Verano is Ending

Guayacanes blooming in the forest on Isla Barro Colorado



One thing I really like about the end of Verano (Summer) or dry season is the explosion of flowers. Everything breaks into bloom! The guayacans explode into beautifully bright yellows, pinks, and deep purples. My neighbor's veraneras, growing over his wall, are especially beautiful this year; I really like the red one. Our veranera is having some trouble getting started this year. The man who cleans-up the yard (I wouldn't really call him a gardener) got a little carried away and chopped it back just as the rainy season ended. I'll post another photo when it finally kicks into high gear.

Cuteness On A Sunday Evening: MARSUPIALS!

AP/Luca Bruno

Hoy en la Parroquia San Cristóbal

The Lovely Mona had the camera with her this morning at la Misa en Español. She took these photos before la Misa.
Little Evan has a great attraction to the drums, and here he is taking lessons from one of the greatest percussionists in Panamá, Ricardo Staples. I know a priest in England whom I'm sure would love to meet Ricardo. I love the sheer joy on Evan's face! Evan also likes the bread we use at Eucharist, and when he sees me he hollers "¡Pan! ¡Pan!" The second photo is of Mrs. Murial Doyle, one of the pillars of our parish, waiting for her ride home.

Bernie Murray was away, so Ricardo and I had to hold down the fort, which meant I played acoustic guitar instead of bass, but I just got my amp back from the shop, so I used the pick-up and amp. We did a rippin' version of El Señor nos Ama Hoy and also a Jamaican-beat-reggae-esque version of A Jesús Amemos (Glory Be To Jesus) which everyone liked so much we sang it through twice! It was one of those Sundays in which I play two roles: musician and priest, so I was kinda busy, which, of course, keeps me out of the Pool Halls. But now I'm tired and ready for a nap. Happy Sunday, everyone.

Saint Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador, Martyr

San Romero de las Américas


Of course I know it's the Feast of Oscar Romero, even though my Ordo Kalendar has Gabriel, Archangel instead of Romero today. I'm not going to write about him, although I consider him a very important saint, because two friends of the Dance Party have already written wonderful posts, which you must read. As one would expect, our friend Caminante has a powerful post here, and Jane Redmont, our new friend at Acts of Hope has a powerful post here. She also has a great photo of a mural of Oscar Romero.

Dios del amor, tu llamaste a tu siervo Oscar Romero para ser la voz de los pobres sin voz, y para entregar a su vida como semilla de liberación y un señal de la esperanza: da nos el valor, los que están inspirado por su sacrificio y el ejemplo de los mártires salvadoreños, para que podemos dar testimonio, sin temor, de tu Verbo, que está con nosotros, tu Verbo que es la Vida, Jesucristo nuestro hermano y Salvador. Amen

Padre Xico Checks In

Our Friends in Igreja Anglcana Do Brasil continue to speak with wisdom and clarity from the Global Center. My friend Rev. Cônego Francisco de Assis da Silva, Secretary General of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil has written another post at his site KANTINHO DE REV. I was unable to link to the article for some strange reason, so I nicked it, as our friend MadPriest says, as I think everyone should read this. I took this fóto at Epiphany West at CDSP in January, 2007.

We (those attending our Lenten Series) were talking about how so many of the recent controversies in the Anglican Communion are about power cloaked in theological language at San Cristóbal last night!

Communion...not Power!
I received with joy the message delivered by the Episcopal Church's Bishops after their meeting yesterday.
First, I was heartened by the courage in defending what it is a principle crystallized in the Communion -- that is, provincial autonomy. The Episcopal Church, like the other provinces, has its own canonical mechanisms that allow the exercise of its autonomy inside the parameters already consolidated historically in our tradition.
The present crisis within the Communion has been creating abnormal situations because, generally, the conservatives, under the claim of defending orthodoxy, transgress the jurisdictions, trespassing diocesan or provincial legitimate authorities.
Brazil's Province suffered this improper interference when the Primate of the Southern Cone extended his pastoral supervision over the bishop and the schismatic clergy of the Diocese of Recife without respect for the sovereign provincial decision that deposed the bishop of that diocese.

The establishment of a Pastoral Council with mandate over an autonomous Province, as suggested by the Primates has no legitimacy, without the consent of the whole Church. It is important to highlight that there is no legislative competence that legitimates such a proposition. Primates do not constitute an entity with legislative powers. The only entity that has powers for such an action is the ACC.
The non-observance of limits is the destruction of the Anglican Communion . It would establish a dangerous level of informality that will work according to everyone's political convenience.
Finally, the invitation for an open and sincere talk with the Archbishop of Canterbury and with the Primates' Standing Committee is a signal that the Episcopal Church in USA has maturity and an authentic wish to remain in communion with the whole family. In this present crisis it is very important overcome any unilaterality or self-sufficiency.
If the conservatives wish to expel the Episcopal Church from the whole Anglican Communion, they need to be more transparent, and behave in an appropriate way. Some arguments that the whole Communion is in agreement with the ultimatum stated by the Primates' Communique are not true.

