Philip Jensen was wrong.
I’ve been slow to comment on this because I didn’t want to rely too much on the initial Guardian article. Heck, I don’t EVER want to rely too much on the Guardian. But seeing that I give liberals a hard time here, I need to give equal time. . . .
Dean Philip Jensen’s remarks to Reform were way out of line. I have gotten annoyed at the Archbishop of Canterbury, but to even imply that he’s some sort of prostitute is just wrong. The man has demonstrated thoughtfulness and tries his best to be fair to all parties. I’ve strongly disagreed with him at times, but he deserves at least a minimum of respect.
As for implying that King’s College is “a temple to paganism,” thems are fighting words. I love the music of King’s College. It glorifies God and helps many worship, including me. I thank God for King’s College.
And the laborer is worthy of his wages, so I have no problem with the college selling cds to visitors. Heck, I’ll probably buy some of those cds someday.
Dean Jensen says this has been misreported, but his explanation falls short methinks.
By the way Philip Jensen is not to be confused with his brother, Archbishop Peter Jensen, who is reportedly a bit embarrassed by the matter. I’m sure he’s not the only one.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Church attitudes towards gays and other singles
The Confessing Evangelical made a very thoughtful post on Christians’ attitudes towards gays and singles a few days ago.
I feel strongly that the church needs to maintain a traditional Biblical view of sexual conduct. At the same time, the church needs to watch its attitudes towards gays and toward singles in general.
I say that because I’ve seen conservative views on sex and family morph themselves into hateful attitudes toward gays and negative views on singles as well. As I’ve mentioned here before, I’ve had my singleness found at fault at a previous church years ago. I’m careful enough about this now that I asked the rector at Providence Church polite but point-blank questions to gauge his attitudes toward singleness before I joined.
I’m more careful about my attitudes towards gays than I was years ago. With Confessing Evangelical, I urge my fellow conservative Christians to join me in that – and to watch their attitudes towards singles in general.
The Confessing Evangelical made a very thoughtful post on Christians’ attitudes towards gays and singles a few days ago.
I feel strongly that the church needs to maintain a traditional Biblical view of sexual conduct. At the same time, the church needs to watch its attitudes towards gays and toward singles in general.
I say that because I’ve seen conservative views on sex and family morph themselves into hateful attitudes toward gays and negative views on singles as well. As I’ve mentioned here before, I’ve had my singleness found at fault at a previous church years ago. I’m careful enough about this now that I asked the rector at Providence Church polite but point-blank questions to gauge his attitudes toward singleness before I joined.
I’m more careful about my attitudes towards gays than I was years ago. With Confessing Evangelical, I urge my fellow conservative Christians to join me in that – and to watch their attitudes towards singles in general.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
David Crowder rocks! (And so does St. Matthew’s?)
I had some very good, but very different worship music experiences this weekend in Dallas. Among other things, I discovered the David Crowder Band and St. Matthew’s Cathedral.
DCB was the worship band for the Youth Specialties convention I attended. They ROCK with excellent edgy guitars, but they also really helped me worship. David Crowder himself is a sight to see. He’s this skinny guy who is all teeth and glasses and frizzy hair. And he talks in this fast, nervous mumble. He’s great!
Sunday morning, though, I wasn’t real interested in the convention program. But I did want to check out the choral eucharist at St. Matthew’s, Bishop Stanton’s church. He wasn’t there, which is o.k. Dean Michael Mills gave an excellent sermon. He has a unique preaching style and very straightforward way of getting the message across which grew on me.
Most of the sanctuary is quite old and, well, kinda Catholicky – which I liked. There were lots of candles. Most of the stained glass was beautiful with much of it (the green tinted glass) over 100 years old. The stations of the cross were portrayed in stained glass. And there were at least two crucifixes on the wall. The main altar along with the choir is elevated above the congregation.
On the left side I noticed an altar with a picture and statue of Mary. And there was a Marian shrine with candles beside that. I don’t think +Stanton is Anglo-Cath. So I’m curious about that. Both the Mary altar and the main altar were used for Communion.
Those who have stereotyped views of conservatives will be surprised to hear that the congregation was quite multi-cultural. And women played a prominent role in the worship (which made me a little nervous at times, but I’ll discuss that issue some other time.).
Oh yeah, the music. Ooooh, the music! The choir, though not huge, was excellent. And the organist was great, playing with the sort of power I like in a church organ. Sometimes, I had to close my eyes and let the music wash over me. At the same time, the congregational parts were very easy to sing. Heck, I think even I sounded good.
Anyway, very different worship music experiences. But I liked them both. And both helped me worship.
I had some very good, but very different worship music experiences this weekend in Dallas. Among other things, I discovered the David Crowder Band and St. Matthew’s Cathedral.
DCB was the worship band for the Youth Specialties convention I attended. They ROCK with excellent edgy guitars, but they also really helped me worship. David Crowder himself is a sight to see. He’s this skinny guy who is all teeth and glasses and frizzy hair. And he talks in this fast, nervous mumble. He’s great!
