ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!

GIOTTO di Bondone - Scenes from the Life of Christ: Resurrection (Noli me tangere)
Fresco, 1304-06
 Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

(John 20:11-18)

Alleluia. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast, 

Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia. 

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 

The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 

So also consider yourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia. 

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

For since by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

(Book of Common Prayer)

A Blessed and Happy Easter!

Read More

THE MORNING OF THE ROLLING STONE

Delightful.

Thanks to Fr Kirstin via Kelvin Holdsworth.

Read More

PERSECUTION! PERSECUTION!

Fraser: "It is an insult to Christians in genuine persecution."

Yes! To say that Christians in England, or the US are persecuted is nonsense. Let those who think so go live in certain countries in the Middle East, such as Iran or Pakistan, for a while, and they'd know what it is to fear for their lives in the practice of their Christian faith. I'm thoroughly sick and tired of the whining. Good for Giles.

The Roman Catholic hierarchy tried to pull the same persecution stunt over rules that require health insurance companies to provide coverage for contraceptives for their employees.  You'd think the bishops themselves were being forced to hand out condoms and birth control pills.

What Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, in England and the RC hierarchy here in the US want is for everyone in the respective countries to live according to their rules.

Read More

CHRIST IN THE TOMB

HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger
The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb
1521

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

Image from the Web Gallery of Art. 

Read More

CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST

GIOTTO di Bondone
Scenes from the Life of Christ: Crucifixion
Fresco 1304-06
Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

We glory in your cross, O Lord,

and praise and glorify your holy resurrection; for by virtue of your cross joy has come to the whole world.

May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of his countenance, and come to us.

Let your ways be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

We glory in your cross, O Lord, and praise and glorify your holy resurrection; for by virtue of your cross joy has come to the whole world.

(Book of Common Prayer)

 Image from the Web Gallery of Art.

Read More

JESUS WASHES THE FEET OF HIS DISCIPLES

GIOTTO di Bondone
Scenes from the Life of Christ: Washing of Feet
Fresco 1304-06
Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

The Lord Jesus, after he had supped with his disciples and had washed their feet, said to them, “Do you know what I, your Lord and Master, have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done.”
Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you; peace which the world cannot give, I give to you.

I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.
Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you; peace which the world cannot give, I give to you.

By this shall the world know that you are my disciples: That you have love for one another.

(Book of Common Prayer)

Image from the Web Gallery of Art.

Read More

ON THE HOME FRONT IN LOUISIANA

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration quietly released a new financial analysis that estimates the state could save as much as $368 million over 10 years by expanding Louisiana’s Medicaid program under the federal health care law.

The analysis was posted on the state Department of Health and Hospitals’ website this week with no fanfare. The department hasn’t touted the findings, and they were mentioned only briefly — and with little detail — during a budget hearing in which lawmakers pushed for more information about the expansion and Jindal’s refusal to participate in it.
....

The new DHH estimates say Louisiana could save anywhere from $197 million to $368 million over 10 years while covering more than 577,000 additional people through Medicaid. The savings can be attributed to lessening existing state costs for providing health care to the uninsured, largely through the public hospital system.

Oops!  Note the quiet correction.  Let's not blow up this teensy-weensy mistake way out of proportion.  Now the only barrier to implementing the Medicaid expansion is the governor's ideology.

Jindal opposes the expansion as inappropriate growth of what he says is an inefficient government entitlement program.

And I'm sure the people in Louisiana who are denied health insurance coverage will understand perfectly that Jindal cannot violate his principles.  He and his family are comfortably covered, but the rest of the citizens in Louisiana, especially the families struggling on low wages, are not entitled to health insurance coverage from "an inefficient government entitlement program".   Damn those entitlements!

And about the governor's proposed tax plan to eliminate income taxes for individuals and businesses and replace the revenue with a sales tax, which will give Louisiana the highest sales taxes in the country:

The state’s largest business lobbying group warned Gov. Bobby Jindal on Wednesday that his tax proposal is unacceptable to the business community.

Dan Juneau, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, blamed problems with the plan on the Jindal administration drawing up the proposal in a very short period of time, resulting in a simple shift in tax burden.

“There’s got to be winners and there’s got to be losers,” Juneau said. “The business community has become the designated loser.”

Oops again!  I welcome any and all allies to stop the stinking pile of compost aka known as Jindal's tax plan or anything like it from making its way into law.  Those who have the means and live within a reasonable distance of a bordering state will leave Louisiana to shop for goods and services.  Those who do not have transportation will suffer.  Of course, the governor says the poor will be exempt from sales taxes, but, as the demand for exemptions pile up, the math will not work, if it ever did.  (See above on the costs of the Medicaid expansion.)  The Jindal administration is not known for superior math skills.  

Read More

MOONSTRUCK

 

The picture above shows the nearly-full moon in daylight the other evening.

Seldom-seen sighting
Daylight and moon together
Viewers delighting

Below is the full moon last night.

 

Great ball shining bright
Rolling on dark night's ceiling
Sun's light brings to earth

Not great pictures by any stretch of the imagination, but I post them because I am moonstruck. I should buy a better quality camera, if I want to take moon pictures.

