the intersection of life and grace

You might not have any idea what GAFCON is, but you can read all about it here. The Jerusalem Declaration, the official statement to which the quote below refers, is here.

Much of the Anglican world must be lamenting the latest emission from GAFCON. Anglicanism has always been broader than some find comfortable. This statement does not represent the end of Anglicanism, merely another chapter in a centuries-old struggle for dominance by those who consider themselves the only true believers. Anglicans will continue to worship God in their churches, serve the hungry and needy in their communities, and build missional relationships with others across the globe, despite the desire of a few leaders to narrow the influence of the gospel. We look forward to the opportunities of the Lambeth Conference for constructive conversation, inspired prayer, and relational encounters.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

[source]

I’m astounded that the leader of the Episcopal Church would be so unkind, inaccurate and intolerant as she is above.  I just really have nothing else to say about that. If you do, the comments are open.

That’s what the Mets and Yankees were to each other yesterday.  Crushing. I guess it’s “good” for history that each team gets to brag that they demolished the other at each of the closing stadiums.   But, the earlier game at Yankee Stadium was a memorable classic, while the later game wasn’t really so memorable (unless you keep stats like “left on base” for fun).  Don’t get me wrong!  For this Mets fan, it was great to watch Pedro tie up A-Rod at the plate (especially the K swinging). It was just as if there were two entirely different teams playing the late game.  Leaves me scratching my head.

The late game was a this-season-normal, lack-luster game from the Mets at Shea.  I wonder if they left their fight in the Bronx?  Jerry, Omar, maybe you could send the bus (with the police escort) back to get it? I dunno, but the hero of the day, Carlos Delgado, didn’t really get the celebration he deserved for his gold-star play in the early game.  The man set the teams’ single game RBI record (9), while hitting a 2-run double, a grand slam (see it here - it was the team’s first since late-season 2006) and a 3-run HR.  He was playing DH, and if the AL has any smart GMs they’re looking at yesterday and saying, “hmmm, he’s going to be a free agent.”  Both times as a DH this year, Delgado was great.  I’m not one of those who’s been saying he needs to go, but it’s hard to argue with the evidence that he shines in the DH role and may very well be available to fill it at the end of the season.

Two more games this weekend against the Yanks at Shea.  Which Mets will show?  If I could place my order, I’d like to see the Mets whose pitching/defense were working together and whose offense brought their table-setting-and-clearing skills, and where they get their pitcher some run support early and often.  And, can I get that with a side of humble for that Bronx team?  Oh, and, for dessert, get the Mets over .500 this weekend, please, mm’kay?  That would be lovely, thanks.

I listened carefully to the coverage of the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision yesterday to uphold the right of individuals to own firearms.  The decision, historic in prime because it is the first to address the Constitutional issue of personal  gun ownership, made a lot of people happy because it upholds a personal freedom.  It made a lot of people unhappy because it makes it more difficult to control guns as a measure to keep violent crime in check.  I’m not against responsible gun ownership.

As I listened, I couldn’t help but consider the Scriptural advice that Paul offers the Church in Corinth:

²³“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Americans, well, we’re all about our own personal freedoms. This SCOTUS case hinges on where the line might be between our individual right to bear arms and a reasonable way to control violent gun crimes. I can’t help but think that personal gun ownership, while clearly permissible, may not be either beneficial or constructive in furthering the good of others.  Certainly, it’s allowed in America and was reaffirmed in yesterday’s Heller decision.

Honestly, it’s not legally-kept, properly-secured guns I have issue with.  It’s irresponsible practices that leave guns available to criminals with which I take issue.  Yes, it is irresponsible of an individual to keep a gun in a dresser drawer where a curious child could easily find it; never mind a burglar. Yes, it is irresponsible (and a lie) to keep a gun in the trunk of a car under the guise of “going to the range”.  It is irresponsible not to require regular training and qualifications of those who have legally owned and registered guns.  There are more scenarios, but I’m sure you can see what I mean.

The fact is a great many illegal guns started out as legal ones.  There are myriad ways – lost, stolen, inherited by unlicensed family members, or what have you – these weapons made their way out of the light.  It’s those weapons which need control. Is there a way to do that without controlling them from the start?    How to do that for the constructive benefit of all is the big question.  The greater good often requires sacrifice by those seeking it.

I’ve experienced a teeny little bit of frustration today while trying to figure out why the RSS feed on the site is no longer, uh, feeding over the last day.  If you got this post via your feed reader or email subscription, would you please let me know?  If you’re seeing it first on the site itself, thanks for coming by!

