tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36276266349413911002024-03-14T04:30:36.180+01:00Viderunt OmnesJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-17807229025584335052015-07-15T18:07:00.002+02:002015-07-15T18:23:50.656+02:00Marriage is New, Wonderful Thing!: A Wittgenstinian linguistic viewMarriage is a new thing, it has existed only for a few weeks now, since June 26. And the church has nothing to say about it - or no more than, let's say, the color and layout of the new 20 dollar bill.<br />
<br />
It is true that we previously used the word "marriage," but were wrong because actually there was no marriage then. What we thought we were referring to no longer exists. Obergefell also refers to "marriage" in the past, but actually is confused - there was no marriage before June 26.<br />
<br />
The meanings of words have to do with how they are used. Obergefell makes clear that - well, marriage is wonderful! Ethically, Obergefell goes into overdrive in what it does. It stipulates that marriage has to do with our <i>very highest values</i>, the words used to describe it are superlative, like a kind of ethical summum. So it is clear that marriage is wonderful, marvellous, spectacular. Probably everyone should have a marriage, or get married, or do whatever it is to rise to these wonderful ethical heights of virtue and goodness.<br />
<br />
However, it just isn't so clear what marriage is.<br />
<br />
Now, it is true that the church in the past is guilty of using the word "marriage" to translate cognates of ἐκγαμίζω - and translated γυνή with "wife," and ἀνήρ as "husband." But it was wrong to do so, because marriage is - this wonderful ethical state which we should all rise to - and - we really aren't clear on what a husband or a wife are, but we are mere church people, and not in the business of creating new wonderful spectacular ethical states. This is a thing which the judiciary branch does.<br />
<br />
The church does indeed need to have a translation of the word ἐκγαμίζω - but it is exceedingly clear that the word ἐκγαμίζω in Scripture is not this wonderful, ethical, virtuous thing we call marriage. It is very, very different.<br />
<br />
So the church - because of the obvious problem of lack of clarity in the past - should draw some lines, like making clear that no one will be married in a church building, nor ministers participate in officiating such ceremonies.<br />
<br />
This wonderful, spectacular ethical state is also likely to change quickly - as we come closer to Full Marriage Equality, which has been an enormously important goal of our society, and has been important in giving us marriage.<br />
<br />
So the church can go about its business, and allow the state to create, regulate, and officiate over this wonderful new thing it has given us.<br />
<br />
Thus, the importance of recognizing that marriage is a new, wonderful thing.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-80675821573674119242015-06-01T02:39:00.001+02:002015-06-20T18:41:42.679+02:00Jacob was a gigolo: Genesis 30, disorder, and promise in a Patriarch's household[ This blog posting began as a comment, which was in danger of hijacking the thread it was posted into. I do hope someday to revise this, but many will probably already find it interesting as it stands. This is posted shortly after revelations regarding the Duggar family - and a few other stories in the news and op eds which, I believe, make this material in Genesis of particularly timely value for reflection. The subject matter is darkly ironic, and rather frankly insulting. I would encourage anyone commenting on this material to pray first; as ugly as some themes initially appear, it is of paramount importance that we remain respectful to the self-revelation of He who is revealed in Scripture, in the bountifully and wonderfully odd ways He is sometimes revealed. ] <br />
<br />
Jacob's life is profoundly marked by "struggle-of-two" stories - the struggles which took place with his own brother, and of course the struggle which took place at the area which Jacob later called "Pniel." And there is yet another.<br />
<br />
While Jacob is sent away to his uncle Laban's, there is another "struggle-of-two" story - his two wives who contend over his body for their own fertility. A culminating moment is when Leah goes out in the field to meet him after his day's work and insults him doubly - or actually even triply - 1) revealing that his eldest son has been harvesting aphrodisiacs (mandrakes) - some sort of darkly strange womany seduction/fertility tool - 2) and also that his husbandly services have been purchased as if he were a gigolo. (This oldest son, Ruben, will later have relations with Bilhah, his father's concubine). 3) The third, implied insult is that his wife Rachel is pimping him out, and controlling one of the most vitally important domestic matters (the means of having offspring) by selling him to acquire his own son's aphrodesiacs. Jacob himself is bandied about, bought and sold, as if he were a mere mandrake - an ingredient of the fertility process - in a family situation which borders on the incestuous, if not worse - with Jacob's own son in some way involved in this sex-trade-for-sex-paraphernalia. It is indeed like a kind of "libidinal economy," in a very literalistic sense, with the circularity implicit in the notion of oikonomia and economy - meaning simultaneously economic exchange, and household order.<br />
<br />
This would, I believe, have been read by the very first readers of the book of Genesis as a household in grave disorder - a household where women agonistically control a husband who may not even determine for himself where he spends the night, or where his seed might fertilize.<br />
<br />
We read later of further disorder in his chosen and favored spouse, Rachel, stealing her father's hearth idols (probably primarily fertility fetishes), and then secreting them away under herself, protected by imagined issue of blood from her overflow / excess / unused fertility - for the Jews, a very dark, secretive thing to be burned even.<br />
<br />
Jacob's wives are centered upon what Abraham has been promised - offspring - but then in a manner so distant from God's intention. The text is curiously silent about this situation which for the first readers of Genesis must have seemed simultaneously immoral and yet circus-like. There is shame, there is humor, there is irony - and it is all left along the sidelines as the narrative progresses silently, yet relentlessly further.<br />
<br />
God is sovereign. And His promise to Abram is accomplished even through Bilhah, Zilpah, and this darkly comedic and disordered domestic situation.<br />
<br />
Jacob's story is one of quiet comedy, and profound blessing despite the chaos, disorder, and sin surrounding him. Look also at his wacky pre-genetic-age experiment with the goats. Yet God blesses Jacob, despite his trying to MacGyver God's promises into being.<br />
________________________________<br />
<br />
Look at us now - the way our households are so focused on children and child upbringing, that we consume all resources around us and leave such a great swathe of the American nation in poverty or in prison, with "education" nonetheless becoming a strange dumbed-down area where again we are competing over a vision having to do with sexuality and gender. It is a domestic situation resulting in profound injustice for both the men and the women, and of course - also the children.<br />
<br />
But God is sovereign, and He delivers on His promises - even though we must sometimes wait (which implies: having patience). Jacob had to wait many, many years. His wives did not want to wait. And at times, Jacob did not want to wait either.<br />
<br />
My prayer here is that we will learn patience, that we will deal justly, and that God will return a proper focus upon our domestic situations, despite the wacky things Christians in particular seem to have done with "family values" teachings and practices.<br />
<br />
__________________________________<br />
<br />
This makes me also think of the terrible confusion surrounding the miracles which Christ performed - the wonderful gifts, and promise which could be seen within - but then a strange outside-ness, a sense of appearance and spectacle - Christ's words, "do not go and tell the village" - the people becoming confused, wanting what they should not want, very few (if any!) seeing Christ for who He is. But Christ continues anyway - despite the chaos, the unfaithfulness of the people, the misinterpretations, and the appropriations (the taking of His signs for their own purposes). He modifies his ways of dealing with the people, it seems (no longer even bothering to ask them not to go tell the village) - but he continues to engage in His ministry of love nonetheless. He does not try to bring more attention to himself through little gimmicks that "those folks will just love!!!" - the times that He speaks of the "agora" - (equivalent of our commercial setting, including media) - at least on one occasion, not very positive!!! For He could have most certainly peppered His words with little stories and memes floating around the agora at the time (and now, I am falling into repetition myself).<br />
<br />
The seeds, the harvest, the offspring ... it is so chaotic. It is beset with so much sin. The dissemination, the promised people ... it is not a "tidy" thing. But the promise is brought about nonetheless, without clever little tricks, and regardless of the connivances of those who have pledged troth to Him.<br />
<br />
___________________________________________<br />
<br />
Fast-forward a bit more than a thousand years after the coming of Christ, into the middle ages. Richard of St. Victor uses the figure of Rachel for describing human reason, and (and very interestingly for the modern perspective - the "glue" of consciousness, or the imagination). Reason is Rachel in her tent. And the imagination is Bilhah, her maidservant - who comes in and out of the tent, bringing Rachel what she needs. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/gardner/cell/files/cell.html#Heading3<br />
<br />
A tent is already a dark place, shielding the inside from the sun and light around. It could be that Richard of St. Victor sees consicousness as a a womb, with the strong associations Rachel has with the womb. But to add to this, the primary womb - Rachel - needs to make use of the services of another woman who is primarily associated with her womb - Bilhah, as being a surrogate mother is her most important function in this narrative.<br />
<br />
The "seeds" of chaos, disruption, and unfaithfulness (with Bilhah, a perceived necessary unfaithfulness) are here in this description of consciousness and the imagination.<br />
<br />
This is also the case when it comes to what is inside the tent, other than Rachel. We have little knowledge of the contents of the tent, other than the idols (or "images") which were probably fertility gods, which she had stolen from her father.<br />
