Reader Response Archives
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January 2010
PENNSYLVANIA: Bishop appeals church court's decision
The case against the Rt. Rev, Charles Bennison should be dropped and he should be allowed to retire without being inhibited from exercising his ordained and sacramental ministry. Charles was not involved in the sexual abuse and was merely protecting his younger brother, as any brother is expected to do.As for Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, she could assume the role of a graceful and forgiving Presiding Bishop - a leader among her peers and a good example to all who are not perfect.
PITTSBURGH: Bishop Price invites parish leaders to discuss differences
I think it is a sound and charitable approach that Bishop Price is taking. I believe it will be helpful to many people in the long run. He is a good pastor as well as an admirable administrator.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity celebrates beginnings of modern ecumenical movement
Thank you so much for this joyful story. Any Episcopal seminary should include the story of the Edinburgh Conference in the ongoing story of the history of the Church.
PENNSYLVANIA: Bishop appeals church court's decision
What do you mean, "he was not involved in the sexual abuse?" As long as he protected his brother who continued to abuse, he WAS involved.That "not involved" thinking is what kept it all going for so many years in the RC church. This man has not learned anything about childhood sexual abuse. Amazing and disappointing.
Haiti struck by devastating earthquake; diocese suffers heavy damage
My heart and my prayers go out to the suffering in Haiti upon learning about this catastrophic earthquake. I remember reading an article in a National Geographic magazine which showed Holy Trinity cathedral's murals. I assume the Anglican Communion will be sending relief.
Updated: Haiti struck by devastating earthquake; diocese suffers heavy damage
Blessings and prayers from around the world surround and enfold the people hurting and the people helping in this crisis.Thank you, Episcopal Relief & Development. I am making a contribution of money and prayers.
Haiti struck by devastating earthquake; diocese suffers heavy damage
It's terrible to hear of the loss of the Cathedral and also St. Etienne's Church in the mountains. Several American parishes partnered with St. Etienne's to build a new school complex, sanctuary and cistern in the 1980s 1990s. We enjoyed wonderful visits to the vibrant congregations and schools based at the Cathedral and St. Etienne's. The courage, talent, and resourcefulness of the faculty and clergy set a very high bar. Children would walk miles on mountain trails to get to school every morning at St. Etienne's, heads held high and uniforms impeccably ironed by mothers who heated the irons in their morning cookfires, even if there was little to cook.Armed with little more than their own muscle power and a few shovels, the Haitian Episcopalians excavated the rock-hard mountaintop soil, mixed concrete, and raised beautiful buildings to serve over 500 children from primary grades through high school. The town was previously called Buteau, but when the new school was well under way the citizens renamed it St. Etienne for the parish.
May it rise again!
Updated: Haiti struck by devastating earthquake; diocese suffers heavy damage
I was in Haiti 40 years ago and never forgot the incredible paintings on the walls of the Cathedral. A terrible loss. Even though their country has been devastated yet again, the Haitians will survive somehow. My prayers are with them.
Episcopal Church spends Sunday in prayer for Haiti
Whenever we have a tragedy like this, I send money to Episcopal Relief and Development. I do this by computer -- no fuss, no mess. It is faster, no envelope or stamp, no going to the mailbox, and the money gets to them faster. I was, therefore, surprised that the enclosure for Haiti which was included in our bulletin [January 17] did not include a website or instructions on how to contribute to Haiti relief by way of the Internet.Editor's note: Donations may be made online at the Episcopal Relief & Development website at http://www.er-d.org
Updated: Haiti struck by devastating earthquake; diocese suffers heavy damage
Thanks so much for this comprehensive report. I have been very concerned and this is by far the best source of information I have found.
MALAYSIA: Christians flock to worship amid attacks on churches
It has been a current theme, especially in recent months, of Islamic groups persecuting Christians. In addition to your article on Malaysia, similar incidents have occurred to Coptic Christians in Egypt, Greek Orthodox Christians in Turkey and to Christians visiting the holy sites in Jerusalem during Christmas services. I believe it is a concerted plan by radical Islamists to achieve Dar-es-Salaam by annihilating the Christian religion along with Western cultural values. This is a very serious threat that should not be taken lightly.