The Baptismal commitment is not optional. Orthodoxy needs to be congruent with the way we live. When anybody defends orthodoxy and does not respect another person's fundamental human rights they takes on the onus of pharisaism. In the light of the crisis that we are experiencing, I reaffirm my conviction that what divides the Anglican Communion today is not the view people have of sexuality or of rights of the homosexual. What divides the Communion is the dispute for power and control.

Rev. Cônego Francisco de Assis da Silva
Secretário Geral
Igreja Episcopal Anglicana da Brasil

Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging

You may remember that about a week ago the Lovely Mona took photos of all the books and cards and stickers and stuff that she takes to the Hogar. The boys saw the camera out and wanted their photo taken with all that stuff.
The Boys examine the Lovely Mona's stash




I guess they were curious, because it seems that they hitched a ride to el Hogar de Niñas de la Capital. Luckily for them the girls loved them and let them join in the fun. Too bad Tía Sue was out during their visit! No dialogue today (but feel free to think "SHRIIEEKK!" in appropriate places), just Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito with Enibeth, Johanna, Sinilda and Estefani.


1. Hitchin' a ride
2. The boys with Estefani and Sinilda
3. The boys play "Go Fish!"
4. The boys bother Enibeth and Johanna while they try to study

Friday Random Ten

Tell me again why we do this?

1. Treefingers Radiohead
2. The Half Ain't Never Been Told Blind Joe and James Taggart
3. Laughing Song The Residents
4. Ce que je tieng/Certes mout/Bone compaignie/MANARE (Mo. 328) Anonymous 4
5. Suspect Device Stiff Little Fingers
6. Morpha Too Big Star
7. Leave My Kitten Alone Elvis Costello
8. Ant Music Adam and the Ants
9. Here Comes That Feeling Squeeze
10. Love, Reign O'er Me The Who

Well, in my humble opinion, numbers 2, 3, and 10 make up for numbers 7 and 8. Anonymous 4 at number 4 is the kind of synchronicity which makes my life work. And, one can never go wrong with Big Star.

Later today on Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging, interaction with live human beings! Stay tuned!!

Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop and Missionary of Armenia

Almighty God, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints, and who raised up your servant Gregory the Illuminator to be a light in the world, and to preach the Gospel to the people of Armenia: Shine, we pray, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth your praise, who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

According to the fifth century History of St. Gregory and the Conversion of Armenia attributed to Agathangelos, Gregory was the son of Anak, who assassinated King Khosrov of Armenia. Khosrov's son, Drtad, was taken to the Greek Territory and raised by Count Licinius. Anak was killed by the princes of Armenia in revenge for the death of Khosrov. The infant Gregory was smuggled to Cappadocia and raised by a Christian family in Caesarea. As a young adult, Gregory hired himself to Drtad as a servant but didn't let Drtad know his parentage. Drtad hated Christians, and when he heard that Gregory was a Christian, he threatened Gregory with all many of tortures and even imprisonment. When Drtad became King of Armenia, he kept Gregory on as his servant. Drtad was a Pagan, and he venerated the goddess Anahid, and he wanted Gregory to do so, too. Agathangelos writes: "He ordered Gregory to venerate her statue, and when Gregory refused Drtad asked him: 'You have served me well these many years. Why in this one matter do you refuse to do my will?'
Gregory answered: 'You speak truly. I have served you as God commands us to serve our earthly lords. But He alone is the creator of angels and men, of heaven and earth. We can worship only Him.'
Drtad frowned and said: 'By saying this you render all your service to me completely worthless. I shall punish rather than reward you as I had planned. It will be prison and bondage for you unless you honor the goddess Anahid.'
Gregory replied: 'My service to you is not worthless; God values it as He promised always to value our efforts for Him. It is He I seek to please. And if you punish me, I rejoice, for my lord Christ suffered affliction and death, and I will gladly follow Him into death so that I can be with Him in everlasting life. You speak of Anahit, and perhaps demons did once bedazzle men into building temples for them and worshipping them. But I will not worship lifeless objects of stone. We must worship the One who lives and gives life.'"

Drtad asked Gregory to tell him more about the living God, and Gregory "explained that Christ is the Lord of creation and the true light for those in the darkness of idolatry. He exhorted the king to use his intelligence and put away the mulishly stupid devotion to mere images." Drtad didn't like being called "mulish" and responded: "You have insulted the gods and insulted me by calling me stupid for worshipping them. You had the audacity to speak to me as if you were my equal. You said I was stupid as a mule; now you shall feel the burden of such words."
Then the torture begins! Agathangelos writes: he ordered Gregory to be bound and strung up, with a muzzle over his mouth and a heavy block of salt hung on his back. After a week of this torture Gregory was brought before the kin, who said: "Now like a mule you have carried a load. But worse things can happen to you if you further insult our deities."
Gregory, however, had not been subdued by his suffering. He told the king that he did not mind tortures, and that only those who worship idols need fear the Lord's wrath.
So Drtad tortured him further, hanging him by one foot for seven days. But Gregory passed the time in prayer.

