King's College Choir in Cambridge announces major change

Blast from the past: Charity

One of the very first songs I learned as I became a Christian in the San Diego Coffeehouse all those years ago (location above) was called Charity, based on the 13th chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up;

doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; 

but the greatest of these is charity.

I Corinthians 13.

J. John interviews Justin Welby

The Rev. Canon J. John of the Philo Trust interviews Archbishop Justin Welby.  Watch it all:

Late Night at the Cafe: With or Without You

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning ...

“We have pursued this legal process out of the conviction that it is one of the ministries that God has entrusted to our church. We continued in our desire to be faithful to God’s calling to see it through to the end. We are grateful that our nation’s civil justice system allows us this recourse, and we thank the Supreme Court for its consideration of our petition. Although we hoped and prayed for a different outcome, we know that God is good, loving, and faithful. We have seen this on vibrant display in so many ways in our church life during these years, and we will continue to trust that he has even better things for us.”  -The Rev. Dr. John W. Yates, Rector, The Falls Church Anglican (Falls Church, VA).

Today at the Cafe: Matt and Audrey

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby installs ACNA Rector Tory Baucum as a Six Preacher at Canterbury Cathedral

The Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum (Rector, Truro Anglican Church, Fairfax, VA) was installed today as a Six Preacher of Canterbury Cathedral by Archbishop Justin Welby.  The Anglican Church in North America's Archbishop Robert Duncan also attended the installation in Canterbury, England, today.

U.S. Supreme will not hear The Falls Church Anglican's appeal

This morning the U.S. Supreme Court denied The Falls Church Anglican's petition. It was reposted repeatedly by the court since December until the decision was released today to deny hearing the appeal. The Falls Church Anglican released this statement:

We received word today that the United States Supreme Court has denied our church's petition for certiorari and declined to hear our case. This means that the long legal process in which our church has been involved since we were sued by The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia in 2007 has come to its end. 

We have pursued this legal process out of the conviction that it is one of the ministries that God has entrusted to our church and out of our desire to be faithful to God's calling to see it through to the end. We are grateful that our nation's civil justice system allows us this recourse and we thank the Supreme Court for its consideration of our petition.

Kevin Kallsen is interviewing Allan Haley of the Anglican Curmudgeon and will have that video up in a few moments.

UPDATE: Here is Kevin's interview:



More commentary here at Anglican Curmudgeon.

The bishop of Virginia, Shannon Johnston, released this statement:

"We are most gratified by the Supreme Court's ruling. We look forward to the possibilities that the months ahead will bring, and continue to keep those affected by the litigation in our prayers."

Late Night at the Cafe: Jack Benny & Peter, Paul & Mary

Today is the 8th Anniversary of BabyBlueOnline!

Hard to believe it's been eight years since we opened the cafe doors and started serving up the butterbeer and chai.

Here is the origin of the name:




Since today is our anniversary we know what that means! We are celebrating the 8th CafeAnonsBall!  The one time of year when we celebrate all those folks who drop into the cafe and who's name is only known to God.

So to get things started, we need to be sure the pancakes are arriving from the kitchen to all the plates here in the cafe.  There are many ways to make pancakes - but just in case you're not sure, here is a short less on making delicious pancakes for Strove Tuesday.



Ever wonder how Shrove Tuesday got started? Here's a short history:

History
For centuries, the English have celebrated Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent, with merriment and antics and, especially, great quantities of pancakes. In fact, the fried flat cakes became so important to the holiday that is has also been called Pancake Day, or Pancake Tuesday.

Learning to make pancakes can start early.

Long ago, strict Christian Lenten rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products, so keen housewives made pancakes to use up their supplies of eggs, milk, butter and other fats. They could be easily made and cooked in a skillet or on a griddle.

Families ate stacks of them, and pancakes were popular with all classes.

The rich Shrovetide pancakes were eaten as a ritual or symbol of self-indulgence before the fast. Early English recipes called for wheaten flour, eggs, butter or lard, a liquid (water, milk, ale or wine) and flavorings such as white or brown sugar, spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, or ginger), orange flower water, scented sugars or liqueurs.

