the intersection of life and grace

Deacon Scott Garno officially started at St. Matthew’s last Sunday. Last night, he reported that St. Matthew’s Church in Unadilla has 4 feet of water in the building and rectory. Scott, Sarah and Samuel were evacuated and may be able to return to the property tomorrow, but not until the water stops rising (there are thunderstorms passing through, so the rain isn’t completely over yet).

Please pray for the congregation, and for the Garnos… what a first week they’ve had! Add to your prayers all from along the Mohawk who are flooded now, and that are vulnerable to flooding. Pray for protection of life and preservation of property.

Dear friends,

I know many of you are already praying for our son, and we really appreciate that. I thought I’d start a place to collect encouragement for him as we wait for test results and a more specific diagnosis and course of treatment.

For those who may not know, he’s having pretty constant “abnormal involuntary movement” of his right forearm and hand. Makes it difficult to do anything much, as he’s right handed; so he’s missing playing he guitar or trumpet, and video games. Overall the condition is distracting, so boredom is rampant. It’s also frustrating and scary to not be able to control something as “every day” as your dominant hand while the doctors have no idea what is causing this and hope it will “go away as quickly as it started.”

A guy in Tim’s situation could use some encouragement, so if you have a sec, please post and let him know you’re rooting for him, and praying for him too.

Thanks!

It’s raining here today… again. Last night’s news reported that we’ve had among the rainiest of Mays and Junes ever. In fact it has rained 43 of 59 days so far. They’re calling for likley flooding today as the storm that’s been causing the same in DC and MD is now over us.

Update, the news at 8:57 is reporting evacuations and flash flooding. Praying for those folks for safety and a place to be received. We’re OK for now, the worst of it is south and west at the moment.

At 11:00 the flooding is happening all over the Mohawk Valley from Utica to Cohoes from west to east. Looks like there will be opportunities to serve local Diocese of Albany churches by the weekend. 2 deaths reported by a washout of I-88 near Sydney, NY. Lots of creeks out, roads & bridges closed, evacuations/recues taking place. Heading out to the MRI appt soon…

Tim has an MRI this afternoon. The neurologist checked him out yesterday and after ordering a number of blood tests for heavy metals and thyroid checks, as irregularities there can cause tremoring. The preliminary diagnosis? Wait for it…
abnormal involunteray movement. Yeah, we didn’t know that. While I don’t want anything to show on the MRI, some indication of what or why will help us direct the energy that not knowing builds-up. Thanks for the prayers, they mean more than I can say.

Cathie reports that she’s really stunned by the destruction in the lower 9th ward where she is working at a distribution center handing out food and water to people who are trying to survive and rebuild. She said the part of the team that’s gutting houses found the remains of a dog trapped in the flooding. She says it’s hard, but she’s glad she’s there. I’m so blessed by her servant heart.

.:Team New Orleans:.
Early this morning, a team of people from 4 Diocese of Albany churches headed out to New Orleans to serve alongside our brothers and sisters of the Diocese of Louisiana in their continuing Hurricane recovery effort.

Our folks will be serving at the Church of the Annunciation’s distribution center and other ministries, as well as helping to empty some houses of debris. The team leader is Fr. Brad Jones; the group is comprised of a total of 21 disciples, both laity and clergy, ranging in age from 14 to 52 from Christ Church (Schenectady), Calvary Church (Burnt Hills), St. James’ Church (Oneonta), and Holy Cross Church (Troy).

My daughter, Cathie, is among the team members, and I’m really proud of her for being part of this team. I’ve had the honor to be the trip coordinator. As my “during the trip” duty, I’ll be posting prayer requests, updates and pictures at .:Team New Orleans:. You can also let the team know that you’re praying for them by leaving a comment there.

Please keep them and those they’ll serve in prayer from today until July 3.

Please also pray for my son, Tim.
Since Friday, he’s been having what we’re describing as a tremor of his right arm. His arm is uncontrollably moving in a twisting (like using a screw driver) or flexing motion. All the time. We’ve been to the ER, with no clear diagnosis. Waiting for a primary care appointment, to be followed by referrals to specialists and tests. Please pray for Tim.

Christ Church, Schenectady
June 25, 2006

Mark 4:35-41 [text quoted below is NIV]

NOTHING causes a flurry of activity like a pending storm. When we here in the Northeast learn of a coming Nor’easter promising a large amount of snow… what do we do? Get prepared.

