Roseann's back at it, dammit!
And:
Continue praying for Ian, add Counterlight and Michael, and pray for Anne Marie's community
Finally,
This is a difficult subject to broach in a public environment, but a close relative is going through very difficult times. I don't want to go into elaborate detail, but I suspect over-medication. It makes his - often irrational and frightening - behavior no less difficult for his family, though. Please, keep Michael in your prayers.
(And, I'm not trying to steal MadPriest's prayer lists, it's just he has wider contacts, and more exposure - however meager, here - adds more prayer)
UPDATE: 2/25
Please add John's family, Ruth, Themethatisme, Lisa and Ian, pmPilgrim, and Fr. Kenny
THANKS AND PRAISE on behalf of Roseann
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Stop With the Freakin' Table, Already!
Otherwise sane and sensible people are constantly going on and on about how we must remain in the Anglican Communion, so that liberals and gays will - and here's the most hateful mantra in history - "stay at the table."
Enough. Wake up.
We're not at the table. That's it. Stop playing like you are, you aren't. *SMACK!* Wakey-wakey! We're not being listened to and I defy you to prove we are. We won't make a difference because we haven't. What we are doing is participating in the systematic oppression of gays and liberals of all stripes throughout the Anglican Communion by continuing to fund the ever-so-polite behemoth of prejudice. Oh, it's nice prejudice. It just ignores and tables and sends to committee and commissions studies and talks about brotherhood, but it is prejudice. And those I'm talking to, you're right, we do need to keep in mind that we gays and lesbians in TEC have it so much better off than others elsewhere.
Guess what . . .
They have it so bad because you're helping that. Enabling a "communion" that won't actively condemn Akinola's unrepentant misbehavior, let alone throwing the bugger out, is an enabler - you - yes you - are enabling the enabler.
You did this.
To be brutally honest, I think a lot of this "Oh, we must stay in the communion . . . to help others!" is based on a self-deceit. You want to be in a group that helps others so that you don't have to do it yourself. As long as there are a good many reports and committees that can assure you of the good "we" are doing, they don't actually even have to change anything to please you.
You don't really care.
In the end, I don't believe you want to do anything. Work is so hard for us Americans, isn't it? We're spoiled. We want servants to take care of the servants.
Stay in the AC - keep B033 - abide by moratoria - don't make waves . . .
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Except, that, you don't really expect anything different, do you?
Enough. Wake up.
We're not at the table. That's it. Stop playing like you are, you aren't. *SMACK!* Wakey-wakey! We're not being listened to and I defy you to prove we are. We won't make a difference because we haven't. What we are doing is participating in the systematic oppression of gays and liberals of all stripes throughout the Anglican Communion by continuing to fund the ever-so-polite behemoth of prejudice. Oh, it's nice prejudice. It just ignores and tables and sends to committee and commissions studies and talks about brotherhood, but it is prejudice. And those I'm talking to, you're right, we do need to keep in mind that we gays and lesbians in TEC have it so much better off than others elsewhere.
Guess what . . .
They have it so bad because you're helping that. Enabling a "communion" that won't actively condemn Akinola's unrepentant misbehavior, let alone throwing the bugger out, is an enabler - you - yes you - are enabling the enabler.
You did this.
To be brutally honest, I think a lot of this "Oh, we must stay in the communion . . . to help others!" is based on a self-deceit. You want to be in a group that helps others so that you don't have to do it yourself. As long as there are a good many reports and committees that can assure you of the good "we" are doing, they don't actually even have to change anything to please you.
You don't really care.
In the end, I don't believe you want to do anything. Work is so hard for us Americans, isn't it? We're spoiled. We want servants to take care of the servants.
Stay in the AC - keep B033 - abide by moratoria - don't make waves . . .
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Except, that, you don't really expect anything different, do you?
Bleh, Blecch, Phooey
Late-winter depression sucks, yea, verily, it sucketh mightily.
I'm at the little-and-all-alone stage. It's sad, cold, and paralyzing.
The one thing guaranteed to get me to respond - with gusto, my fine friends! - is the ridiculous opining of the allegedly-orthodox-spurious-Anglicans. Ah, who else could fill me with such ire! Such desire to cleanse the gene pool!
