This morning at the #Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Atlanta, the Communion Hymn was the #GratefulDead song “Ripple,” sung by two very talented young women on guitar. I remember hearing “Ripple” as #Communion#Hymn before, when I was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal in Atlanta. A fitting hymn, both musically and lyrically.
“Mommy, why is that man crying?”
“That man is a #Deadhead. You can tell by the sandals. Try not to stare.”
A feature of the #Episcopal Church I like that wasn't really present in any of my Evangelical churches I grew up in is the acknowledgement that human emotions are complicated and deserve recognition and communal processing. Today is #BlackFriday, for example. A day specifically set aside to recognize human feelings of pain and loss. This is very much at odds with last Sunday's Palm Sunday parade celebration and yesterday's anger and betrayal.
While countless LGBTQ+ individuals have always been present in the Church, Gene Robinson's public affirmation of his identity as a gay man marked a significant step forward for the Episcopal Church in 2003.
"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger."
Luke 2:15-16
Taken last night at Saint James Cathedral's Christmas Service at River North, Chicago.
Saint James Cathedral in River North, Chicago, Illinois. This is the Cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. It also happens to be my church. I don't have good photos of the inside at the moment but the interior of the church has gorgeous painted stencil wall images.
This building was one of only about five that partially survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It had been officially dedicated about 2 weeks before the fire. If you look at the top of the steeple, you can see the charred stones.
If you are ever in Chicago, please feel free to visit!
I am waiting for word to come from a reliable MSM regarding the status of Ahli Arab hospital (AAH) in Gaza City, run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. It is agonising as I see everyday folk posting about what is happening. Please tag me if you see something come through.
Me: Oh, liturgical resources for creation & environment, could be useful!
Me,10 minutes later: OMG, what did I just read?!?
I am begging #Episcopalians to just be normal. There is no need to re-write the Creed, the Words of Institution or the Our Father! Making out that #environmentalism is incompatible with orthodox #Christianity is not helping!
The Episcopal Church Diocese of Hawaii is providing relief of immediate needs on Maui through its existing homeless ministry, A Cup of Cold Water (ACCW).
Online donations are being gathered through the Bishop's Pastoral Fund.
Heart broken over the loss of #Lahaina. Among the destruction is the #Episcopal parish of Holy Innocents, which predates #Annexation and was established by Bishop Staley not too long after HM King Kamehameha IV invited #Anglican clergy to #Hawaii to establish a National church as an alternative to the missionary churches. Of course the #church is its people and so the church remains. But it’s all still so very sad regardless.
On Aug. 6th, the former Rector of the #Episcopal parish in #Charlottesville will discuss her experience during the white supremacist riots in that city.
“There are no boundaries within God’s mercy. There is no one outside God’s mercy, compassion, and loving kindness. This truth has the power to convert us, to change our lives. To be a neighbor is to show mercy to those in need, regardless of their race, religion, or country of origin.”
So nice to go to an #Episcopal church (Trinity in Easton PA) with the Pride flag up in July, abd where the rector condemns the Supreme Court in her sermon. My home church, even having a progressive rector and supportive parishioners, is so timid by comparison. We have work to do.
Preparing the intercessions / prayers tomorrow for Church. It seems to me that when the #Episcopal Church updates the Book of Common Prayer, there is a real need to expand the prayers and meditations to reflect our grief and our calls around #ClimateChange. #Environmental breakdown stresses not only the physical or geological but also the mental, psychological, and spiritual. Religions have a vital role to play going forward.
I'm also an #Episcopalian and I can confirm that there are many #Christians who are open, loving, and accepting of all people. As we say in the #Episcopal church, all are welcome. Without exception.
People who argue about that #Christianity does not accept LGBTQ people have not read their Bibles closely enough or are so blinded by their politics that they ignore the central teaching of their faith.
"Assembling with collected good will in a semi-mystical atmosphere, followed by assembling in another section of the building, in a coffee-fueled atmosphere" is one of the better descriptions of #Christianity I've heard. It's probably of the best descriptions of #Episcopalian / #Anglicanism / #Anglican / #Episcopal that I've heard.... LOL
“Why do you continue to have #EveningPrayer if nobody comes?”
Because someone needs to pray for this parish, this town, this country, and this world on a regular basis. The #DailyOffices, or any worship service for that matter, are not based on numbers or an ROI formula. They are based simply on being with God. #Episcopal #Worship #PriestlyDuties
“In an age when words of fear, retribution and anger dominates the news and fills our ears, words of hope, forgiveness and love seem an idle tale at worst and unbelievable at best. Yet the promise of the Risen Lord is that hope, not fear has the last word. The promise of the Risen Lord is that forgiveness, not retribution has the last word. The promise of the Risen Lord is that love, not anger has the last word.”