The pancakes were fried in butter or fat and served flat or rolled and sprinkled with powdered sugar, topped with preserves or doused with  alcohol. A special pancake, called a quire or pancake of paper, was made very thin and usually stacked. It was likened to a quire of "wafers" or writing paper.

Even the church bells that rang early on Shrove Tuesday morning summoning everyone to confession and to be "shriven" became known as Pancake Bells. They also reminded all to use up the "forbidden foods" before Lent. An old London rhyme went "Pancakes and fritters, say the bells on St. Peter's."

Now we know!

Pancake Races
One of the traditions of Shrove Tuesday is to hold pancake races. Here is what Wiki says about that:

Shrove Tuesday was once known as a "half-holiday" in England. It started at 11:00 am with the ringing of a church bell. On Pancake Day, "pancake races" are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake. The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, especially England, even today. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan whilst running. 

The most famous pancake race, at Olney in Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The contestants, traditionally women, carry a frying pan and race to over a 415 yard course to the finishing line. The rules are strict: contestants have to toss their pancake at both the start and the finish, as well as wear an apron and a scarf. Traditionally, when men want to participate, they must dress up as a housewife (usually an apron and a bandanna). The race is followed by a church service. 

Since 1950 the people of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney have held the "International Pancake Day" race between the two towns. The two towns' competitors race along an agreed-upon measured course. The times of the two towns' competitors are compared to determine a winner overall. After the 2009 race, Liberal was leading with 34 wins to Olney's 25. A similar race is held in North Somercotes of Lincolnshire in eastern England.

Have you ever participated in a Pancake Race?

Here at the Cafe we thought that it would be like a Cafe in real life.  Only in Cheers does everyone know your name.  In most cafe and pubs - yes, there are regulars who's names are known.  But there are many visitors who's name no one ever knows.  That's part of the charm of a cafe or pubs - a mix of the known and the unknown.  We wanted it to be a place where those on the left and those on the right could meet up and swap howdies.  However we didn't want anyone to meet up and swap blows.

So our official moderator is none other than this guy:

He has his favorite table by the door.  He has a lot on his mind so most often is not easily disturbed.  But if things get rowdy, he won't hesitate to get up from his chair and toss someone out the door - or window.

Sadly, many time they are the anons  - not always - but most often it does seem to their lot in life.  Some seem to forget that while we may not know their name (though we might know where they are posting from) someone does know their name.  Just saying.

Most of the time - a great deal of the time - Hagrid can just snooze his time-off away and while the conversations may get lively (we are permitted to toss pancakes but not chairs), it most often is still rather cordial.  And for that, we are grateful.

And so on this day, we say thank you - all you anons (who know who you are), thank you for dropping in, toasting your tankard, speaking your mind and most of the time keeping your cool.  

On the Court Watch ...

Read it all here.

UPDATE:

Looks like its been relisted again.  It will be in conference on March 7th with results from that conference made public on March 10."Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:9-10)

Please do continue to watch and pray.

.

Tonight at the Cafe: Don't Think Twice

Here's the cover by Peter, Paul & Mary of Dylan's Don't Think Twice It's All Right:

The one that started it all

I am asked from time to time - Bob Dylan, why?  In the autumn of 2004 I came across this song. And that started it all.

A good day to pray ...

Overseas Anglican Archbishops applaud Welby on marriage statement, but urge action on Episcopal Church

From George Conger at AnglicanInk here:

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby

The Archbishop of Canterbury has met with overseas archbishops seeking ways to save the Anglican Communion from further schism and collapse. Meeting at All Saints Cathedral in Cairo the Global South leaders applauded last week’s reaffirmation of Christian marriage and the sinfulness of homosexual activities made by the House of Bishops of the Church of England, whilst also warning the Most Rev. Justin Welby they would be willing to take the lead in reforming the global Anglican Communion if he were not able to do so.

On 14 February 2014 Archbishop Welby and the Rev. Canon David Porter, his Director for Reconciliation, met with the Steering Committee of the Global South Primates led by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, the Most Rev. Mouneer Anis.

A spokesman for Archbishop Welby told Anglican Ink the archbishop had visited Cairo at the invitation of Dr. Anis to “hear from the Global South Steering Committee.”

