Thursday, May 31, 2007

Latin America, Caribbean Bishops Uphold Diversity of Anglicanism

Episcopal Life Online Newslink
May 31, 2007

[Episcopal News Service] Anglican bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean, meeting in San José, Costa Rica, May 18-22, released a declaration reaffirming their call for the Anglican Communion "to preserve its participative nature, diverse, ample and inclusive," characteristics they say are essential to Anglicanism.

The declaration was signed by 21 bishops, including the Primates of Brazil, Central America and Mexico, and Bishop Lloyd Allen of Honduras, president of the Episcopal Church's Province IX.

Saying they represent the "plurality and diversity that are universal characteristics of Anglicanism," the bishops acknowledged that they "hold different positions on the themes that are presently discussed in the Communion." However, they continued, "we have also experienced that the plurality and diversity we represent has become a rich source for growth, rather than a cause for controversy and division."

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_86450_ENG_HTM.htm

...can I hear an AMEN?

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

I've Been Tagged! Watch Out!

I came home this afternoon to find my postage- stamp-sized yard full of these signs and purple ribbons. The little sign on the right informed me that I'd been "tagged" by the Herndon High School Relay for Life Team Purple R.A.I.N. (Raising Awareness In the Neighborhood.)


The flyer on the door reads:
Tag, you're it!
The baton has been passed to you at the request of [my friend].
*For a suggested $10 donation,
we will remove these signs from your yard.
*For a suggested $15 donation,
we will place them in the yard of your choice.
*For a suggested $20 donation,
we will place them in a yard of your choice AND you will be protected from being tagged again!

I've chosen the $20 option... someone will find out whose yard will be purple next! :-)

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Number 1017 and Number 13


Progressive Pragmatist and I are back from a trip to the big city cathedral. We fetched the rector and his wife at 7:30 this morning. After a quick stop at the local caffeine distributor, our car of 4 headed off to the recently opened, very convenient parking garage at the big city cathedral. Taking the rector's advice, we paid our parking fee before heading up the stairs to the street level.

The rector headed off to the Bethlehem Chapel to vest w/ the priestly types, the rector's wife hooked up with Susan and found the reserved seating section. PP and I tried to figure out which line the General Admission folks should stand in. I took a spot in the longest line while PP scouted out the shorter lines. Turns out, we GA types were allowed to stand in ANY of the 3 lines... the LONG line, the shorter line, or even at the door
which still had NO line! So, we headed to the door on the left where we realized that there were actually 4 people (3 from Harrisonburg and one other lady) who were waiting, but didn't look like they were actually a "line." After PP and I took a place at the steps, those folks moved over and joined us. The one lady had a ticket marked "special." We moved her to the head of the line. The Harrisonburg folks were very nice. I turned to the "special" lady and asked her what had brought her to the the consecration service. Turns out she is a friend of the Johnston family. She said, "Shannon is very excited about today. Did I say Shannon is excited? Well his mother is positively levitating." Wow, it must be quite a day to have your son consecrated bishop!

The cathedral was lovely, PP and I sat in line with the space window. The procession included lots of familiar faces, the music was uplifting, the sermon was good. The presiding bishop spoke the words of consecration - I love her voice. It was inspiring to hear the words of the creed echoing through the nave. It was good to see so many people in their Sunday best gathered on a Saturday morning to witness the consecration of the 1017th American bishop who, in a few years, will be the 13th bishop of Virginia. The church is strong, we have purpose, we have history, we have future.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Alumni

It's official!

Clare
Erin

Longwood
University
Class of 2007

Well done, ladies!

Love,
Mom

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Old People Succumb to New Fashion


Yep, that's Sean and me wearing our new Crocs!
They really are comfortable!
I know, they're really not a NEW fashion but didn't it make a cute title?
(And maybe you're thinking Sean and I really aren't OLD... thanks!)

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Confirmed!

The Class of 2007 has been confirmed! We trekked from Reston to Orkney Springs for the event. It was an overcast day in our Virginia mountains, but the rain held off until our drive home. Having the confirmation at Shrine Mont was special for a number of reasons:

Shrine Mont's Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration is the cathedral for the Diocese of Virginia.

Peter James Lee, our Diocesan, performed the confirmations.

We learned that a brick from the church in Jamestown is set into the stonework for the cathedral - linking the class trip to Jamestown and Williamsburg with the site of their confirmation.

It's been fun to explore Episcopal Church history in this, the 400th anniversary year of the founding of the first permanent English colony in North America. In this photo, Queen Elizabeth II is shown visiting the Jamestown church on May 4, 2007.


The service of confirmation occurred on the same day as a gathering in another part of Virginia to celebrate the installation of the Right Reverend Martyn Minns as the Missionary Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America.

It was a profound pleasure to be in Shrine Mont with The Right Reverend Peter James Lee, 12th Bishop of Virginia.
Photo of Queen Elizabeth II from
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities website.
Photo of St. Anne's kids w/ Bishop Lee by me.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Here They Come, There They Go...

cartoon from www.weblogcartoons.com

Cartoon by Dave Walker.

Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog atWe Blog Cartoons.

On my links list is "Cartoon Church." I click there regularly and occasionally follow links from Dave Walker's site. It's good to get an Anglican spin on life now and then.

There are lots of Episcopal churches near mine. It would be an easy commute from my home to at least eight congregations and just a little further to eight more. I have been at St. Anne's since Advent I, 1989. It happens to be the Episcopal church closest to my house and I'm lucky to have found a spiritual home. In the 18 years I've worshiped at St. Anne's, people have left and people have arrived.

There is a third group that goes unseen in the cartoon.
It's the group that stays.