Archbishops issue urgent plea for peace in Sudan
Forward Day by Day meditations for the month of January, written by a missionary to Sudan, have drawn my attention to the Sudanese people and their daily lives. What can I do, as an Episcopal lay person, aside from focused prayer, furthering my knowledge about these issues and sharing with my fellow Episcopalians, to help bring God's peace to the people of Sudan?
Recycled-glass art enlivens classrooms
Thank you for this article. It was emailed to me by Lauren's mother, Connie, a good friend and sister-in-Christ at Trinity Parish, St. Augustine.It is a wonder-filled gift that Lauren shares with others. I'm going to start looking for discarded windows!
In marriage, couples still hold the power
In Marriage by Bond in Colonial Texas, copyright 1972, Bennett Smith [writes of] "marriages celebrated agreeably to the custom of the times." The marriages, however, were not fully legal until solemnized by a priest ($25 each in 1830). I am in favor of marriage (coming up on 52 years) but dubious about weddings. The most elaborate weddings seem to be the beginnings of the shortest marriages. I think my mate and I would each have been to the other "a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy" even without the church, but the church has been woven into our marriage. Very much enjoyed your article.
MINNESOTA: Priest's pop art challenges contemporary stereotypes, recalls church history
Thank you, Robert Two Bulls, for your paintings and your words. Whether ikons or cartoons or folk art or fine art - whatever the differences are - your voice is important. I remember with pleasure your voice in "Issues" at General Convention from time to time, and thank you for all that you have to say.
In marriage, couples still hold the power
Thank you for the refresher on the history of marriage and the role of the church in it. [My wife] and I were married in a relatively "traditional" Episcopal ceremony in 1988 at my long-time home parish in Redwood City, California.We adapted the Rite 2 wedding and Eucharistic rites somewhat to suit our purposes, but our 1988 liturgy looks dull, pedestrian, and unenlightened compared to the joyful liturgical marriage ceremonies we now experience rather regularly at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, our liturgical home since 1998.
We owe a great deal of the longevity and current health of our marriage to the supportive community there, which has upheld us through moves, joblessness, illness, injury, and more for over half of our married life.
The nurturing and support of one's church community is--or should be--an integral part of beginning and sustaining a marriage and the individuals who commit to that unique relationship, regardless of their race, creed, orientation, or gender. If a church community or the larger institutional church are not fostering supportive, sustaining, and healthy relationships before, during, and after the marriage ceremony, they are not doing their jobs right.
MINNESOTA: Priest's pop art challenges contemporary stereotypes, recalls church history
Wow! Great review on the Rev. Robert Two Bulls' art. I have one of his paintings in my office that became the poster for the 1992 500th anniversary Celebration of Survival at the National Cathedral. For three days representatives of 750 indigenous cultures took over the National Cathedral and its grounds to conduct a teach-in, eat Native American foods, and worship together. My family is from Minnesota. I know of the Mankato hangings and clearly see the need for greater reconciliation among all Americans. We can be blind to our history, or be open to it so that all can be set free to fully express our God-given talents. I'm glad Two Bulls' art talent is reaching people.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
Excellent. Who cares about another's sexual preference, unless you are looking for a partner? Let's celebrate how we work, in many diverse ways, to love God and to love our neighbors.
UGANDA: Anglican church warns on homosexuality
Can anyone make a flower? Can anyone choose their color? Can anyone presume to be the Creator and change or alter the variations that run throughout nature? Homosexuality is not choice. We are all part of the same creation. We are all nature. How can someone born to be attracted to the opposite sex, through no doing of their own, presume to be better or holy and therefore able to condemn others?The bible condemns many things. The anti-Christians condemned Christ. Of course we do not condemn Christ -- we are his love, so we may pick up the stone? The bible is not a complete document. It is inspired by God, but has been written, translated, re written, re-translated myriad times and with many perspectives that are human. The bible is not complete until we, through our action, understand how to write it as the Spirit inscribes it in our hearts. This might be understood by our ability to be truly charitable and humble to our neighbor as God has situated him in his infinite creativity. We all have to evolve into love as we evolve into wanting God. The underpinnings of love is the great fiat to the mystery of the apparently impossible, the apparently irreconcilable. There would be no gift of faith without our human blindness. We all, all of us, will stumble to our death in trying to pronounce the word "yes." Thankfully, Christ has said it for us to the Father for us with infinite joy.
