorry one.

Once again, and for the public record, I extend my hand in Christian charity to James J. Shand, Episcopal Bishop of Easton, and I invite him to lunch. He can call me at 410-819-0731.

Very charitable . . . and a great P.R. move, heh heh.

We could talk about why the monolithic Episcopal Diocese of Easton would launch an angry assault upon such a suffering servant as St. Andrew's. Would it be because of the great fear in the Episcopalian heirarchy, as the denomination is being eased out of the Anglican Communion? Is it because of the Windsor Report calling for the Episcopal Church to repent or walk apart? Is it because at the February meeting of all the Anglican primates (heads of the 38 national churches), the vast majority of the primates would not celebrate the Eucharist with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, because they already are out-of-communion with him and with it? Is it because those primates called upon the Episcopal Church to withdraw from the Anglican Consultative Council, Anglicanism's only constitutional body? Is it because the Anglican Consultative Council at its meeting in July suspended the Episcopal Church until the next Lambeth Conference in 2008? Is it because of fears that the American bishops will not be invited to Lambeth in 2008?

So who is calling who not Anglican? Any ECUSA flacks who complain that continuing Anglicans are not Anglicans are on thin ice indeed.

Is it because of fears that the Episcopalian laity will learn of all these events, and swell into a grassroots uprising, demanding to be told the truth?

I counsel Reese S. Rickards, in the friendliest way, to refrain from his arch-pharisaic persecution of the little, struggling St. Andrew's. He should pick on somebody his own size. With the crisis in the Episcopal Church, he should have enough to do, already, explaining things to the faithful communicants of the Easton Diocese who have been kept in the dark on the fate looming over the Episcopal Church.

The Right Reverend Joel Marcus Johnson,

Rector, Little St. Andrew's and Bishop, Diocese of The Chesapeake

Saint Andrew Anglican Church

Corner of Goldsborough & Aurora Streets

Sundays at 8 and 10 a.m., weekdays at 8 a.m.

Beginning and ending with a little promotional information. Very good!

And that, my friends, was a continuing Anglican smackdown! Methinks the diocese’s snooty little letter backfired like the Masked Kahoonga getting clotheslined after bouncing off the ropes. A hat tip to St. Andrews for applying the punishment and for turning negative publicity into something positive.

And a hat tip to the Good Professor for sending me these letters.

Aloha, gas shortages.

About the state of Hawaii capping the price of wholesale gasoline:

If the price of gas goes any higher (or perhaps just stays the same), Hawaii just put itself at the end of the line to get gas. Why would a company sell a commodity below market prices? Hawaii’s action is a joke.

Of course, their politics are a joke, too.

Hawaii will have gas shortages and gas lines within six months. Mark my words.

Freaky Frontals and Terrible Tat

Anglo-Catholic Ruminations has a Freaky Frontal Contest going on. Inspired by that I began a lively Terrible Tat thread over at Ship of Fools.

Be warned that some, especially those who insist that the Lord’s Worship be done properly and in order, may find the images disturbing.

Don’t forget Saint Barth!

Don’t forget that today is St. Bartholomew’s Day. The poor guy gets forgotten enough as it is!

Thought for the day

Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil!

-- Golda Meir

Bishop Howard’s “Letter of Agreement” illustrates the problem of staying in ECUSA.

Those who think there is any safe place for the orthodox in the Episcopal Church should take a look at what has happened in the Diocese of Florida. Although previously led by a staunchly orthodox bishop, now it is led by one John Howard, who is becoming increasingly difficult for the orthodox to live under.

His latest effort to keep the orthodox in line is a revised “Letter of Agreement” he has sent out to rectors and vestries. It includes a section called "Rector's Allegiance to Episcopal Church." As you can guess, it practically swears allegiance to ECUSA uber alles. It’s a letter many will not be able to consciously sign.

As Canon Anderson comments, “No parish, priest or diocese should ever feel smug that they are safe because their leader is orthodox, because you are never more than a heartbeat away from disaster, as Florida has shown us in the transition from orthodox Bishop Jecko to ‘orthodox’ Bishop Howard.”

And there’s not only the issue of managing to elect an orthodox bishop who stays orthodox. *ahem* There is also the question of whether the General Convention will consent. Do you think another +Jack Iker would receive consents today?

Maybe. But I wouldn’t bet the parish on it.