Read More

WOE IS HE

 

Yesterday, my grandson broke his wrist after tripping and falling in in PE class. Just what we need.... My son is a single dad with full custody of my grandson and half-time custody of his older sister, age 17. I'm with my grandson, who is 12, in the afternoons till his dad gets home from work, when his sister is not at the house.

At first, the doctor thought he would have to insert pins to hold the bones in place, but he was able to set the break without pins and put on a cast.  GS is at my house today and may return to school tomorrow.  We'll see.  School will be closed Good Friday.  He wanted my readers to see the color he chose for his cast. 

I didn't sleep well, and I'm a little spacey today, so if I say silly stuff, you will know why. 

Read More

"EACH OF US CAN DO SOMETHING" - ÓSCAR ROMERO

Óscar Romero

Yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of Óscar Romero. To honor the occasion, I watched the film titled Romero, which is the story of the period in his life when he served as Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador.  The movie is available in it's entirety at YouTube.

Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (August 15, 1917 – March 24, 1980), commonly known as Monseñor Romero, was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in El Salvador. He later became prelate archbishop of San Salvador. As an archbishop, he witnessed numerous violations of human rights and began a ministry speaking out on behalf of the poor and victims of the country's civil war. His brand of political activism was denounced by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church and the government of El Salvador. In 1980, he was assassinated by gunshot while consecrating the Eucharist during mass. His death finally provoked international outcry for human rights reform in El Salvador.

From Wikipedia.

In the sermon just minutes before his death, Archbishop Romero reminded his congregation of the parable of the wheat. "Those who surrender to the service of the poor through love of Christ will live like the grains of wheat that dies. It only apparently dies. If it were not to die, it would remain a solitary grain. The harvest comes because of the grain that dies… We know that every effort to improve society, above all when society is so full of injustice and sin, is an effort that God blesses; that God wants; that God demands of us."

From Caritas Europa.

Read More

BISHOP IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND TALKS STRAIGHT

 

No pun intended in my title.

The Bishop of Buckingham, the Rt Rev Dr Alan Wilson, said the Church’s ban on offering blessings for civil partnerships was being flouted by several parishes across Britain.

He said this was because some felt the blessings were “logical, natural and compassionate”.

His comments come amid tensions within the Church over its opposition to the Government’s plans to legalise same-sex marriage.

The newly enthroned Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has underlined his opposition to the plans.
....

He said: “At the moment the policy is, 'Don’t ask, don’t tell’. We all know that in many dioceses there are one or two places these gay blessings have been happening. It’s hypocrisy, although it is understandable.
....

He added: “It is very difficult when an institution is too frightened of its own shadow to engage with the real world.

“True leadership is about coping with reality. On the ground, parish churches often deal with these things really well.”

From across the pond, Alan's courageous words continue to inspire and bring the fresh air of clarity to the discussion of blessing same-sex partnerships in the Church of England.  We find no mincing of words, no muddying the waters, no wishy-washy attempts to straddle the gap, but rather an expression of simple pastoral care and compassion for gay couples and a plea for the church to end the hypocrisy.

Read More

GAY PASSION OF CHRIST

3. Jesus Drives Out the Money Changers (from The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision) by Douglas Blanchard

Jesus in Love Blog is running a Holy Week series of Doug Blanchard's paintings titled A Gay Passion of Christ, along with commentary by Kittredge Cherry.  Doug's paintings are stunning, and Kittredge's excellent commentary does the art full justice.

The protest looks like a scene from Occupy Wall Street, although it was painted a decade before that movement began. Blanchard’s Jesus could be angry about the growing gap between the wealthy one percent and the other 99 percent, or about fundraising tactics that demonize LGBT people, or about countless other forms of economic injustice.

I highly recommend reading today's commentary in its entirety and following the posts during the rest of the week.  The paintings and the words provide timely meditations as we approach the climax of the Lenten season.

Read More

PASSOVER CLASSIC

This classic is attributed to George Burns:

During one of my many trips to London, I became friends with a very wealthy, yet very modest, Jewish chap named Hyman Goldfarb. On one visit, Hy told me that because of his large donations to charities through the years, the queen wanted to knight him, but he was going to turn it down.

"That's a great honor," I said. "Why would you turn it down?"

"Because during the ceremony you have to say something in Latin," he said. "And I don't wish to bother studying Latin just for that."

"So say something in Hebrew. The queen wouldn't know the difference."

"Brilliant," Hy complimented me, "but what should I say?"

"Remember that question the son asks the father on the first night of Passover? ... Can you say that in Hebrew?"

"Of course," he said. "Ma nishtana ha leila hazeh. Thank you, old sport; I shall become a knight."

At the ceremony Hy waited his turn while several of the other honorees went before the queen. Finally they called his name. He knelt before Her Majesty, she placed her sword on one shoulder and then on the other, and motioned for Hy to speak.

Out came "Ma nishtana ha leila hazeh."

The queen turned to her husband and said, "Why is this knight different from all other knights?"

Read More

CHRIST'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

DÜRER, Albrecht
Small Passion: 6. Christ's Entry into Jerusalem
1511
Woodcut
British Museum, London

Palm Sunday - John Keble

And He answered and said unto them, I tell you
that, if these should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out. -- St. Luke 29: 40.