“He is visiting all the Primates of the Anglican Communion to listen to their perspectives,” the Lambeth Palace spokesman said.

Details of the closed door meeting with Archbishop Welby have not been released, but in a statement released on 20 Feb 2014 the Global South group spoke of their appreciation of the “frank discussion, open sharing, and spirit of unity among us. We are also encouraged by the Archbishop of Canterbury's emphases on renewal, mission and evangelism within the Church of England and the rest of the Anglican Communion.”

However, the Global South primates were not going to wait upon the rest of the church and outlined a plan of action they consider essential for the survival of the Anglican Communion.

They asked Archbishop Welby to convene a primates meeting in 2015, but at this meeting they requested the agenda focus on the “deteriorating situation facing the Anglican Communion.”

The Anglican Communion was not working, they said, and was “currently suffering from broken relations, a lack of trust, and dysfunctional ‘instruments of unity’."

The 1998 Virginia Report defined four organizations as bearing a focus of unity for the Anglican Communion: the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican Consultative Council, the Primates Meeting and the Lambeth Conference. While the report has considerable moral authority within the Communion, it was never formally adopted by the instruments it cited.

The Global South primates further asked that the agenda be “discussed and agreed upon by the Primates beforehand in order to ensure an effective meeting.” Fifteen of the 38 primates skipped the 2011 Dublin Primates Meeting. The primates had no say in the agenda of that meeting.

Several primates stayed away in protest to what they saw as a manipulation of their offices by the London-based staff of the Anglican Consultative Council, which they accused of having a pro-American bias, whilst others said they saw no purpose in attending the Dublin meeting when the Archbishop of Canterbury and the ACC staff had declined to act on the recommendations made by previous gatherings.

“We realize that the time has come to address the ecclesial deficit, the mutual accountability and re-shaping the instruments of unity by following through the recommendations mentioned in the Windsor Report (2004), the Primates Meetings in Dromantine (2005) and Dar es Salam (2007), and the Windsor Continuation Group report,” the Global South leaders said.

They also offered a word of encouragement to Archbishop Welby and the House of Bishops of the Church of England for the Valentine’s Day statement on Pastoral Guidance for Same Sex Marriage. They applauded the document and noted the “faithfulness of the Church of England in this regard is a great encouragement to our Provinces, and indeed the rest of the Communion, especially those facing hardships and wars.”

Read it all here.

The Global South Statement:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3).

1. The Global South Primates Steering Committee met at All Saints Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt from 14-15 February 2014. We were delighted to have The Most Rev. & Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. Bernard Ntahoturi, the Chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA), and Canon David Porter, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Director for Reconciliation, as guests joining this important meeting in which we discussed the way ahead for the Anglican Communion and other matters. The Most Rev. Dr. Eliud Wabukala, the Primate of Kenya, and The Most Rev. Henri Isingoma, the Primate of Congo, apologized for not being able to attend.

2. We thank God for the times of fellowship, Bible study and prayer together. We also appreciated the frank discussion, open sharing, and spirit of unity among us. We are also encouraged by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s emphases on renewal, mission and evangelism within the Church of England and the rest of the Anglican Communion.

3. As we reviewed the current situation, we recognized that the fabric of the Communion was torn at its deepest level as a result of the actions taken by The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church in Canada since 2003. As a result, our Anglican Communion is currently suffering from broken relations, a lack of trust, and dysfunctional “instruments of unity.”

4. However, we trust in God’s promise that the “gates of hades will not overcome” the church. Holding unto this promise, we believe that we have to make every effort in order to restore our beloved Communion. Therefore we took the following decisions:

a) We request and will support the Archbishop of Canterbury to call for a Primates Meeting in 2015 in order to address the increasingly deteriorating situation facing the Anglican Communion. It is important that the  agenda of this Primates Meeting be discussed and agreed upon by the Primates beforehand in order to ensure an effective meeting.

b) We decided to establish a Primatial Oversight Council, in following-through the recommendations taken at Dromantine in 2005 and Dar es Salam in 2007, to provide pastoral and primatial oversight to dissenting individuals, parishes, and dioceses in order to keep them within the Communion.

c) We realize that the time has come to address the ecclesial deficit, the mutual accountability and re-shaping the instruments of unity by following through the recommendations mentioned in the Windsor Report (2004), the Primates Meetings in Dromantine (2005) and Dar es Salam (2007), and the Windsor Continuation Group report.