I’m not saying everyone should leave ECUSA right now, although perhaps in some cases they should. There is hope for something akin to a “gracious separation” after the L.A. bishops meeting. And there may be dioceses that pull out after GC06.

But much beyond 2006, it’s hard to see any place for orthodox Christians in ECUSA. We’ll see.

There are more comments over at titusonenine .

Strange, but true: the lack of Scripture reading in evangelical worship

As this piece points out, the churches where you are least likely to hear Scripture read during services are often those where the authority and teaching of Scripture are most emphasized, particularly evangelical churches. Strange, but true. And the writer’s experience is that even Anglican evangelical churches often read Scripture in their worship less.

My personal experience as one with a evangelical/fundamentalist background? My current REC church is the first of my church homes where Scripture is regularly read during services outside the context of the sermon.

I think this is one way is which evangelical-style worship impoverishes itself. As I’ve experienced first hand, there is a power to formally reading the raw word of God in worship. I'd much rather sit and listen to the reading of Scripture than sing one more “praise and worship” song. And Scripture reading is a prominent feature of Jewish and Christian worship through the centuries. Why cut oneself off from that?

Yes, I greatly value the role of Lector, of reading the Scripture lessons aloud during services.

My reading duties begin this Sunday.

Post-Modernism and the decline of intellectual discourse.

For some time, I’ve been thinking about posting on Post-Modernism. And I nearly wrote an article for Youthworker Journal since I’m particularly concerned with the influence P-M and the “emergent church” is having on youth ministry. But I was completing my move. And it’s not easy to get even my long arms around the subject.

So I’m very glad to see this piece by John Richardson this morning. It’s very succinct and perceptive in addressing the corrosive effect Post-Modernism has on Western thought and discourse, particularly in the church. I commend it to you.

Probably the first time I was really confronted with the negative effect Post-Modernism has on intellectual discourse came from talking online with a certain group of college and post-college aged people, I was really struck by how the ultimate sin for them was to say that someone is wrong.

For this firm believer in absolutes (who is also not the most tactful man in the world), it made discussion rather difficult.

Cindy Sheehan, go home.

I can’t hold my tongue about Ms. Sheehan any longer. First of all, I recognize that losing a son for any reason is a hard thing. So I’ve been slow to criticize her.

But, frankly, she has lost all my sympathy with her pretentious sit-in outside President Bush’s ranch demanding a meeting with him for one big reason:

The President already has met with her!

Thousands upon thousands of families have lost sons to war through the years. It’s a hard thing and worthy of recognition. And the government and a number of organizations do recognize that in a number of ways. But only a few get a meeting from the president. Ms. Sheehan is already among those few.

But among all those families I don’t know of a single person who has had the chutzpah to demand not one, but two meetings with the president . . . until now.

It’s a sorry reflection on the news media that you usually have to dig deep into their stories to find out she has already met with the President if it’s mentioned at all. That’s a pretty important fact in this story, is it not? Yet it was only about a week ago that I first noticed she already had a meeting.

And as for what this circus says about the Michael Moore Left who is treating this woman like a heroine and a martyr . . . . Well, I best leave what I think to your imagination.

And Ms. Sheehan’s antics hardly honor her son. Since he volunteered for military service, I suspect he would appalled by his mother’s act and how she is willingly letting herself be used by people who oppose close to everything he fought for. Not to mention her outrageous statements, such as saying the U. S. would be a fascist state if it weren’t for the internet and calling the 2004 elections "the election, quote-unquote, that happened in November."

I can respect many of those who have problems with the war in Iraq. I certainly respect those struggling with the loss of a son in war. But I can’t respect someone who thinks she is so frickin’ special that she is entitled to two meetings with the president and pitches a public fit if she doesn’t get them.

It’s past time for Cindy Sheehan to go home. And if she would take that Lefty circus with her it would be greatly appreciated.

"When you gotta go, you gotta go!" :D

Driving around the other day, I saw a "discount" funeral supply store called "Caskets and More."

I am not kidding.

Episcopal Diocese of L. A. has self-inflicted egg on face.

The St. James case mentioned Friday came to a quick conclusion. And the Diocese of L. A. got spanked and spanked good as we say here in Texas.

That the judge clearly cited basic Constitutional rights and not just arcane legal doctrine does not bode well for other cases in which dioceses, presbyteries, and the like try to grab the property of congregations they’ve alienated. It’s a California case, but the principles behind the strong ruling could have implications far beyond California.

