I see Lay presidency in the future for the Episcopal Organization

The past couple of weeks our priest has been sidelined due to being hospitalized. We have been receiving communion thanks to consecrated elements (consecrated by our priest) being distributed during a "Deacon's Mass." We anticipate this to be a temporary situation, but what happens in churches  that go without a priest for a longer period? In a "progressive1' congregation, isn't there the temptation for a lay leader to give it a go? 

That may be what Episcopalians end up doing as the number of priests in training drops. See this report by Rebecca Paveley, at the Church Times: 

Applicants are older, and fewer churches can afford stipends.

A FALL in the numbers training for ordination in the Episcopal Church in the United States, together with churches’ inability to pay for full-time ministry, is causing a crisis in clergy recruitment, figures suggest.

Data released by the Church show that the numbers coming forward for ordination have fallen over the past 12 years. Seminaries are also reporting a decline in enrolment over the past five years.

In 2010, there were 325 newly ordained priests, compared with 225 in 2022. Clergy retirement numbers have remained steady at about 400 a year, and half of the remaining clergy are within ten years of retirement.

Those coming forward for ordination are also older and sometimes only within a few years of retirement.

Figures reported at the Episcopal Church Council in June also showed that the number of parishes seeking a priest far exceeded the number of clergy looking for a post.

The director of the Church’s office of transition ministry, which supports recruitment by dioceses and congregations, the Revd Meghan Froehlich, reported that there were 622 vacancies and just 87 clergy identified as seeking a new post.

In the south-east of the US, just eight clergy were searching among 123 vacancies. 

If I know Episcopalians like I know Episcopalians, Lay presidency may be the next innovation pushed forward at a future General Convention. 

Jesus is the Son of the living God

This Sunday's reading from Matthew 16:13-20 is sure to offend at least 1.8 billion Muslims,

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

In Islam, God cannot have a son, and this is one of the reasons why they don't or won't "get" Jesus like Christians see Him. 

If they were allowed to read the Gospels, perhaps their eyes and hearts would be opened to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

Episcopal Renaming Liturgies

It is a rare thing that I pay attention to anything from the Episcopal News Service (AKA Episcopal Pravda), but this story caught my eye,

 [Episcopal News Service] It’s not often that a 21st-century Episcopalian knows they are standing in the footsteps of Biblical patriarchs and matriarchs, but that’s the feeling Andrea Olsen had during a July 9 liturgy that affirmed the name she chose when she came out as a trans woman four years ago.

The service took place at St. Stephen’s in Fargo, North Dakota, with half a dozen of her closest friends – people she calls her chosen family – joining parishioners for the service.

Olsen told Episcopal News Service she knew the Bible is filled with stories of people who had received new names from God, including Abraham (formerly Abram), Sarah (Sarai), Peter (Simon) and Paul (Saul). And hers isn’t the first new name in her family, as her paternal great-grandfather changed his name from Stanislaw Osinski to Stanley Olsen in the early 1900s a few years after he immigrated to the United States from Poland.

The Rev. Jamie Parsley, the church’s rector, told ENS he immediately thought of Olsen when he saw “A Service of Renaming” in the print edition of the 2022 Book of Occasional Services. The service is designed to be used “when an event or experience leads a baptized person to take or to be given a new name.” Parsley said he suggested it to Olsen because the process of legally changing her name was complex, and he thought this would be “a beautiful reward” after its completion.  He also told her it would offer “a public recognition of your new name, and a blessing on your name.”

The liturgy was authorized by General Convention in 2018 after the creation of such a service was proposed by General Convention in 2015. For some, including Parsley, it went unnoticed until it was printed in the 2022 Book of Occasional Services.

Participating in this liturgy was particularly special to Olsen because even though her name had been changed legally, this showed that it now was recognized “in the eyes of God,” she said. Parsley said he thinks hers was the first use of this liturgy in the Diocese of North Dakota, although other churches have used it since it was adopted.

I am certain that the authors of this liturgy had transexuals in mind when they pushed it into the Book of Occasional Services, but it is not just a simple renaming ceremony is it? Olsen changing "gender" is not the same as "Abraham (formerly Abram), Sarah (Sarai), Peter (Simon) and Paul (Saul)."

Here are the suggested readings to be used during the ceremony,

• Genesis 17:1–7, 15–17—God changes the name of Sarai to Sarah 
• Genesis 32:22–31—Jacob wrestles at Peniel, becomes Israel 
• Exodus 3:1–15—Moses is called to serve the God named I AM 
• Isaiah 42:1–9—“Here is my servant whom I uphold” 
• Isaiah 43:1–7—“I have called you by name, you are mine” 
• Isaiah 56:1–8—“I will give them an everlasting name” 
• Psalm 8—How majestic is God’s name 
• Psalm 23—The Lord is my Shepherd 
• Psalm 40—“[God] put a new song in my mouth” 
• Psalm 96—“Sing to the Lord a new song” 
• 2 Corinthians 3:17–18—We are transformed from glory to glory 
• 2 Corinthians 5:14–21—In Christ, there is a new creation 
• Galatians 3:27–28—In Christ there is no longer Jew or Greek  
• Philippians 2:9–13—Christ’s name above all names

Isaiah, the Psalmists, and Paul must be rolling in their graves at the misuse of their words.