When folks along the seacoast learn that the forecast includes a hurricane in several days… what do they do? Get prepared.

Storms like these move in seasons. Between June and October, folks on the coast know that they should have an emergency plan, a supply of certain basics on-hand, and someone to call on to say “Storm’s coming, I need you.” Between October and April, folks in the north know to watch the forecast, and if that intimidating blob appears on the radar to our southeast, we make sure we have certain supplies on hand to weather the storm, and to dig out when it’s over.

Those are storms we can prepare for.

There are other types of storms, aren’t there? Some we expect – like rain in spring, or afternoon thunder in summer. Some storms we don’t expect – like tornados, which fall suddenly from the midst of another storm. Storm on storm. Life feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it? How do we get prepared?

The Sea of Galilee sits in the lowest part of the Jordan River Valley, surrounded by mountains. One of those is Mount Hermon. Much like the sudden summer storms we experience here in the Hudson & Mohawk River Valleys, storms will sweep down from Mount Hermon over the Sea of Galilee without warning. The pattern is the same today as it was in the time of Jesus. All who lived and worked in that area – especially fishermen, as many of the disciples were – knew that these storms could come up out of the clear blue sky. They knew to be prepared.

That is where we find the disciples. Following Jesus, they got in the boat and began to travel from the west to the east to get away – it had been a busy, busy day. They’d encountered demons, Jesus had a visit from his mother and brothers that was a bit difficult, they’d encountered crowd after crowd where the sick had been healed, the demons cast out, and people had come to understand the power of God in Jesus. The disciples were hearing parables – the Gospel in word pictures that they could understand – and learning every moment about Jesus, the Messiah. They were physically, mentally, and maybe even spiritually exhausted after a day like that. Jesus, as was his habit, chose to get away from the demands for a while… to rest, to prepare for what was to come.

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

A whirlwind swept over them, and they were afraid. They were unprepared for this storm, and the one person they looked to for help, Jesus, they thought was unable to help… he was asleep.

The disciples understood that Jesus could heal the sick, that he could cast out demons, that he could explain the mysteries of God to them in words they could understand. They knew that they’d given up their lives to his service, that they would follow him anywhere………even into the coming storm. Yet, even in his presence they felt unprepared.

It was clear that they knew Jesus as Messiah, they knew his power, they believed he was there to save them, but they did not yet understand him fully as Lord of Heaven and Earth, of Wind and Waves as well as of their hearts.

Is Jesus your Messiah? Do you know him to be the Savior of your soul through his sacrifice of himself on the cross for your sins? Have you, like the disciples, given up your life to his service, and will you follow him anywhere he leads you?

I would venture to say that most of you here today would say that You know Jesus as Messiah. When the storms of life come, those we can see from far off and expect, and those which suddenly arise and overtake us unaware, is your Messiah asleep in the boat? Do you call to him in your distress, asking why he is unaware or inactive in your situation?

The God-man Jesus got tired, and he slept. The storm arose, the disciples were afraid as the waves threatened to capsize or sink their boat. Jesus was right there! How could he sleep at a time like this?

Do you understand that feeling the disciples were having? I know I do. When life gets tough, isn’t it common to feel afraid or alone or abandoned… even by God? Even the strongest of faith among us experience that from time to time. The disciples thought God was unaware of their circumstances. How often do we too limit God to our own understanding?

But the Lord of the Universe, Jesus fully Divine, fully human at once, was able to command the storm when the disciples called upon him. What happened there? When they asked to to help, to be Lord of their curcumstances, to be their preparation, their provision, Jesus acted decisively, divinely, to reveal his Lordship over all.

Do you know Jesus as Lord? Do you know him as Lord of all your moments, your storms and your calms? Is he your preparation, your provision in every circumstance? When we know Jesus as both Savior and Lord, we are prepared for every storm, in every storm, and after every storm. Have you asked Jesus to be the Lord of all your circumstances? If you do not know him as Savior, ask him for his graceful forgiveness; ask him to be your Lord. If you know him already as Savior, ask him anew to be Lord of your life. The storms will come. Be prepared.

Always, always, always, get the extended warranty for sophisitcated electronics.

My applecare warranty bought me a brand new, out of the box, 15″ MacBook Pro yesterday. This is WAY more computer than I had in my PowerBook G4 – and that computer was pretty sweet! But, now I am cutting edge. lol, thanks to my (wait for it…) extended warranty.

Best customer service on the planet award? Apple!