Drtad kept torturing Gregory, and Gregory wouldn't recant. Finally, someone told Drtad that Gregory was the son of Anak, his father's assassin. That was the final straw for Drtad and he had Gregory thrown into a pit for the rest of his life. Gregory lived in this pit for some thirteen years! Drtad continued to persecute the Christians of Armenia. He fell in love with a young nun, Hripsime, and wanted to marry her, but she, being married to Christ, refused. So, after pleading and trying to seduce her, fell back on his usual practice and had her tortured and beaten until death. According to Agathangelos: "King Drtad was not an introspective man, and after a week of grieving over Hripsime's death, he had to have some strenuous activity. He arranged to go hunting, and when the hounds and nets and traps and beaters were all ready, he climbed into his chariot to leave the city for the plain where he loved to hunt. Suddenly, Drtad fell from the chariot, as if struck down by a demon. He began to rave and grunt, like an animal. As their king was crazed, so all the people suddenly seemed to be, and there was chaos and ruin throughout the city and from the highest to the lowest of the king's household."
Only one person could solve this problem and he was in a pit. Actually, most people figured Gregory was dead, but they checked anyway. They called, "Gregory, if you're down there, let us know!" They felt a tug on the rope and pulled him up out of the pit. They cleaned him up and brought him to the king. The king knelt before Gregory and asked for forgiveness. Gregory pulled Drtad to his feet and said, "I am a just a man like you. The One who has had mercy on you is your creator, the Lord and Creator of all things." Drtad and his entire family and court were converted but since Gregory was not a priest he could not baptize them. Gregory went throughout Armenia destroying temples and setting up crosses and educating the people about the True God. He then returned to Caesarea to be ordained so that he could serve as pastor to the Armenians. Upon Gregory's return, the entire royal court went down to the Euphrates river and were baptized, 150,000 new Christians! Gregory went throughout the country and baptized multitudes. And that is how Armenia became the first Christian nation.
Gregory eventually went to live the life of a hermit in the wilderness, living in a cave. He died around the year 332.

Clarity from the Global Center

TEC isn't the only Province in the WWAC with a bicameral system, as is explained in this open letter from Revd Luiz Alberto Barbosa of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brasil. Provided by Our Man In Brasil

From the Houses of Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil
Open Letter to the President of the House of Deputies - Ms. Bonnie
Anderson - Of The Episcopal Church of USA

Dear Ms. Anderson,

Peace! It is a privilege to me to write to you as your colleague. I am
the President of the House of Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal
Anglican Church of Brazil. As you said in your statement about the
Communiqué from the Primates' Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, it
has serious implications for the Episcopal Church and the Worldwide
Anglican Communion. First of all, I want to express my support to your
statement concerning this issue.

The decision process in the Anglican Tradition is taken among the
laity, priests and deacons and bishops. The House of Bishops of any of
our provinces does not rule the church alone, and the Primate's
Meeting is just an instrument were the Primates can share their
theological thoughts, pray together and have a consultation
opportunity among themselves.

The Primate's Meetings cannot take final decisions about any kind of
problem or situation, without hearing before and respecting all the
Governance Bodies of each Province or Diocese within the Anglican
Communion. In issuing what is essentially an ultimatum, the Primates
are assuming more authority than is accorded them in our Communion's
current structure and polity.

Before the Windsor Report recommendations can be understood to be 'the
most clear and comprehensive principles' for governing the Communion's
life, our Churches must engage this debate in its member provinces'
General Synods and Conventions, and then at the Lambeth Conference
next year and in the Anglican Consultative Council which will follow
it. As Anglican Episcopalians we cannot sacrifice the gifts we enjoy
as an inclusive church, accepting all people as full members of our
churches, so that we might conform to a doctrinal uniformity that is
anti-natural to our historic identity and experience as an inclusive
church.

The real crisis at the Anglican Communion is not about Human Sexuality
or Sexual Orientation, is about Authority. There is a battle to find
out who has the power at the Anglican Communion. Our Church leaders
should remember that who has the real power is Jesus Christ, and that
His power is grounded in LOVE. Love that respects everyone and all the
different points of view within the Church. As Christian we are not
allowed to deny any kind of support and full membership to people that
want to be part of our churches. It is not by coertion, but with love
that the Anglican Communion will find out the way to solve its present
crisis.

Only through our continued faithfulness to being a Church of
inclusiveness, compassion, shared authority, justice, love and respect
for the dignity of every human being, we will be a witness to the
world. May this Lent be an opportunity for all of us to discern more
deeply God's Word and call to service in this world hungry for justice
and peace.

In Christ,

Revd Luiz Alberto Barbosa
President of the House of Clergy and Laity of the Anglican Episcopal
Church of Brazil

PS.: During national synods, the House of Clergy and Laity is divided
into two different groups (clergy and laity) which, with the house of
bishops, compose a three-fold chamber which is very similar to the
model Episcopalians have.

House of Bishops: Message to God's People

Episcopal News Service
March 21, 2007

House of Bishops: Message to God's People
Spring House of Bishops Meeting
Camp Allen Episcopal Conference Center
Navasota, Texas
March 16-21, 2007

A Message to God's People...from the Bishops of the Episcopal Church.

As we prepare for Easter and the joyous celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we send you greetings from Navasota, Texas where we gathered for the spring meeting of the House of Bishops. We represent fifteen sovereign nations, the fifty United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, and Micronesia bearing witness to the Gospel of Our Lord and the wonders of Christ's redeeming work in the world. We were reminded of the health and vitality of our Church as our new Presiding Bishop recounted her travels. We have experienced a sense of identity, clarity, and purpose in fulfilling our vocation as bishops. We were blessed by the presence of the Primate and the House of Bishops of the Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico. Together we discovered a growing unity as we seek the mind of Christ. Our meeting was marked by a spirit of thanksgiving and respect, lived in a rich rhythm of worship, work, study, and rest.

That spirit moved us deeper into our focus on mission for Christ. In that context we discussed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Primates' Communiqué, the draft Anglican Communion Covenant, as well as a number of other mission opportunities.

The central theme of the address by the Rev. Dr. Ian Douglas of the Episcopal Divinity School was that "the mission of the Church is to participate in the mission of God". This observation set the tone for our study and discussion of the MDGs. We gave special attention to the challenge of environmental sustainability, the theme of a presentation by Dr. John Pine of Louisiana State University who addressed the environmental implications of global climate change.

We heard from the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner and the Rev. Dr. Katherine Grieb, members of the Covenant Drafting Committee, each of whom brought a distinct perspective regarding the proposed Covenant. Their presentations, which are available on line, will inform further conversations as the drafting process continues prior to the Lambeth Conference of 2008.

Mission concerns received attention in a variety of workshops and presentations, including: the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, Darkness into Day campaign, TEAM (Toward Effective Anglican Mission), TEAC (Theological Education within Anglican Communion), Bishops Working for a Just Society, issues facing returning military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families, as well as immigration and border issues viewed from both the United States and Mexican perspectives. The fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq was marked by a prayer vigil for peace. Then, in both formal and informal ways, members of the House expressed their strong desire to keep God's mission at the center of the life of the Church.

We also heard a well-documented report by the House of Bishops' Task Force on Property Disputes on the history and strategy of groups, including some in the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes (NACDAP) and others, to remove congregations and church property from The Episcopal Church. This report will be made available at a later date. We commend it, once publicly available, to diocesan Standing Committees.

We had an extended and thoughtful discussion of the Communiqué from the Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam, which represents the beginning of a longer process of response that will continue through the coming months.

It is our strong desire to remain within the fellowship of the Anglican Communion. The Primates' Communiqué, however, raises significant concerns. First among these is what is arguably an unprecedented shift of power toward the Primates, represented, in part, by the proposed "Pastoral Scheme." This proposed plan calls for the appointment of a Primatial Vicar and Pastoral Council for The Episcopal Church whose membership would consist of "up to five members; two nominated by the Primates, two by the Presiding Bishop, and a Primate of a Province of the Anglican Communion nominated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to chair the Council." We believe this proposal contravenes the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church. Moreover, because it is proposed that this scheme take immediate effect, we were compelled, at this March meeting, to request that the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church decline to participate in this aspect of the Communiqué's requests. Nonetheless, we pledge to continue working to find a way of meeting the pastoral concerns raised by the Primates that are compatible with our own Church's polity and canons. We should note that our recommendation to Executive Council not to participate in the Pastoral Scheme, though not unanimously endorsed by this House, came at the conclusion of long and gracious conversation.

Finally, we believe that the leaders of the Church must always hold basic human rights and the dignity of every human being as fundamental concerns in our witness for Christ. We were, therefore, concerned that while the Communiqué focuses on homosexuality, it ignores the pressing issues of violence against gay and lesbian people around the world, and the criminalization of homosexual behavior in many nations of the world.

The Theology Committee of the House of Bishops was charged with the responsibility of developing a teaching guide for consideration of both the Primates' Communiqué and the proposed draft Covenant for the Anglican Communion. We anticipate this guide will be available by late May for use by bishops and dioceses in preparation for the September meeting of the House of Bishops.

The bishops unanimously affirmed a Mind of the House Resolution inviting the Archbishop of Canterbury and the members of the Primates' Standing Committee to meet, at a time of their choosing, with the House of Bishops.

As we prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery we call for your prayers for and commitment to God's mission of making all things new.

For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5)

Stand!

I went to bed pretty happy last night; things are starting to change!
What's going on? People are suddenly standing up to the bullies in this world. The U.S. Congress is finally standing up to the bully preznit, and the House of Bishops of TEC have stood up to the Most Blessed Primates of the Global South and their enablers and said "No, thank you. We won't play that game." Now if only the ABC would get with the program! +++Cantaur, it feels good to stand up to bullies! Try it, you'll like it!

Remember what Sly Stone sang:
Stand!
In the end you'll still be you
One that's done all the things you set out to do
Stand
There's a cross for you to bear
Things to go through if you're going anywhere
Stand
For the things you know are right
It 's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
Stand
All the things you want are real
You have you to complete and there is no deal
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
You've been sitting much too long
There's a permanent crease in your right and wrong
Stand
There's a midget standing tall
And the giant beside him about to fall
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
They will try to make you crawl
And they know what you're saying makes sense and all
Stand
Don't you know that you are free
Well at least in your mind if you want to be
Everybody
Stand, stand, stand

The Congress is standing, the House of Bishops is standing; and as I posted over at Grandmére Mimi's place, now you Estadounidense stand up against that bunch of crooks in the White House.
Everybody stand!

Dave Walker Weighs In

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Bishops' "Mind of the House" Resolutions

Tuesday, March 20, 2007
[Episcopal News Service] The following resolutions were passed by the House of Bishops March 20 during its annual Spring retreat meeting in Navasota, Texas.
Mind of the House of Bishops Resolution Addressed to the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church


Resolved, the House of Bishops affirms its desire that The Episcopal Church remain a part of the councils of the Anglican Communion; and

Resolved, the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution of The Episcopal Church is determined solely by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church; and

Resolved, the House of Bishops believes the proposed Pastoral Scheme of the Dar es Salaam Communiqué of February 19, 2007 would be injurious to The Episcopal Church and urges that the Executive Council decline to participate in it; and

Resolved, the House of Bishops pledges itself to continue to work to find ways of meeting the pastoral concerns of the Primates that are compatible with our own polity and canons.

Adopted March 20, 2007
The House of Bishops
The Episcopal Church
Spring Meeting 2007
Camp Allen Conference Center
Navasota, Texas


To the Archbishop of Canterbury and the members of the Primates' Standing Committee:

We, the Bishops of The Episcopal Church, meeting in Camp Allen, Navasota, Texas, March 16-21, 2007, have considered the requests directed to us by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in the Communiqué dated February 19, 2007.

Although we are unable to accept the proposed Pastoral Scheme, we declare our passionate desire to remain in full constituent membership in both the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church.

We believe that there is an urgent need for us to meet face to face with the Archbishop of Canterbury and members of the Primates' Standing Committee, and we hereby request and urge that such a meeting be negotiated by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury at the earliest possible opportunity.

We invite the Archbishop and members of the Primates' Standing Committee to join us at our expense for three days of prayer and conversation regarding these important matters.

Adopted March 20, 2007
The House of Bishops
The Episcopal Church
Spring Meeting 2007
Camp Allen Conference Center
Navasota, Texas


A Statement from the House of Bishops – March 20, 2007

We, the Bishops of The Episcopal Church, meeting at Camp Allen, Navasota, Texas, for our regular Spring Meeting, March 16-21, 2007, have received the Communiqué of February 19, 2007 from the Primates of the Anglican Communion meeting at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We have met together for prayer, reflection, conversation, and listening during these days and have had the Communiqué much on our minds and hearts, just as we know many in our Church and in other parts of the world have had us on their minds and hearts as we have taken counsel together. We are grateful for the prayers that have surrounded us.

We affirm once again the deep longing of our hearts for The Episcopal Church to continue as a part of the Anglican Communion. We have gone so far as to articulate our self-understanding and unceasing desire for relationships with other Anglicans by memorializing the principle in the Preamble of our Constitution. What is important to us is that The Episcopal Church is a constituent member of a family of Churches, all of whom share a common mother in the Church of England. That membership gives us the great privilege and unique opportunity of sharing in the family's work of alleviating human suffering in all parts of the world. For those of us who are members of The Episcopal Church, we are aware as never before that our Anglican Communion partners are vital to our very integrity as Christians and our wholeness. The witness of their faith, their generosity, their bravery, and their devotion teach us essential elements of gospel-based living that contribute to our conversion.

We would therefore meet any decision to exclude us from gatherings of all Anglican Churches with great sorrow, but our commitment to our membership in the Anglican Communion as a way to participate in the alleviation of suffering and restoration of God's creation would remain constant. We have no intention of choosing to withdraw from our commitments, our relationships, or our own recognition of our full communion with the See of Canterbury or any of the other constituent members of the Anglican Communion. Indeed, we will seek to live fully into, and deepen, our relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Communion through companion relationships, the networks of Anglican women, the Anglican Indigenous Network, the Francophone Network, our support for the Anglican Diocese of Cuba, our existing covenant commitments with other provinces and dioceses, including Liberia, Mexico, Central America, Brazil, and the Philippines, our work as The Episcopal Church in many countries around the world, especially in the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and Taiwan, and countless informal relationships for mission around the world.

Since our General Convention of 2003, we have responded in good faith to the requests we have received from our Anglican partners. We accepted the invitation of the Lambeth Commission to send individuals characteristic of the theological breadth of our Church to meet with it. We happily did so. Our Executive Council voluntarily acceded to the request of the Primates for our delegates not to attend the 2005 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Nottingham. We took our place as listeners rather than participants as an expression of our love and respect for the sensibilities of our brothers and sisters in the Communion even when we believed we had been misunderstood. We accepted the invitation of the Primates to explain ourselves in a presentation to the same meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council. We did so with joy.

At the meeting of our House of Bishops at Camp Allen, Texas in March, 2004 we adopted a proposal called Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight as a means for meeting the pastoral needs of those within our Church who disagreed with actions of the General Convention. Our plan received a favorable response in the Windsor Report. It was not accepted by the Primates. At our meeting in March 2005, we adopted a Covenant Statement as an interim response to the Windsor Report in an attempt to assure the rest of the Communion that we were taking them seriously and, at some significant cost, refused to consecrate any additional bishops whatsoever as a way that we could be true to our own convictions without running the risk of consecrating some that would offend our brothers and sisters. Our response was not accepted by the Primates. Our General Convention in 2006 struggled mightily and at great cost to many, not the least of whom are our gay and lesbian members, to respond favorably to the requests made of us in the Windsor Report and the Primates' Dromantine Communiqué of 2005. We received a favorable response from the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates, which found that our effort had substantially met the concerns of the Windsor Report with the need to clarify our position on the blessing of same sex relationships. Still, our efforts were not accepted by the Primates in the Dar es Salaam Communiqué.

Other Anglican bishops, indeed including some Primates, have violated our provincial boundaries and caused great suffering and contributed immeasurably to our difficulties in solving our problems and in attempting to communicate for ourselves with our Anglican brothers and sisters. We have been repeatedly assured that boundary violations are inappropriate under the most ancient authorities and should cease. The Lambeth Conferences of 1988 and 1998 did so. The Windsor Report did so. The Dromantine Communiqué did so. None of these assurances has been heeded. The Dar es Salaam Communiqué affirms the principle that boundary violations are impermissible, but then sets conditions for ending those violations, conditions that are simply impossible for us to meet without calling a special meeting of our General Convention.

It is incumbent upon us as disciples to do our best to follow Jesus in the increasing experience of the leading of the Holy Spirit. We fully understand that others in the Communion believe the same, but we do not believe that Jesus leads us to break our relationships. We proclaim the Gospel of what God has done and is doing in Christ, of the dignity of every human being, and of justice, compassion, and peace. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, no male or female, no slave or free. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including women, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including gay and lesbian persons, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church. We proclaim the Gospel that stands against any violence, including violence done to women and children as well as those who are persecuted because of their differences, often in the name of God. The Dar es Salaam Communiqué is distressingly silent on this subject. And, contrary to the way the Anglican Communion Network and the American Anglican Council have represented us, we proclaim a Gospel that welcomes diversity of thought and encourages free and open theological debate as a way of seeking God's truth. If that means that others reject us and communion with us, as some have already done, we must with great regret and sorrow accept their decision.

With great hope that we will continue to be welcome in the councils of the family of Churches we know as the Anglican Communion, we believe that to participate in the Primates' Pastoral scheme would be injurious to The Episcopal Church for many reasons.

First, it violates our church law in that it would call for a delegation of primatial authority not permissible under our Canons and a compromise of our autonomy as a Church not permissible under our Constitution.

Second, it fundamentally changes the character of the Windsor process and the covenant design process in which we thought all the Anglican Churches were participating together.

Third, it violates our founding principles as The Episcopal Church following our own liberation from colonialism and the beginning of a life independent of the Church of England.

Fourth, it is a very serious departure from our English Reformation heritage. It abandons the generous orthodoxy of our Prayer Book tradition. It sacrifices the emancipation of the laity for the exclusive leadership of high-ranking Bishops. And, for the first time since our separation from the papacy in the 16th century, it replaces the local governance of the Church by its own people with the decisions of a distant and unaccountable group of prelates.

Most important of all it is spiritually unsound. The pastoral scheme encourages one of the worst tendencies of our Western culture, which is to break relationships when we find them difficult instead of doing the hard work necessary to repair them and be instruments of reconciliation. The real cultural phenomenon that threatens the spiritual life of our people, including marriage and family life, is the ease with which we choose to break our relationships and the vows that established them rather than seek the transformative power of the Gospel in them. We cannot accept what would be injurious to this Church and could well lead to its permanent division.

At the same time, we understand that the present situation requires intentional care for those within our Church who find themselves in conscientious disagreement with the actions of our General Convention. We pledge ourselves to continue to work with them toward a workable arrangement. In truth, the number of those who seek to divide our Church is small, and our Church is marked by encouraging signs of life and hope. The fact that we have among ourselves, and indeed encourage, a diversity of opinion on issues of sexuality should in no way be misunderstood to mean that we are divided, except among a very few, in our love for The Episcopal Church, the integrity of its identity, and the continuance of its life and ministry.

In anticipation of the traditional renewal of ordination vows in Holy Week we solemnly declare that "we do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and we do solemnly engage to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church." (Book of Common Prayer, page 513)

With this affirmation both of our identity as a Church and our affection and commitment to the Anglican Communion, we find new hope that we can turn our attention to the essence of Christ's own mission in the world, to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18-19). It is to that mission that we now determinedly turn.

Adopted March 20, 2007
The House of Bishops
The Episcopal Church
Spring Meeting 2007
Camp Allen Conference Center
Navasota, Texas

Monday at the Hogar

Yesterday I worked with Sinilda and a new girl, Estefani. Estefani is nine and in the first grade. We practiced the writing they have been doing in school and then we played “Go Fish” with the new cards I bought. Rosa Mari joined in and helped the other two with their letters. This is really saying something for Rosa because she’s in special ed.

Photo 1: Rosa is showing her card to one of the girls. I have them show the card they’re asking for so everyone can see the letters especially since they don’t know them yet.

Photo 2 is Sinilda and Estefani playing “Go Fish”. Sinilda is hiding her face. The cards seem to disappear into the white table. That’s Johana and Enibeth in the background.

Photo 3: Enibeth and Johana are working on a project for school together while Estefani watches. Enibeth kept coming up to me with words in English that she cut out of a magizine and asking me what they meant. They were 'water', 'new', and 'wagon.' It was really cute.

Photo 4: Every Monday they get clean sheets. Each girl is responsible for making her own bed. Here’s Enibeth making her bed.

For more info on the new girls at the Hogar, check out Tia Sue’s blog.

Big Surprise!

In six months we'll be buried in cats!

GWB's Latin American Adventure

A Letter to the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies from Calvary Church, Pittsburgh

This letter is a bit long, but well worth reading. It's great to see a church in the Wilderness of the Network speaking out so clearly. Actually, I'm not too surprised; the Rev. Dr. Harold T. Lewis preached at my ordination to the deaconate and got the six of us all fired up!


The following letter was sent on behalf of the Calvary Church vestry to express concerns about the recommendations made by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in the Communique of February 19, 2007. The letter reflects a thoughtful and thorough discussion by the vestry and asks these two leaders to resist inappropriate concessions which are in direct opposition to the theology and history of the Episcopal Church in the United States.


February 28, 2007

The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori

Presiding Bishop

The Episcopal Church in the USA

815 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10017


Ms. Bonnie Anderson

The Episcopal Church in the USA

815 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10017


Dear Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and President Anderson:

Calvary Church is a city based parish that has been a staunch supporter of The Episcopal Church for over one hundred fifty years. We represent a microcosm of American society with members from all aspects of the economic, political and social spectrum. Our commitment to our national church is demonstrated by not only Calvary’s direct payment of funding to the national church, but also by Calvary’s extensive and historic participation in the activities of the national church.
Today we write on behalf of the Vestry of Calvary Church to unequivocally object to the recommendations of the Primates in the Communiqué of February 19, 2007, and to urge the rejection of those recommendations. Our main reasons are as follows:
First, from its origin immediately following the American Revolution until this date the heart and soul of this church is that it is an American church based upon democratic self-determination, American morality and not subject to foreign domination. In fact, the Act of Association of the Clergy and Congregations of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of Pennsylvania in 1784 states as follows:
WHEREAS, by the late Revolution, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America is become independent of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in England; in Consequence whereof it is necessary for the Clergy and Congregations of the said Church to associate themselves, for maintaining a System of Ecclesiastical Government; And whereas, at a Meeting of sundry Clergymen and of Lay Deputies from sundry Congregations of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this State, held in the City of Philadelphia on the Twenty-Fifth Day of May in the year of our Lord 1784, there was appointed a Committee, to confer and
correspond with Representatives from the Church in other States, for the Purpose of constituting an Ecclesiastical Government, agreeable to certain Instructions or fundamental Principles:
Which are as follow.
First, That the Episcopal Church in these States is and ought to be independent of all foreign Authority ecclesiastical or civil. Secondly , That it hath and ought to have, in common with all other religious Societies, full and exclusive Powers to regulate the Concerns of its own Communion
* * *
These Articles are not simply a historic artifact; the intent they set forth is part of our very being, strength and vitality and critical to the moral compass and ethos of our church. Since the 1780s, our church has been predicated upon American values and American morality. The American value system and the evolving American concept of non-discrimination should govern our future as they have our past.
We recognize that certain Primates have stated that their Christian witness must be made in nations whose cultures are significantly influenced by the values of other traditions, including Islam.While this may be understandable for those countries and those Primates, such influence is totally unacceptable as the arbiter of the values of this American Christian church.
Second, the Communiqué attempts to directly affect the decision making process of The Episcopal Church, in a number of serious ways. For example, the Communiqué invites the Bishops of The Episcopal Church to effectively ignore the bicameral nature of our decision making process and thereby to alter or interpret BO33 (which as you know was a fiercely contested and narrowly passed compromise between the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops). To entertain the suggestion of the Primates that the Bishops collectively use their power to alter that compromise would do great damage internally to the mutual respect between the two Houses and the Orders in our church. Thus, not only would acceptance of this Communiqué be destructive of the American self-determinative nature of the Church, but also set our institutional decision making processes against each other. Surely this cannot have been the Primates’ intent, but it would be the effect if the House of Bishops were to bow to foreign pressure and foreign values to make the statements sought by the Primates concerning BO33.
These are two final points of grave concern that we raise in this letter.
If both Houses meant what was said in BO33 at the 2006 General Convention (which was not what is now being demanded by the recommendations), it would seem hypocritical for the House of Bishops to state what the Primates now request. This issue, like the first two that we set forth above, strikes at the heart of what we are as a Church.We must be true to ourselves and our values lest we lose our own moral compass and simply “confess” that we believe what a group of foreign Primates tell us we must believe to be part of their larger group.
We have heard that the failure to do as “recommended”may mean that The Episcopal Church is not able to help the poor in other nations as effectively as if the Anglican provinces in those countries accepted our church as being in full communion with theirs. Our response is that we will continue to look for those groups, both in America and abroad, who do not demand that we give up our own American character and morality as a price of helping them. Frankly, if we take the American spirit out of our body and convert this to a confessional church adhering to values set by others, we believe that the detrimental effect on The Episcopal Church will be so significant that both our internal and our outreach activities would diminish as a result of our own actions. We have also heard that a justification offered for acceptance of the “recommendations” is the need to keep a seat at the table to advance the debate in the Communion about treatment of gays and lesbians. We respectfully submit that the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies are officials of the American church, and that our church cannot act inconsistently with our own morality of justice and non-discrimination (even on a temporary basis as is hypothesized) in order to permit us to engage in a debate with other provinces about someday treating all persons on a non-discriminatory basis. In this regard, we are greatly heartened by the statements we have seen of the Bishops of Chicago, California and New York, and hopefully more will come. For us at Calvary, it is totally unacceptable to support discrimination on even a temporary basis within our church even if for the purpose of being permitted to engage in a debate with foreign primates over whether the Anglican Communion as a whole should discriminate. Indeed, we believe we are being asked by the Primates to go back into a discriminatory mode of treatment of certain of those within our church.
Finally, Calvary Church wants to object unequivocally to the Presiding Bishop delegating any of her powers of supervision over the Diocese of Pittsburgh to a Primatial Vicar who will report to the foreign controlled Pastoral Council. This is not acceptable to Calvary, and we believe it is not canonical for such delegation to occur, even if the delegation were limited to “pastoral” duties. However, we frankly believe (based upon long years of dealing with the stated goals of representatives of the group seeking such a vicar) that any delegation of duties will not be solely pastoral (at least in the normal sense of the word). But, whether pastoral or not, we believe that delegation – particularly through an agency operating outside our church – is not authorized under the Constitution and Canons. Calvary Church would vigorously object if such a structure were created and is quite hopeful that it will not be. It would be highly improper to posit the alternatives to Calvary (and other parishes loyal to the national church) of either not being part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh (particularly after all the contributions made by Calvary over the years) or becoming part of a “Camp Allen” principles vicarship. Members of The Episcopal Church have the right to expect that its rules be followed. We submit that this proposed office of Primatial Vicar is non-canonical and should not be established. Further, we believe it is highly unrealistic to think that, if such a position were established, it would ever be dismantled in a manner which would lead to reintegration of the Diocese of Pittsburgh into the canonical structure provided by The Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons. On all these questions: (1) whether to preserve the vitality, emanating from the American spirit, that has to date imbued our national church with the courage to take stands based upon American morality and social justice, (2) whether to respect the democratic heritage of bicameral participatory democracy which has led us through more than two hundred years of moral decision making and which should guide us to our future service in the name of Jesus Christ, (3) whether it is hypocritical to say things, that foreign leaders say we must, to be part of an association which they may have come to dominate, and (4) whether to respect our own Constitution and Canons in administering to our own dioceses — we at Calvary fervently pray that the polestar values found in our heritage of American autonomy, American social justice, and commitment to observing the rules of our own organization should inform our future decisions.
While some might contend that compromise or even elimination of these American values would be beneficial to implementation of the overall global interests espoused by certain Primates in the Anglican Communion, we stand to say that such would not be good for The Episcopal Church in either the near or the long term.
Faithfully yours,
The Rev. Harold T. Lewis, Ph.D. Florence Atwood
Rector Senior Warden

