Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Eucharistic Theology

I took this test when I first saw it and didn't like the results. For now I'm experimenting with the answers to see if I can determine what the criteria are.







Eucharistic theology
created with QuizFarm.com
You scored as Orthodox

You are Orthodox, worshiping the mystery of the Holy Trinity in the great liturgy whereby Jesus is present through the Spirit in a real yet mysterious way, a meal that is also a sacrifice.


Orthodox



94%

Calvin



88%

Zwingli



75%

Catholic



69%

Luther



56%

Unitarian



25%


Saturday, October 27, 2007

Alfred the Great

Some people are delighted to discover they are descended from Charlemagne, but I was more thrilled when I discovered that King Alfred the Cakes was my 32nd great grandfather, or so it appears.

Anyhow, when I discovered this morning that today is King Alfred’s day, I decided I had to take the time to write another post. This one might well be titled “Random Thoughts from All Over.”

Now that Mimi’s back in town, and June is bustin’ out back in Thibodaux, all seems well in blogland. It’s really hard to keep up with all the blogs that I want to read, what with all the threads. Especially because I have a life to lead away from the computer screen.

Liz and I are in the process of closing our cottage for the season. A hard freeze is predicted for this Sunday evening, when we will back in New York, so I have to drain the water Sunday before we leave. We’re going to come back here one more time (in about two weeks) – before Liz starts radiation – in order to clean the gutters. We hope the leaves will have completely (or mostly) fallen by then. It will be cold and we will be without running water, but we’ll certainly be able to sleep here for one night.

I’m looking forward to being in New York more or less permanently from now until next spring – among other things, going back and forth means loss of momentum on things I want to do, including keeping up with blogs.


Well, I didn’t get this up on King Alfred’s day, but I’ll put it up now and start again.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Meanwhile the world goes on

I was sorry not to have gone to St James, Fordham, with the other bloggers this past Sunday, but it was important for Liz and me to be at St Mary’s and not just for the 8 AM service. The real locus of church is in the local congregation, and St Mary’s is my local congregation. St Mary’s is like home to me – the people are family and the buildings are truly homelike. Also, we are a small congregation – so our presence makes a difference. So, much as part of me would like to visit other churches on a Sunday morning, I go to St. Mary’s.

On Monday, the OCICBINY crew went to Solemn Evensong in the chapel at General Theological Seminary. Mimi and Liz and I were among the last of our group to be seated, because Liz had waited while Mimi changed a shoelace, and had waited for both of them. When we got inside, Liz and I sat with, I think, Shel, who had already scoped out the books we needed to go through the service. There was the GTS looseleaf binder, the GTS psalter, The Hymnal 1980 and the LEVAS hymnal. All of the Prayer Book stuff was in the GTS looseleaf or the printed service sheet we got on the way in. Others have commented about the service. I myslef enjoyed the service – part of the enjoyment I must confess was being able to keep up. But I do have to admit that in some ways it is simply good theater. In another way, it was the ritual of an in group, the GTS community (or part of it,) at which we were outsiders. The officiant was Bob Wright – Liz knows him moderately well and spoke to him after the service. The propers observed the Eve of St. James of Jerusalem.

Perhaps I should interject here that shortly after I first met Rex on election night in 1958, he took me to Evensong at the Cathedral of St John the Divine. It was my first experience of the Episcopal Church and it was very strange, for grafted on to the straight 1928 Evening Prayer was the annual service of the Knights of something or other, complete with a bagpipe procession in the enormous nave of the cathedral. Ever since, I have had an affection for the silly side of Anglican worship, and have even at times taken the silliness seriously. Anyway, before the month was out, I attending St Mary’s on Sunday mornings. We were fairly low church then – Morning Prayer first, third and fifth Sundays, Holy Communion second and fourth – sung canticles but spoken psalms, preces, etc, never incense (we still don’t own a censer,) cassock, surplice and stole, not eucharistic vestments, and so on. But I digress.

There has been a flurry of activity in the Anglican world in the past several days. On our side, a few dioceses in North America have adopted resolutions favoring same-sex blessings. On the other side, a few dioceses are preparing to declare their independence of The Episcopal Church and affiliate with another province. It remains to be seen how all this will play out.

It’s been obvious for months that will be more moves towards schism – the only thing being, no one knows exactly what they will be and exactly what the response will be. Meanwhile a lot of silly things are being said. If I ever get time, I’ll write about some of them.