Ye whose hearts are beating high
With the pulse of Poesy,
Heirs of more than royal race,
Framed by Heaven's peculiar grace,
God's own work to do on earth,
(If the word be not too bold,)
Giving virtue a new birth,
And a life that ne'er grows old -

Sovereign masters of all hearts!
Know ye, who hath set your parts?
He who gave you breath to sing,
By whose strength ye sweep the string,
He hath chosen you, to lead
His Hosannas here below; -
Mount, and claim your glorious meed;
Linger not with sin and woe.

But if ye should hold your peace,
Deem not that the song would cease -
Angels round His glory-throne,
Stars, His guiding hand that own,
Flowers, that grow beneath our feet,
Stones in earth's dark womb that rest,
High and low in choir shall meet,
Ere His Name shall be unblest.

Lord, by every minstrel tongue
Be Thy praise so duly sung,
That Thine angels' harps may ne'er
Fail to find fit echoing here:
We the while, of meaner birth,
Who in that divinest spell
Dare not hope to join on earth,
Give us grace to listen well.

But should thankless silence seal
Lips that might half Heaven reveal,
Should bards in idol-hymns profane
The sacred soul-enthralling strain,
(As in this bad world below
Noblest things find vilest using,)
Then, Thy power and mercy show,
In vile things noble breath infusing;

Then waken into sound divine
The very pavement of Thy shrine,
Till we, like Heaven's star-sprinkled floor,
Faintly give back what we adore:
Childlike though the voices be,
And untunable the parts,
Thou wilt own the minstrelsy
If it flow from childlike hearts.

Image from the Web Gallery of Art.

Read More

BBC INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN WELBY PRIOR TO HIS ENTHRONEMENT

Included in the interview are statements by Justin Welby that I find troubling.  The partial transcript below is mine, and I don't vouch for every word as correct.  One word is missing, because, even after listening a number of times, I could not understand what the archbishop said, so I left a blank. A reader supplied the word.

After the question about the decreasing numbers of the English who attend church, the interviewer asks:

Question: Could the source of that be that the church seems so out of touch with the mainstream on a number of issues, especially sexuality?

Response: The Church of England holds very firmly and continues to hold the view that marriage is a lifelong union of one man and one woman.  At the same time, at the heart of our understanding of what it is to be human is the essential dignity of the human being, and so we have to be very clear about homophobia.  You don't by muddling these ideas.  You don't suddenly provide the answer to dwindling congregations.  There's a very big difference between the ideals that we hold to that are essential to us and also pastoral practice.  In pastoral practice, you work with people as they are, as you hope they work with you, as you are yourself, and we are all conscious of our failings.  Anyone who goes around saying, I'm so ideal that I've got it absolutely right, and we can throw out those people we disagree with is completely out of order.  That's just not the way it works.

I confess my first reaction was, "And they let you get away with this?"  In the two questions and answers that I so laboriously transcribed, Justin seems to be doing what he said mustn't be done, namely muddling ideas.  To accept the idea that a straight person can have a marriage, but an LBGT person cannot, is homophobia, at least as I see it.  Why must the church hold "very firmly that marriage is a lifelong union of one man and one woman"?  Because of tradition?  The church changed its practice about a number of traditions.  To name only two: slavery and divorce.

Is it because of the few verses in the Scriptures that appear to refer to same-sexuality?  Surely Justin knows that the case against same-sex paetnerships and same-sex marriage in the Bible is quite weak.  None of the passages refer to faithful, loving, committed relationships of two persons of the same sex. Don't take my word for it; read Tobias Haller's book titled Reasonable and Holy.  Jesus never mentions same-sexuality in the Gospels, but he explicitly condemns divorce.  I'm mystified about what the church would allow in the way of pastoral practice.  It would seem very much like turning a blind eye, which Justin denied when the interviewer mentioned it.

Question: Do you worry sometimes that the concept of equality is beginning to displace Christian values?

Response: Equality as an aim and end in itself is something of a myth because people are not equal; they're different, and if we try to make them equal, we take away the extraordinary richness and diversity of human beings in all kinds of ways, and that's a huge mistake to make.  How you treat people can be equal without saying that you'll all be the same.

Balderdash!  Actually, a stronger word, not suitable for polite company, came to mind.  Justin Welby knows full well that those of us who advocate for equality for LGTB persons do not intend to "take away the extraordinary richness and diversity of human beings".  Why would he say such a thing?  We advocate for exactly what the archbishop says he wants: equal treatment under the law and in the church.

Since I had limited energy for transcribing, I picked out the archbishop's answers that troubled me most, but I believe the interview is a poor performance that sheds little light on Justin's admittedly evolving views on same-sexuality.  Unless he wishes to spend a good deal of his time answering questions about the issue, he must do better.

From the BBC.

Read More

LOUISIANA CLERGY SPEAK OUT ABOUT JINDAL SALES TAX PLAN

Bishop Morris Thompson

Religious leaders from across Louisiana complained Friday that the math behind Gov. Bobby Jindal’s tax proposal is flawed.

Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith, a Shreveport-based religious organization, said the Jindal administration underestimated the expected tax burden on families by omitting part of a proposed state sales tax hike from calculations.