This is going to cost the Diocese of L. A. Hopefully, many mainline denomination leaders will look at this decision and think twice about going after the property of churches that are compelled to break away.

And, hopefully, those who do not take heed will get spanked, too. This ruling seems to make that more likely.

PGA has self-inflicted egg on face.

I know this isn’t a sports blog. But I care enough about major championship golf to note that the PGA has serious egg on its face this morning.

Because of its cowardice and refusal to move tee times earlier, as advised by Phil Mickelson and no telling who else and as a glance at the weather forecast would have suggested, golf fans were cheated. (Weather delays which should have been expected postponed the finishing holes due to the late tee times.)

I’m lucky. I’m my own boss, so I can watch the finish this morning. But even so, it’s not the same. One of the reasons I’m addicted to the four golf major championships is the build up of tension and drama. Interrupting that right before the last few holes and postponing the finish is like interrupting a play or a symphony before the climax and saying, “Come back tomorrow folks!”

That’s the kinds of fools who run the PGA Championship.

Court tentatively rules for L.A. parish.

As reported over at titusonenine and elsewhere, a judge has tentatively ruled that the breakaway St. James Church of Newport Beach may keep their property, not the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

Keep an eye on this case. It has implications not only for the Episcopal Church, but also for other breakaway church cases, particularly in California. One such case involves the large Korean First Presbyterian Church in Torrance, where the dispute has gotten nasty as documented by Layman.org (Look for “Brutal language used in disruption of service.”) with services being interrupted and worse.

This ruling combined with an earlier win for a breakaway California Methodist church could spell trouble for liberal denominations trying to keep the property of orthodox congregations.

The Power of Reading Scripture.

As part of my training to be a lay reader, I’ve begun reading out loud once a week Morning or Evening Prayer as if leading a congregation.

In doing so, I discovered that reading the scripture aloud can be a powerful thing. I knew that from hearing scripture read at Anglican services. But in practicing it myself, I’ve experienced it more first hand.

It so happened that my first two home practices had me read Luke 22:47-62 and 23:26-43. Reading aloud the first passage, which ends with Peter denying Christ three times then going out and weeping “bitterly”, magnified its profound sadness.

The second passage begins in the middle of the Via Dolorosa, sees the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross, and ends with Him declaring to the thief beside him, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Reading it out loud sent chills through me. It’s hard to put into words the solemn feelings of sadness and gratitude I felt.

Those are strong passages to start with, are they not? Reciting them certainly brought home to me in a new way the power of God’s Word.

Newbie Lector?

I’m a lector now. I got my official certificate signed by the bishop last night.

Lectors are authorized to read the scriptures to the congregation during services.

I will continue to train to be a lay reader.

No one expects the Episcopal Inquisition!

I’ve probably said it before. But it is a wondrous thing how liberal bishops who have chucked almost every authority except themselves can become canonical fundamentalists when it suits their purposes.

Beware! And confess. Confess! CONNNFESS!!

NARAL lies . . . again.

The latest NARAL lie is their vicious, desperate attack ad against Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. The Left just can’t stand the prospect that the Supreme Court might eventually actually somewhat stick to interpreting the Constitution instead of enacting a liberal cultural agenda. The resulting conniptions are a sight to see.

But this fanatical fibbing is nothing new for NARAL. They have been liars from the beginning. As documented in co-founder Bernard Nathanson’s Aborting America, they lied again and again in their campaign to legalize abortion, including wildly inflating the number of deaths from illegal abortions. And they haven’t stopped lying since.

I guess when you champion the killing of millions of unborn children, the rest comes easy.


UPDATE: NARAL has pulled the ad.

grrrrrrrr

I found out yesterday that my rector can play basketball. He schooled me. I did well just to get a couple baskets off him.

He gives me a hard time at chess, too, although I’m still better at that . . . on a good day.

The perils of appeasement.

The row over the Church of England’s new civil partnership policy has become comical and sad at the same time.

I was going to write something clever about it to annoy a lot of people. But this morning, my writing is only annoying me. So I’ll just say the current mess in the CofE shows what can happen when you try to appease everybody.

(Hat tip to titusonenine.)

The cracks grow wider. . . .

In light of Archbishop Akinola’s statement on the Church of England’s new policy permitting same-sex civil partnerships, it seems the cracks in the Anglican Communion are growing wider.

