tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post655708107211446609..comments2024-03-27T08:46:54.369-04:00Comments on BabyBlueOnline: Episcopal House of Bishops issues "Pastoral Letter"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17490745238430648958noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-1982884272740300622009-03-23T16:18:00.000-04:002009-03-23T16:18:00.000-04:00"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies,..."There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." <BR/><BR/>I like to think Benny Disraeli said it, but its also attributed to Mark Twain.redleg82https://www.blogger.com/profile/14804024971069374543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-22564052699396893572009-03-19T06:48:00.000-04:002009-03-19T06:48:00.000-04:00The claim at the end that Jesus stands in solidari...The claim at the end that Jesus stands in solidarity with them is presumptious.<BR/><BR/>The last decades have shown they are ignorant or ignore the task of the Church to have the mind of Christ and obey His Commands and Commission, not the other way around.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-53891058733057221222009-03-19T06:34:00.000-04:002009-03-19T06:34:00.000-04:00There is no strife. All is well.The leadership of ...There is no strife. All is well.<BR/><BR/>The leadership of TEC, both in our local Bishop Peter Lee and in the Presiding Bishop,have maintained that only a few, “less than 1% of the churches” in the Episcopal Church have left ... without taking<BR/>into consideration that those that have left have included the largest churches in the country. Like Truro and Falls Church, among others nationally. Considering how many TEC churches have less than an ASA of 50 this is a silly statistic to use.<BR/><BR/>According to public records published by the Diocese, the Diocese of Virginia has dropped over 23% of its Sunday attendance since 2002, dropped 28% of its attendance at Sunday School, and<BR/>over 33% in the number of baptisms per year. <BR/><BR/>With a median weekly attendance in Episcopal churches across the country at 69 people a week, it’s an interesting spin to say (as our Presiding Bishop has said on many occasions) that the recent loss of many churches with weekly attendance of over a 1000 each is a very small thing. Or that the national loss of 30% of the average<BR/>Sunday attendance over six years does not perhaps signal a major disturbance in the force.<BR/><BR/>Not that there is any strife of course.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Personal to BB. Yup. Official. But no parties please. Like living under the radar. Have a chocolate frog and celebrate quietly. I am.RSchllnbrghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16473103729914120630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-59291958249992905842009-03-19T03:15:00.000-04:002009-03-19T03:15:00.000-04:00Great word..."asinine"...I enjoy saying it!!! Yes...Great word..."asinine"...I enjoy saying it!!! Yes...twould be lovely to have a Minority Response/Rebuttal ala the State of The Union Addresses. I also wonder what the Windsor/Camp Allen/Ex-ACN/Communion Partner bishops think or do...'tis a mystery...or it appears so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-92225469036003759512009-03-18T22:54:00.000-04:002009-03-18T22:54:00.000-04:00Anon, I do think it would be a better statement th...Anon, I do think it would be a better statement than the whooshing ones in the past, if it weren't for the fact that they completely ignore that there is major problem facing us of huge proportions, not only with the massive litigation underway by The Episcopal Church, but also the public statements of the Presiding Bishop and the House of Deputies President that the Covenant will not be addressed as long as they are in office.<BR/><BR/>From this "letter" we gather they have very little to say about any of the pressing issues (with the bishop of Massachusetts pronouncing that the strife is over) - probably because they have been advised by the Presiding Bishop's attorneys to say nothing.<BR/><BR/>bbAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17490745238430648958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-37377579854932125292009-03-18T22:41:00.000-04:002009-03-18T22:41:00.000-04:00How appropriate. The bishops are those who have no...How appropriate. The bishops are those who have nothing to risk or lose dictating to those who they really don't influence much, about issues for which they have little experience or competence.<BR/><BR/>Sure takes attention away from their own inadequacies and failures of leadership.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-67689784508590941702009-03-18T22:39:00.000-04:002009-03-18T22:39:00.000-04:00That's because they had help from the professional...That's because they had help from the professional flaks.<BR/><BR/><I>Bishop Ed Little of Northern Indiana said there were some wide-ranging questions "but no pressure in the discussion" about Bishop-elect Kevin Thew Forrester of Northern Michigan, whose February 21 election sparked controversy after published reports that he had received a Buddhist lay ordination.