The whole thing can be found in the Book of Occasional Services beginning on page 149.

The next question is what pronoun God will use when Olsen's time comes.

Update from the Anglican Mission on Maui

This Sunday. our parish asked for contributions to the Anglican Relief and Development Fund to assist those affected by the devastating fires in Lahaina on the island of Maui. I found this note from Father Jason Hill on the web page of the Anglican mission church there at Anuhea Chapel in Makawao.

On behalf of Kingsfield Anglican Mission on Maui, we want to thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and tears for our island. Many of you have reached out and we feel your support. This has been a difficult time for the Valley Isle. 

What Happened

As you have heard, Maui is in a state of emergency. This past Tuesday, small fires began to spread because of high winds caused by Hurricane Dora, forcing electrical poles to fall and spark. The fire spread to engulf parts of the island in upcountry Kula, Lahaina, and North Kihei. With 80 mph gusts, these fires moved uncontrollably with little to no warning. With resources already spread thin, it’s easy to see how our Maui Fire Department moved to locations as new fires ignited, leaving other locations scarce with a team to fight. Over 2,000 homes have been destroyed, and hundreds of businesses incinerated. Most of Lahaina, as many are describing it, “looks like a war zone”, it’s simply gone. This once bustling and beautiful beach town filled with families that have lived there for generations, the shops and restaurants that supported the local economy, and Mala Harbor that anchored this royal town have been reduced to ash. The worst of it is the loss of life, as of August 14th there are 96  fatalities confirmed with the death toll rising by the hour, and only ~5% of the ground covered. What we’re hearing from friends on the ground is that the number will keep increasing as the search and rescue goes on over the next few weeks, leaving many families disoriented and agitated in search of their loved ones. We only have 3 mortuaries on the island, and do not have capacity to dignify these bodies and the souls they held. For those who were residents of Lahaina and were able to narrowly escape, they are faced with the hard reality that their homes and possessions have been destroyed, with a possibility that their missing family members are somewhere in the rubble waiting to be found. We are weeping and mourning the loss of these lives, and entrusting their souls to God with great sadness and sorrow. 

 Some of these families barely dodged the fire by running and jumping into the ocean to escape the flames, fathers had to choose whether to surrender to the flames or throw their children in the raging waves. We also know many were in transit and got stuck along the way.  The traumatic stories of survival have rippled and emotionally shaken our entire island, and our community within our parish.  

What we’re seeing is that this has left a mass number of residents destitute with only the clothes on their backs and maybe their vehicles that allowed them to get to Kahului where they could find shelter. One of our parishioners volunteered to feed the displaced and met an elderly man who rode his bike for 23 miles with burned clothes on his body to get to a partner ministry church, where he was provided a hot meal and a shower. 

At this point, it’s hard to estimate the loss, and we find it difficult to assess what scale the need is. One thing is for sure, it is great and overwhelming. While every ministry and organization on the island is working to meet the needs of the displaced, there still is the long term problem of housing for thousands of people living in shelters, staying with friends, in cars at the park, and more recently in hotels. While the immediate needs for donors and resources are welcomed, the long term plan of continuing the support is the most vital part of sustainable reconstruction and restoration for this island. We need long term partners to come alongside the Anglican Mission here on Maui and the other churches and community organizations that are leading the charge in the disaster relief and rebuilding efforts for the next couple of years. We need our clergy to be freed up to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our neighborhoods and community. We are soberly aware of the great opportunity to come alongside our hurting people as a loving gospel witness and presence. 

What is Happening | as of August 14th, 2023 

Kingsfield Anglican Mission is already mobilized and meeting these needs in real and tangible ways. The people of our parish have been urgently active in providing care supplies to first responders and partnering with Kahului Baptist Church in helping them shelter and feed the displaced. Families that would otherwise have slept in parking lots at Walmart and Target were rerouted to shelters and fed, thanks to our parishioners seeking them out. It has taken every minute of our days over the last four days to process the needs and meet them in real time. Every parishioner is either making meals, doing laundry, and buying supplies for others outside of their families. Our single men have taken the risky journey to Lahaina by road and boat to deliver propane tanks, fuel, and generators to those on the West side, where there is still no water or electricity. The water in both Kula and Lahaina is hazardous, and Lahaina as a whole has become a biohazard wasteland, with neighboring communities in need of medication and supplies. So far, we have yet to see greater support and resources from our governing authorities, and it is a rising concern in the community that could lead to discontent. We are walking very carefully as we mobilize and sense the local response, while hoping and expecting greater help from the state and nation. Every one of our parishioners has been working to help our island, ministering in tangible ways, and extending the comfort and solidarity of Christ to the weary. We are grateful to partner with the larger body of Christ here on Maui. In all honesty, the response of the local residents to meet the needs of our hurting neighbors has been remarkable. However, we see the need to be strategic and thoughtful about how to help Maui for the long haul, the months and years to come when we are no longer on the front pages. Usually, in situations like this, many respond to the need in the short-term but the greater need is long-term help and partnership to rebuild and restore. 