The Rev. Melvin Rushing

“This is about more than just numbers on a page. This is about integrity and people’s lives,” the Rev. Melvin Rushing, of Baton Rouge, said during a news conference at the State Capitol.

The Rev. Morris Thompson, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana in New Orleans, said the governor should withdraw his sales tax proposal. He was among ministers from around the state drawing attention to the governor’s tax overhaul proposals.  (My emphasis)

“Our numbers are growing,” Thompson said. “Our voice of justice is being heard.”

The math doesn't add up.  The governor won't answer questions, nor will he give full details of the sales tax plan.   Jindal is known to hold details until the last minute, just before the vote, so that the legislators don't have time to do a proper review.  What could possibly go wrong if Jindal's plan becomes law?  Will the legislators once again submit meekly to the governor's wishes in a last minute rush?

Thanks be to God that the clergy in Louisiana are speaking out against the injustice and fuzzy math in Jindal's proposed tax policy.

[Tim Barfield, executive counsel for the state Department of Revenue,] concluded his statement by appearing to blame the ministers’ complaints on misinformation spread by the Louisiana Budget Project, which he called a liberal special interest group.

The liberals are out to get them.  But wait!  The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and The Council for A Better Louisiana are also critical of the plan.  They're all out to get you, Tim, but hang on and don't let paranoia get the best of you.  But wait again!  I had a thought: Does it ever cross your minds that it may not be "them", the people and groups who disagree with the tax plan, but perhaps the Jindal administration's plan on offer is just really, really bad? 

Read More

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY

For the latest medical report on Joel and Margaret, see Margaret's blog. Turns out that Joel has RSV "--a viral infection that can cause secondary infection, and is dangerous in folks with health conditions as Joel has --with compromised immune systems and little ability to cough." Margaret's pneumonia is probably a secondary infection from RSV. 

For Joel and Margaret:

O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our help in time of need: We ask that you visit, and relieve your sick servants Joel and Margaret for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon them with the eyes of your mercy; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; preserve them from the temptations of the enemy; and give thempatience in their illnesses. In your good time, restore them to health, and enable them to lead the rest of their lives in faith, and to your glory; and grant that they may dwell with you in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer (edited)

Read More

SECOND AMENDMENT FREEEEDOM!

AK-47

One of the strictest gun crimes on the books in Louisiana was ruled invalid Thursday by a New Orleans criminal court judge in the wake of the state’s powerful new “right to bear arms” provisions.

District Judge Darryl Derbigny ruled that the law prohibiting felons from carrying firearms violates Louisiana new “strict scrutiny” amendment to the state Constitution. The amendment, backed by heavy lobbying by the National Rifle Association, was adopted by a wide margin by voters last year and became effective Jan. 1.

The strict-scrutiny amendment makes gun ownership a fundamental right that can only be regulated by meeting a very narrow set of standards upon review by the state Supreme Court.

The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office immediately appealed Derbigny’s ruling, taking the case straight to the high court for a ruling.

Who says felons can't have their guns?  Well, they can here in Louisiana with our new constitutional  amendment requiring "strict scrutiny" for depriving anyone of the right to bear arms. So says the judge in New Orleans, and he may be right, according to the new law.  We'll see what the Louisiana Supreme Court decides.

The case before Derbigny involved a man who was caught with a .40-caliber pistol and AK-47. The man, Glen Draughter, previously had been convicted of a felony burglary charge.

Freeeedom! 

Regarding the push to arm employees in the schools, which we are told will prevent future shootings, I read yesterday that three people were killed at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia.  The base is surely armed, and three people are dead.

May those who died rest in peace and rise in glory.  May God give comfort, consolation, and the peace that passes understanding to all who love them.

May God have mercy on us all.

Read More

IN THE BLOOMIN' GARDEN

Azalea row

Indian hawthorne

Gardenia

Gardenia

Cold weather is on the way Sunday night with temperatures in the low 40s and Monday and Tuesday nights in the 30s. The blooms may suffer.

Read More

BLUE MONDAY - FATS DOMINO

Friday night with Fats Domino singing "Blue Monday".  Ponder that mindbender, as you listen and enjoy. I missed the Fats post last week altogether. Sorry about that.

Read More

PLEASE PRAY FOR JOEL AND MARGARET

My dear friends Margaret and Joel need your prayers.  Joel is in the hospital being treated for pertussis.  Other ongoing health conditions put him at great risk in this situation.  Margaret is in a nearby hotel diagnosed with an active pneumonia-like infection dosing herself with prescribed antibiotics.  Trouble upon trouble.  Thank heavens Margaret's bishop is lovely and supportive.

See Margaret's blog.

O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servants Joel and Margaret the help of your power, that their sicknesses may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Read More

CHICKENS COMING HOME TO ROOST?

The Jindal administration on Thursday announced it has canceled a controversial contract that has come under scrutiny by a federal grand jury.

Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols issued a prepared statement announcing the decision affecting a $185 million-plus contract to process Medicaid claims with CNSI, a firm with ties to state health Secretary Bruce Greenstein.
....