<br />
Rachel is the sister of Leah - who for St. Victor is the affections - whose maidservant is Zilpah, "ever drunken and thirsty" - who is sensuality. Bilhah, or the imagination, is "a great jangler."<br />
<br />
"By Jacob is understanden God" - "so man's soul through light of knowing in the
reason, and sweetness of love in the affection, is spoused unto God." And such a complicated and unfaithful spousal relation that is.<br />
<br />
[ note for further updates - this is rather "dark thinking." What should be added is how this picture of human fallenness is perhaps incomplete. What we know of human reason is like Rachel and Bilhah - though Rachel was never compelled into unfaithfulness, and Bilhah would have avoided her most famous unfaithfulness if it hadn't been for Ruben's promptings - Ruben being this first son of sensuality (Leah), and the procurer of mandrakes.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-59739941698748691132015-05-21T19:29:00.000+02:002015-05-21T19:55:25.822+02:00Church in a Honey Boo-Boo Moment of History [This is a comment I left to a Facebook posting with a question on appropriateness, with attached video of a 4-year-old-ish child dancing in front of a congregation to an upbeat Christian worship song "He's The Light" - I don't have time for much more than this, but wanted to share more widely. I'm not including the video, because I do not want to expose the parents or the child unnecessarily - I edited my comment to request that the rather critical posting in the facebook not be shared with the original video poster.<br />
<br />
The very, very cute 4 year old is dancing and pointing up - "He's the Light!!" Nothing particularly noteworthy nor different from what we see in so many churches in America. This is not aimed at the family that posted the video - rather, "this is us," this is American Christianity]<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------<br />
<br />
Since this is a child, and we don't know the context - it is very, very difficult for us to tell what is going on (esp. in the mind and spirit of the child).<br />
<br />
From what I remember of childhood and "public behavior," performance, acting - I can say this: It is very very easy for a child to become swept away with the reactions of others, esp. to "cutesiness." I can't really think of any Biblical injunctions against "cutesiness" per se - but at the same time, that does NOT mean that this is not a potential problem! It is very, very, very true that almost all Americans get really carried away with "cute children," and if you put a child doing something cute almost everywhere - we are almost socially compelled to say, "Oh, how wonderful, how cute!" and to ignore almost all of the potential consequences as "not our business."<br />
<br />
However, from what I remember about public situations as a child, when many people were watching me - I would say this: It is much, much, much better for kids to praise God in a group, where no one of them is somehow "shining" more than the others in getting attention - because this attention alone can get the child thinking about all sorts of things that are very very different from praising God. If you want your kids to do some kind of cute stuff in a solo act - then by all means, have them sing a Spice Girls song or something like that - *unless* you have very, very seriously discussed and prepared them for what is going on, and you are confident that they are ready for what they are going to do - and you also have some kind of discussion with the kid afterward about what went on.<br />
<br />
As a kid - I know I had all kinds of other things going through my mind, I was doing a little bit of praising God, but mostly it was putting on a show to please the adults. It is not bad to please adults! But when a child gets to an age of a little bit more self-consciousness - this can become difficult! The question arises - "OKAY - what is happening here? Is my 'churchiness' simply a cute little show to please mom and dad and the other church-goers? Why did I do that little show X years ago - and why am I doing it now?" A kid probably won't even ask their parents this question - they will probably just try to dissociate themselves from that kind of activity in general, because they find it inauthentic. "BUT IT IS SOOOOO CUUUTE!!!!" - this is not the kind of response that is going to convince a 14 year old kid that doing this type of thing is honest, good, is praising God - it is rather the opposite of what a lot of them aspire to.<br />
<br />
It boggles my mind as to why we continue to do this type of thing with children / to children. It seems to me like a sure-fire recipe for disaster in the development of spirituality in children. Children begin to rebel against this - *Of course they do* !!! Parents, I have seen them do this in a church Sunday school program - where the highschoolers did not, did not, did not want to do skits - in fact, they wanted to study the Bible instead. And what did the Sunday School leadership mandate??? They *had* to do the skits. And since the highschoolers were so self-conscious, they wanted to do these silly skits as well and perfectly and thought-out as they could. So we spent just about ALL of our time doing these SILLY skits that the kids HATED but then went up on stage and dutifully performed because their parents somehow wanted to still have these cutesy moments where they felt like their kids .... I dunno??? The Sunday School teachers told the youth pastor about this problem - and still, we had these skits mandated.<br />
<br />
This was so utterly ironic. The kids, in hindsight I think, could "see" what was happening - how they were being cutesified for their parents, publicly, by doing these skits - and they realized it was a waste of time, and they wanted to be doing what kids should be doing in Sunday School class - studying the Bible! But - well, no, parents pay for the church and not the kids - so the kids had to do the cutesy stuff. I am still rather awestruck at how ironic this was, and in other ways, how I have been a rather willing participant in the cutesifying of church in such a way that makes church exceedingly unappealing except for a particularly "duty-bound" type of advocate of cutesy church - which oddly enough, seems to be most Americans who have kids! Somehow, this seems to be a thing which almost all parents believe in. And so sad they can't believe their kids just want to study the Bible, and engage in thoughtful conversation, but instead want to do all this cutesy-kid stuff. For me - it marked a very important point in my dissociation from "Evangelicalism" - since there is more to life than movies, skits, and other kinds of "kid-stuff" - or at least, I want there to be (though it somehow seems to be increasingly impossible - but this is not a direct fault of the kids, it is a very indirect thing which has to do with how adult culture is in an odd symbiosis with kid culture in America - or maybe rather, imagined kid culture - which then ends up conditioning adults, and indirectly conditioning kids).<br />
<br />
Do you parents really need to cherish a cutesy churchy moment so badly that you are willing to blind yourselves to the normal pattern of development, of what just about any healthy growing mind would begin to ask itself? And then churches so reliant on the money of such parents that they are more or less forced into this, beyond better judgment?<br />
<br />
What does this say about the generations of people in church, and worship?? Why is it that we continue to think that kids want kiddy-kiddy stuff, and that it's the kiddy-kiddy stuff all out-and-proud-and-public that is gonna save the church? This has gotten ridiculous, it is like church is going through a Honey Boo Boo moment of history.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-30307501098596105742012-08-09T15:17:00.002+02:002012-08-09T15:17:43.482+02:00Beck's New Revolutionary Album<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://assets.mcsweeneys.net/uploads/production/782/1343766462/public/dowesheet.jpg?1343766462" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://assets.mcsweeneys.net/uploads/production/782/1343766462/public/dowesheet.jpg?1343766462" width="238" /></a></div>
Beck's new album will apparently contain no recorded music.<br />
<br />
For those who are speed-reading: Beck's new album will apparently contain no recorded music. Yes, you read that correctly.<br />
<br />
Here: a <a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/song-reader" target="_blank">McSweeny's article on his forthcoming (album?) Song Reader</a>. <br />
<br />
I have recently been reading Plato, Aristotle, others on music - there are many indicators that the Hellenist (Greek) understanding of music would have been exceedingly important in the culture of the Palestine where Jesus was brought up, and conducted His ministry. I even believe that at one point, His own words refer indirectly to some of the issues discussed at that time regarding music, education, character, and the divine.<br /><br />One of the things we have lost from the pre-Romantic understanding of music is the way that music is active with regards to the listener - that it moves the heart and mind of the listener, but this itself is also dependent upon the listener's own activity (and cultivation).<br /><br />I.e., music ALWAYS implies doing something yourself. Plato and Aristotle actually thought it best to avoid as possible professional musicians - simply because this meant not making the music one's self.<br /><br />In modern times, we essentially have a problem of a market of extraordinarily lazy music listeners who lack the imaginative powers to put together (synthesize) interesting musical developments in their minds. As Bernstein said, we all hear much too much music, and listen to very little music. This cultivates a habit of non-active listening.<br /><br />What Beck has done here is very much like turning us back to Plato and Aristotle when we consider our relationship to music.<br /><br />BRAVO! This is not only a musical mind - it is a profoundly deep mind in the consideration of how we relate ourselves to music, and how music effects us over time - even over multiple generations.<br /><br />Up until sometime in the middle ages - the word "musician" was not even applied to singers and instrumentalists - it was applied exclusively to thinkers who could imaginatively grasp what music was doing - like Boethius.<br /><br />So Beck here is being a musician in a very profound sense.<br /><br />I found this link thanks to Eric Whitacre - a composer who himself is very much a musical mind in the older sense, with his Virtual Choir (and who has done such incredible things as setting Paradise Lost to music).<br />
<br />