Good news is, I don't have to. They're dying out. Of that, through all the haze of depression and selfish concern, I have become certain. Physical evolution is, perhaps, largely accomplished and it's emotional/intellectual evolution we're dealing with, now.
They are no longer important. We're the future, not them.
I'm at the little-and-all-alone stage. It's sad, cold, and paralyzing.
The one thing guaranteed to get me to respond - with gusto, my fine friends! - is the ridiculous opining of the allegedly-orthodox-spurious-Anglicans. Ah, who else could fill me with such ire! Such desire to cleanse the gene pool!
Good news is, I don't have to. They're dying out. Of that, through all the haze of depression and selfish concern, I have become certain. Physical evolution is, perhaps, largely accomplished and it's emotional/intellectual evolution we're dealing with, now.
They are no longer important. We're the future, not them.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Oh, God's Gooood!
We have news on Roseann!
The part that takes me by shock, every time I read it, is "Roseann's MRI results are in, and there is NO BREAK!" Incredible.
Almighty God and Heavenly Father, we give you humble thanks for you have continued to deliver from her sickness your servant, Roseann, in whose behalf we give you thanks and praise. Grant, O Gracious Father, that she, through your help, may live in this world according to Your Will and also be partaker of everlasting glory in the life to come. AMEN.
But, Comrades, the struggle goes on:
Please pray for KJ and family.
The part that takes me by shock, every time I read it, is "Roseann's MRI results are in, and there is NO BREAK!" Incredible.
Almighty God and Heavenly Father, we give you humble thanks for you have continued to deliver from her sickness your servant, Roseann, in whose behalf we give you thanks and praise. Grant, O Gracious Father, that she, through your help, may live in this world according to Your Will and also be partaker of everlasting glory in the life to come. AMEN.
But, Comrades, the struggle goes on:
Please pray for KJ and family.
Reformation?
Looking at the regular round of blogs, lately, one of the large concerns has been Christian formation - that it should involve more than just the Sunday-coffee-hour Confirmation "classes."
I tend to agree, but think the problem is endemic to the faith.
We need a reformation.
I asked a couple of times during the "uniqueness of Christ" debate what we mean by "The Good News" and discipleship, and received no answer. The ongoing issue of Christian formation makes me wonder if we are able to answer those questions.
What I usually get, if anything, is pat phrases, snippets of theological works, even long explications of the church's position. What we need to reform is just that. These are the accretions that a true reformation must rid us of. We study others' answers without having any of our own. We understand the reasoning of others behind those reasons, but don't make them our own.
E.G. - What is the Gospel?
The proclamation of Christ's message.
Which is . . . ?
The Good News of Christ!
What is the Good News?
Christ! That Christ is risen! Christ is Lord! Christ died for your sins!
Non-answers - The good news is Christ is risen? So what? Why's that good news? Silence.
Christ is Lord? What's good about that? Silence. Christ died for my sins? What the . . .? A torrent of words that give an effective silence.
The effective silence is because none of those answers belong to those giving them. They are not a part of them. They are merely a parcel in a lifestyle built around a particular mindset. Assent is given to the program, without any real committment. We want Truth in convenient tablet form, prepared by others, and swallowed whole.
Strip away all of it, give the foundational text of Scripture, the most general outlines of theology and encourage them to apply real-world experience to arrive at personal understanding. Make it their faith rather than their faith "program."
I tend to agree, but think the problem is endemic to the faith.
We need a reformation.
I asked a couple of times during the "uniqueness of Christ" debate what we mean by "The Good News" and discipleship, and received no answer. The ongoing issue of Christian formation makes me wonder if we are able to answer those questions.
What I usually get, if anything, is pat phrases, snippets of theological works, even long explications of the church's position. What we need to reform is just that. These are the accretions that a true reformation must rid us of. We study others' answers without having any of our own. We understand the reasoning of others behind those reasons, but don't make them our own.
E.G. - What is the Gospel?
The proclamation of Christ's message.
Which is . . . ?
The Good News of Christ!
What is the Good News?
Christ! That Christ is risen! Christ is Lord! Christ died for your sins!
Non-answers - The good news is Christ is risen? So what? Why's that good news? Silence.
Christ is Lord? What's good about that? Silence. Christ died for my sins? What the . . .? A torrent of words that give an effective silence.