Greenstein’s office directed media inquiries to Nichols’ office.
Gov. Bobby Jindal declined a request to be interviewed on Greenstein’s job status. Jindal’s office released a prepared statement from Paul Rainwater, the governor’s chief of staff, that said: “We have confidence in Bruce.”

The development occurred just hours after news broke that a federal grand jury was investigating the administration’s award of the contract.

Still the administration is not yet ready to say goodbye to Bruce. 

The company got the contract for Medicaid claims processing in 2011 amid some complaints that the firm “low balled” the price and made erroneous assumptions in its proposal.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

The CNSI contract has been amended once since it was signed, increasing its $185 million cost by about $9 million. A second contract amendment proposed by DHH that would have added another $40 million was sidelined recently by the state Division of Administration.

Oops!

The Jindal administration functioned for years with virtually no checks and balances.  Jindal and his closed circle of advisers operated in secrecy; the legislature went along with Jindal's proposals with little scrutiny; and Jindal brooked no dissent from the administrators of the various agencies.  Dissent publicly, and you're out.

The local press is given little access to the governor and his inner circle, but Jindal rarely refuses a request by national media for interviews and appearances.  Since the local press know more about what's happening in the state, they might ask hard questions, but the national media view Jindal as the new face of the Republican Party, possibly even presidential material, and the governor is eager to encourage the impression.

Read More

PRESIDING BISHOP KATHARINE ON THE ENTHRONEMENT OF JUSTIN WELBY

From Episcopal News Service.

Read More

DRAMA AT THE ENTHRONEMENT

But perhaps the most dramatic statement about the future of the Church of England in the service to formally install the new Archbishop of Canterbury this week will be that he will be enthroned by a woman.

The Venerable Sheila Watson, the Archdeacon of Canterbury, one of the most senior female clerics in the Church of England, will perform the first of two inductions in a service to formally recognise the Most Rev Justin Welby as the 105th archbishop at the city’s cathedral on Thursday.

In a show of unity not seen since a rift over homosexuality opened up eight years ago, all of the primates of the 77-million strong Anglican Communion are expected to attend and worship under the same roof.

The Archbishop of Canterbury inducted by a woman and all 77 Primates in the same building?  God bless them every one.

Read More

HALF MOON HAIKU

 

Tonight's bright half moon
Poised above in dark night sky
Shines light through tree leaves

Seeing the night sky is one of the pleasures of my walk with Diana.  Though few stars are visible because of light pollution, I love the sight of them, along with the view of Sister Moon, when she's around.

(A repost)

Read More

MURPHY'S 12 OTHER LAWS

1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

2. He, who laughs last, thinks slowest.

3. A day without sunshine is like, well, night.

4. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

5. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

6. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90%probability you'll get it wrong.

7. If the shoe fits, get another just like it.

8. The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

9. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

10. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

11. God gave you toes as a device for finding furniture in the dark.

12. When you find you cannot do anything and have failed at even doing nothing......Run for a Congress seat.
------------------

Some of the laws may be repeats, but they made me laugh.

Read More

ABOUT THAT TAX PLAN, GOVERNOR JINDAL

Bishop Morris Thompson

Two groups of religious leaders from several faith traditions and denominations gathered at the Louisiana State Capitol on Monday to protest  Governor Bobby Jindal's latest tax plan to eliminate income tax for individuals and businesses and replace the lost revenue with a sales tax.  Neither the governor nor members of his staff met with the representatives of the two groups.  One of the groups published an open letter to the governor explaining the reasons for their objections to the tax plan.  Among the clergy who signed  the letter, I'm pleased to note the names of four Episcopal bishops in Louisiana - two serving bishops and two retired bishops, along with the names of other Episcopal clergy.

Bishop Jacob Owensby

The Rt. Rev'd. Morris K. Thompson, Jr., Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana

Bishop Charles E. Jenkins, Retired Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

Bishop James B. Brown, Retired Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
 

Bishop Charles Jenkins

The text of the letter:

March 18th, 2013
The Honorable Bobby Jindal, Governor
P. O. Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9004

Dear Governor Jindal,

We, the undersigned members of the Louisiana Clergy, are writing to express our deep concern about the tax proposal you are proposing for the upcoming legislative session.

Bishop James B. Brown

We serve in many different faith traditions, across a broad spectrum of people and communities in this State. As diverse as these traditions may be, we find unity around a few fundamental ethical principles: fairness, a concern for the least of these and an obligation to make our voices heard when matters of justice are at stake.

Our concerns about the proposed tax plan are as follows.

First, we are concerned that Louisiana already has one of the most regressive tax systems in the nation, putting a disproportionately high burden on low and moderate income families. Currently, families earning minimum wage (less than $16,000 per year) pay 10.6% of their income in state and local taxes; the average Louisiana family pays 10.1% of its income in taxes; while the wealthiest Louisiana families (earning over $1 million per year) pay only 4.6% of their income in state and local taxes. That is unacceptable, as a starting point.

Second, we are concerned that the reason we have such an unfair and regressive tax structure is our State's heavy reliance on the sales tax. It is universally recognized that sales taxes create a disproportionate burden on poor and moderate-income families, who spend nearly all they earn. Louisiana already has the 3rd highest sales tax rate in the nation.