Oh, and, though I thought I was joking in this post. HAHA! Turns out it was a prophecy! (Or a conspiracy… Steve Jobs are you reading my little blog? :p ).

I <3 my mac.

The process is flawed.

From Stand Firm the text of a statement issued by Bishop Chane of Washington (DC) and others:

FROM BISHOP CHANE AND OTHERS…
We, the undersigned Bishops of this 75th General Convention, in the confidence of the Gospel and out of love for this great Church, must prayerfully dissent from the action of this Convention in Resolution B033 (on Election of Bishops). We do so for the following reasons:

June 21, 2:45 pm
A Statement of Conscience

We, the undersigned Bishops of this 75th General Convention, in the confidence of the Gospel and out of love for this great Church, must prayerfully dissent from the action of this Convention in Resolution B033 (on Election of Bishops). We do so for the following reasons:

* The process used to arrive at Resolution B033 raises serious concerns about the integrity of our decision-making process as a Church. In particular we note that we discussed a resolution, A162 , on Tuesday, but were never given an opportunity to act upon it. Instead, we were presented with a different resolution this morning, and were given only 30 minutes for debate and discussion. This resolution bears great consequences both for the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church and unfortunately was not adequately discussed.

* Our conversation has been framed in a flawed paradigm, forcing us to choose between two goods—the full inclusion in the life of the Church of our brother and sister Christians who happen to be gay or lesbian and our full inclusion in the life of our beloved Communion.

* The process that brought about the reconsideration of this matter failed to honor the integrity of the House of Deputies by bringing undue pressure to bear on that body.

* Our witness to justice has been prophetic in this nation and in the wider Anglican Communion on the issues of the full inclusion of people of color and persons who are differently-abled. For more than 30 years women been permitted to be included in the councils of this Church as lay deputies to this Convention and as deacons, priests and bishops. This witness to full inclusion has borne the fruits of the Spirit and is incarnate in the faces and lives around these tables and throughout the Church. The language of this resolution too much echoes past attempts by the Church to limit participation of those perceived to be inadequate for full inclusion in the ordained ministry.

* Any language that could be perceived as effecting a moratorium that singles out one part of the Body by category is discriminatory.

We are absolutely committed to the future of this Communion and the process of healing the strain that we readily admit and regret exists, and has been exacerbated in our own house by events today. We must participate in this process with our own integrity intact and thus we are obliged to make this dissent. We intend to challenge the rest of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion to honor the promise to include the voices of gay and lesbian in the conversations about the future of the Communion. We pray for the Church, for our Communion, and for our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters.

This statement is being distributed by Mike Barwell from the diocese of New Hampshire. He reports that at least 20 bishops supported the sentiments expressed in this statement, but he is not sure how many actually signed.

I can’t comment further… I just can’t.

General Convention Actions Inadequate (Bishop’s Statement)
Source: Anglican Communion Network

TO THE FAITHFUL IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD:

We, the undersigned, Bishops of the Episcopal Church make the following statement:

In the wake of the action by this House granting consent to the consecration of Canon V. Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003, many of us in this House made an appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates of the Anglican Communion “to intervene in the pastoral emergency that has overtaken us.” That appeal was heard and the Archbishop called for an extraordinary meeting of the Primates on 15–16 October, 2003. The Primates spoke forthrightly and unanimously about the consequences that would ensue across the Communion in the event that the consecration went forward, warning that it would “tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level.” They also called for the formation, under a mandate given by the Archbishop, of the Lambeth Commission on Communion. This General Convention has now given its response to the recommendations of the work of that Commission, known as the Windsor Report.

Now, once again, we find the need to speak candidly. The responses which the Convention has given to the clear and simple requests of the Lambeth Commission, the clear and simple requests indeed of the Anglican Communion, are clearly and simply inadequate. We reaffirm our conviction that the Windsor Report provides the way forward for the entire Anglican Communion, the ecumenical relationships of the Communion, and the common life of a faithful Episcopal Church. Further, we have agreed to submit ourselves to the Windsor Report’s requirements, both in what it teaches and in the discipline it enjoins. We have not changed in our commitment.

Sadly, because of statements made by members of this House at this Convention, we must question whether this General Convention is misleading the rest of the Communion by giving a false perception that they intend actually to comply with the recommendations of the Windsor Report. We therefore disassociate ourselves from those acts of this Convention that do not fully comply with the Windsor Report.

