Real Excommunications!

Excommunications are back!

Yes, there is such a thing as church discipline.

The Congregation of the Doctrine of the faith has pronounced excommunications against those attempting to ordain womynpriests.

(And again, my issue is more with trashing church order for liberal pet causes than with women’s ordination, although I look askance at that as well.)

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Hat tip to The Good Professor

Snakes!

One time, in a discussion of what issues are secondary among Christians, one wag volunteered, “Snakes.” Said discussion was in North Carolina, not too far from snake-handling churches, so we knew what he was talking about.

But it turns out snakes are not just a backwoods Pentecostal thing. Even Cartholicks get into them.

Now my parish has its very own Anglican snake-handler. He was involved in some outdoor work when he and his cohorts came upon and killed a rattlesnake. Being the curious sort, he picked up the head after it was dead to check it out. And it bit him on the finger.

Now I’m not making that up. Anyone who has accidentally run over a snake with a mower as I have will notice that freshly dead snakes have amazing reflex action.

Another thing about snakes is that an adult snake will have some control over how much venom he releases, but not a dead snake. So our Anglican snake-handling friend got a full dose. He was in bad shape for a while. But God answered prayers and he’s doing well and working. But he probably will have to have surgery to replace the skin the venom dissolved on his finger.

I hope you enjoyed this post over a pleasant meal.

In Schori’s Face.

Now, five dioceses have issued statements protesting PB Schori’s violation of the canons in her lust to get Bishops Cox and Schofield deposed. The statement from the Diocese of Northern Indiana is particularly remarkable:

We, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Northern Indiana strongly protest the failure of the Presiding Bishop, Katherine Jefferts Schori and Chancellor David Booth Beers to follow the Canons of our Episcopal Church in the depositions of Bishops John Schofield and William Cox. . . .

Further, it goes on to anticipate future enormities of the Presiding Heretic:

We note with alarm that the Presiding Bishop has publically stated her intent to begin, at the September meeting of the House of Bishops, deposition proceedings against Bishop Robert Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh for abandoning the communion before the diocese votes to do so in November. We plead for calm and prayer in the face of temptations to escalate abuses of power in this way. We agree with the Standing Committee of Central Florida and others who insist that depositions are an unnecessary and unfortunate way to deal with disagreement, dissension, and even division within our Church. We believe it also borders on unchristian.

Wow! For an Episcopalian diocese, and a non-Network one at that, to make an in-your-face statement like that is something. It certainly doesn’t reflect well on Schori’s repute in the church.

Methinks Schori overreached in going after two beloved bishops. Her standing has already been taken down a couple notches, and there may be more to come, perhaps even a presentment. I don’t think the Not-So-Great Harlot will be knocked off her oven-mitt colored beast. But she perhaps she will be made even less Great.

Gulag UK: Labour’s Baby-Killing Operation

Gulag UK just wouldn’t be a real gulag without mass murder and ghoulish medical experimentation. But New Labour just took care of that.

Oh, you thought Glorious Leader Gordon Brown graciously permitted a free vote on these progressive measures? Then why did Deputy Labour Leader Harriet Brown and her Feminazi shock troops conduct a full scale and intimidating whipping operation?

Technically, once the MPs turned up, they could vote either way. In reality, sources say, they were greeted by Ms Harman’s group, who pressured them to vote against the move, proposed by Tory MP Nadine Dorries.
According to one account, women Labour MPs formed a ‘human corridor’ to channel their colleagues into the ‘No’ lobby. One Labour MP claimed to have heard one of Ms Harman’s team shout: ‘Vote against us and the sisterhood will never let you forget it.’

Some free vote.

Now granted, I don’t find the opportunity to tell Feminazis, or Glorious Gordon for that matter, to go to hell very intimidating. But these are obvious threats, and we are talking Labour politicians. Cranmer comments further on this travesty here.

Let’s see . . . mass killing of “undesirables,” particularly “life not worthy to be lived.” Check.

Fun medical experimentation. Check.

Shock troop supported dictatorship cloaked by faux democracy. Check.

Hmmm, that’s strange. I thought we defeated Hitler.