Third, we are concerned that your tax plan seeks to increase our state's sales tax rates even further. Any increase in the sales tax would deepen the root causes behind the unfair and regressive nature of our state's tax structure and worsen the burden for poor and moderate income families in our community.

Fourth, we are concerned that your plan proposes to use the increased revenue generated by a heavier burden on poor and moderate income families, not to fund any of the important needs and services our State faces, but to decrease the tax burden for those members of our community who are most blessed with wealth and resources. That, too, is unacceptable.

Fifth, we are concerned that your proposed tax plan will be unsustainable over the long term. Historically, sales have grown much more slowly than personal income, in our State and across the country. Swapping income taxes for sales taxes replaces a faster-growing revenue source with a slower-growing revenue source. We worry that your proposal would be "revenue neutral" in its first year, but "revenue negative" over the longer term. If our State begins to rely even more heavily upon a slower-growing portion of our economy for revenue, we will face deficits and service cuts down the road that make our current ones seem small.

We believe that any proposed law that would increase the tax burden on low- and moderate-income families in order to decrease it for wealthy families must be judged an unjust law.
We believe that any proposed law that would threaten the long-term fiscal soundness of our State must be judged an unwise law.

Therefore, we ask you, in the full spirit of humility and faith, to develop a fundamentally different framework for tax reform.

To that end, we submit the following basic principles as guidelines for the kind of tax reform that would be just and in accord with the ethical frameworks of our faith traditions:

Principle #1) Tax reform should not increase the sales tax rate or take any other steps that make our tax structure more regressive than it is already;

Principle #2) New sources of revenue should be used, not merely to redistribute the tax burden from one group to another, but to invest in high priorities for our state, such as healthcare, education, human services and infrastructure, which have seen significant and far-reaching cuts in recent years; and

Principle #3) Tax reform should not replace a faster-growing revenue source with a slower-growing revenue source, thereby threatening our State's ability to afford important services and investments in the future.

We thank you for your serious consideration of these concerns. We would welcome the opportunity for a delegation of our leadership to meet with you to discuss these matters in more detail. We can be reached at LAfaithcommunity@gmail.com to schedule that meeting.

We pray that you, and all of us, may be blessed with the judgment to move forward in a spirit of wisdom and fairness on such an important matter to the lives and well-being of so many.

Yours faithfully,
--------------------------

View the signatories at the link above.

A second, unaffiliated faith-based group also came out against the governor's tax plan with a rally on the Capitol steps Monday afternoon. Led by the Micah Project, an affiliate of the interfaith community-organizing focused group PICO Louisiana, clergy denounced the proposal as benefiting wealthy Louisianians and corporations at the expense of the poor and middle class.

Referring to administration claims that a sales-tax based system would create a simpler tax code, the Rev. Chuck Andrus of Blessed Sacrement - St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in New Orleans said the tax system should take into account the needs of families in the state.

"We don't want what's simplest, we want what is just for our families," Andrus said.

I'm betting the governor will not meet with the clergy representatives, but I hope I'm wrong.  Jindal seems to listen to no one who does not already agree with his policies.  He surrounds himself with a closed circle of advisers and his supporters the legislature and hears only what he wants to hear.  

Read More

SPRING IS HERE

 

Just joking, of course, 

From someecards.

Read More

THE NEWSPAPER OF RECORD IN THE RUN-UP TO THE IRAQ WAR

Charles Pierce at Esquire:

The "public editor" of The New York Times tells us today that the paper's coverage of the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War is likely to be less of a hoot than back in the drum-banging days when Judy Miller was standing atop a great pile of stove-piped bullshit while Bill Keller threw roses at her feet.

 How I wish I could draw a cartoon.

UPDATE from the comments by Paul (A.):

Then there is this letter from a veteran. (h/t Crooks & Liars).

No cartoon necessary.

The letter brought tears to my eyes.   What unnecessary suffering for many just so Cheney/Bush could flex their muscles and pound their chests. 

Read More

FROM A VERY NAUGHTY READER

What shall I wear to the ball?

The times they are a-changin'.

Read More

CATS IMITATE ART

A Woman Before a Mirror

The Bath

Woman in a Blue Dress

The third picture down sins against all cats.

From Buzzfeed.

Thanks to Ann.

Read More

SHOCK AND AWE - TEN YEARS LATER

I will never forget my growing alarm as the war drums for invading Iraq beat louder and louder.

I will never forget my embarrassment at Colin Powell's speech at the UN.

I will never forget the UN inspectors, who asked for a couple of months more to continue, but were instead driven out of Iraq on the run, by the beginning of the Shock and Awe invasion.

I will never forget the pillaging of the ancient and priceless holdings of the museums and libraries in Iraq, because there was no plan to protect them.

I will never forget the outing of Valerie Plame as a CIA secret agent and the persecution of Plame and her husband, Joe Wilson, by the Bush administration.

Iraq was not our finest moment. (Heavy irony)

I could go on and on with my list.  I began to lose a friend when I continued to suggest that there were no WMD in Iraq and that there was no connection between Saddam and al Qaeda.  I finally lost that friend on May 1, 2003, when I mocked George W Bush's "Mission Accomplished" moment.

