Tuesday, September 29, 2009

¿Quiere Más?

No, ¡gracias!

Muchisimas gracias a Reverenda Ann Fontaine por el fóto

Wishful Thinking


Go read this and then tell that you think the Republican Party really cares about the people of the U.S.A. and are serious about reforming health care. Go ahead; I dare ya! John "the Ignorant Slut" "We Loves Our Guns Here in the U.S.A." Ensign (R-NEV) defends the present state of Health Care in the U.S. by pointing out that if we take out all the car accidents and gun deaths, los estadoünidense have the best dang health care in the whole dang world. AND if we take out all the deaths from alcohol poisoning, drug overdoses, cancer, suicide, heart attacks, exposure, war dead, and self-asphyxiation-while-wearing-two-wet-suits AND everything else, well, heck, we'd have a nation full of people who die peacefully in their sleep. Also.

Happy Birthday, Adelita!

The Dance Party Birfday Mousie sings Happy Birfday to Adele in a skeeky voice

Today is our youngest granddaughter, Adele's, first birthday! Her mommy won't let us post photos of her on the innertoobes, even though she has the biggest, sun-shiniest smile on the planet, so we'll just post the Dance Party Birfday Mousie and say, ¡Feliz Cumpliaño, Adelita!

A Poem To St. Michael

An ancient Celtic poem in praise of Michael the Archangel

Thou Michael the victorious,
I make my circuit under thy shield,
Thou Michael of the white steed,
And of the bright brilliant blades,
Conqueror of the dragon,
Be thou at my back,
Thou ranger of the heavens,
Thou warrior of the King of all,
O Michael the victorious,
My pride and my guide
O Michael the victorious,
The glory of mine eye.


I make my circuit
In the fellowship of my saint,
On the machair, on the meadow,
On the cold heathery hill;
Though I should travel oceans
And the hard globe of the world
No harm can e’er befall me
‘Neath the shelter of thy shield;
O Michael the victorious,
Jewel of my heart,
O Michael the victorious,
God’s shepherd thou art.

Be the sacred Three of Glory
Aye at peace with me,
With my horses, with my cattle,
With my woolly sheep in flocks.
With the crops growing in the field
Or ripening in the sheaf,
On the machiar, on the moor,
In cole, in heap, or stack,.
Every thing on high or low,
Every furnishing and flock,
Belong to the holy Triune of glory,
And to Michael the victorious

Monday, September 28, 2009

Catching Up

We've been a bit busy the past few weeks, and, with the macmini down, we are limited in internet access. I bring the eMac home from the office on the weekends, but we've been so busy on weekends that we haven't had a chance to post much! The macmini goes into the shop tomorrow and I hope it returns home soon; I don't think it's a particularly good idea to drag the eMac around, it being such an ancient machine (10.3.9, 1.25 GHz Power PC G4, only 256 MB DDR SDRAM).

The parish mid-year meeting was held a couple Sundays ago (I know; September is later than mid-year, but everyone was waiting for us to return). We elected delegates for Diocesan Convention and received an update on the Remodeling Project (we're still raising funds, but it's coming along). The meeting was part of a bilingual Eucharist.

Lisa leads La Gloria Típica


Mr. Keith Green, Senior Warden, chairs the meeting.


Maria, Rachel, and Ula


Sarah and Sylvia



The Lovely Mona is teaching flute at the school. Sometimes students appear, and at other times they are no where to be found! She was sitting in the room waiting for her students and decided to go find them. She found the entire secondary school in the gym watching a school production of The Wizard of Oz. Here are some photos.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road!


The Audience


You've had the power to return home all along


Back home in Kansas Panamá!



Saturday the Diocese of Panamá held una Convención Extraordinario to discuss the coming financial crisis. During TEC's General Convention, it was decided to cut the funds given to the various Covenant Groups, such as IARCA, Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico, Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, etc,, by some 26% over the next three years. I know that the original agreement for IARCA involved a decrease in funds over a period of 40 years, but now things have changed and been accelerated. The funds from TEC make up some 70% of the Diocesan Budget for Panamá, with some 30% from local funds. We will be using that 30% for our budget now and the 70% will go into the Autonomy Fund. There will be some serious cuts throughout the diocese. At this moment, St. Christopher's is the only church which does not receive any money from the Diocese. I hope that other churches will now become self-supporting. All in all, it was actually a very positive meeting. And we finished the Convention con la Santa Eucaristía en Capilla de San Marcos. Also, please pray for Bishop Murray; he left for Honduras this morning, and, naturally, I'm worried for his safety.

The Rt. Rev. Julio E. Murray Thompson addresses the Convention


The Diocese in Convention


San Cristóbal delegation listens


La Capílla de San Marcos. One of the more interesting structures in the diocese.






We had some special music Sunday morning. A trio of women from the Choir sang an anthem for the gradual, and the Lovely Mona played Menuetto by Wagner. She was marvelous, of course! The Carters, Claudio and Francella, celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary with a special blessing. Their children donated the flowers for the altar.