Using My Reader’s License

As I let slip the other day, I used my Reader’s License and led Evening Prayer at my parish Wednesday. Actually, I’ve led it the past three Wednesdays. The first two were in part to give me practice with my rectors either amidst the congregation or up there with me so that I (and they) would be confident when I did it this week without them present. (They went to a clergy convocation in Dallas.)

I’ve led pretty well with only a little nervousness the first time. I don’t think I committed any significant abominations. And this past Wednesday went particularly smooth even though my mike wasn’t working. The congregation was generous with praise for my efforts afterwards. A couple of them said that now I have to become a deacon although I think that a bit of a stretch.

And, yes, I enjoy leading Evening Prayer. That should be no surprise given how much I love the liturgy.

For those interested in such things, details:
The Order for Daily Evening Prayer was from the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, very similar to the 1928 BCP. I was vested in white over a black cassock, like an acolyte, but without any priestly vestments, of course. I prayed from the North end of the table as Cranmer intended. The sung parts: the opening and closing hymn, various Gloria Patris, the canticles (I chose the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis.) Everything else was said. No chanting, although I might want to do that someday. And instead of the Absolution after the General Confession, I prayed the Collect for the 21st Sunday after Trinity.

UK Women Priests: Leave Those Traditionalists to Us

I missed this a couple weeks ago, but it is still worthy of comment. There is a group of women in the Church of England who are not happy with proposals to allow woman bishops but at the same time provide for those who can not conscientiously recognize women as bishops. And these women priests have said so in an open letter.

This puts the lie to their claims to be inclusive. The single clause policy they advocate can be nothing more than an order to “submit or else” to traditionalists. Well, on second thought, maybe that is inclusive . . . like the Borg.

Anyway, they claim they’ll be nice to those sexist bigots traditionalists.

After 21 years of ordained ministry and 14 years of priesthood, many of us have much experience of building trustful relationships with those unable to accept the priestly ministry of women. In the Anglican Communion overseas, women take this experience into the episcopate, which leads them to invite other bishops into their Dioceses or Episcopal areas to ordain, confirm and take other services when required. Bishops should be trusted to act wisely and behave with dignity, and all bishops should work within clear expectations and codes of practice. The language of “protection” and “safeguard” is offensive to women, . . .

Oh! We ladies are so offended, we might just faint!

. . . and we believe the existing disciplinary procedures are enough for women or men to be brought to account if they behave inappropriately. We would commend the good practice over the past 20 years of the 15 Anglican Provinces which have already opened the episcopate to women . . .

Yes, we’ll be just like the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, which have a wonderful record of conduct toward conservatives bigots.

Discussion of a single clause measure without including the possible arrangements for those opposed, characterises those who argue for it as somehow “not caring” about those who oppose the ordination/consecration of women. This is far from the truth. Strong relationships have been forged on the anvil of profound disagreement and there is ample testimony to the richness of these encounters, to set alongside those situations which have proved painful. As the broken body of Christ on earth, the Church’s internal relationships should rest on trust, forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation, rather than on protection and an over-anxious reliance on the letter of the law.

We don’t need legal protection for those who oppose us. Trust us. We’ll take care of those sexist Neanderthals traditionalists. We just love reconciliation, just like the Episcopal Church.

Well, that’s very nice. And I hope some of the signees are big enough not to require everyone to kiss their ring. But if I were a UK orthodox Anglican, I would be sure measures of provision and protection are in writing with the force of law, thank you.

A Big Reason to Leave Apostate Denominations

You might be able to personally stand firm in your faith in an apostate denomination such as the Episcopal Church or the Anglican Church of Canada. Maybe your parish can stand firm for a time, although I think that time is growing shorter by the day.

But what about your children? What effect will it have on them if they are liable to be taught stuff like this?

We believe in Jesus of Nazareth, who is our brother, who wants not to be idolized but to be followed.

We believe that we dwell in the presence of the Holy Spirit; without her we are nothing; filled with her we are able to become creative, lively, and free.

Pray tell, how is it possible to “idolize” the only begotten Son of God?

Anyway, if you think you can keep your apostate denomination from teaching tripe like this to your kids . . . maybe you ought to think again. I’m not saying it can’t be done. But I do have my doubts about it. And why should you fight your church in the religious education of your family?

Hat tip to Stand Firm.