If Western culture is to re-gain an ability to listen to music, we probably first need to do something like this - very simply, more people making music, and less people hearing music in the background. And after a while, with an audience that's more capable of listening to interesting music (instead of music that's mostly intended to be a kind of background or sound-track), it might again become possible for truly fantastic music to find an audience that's more than a tiny, highly select group of individuals. As Aristotle put it - good musical education is so important, it's something that should belong to everyone.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-71252710911503798162012-05-10T18:14:00.002+02:002012-05-10T18:46:12.324+02:00Occupy and the Unasked Question: Conspicuous Consumption<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjca9zj2IDkE-kijHShlX5SzOkz71ROhJd882nj30swMvTQD5pifg_ecliIc9NMls6ZXmNPEAusLU5qUbbBZKkJEHLpEFV0WFF9T_mh4QJWWXk1EC8mwcglG-LsN3BIkmfuBeksRV9TDk/s1600/220px-Veblen3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjca9zj2IDkE-kijHShlX5SzOkz71ROhJd882nj30swMvTQD5pifg_ecliIc9NMls6ZXmNPEAusLU5qUbbBZKkJEHLpEFV0WFF9T_mh4QJWWXk1EC8mwcglG-LsN3BIkmfuBeksRV9TDk/s1600/220px-Veblen3a.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thornstein Veblen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
First Things rightly points out how wrong it is for us to entirely bat away the concerns of the Occupy group - however intentionally annoying the Occupiers may be - in an article <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2012/05/occupy-and-the-injustices-of-inequality">Occupy and the Injustices of Inequality</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We ought to ask of economics the same question of that we ask with regards to any other moral issue: how it fosters or frustrates human flourishing."</blockquote>
<br />
It is true that the Occupy movement is difficult to deal with - given that its critique of society seems so vapid and monolithic - and reverberations in the press don't seem to be generating anything deeper, either.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless - it is a good thing to examine our economic and political system, with the aim of arriving at more poignant questions, new avenues for dialogue, and uncovering our blindness to issues that don't usually grab our attention.<br />
And the three authors of this First Things blog post do a great job at summarizing the social ills that accompany a high degree of economic inequality between classes.<br />
<br />
I suppose though that it is also worth asking: "Is a society based on liberal capitalism which has embraced conspicuous consumption as an ideal to the degree that America has, not predisposed toward fostering such economic inequality?" This is a question of rather serious magnitude and would take a great deal of thought, research, and unpacking. But let us first consider one element of this question - that of conspicuous consumption.<br />
<br />
My own "take" here is more or less this: that conspicuous consumption is the greatest enemy, greater than the economic inequality itself. In nearly all societies, power has been held by a few - whether they be aristocracy, elected officials, or the wealthy. But we rightly expect this power to be exercised wisely and justly. We have been aware since ancient times that mob rule is one of the very most painful and unjust forms of government.<br />
<br />
When the wealthy invest their wealth in the creation of jobs - e.g., in farms, factories, shops, corporations, stocks ... they are investing wisely and justly, and re-distributing wealth in a productive manner for the public good.<br />
<br />
When they invest their wealth in ridiculously large houses, insanely expensive sports cars, boats, fashion accoutrements etc. etc., though there is some initial employment, the house or sports car is economically speaking a "dead end" - it does not further employment or the public good.<br />
<br />
What is particularly ugly are the social effects - envy and jealousy, social stratification which has little to do with merit or talent, and widescale loss of trust in employers and governments for the portion of work which does not go toward feeding, housing, and educating, but is rather tied up in such an economic dead end with its toxic effects on society.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Combatting conspicuous consumption is not the task of the government with taxes and regulations, as much as it's the task of those who are intent upon socially changing the status quo for the benefit of all.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, those who traditionally use their moral authority for the end of changing society - "the left" - have been disproportionately concerned with sex and gender issues in the last decade. We hear extremely vituperative language regarding those who do not believe it is a good idea to re-define the public institution of marriage - or who do not wish their work to go toward paying for abortifacients, which kill human life. These persons, we hear, are "haters" or involved in a "war."<br />
<br />
I do not believe we should subject those involved in conspicuous consumption to this type of language. But on the other hand, we also must not accept them in all occasions with open arms ... we must make clear to them that they carry with themselves a social disease ... though we also may not abdicate our responsibility of loving them. We should treat them socially like we might a rather socially dangerous fundamentalist - like a member of the Fred Phelps clan. With love, but also with some pointed clarity.<br />
<br />
It's not about the possession of economic power per se. It's about just, wise, and virtuous use of the economic power one has.<br />
<br />
It is perhaps the general problem that Americans as a group - the richest and the poorest - have so given into conspicuous consumption, that we are unable to look at this issue without seeing some hypocrisy in ourselves. This means our rage must not be directed at the 1%ers alone. We must also be angry with ourselves, when we spend to win admiration, or belong to a crowd - rather than spending in a manner which contributes to the genuine flourishing of ourselves and those around us.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-53167917401967985172011-11-30T21:43:00.001+01:002011-11-30T21:47:07.365+01:00Schubert Holy Holy PracticeVideos for practicing Schubert's "Holy Holy" (from the <i>Deutsche Messe</i>) in parts, intended especially for congregational singing:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Soprano</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hbZrWISQGiw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
(alto, tenor, and bass follow)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>Alto<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jO4178YY2uk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tenor</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/gsgEf0fE1Eo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bass</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kdor7okyhDU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-26550927986900223262011-11-30T21:35:00.001+01:002012-10-23T01:36:21.693+02:00Doxology PracticeSheet music- <a href="http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/bour-dox.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Link</a> <br />
Videos for congregational singing practice of the Doxology (set to the "old 100th"):<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Soprano</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/xVo_O8XUkNc/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xVo_O8XUkNc&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xVo_O8XUkNc&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(alto, tenor, and bass follow)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Alto</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/_L0Y-bEBC2o/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_L0Y-bEBC2o&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_L0Y-bEBC2o&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tenor</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/A3KJXwpnyTM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bass</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/_bIFIgBy8q4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_bIFIgBy8q4&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_bIFIgBy8q4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-35986538235409371302011-11-30T21:30:00.001+01:002011-11-30T22:02:16.250+01:00Gloria Patri practiceVideos for practicing congregational singing for Gloria Patri (Greatorex):<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u05qH3Yy9eg">Soprano and Alto</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/u05qH3Yy9eg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjnfLl3yLWw">Tenor and Bass</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vjnfLl3yLWw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-27135409164117501682011-11-30T21:24:00.001+01:002012-04-05T18:39:52.202+02:00Congregational Singing IndexI've created a number of videos to help congregations (like our own) which are interested in singing in parts practice a few basic pieces. There is nothing beautiful about these videos - rather to the contrary - but they should help anyone who can use help in singing in parts. With each video, one or two of the four parts is emphasized with a "brighter" voice/tone in a louder volume, with the other parts in the background, with the notes to the musical parts displayed as the music progresses.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://videruntomnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/doxology-practice.html">Doxology</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://videruntomnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/gloria-patri-practice.html">Gloria Patri</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://videruntomnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/schubert-holy-holy-practice.html">Schubert Sanctus (<i>Holy Holy</i>)</a><br />
<br />
<b>For Passion Week</b> (Easter):<br />
Part-specific practice vids for "Holy, Holy, Holy" from youtube user Choirparts - I didn't make these vids:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Choirparts/videos?query=Nicaea">http://www.youtube.com/user/Choirparts/videos?query=Nicaea</a><br />
Sheet music for Holy Holy Holy:<br />
<a href="http://www.ccwatershed.org/pdfs/209-holy-holy-holy-lord-god-almighty-nicaea/download/" target="_blank">http://www.ccwatershed.org/pdfs/209-holy-holy-holy-lord-god-almighty-nicaea/download/ </a><br />
<br />
Part-specific practice vids for "O Sacred Head": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Choirparts/videos?query=Sacred+Head">http://www.youtube.com/user/Choirparts/videos?query=Sacred+Head</a><br />
<br />
Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bonds (not a practice-type video; simply a choir singing this piece): <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA3P244DSss">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA3P244DSss</a></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-81562228978989293802011-07-03T13:35:00.003+02:002011-07-03T13:58:09.189+02:00Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (I)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tritonus.eu/Bilder/Orgelbuechlein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://www.tritonus.eu/Bilder/Orgelbuechlein.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bach's manuscript of Nun komm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today's church people are missing a beautiful gift of inestimable worth.<br />
<br />
In Bach's age, all Christians who regularly attended church would have known <i>Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland</i>. This is a simple hymn about the coming of Christ.<br />
<br />
Just hearing the tune evokes the profound message of the hymn:<br />
<br />
<b>Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,<br />
Der Jungfrauen Kind erkannt!<br />
Dass sich wundre alle Welt,<br />
Gott solch' Geburt ihm bestellt.</b><br />
<br />
<i>Now come, Saviour of the gentiles,<br />
recognised as the child of the Virgin,<br />
so that all the world is amazed<br />
God ordained such a birth for him.</i><br />
<br />
The hymn itself is by Martin Luther (<a href="http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale016-Eng3.htm">German text and English translation</a>); it is largely based upon the hymn <i>Veni, Redemptor Gentium</i> ("Come, Redeemer of the Earth" - <a href="http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Hymni/VeniRedemptorG.html">Latin text and English translation</a>) - by St. Ambrose - the bishop of Milan who had a profound influence upon St. Augustine of Hippo.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Many Christian composers wrote settings of this hymn - as choral pieces, organ works, etc..<br />
<br />
The piece is as alive today as ever for those willing to listen, and with a bit of imagination. In jubilating with the music - and the utter mystery of God coming down amongst us in the flesh as man - we also take ourselves up into worship together with the great body of saints who have celebrated the Incarnation through the words of Luther and St. Ambrose. We are singing along with Saint Augustine. Our souls and imaginations reach out and touch the amazing work of God through more than 1,500 years, over many continents, together with a choir of millions who have worshiped God in this manner through the ages. And we remember that Jesus is Lord not only of my small mind in this moment of time; but He who is sovereign, active, and has been transforming individuals and whole societies, calling His children to Himself, ever since He walked about amongst us 2,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
In our century, we're familiar with "cover tunes" and the practice, especially amongst jazz musicians, of playing a well-known classic, yet blowing new life into it, and showing us new, unappreciated aspects of a tune we thought we already knew so well. Jazz can be a beautiful reminder of how music can render that which is well-known - perhaps even to the point of boredom or inattentiveness - as again strange, as something encountered anew - though the melody remains the same.<br />
<br />
This is no different from the practice of rendering "standard" hymns anew musically. But it only "works" if we're already acquainted with the melody and the hymn to begin with. Otherwise, we don't even realize we're hearing a "cover" - or even a hymn for that matter - and we aren't able to discern the lovely way an old piece has been made new. We simply hear an attractive piece of music, but miss out on much of that piece's depth.<br />
<br />
Here, for starters, is a Bach rendition of the hymn for organ, as transcribed for piano by Busoni. The performer is Vladimir Horowitz.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vq1l6cAMW-o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
Notice how the piece begins darkly ... at 0.24 a variation of the melody begins in a much "brighter" tone.<br />
<br />
Like this very piece ... I'm not introducing you first to the melody in its original form, but rather dumping you <i>in medias res</i> into the beautiful world of variations on this piece. The "uncut," "straight" version of the hymn will be for a future posting in this series. In the meantime, you can bathe in the mystery of Bach's rendition. After we've heard a more "straight" version, you will come back to this piece with a great deal more appreciation.<br />
<br />
This bit in the video is hilarious:<br />
<br />
Sound engineer: <i>"That was beautiful."</i><br />
Horowitz: <i>"I didn't compose it."</i><br />
Sound engineer: <i>"No, that's right, but you play it very well."</i><br />
<br />
A very clear reminder that we're <i>not</i> in the narcissistic world of rock-n-roll land.<i> </i>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-22864107658721315532011-06-27T01:54:00.000+02:002011-06-27T01:54:12.937+02:00Anglican Report with Kevin Kallsen and George Conger<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="299" src="http://blip.tv/play/g5IjgsSpFQI.html" width="480"></iframe><br />
<embed src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#g5IjgsSpFQI" style="display: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-14172824506112189372011-06-20T19:08:00.000+02:002011-06-20T19:08:48.169+02:00From Today's Morning Prayer: Psalm 2, Quare fremuerunt gentes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OfVpfDepccs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Camille Saint-Saëns: <b><i>Quare fremuerunt gentes</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">il Concerto di Natale del Coro Polifonico di San Nicola, Pisa Coro Polifonico San Nicola di Pisa, Tuscan Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Stefano Barandoni</div><br />
This is a boldly tempestuous rendition of Psalm 2, which is quite a tempestuous Psalm:<br />
<blockquote> Why do the nations conspire <br />
and the peoples plot in vain? <br />
<br />
The kings of the earth rise up <br />
and the rulers band together <br />
against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, <br />
<br />
“Let us break their chains <br />
and throw off their shackles.” </blockquote><i><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/bible/psa002.htm">Latin text and translation of Psalm 2</a> </i><br />
<br />
Interestingly enough, it is a part of a larger Christmas Oratorio.<br />
<br />
Of course, this should be no mystery; the plight of mankind lost in sin is an essential element of the Incarnation - and should be a part of any musical Christmas narration. It's also present in Händel's Messiah. Today, however, we don't tend to expect such in Christmas music.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-46968350575287326432011-06-19T17:30:00.001+02:002011-06-19T17:32:46.295+02:00The King's English: Sackcloth and Ashes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dc/Jonah_Mosaic_at_St._Anne_Melkite_Greek_Catholic_Church,_North_Hollywood.JPG/800px-Jonah_Mosaic_at_St._Anne_Melkite_Greek_Catholic_Church,_North_Hollywood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dc/Jonah_Mosaic_at_St._Anne_Melkite_Greek_Catholic_Church,_North_Hollywood.JPG/800px-Jonah_Mosaic_at_St._Anne_Melkite_Greek_Catholic_Church,_North_Hollywood.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonah mosaic at St. Anne Melkite Church </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Glen Scrivener writes over at <a href="http://kingsenglish.info/2011/06/18/sackcloth-and-ashes/">The King's English</a>:<br />
<br />
<i>Could Jonah be the most successful evangelist in the Bible? In Hebrew the report of his sermon consists of 5 words. And yet, in response, the 120 000 residents of Nineveh cover themselves <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jonah%203&version=KJV" target="_blank">in sackcloth and ashes </a>and turn to the LORD.</i><br />
<br />
Throughout 2011, <a href="http://kingsenglish.info/about-me/">Glen Scrivener</a> has been calling our attention to various English language expressions which are largely due to the influence of the 1611 Authorized Version or "King James" Translation. A delightful project indeed - allowing us not only to contemplate the beauty of the English language, but also important bits of theology and history which have since become obscured by many intervening layers of ideological sediment. His blog is called <a href="http://kingsenglish.info/">The King's English</a>.<br />
<br />
This latest blog posting caught my attention in particular because of its appropriateness for the Anglican Communion today.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-66074360148923080462011-06-18T23:48:00.000+02:002011-06-18T23:48:03.780+02:00Fabián Pérez Ximeno (16th C, Mexico): Kyrie from Missa de la Batalla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2shLBX2Sx94?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Ximeno (c1595-1654) was born in Mexico City; known as a composer and organist - maestro de capilla of the Mexico City Cathedral. He's known for his antiphonal polychoral works. This is the Kyrie (first movement) if his Missa de la Batalla (battle mass?) performed by Angelicum de Puebla, conducted by Benjamin Juarez Echenique. Thanks to youtube user h<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/hotkikee">otkikee</a>, who posts some excellent renaissance and baroque sacred music from colonial regions (mostly South and Central America) on his channel.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-19457896899019126762011-06-18T17:28:00.002+02:002011-06-18T18:15:12.487+02:00R.I.P., PunkFounder of <a href="http://www.anglepark.com/">Angle Park Exploitations</a> and cultural commentator Martin Baumgartner alerts us to some clear evidence of culture "moving on":<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/251368_10150227214613473_555643472_7440013_6180570_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/251368_10150227214613473_555643472_7440013_6180570_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Martin Baumgartner's moving commentary:</i><br />
<br />
Well, I guess this makes it official. 1975 - 2011. RIP, Punk.<br />
(O'Hare Terminal 3 Starbucks. She's <b><i>stirring a chai</i></b>.)<br />
<br />
<i>My own obituary:</i><br />
<br />
<span data-jsid="text"><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4dfcc188a934d7c00387338">You were a beautiful thing while you lasted. A bit vile and stinky yes, but many beautiful things are. You were more fragile than you seemed to be; we really should have noticed that more. But protecting you would have been an oxymoron, and w<span class="text_exposed_show">ould have only hurried your demise.</span></div><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4dfcc188a934d7c00387338"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br />