Presiding Bishop urges Liberian Anglicans to 'help each child in this nation'
We are most thankful that Presiding Bishop has taken the time to visit Liberia. Liberia, founded 200 years ago by free slaves and The Colonization Society, has long suffered in the shadow of America.Let us pray that the Episcopal Church and the American government will truly stand alongside the people of that country, which we founded, and help them.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
Thank you for saying this so well. I am not a wordsmith, but it does make me sad that sometimes all people can hear is that a person is gay, not that they are a loving, wonderful, welcoming person or a wonderful preacher. We miss so much with our blinders so wide.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
I think I get [the writer's] point but balk at the simplification of this issue being about sex. It's about justice, love, and inclusion. Thanks for bringing it up.
ENGLAND: Anglican coalition calls Canterbury's response to L.A. election, lack of Uganda statement 'perverse'
The ongoing evolution of the Episcopal Church/USA is beyond the comprehension of many here and abroad. Even USA anglophiles need to remember that the Archbishop of Canterbury has no jurisdiction here, and furthermore he has lost credible, persuasive strength among many American Episcopalians.To be sure, the Anglican Communion has been a nicety, but its faux ecclesiastical unity can never be a commanding idol. Our parishes and dioceses can link globally, or otherwise, for mission and mutual support. Frankly, I would prefer that we direct our energies, indeed our bonds of affection (well beyond the Anglican Communion) among others grounded in our shared baptismal identity and vocation. There will be many Christians who feel unable to share life and ministry with the Episcopal Church/USA. Nonetheless, many Christians would choose to do so.
When I was ordained in 1963, nothing was mentioned in our required vows or our liturgy about the Anglican Communion or Canterbury. Let us get on with ministry with those who genuinely wish to share the baptized life with us! We are wasting an inordinate amount of time and energy with ties that no longer bind.
ENGLAND: Anglican coalition calls Canterbury's response to L.A. election, lack of Uganda statement 'perverse'
Has TEC progressed from ignoring the counsel of the Archbishop of Canterbury to telling him to mind his own business? Does not the ABC have a principal role with regards to the unity of the Communion which necessitates engagement when the actions of a constituent member impinge upon the well being of other members of the Anglican family? Why should one belong to a Communion when an individual member community can flagrantly challenge and disregard the legitimate concerns of other communities and thereby reduce union to a collection of sects comparable to a congregationalist forum rather than a hierarchical communion?The condemnation leveled at the ABC by the LGBT Anglican Coalition regarding the Ugandan situation amounts to nothing more than a tactic to distract attention away from one specific issue raised by the ABC. The two issues, while sharing a common thread, i.e., human sexuality, are quite distinct. And, to resort to name calling, i.e., using the threat of "homophobia" to silence opposition, is unacceptable in intelligent discourse. Such a tactic is merely intended to shut down substantive dialogue and demonstrates an unwillingness to deal with the serious psychological and physical health problems often associated with homosexual behavior.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
I agree with you wholeheartedly. A great number of us feel this way--perhaps we are too busy doing other things, or too disheartened, to be vociferous about it. From all of us, thank you for expressing our exact sentiments so very well.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
Amen! Amen! Amen!I wholeheartedly agree with this commentary and wish that it might be read by every frantic Episcopalian -- and especially the Archbishop of Canterbury! I think these are prophetic admonitions, and I thank you and the writer for sharing them.
ENGLAND: Anglican coalition calls Canterbury's response to L.A. election, lack of Uganda statement 'perverse'
I take my hat off to the archbishop for making a stand against this un-holy appointment. I just wish that he had the authority to block it. I do hope the rest of the body of bishops in America vote against this over the next 120 days.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
While I can understand the point that Tom Ehrich is trying to make regarding the day-to-day work and mission of the Episcopal Church, the fact remains that the present controversies and divisions exist precisely due to the un-biblical actions the church has taken in recent years. The resulting decline in membership speaks for itself. I, for one, left for the Roman Catholic Church early this year for a host of reasons, not the least of which was the Episcopal Church's support of gay clergy, same-sex marriage, abortion, birth control, and extremist environmental issues. And while some parishes are more faithful to the Gospel than others (including the one I left), much of the church is not preaching the true Gospel nor calling sinners to repentance. The is the direct result of denominational and diocesan leadership that is more concerned with pushing personal agendas and ideology, rather than doing the work they were called to do when ordained. It's a sad and tragic situation.