The effective silence is because none of those answers belong to those giving them. They are not a part of them. They are merely a parcel in a lifestyle built around a particular mindset. Assent is given to the program, without any real committment. We want Truth in convenient tablet form, prepared by others, and swallowed whole.
Strip away all of it, give the foundational text of Scripture, the most general outlines of theology and encourage them to apply real-world experience to arrive at personal understanding. Make it their faith rather than their faith "program."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
AVATAR (mine)
This is my new picture.
He belongs to Marvel Comics, his name is Deadpool, and a live-action version will be in the upcoming Wolverine film.
Deadpool is horribly scarred, twisted, violent, and . . . one of the good guys.
All these reasons are why I chose him to represent me, here, of course, but also because I have come to adopt his view of life. You see, Deadpool is one of the few comic-book characters to be aware that he is a comic book character! (Loki told him). As a result, he is wise-cracking, existential, largely unbalanced. So, when looking for a new avatar, as Deadpool would say after a particularly difficult, bruising and chaotic fight which he won:
TA DA!!!!!
I, of course, have no powers -- excepting, perhaps, the power of being super-annoyed or super-prayer-requesting -- but I DO believe, now, that we are God's comic book. He's writing us, so we exist, relatively, and He cares about us. It matters what we do because He is writing us. I take the prayers seriously. I take being silly seriously. It's how I'm written, and, unfortunately, I'm not written as a hero (or supervillain, mores-the-pity). Beyond that, I'm a thought - God's thought, so substance, but this - this is just ink and paper.
BTW, I'm denying neither free will nor sin, nor am I making light of suffering. I understand suffering, as I suffer deeply from far less than other people are dealing with. All in all, I thank Roseann, the Popes, Doxy (who recently had a scare), Mimi, Jonathan (MadPriest), and all for sharing their suffering because finally - FINALLY, dammit - I've begun to realize that, if I really suffer from the bizarre little stuff in my life, I've really been quite lucky, as no greater suffering has driven it out. Thank you, friends.
(And, of course, let's see how philosophical I am at the next point of purposeless suffering, like my water heater's current problems.)
DEADPOOL IN ONE OF MY FAVORITE GAMES:
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Prayer Demand!
It worked for Roseann, so now, we're prayin' for Madpriest, see?
Nice and easy and nobody gets hurt.
PRAY! PRAY HARDER!!
For the Pope family.
For Lance.
For Chip, whose 29 year old son was found dead in the family home.
UPDATE: 2/20/09
For Abagail's and Ian's families.
PRAY, AND DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THANKS WHEN THE PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED.
Nice and easy and nobody gets hurt.
PRAY! PRAY HARDER!!
For the Pope family.
For Lance.
For Chip, whose 29 year old son was found dead in the family home.
UPDATE: 2/20/09
For Abagail's and Ian's families.
PRAY, AND DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THANKS WHEN THE PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
It IS a Mental Illness
Adkisson was accused of pulling a sawed-off shotgun from a guitar case on July 27, 2008, and firing three deadly blasts into an audience watching a Sunday morning children’s performance of the musical “Annie.” Members of the audience of about 200 subdued him. Police say Adkisson targeted the church because of its liberal open-door policies, including acceptance of gays, and fully expected to keep shooting until responding officers killed him.
But gays are the disordered ones!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Prayers for the Week
Please, pray for a close relative and friend of mine who is going through a struggle with possible mental illness (it's undiagnosed, but we've all noticed and are concerned).
Please pray for James, whose job, like those of so many others, is uncertain right now.
Please pray for MadPriest, who is in that delicate self-pity-wallowing stage of recovery from flu.
Please pray for Lisa and Ian.
Please pray for Mimi and her family.
Please pray for the people of Victoria, and all Australia.
Please continue prayers for JimB, Ellie, for those in Albany losing their jobs.
And, if you have time, please pray for me, as the late-winter depression is rattling its sabre at me, a bit.
Don't forget to pray for your enemies and for yourself.
Please pray for James, whose job, like those of so many others, is uncertain right now.
Please pray for MadPriest, who is in that delicate self-pity-wallowing stage of recovery from flu.
Please pray for Lisa and Ian.
Please pray for Mimi and her family.
Please pray for the people of Victoria, and all Australia.
Please continue prayers for JimB, Ellie, for those in Albany losing their jobs.