You were a cute baby skunk that got run over by a Macy's truck. You were a pale, skinny, nasal-voiced drama-queen beauty; squashed by a garantuanly obese paramour in his pursuit of things exotic and weird.</span><br />
</div><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4dfcc188a934d7c00387338"></div><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4dfcc188a934d7c00387338"><span class="text_exposed_show">R.I.P., Punk</span><br />
</div><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4dfcc188a934d7c00387338"></div><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4dfcc188a934d7c00387338"><i><span class="text_exposed_show">(The photo itself is the poetry here; not the parting words) </span></i></div></span>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-5219230366370469062011-06-17T17:34:00.001+02:002011-06-17T17:35:23.233+02:00Johann Kuhnau - Ihr Himmel jubiliert von oben<div style="text-align: center;"><i>an Ascension Day Cantata </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Therefore rejoice, you heavens <br />
and you who dwell in them!"</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Revelation 12:12<br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/POjIA8Ws-2A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-66707059074238535492011-06-16T18:19:00.007+02:002011-06-16T21:03:15.538+02:00A Tanzanian reaction to possible episcopal election fraud; and US / African comparison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1bQUgeeFs8U/SYdi2Yko_mI/AAAAAAAAF70/Sy5HyGwJzEw/s800/IMGP7208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1bQUgeeFs8U/SYdi2Yko_mI/AAAAAAAAF70/Sy5HyGwJzEw/s320/IMGP7208.JPG" width="226" /></a></div><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="text-align: right;"><i><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Possible election fraud in bishop of Tanzanian Anglican Church - arrest warrant for Primate of ACT. Very likely election fraud for American Presiding Bishop - virtually no one notices. What does this say of western Anglican church governance?</span></i></h6><br />
From Tanzania, we have news of a possible election fraud. The province of Tanzania has been rent over the ethical question of the permissibility of condom use in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. It was largely thought that the installation of a new bishop - the Rev. Stanley Hotay - for the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro would effectively end the division on this matter.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, it has become more complicated than this. Some laypeople of the diocese have alleged that the age of Rev. Stanley Hotay was falsified. There was a court order issued which was aimed at blocking Hotay's being seated as Bishop of the diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro, pending adjudication. I could not find the exact wording of the court order, but evidently it has prompted quite some drama in Tanzania. Archbishop Valentino Mokiwa went forward with the consecration of the Rev. Hotay, though the Rev. Hotay was not installed as Bishop of Mount Kilimanjaro. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Archbishop Valentino Mokiwa. It has not yet been executed, police in Arusha replying to a reporter that they have not yet received the warrant.<br />
<br />
It does sound like the situation is remaining peaceful.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>“I don’t protest the court order, but the public should understand that someone is missing the point here… we actually honoured the order not to install the new bishop. What we did was to consecrate him as a new bishop… as of now he does not belong to any diocese,” said Dr Chilongani [Anglican Church of Tanzania Secretary General]. - <a href="http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/51-other-news/11919-police-yet-to-arrest-mokiwa-despite-order.html"><i>The Citizen</i>, " Police yet to arrest Mokiwa despite order"</a></blockquote>Notes from the ground make it sound as if there's a little drama to the story. An Episcopal Priest, the Rev. Dr. Douglas Richnow, <a href="http://drichnow.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/teaching-in-arusha-tanzania/">reports</a> that the police had been tracking Archbishop Mokiwa via his cellphone, and that he was advised to dispose of the SIM card. We shall see how this story unfolds.<br />
<br />
See also George Conger's excellent reporting on the matter for The Church of England Newspaper, <a href="http://geoconger.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/church-condom-split-ends-the-church-of-england-newspaper-may-13-2011-p-8/">here</a> and <a href="http://geoconger.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/arrest-warrant-issued-for-the-archbishop-of-tanzania-the-church-of-england-newspaper-june-16-2011/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
It is interesting to compare the current situation in Tanzania to the situation of the very likely election fraud in the TEC 2006 election. Here, we have the election of a diocesan bishop being investigated by the government, because of alleged misinformation about his age. The situation escalates to the issuing a warrant of arrest for the head of the church. In the United States, the election of the very head of the church is marred by misinformation regarding her career - <a href="http://videruntomnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/more-katharine-jefferts-schori-cover-up.html">the false information that she was, for six years, dean of a school of theology</a>. Far be it from the government having interest in the likely fraud - the church itself fails to investigate, even though it had spent $200,000 on a committee tasked with nominating and vetting candidates.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
American bishops from TEC have been known to be critical of their African brothers and sisters, implying that they are primitive and incapable of tending to "civilized" issues. Episcopal Bishop Spong once said famously of African Christians:<br />
<blockquote>They've moved out of animism into a very superstitious kind of Christianity. They've yet to face the intellectual revolution of Copernicus and Einstein that we've had to face in the developing world. That's just not on their radar screen.</blockquote>When asked further about his remarks concerning African Christians, he replied: "If they feel patronised that's too bad. I'm not going to cease to be a 20th Century person for fear of offending someone in the Third World." (<a href="http://www.starcourse.org/spong/interview.html">quote source</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
In 2006, Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Schori more or less implied that African Christians should mind their own business and think about basic needs, and refrain from contributing from Anglican deliberative process on sexual ethics;<br />
<blockquote><span class="textNormal">When a reporter asked how the "average Anglican who is a black woman under 30, earns two dollars a day and is evangelical," might react to news of her consecration and to her consent to Gene Robinson's consecration, she responded: "If the average Anglican is as you describe, she is dealing with hunger, inadequate housing, unclean water and unavailability of education. Those are the places I would start. The issue of sexuality comes along much higher on the hierarchy of needs." (<a href="http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/3577_76173_ENG_HTM.htm">ENS</a>)</span></blockquote>I'd suggest that though this may seem like "a clever retort" to a highly pointed question - the answer belies a highly discriminatory attitude toward African Christians in general. It's understandable that Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Schori wants to provide some kind of response in shielding her own decision regarding the Robinson consecration from African Anglican criticism. But the implication that African Anglicans, because of material need, are incapable of thinking about, or contributing to the issue of sexual ethics is quite imperialist - to put things mildly. What's perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that ENS published this quote - as ENS has, in the last years, generally refrained from publishing anything that's not laudatory of the Presiding Bishop. So it's to be assumed that in the eyes of Church Center, this is "a good response."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eEDeGcfmbkHsxLxj1peorGg4gKzAKPdv_nvMsAYurJnpdIoRGHRfS7PxnvymyOAr2LxRLcuB68mKTPhVKeT2XYpqNApGqTnzvNhBeomgtbVxIJzoSNE9zt5fLr-cFGqlDK7vgpGwCXev/s1600/ParishMinistry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eEDeGcfmbkHsxLxj1peorGg4gKzAKPdv_nvMsAYurJnpdIoRGHRfS7PxnvymyOAr2LxRLcuB68mKTPhVKeT2XYpqNApGqTnzvNhBeomgtbVxIJzoSNE9zt5fLr-cFGqlDK7vgpGwCXev/s1600/ParishMinistry.jpg" /></a></div>I do hope that we might hear from some African church leaders about this major discrepancy between the American church and African churches on the issue of likely electoral fraud in church governance. If the American church has risen so high in the hierarchy of needs that an expenditure of $200,000 in vetting is not sufficient to prevent a major deception from appearing in two pages of official information about a bishop, which is known to that bishop herself - and that church itself engages in no investigation with public findings - one does begin to wonder if that American church has become so unreliable in evaluating needs, that less luxuriant churches are not generally better-qualified in general church management; and whether the American church, rather than extending itself into Communion affairs, would not do better to address its own basic needs of honest and ethical practice of governance.<br />
<br />
And after Jefferts-Schori's implicit imprecation to African Anglicans to refrain from commenting on Communion matters with regards to sexuality - one might especially wonder if it is not proper to request that The Episcopal Church itself refrain from commenting on justice issues until it better settles <a href="http://videruntomnes.blogspot.com/2011/06/jefferts-schori-and-corvallisgate.html">its own internal issues of justice in church governance</a> - as, without tending to its own justice issues, calling out for justice elsewhere may be imperialist and more than a little bit hypocritical.<br />
<br />
Most comments regarding the likely election fraud and ensuing cover-up have been largely pointed at Jefferts-Schori herself. I am not sure if this is fair; it seems to me that this matter says much more about the political culture within The Episcopal Church, and a great need of healing and transparency; and that this issue is vastly more poignant than any possible personal shortcomings of the Presiding Bishop in the electoral matter. Any study of the issue by this late date would probably need to cover political culture within TEC with as great serious as it would the election anomaly itself.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-11693621238890118532011-06-12T12:23:00.009+02:002011-06-14T15:35:42.683+02:00New Zealand Anglicans: a call to consistently ethical behavior<div style="text-align: right;"><i>Anglicans marginalize groups engaging in hate-speech about Muslims; they need to be more consistent about speech targeting other groups, as well.</i><br />