Presiding Bishop visits Dallas, commissions church's newest jubilee center
I wish that the Presiding Bishop had remembered that the ancient tradition of scapegoating the Jews continues around the world and in many places is on the upswing. In this country anti-Semitism is certainly on the rise and markedly so. It isn't just the Muslims, immigrants and gays that are the scapegoats. When nation after nation continues its call to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, that sure is scapegoating in my book. All the old canards about the Jews controlling the media, Congress and the White House, and running the world's finances are still in vogue. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion are even published now by nations supposedly friendly to the United States. Who is standing up to these nations? I don't see the Episcopal Church taking any strong stances publicly about these matters. When might we expect to see that happen?
Readers respond to stories about Los Angeles bishop election
I am deeply saddened by the members of my church who support this bigotry, who are so lacking in compassion that they have to wrap their wrong-headedness with pages from texts that were written in another time, and in another cultural context -- and which have been misrepresented.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
I share the author's concern that the emphasis on sexuality issues might give the impression that we are about nothing. But to diminish the significance of this discussion seems unwise. It also is strange to characterize those concerned as merely the "anti-gay lobby." Finally, to characterize the Anglican Communion as a postcolonial fiction which can be easily discounted fails to take seriously the idea that global voices do count in understanding God's work in our world, particularly global Christian voices. Perhaps the facile assumption that the American Episcopal Church has a stranglehold on the "entirety of a biblical ethic" sounds a bit strained to me? Maybe I'm in the minority of skeptics.
Proposed law potential 'genocide' for LGBT Ugandans
I am horrified to hear of the this proposed law. Africa/Uganda have some pressing problems. Gays and lesbians are being used as distraction from the challenges that are affecting/threatening that continent. It is time Africa (on a whole) stop trumpeting other nations' ideas and interests and focus on what is really important to their AFRICAN peoples; health, food, education and African development fueled by African needs. It is time to stop importing ideas/solutions for what ails the African continent.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
Thank you for articulating so well my own feelings about this election. I wish all those members of my church on either side of the sexuality question would focus on the coming of the Word Incarnate this holy season, and stop being distracted by their own self-righteousness. We are called to heal the sick, feed the hungry and care for the poor, and God's creation would be all the better for remembering our mission. The final judgment is God's, not ours; paying more attention to serving as Christ's messengers to a desperate world is the true response to our baptismal calling.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
I am still amazed that you do not see gay as sin. If your parents were gay how would you have been? God made us male and female. Paul clearly says it sin. You expect your kids to be gay? You need to take the bible simply. In case you are still arguing, eternity will put it beyond arguments, only that it may have negative eternal consequences.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
This inspiring article should be required reading for anyone who wants to trumpet publicly their opinion on either side of the argument over gays in the church. I've been saying and thinking this for a long time: let's quit bickering and get on with the real work of the church! Bravo, Fr. Ehrich.
Anglican covenant sent to provinces for consideration, adoption
Well, it's not perfect, but at least this clearly closes the loophole for break-away, so-called Anglican bodies to sign up unless they are prepared to go through the entire ACC process for being recognized as a new Province of the Communion. Also makes it clear that only "national" churches (provinces) are invited to sign on officially -- not individuals, parishes, or even dioceses, except in a kind of symbolic way.Bishop Christopher Epting recently retired as the Presiding Bishop's deputy for ecumenical and interfaith matters.
Los Angeles women bishops' elections create 'bit of a wave'; tsunami of reaction, expectations
I congratulate the Diocese of Los Angeles and the whole TEC for the election of these two women to the episcopate. I hope that Diane and Mary may soon obtain the required consent on the basis of their persons. The church since the beginning ordained persons not genders!The clergy and people of the Diocese of Surigao, Iglesia Filipina Independiente rejoice with the Diocese of Los Angeles and the whole TEC, and praise God for this historic, momentous event in the lfie of the church.
