Satirical Political Ad

I know this is a blog for an Episcopal church and topics related to it, but this video was just too good to pass up. I'll post a Democratic Party version if and when one gets made (right now all the Democratic versions are not very clever nor are they satirical.)

English Bishop Protests Lambeth Conference

This article at "Episcopal Life Online" talks about how Bishop Nazir-Ali of England is not protesting the Lambeth Conference nor is he agreeing to it. In the article (that doesn't really say all that much), it mentions how he spoke at the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem, the conference that opposes the rest of the Anglican Communion because of the Anglican Communion's acceptance of openly-homosexual bishops.

Let me get this straight: he went to GAFCON, won't go to the Lambeth Conference, and then prays "[the Anglican Communion] remains united"? How exactly is that going to happen if people like him aren't at the official meeting of the Anglican Communion and instead go to the conference of the splinter group? I don't know much about Bishop Nazir-Ali; he might be a wonderful priest and bishop in most respects, but this is not one of them. Such posturing seems more at home in a political campaign than in a church.

Wait. . . I forgot that that is exactly what these conferences have become.

Honor Moore's Memoir "The Bishop's Daughter"

Today might seem like a day where I'm beating a dead, gay horse, but here are several links related to a memoir that relates to the homosexual controversy in our church. Specifically, these links all have to do with Honor Moore's controversial new memoir, The Bishop's Daughter, about her father's hidden homosexual life while serving as Episcopal bishop of New York.

Here are several book reviews of her memoir and the controversy surrounding it: Newsweek, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times,

And here are two excerpts from Moore's memoir: from The New Yorker and part of the prologue from Moore's website.

And here's an interview with Moore on The New Yorker website.

I read the excerpt from The New Yorker, and I found it to be more interesting in terms of the relationship between Moore and her father rather than her father's secret life, which should be expected since it is memoir. Still, it raises interesting questions for me: is it better to deny homosexuality exists in Christianity and have accompanying problems like the Catholic Church has? Or do we embrace people as they are even if it isn't the traditional form of Christian theology?

Newsweek My Turn Essay

This essay in Newsweek's "My Turn" section applies well to my previous post about the homosexual controversy in the Anglican Communion. Just like the GQ article shows us the wonderfully human face of one of the celebrities in this controversy, this essay does a wonderful job of showing how wonderful an impact the Episcopal Church can make on a person's life by being welcoming and inclusive, much like we strive to be at St. Dunstan's on Sundays and every day.

Gene Robinson article

Tricia directed me to this article in GQ about the first openly-gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson.

I posted yesterday about the group of bishops who wish to leave the Anglican Communion over several issues, primarily homosexual bishops and female clergy. In reading the GQ article--which does a great job of showing us Gene Robinson the Man (as opposed to Gene Robinson the Lightening Rod for Controversy)--I had several thoughts about the whole homosexual controversy embroiling not just the Anglican Communion, but our country as well (thanks, California, for bravely trying to equalize the civil right of marriage). In speaking a while ago to a friend of mine who just happens to be homosexual, we hoped that in forty years we would look back on this time in our country much the same way we look back on the era of segregation in America.

There are several things that that era and our own have in common, especially in terms of religious arguments. For centuries, people made the case that slavery, and then segregation and discrimination had Biblical precedents (e.g., the mark God made on Cain when he banished him to the wilderness for killing his brother Abel), as did laws against inter-racial marriages.

Now, the group of conservative Anglican bishops led by Peter Akinola of Nigeria claim that the Episcopal Church in America has lost its connection with "true" Christian theology because confirming openly gay bishops goes against the Bible's precepts against homosexuality. I heard one conservative Christian commentator (I forget who or where) claim that Episcopalians merely cherry pick the parts of the Bible that they want to believe in. But isn't that what every religion does these days? We don't stone people who plant a field with two different crops (Leviticus 24:10-16), nor do we sell our children into slavery (Exodus 21:7), both expressly allowed near the verses conservatives cite as justifying their discrimination. (The book of Leviticus is filled with many wonderful examples like these; see also this famous Internet phenomenon from which my examples come.)

So if we don't follow all the laws in the Bible, aren't we all cherry picking our religion, or rather are we making our religion a little more relevant to the modern world we live in?

Conservative Anglicans struggle to agree?

This article at Episcopal Life Online talks about how the group of bishops and churches who want to split from the rest of the Anglican Communion are having trouble agreeing on certain principles.

Does this surprise anyone?

Afterall, there are more issues than equal rights for women and homosexuals that these churches have problems with. It seems to me that if a group is more willing to leave the Anglican Communion rather than compromise or accept any differences, than they are going to have trouble working with anyone who doesn't agree with them completely. Once you start creating your own theological system that is unique to only you, almost everyone else in the world will have a different idea than you.