Gotta go now – it’s a bright, sunny, Thursday morning at Heart Lake and we have some outdoor work to do to prepare the cottage for winter. More later.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

St James of Jerusalem

Last evening a group of us gathered in Chelsea for a little get together of bloggers, commenters and lurkers. Many of us fist met in cyberspace at MadPriest’s blog and I think I am correct that most of us frequent that blog regularly, which of course makes us quite mad too.

I was very happy to meet Mimi, Tobias, Jake and Elizabeth in person, as well as many others including Dennis the instigator, David (Dennis’ partner), Allie, Eileen, Shel (Pseudopiskie), Paul (A), Catherine (Paul’s wife), David (ReverendBoy), Dan, JohnieB, Doug (blame him) , PJ, Kathy (Klady), and Joan (Jersyjo). Also Gabe who graciously stood in for Terry (QueerforChrist). (I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone. Liz enjoyed being there too and meeting all of the folks.

This morning we drove back to Heart Lake for a final few days of the season. I hope to have more to say tomorrow, but I have to go to bed -- I'm tired.


.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

St Luke's Day

This afternoon and early evening our coop housing development Morningside Gardens will hold a party to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The party is at the Interchurch Center, just a few blocks from our apartments. Liz and I haven't been here 50 years -- she's been here a few years longer than I -- but we've been here together for just under 34 years which is a long time

Yesterday Liz and I were at the Interchurch Center twice -- at noon for a short service of dedication of a new organ and then at six for the inaugural organ recital. Liz is a member of the Interchurch Center Chorus and sang at the service. In between we went to Roosevelt Hospital where Liz had a simulation session in preparation for her upcoming radiation therapy.

Tomorrow I have two meetings in the morning -- at 8 AM a Bylaws Committee meeting here at Morningside Gardens and at 9 AM a Finance Committee meeting at St. Mary's. After that our granddaughter Amanda is coming to visit, along with her parents Jane and Scott. We haven't seen Amanda in almost two months, which is half of her life, so we are very eager to see her (and her parents, of course.)

On Sunday we'll go to St. Mary's for the first time since the end of August. (I'm tempted to go the St. Mary's at 8 and then make the trek up to Fordham Road to St. James at 11, but I may well not do that. Our main service at St. Mary's is at 10.)

Monday I have a dentist's appointment, and then the blog fans of MP will meet at GTS in the afternoon for a gathering, evensong and dinner. I'm really looking forward to that.

This past Sunday a cousin of Jane's father Bronson Dudley left a comment on my Palm Sunday post. I've responded to him and I'll have a chance to talk to Jane about this tomorrow. This comment also prompted me to put a link to my gmail address in my blogger profile. We'll see what kind of mail that brings me.

On Tuesday, after dinner the previous evening with a number of friends from cyberspace, Liz and I will go back to Heart Lake for our final stay of the season.

Sooner or later I'll find the time to post something reflective, but for now this will have to do.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

St. Francis Day

I’ve been doing a good deal more reading than writing recently and so I decided to post just a few brief remarks on a number of topics.

First and most significant to me.

The pathology report indicated that Liz’s lumpectomy was successful and that the cancer had not spread. Next week we find out what additional treatment she will have, including the schedule for a six week course of radiation.

Update on my Dunciad project.
For now, I’m concentrating on background reading, so visible progress will beslow.

Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion
Last week the House of Bishops(HOB) issued a response to the Primates’ request. I commented on more than one blog to the effect that the HOB’s response was predictable, nothing new, and not a cause for dismay. But mostly I don’t recall making the point that HOB missed an opportunity to acknowledge the cognitive dissonance between their reaffirmation of B033 and their pledge not to authorize rites for public same sex blessings on the one hand and on the other hand their professed proclamation of the Gospel that all persons including gay and lesbian persons are full and equal participants in Christ’s Church.

What I just called cognitive dissonance, others whom I respect have referred to in harsher terms.

This week the Joint Standing Committee (JSC) of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council reported to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the HOB’s response the Primates. The JSC reported that the HOB’s response was satisfactory. More important, to my mind, they made a remarkably strong statement against the recent consecrations by African Provinces of bishops for North America.
Is all of this simply Anglican fudge or is it a shrewd political move? Or neither (my vote.)

St Francis

It’s technically too late, but a happy St. Francis day to the Mad Priest of High Heaton.