How could I, way down in the swamps of Louisiana, know that the chances of finding WMD in Iraq were slim to none, and the members of Congress not know, especially the Democrats who voted for the war?  How could I know that Cheney/Bush were lying, and the members of Congress not know?

How could the major media outlets fail so miserably in their responsibility to inform us of the truth in the run-up to war?  A small number of journalists expressed doubt about WMD, but few paid attention.  As my friend Doug, to whom I owe credit for the video, said on Facebook, "Shocking and awful."     

Image from Wikipedia.

Read More

THE HEAVENS ARE TELLING THE GLORY OF GOD...

 

...and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.  (Psalm 19:1)

O gracious Light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing thy praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Thou art worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life, and to be glorified though all the worlds.

Phos hilaron (The Book of Common Prayer)

The picture shows the sunset yesterday. 

Read More

TEMPER, TEMPER

Traditionalist Anglican leaders are threatening to snub the new Archbishop of Canterbury in a furious row over gay clergy.

Conservative archbishops from Africa and Asia, who are among Anglicanism’s most senior clerics, are planning to boycott a meeting called by Archbishop Justin Welby that is scheduled to take place after his enthronement this week.

The leaders are flying in for Archbishop Welby’s formal installation service in Canterbury Cathedral on Thursday.

The archbishops are stamping their feet, too.  The African prelates, the Primate of Kenya, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, the Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, and the Primate of Uganda, Archbishop Stanley Ntagali are angry because the Church of England will allow partnered gay clergy to become bishops, so long as they promise to remain celibate.  They wasted no time throwing down the gauntlet.  I hope and pray the Archbishop of Canterbury does not give in to the bullying tactics.

They are also unlikely to sit at the same table as their liberal counterpart from the United States, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who has already consecrated openly gay bishops.

Fear of contamination?  Or is it immaturity?  With their threat not to sit at the same table as Katharine, they remind me of children in an elementary school cafeteria.  The three archbishops need to grow up. If Justin gives in to the bullying, they will not be appeased but will smell weakness and follow up with further demands.  We've seen this drama before, and I, for one, am tired of it and bored with it.

Read More

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY

 

Ha ha.  Where, indeed? 

From nakedpastor.

Read More

POEM FOR ST PATRICK'S DAY - MARTHE G. WALSH

                                      Just In Case

There’s a leprechaun in my tea – seriously,
a pale green porcelain figurine tucked between
the bags of shredded leaves, no cane on which to lean,
but clearly winking, conspiratorially.

Surprised, read the side of the box – the purveyors
of serenity by the cup appear to think
offering “fine collectibles” will make me drink
ever more of their product, reward conveyors
of mulch as beverage with a brand loyalty
driven by some obsessive need to have all twelve
characters in the series, but they troll and delve
into the psyche at their own risk, pointlessly.

This is no secret decoder ring, no cartoon
hero-movie-marketing-tie-in appealing
to six-year-old susceptible to the squealing
delight of laugh track peers, must-have-now-coming-soon
episode of consumption programming disguised
as entertainment, fantasy wish fulfillment
key to an economy built on discontent,
no precious-memory-by-kitsch niche plan franchised.

The little green men may, might, indeed, be coming
for me, but not through my tea or the Lucky Charms
that would only have set off sugar shock alarms
had they been allowed in deprived youth, and numbing
foiled entirely by sensible nutrition
considerations, thrift, parental volition
dismissing all things magical, mythical, missed
as useless to ponder as the frog left un-kissed.

Not prone to hoard, crave or worship acquisition,
put the elf on the shelf, nod to superstition.

(Marthe G. Walsh)

Read More

FEAST OF ST PATRICK

St. Benin's Church, Kilbennan, County Galway, Ireland

---

Detail of stained glass window depicting St. Patrick.

May God shield me;
may God fill me;
may God keep me;
may God watch me;
may God bring me this night
to the nearness of His love.

From Patrick's Compline. 


Image from Wikipedia. 

UPDATE: Padre Mickey has a wonderful post on St Patrick:

I think the celebration of St. Patrick's Day has more to do with the pride of those of Irish heritage in the land of their ancestors than with the actual St. Patrick; leprechauns and green beer and getting plastered have nothing to do with the saint, and such celebrations do not take place in Ireland. Today we are going to remember Patrick as a missionary and bishop, and as the man who helped spread Christianity throughout Ireland.   

Of course, Padre Mickey is correct.   Read the entire post.

Read More

FOR THE UNBELIEVING

Read More

MY FRIEND ANN FONTAINE

Ann and Jim

A lovely article about my good friend Ann Fontaine in the The Daily Astorian:

Fontaine has lived in Cannon Beach full-time for two years since she and her husband, Jim, retired. Though the couple lived in Lander, Wyo. for nearly 35 years, they owned a house in Cannon Beach for nearly as long. Ann, a professional interim minister ordained in 1996, realized long ago that the heart of her spirituality lay at the Oregon Coast.