<i>What does the lack of critical engagement regarding the initial St. Matthew's 2009 media campaign have to say about the sensibilities of so-called "orthodox" Anglicans?</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stmatthews.org.nz/images/UserFiles/File/Xmas-billboard-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.stmatthews.org.nz/images/UserFiles/File/Xmas-billboard-09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm surprised and saddened that New Zealand Anglicans <a href="http://anglicantaonga.org.nz/News/General-Synod/white">feel they need to respond to a call made by St. Matthew's-in-the-City</a>. It seems to me that St. Matthew's is best ignored (until such a time as it has shown that it has significantly changed). I don't wish to address the cause itself, but simply point out: if the cause is worth responding to, it should be carried forward by a different mouthpiece. And as long as it's strongly associated with St. Matthew's, it is best ignored.<br />
<br />
On the one occasion in which Glynn Cardy was able to manufacture a media storm guaranteeing that millions of the world's eyes would turned upon himself and St. Matthew's - Mr. Cardy chose to engage in hate speech.<br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.stmatthews.org.nz/nav.php?sid=498&id=999">the sermon</a> (note how he begins - "To make the news at Christmas ..." - Cardy clearly knew what he was doing):<br />
<blockquote><i>"Christian fundamentalism believes a supernatural male God who lived above sent his sperm into the womb of the virgin Mary. Although there were a series of miraculous events surrounding Jesus’ birth – like wandering stars and angelic choirs – the real miracle was his death and literal resurrection 33 years later."</i></blockquote><br />
Cardy is encouraging us to classify a group of Christians as "fundamentalists" - as epistemologist Alvin Plantinga has noted, "fundamentalism" is a cognitively relatively empty word; but yet highly pejorative. "Fundamentalism" is always defined differently; one must look at context to see who the speaker is referring to. Amongst the things he associates with such fundamentalism are:<br />
<ul><li><i>something</i> having to do with the Virgin Mary<br />
</li>
<li>a literal resurrection</li>
</ul>These "fundamentalists" are contrasted to "Progressive Christianity," which according to Cardy believes that the Christmas narrative is fictitious. It's common enough for groups of Christians to be perjorized and marginalized by referring to them as "Fundamentalists," but what's unique here is that Cardy actually goes so far as to teach his congregation and the world <i>what <b>those people</b> believe</i>. And he's teaching them that these people believe in divine sperm.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>There are, as far as I know, <i>no</i> groups of Christians teach such a doctrine concerning divine sperm. Presumably, the group which is most targeted by this statement is Roman Catholics, who in the West are highly associated with the Virgin Mary - as Protestants themselves don't tend to emphasize the virgin birth (nor do they always believe in it), and tend to find Catholic beliefs and practices about Mary either rather curious or quite suspicious.<br />
<br />
One of the characteristics of practice of religion in the West aimed at keeping peace amongst religions is: we generally don't tend to teach our adherents what people of other religions believe, except very occasionally, when we're quite sure about the teachings concerned. And we most certainly don't impute to them beliefs which many would find disgusting, ridiculous, or outright shameful - when they do not actually believe such.<br />
<br />
For this would be an incitement to strong feelings of aversion against such persons, i.e., hate speech.<br />
<br />
It seems the only way we can maintain freedom of religion, yet keep hatred at bay, is by ignoring the antics of groups of adherents and religious leaders who engage in this type of behavior, like Mr. Cardy or the Koran-burning Terry Jones. Loving them doesn't necessarily mean handing them a bullhorn.<br />
<br />
Since it's Christians here who are "targeted" - and not other religions - we are likely to laugh at this, or brush it off as simply silly. I'd argue, however, that if we do, we are setting a dangerous precedent - in allowing our clerics to teach falsehoods about what persons of other religions believe (since, in this case, "Progressive Christianity" as Cardy describes it does not consider e.g. the [bodily] resurrection to be amongst its beliefs, is a different religion from Trinitarian Christianity - so we are really speaking of different religions).<br />
<br />
Anglicans find themselves engaging in hate speech with greater frequency these days. Cardy is not alone, though this example is admittedly extreme. We also need to be especially attentive at our hate speech directed toward Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholics because of the disagreements of some of us with their views on gender and ordination. Protestants in general tend to have enough animus and misinformation amongst themselves about Catholics, without the addition of our own animus. We may certainly engage Catholics rationally; but with their own well-reasoned and authentically held beliefs on ordination, calling them "bigots" and "woman-haters" is itself a rather extreme and terrible form of bigotry. For when we call them bigots, we are engaging in vituperation in ignorance of their own extensive reasoning and soul-searching regarding the interrelation between Scripture and tradition, however much we may disagree with it. And we must be consistent - e.g., willing to decry all practicing Muslims as bigots and woman-haters.<br />
<br />
As an additional note - this incident has, as far as I know, brought world attention more than any other to the rather recent phenomenon of "Progressive Christianity," with St. Matthews-in-the-City probably being the congregation most associated with this movement. The sermon here was practically a <i>manifesto</i> for Progressive Christianity - given the media attention, Progressive Christianity's most historic manifesto to date. I know of no significant criticism or denouncing of this manufactured media event from any known proponent of Progressive Christianity. One might reasonably conclude that Progressive Christianity as a movement has few qualms with teaching calumnous falsities about other religions and generally "ok" with hate speech, as long as it's hatred of those who disagree with them.<br />
<br />
To this day, we are still left in a situation where thousands of media outlets published the divine sperm story, with hundreds of millions having been exposed to it; but with no significant apology having been heard from the Anglican Communion or the lesser bodies associated with this event. When Terry Jones announced his plans to burn Korans, hundreds of Christian clergy responded; here, primarily Roman Catholics are targeted by hate speech in a billboard and public media campaign, and not only are we silent - we continue to lend our ear to a call for "justice" by this group. If the cause is important - we need to find another group to be its mouthpiece.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the best response to this St. Matthew's initiative is to accept it as an invitation to call St. Matthew's to revisit its own vision of accountability and ethics.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Shortcomings in sensibilities of so-called "orthodox Anglicans"</span><br />
<br />
Finally, the fact that New Zealand Anglicans are allowing an initiative to go forward strongly associated with St. Matthew's, after such a global hate-speech incident without apology - what does this say of so-called "<i>orthodox Anglicans</i>"? Have they so divested themselves from the "liberal" groups that they have given up basic calls for honesty and respectful behavior? Or do they simply believe that "hate speech" is "<i>a liberal thing</i>"? I can say with certainty: most self-describing "liberal" Anglicans <i>do not</i> approve of the use of falsity for promoting one's cause - especially if the falsity in question is inflammatory. "Conservative" Anglicans, on this occasion, needed to do more to lovingly convince their "liberal" counterparts that here, St. Matthew's was engaged in something simultaneously wrong and stupid while so foolishly exhibiting itself upon the world stage. There is ample reason for understanding how many did not "see" the problem here, given the tabloid-like media attention given to the billboard and the issues of <i>taste</i> and <i>offense</i>. It is understandable that many liberal Anglican readers did not take notice. I would suggest here, that "orthodox Anlgicans" failed their "liberal" brothers and sisters in failing to engage them with a message which both parties could understand, and act upon - which could have found a beneficial outcome for <i>both parties</i>, in calling upon Cardy and St. Matthew's to reconsider their action (and much more importantly: this would also have been an opportunity to invite them back into the fold of Trinitarian Christianity). So-called "orthodox Anglicans" should conclude, I believe: that they have much to learn about appreciation of the church as the body of Christ; and the importance of loving, church-aware action within that body - the difficult, and usually thankless task of finding ways of bringing healing and peace.<br />
<br />
<b><i>additional thoughts:</i></b><br />
<br />
<i>There are a number of things deserving commentary in Cardy's elocution, and it's also telling of "orthodox Anglicans" that this sermon was never seriously "fisked." First off, it's probably the most "historic" presentation of the phenomenon of "Progressive Chrsitianity" - given the great attention Cardy was able to garner with the billboard and his media campaign. I am disappointed that more in 2009 - especially those identifying as "Progressive Christians" - did not highlight some of the interesting tidbits here - since this has been, to date, Progressive Christianity's most historic "manifesto."</i><br />
<br />
<i>A note on "Progressive Christianity": It is essential for Trinitarian Christians who consider themselves to be "progressive" on various issues, understand that "Progressive Christianity" has emerged as something very much different from what they believe as Trinitarian Christians. I would like to point out in as strong language as possible - this is a phenomenon of a fringe group which self-identifies with "Progressive Christianity" as a kind of label - strongly identified with the Institute for Progressive Christianity and such figures as Marcus Borg. This is largely a form of non-Trinitarian Jesus following; i.e., incompatible with Trinitarian Christianity.</i><br />