</I><BR/><BR/>But there is no strife!<BR/><BR/><I>Jefferts Schori also expressed "great sadness" when asked about a March 11 letter by former Southern Virginia Bishop Stephen Bane, notifying the church he had joined the Anglican Church of North America and intends to serve as its assistant bishop in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.</I><BR/><BR/>But there is no strife!<BR/><BR/>Note, though, that the 815 press release says that Bishop Bane is going to serve in "the Diocese of Pittsburgh." I thought that 815 didn't recognize that the <I>schismatics</I> had something called the "Diocese of Pittsburgh." I thought there was only one Diocese of Pittsburgh, from Schori's point of view, the shadow one set up with financial backing from 815?<BR/><BR/>But of course there is no strife!<BR/><BR/>bbAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17490745238430648958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-50064746772252153702009-03-18T22:32:00.001-04:002009-03-18T22:32:00.001-04:00At the risk of being pelted with old fruit and veg...At the risk of being pelted with old fruit and veggies, it is one of the better statements to come out of the HoB in recent years. <BR/><BR/>If one didn't know them by their works, it would sound even better.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-80606068708809216592009-03-18T22:32:00.000-04:002009-03-18T22:32:00.000-04:00"The meeting "showed a church that has moved beyon..."The meeting "showed a church that has moved beyond strife and (that is) getting ready for the next phase of our mission in the world and the country," said Bishop Tom Shaw of Massachusetts during a post-meeting telephone briefing with members of the media."<BR/><BR/>Does that mean the Episcopal Church is dropping all their lawsuits? How can Bishop Shaw say something so asinine? "Moved beyond strife?" How can a sitting bishop say something like that? Please tell me, when the Episcopal Church is spending millions and millions in court? The strife is not o'er.<BR/><BR/>bbAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17490745238430648958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-88853168285963808492009-03-18T22:27:00.000-04:002009-03-18T22:27:00.000-04:00Good points all - again, a sign that the bishops a...Good points all - again, a sign that the bishops as a house are enamored with their position, a warning bell to all. One of the questions I wonder these days is how much theology informs structure and structure informs theology. The oversight of the crisis-at-hand is simply astonishing. What did they do - take the Communion Partner Bishops and stuff them on a boat and send them out in the middle of the Kanuga lake? Are we going to get a minority report? Ed Little has been reported as saying that they all got their answers to the Buddhist Bishop controversy. Oh really?<BR/><BR/>RS - are you now Dr RS? Can we call for a cafe celebration? <BR/><BR/>bbAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17490745238430648958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-17519185171484155302009-03-18T22:15:00.000-04:002009-03-18T22:15:00.000-04:00Oh it's because we are to be formed by "gospel val...Oh it's because we are to be formed by "gospel values" and not the Gospel itself. That way we can distill what we want out of the Gospel and preach that, rather than get bogged down in what my bishop has dismissed as "a narorw 20th Century moralism." Social Gospel, check. Got it. Peace? Sure why not? Solidarity with the downtrodden? Of course. Great Commission to spread the Gospel to the lost? Nope. Calling for repentance for personal guilt rather than for broad issues of liberal angst? Never gonna happen. Proclaiming Jesus as "the way, the truth and the life?" Who are we kidding? See there I go again becoming narrow.<BR/><BR/>But then ... I seem to recall something about a narrow gate. Guess that has to go in the name of progress. Not broad enough to let everyone through dontcha know.<BR/><BR/>So thanks be to the God who is still creating and leading us on into new things. I guess. <BR/><BR/>Or not so much really.RSchllnbrghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16473103729914120630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-19892754787279978182009-03-18T21:59:00.000-04:002009-03-18T21:59:00.000-04:00Did I miss something??? THE LAWSUITS??? Oh wait....Did I miss something??? THE LAWSUITS??? Oh wait...might not wanna say anything about that, now...not propahhh...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23327221.post-28418877821246397312009-03-18T21:34:00.000-04:002009-03-18T21:34:00.000-04:00Did I miss that they would stop harrassing the chu...Did I miss that they would stop harrassing the churches that have left and use the funds to help the poor and the third world. If they did that, I know that we would be happy to help the poor instead of again raising funds to keep the building we have already paid for once.<BR/><BR/>Until they may that kind of repentance it is more blah, blah, blah.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com