And, if you have time, please pray for me, as the late-winter depression is rattling its sabre at me, a bit.
Don't forget to pray for your enemies and for yourself.
About the Conservative Posts on Various Blogs This Past Weekend . . .
Just ignore them.
Yes, there are more, they are more triumphal, they are more forceful, more hateful (or more saccharine, if that's their trip). They are that way because they see Reality coming in to threaten the delusive world they've built around themselves.
It's sad, really, but we cannot do anything for them. As their delusion and the cocoons they've built collapse, simply let them be. Others are more qualified to help them pick up the pieces.
Yes, there are more, they are more triumphal, they are more forceful, more hateful (or more saccharine, if that's their trip). They are that way because they see Reality coming in to threaten the delusive world they've built around themselves.
It's sad, really, but we cannot do anything for them. As their delusion and the cocoons they've built collapse, simply let them be. Others are more qualified to help them pick up the pieces.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Good News/Bad News
Well, the Primates have sent forth their Communalmonkey and there is much wringing of hands among fellow liberals.
Nothing has changed! they say. Well, we knew that. Power doesn't change things because it won't have power anymore if things change. What did you expect?
Yet, something has changed, and it's good news/bad news - I won't say good news and bad news, because the good and bad news are both the same.
It's a profound change, really. The people in the pews, the parish priests in the pulpits, have woken up and realize we outnumber and give power to the bishops and primates - without us they are nothing, absolute zero. That's both the good news and the bad news.
It's good news, because we have the power and can absolutely take the reigns into our hands.
It's bad news because we have to do something we liberals hate, which is actually do something. Not letter writing, boycotts, peaceful dissent - that is useless crap. And we have to do it together. We can't wait to follow, but all be one in the lead. We can't follow the rules, because the rules are broken. We can't sip lattes and chai and green tea and talk about how peacefully we're resisting, because that's not resisting, it's just not doing anything. We will have to stiffen our normally mushy resolve and not be swayed by whining from the bishops - ESPECIALLY the Primates - about traditional hierarchical understanding and blah-blahbitty-blah. Yes, we gave them power and authority and they misspent and misused it and we're taking it back. If they want to get all mystical and theological and talk about the indelible stuff associated with holy orders and all the other doublespeak they use to get around good-hearted, weak-kneed liberals - yes, you too - then ask where they fit in in the Aaronic priesthood.
They, too, have lost their authority and have to prove themselves to get it back.
But we have to do the work - they aren't accustomed to it and we can't wait.
Take back our church.
Let me know how we are going to do that - and I don't want the word "committee" used, under pain of death - and we'll get to it. I've done my part in leadership and told you what must happen and where we've gone wrong.
Nothing has changed! they say. Well, we knew that. Power doesn't change things because it won't have power anymore if things change. What did you expect?
Yet, something has changed, and it's good news/bad news - I won't say good news and bad news, because the good and bad news are both the same.
It's a profound change, really. The people in the pews, the parish priests in the pulpits, have woken up and realize we outnumber and give power to the bishops and primates - without us they are nothing, absolute zero. That's both the good news and the bad news.
It's good news, because we have the power and can absolutely take the reigns into our hands.
It's bad news because we have to do something we liberals hate, which is actually do something. Not letter writing, boycotts, peaceful dissent - that is useless crap. And we have to do it together. We can't wait to follow, but all be one in the lead. We can't follow the rules, because the rules are broken. We can't sip lattes and chai and green tea and talk about how peacefully we're resisting, because that's not resisting, it's just not doing anything. We will have to stiffen our normally mushy resolve and not be swayed by whining from the bishops - ESPECIALLY the Primates - about traditional hierarchical understanding and blah-blahbitty-blah. Yes, we gave them power and authority and they misspent and misused it and we're taking it back. If they want to get all mystical and theological and talk about the indelible stuff associated with holy orders and all the other doublespeak they use to get around good-hearted, weak-kneed liberals - yes, you too - then ask where they fit in in the Aaronic priesthood.
They, too, have lost their authority and have to prove themselves to get it back.
But we have to do the work - they aren't accustomed to it and we can't wait.
Take back our church.
Let me know how we are going to do that - and I don't want the word "committee" used, under pain of death - and we'll get to it. I've done my part in leadership and told you what must happen and where we've gone wrong.
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