This Is How You Go…

I’m going to draw a rather unhelpful comparison. But I’m going to do it anyway. Why? Because reading of the recent ‘resignation’ of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, who was asked to step down by his fellow Bishops (and I have no idea why, or the politics/thinking behind the request), I could not help but ponder on just how different his approach, his words, and his conduct are, as when compared to that of a certain ‘former-Primate’, who was also asked to go by his Bishops (obviously, for different and possibly far graver reasons).

This is text of His Beatitude’s letter:

“To the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America,

“Brothers,

“As per your unanimous request, as conveyed to me by Chancellor Fr. John Jillions, I hereby tender my resignation as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and humbly request another Episcopal assignment.

“I had come to the realization long ago that that I have neither the personality nor the temperament for the position of Primate, a position I never sought nor desired.

“It is my hope that due consideration will be made for my financial situation, both in any interim and in consideration for any future position. I am the main financial support for both my parents and my sister, beyond my own needs.

“I will appreciate your consideration in this, and beg forgiveness for however I have offended you, and for whatever difficulties have arisen from my own inadequacies and mistakes in judgment.

“Asking your prayers, I remain faithfully yours, “Metropolitan Jonah, Archbishop of Washington”

[A pdf. of the above is here]

And that’s how you do it. With your dignity and Christian conduct intact. You don’t self-destruct. You don’t destroy. You don’t run to the secular media/blogs crying foul for the world to see. You don’t advocate schism or start-up rival Synods. What  you do, as a man of God, is turn to your brothers in Christ, and seek reconciliation with as much as lies within you. That is how you go…

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- St Matthew 5:1-12

England, America, and the Anglican Communion

From it:

… Then, in the 1930′s, the Anglican Communion became the first Christian faith in 1900 years to allow contraception rather than to reject it as a moral evil.  This further led to a rejection of Episcopalianism in Dixie, as Southerners recognized that this was a corruption of the Christian doctrine, and it got worse as a result of the 1960′s sexual revolution, as the “values” of that revolution infected mainline Protestantism (especially the Episcopal Church), and even the Eastern Orthodox Church by the end of the decade.  More conservative Episcopalians formed the “Continuing Anglican Movement”, and many of them wanted to become Catholic, as it was primarily the Catholic Church that had not budged on these issues, and by 1980 Pope John Paul II approved, and so in the 1980′s the Anglican Use was invented and former Episcopalian clergy converted and were ordained in the Catholic Church to preach to their old congregations.  Then in 1991 the Traditional Anglican Communion was formed from the Continuing Anglican Movement, and in 2007 they requested full communion with the Holy See.  In 2009 the idea of the Anglican personal ordinariate began in the Catholic Church, and the first ever was founded in Walsingham, England in 2011, and the second was founded six months ago in Houston, Texas–right in Dixie!  In other words, this most recent movement seems to have a lot to do with the rise of the Catholic Church in Dixie, combined with the fact that the Episcopal Church nowadays is no longer recognizable as Christian, not to mention the Evangelical spirit that has been in Dixie since 1865, itself due to a desire by the war-weary South for a simpler and more personal form of Christianity.  And so things are starting to come full circle now.

If trends like this continue into the future, we’re probably looking at more Anglican personal ordinariates…

Read the whole post at a Pair O’ Dimes.

 

Independence Day

To one and all in the USA: Have a Blessed Independence Day.

Lest He be forgotten…

 

Out of Africa: What AMiA’s Exodus from Rwanda Portends for Global Christianity

Christianity Today:

Divorce is messy, the lessons from a failed marriage often complicated.

Such is the case with this week’s split of the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMIA) from its majority-world leadership in the Church of Rwanda.

Until the 11-year-old partnership crumbled, it seemed to embody the potential for Global South church leaders to rise up and provide spiritual oversight and direction in the developed world.

Now?

“It would be unwise to draw any general conclusions for the future from a dispute which is clearly about particular human relationships,” said Brian Stanley, director of the Centre for the Study of World Christianity at the University of Edinburgh.

Under the oversight of the Rwandan province, the South Carolina–based AMIA grew to more than 150 congregations in the United States and Canada, AMIA spokeswoman Cynthia Brust said.

But the 2010 retirement of Rwandan Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini—who had a strong connection with Bishop Charles Murphy, AMIA’s chairman—precipitated a change in the relationship.

Suddenly, AMIA faced questions and accusations from Rwandan church leaders over the American association’s finances, oversight, and long-term direction.

“All the Christian churches are becoming increasingly global, and as they do, these kinds of cross-cultural tensions—or perhaps these are better seen as cross-cultural abrasions as we sometimes just rub each other wrong—are likely to increase,” said Douglas Jacobsen, author of The World’s Christians: Who They Are, Where They Are, and How They Got There.

AMIA claims it gave 12 percent of its collections to the Church of Rwanda over a seven-year period, but bishops there demand to know what happened to the money.

“That’s not our question,” Brust said. “That’s a gift to Rwanda. We give the money with no strings attached.” (Update: On Friday afternoon, AMIA officials issued a statement on the $1.2 million in dispute. Much of it, the organization said, went to travel-related expenses for Rwandan church leaders. “Approximately $800,000 was part of the tithe that paid expenses for the Province directly from the Anglican Mission or was designated to another need,” it said. “The remaining $460,000 was a designated gift given to the Anglican Mission for special projects in Rwanda … and were given over and above the tithe.”)

The dispute reached the boiling point last week (Nov. 30) with a letter from new Rwandan archbishop Onesphore Rwaje to Murphy, giving him a week to submit to the Rwandan bishops’ authority.

Murphy responded by resigning his leadership position in the Province of Rwanda. In his resignation letter this week (Dec. 5), he said AMIA’s relationship with the African church was a “voluntary submission” that would not be renewed at the association’s upcoming winter conference.

AMIA launched more than a decade ago as an alternative to the Episcopal Church. The goal: to promote orthodox teaching and practice in the wake of infighting among American church members over sexual ethics.

“Americans entering into these relationships often described what was going on in the Anglican Communion in terms of the rising dominance of righteous and spiritually gifted Southern Christian leaders—and happily allied themselves with African and Asian archbishops who seemed to fit that mold,” said Miranda Hassett, author of Anglican Communion in Crisis: How Episcopal Dissidents and Their African Allies Are Reshaping Anglicanism and now an Episcopal priest in Madison, Wisconsin. “What’s happening now with AMIA, on the face of it, seems like a renunciation of that logic or narrative”…

Read on here.

Terry Jones Running for President of USA

The Huffington Post reports (with a video too):

Terry Jones, a controversial pastor who has made national headlines for publicly burning the Quran, is mounting a campaign for president of the United States.

Jones isn’t starting small either, and it seems he’s going straight for the big leagues. The campaign, named “Stand Up America Now,” aims to propel him to the White House largely on a seven-point platform which includes deporting all “illegals” and immediately bringing all of the troops home, according to ABC Action News.

The pastor’s message appears to remain anti-Muslim. A statement from Jones announcing his campaign goes as far as to solicit donations in order to specifically oppose radical Islam according to Fox News. “Please financially support us as we continue our stand against radical Islam,” it reads.

Jones gained a level of infamy after President Barack Obama was forced to request he not burn a copy of the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11 in 2010. Though he cancelled his initial plans, he ultimately followed through on his word and burned the religious text in March. The act sparked widespread protests in Afghanistan, some of which turned deadly…

Do read on here. You’ll also find his campaign promises and agenda.

And God help America if he does gets elected!

 

US’s Most Powerful Nuclear Bomb Dismantled

AP reports:

Amarillo, Texas (AP) — The last of the nation’s most powerful nuclear bombs — a weapon hundreds of times stronger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima — is being disassembled nearly half a century after it was put into service at the height of the Cold War.

The final components of the B53 bomb will be broken down Tuesday at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, the nation’s only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility. The completion of the dismantling program is a year ahead of schedule, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, and aligns with President Barack Obama’s goal of reducing the number of nuclear weapons.

Thomas D’Agostino, the nuclear administration’s chief, called the bomb’s elimination a “significant milestone”…

More here.

News to be welcomed indeed.

 

Earthquake in Washington Area, Felt on East Coast

 

AP is reporting:

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island, New York City and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., where President Barack Obama is vacationing.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was half a mile deep. Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

It was centered near Louisa, Va., which is northwest of Richmond and south of Washington.

Obama and many of the nation’s leaders were out of town on August vacation when the quake struck at 1:51 p.m. EDT. The shaking was felt on the Martha’s Vineyard golf course as Obama was just starting a round.

The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones and is less prepared than California or Alaska for shaking…

More here.

CNN also has the breaking news and video here.

15 Examples That Show Many Americans Are Desperate For Cash

And will do just about anything for money:

More Americans than ever are desperate for money and many of them will do just about anything to get it.  The crumbling U.S. economy has pushed millions of ordinary Americans to the brink of utter desperation.  When it comes time to choose between being able to survive or breaking the law, many people are choosing to break the law.  These days it seems like Americans will do just about anything for money.  All over the country, there are areas where just about anything that is not bolted down is being stolen.  A lot of people have resorted to making money however they can – selling drugs, selling their bodies, shoplifting, invading homes, taking bribes, running credit card scams and even stealing from their own family members.  You will have a hard time believing some of the things that you are about to read below.  When people have their backs pushed up against the wall, often they find that they are willing to do things that they never imagined that they would do.  Things are getting crazy out there on the streets of America, and as the economy continues to decline things are going to get a lot crazier.

