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This violent and exclusionary movement is on the rise in the United States, and those of us who believe that God is calling us toward a very different vision, toward the Beloved Community, have a special responsibility to stand against [Christian White Nationalism]. If we will not tell the world that it is not Christianity, then who will?
“May we ever give you thanks,
O Shepherd of Our Souls,
and seek your guidance
as we seek the good road of faith, reason, and peace.”
“The staffing structure of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) is to be re-organised following a review into the operational priorities of the Anglican Communion Office (ACO)….The review was commissioned by the Anglican Communion’s Standing Committee in May 2020.”
I weep because hatred wears many costumes. Most of those we are familiar with: racism, sexism, homophobia. But one of the costumes hate wears is righteousness. It is a costume, trust me – it is not the real thing. However, that costume is worn with the belief that the wearer is in the right. We saw it in the Capitol that day – the righteous costume on a person changing out our flag. People calling themselves Christian and doing unchristian acts. People thinking they were doing the right thing by scaling the walls of a government building.
We check in with each other after a tough week; we discover what a fermentum is and we talk some more about human nature and the relationship with God from the catechism.
We are back with new episodes! And we’re trying something different as we begin our fourth year of episodes. Have a listen and tell us what you think.
“May we ever give you thanks,
O Shepherd of Our Souls,
and seek your guidance
as we seek the good road of faith, reason, and peace.”
Have you ever considered the Tower of Babel and wondered why, why on earth or in heaven would the good God decide that it would be a wonderful idea if we no longer understood one another?
“…who calls us today to follow him
His love endures forever.
to come and see a world filled with hope
His love endures forever.
to offer a hand to those in need
His love endures forever.”
“Peter’s Confession that is celebrated today has deep roots in his character in a way that allows us to see our own internal contradictions. Like Peter, the disparate parts of our character are incongruent. We are inconsistent and face internal conflicts. Like Peter.”
This violent and exclusionary movement is on the rise in the United States, and those of us who believe that God is calling us toward a very different vision, toward the Beloved Community, have a special responsibility to stand against [Christian White Nationalism]. If we will not tell the world that it is not Christianity, then who will?
The recommendation to avoid the terminology “gay Christian” and favor “Christians who experience same-sex attraction” came about as the result of “reports of varied application among ACNA leaders regarding the use of language about sexual identity, especially within provincial events”.
“The Anglican Church of Kenya finally appoints a female assistant bishop after decades of the church’s existence. Rev Dr Emily Onyango, ACK’s longest serving female clergy, becomes the first woman to hold such a senior position in the church.” – Standard Media (Kenya)
“The staffing structure of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) is to be re-organised following a review into the operational priorities of the Anglican Communion Office (ACO)….The review was commissioned by the Anglican Communion’s Standing Committee in May 2020.”
I’d like to focus mostly though on those of us who aren’t in such horrendous situations, but have also found ourselves spending more time with those with whom we are in the same household – for most of us, our nearest and dearest. For many, everything’s been just fine, but for some, relationships have come under real strain, even to breaking point.
That is the sort of change which I at least find restful. Chaotic change is not! Change over which you have no control, or which you can’t at least predict, is exhausting – and it’s that sort of change we’re all living through at the moment. As the levels of virus rise and fall in different places, the rules of life change quickly. Keeping up with what’s allowed and what isn’t is hard work in itself.
There is a narrow access road running down the middle of my Pennsylvania hometown cemetery, separating the Catholic “St. Mary’s Cemetery” from the Protestant “Freeport
I weep because hatred wears many costumes. Most of those we are familiar with: racism, sexism, homophobia. But one of the costumes hate wears is righteousness. It is a costume, trust me – it is not the real thing. However, that costume is worn with the belief that the wearer is in the right. We saw it in the Capitol that day – the righteous costume on a person changing out our flag. People calling themselves Christian and doing unchristian acts. People thinking they were doing the right thing by scaling the walls of a government building.
The Episcopal Café seeks to be an independent voice, reporting and reflecting on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. The Café is not a platform of advocacy, but it does aim to tell the story of the church from the perspective of Progressive Christianity. Our collective sympathy, as the Café, lies with the project of widening the circle of inclusion within the church and empowering all the baptized for the role to which they have been called as followers of Christ.
The opinions expressed at the Café are those of individual contributors, and, unless otherwise noted, should not be interpreted as official statements of a parish, diocese or other organization. The art and articles that appear here remain the property of their creators.
All Content © 2017 Episcopal Café