5. We appreciate the costly decision of the House of Bishops of the Church of England, as well as the pastoral letter and pastoral guidance of The Archbishop of Canterbury and The Archbishop of York, in regard to the decision of the Westminster Parliament for same-gender marriage. The faithfulness of the Church of England in this regard is a great encouragement to our Provinces, and indeed the rest of the Communion, especially those facing hardships and wars.

6. We stand in solidarity with The Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul and the people of South Sudan and Sudan, calling for the cessation of fighting, an end to violence, and for a process for peace and reconciliation. We call upon the international community to give every help and support to those displaced as a result of fighting. We commit ourselves to pray for the people of Sudan.

7. We were encouraged to learn about the new constitution of Egypt and how the interim government is achieving the roadmap that was decided by its people on the 3 July 2013. We support the people of Egypt in their efforts to combat violence and terrorism.

8. We decided to activate the Task Forces established at the 4th Encounter of the Global South, which are: Economic Empowerment (coordinated by Archbishop Eliud Wabukala), Theological Resourcing (coordinated by Archbishop Bolly Lapok), Emerging Servant Leaders (coordinated by Archbishop Ian Ernest), and Inter-faith Relations (coordinated by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh).

9. We decided to hold the 5th Encounter of the Global South in 2015 and also organize a seminar for Global South leaders on “How Africa shaped Anglicanism”.

This statement is approved by:

The Most Rev. Dr. Mouneer Anis, Bishop of Egypt and Chairman of Global South
The Most Rev. Ian Ernest, Primate of the Indian Ocean and General Secretary of Global South The Most Rev. Stephen Than Myint Oo, Primate of Myanmar
The Most Rev. Hector “Tito” Zavala, Primate of the Southern Cone
The Most Rev. Bernard Ntahoturi, Primate of Burundi and the Chairman of CAPA
The Rt. Rev. John Chew, representing the Primate of South East Asia
The Rt. Rev. Francis Loyo, representing the Primate of All Sudan

This statement was abstained by:
The Most Rev. Nkechi Nwosu, representing the Primate of All Nigeria

A surprise from the Church of England House of Bishops

Surprising news from the Church of England.  Read it all here.

The Gift of Fear

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby talked about fear in his Presidential Address at the Church of England Synod this week. "We all know that perfect love casts out fear," he said. "We know it although we don’t often apply it.  We mostly know that perfect fear casts out love."

But our problem isn't fear, it's trust.  Discarding fear does not produce trust.  In fact, it can be quite dangerous.  Fear keeps us from running out on the freeway.  Fear keeps us from walking down unlit streets.  Fear can keep us alive.

In The Gift of Fear we learn these things that should put us on our guard about where we place our trust:

• Forced Teaming: This is someone implies that they have something in common with you, acting as if you have a shared predicament with them, when that isn't really true.
• Charm and Niceness: This is someone is being polite and friendly to you in order to manipulate you by disarming your mistrust.
• Loan Sharking: This when someone gives you unsolicited help so you will feel obliged to extend some reciprocal openness in return.
• The Unsolicited Promise: This is when someone promises to do (or not do) something when no such promise is asked for: This usually means that such a promise will be broken. 
• Discounting the Word "No." This is when someone refuses to accept rejection.

Fear can be discernment. What we need is wisdom.

Wisdom puts locks on our doors, but also installs the hinges. Wisdom helps us discern when to close the door and when to open it.  Wisdom is that brilliant light that shines in the darkness.  Wisdom can be trusted.

Our problem is not fear.  Our problem is trust.  If trust is impaired, if it is broken, what we need is wisdom.  Discarding the fear will not bring discernment.  Discarding the fear will not make us wise.

The question is, where do we place our trust?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
Psalm 111:10

That is the gift of fear.  

O car, wherefore art thou car?

Turns out "wherefore" means why, rather than where.
I suppose my twenty-two year old Toyota Turcel might
be asking that question about now.

Movies at the Cafe: The Little Princess

Staring Shirley Temple (1928-2014) in the 1939 classic film: