Okay, I'm no 'fraidy cat' by any stretch of the imagination, but this is getting serious, folks.You may have heard or read about the FBI raid on the Hutaree Compound in Southern Michigan the other day. The Hutaree is a "civilian militia group"The above 'clip' from Rachel Maddow will help you understand who they are. Religious Dispatches has a really fine article worth the read. ‘Christian Warriors’: Who Are The Hutaree Militia...

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It happens every Tuesday in Holy Week, whether we need to or not.The clergy in the Diocese of Newark will gather at the Cathedral at 11 AM. We will listen to the lessons, hear the gospel proclaimed and hopefully, be inspired by to two clergy - one who is fairly newly ordained, the other nearing retirement - preach on the theology and spirituality, the challenges and joys of ordained life.We'll then renew our ordination vows -...

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Peace Bang is a blogger in my hometown of Boston who has a great sense of style to match her humorous writing. I fell in love with Peace Bag, who is a Unitarian Universalist minister, back during General Convention 2003 after I blogged about a melt down I had one night. She came to my rescue with humor and prayer and I've been a huge fan of her's ever since.She's been featuring these 'clergy Barbi' fashions by the artist the Rev....

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Jon Richardson preached a most excellent sermon for The Sunday of the Passion of our Lord.It's on his blog is "The Ultimate Word." You'll find it here.G'won. Go read it. You won't be disappoint...

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The year 2009 marked the 50th Anniversary of the publication of the book, "To Kill A Mockingbird". It's one of those books everyone had to read in junior and senior high school, like "A Tale of Two Cities" (check), "Catcher in the Rye", (check) and "Pride and Prejudice" (check).I confess that I haven't read it since, which is odd, because what I remember most about the book is the awareness it raised in me about racism, and the...

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. . . . things might have been very different.Then again, probably n...

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Dallas Bishop Suffragan Paul Lambert's posted the following to the Anglicans United website. I find it revealing and informative:"It goes without saying that the recent Consent for the Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Los Angeles has been a topic of discussion among the gathered bishops and how that will impact our relationships with the larger Communion. Although we have not had a plenary discussion on this development we...

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The public behavior of those who call themselves 'Teabaggers' has engendered sad shakes of the head from both sides of the political aisle. Watching them reminds me of some of the comments I read on some of the so-called orthodox blogs in Anglicanland - or some of the 'anonymous' comments I've been getting of late. I mean, where do these people come from? Not any corner of any neighborhood in America...

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Today is the 30th Anniversary of the Assassination of Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador. He was murdered at a small chapel located in a hospital called "La Divina Providencia." His execution came one day after a sermon in which he had called on Salvadoran soldiers, as Christians, to obey God's higher order and to stop carrying out the government's repression and violations of basic human rights.Just the month before, he...

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I've been reading, with no small amount of sadness, about what is happening to one of the churches in our diocese. Their story is, I believe, a modern parable about what is going on in mainline churches around the country and what God is calling us to do and be about that. Pay attention and file this under, "Coming soon to a neighborhood near you." Some of us have been lulled into a trance induced by the mantra, "Money follows...

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Robert Carter, right, with Dan McCarthy, left, Bernard Lynch and John McNeill at a gay pride march in the early 1980s.I spent a wonderful lazy Sunday afternoon, reading and catching up on articles from the New York Times while keeping an eye on C-span for the historic Health Care Reform Bill - which, thanks be to God - finally passed. My excitement and joy were dampened, however, to read this obituary of Fr. Robert Carter,...

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“Envy and Gratitude.” (Isaiah 43:16-21 Philippians 3:4-14; John 12:1-8)V Lent – March 21, 2010 The Episcopal Church of St. Paul, Chatham, NJ(the Rev’d Dr.) Elizabeth Kaeton, rector and pastorHow odd, in that wonderful way of gospel oddness, that we should be visited by Mary and Martha on this last Sunday before Holy Week begins. Indeed, we are witnesses, in this gospel account, of a dinner served in their Bethany home in honor...

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I love it when a good plan comes together from out of the blue.I've been needing this day off. Bad. The only real way I can have a day off is to get outta Dodge. And, the best place I know outside of Dodge is, of course, Llangollen, our wee cottage on Rehoboth Bay.As I was driving down late Thursday afternoon, I called my dear friend, Mark Harris, who lives in Lewes. Just on a whim. Thought we might get together for a cup...

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I saw this 30 second clip just before the news of the consents to the election of Mary Glasspool's election was released.I'm obviously very impressed.Oh, I'm not talking about the technical stuff, although that is impressive - well, to me at least, for whatever that is worth. I'm talking not about the medium but the message.  And, how timely it is. Ancient, but timely.  Words that are...

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O my God! O my God!! O my God!!!That's about all I can say right now. When I try to talk about it, I start to weep and get all girly-burbly.Not to worry. I'll find my voice tomorrow. Right now, all I can say is O my God!I'd say "A*****a" but we can't in Lent, so I'll just say this:WOO-HOOOOO!!INTEGRITY CELEBRATES THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH'S SECOND OPENLY GAY BISHOP AND PROCLAIMS THERE IS NO TURNING BACK ON FULL INCLUSION FOR...

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