Back on May 30th , I expressed my amazement at ++Rowan Williams’ support of this new policy and painted in stark terms its implications for the Communion. I would probably be slightly more tactful now, but I wrote:

I seriously doubt any reasonable hope remains of keeping the Anglican Communion together save the Queen asking him to step down, which I don’t expect.

Up to now, the Global South clergy could say the embrace of homosexuality in the Anglican Communion was confined mainly to errant North American dioceses. And they declared communion with those dioceses broken or impaired.

But what are they to do now? Rowan Williams has put them in a position where they will see little choice but to disassociate themselves from the Archbishop of Canterbury and therefore from the Anglican Communion. Otherwise, Global South clergy will no longer have any credible answer to those in their dioceses who say they are aligned with sin.

Even putting aside the morals of this matter, this is an incredibly stupid move by the Archbishop. But if there is to be a split in the Anglican Communion, at least this will speed it along.

There hasn’t been a lot of fallout yet, but it’s coming. Oh, it’s coming.

I think I’d like to be wrong about such things. But it appears the new C of E civil partnership policy may indeed make it impossible for the Anglican Communion to stay together.

The fallout has only begun.

The Perils of Lay Reading

I’m in training to be a Lay Reader along with two others at my church. I’m excited about this as I love the liturgy and would love to lead it. In the Reformed Episcopal Church, Lay Readers can lead Morning and Evening Prayer, except that they cannot give the absolution. (If no priest is present, they instead pray the collect for the 21st Sunday after Trinity.) And they can assist in other services by reading the scripture lessons and in other ways, although I don’t know all the details just yet.

Well, last night, I discovered lay reading is not as easy as I thought it would be. Practice is a real good idea. And John+ had us learn this first hand by having us read out loud (as if a congregation were present) the longer invitation to confess sins. I suspect he chose that because it’s not easy to read. I had an amusing slip when I misread that we should confess our sins “when we dissemble and meet together.” Maybe there’s some truth to my slip there.

Afterwards, I said, “Let’s stick to ‘Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.’”

It could be worse. Ben+ told me of a time that a prayer of the Litany was slightly misread. With the Presiding Bishop and at least one other bishop present, instead of praying for the illumination of bishops, the unfortunate gentleman prayed “may it please thee to eliminate all Bishops . . . .” It was soon dubbed “the Presbyterian Litany.”

I think I better practice.

Family First?

On the way to church, I pass another church, one that has recently decided to change their name. Draped over the old name by the street is a black banner that says “Family First Church.”

I find the new name extremely unwise. First, on its face, it’s idolatrous! The church is not to lift up family first, but Christ first. And to be honest, most people put family before God. Why feed that common (though understandable) idolatry?

Second, it sends the wrong message to singles. Committed Christian singles like myself have come across churches that treat singles with benign neglect or, worse, as second class members. There are many churches where opportunities for ministry are limited if you are single. And I have experienced my singleness even being held against me by a past church staff member. I’ve been told in so many words by such that I’m single because something is wrong with me.

I don’t want this to become a litany of church wrongs against singles. But having experienced or at least seen these wrongs, alarm bells go off for many of us when a church puts “family” in its name. Guess what was one criteria that ruled out a church when I was looking for a new one recently? That’s right. If “family” was in the name, forget it. (Now “Holy Family” if referring to the family of Jesus is fine with me, of course.)

Yes, family is great and invented by God. And one of the things I love about my new church is it’s like a family. But singles, including this single, are treated as full members of that family. Too many churches can’t say that.

There has been so much churchly exalting of families over singles and resulting hard feelings from many singles that I consider putting “family” in a church name unwise at least. And a church named “Family First”? Oh, dear. . . .

Bucks for Bullying Bishops

I’m about half-dead after a difficult and weird chess tournament this weekend. (Brownville, Texas helped provide the weirdness.) But I’m not so out of it as to not be provoked by this.

Soooo national ECUSA offices are spending money outside the budget to side with bishops in their legal battles with parishes. Given that several (most? all?) of those battles involve bishops who are bullying orthodox parishes . . . well, nice polite Anglican words fail me.

One wag, however, has dubbed the expenditure “bully bucks.” Sounds good to me.

By the way, this is one more BIG reason for those orthodox remaining in ECUSA to make darn sure not one cent of their offerings is going to ECUSA national offices.