Flag

I was asked to be in the colour party for Remembrance Day at our Church, but it is something I can't do.  Perhaps my single biggest regret is that I have never served.  I have wanted nothing more than to put on the uniform.  I have not earned the right, as I feel I need to, to carry the flag nor be in the colour party. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

You May Have Noticed

You may have noticed that I have not posted about the Federal election.  It's too soon.  Sorry.

While I'm Ranting

Where are the children!  That's the cry.  We need to get the youth into the Church.  This is the cry of the fearful.  Why does everybody assume that the Church will die out without young people in it?  We think so linearly.  Perhaps the biggest demographic group, the largest age group, is the baby boomers.  The recently, or soon to be, retired.  There is a huge potential ministry here among these unchurched.  There will always be elderly.  Why shouldn't they be the recruits we seek?

Comment to Bra I Thought I'd Post Here

The number of men in main line Churches is dropping. The number on conservatives is at an all time low. Where is our focus? Including liberals, incorporating social engineering policy in doctrine, and propagating anti conservative rhetoric.

Thank You

When I leave the drive thru window, I always say, "Thank you."  Many think this strange, I believe. Why thank them?  I gave them business.  Yes, but, they served me, and probably for a low wage.  And, probably having a crappy day, I thank them.

Bishop With a Bra

Sounds a bit crass, doesn't it?  I think so.  That's why I took offense to a blurb including the phrase, and I'm paraphrasing, something about understanding when you are celebrating the Eucharist with a slipping bra strap.  Anyway, that's not my point.  SSDJ elected a new Bishop Visitor, and she's a woman.  I understand this.  It makes sense.  After all, I did drive to Michigan to visit a monastery with a convent just down the road in Toronto.  I do get it.  But, part of me wonders if in the world we live in, if a cloistered group of men elected their first male Bishop, would not feminists cry foul?  No rallying cries of a woman can do the job just as well, no better?  The first thought that popped into my head?  Right or wrong?  Liberal.  I don't have a problem with my Bishop having a vagina.  But, with a woman Bishop, she's almost certainly a liberal feminist?  How is she going to minister to all?

On a side note.  I was thinking the other day about Church inclusion.  Do we, as a centre of the road denomination, include conservatives?  Hunters?  Gun owners?  Traditional marriage supporters?  Bible literalists?  Anti pluralists?  By include, I mean more than let them sit in the pew and support financially.  I mean, do we elect them wardens?  Synod delegates?  Make them priests?  Encourage debate and the ever loved liberal maxim embrace change?  Change is inevitable?  We all must learn to change and adapt?  Yeah?  Well, how about you adapt to conservatives and let us back into our Church.

Cage

With the rules of probability saying that there are intelligent beings out there, I'm now almost convinced we are in a cage.  The only question is whether it is bars or glass.  We could have a do not talk to the animals sign hanging on planet Earth.  Or, we could be living inside a hologram or CGI/The Matrix world.  Or, maybe God did really create the Earth (which flies in the face of science).  It could be all three, or two of the three; but, I believe it includes number three.  So, bars or glass?

AFP Fall Gathering

Saturday I went to the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer's Fall Gathering.  The guest speaker was Sr. Elizabeth Anne SSJD and there were some hum moments for me.  I really liked the prayer the sister read by George Appleton, which goes as follows: 

O God, I know that if I do not love thee
with all my heart, with all my mind,
with all my soul and with all my strength,
I shall love something else
with all my heart and mind and soul and strength.
Grant that putting thee first in all my lovings, 
I may be liberated from all lesser loves and loyalties,
and have thee as my first love, my chiefest good and my final joy.  Amen

The subject of the rod and staff surfaced as we read over the 24rd psalm.  I thought that it's more like a pool noodle than a rod as God has been very merciful with me.  Or as I said, "He hasn't punished me as I deserve."

There was also a great piece by Abba Poemen:

The nature of water is yielding, and that of stone is hard. Yet if you hang a bottle filled with water above the stone so that the water drips drop by drop, it will wear a hole in the stone. In the same way the word of God is tender, and our heart is hard. So when people hear the word of God frequently, their hearts are changed.

When I first saw this, I turned away in mild disgust.  The reason?  The back drop for the poster on which the words were displayed looked too green.  I thought it was yet another environmental blurb being rammed down my throat.  Perceptions....

NDD

The noon day demon was so bad yesterday.  There's so much I haven't done.