I can’t believe it’s been a week already since the closing on the acquisition deal for YMX to become a part of Youth Specialties!  Like all transitions, there’s been some working out of details behind the scenes going on (and continuing to go on), including my continued involvement (or not) with the content flow.  I’m happy to say, I’m looking forward to working with YS on some projects for web content.

I’m also happy to say that all this means I’m launching into self-employment!  I’m sure I’ll have more to say about all of this (including sharing my new “work” website) in time.  But for now, I’m still celebrating YMX joining the YS family, and that I get the opportunity to stay involved with the site both as a volunteer administrator with the wonderful team of forum moderators, and professionally as a writer and editor. 

It’s amazing how God worked all that out, and has pointed me toward some open doors I couldn’t have walked through before.

It won’t look much different to you, especially if you read on RSS or email subscriptions, but pattigibbons.com has moved to a new account on bluehost.  It took most of Saturday and into the wee hours of Sunday to get everything imported, but thanks to Isaac in tech support at bluehost it’s here!

If you do read on the site itself, you’ll notice that there are none of the fun things in the sidebars like there were before – yet.  I have to recreate them, which won’t happen until later Sunday.  But there are nearly 500 posts you can browse if you need something to look at!

For now, I am going to sleep. G’night.

I was surprised to find that the Bishop of Durham, NT Wright, was making an appearance on The Colbert Report, a popular news-entertainment program on Comedy Central. Bishop Tom is promoting his latest book, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.

I though the bishop was brilliant!  Well played, well played.

Youth Specialties Acquires Youth Ministry Exchange

Companies offer complementary resources, share common mission, vision

El Cajon, CA., June 18, 2006 – Youth Specialties, a division of Zondervan, a youth ministry organization that provides quality publications, resources, training, and encouragement for youth workers and youth-oriented organizations around the world today announced it has acquired Youth Ministry Exchange, a website devoted to serving, supporting and encouraging Youth Workers globally. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The acquisition will allow both parties to work together to provide more resources and support for Youth Workers and their mission. YMX will currently remain a stand alone website supported by Youth Specialties.

The full announcement press release is here.

Well isn’t that fun?! Some posts and comments from yesterday were stolen by a roving band of data mercenaries… um, I mean, by a server issue/database corruption that required restoration from a backup. Guess the databases for this blog (which happens to be on the same server as YMX) were just so excited about being acquired by Youth Specialties they broke some stuff jumping up and down! All is well on YMX, and I’ll get my posts from yesterday recreated and back up here shortly.

This has been a public service announcement.

Baseball is reminding me of the worst in church behavior this morning. Middle-of-the-night firings, on a trip, after at least a week of whispering and rumor-mongering. If I didn’t know these were a baseball manager and two coaches, I might believe it was a youth pastor. But you know what? It’s cheap and hurtful behavior no matter what kind of organization is behind it.

No argument from me that things need to be shaken up in the New York Mets organization, but, the Wilpons should have had this done in the light of day – they should have handled it like men and not cowardly puppeteers. Omar Minaya may have indeed been instructed to hand out the bad news, that’s the GM’s lot. But Randolph, Peterson and Nieto deserved to be treated with more respect than to be booted out under cover of darkness, thousands of miles from home.

And, by the way, the Mets organization doesn’t have a corner on the NY-idiocy market. Did you see the ridiculous, whiny comments made by Hank Steinbrenner? In short, “It’s the National League’s fault.” Read it for yourself (enjoy!):

The Yankees’ loss of their ace, Chien-Ming Wang, for up to 10 weeks prompted the team co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner to chastise the National League for playing without a designated hitter.

“My only message is simple,” Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. “The National League needs to join the 21st century. They need to grow up and join the 21st century.”

Steinbrenner said he was angry and added: “I’ve got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He’s going to be out. I don’t like that, and it’s about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s.”

Making a rare appearance on the bases at an N.L. park in Houston on Sunday, Wang pulled up rounding third and hobbled home on a Derek Jeter single.

“This is always a concern of American League teams when their pitchers have to run the bases and they’re not used to doing it,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not just us. It’s everybody. It probably should be a concern for National League owners, general managers and managers when their pitchers run the bases. Pitchers have enough to do without having to do that.”

I guess Hank forgot that the DH rule is what’s new (MLB rule 6.10, allowing a team to have someone bat for the pitcher, was instituted in 1973). That “rule from the 1800s” is part of the traditional game where everyone plays baseball on offense and defense. Hank, your baseball player got hurt playing baseball, that’s part of the deal… pitchers run all the time, whether on the bases or making a play, so quitcherbellyachin and stop looking for someone to blame for an accident.

Here ends my baseball rant (for now).