<br />
<i>My remarks here are meant to apply to this community in particular - i.e., those who identify specifically with the label "Progressive Christianity" and are aware of its tenets - as we can assume Cardy is - e.g., relegating the gospel accounts of the birth of Christ to the category of "fiction," and rejecting the importance of the bodily resurrection of Christ. If you are a Trinitarian Christian, and you see yourself as "progressive" - <b>this is most certainly not about you</b>. </i><br />
<br />
<i>"</i>Progressive Christianity however emphasizes behaviour above belief. How one treats ones neighbours, enemies, and planet is the essence of faith."<br />
<br />
<i>Does this behavior re. neighbours and enemies include lies and hate speech? What does the silence of the Progressive Christianity community about this event say about its sensitivity with regards to ethical issues and engagement?</i><br />
<br />
<i>"</i>Yet the culture of the Church is such that differences are downplayed and commonality extolled. Variety is synthesized into a supposed unity creating a mushy middle way. Most church leaders follow this middle mush approach, trying to say something pertinent without offending anybody."<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>Cardy proves his point by engaging in hate speech with no one calling him out for it out of fear of "offending" someone. Anglicanism is indeed highly characterized by "middle mush." He portrays himself as someone on an "extreme end" who is not afraid to offend, and disavows the notion of unity espoused by "most church leaders." Still - with so much material here worthy of criticism - what does it say about so-called "orthodox" Anglicans </i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>"</i>Progressive Christianity is distinctive in that not only does it articulate a clear view it is also interested in engaging with those who differ. Its vision is one of robust engagement."<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i> I would suggest that this "type" of engagement - that does not stop short at purporting that opponents believe things they don't - is a form of engagement which is best avoided.</i><br />
<br />
<i>A note to advocates of LGBT issues in the Communion: do you really want this man and his congregation functioning as your mouthpiece? Has the situation in the Communion really devolved to such depths? </i><br />
<br />
[Thanks to commenter Peter, below, for pointing out that Glynn Cardy is not a Canon; article updated to correct this error]<i> </i>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-87577733829505822802011-06-09T22:09:00.016+02:002011-06-15T00:18:13.567+02:00Jefferts-Schori and Corvallisgate: Electoral justice is also a “justice issue”<div style="text-align: right;"><i>Last month I posted <a href="http://videruntomnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/more-katharine-jefferts-schori-cover-up.html">an article on the Jefferts-Schori election coverup</a>.</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>It occurred to me since that though The Episcopal Church is focused on "justice issues" as few churches ever have been - to many Episcopalians, it probably hasn't yet registered that electoral justice is also a "justice issue."</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Why this election matters - and why it may be a lot worse than the Watergate scandal decades ago.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEukc3ZysIUtrvXDgnPlhRuqtaZEDL2p_Z4M3cEJf2RcqMsyIVkReMaRhA_sJP-Pdtu9yLIPOCXiXA7dKQFWniJjtYeKBiYoiJfwvYQqzjXwgqD1L86OccC9cuH7UOya9mU8b2dUEmMfq/s1600/corvallisgate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEukc3ZysIUtrvXDgnPlhRuqtaZEDL2p_Z4M3cEJf2RcqMsyIVkReMaRhA_sJP-Pdtu9yLIPOCXiXA7dKQFWniJjtYeKBiYoiJfwvYQqzjXwgqD1L86OccC9cuH7UOya9mU8b2dUEmMfq/s320/corvallisgate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In 1973, many Americans were confronted with unpleasant news. The President of the country they dearly loved was being investigated. To many, the subject of investigation must have seemed odd and far-fetched: the question was being asked whether the President knew if a group of five men had broken into a building used by the Democratic Party as its headquarters, and whether he had engaged in activity to cover up the incident of this break in. Many probably ironically wondered why Congress wasn't investigating the burglaries of their own homes, given how endemic burglary had become to American urban life. The theft of an automobile or cash under one's mattress can have real and dire implications for a family's well-being; but what was alleged as stolen here was merely a party's “secrets.” No children go unfed because of such melodramatic news in the ongoing scuffle between political parties plotting to outdo one other in painting a brighter picture of America and winning America's votes.<br />
<br />
But to the more perceptive, something much greater was at stake than five men breaking, entering, and stealing: what was at stake was a seemingly abstract issue we call “electoral justice.” It's about polities which hold to democratic process, and the diligence they must maintain in preserving the fairness and honesty of elections. It's about the consciousness that even when we elect a great man with great ideas, passion for justice, and loving charisma, who may very likely improve the lives of everyone – that if we do so by means of a dishonest election, we are also undermining our very democratic sensibilities, and the principles which unite us as a people who live and work together. And this seemingly abstract issue has very real consequences when we permit electoral injustice to occur with uncritical eyes: we begin to lose hope in fairness and transparency of governance, and are likely to slide into a form of political cynicism in which tyrants flourish – a situation in which the people so ruled have little say in things.<br />
<br />
Katharine Jefferts-Schori, the first female Primate of the Anglican Communion, is a woman thousands of Episcopalians and other Anglicans have grown to love and appreciate over the last five years. On the basis of her performance amongst Episcopalians, I have no doubt that were a vote to be held tomorrow for the office, that she would win by a wide margin. Unfortunately, however, her election as Presiding Bishop was <a href="http://videruntomnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/more-katharine-jefferts-schori-cover-up.html">marred by a significant anomaly</a> – one which might have begun innocently enough. What is clear is that the end result of the election is a situation in which it is likely that the Presiding Bishop was elected under false pretenses, and in which significant election fraud very likely took place. It is also clear that Jefferts-Schori herself knew this to be the case.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The Episcopal Church and the larger Communion have been virtually silent about this electoral anomaly. The Episcopal News Service produced no retraction of the false information it had disseminated to the world, which was picked up by hundreds of news sources, many national and international; even Anglican blogs across the ideological spectrum were rather silent, after the initial coverage at Virtue Online. The silence on this matter is all the more poignant when we consider how the Anglican news and blog world exploded with coverage over the issue of "mitregate": on an occasion in the U.K. when Jefferts-Schori was allowed to hold, but not wear, her bishop's hat. Likely election fraud - virtually no coverage; hat-holding - nearly universal coverage. What does this say about Anglican interests and media?<br />
<br />
The question of whether Jefferts-Schori would have been elected without the falsity contained in the election materials is largely (but not entirely) irrelevant. We must remember that electoral fraud remains such, even if the electoral outcome would not have been otherwise without the fraud. In this case, without pre-judging whether this actually fits the category of “fraud” or not (though I think it's clear that what we have here very likely would be classified as fraud were an investigation held), the event itself merits attention simply in addressing the issue of honesty, fairness, and justice in democratic process in general. Of great pertinence is also the question: how did it come about that this likely fraud has been met by the Episcopal Church, and the larger Communion, with such silence? Does this indicate that the procedural governance of Communion bodies in general is incapable of faithfully operating with honesty and integrity? Are the decisions which our governing bodies make characterized by this same weakness, in that major questions of dishonesty are quickly swept under the carpet by any and all who are aware of them – instead of being investigated, openly admitted, and repented of?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4685/1237/1600/Save0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4685/1237/1600/Save0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conservative cynicism, courtesy Pat Dague</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I do not believe that The Episcopal Church is yet ready for a full investigation into the election – and note further: that were such an investigation proposed, that all might be best served if it were agreed beforehand that it would not result in disciplinary measures, but act more as a “truth commission.” I do believe, however, that it is of utmost importance that Episcopalians and Anglicans learn to comfortably speak about this election, what took place, and what its consequences are for The Episcopal Church and for the wider Communion. If we are not able to learn to do this – we are likely to find ourselves in a situation with a very unhealthy combination of rather polarized groups. There will be a knowing few who chuckle at a group of adherents which is incapable of maintaining honesty in the most basic democratic procedures (amongst these few, presumably, many Anglican bishops from all over the world, thus bringing inauthenticity into our Communion gatherings), seeing democratic governance in TEC as largely a sham. And there will be a group of rather cynical adherents to the views of Jefferts-Schori who do not highly value transparent democratic process, who either take the view “This was a tragedy, but necessary to promote the values we have” or (privately): “Haha, she got away with it; we outwitted our own bishops.” And there will be the large mass of Episcopalians and Anglicans – including very dedicated followers of Jefferts-Schori – who are all very unaware of the growing cynicism in political process, and the increasing divide between “insiders” and “outsiders” in Episcopal Church governance, their futures in the church determined largely by persons whose views they may very well find rather awful, and political factors which they would likely find sickly. Future candidates for high office in The Episcopal Church (and perhaps even in the Communion at large) would, very rightly, point out that some hypocrisy is involved if they misrepresent the issues they advocate, and are then criticized for this. Since, after all, we do have this precedent of a leader so many love and cherish – if her example tells us that some sacrifice of the truth is permissible in official electoral process for the realization of our ideals, why then do you criticize me, and not her?<br />
