Slam

Sometimes I read news posts and comments on Virtue Online and other blogs, where folks discuss developments in the church today. I like to keep up with the news, especially things Anglican and Anglo-catholic, and to read comments. It aids me in thinking things through.

I know God wants us to be able to think critically, to analyze things from every side. And I know He wants us to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ and His written Word, the Bible. He wants us to stand against heresy.

And yet He also wants us to live with compassion. We could all learn from the way Francis confronted an erring bishop. It grieves me when I see posts that claim a certain minister, parish or group isn't really catholic or Anglican, because they don't use the same prayer book their minister and parish uses. Or claiming someone isn't orthodox when they state or articulate their theology a little differently than that person does. Or saying that a church or group isn't catholic or orthodox because they make women priests and bishops.

Our branch of the Church doesn't ordain women as priests or bishops (we do ordain them as deacons, however, and they may do a deacon's mass with pre-consecrated elements). But we would never say another group who does ordain women as priests and/or bishops isn't orthodox or catholic. We need to be very careful making statements like that.

There is a lot of posting, a lot of talk in this day and age of the Church. And their probably needs to be. But in my humble opinion, I've seen a lot of brothers take shots at fellow brothers, in a way that isn't warranted, it's just simply uncalled for.

Let's encourage one another to faithfulness and good deeds, as Paul commanded us. We should be very careful about opening our mouths and being offensive--yea, sinful--toward another brother or sister, minister, church, or group, by saying they are not really catholic, Anglican, or orthodox because they use a different prayer book, articulate their theology differently, or ordain women as priests and bishops.

The Church is being sifted today. Let us stand together as His Church, and lift up Christ. And let us do it with the love that comes from Him.


under the mercy,
br. francis

snowstorm saturday epiphany

We've driven in the ice most of this week--to job hunt, grocery shop, and purchase cool rods and an egg shaker (cool rods are drum sticks for quieter applications, i.e. an "unplugged" set or worship). Clare and I are going to begin to play together tomorrow morning at church. I am excited, and she is, too.

It's been lightly snowing off and on since last night. I've got the crock pot out--making some homemade soup (I like to cook). I added a lot of marinated stew meat to the mix, so some may say it's a stew. OK, that's fine--call it what you will. Just enjoy it. Shirley is doing boxes (mostly kitchen and dining area stuff). We've just listened to Frampton Comes Alive!--I really enjoy the late drummer John Siomos' playing. Shirley had never heard the material, but she enjoyed it, as well (albeit not as much as her husband....!). I learn something new every time I listen to that album. Now we've got on an early offering from The Choir (Hindalong and Daugherty's group). Really enjoying it, too. The crock pot is on low, and now I begin to shelve the rest of the books in the Bonny Room (Oratory of St. Bonaventure), our combination chapel/library/music room.

Maybe later we'll go out and check out the snow. Pretty sure we will.

Blessings


br. francis

Ice!

What a big lot of ice. A big ice storm rolled in here last week, and Shirley and I didn't leave the house all weekend. Everything is white, but it's not snow! I said I wanted cold, and a real winter--here it is! Thursday the temps are supposed to come back up above freezing. Then we're supposed to have another one this weekend--but this one's supposed to be snow. Maybe this one will be more fun.

May the light of Christ shine is us all this Epiphany season.


br. francis