Sunday morning, though, I wasn’t real interested in the convention program. But I did want to check out the choral eucharist at St. Matthew’s, Bishop Stanton’s church. He wasn’t there, which is o.k. Dean Michael Mills gave an excellent sermon. He has a unique preaching style and very straightforward way of getting the message across which grew on me.
Most of the sanctuary is quite old and, well, kinda Catholicky – which I liked. There were lots of candles. Most of the stained glass was beautiful with much of it (the green tinted glass) over 100 years old. The stations of the cross were portrayed in stained glass. And there were at least two crucifixes on the wall. The main altar along with the choir is elevated above the congregation.
On the left side I noticed an altar with a picture and statue of Mary. And there was a Marian shrine with candles beside that. I don’t think +Stanton is Anglo-Cath. So I’m curious about that. Both the Mary altar and the main altar were used for Communion.
Those who have stereotyped views of conservatives will be surprised to hear that the congregation was quite multi-cultural. And women played a prominent role in the worship (which made me a little nervous at times, but I’ll discuss that issue some other time.).
Oh yeah, the music. Ooooh, the music! The choir, though not huge, was excellent. And the organist was great, playing with the sort of power I like in a church organ. Sometimes, I had to close my eyes and let the music wash over me. At the same time, the congregational parts were very easy to sing. Heck, I think even I sounded good.
Anyway, very different worship music experiences. But I liked them both. And both helped me worship.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
On a lighter (but sticky) note . . .
I visited my dermatologist yesterday because there was a spot on my scalp I found very suspicious. He took one look at it and said it was harmless, thank God.
But then we talked about other skin-related matters, and I brought up my small, few, but persistent, hand warts.
He said, "Well, there's been a new development in the treatment of warts since you last visited. And it involves duct tape." And he proceeded to tell me that studies have shown that covering warts in duct tape for two months eliminates them about 80% of the time.
No, he wasn't kidding. We had a good laugh over that, though.
I've heard about duct tape fixing just about everything, but this is ridiculous!
I visited my dermatologist yesterday because there was a spot on my scalp I found very suspicious. He took one look at it and said it was harmless, thank God.
But then we talked about other skin-related matters, and I brought up my small, few, but persistent, hand warts.
He said, "Well, there's been a new development in the treatment of warts since you last visited. And it involves duct tape." And he proceeded to tell me that studies have shown that covering warts in duct tape for two months eliminates them about 80% of the time.
No, he wasn't kidding. We had a good laugh over that, though.
I've heard about duct tape fixing just about everything, but this is ridiculous!
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
A bishop teaches. . . . Really, I’m serious . . . about creeds in the U. S.
The Rt. Rev. Ray Sutton, who confirmed me, is a bishop who takes his teaching role seriously. And he showed it during his visitation to my new church Providence REC. He gave a mini-seminar on the current state of the Anglican Communion and the Reformed Episcopal Church on Saturday the 25th. And he taught Sunday School and gave the sermon on Sunday the 26th.
Much of what he taught is already known to the average reader of this blog. So I’ll stick to highlights and interesting tidbits.
He stated that the struggles between conservatives and revisionists in the Episcopal Church USA are nothing new. Back at its founding after the Revolutionary War, Latitudinarianism was popular. It advocated subscribing only to the Bible while ditching the creeds. Bishop William White was very much influenced by it and got the Athanasian Creed taken out of the U.S. prayer book and tried to get the Nicene Creed taken out.
Fortunately, Bishop Samuel Seabury, with the support and urging of the Scottish bishops who consecrated him, successfully insisted on keeping the Nicene Creed. In fact, you might say the Scottish bishops did an intervention, consecrating Seabury in order to thwart Latitudinarianism in the U. S.
The Reformed Episcopal Church, shortly after its founding, added back the Athanasian Creed as well, the first U.S. Anglican church to do so. (The ECUSA didn’t add it back to its prayer books until 1979, and then in the Historical Documents section in the back.)
The Rt. Rev. Ray Sutton, who confirmed me, is a bishop who takes his teaching role seriously. And he showed it during his visitation to my new church Providence REC. He gave a mini-seminar on the current state of the Anglican Communion and the Reformed Episcopal Church on Saturday the 25th. And he taught Sunday School and gave the sermon on Sunday the 26th.
Much of what he taught is already known to the average reader of this blog. So I’ll stick to highlights and interesting tidbits.
He stated that the struggles between conservatives and revisionists in the Episcopal Church USA are nothing new. Back at its founding after the Revolutionary War, Latitudinarianism was popular. It advocated subscribing only to the Bible while ditching the creeds. Bishop William White was very much influenced by it and got the Athanasian Creed taken out of the U.S. prayer book and tried to get the Nicene Creed taken out.
Fortunately, Bishop Samuel Seabury, with the support and urging of the Scottish bishops who consecrated him, successfully insisted on keeping the Nicene Creed. In fact, you might say the Scottish bishops did an intervention, consecrating Seabury in order to thwart Latitudinarianism in the U. S.
The Reformed Episcopal Church, shortly after its founding, added back the Athanasian Creed as well, the first U.S. Anglican church to do so. (The ECUSA didn’t add it back to its prayer books until 1979, and then in the Historical Documents section in the back.)
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