The following are 15 examples that show many Americans have become so desperate that they will do just about anything for money….

#1 In Utah, one unemployed 28 year old man is offering to be “human prey” for hunters for the bargain price of $10,000.  For an additional $2,000, he will let people hunt him down while he is running around naked.

#2 The Huffington Post is reporting that there has been an epidemic of air conditioning thefts all over the United States….

Across the country, in states like Illinois, Texas, Arizona, Georgia and Florida, there have been reports of thieves stealing unsecured air conditioning units weighing as much as 125 pounds.

#3 In Corpus Christi, Texas thieves have actually been breaking into funeral homes in order to steal the embalming fluid.

#4 Even police officers are committing desperate acts these days.  Just check out what one police officer in Chicago is charged with doing….

A Chicago Police officer stole $50,000 from his ailing elderly father to pay off his bills and gambling debts and unsuccessfully attempted to swipe his dad’s retirement savings by impersonating him.

#5 Nothing is off limits to thieves these days.  Criminals recently broke into a southwest Atlanta beauty supply store and took off with $30,000 in hair extensions.

#6 In another area of Atlanta, thieves have been breaking down walls and busting bathroom fixtures with sledgehammers in order to get their hands on copper, brass and steel….

Kids in two Atlanta communities won’t have their neighborhood pools to help beat the summer heat, at least for now. Thieves used what is believed to be sledge hammers to bust walls and break fixtures in bathrooms at Adams and South Bend parks to steal copper, brass and steel.

#7 One grandmother in Florida has been accused of trying to sell her newborn grandson for $75,000.

#8 In Antioch, California a total of approximately 300 power poles were recently knocked down by thieves and stripped of their copper wiring.

#9 In Minnesota recently, a mob of teen girls brutally pummeled a mother and her two daughters until they were black and blue.  Apparently the mob of teen girls was enraged over a pair of missing sunglasses.

#10 In Asheville, North Carolina thieves recently took off with 4 metal tables and 16 metal chairs that were sitting outside a pizzeria.

#11 In Florida, thieves have actually been stealing storm drain covers.

#12 In Oregon, thieves recently broke into a Salvation Army community center and stole 3 large air conditioning units.  Now all the people that come to that facility for help and for community programs this summer will be absolutely sweltering.

#13 In the Cleveland area, two young boys that had set up a lemonade stand were robbed in broad daylight.  The crooks got away with approximately 12 dollars.

#14 In Oklahoma, thieves recently broke into a church and stole “arts and crafts supplies meant to help teach bible stories to children“.

#15 A 59 year old man from North Carolina named Richard James Verone was so desperate for money that he actually robbed a bank and got caught on purpose so that he could be put in prison and be given free health care.

One day Verone walked into an RBC Bank in North Carolina, handed a clerk a note demanding exactly one dollar and sat down and waited for the police to arrive and arrest him.

Verone has a growth on his chest and two ruptured disks but he does not have any health insurance.  He is hoping that in prison he will get the medical treatment that he needs.

As society continues to unravel, prison is going to look like an appealing option for more and more people.

At least in prison you get fed, you have a roof over your head and they will take care of your medical needs.

For a whole lot of Americans, that would be a major step up.

Have you noticed that the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted is starting to disappear?

America is becoming a cold, cruel place and lawlessness is everywhere…

For ages, Americans have looked down on the crime and the depravity that goes on in other areas of the world.

Well, now America has all of the crime and depravity it can handle and it is going to get a lot worse as millions of formerly middle class Americans descend into poverty…

Everywhere you go, despair is in the air.  According to a brand new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 63 percent of Americans believe that the nation is on the wrong track…

The system is dying and society is coming apart.

The only rational thing to do is to prepare for what is coming.

Well I for one don’t believe that it’s just Americans that will do these sorts of things. The world at large has become a frightening, desperate and forlorn place. People are really at their wit’s end. And times are perilous indeed…

Oh yes, and the ‘only rational thing to do’ is to turn to Christ!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths – Prov 3:5-6.

… we were utterly weighed down beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we had accepted within ourselves the sentence of death, that we might trust not in ourselves but in God who raises the dead – 2 Cor 1:8b-9.

The LORD is good, a refuge on the day of distress; He takes care of those who have recourse to him – Nahum 1:7.

Too Late… A Declaration

Great for Independence Day!

America the Beautiful