<br />
I would suggest that The Anglican Communion now finds itself in a situation not unlike The United States would now be in, had Americans, after having been shown compelling evidence of Nixon's involvement in Watergate, simply said: “That is not important and needn't be investigated. We love Richard Nixon, and we don't care what he or others may have done – nor what this implies for our life together as a nation; fraud in governance is to be expected; investigations themselves can't be trusted; and thinking about fraud only for the dirty-minded.” Instead we must consider: speaking of, and investigating possible fraud is painful, and has painful consequences. But if the United States had not weathered its serious discussion and investigation of the Watergate scandal – the consequences for democratic procedure the world round would have been devastating, with cynicism and totalitarianism of the ruling classes triumphant.<br />
<br />
That said, I should point out something which I believe to be a major difference between our current situation, and that of Watergate. The public's focus during the Watergate scandal was largely upon the head of state, Richard Nixon. In our own situation - I think it is rather likely that we will find that there is more fault in the church body collectively, than in the individual who was elected in this process. This is not to say that I believe that Jefferts-Schori herself is in no way to blame. Rather, it's to say that a healthy focus would be to ask ourselves: <i>how did we allow ourselves to get this far, and go so long with such an obvious and major election anomaly as this one?</i> It is all to easy to localize blame upon a single scapegoat. We need, rather, to understand better our own attitudes toward political process, and those things <i>we did not do</i>, much more than we need to understand what one person or a few <i>did do</i>. <br />
<br />
In this discussion, all involved expose themselves to their more tawdry and sinful sides. Of course, there are parties responsible for the anomaly itself. But the “conservatives” must also ask themselves: “Why did we fail to speak up about the importance of such likely severe miscarriage of justice? Have we really become so cynical, that we think it impossible to call our more liberal brothers and sisters to consider such an elemental, secular principle as electoral justice?” And they must realize that they also are implicated – if only in their knowing silence – in not enabling the church to come to discussion, investigation, and healing on this issue. If you are an Anglican in the Communion, dear reader - you are also "included" in this great issue of corporate sin. At this point, it does little good coming up with an explanation "he did ... she did ... they did ..." with no emphasis on corporate repentance. We are <i>all</i> responsible for this lingering flaw in allowing a major deception to go unchecked in our church governance process; and we <i>all</i> share Katharine Jefferts-Schori as one of our Primates, seated also in the Anglican Consultative Council.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-41537797251038969382011-06-05T14:45:00.000+02:002011-06-05T14:45:15.853+02:00Matt Kennedy on knowledge of God vs. saving knowledge of Christ<div style="text-align: right;"><i>This comes from a Facebook status update of Fr. Matthew Kennedy, an Anglican priest in New York, from about a week ago. I found it worth deserving more attention and thought, and have thus taken the liberty of posting it here. I think it's likely that you will find it stimulating further reflection, and that it's worth coming back to from time to time.</i></div><br />
The NT logic is: saving <b>knowledge</b> of Christ alone leads to a true <b>knowledge</b> of <b>God</b>. Problems come in contemporary universalist/inclusivist thinking when that logic is reversed so that it becomes: any kind of <b>knowledge</b> of <b>God</b> = saving <b>knowledge</b> of Christ. Scripture never goes there. People are to be drawn to <b>God</b> through the proclamation of Christ because without Christ there can be no saving <b>knowledge</b> of <b>God</b>.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-26568222868720038582011-06-04T00:51:00.002+02:002011-06-04T01:14:28.518+02:00A great opportunity to excommunicate Mugabe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9eipE6ghCTJy9V2GJ8eQoKC9AHDreIo2oUhz-lOW9dwLIr2YglK7Wyfr0CyT38cgJtEJBlR8IkK3BaeXorMvS6ceocSo5ZJKcf2jyYz31fpIFi943Rvj0iuMSyWXspk7wgiobVodxIEL/s320/Mugabe+-+JPII+Beatification+Mass.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9eipE6ghCTJy9V2GJ8eQoKC9AHDreIo2oUhz-lOW9dwLIr2YglK7Wyfr0CyT38cgJtEJBlR8IkK3BaeXorMvS6ceocSo5ZJKcf2jyYz31fpIFi943Rvj0iuMSyWXspk7wgiobVodxIEL/s200/Mugabe+-+JPII+Beatification+Mass.bmp" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2011/06/mugabe-moves-to-take-control-of.html">Cranmer</a> and <a href="http://anglicandownunder.blogspot.com/2011/06/when-will-benedict-xvi-excommunicate.html">Peter Carrell</a> have both written about what an opportune moment this is - during ARCIC III, an ecumenical gathering between Anglicans and Catholics - for the Roman Catholic Church to excommunicate Mugabe.<br />
<br />
At the moment, it seems <i>everything</i> in the Communion is about ecclesiology and homosexuality. The case with Mugabe and Kunonga is no exception - previously Anglican bishop of Harare, now excommunicated, but vying for control of the Anglican Church of Zimbabwe with Mugabe's support. Kunonga initially claimed that the Church of Zimbabwe was ravaged by homosexuality, and because of this, purported to withdraw the diocese of Harare from the Anglican Church of Zimbabwe, creating his own church. It was widely speculated that this was a nonsense claim, to rationalize moving the diocese in a grasp for power. He is now strongly supported by Mugabe. There has been a murder and a rape, death threats, much intimidation, and many put out of their churches. Mugabe has ordered that in the diocese of Harare, church services are to be held under order by Kunonga. Home church services are being held in defiance of the order, even though police are enforcing Mugabe's and Kunonga's wishes. The situation has recently <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/world/africa/30zimbabwe.html">escalated</a>.<br />
<br />
This would indeed be a good time for Rome to excommunicate Mugabe.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-18927223776193555822011-06-03T21:40:00.002+02:002011-06-03T21:44:05.816+02:00Congregational singingThough many congregations once knew how to sing in parts and read music, the art of congregational singing is being lost as many churches move to "praise bands."<br />
<br />
One might notice that churches in films which are portrayed positively, tend to sing hymns in parts. By pointing this out, I mean no judgment upon the vast majority of churches which don't; but simply: good congregational singing is in no sense something which estranges new people or visitors. In fact, I'd think that it generally would be seen as a lovely thing by newcomers - as evidenced by mainstream media's selection of congregational singing for evoking positive images. I believe "praise band" music to be popular largely because small children more easily understand it, its being so similar to the songs they hear on the radio and in shopping malls. Unfortunately, praise band style music in many churches is likely to be experienced as odd by many newcomers, and is experienced by many as an acquired taste (and not always easily acquired).<br />
<br />
Congregational singing in parts is, on the other hand, a beautiful demonstration of the harmonious diversity within the body of Christ, with the congregation itself being the main instrument of praise, rather then being like "back up singers" for the band standing in front.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/h_N0YibyXBI/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h_N0YibyXBI&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h_N0YibyXBI&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>This is a hymn sung by a Mennonite church. Not bad at all for congregational singing. It's part of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/w3tno">Youtube user w3tno's collection</a> of videos - mostly of congregational singing. It is a valuable resource if your own congregation is interested in congregational singing - either to inspire them, or for listening to how other congregations have sung these hymns as an aide to learning them.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-76699983514864281692011-06-02T00:24:00.001+02:002011-06-02T00:25:55.400+02:00AutumnAs autumn rolls<br />
brown with brown,<br />
As unleashed leaves consummate<br />
a slow gravity love<br />
<br />
The wind snatches some<br />
with a quickening life<br />
And reels them around<br />
in the rest of the light<br />
<br />
Green leaves<br />
would never dance so.<br />
<br />
<i>(ca. 1991)</i>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-31701238270377104472011-06-02T00:12:00.001+02:002011-06-02T00:12:50.426+02:00A Trucker's PoemLittle feet, in the air;<br />
little tail, stuck on the pavement.<br />
<br />
Road kill, I pity you.<br />
But not very much.<br />
<br />
<i>(ca. 1989)</i>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627626634941391100.post-75199777222131803042011-06-01T23:30:00.000+02:002011-06-01T23:30:40.167+02:00More ethnic cleansing in Sudan, open war on the horizon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://themediaproject.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/top_image_full/top-images/abyei_soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://themediaproject.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/top_image_full/top-images/abyei_soldiers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Veteran journalist Arne Fjeldstadt reports on the current situation in Sudan, <a href="http://themediaproject.org/article/ayei-tensions-push-sudan-toward-open-war">Sudan stumbles toward open war</a>. Tanks and troops from the north have occupied an oil-rich area, killing and burning.<br />
<br />
Without an international peace-keeping force, the situation in post-referendum Sudan appears to be dire.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11938641996931196631noreply@blogger.com0