It is our intention not only to point to the inadequacies of the General Convention’s responses, but to declare to our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the Communion that we continue as The Episcopal Church in this country who uphold and propagate the historic faith and order we have come to know through the Anglican heritage of apostolic teaching and biblical faith; who desire to be fully a constituent member of the Anglican Communion; and who are ready to embrace and live under the Windsor Report without equivocation. Accordingly, we repudiate the actions of the General Convention of 2003 which have breached the bonds of affection within the Communion. We bishops have committed to withhold consents for any persons living in same gender relationships who may be put forward for consecration as a bishop of the Church. And we have refused to grant authority for the blessing of sexual relationships outside Christian Marriage in our jurisdictions. We intend to go forward in the Communion confidently and unreservedly.

Our chief concern now is to fulfill our charge as bishops of the Church of God in the Anglican tradition to “guard the faith, unity and discipline” of the Church. Pastoral care and apostolic teaching must not only be given to our own dioceses, but to all the faithful in this country who seek apostolic oversight and support. We will take counsel together to fulfill our service on behalf of faithful Anglicans in this country, both clergy and laity, and to proclaim the Gospel and build up the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we seek the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates and Bishops of the Anglican Communion as we do so.

Signed . . .

[signatures added 6/22]
The Rt. Rev. Keith Lynn Ackerman, Diocese of Quincy
The Rt. Rev. James M. Adams Jr., Diocese of Western Kansas
The Rt. Rev. Peter H. Beckwith, Diocese of Springfield
The Rt. Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan, Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Rt. Rev. Daniel W. Herzog, Diocese of Albany
The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, DD, Diocese of Fort Worth
The Rt. Rev. John B. Lipscomb, Bishop of Southwest Florida
The Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Jr., Diocese of South Carolina*
The Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Diocese of San Joaquin
The Rt. Rev. Henry W. Scriven, Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Rt. Rev. William J. Skilton, Diocese of South Carolina
The Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton, Diocese of Dallas*
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey N. Steenson, Bishop of the Diocese of Rio Grande
The Rt. Rev. C. FitzSimons Allison, Retired
The Rt. Rev. Maurice M. Benitez, Retired
The Rt. Rev. William J. Cox, Retired
The Rt. Rev. Alex D. Dickson, Retired

Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Posted at 2:42 pm 6.21.2006
Printed at 4:32 pm 6.21.2006

© 2006 Anglican Communion Network
535 Smithfield Street, Suite 910
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412.325.8900
http://www.acn-us.org/

My Diocese is a Network Diocese, so though the signatures have not yet been added to this document, I’m leaping to the conclusion that my Bishop’s signature will eventually be there.

Pray for our bishops, for our deputies, as they travel and recover from the 9-day vortex out of which they’ve just been spit.

Jeremiah 22:10 NIV
Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss; rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled, because he will never return nor see his native land again.

Lamentations 1:16 NIV
“This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.”

Joel 2:17 NIV
Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ “

Luke 23:28 NIV
Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.

Revelation 5:5 NIV
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Stand Firm’s blogging priest, Matt Kennedy, a real hero in the coverage of GC06, posted this piece early this morning has he waited for the joint session of the House of Bishops and House of Deputies. That gathering should start momentarily, following Holy Eucharist. Though I linked the piece above, I’m posting it all here as Stand Firm, T19, and other sites have been crashing under myriad hits seeking news (and dare I say, news of hope).

Opinion: The Current Political Calculus Portends Legislative Clarity

June 21, 4:53 am
Opinion/commentary

It is 6:54am Wednesday, the 21st of June.

Today after the daily Eucharist, presiding bishop Griswold will personally chair a special joint session of the House of Deputies and House of Bishops. During this session, a new resolution (or a resurrected one) representing a suggested response to the Windsor Report will be presented.

At this point, I do not know what that resolution will look like.

I do know that following the dramatic rejection of A161 in the House of Deputies, fear and anxiety began to build. Despite earlier bravado and denial on the part of some bishops, many, perhaps a majority, are extremely worried that such a rejection will in fact force the hand of ++Canterbury and the primates.

There have been rumors, so far unsubstantiated, that the ABC has directly communicated as much.

Whatever the case, the real world ramifications of Windsor defiance is starting to dawn on the Convention.

The hope, at least on the part of those who share this anxiety, is that somehow this joint session of both houses will be able to do what the deputies and bishops in their separate houses could not:

First: agree on a compromise Windsor response acceptable to enough revisionists on the one hand and orthodox on the other to garner a majority and…

Second: settle on a compromise response that will be acceptable to ABC and the primates.