Rhee Surigao is bishop of the Diocese of Surigao, Iglesia Filipina Independiente.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
Thank you, Tom Ehrich, for being bold enough to speak of your weariness as we too often, too easily, live into our fears rather than into our hopes for the people of God; it is time to honor our core, baptismal values of respect, honor and love for all of God's people without hesitation, without restriction, as expressed in the 76th General Convention of our Church.While theologians, bishops and other persons debate various biblical points, the people in our pews seek personal relationship with God within community, agreeing to disagree while engaging in discovery, faith clarification and local outreach & justice building. Is that not Christ's call to each of us in this challenging time?
Community is key to climate justice following Copenhagen's 'disappointing' result, faith leaders say
Speaking of "disappointing," I am 63 years old and have been an Episcopalian all my life. My grandparents were Episcopalians and my great-grandfather was an Episcopal priest. In all that has gone on in the Church in my lifetime I have never been as dismayed as I am now that the Church insists on pushing the "climate change" agenda of people who have motives other than pure for seeing this reach fruition. Where is the church when a minority is pushing hard to see that religion is removed from the public square in spite of the fact that we have an "establishment" clause in our Constitution and not a "separation" clause? Where is the church when Christmas is attacked by these same people? Quite frankly, at the moment, the Episcopal Church is moving far too left for my liking.
COMMENTARY: Remembering who we are
Thank you for saying it all so well. There are so many more important things than fretting about who is gay and who is not. We can kneel at the altar rail next to someone who may or may not be gay, and it does not matter. We can receive the elements from some one who may or may not be gay, and that does not matter either. What does matter is love for our fellow human beings no matter who or what they are.
Canterbury issues statement on Los Angeles' election of openly gay bishop suffragan
The controversy over Bishop-Elect Glasspool's sexual orientation has, regrettably, overshadowed the more significant fact of both bishops'-elect gender. The Diocese of Los Angeles has committed a radical act of inclusion for the very first time in its long history by electing bishops-elect Bruce and Glasspool (women!) to serve. It seems to me that we should be celebrating the fact that our diocese no longer views women and female clergy in limited ways rather than focusing on first on bishop-elect Glasspool's private life.I look forward to hearing of the consent to these elections and to the fruits of the ministry of these outstanding individuals.
Standing Committee meets in London, reaffirms call for 'gracious restraint'
There is no body within the Anglican Communion that has legislative authority over the provinces of the Communion. It is a misnomer to identify the Standing Committee as an "interim" body between meetings. The purpose of the ACC is to handle the day-to-day affairs of the operation of the Communion office. I find it both curious and extremely hypocritical that this so-called body would issue a statement about an internal matter for the Episcopal Church that has not involved anything but the proper following of canonical procedures, yet it fails to address the issues in Anglican Provinces in Africa where lesbian and gay Christians as well as non-Christians are being subjected to draconian laws. The Standing Committee finds the nerve to speak about a peaceful, non-violent action within one province of the Anglican Communion yet remains silent about the violence being committed -- sometimes in the name of the church and government -- against members of the church in another province. The priorities are seriously skewed for this group of folks.
Faith groups express hopes for Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
I was interested to read that the Office of the Anglican Observer at the U.N. has led a delegation of concerned leaders from around the communion to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, some from at least as far away as Kenya.Tell me: how many "concerned leaders" from around the Anglican Communion felt the need to attend this conference in person? And how many tons of CO2 from burnt jet fuel had to be dumped into the atmosphere in order to transport their necessary selves to Copenhagen?
Faith groups express hopes for Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Why does the Episcopal Church continue to ignore the 200-plus legitimate scientists who have written articles which disagree with the proponents of "global warming?" Why does the Episcopal Church immediately fall in line with all the other "liberal positions -- political, economic, scientific and otherwise" -- published by the liberal media?
Unity, Faith and Order commission develops vision, urges 'gracious restraint' following L.A. election
This Unity, Faith and Order Commission's vision is a load of unmitigated garbage as far as I am concerned. If we welcome gay people to be parishioners, then they should have the same rights as all other parishioners. For God's sake, let us have done with it. Let us separate from the Anglican Communion and its pusillanimosity. Let us do what is right and forge ahead and not to make nice with the bigots and with those mired in culture of 3500 years ago. Either all people are equal in Jesus Christ or none are. Let us declare it now that we, the Episcopal Church, believe all are equal and all must be treated equally. For the record, I am a 77 year old blatantly heterosexual male.
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