Early in life, Fontaine’s ties to the North Coast grew. “I grew up in Portland and spent all my summers with my grandparents in Seaside,” she said. “My uncles – Norwegians and Scots – all fished the Columbia River and put down deep roots in this area.” As an adult, she raised three children in Wyoming where her husband was a doctor. Whenever possible, the Fontaines made the trek west to their home in Cannon Beach. “We owned a home here for years and always knew we’d retire here one day,” she said. “It was always like coming home.”

Read more at the Astorian.

Ann and I were virtual friends for a few years before we met in person at General Convention 2009 of the Episcopal Church.   Looking back over the time I've known Ann, I'm grateful for her good company, sympathetic listening, wise advice, guidance and support through the highways and byways of Episcopal Blogland, and source of jokes, cartoons, and funny pictures.

From my description, Ann sounds downright pastoral, doesn't she?  I expect that the churches where she has served during the interim from one rector to another are grateful for her gifts.  Wise guidance through an interim period is, as I've come to see from my experience in my own church, a vital bridge toward a smooth transition from the departure of a rector to the arrival of another.

Ann says the North Coast has always been "the home of my heart", and I'm pleased that she and Jim, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, are settled in their home on her beloved Oregon coast.  Ann can't seem to settle into retirement, but maybe it's not yet time. 

Read More

OPEN LETTER FROM SENATOR MARY LANDRIEU ON MEDICAID EXPANSION IN LOUISIANA

Sen. Mary Landrieu

Dear Friend,

When Gov. Jan Brewer announced Arizona's Medicaid expansion, she explained that her state "can leverage nearly $8 billion in federal funds over four years, save or protect thousands of quality jobs and protect our critical rural and safety net hospitals."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said of his state's expansion: "The federal health department has committed to working with us to ensure we have all the flexibilities we need to make Medicaid best meet the needs of Floridians."

Govs. Brewer and Scott are part of the growing chorus of Republican governors who understand that expanding Medicaid by accepting 100 percent of federal funds for three years and no less than 90 percent thereafter is a smart economic move for their states. Despite their opposition to the Affordable Care Act, these governors understand that the time for political posturing is over.

But Gov. Jindal's posturing has continued, as he falsely argues that a Medicaid expansion would be too expensive and not flexible enough for Louisiana. Mounting evidence from multiple, independent sources shows otherwise.

The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette agrees that Gov. Jindal should take another look at expanding expanding Medicaid in Louisiana.

Currently, when people without insurance go to the hospital and cannot pay, the state and the hospital pick up the cost, passing it on to people with private insurance for an estimated cost of $1,000 per family each year.

Expanding access through Medicaid would give up to 400,000 Louisianians access to basic medical care. These are mostly working people who simply cannot afford health insurance. Not only does this save hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money from being spent on so-called "uncompensated care," it also boosts the budgets of our state, our hospitals and the many businesses and suppliers that work with them in urban and rural areas alike.

By all estimates, including a study commissioned by the Jindal Administration, the Medicaid expansion would bring billions of federal dollars into our state's economy. A recent Families USA report estimates the expansion would bring 15,600 new jobs to our state by 2016 and $1.8 billion in additional economic activity for 2016 alone. Figures like these are why governors across the country are saying yes to expanding health coverage for their people.

There are even more reasons why the Medicaid expansion is best for Louisianians, as the Times-Picayune editorial board points out.

Gov. Jindal also claims that adequate flexibility has not been granted—that's simply not true. In Arkansas for example, Gov. Mike Beebe worked out an agreement with the federal government to allow his state to use the federal funds to extend private insurance to Medicaid-eligible people. In Florida, Gov. Scott secured a federally approved plan allowing the state to extend its version of Bayou Health to all Medicaid-eligible people.

In fact, the creation of Bayou Health, the Governor's initiative to give Medicaid enrollees the opportunity to select a private plan to oversee their care, required a waiver from the federal government, which he has secured.

Louisiana's Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein wrote in a health care journal that Bayou Health is "the most significant transformation of Louisiana's Medicaid program in its more than 40 years of existence." Now that it is transformed, why can't it be expanded to give more working people a chance for quality health care?

As Gov. Brewer said, "the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land." Whether Louisiana expands Medicaid or not, our citizens will still pay for it, only that money will go to states like Arkansas, Florida and Arizona. Does it make sense for our taxes to only support health coverage for people in other states?

It's time for Gov. Jindal to put the needs of Louisianians above his own political posturing. It is the right thing for our people, our health and our economy.

Keep in touch,

Read More

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - DOROTHY DAY

The Gospel takes away our right forever to discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving poor.

---Dorothy Day

Thanks to several Facebook friends.

Read More

CATS ON THE BACK OF THE CHAIR

Stormy on the left and Wendy on the right

If I say so myself, these are splendid pictures of the two cats who allow my son and his family to live with them.  Wendy settled herself comfortably on top of the back of the recliner, and, with not much space left, Stormy decided that he wanted to relax on top of the chair back, too, and squeezed his large self into the small space. 
 

Wendy on the left and Stormy on the right

Above is another view of Wendy sprawled out and Stormy in the small space left over.  The two have the occasional confrontation, but they mostly get along well.  Stormy and Wendy are well-loved and well-spoiled by the family.

Click on the pictures for the larger view.

UPDATE: Please pray for our friend whiteycat's Sammy Cat who has been ill for the past week.

Read More