Flowers at the altar


The Trio: Nora Johnson, Lineth Edwards, and Mercedes Snape



Mr. and Mrs. Carter



The Lovely Mona



In the evening we attended a program at Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal honoring past presidents of the Episcopal Church Women. The honorees were: Mrs. Lena Thomas, Mrs. Ellen Chandler, Mrs. Shirley Austin, Mrs. Sybil Josiah, Mrs. Mariela Edwards, and Mrs. Daisy Scantlebury. These Sunday afternoon programs are very nice; a presentation is made with a short biography, Bishop Murray gives each honoree a gift and a pin of the Seal of the Diocese, and family and friends come up and say a few words and present "a small token." Then the honoree gives a response. Mr. Walter Smith, Jr., performed two pieces, and Ms. Adela Owens performed a tap dance and a modern ballet piece. It was a lovely evening.

The Honorees: (from left to right) Mariela Edwards, Sybil Josiah, Shirley Austin, Ellen Chandler, Lena Thomas, Daisy Scantlebury.


The Rev. Glenda McQueen gave the invocation


Eunice Vassal, present President of Las Damas Episcopales


Walter Smith, Jr. at the keyboard


Ms. Adela Owens



Lena Thomas and Bishop Murray


Ellen Chandler and Bishop Murray


Shirley Austin and Bishop Murray


Sybil Josiah and Bishop Murray


Mariela Edwards and Bishop Murray


Daisy Scantlebury and Bishop Murray

Next week the youth group of San Cristóbal is putting on a musical program, so you know we'll have even more photos!

Friday, September 25, 2009

In Every Dream Home. . . A Heartache


For Tara And Chris

Sometimes Them Lections Makes Ya Think!


I've been thinking about the readings from the Hebrew scriptures and the Gospel for this coming Sunday (I'm still using the BCP lectionary; too cheap to purchase an entire set of the RCL and we don't have to use it here in Panama), and the message I get is "no one gets to decide through whom the Holy Spirit will do Her work." So, I'm thinking, "how does Apostolic Succession fit in with this?" Besides the fact that AS doesn't hold up historically, I see it as an attempt to control the Holy Spirit. We invoke the Holy Spirit at ordinations, and, I will admit, that in my case I felt it was a very sacred and holy moment, but the only way we really know that the Holy Spirit descended, IMHO, is by the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the person's ministry.

When I was in seminary I took a class on "Anglican Holy Orders" with the Great Louis Weil. One of my annoying classmates was going on and on about Apostolic Succession, and I said, "Are you saying that my grandfather, who was a pastor in the Assemblies of God and served as a missionary in China and the Philippine Islands, starting churches and training local clergy in the 1930's when all the Western Churches were only using Europeans and North Americans, wasn't doing God's work because some guy with a pointy hat didn't put his hands on his head?" Said classmate had no response, but the Great Louis Weil said, "Michael, Apostolic Succession has more to do with butts in seats than hands on heads."

So, wadda YOU think? Apostolic Succession: Holy Spirit pipeline or buncha hooey? Or merely butts on seats?

Also, no Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging 'cuz I'm just not into it right now.

Friday Random Top Ten


Ya pushes "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .

1. I'm A Cadillac/El Camino Dolo Roso Mott The Hoople
2. Altar Boy Madder Rose
3. Invitation (Hark! I Hear The Harps Eternal) Anonymous 4
4. B Movie Elvis Costello and the Attractions
5. Concerto - Duo Seraphim (Monteverdi) Taverner Consort
6. The Emperor's New Clothes Elton John
7. Love Turned Around The Social Club
8. John, I'm Only Dancing David Bowie
9. Mother's Last Words To Her Son Washington Phillips
10. Time Goes By So Slow The Distractions

I like this list, and was tempted to stop after the first song. I wish we had a video for The Social Club, 'cuz it's a great song and they were a great band AND they wuz onda album San Jose Is Ground Zero: We'e Number One!, wunada best albums to come out of the San Jose Scene of the mid 1980's. The One True Elvis video is interesting in an historic sense. I could do without the Elton John song; he's done a lot better stuff, but the album was a Christmas gift from my mudder-in-law and I puts up whatevah appears on the shuffle.

Whatcha listenin' to? Post yer lists in the comments, please.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Somebody Notify the Dixie Chicks!

I believe that white is the proper colour for funerals in China.
Remember back during the Dark Ages Bush Regime when the Dixie Chicks, while performing in England, stated that they were ashamed that George W. Bush was from Texas? Remember the furor which ensued? I recall hearing that it was wrong, treasonous even, to criticize the president while visiting a foreign land!

Sarah Palin went to a COMMUNIST country and criticized President Obama. Of course, IOKIYAR, so her comments are probably Patriotic Commentary. And makes Baby Jesus happy. Also.

I Hope They Have Many Napkins. . .


www.engrish.com

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