I love The Peanuts cartoons- in particular, I love the exclamation of disgust/frustration/anger that Lucy (I think) used to do: it went something like this "ARRGGGHH!"
The one thing I loved about the Episcopal Church was that it was (seemingly) evolved beyond all the BS that I grew up with in The Southern Baptist Convention. Events of the last 4-5 years have proven otherwise. Lucky for me, I live in a liberal Diocese with a great Bishop (IMHO) and the politics have been agreeable to me thus far (at least on the local level).
Recent events in California are another matter. For the play by play, I defer to my friend "Father Jake." I find what happened at St. Nicholas in California most disconcerting. However, read the accounts of what transpired yesterday and you will see a classic example of how I feel the Holy Spirit can work in the worst of situations. I project myself into a "difficult" church situation like that someday and wonder what it would be like. Fr. Fred indeed experienced a "thin time" yesterday- I hope that he knows we are with him in prayer and spirit.
I also defer to Thomas Merton. I like this prayer for times like this:
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Shalom
timmah
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3 comments:
Pardon me, but IMHO doctrinaire fidelity to any recently-written word is perilous: e.g., the archbishop of Canterberry recently allowed that the gospels of the Nativity were nothing more, nor less, than legends.
Some of us believe that this is the best label for any number of New Testament stories (Old Testement accounts of the unadmirable Yahweh are more difficult to reconcile).
Pardon me, but IMHO doctrinaire fidelity to any recently-written word is perilous: e.g., the archbishop of Canterberry recently allowed that the gospels of the Nativity were nothing more, nor less, than legends.
Some of us believe that this is the best label for any number of New Testament stories (Old Testement accounts of the unadmirable Yahweh are more difficult to reconcile).
RE: Your comment, Doug-
"doctrinaire fidelity to any recently-written word is perilous:"
I would agree- and I think that applies to the "New Atheists" screeds that are so popular these days as well. I mean, I find Dawkins immensely entertaining and thought provoking and I think I would like having a drink with him some time. But, I would have a hard time with someone who was "doctrinaire" with his work. (much like I do with my fundie friends and scripture).
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