This reminds me of the story that was not covered much a few weeks ago about how a group of evangelical, fundementalist Christian ministers got together to write a "manifesto" outlining the defining principles of conservative, fundemental (often Baptist) churches. Evidently very few of the big name pastors were willing to sign it because they didn't agree with everything it said.

Both articles show me how special inclusive churches really are in these times of divisiveness, when people who follow a man who wanted to include everyone, especially sinners, don't want to agree with even their like-minded, ultra orthodox Christians.

A Short History of St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, Atlanta

St. Dunstan's was founded as a mission of the Diocese of Atlanta in December, 1964, by a group of eight families, most of whom had been members of St. Anne's parish. This group wanted a modest family-oriented neighborhood parish with a strong commitment to local outreach and a supportive Christian community, stressing Christian formation.

The mission began regular services in Tuxedo Elementary School in January, 1965, and the Rev. Don Harrison became the first rector in 1965. Under his leadership, St. Dunstan's grew and gained a reputation for innovative programs for members and the surrounding community. Early in 1969 St. Dunstan's became a parish of the Diocese. That April, Don Harrison left to pursue his long-held interest in public housing for the needy.

The Rev. George Home accepted our call in August, 1969, and began a ten-year ministry at St. Dunstan's. During George Home's ministry, St. Dunstan's deepened its Christian commitment, growing in size and maturity. Following our time in the elementary school, we rented space from local churches. In 1970, the decision was made to erect a permanent building on Garmon Road property which had been purchased some years before. The first services in the new building (now the parish hall) were held on Christmas Eve, 1971. George Home resigned in August of 1979 to become vicar of the Church of the Transfiguration in Rome, Georgia. The Rev. Camille Littleton served ably as interim rector until April, 1980.

The Rev. Richard P. Pocalyko became St. Dunstan's third rector. It was during his tenure that the new church building was constructed. The new sanctuary was used for the first time on Easter Sunday, 1987. Rich Pocalyko left St. Dunstan's in September 1990.

The Rev. Margaret Harney served effectively and warmly as Interim Rector during a period of parish self-examination and revitalization. Maggie returned to St. Dunstan's in 1994 as Priest Associate and Director of Mary and Martha's Place.

In December 1992 the Rev. Margaret Rose accepted St. Dunstan's call to be its fourth rector. Margaret brought an enthusiasm and energy which attracted new members and increased lay participation in services and programs. Christian formation, outreach and inreach were high priorities for her, and it was under her guidance that we also branched out into new affiliate programs including Mary and Martha's Place.

In early 2003 Margaret accepted a call to work with the national church. After an extended search, during which we were ably served by The Reverend P. J. Woodall as interim rector, the Vestry announced on June 4, 2004 that our new rector was to be The Reverend Patricia Templeton.

Rev. Templeton, "Tricia," received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the University of Georgia in 1978, and her Master of Divinity at the University of the South, School of Theology, Sewanee, TN, in 1994. She came to us from Chattanooga with her husband, Dr. Joe Monti, and their three year old son, Joseph. Tricia was most recently Chaplain for Hospice of Chattanooga, and Joe is a professor of ethics and theology at the School of Theology in Sewanee.

Who was St. Dunstan?

St. Dunstan, the 10th century English saint, was born near Glastonbury in England. A man of the church, a great scholar and a statesman, he gave up the worldly pleasures of the court of King Athelstan to become a monk in Glastonbury. He was known for his skill with metals, and today is revered by silversmiths as their patron saint. Out of his ability in metallurgy grew up the legend that Dunstan, tempted by the Devil while working at his forge, seized the devil's nose with his red-hot tongs. Dunstan became Abbot of Glastonbury in 945 CE, and made the monastery famous as a center of learning. He publicly criticized King Edwy, successor to King Edred. For this he was deprived of his offices and banished. But he returned to England in 957 and was made bishop of London the following year. In 960 he was elected archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of King Edgar, who followed Edwy. Dunstan retired to Canterbury in 978 after Edgar's death and remained there until his death in 988.

Dunstan was canonized for his piety, devotion to learning and dedication to the institutional church. May 19 is Saint Dunstan's Day.

St. Dunstan's shield carries the bishop's miter to symbolize his service as Archbishop of Canterbury; the scroll to symbolize his devotion to learning; the crown to symbolize his life dedicated to the King and Savior of us all; and the bellows to remind us of his practical vocation as a metallurgist. It may be viewed on the banner in the sanctuary. St. Dunstan lived c. 925 CE - 988 CE.