The rub is that both must be accomplished at the same time and in the same resolution.

Here are the factors mitigating against substantive legislative action:

1. Integrity and those who stand with them will not accept language of limitation. The word, “refrain,” in the A161 resolution that emerged from the Special Committee smells too much like a moratorium.

2. The AAC and those who support them believe that anything short of the language of limitation, indeed anything short of specifically Windsor language (the language of moratorium”) will 1. represent Windsor defiance and 2. build so much ambiguity into the response that they cannot in good conscience sign on

Problems 1 and 2 are what led to the ultimate defeat of A161 in the house of Deputies: both the orthodox and the revisionists rejected the language of A161 (for opposite reasons).

This leads to the third problem:

3. The broad “middle” is not large, unified, or informed enough overcome the orthodox and revisionist parties when they vote together. This why even though many initially agreed with A161 as it was presented to the floor, they did not have the power to vote it through. Ultimately the moderates were forced to choose sides and both sides were voting “no”. Hence the overwhelming rejection of the resolution.

Is there a way to overcome these obstacles?

Yes.

And this is precisely where I think there might be hope for those calling for clarity of one sort or the other. To pass any legislation the joint session will have to choose between the orthodox position or the revisionist one.

For the reasons above, compromise language will not work.

Either the Convention will choose language of limitation consistent with the Windsor Report and vote it through on the strength of the orthodox and center to the exclusion of the revisionists.

Or they will reject the language of limitation and vote through a resolution similar to the one found in the blue book that was proposed by the Special Commission; language that implies “extreme caution” but falls far short of Windsor on the combined strength of the revisionist and moderate vote.

Personally, I believe the second to be far more likely than the first.

In any case, the political calculations above, if accurate, are pulling this Convention, kicking and screaming, toward something the Episcopal Church has resisted with every fiber of her being for the last three years: clarity.

The makeup of the Convention, strangely enough, forces clarity. Either we limit ourselves or we do not. Either we abide Windsor or we do not. This is not a conversation, a journey, an extended dialogue or an interpretive dance.

This is a choice; something the orthodox (and probably the revisionists as well) have been praying for from the very beginning.

In my opinion God, in his mercy, has seen fit to bring the right people to the right place to face this decision squarely.

I, for one, am thankful.

I personally believe that Matt is on target, but only time will tell. These are indeed strange and painful days.

My own prayer request for today:

For all of us in the Body of Christ – regardless of label or flavor – divisions are looming large among many of our various members.

Not the least of these can be found hanging in the balance of today’s historic joint session of the two policy-making houses of the Episcopal church (a gathering that should begin within the hour of this post). The various ‘factions’ within the EC have failed to agree within their own houses (elected deputies, bishops) upon how to address the rest of the worldwide Anglican Communion’s serious objection to the EC’s stance on the election as bishop of “persons whose lifestyle presents moral or theological challenges to the Anglican Communion’s constituent Provinces.” Or, active homosexual bishops. And to the AC’s request that until we have consensus among us all that neither the election of homosexual bishops nor same-gender relationship blessings/marriages be carried out.

Yesterday, both houses either failed or could not come to any agreement on the language of the ECs response. Failure to respond has numerous ramifications, not the least of which will be the “excommunication” of the EC from the Anglican Communion. While that would free the EC to do as it pleases, it would also separate an historic branch of the Body from… well, itself. A schism, a split. No one wants that, not on any side of the issue. But the time for decision, for clarity is at hand.

I can not tell you how painful this is for all of us. I can not list all the ways that failure would be complicated and hurtful to the Kingdom.

Pray with me for a Damascus Road experience… that the scales will fall from the eyes of those who gather for this “last chance” meeting? That God will show up in awesome, fearful, clear and inspiring ways and make himself known?

I don’t know what is going to happen, but I trust that God will not leave his faithful ones without hope… Lord, it sure is getting dark – shine your light of truth.

UPDATE and public service announcement: Stand Firm asks that folks with odd numbered birth years use this site while even numbered folk use this one so that both might stay up. Titusonenine has a similar arrangement – main site and the back-up. T19 has already crashed once today in spite of upgrading and moving to a new server in the last 24 hours. Both Cannet and StandFirm could probably use donat
ions for bandwidth, overtime, upgrades and so forth. Check the main sites at off hours to see how. PS – CTsix also has great posts.