¡Moda!

I realize that as a boring heterosexual male I probably shouldn't care about this subject, but I have been a fan of Go Fug Yourself for quite a while. Now there is a new voice on the Fashion Scene, our own St. Pat of Florida, with her smashing new blog St. Pat’s Fashion Fizz. Padre says, "Check it out and avoid the Crimes of Fashion."

Twenty-nine Years Ago Today

Twenty-nine years ago today the Lovely Mona and I got dressed-up and made promises in the presence of God, our friends, and family. Then we had a great party in the hall across the street. We were married in the same church in which my parents were married and our reception was held in the same hall, too! Our friends were surprised as we were married INSIDE and IN A CHURCH! Those were the days when everyone was putting flowers in their hair and standing barefoot on a hilltop whilst some guy with a perm and a guitar sang that dang Wedding Song by Paul Stooky. We had an organist and Baroque music during the ceremony, and a string quartet at the reception. I've always said that it was a great way to kill a Saturday. My friends (some friends!) gave us a year, because they were sure the Lovely Mona would come to her senses and kick my sorry ass out the door. Guess we showed them!! I won't post any photos, as I don't have a scanner, plus, we males of the wedding party wore some terrible 1970's style tuxedos with enormous bow-ties which looked like we were all being attacked by vampire butterflies. The Lovely Mona looked great, though, and still does.

Happy Anniversary, Mona! I'm in for another twenty-nine years at least!

ECW Retreat

Today I led the Lenten Retreat of the ECW of St. Christopher's. It was held at parishioner Norma Blackman's home in Coronado, a beach community about an hour and a half outside of Panama City. Our reflections were on the life of St. Patrick, and then we spent the last hour in an energetic hymn sing. And we had Sancocho for lunch (Panamanian chicken soup with jama and yuca). Then we piled back into the bus and got home around 6:00 pm. A lovely time was had by all. And I have fótos, of course!

1. El Autobus
2. Waiting for the others
3. Norma's place
4. Settling-in for our reflections
5. The Gazebo, where we spent our time
6. The Yard
7. The Ladies
8. Our Hostess, Norma (center) with her cousin Yolanda (left), Barbara Smith (right), and Clara Edwards climbing on to the bus (extreme left).