What Our Parish Needs in Rebuilding

We know that man does not live by bread alone, we know the words of Christ are rich and meaty for the hurting. However, to give you all some context for Maui, nearly every pastor on the island is working bi-vocationally, meeting needs for their own families while tending to the spiritual and physical needs of their churches. This is an incredibly difficult place to plant due to the nature of Maui, it’s a destination spot for those transitioning into retirement and those escaping the rhythms of mainland responsibilities. Among short term residents, this island is transient, a revolving door of folks who want to take in the beauty of Maui. Among long term residents, it is home and there is great need to establish credibility of our sustained spiritual presence here. As we brainstorm and seek out ways to meet the needs to rehome the displaced, we are also aware of the resources it will take to make a lasting impact. 

As an Anglican Mission we have the distinct opportunity to turn our disaster relief into a sacramental act, offering the Eucharist as a pillar of nourishment for the hungry and hurting and day to day offering of our time and resources to be present to the weary. We know the ministry of presence at a time like this is incredibly important to the forming and shaping of a community into the way of Christ, but the housing crisis and high cost of living has made that particularly difficult while caring for our own families. What we need is the support to fully employ clergy and administrative positions to carry out the daily tasks that will sustainably help us stay here and minister to our neighbors. We acknowledge that what will restore our island is not only the rehousing and rebuilding of an entire city that was the center of Maui’s economic infrastructure, but also the daily rhythms of walking in unity with Christ. Cooperating with the work God is doing here now requires our full attention. While businesses suffer, jobs are lost, families hold funerals, and children enter into a school year of uncertainty completely displaced, our parish has the opportunity to be a strong pillar of restorative hope, peace, and sacrificial love. We need the partnership and help of all who would desire this work to be done on Maui, to grow a community that is committed to God’s Kingdom, on Maui as it is in Heaven. 

We invite all who would love to see this island spiritually flourish into this work, to shoulder with our small parish tasked with this immense mission in this restoration phase for our island home, for its good and for God’s glory. Pray with us and contribute to the resources needed to sustain our labors. 

In Christ, 

Father Jason Hill with the members of Kingsfield Anglican Mission 

We are praying and contributing Fr. Hill. 

 

The heart of the matter

In the first half of  this Sunday's reading from Matthew 15:10-28, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter as to what we need to clean up.

Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’ Then the disciples approached and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?’ He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.’ 15But Peter said to him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ Then he said, ‘Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.’

Our hearts are full of evil intentions, and sometimes these come out in our words. It is impossible for us to clean such things up by ourselves. Such sin can only be washed with the Savior's blood.

In the second half of today's reading, Jesus challenges the faith of a Canaanite woman, and she demonstrates her faith well. 

 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.

No, the woman did not change Jesus' mind. She could have slunk away, but she confesses that she is unworthy, and her persistence, like that of the widow in Luke 18:1-8, proves her faith. Like her, we need to persistently confess our sins and profess our faith to Almighty God.

I wonder if there is a message here

 

Holy Innocents Episcopal Church was destroyed in the fire that wiped out Lahaina this past week, but Maria Lanakila Catholic Church miraculously survived.

I wonder if there is a message here?

Walking on the water

 This Sunday's reading from Matthew 14:22-33 tells the hard to believe story of Jesus walking on water, and Peter's failed attempt to do so. 

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

Pretty incredible right? 

Last year we sailed on the Sea of Galilee and got to understand how big it is. Strong winds could really whip it up. Fortunately our cruise was during calm weather. Note that the wind was still strong when Jesus walked across the water. The sea therefore was not flat. This would have made Jesus' feat all the more miraculous, and it certainly doomed Peter's attempt. 

Cruising on the Sea of Galilee

Ancient boat from Jesus' era recovered from the Sea of Galilee

Could Jesus have done it? 

Yes for truly he is the Son of God.

 

State Sponsored Child Abuse

What is a public school supposed to do? When I was growing up, we learned reading, writing, and arithmetic in grades K-2. My parents sent me to private schools after that because they saw the writing on the wall. While my father complained about the price, the education I received was priceless. Our sex education came from our parents and peers, not from school. My eldest sibling was in a magnet public school in the late 60's and got a classical education. There is no comparison between our experiences and what is taught now. 

Back in 1923, J. Gresham Machen in his "Christianity and Liberalism" predicted our current problem with public education.

“A public-school system, if it means the providing of free education for those who desire it, is a noteworthy and beneficent achievement of modern times; but when once it becomes monopolistic it is the most perfect instrument for tyranny which has yet been devised. Freedom of thought in the middle ages was combated by the Inquisition, but the modern method is far more effective.’ (1923)”

Tyranny is the word, and what do tyrants do? They take your children as Samuel predicted and turn them into instruments of the tyrant. 

Our most recent  tyrants are the LGBTQRS+ social warriors.  

For example, from LifeSiteNews,

SEATTLE (LifeSiteNews) — Seattle public schools are giving cross-sex hormones and referrals for mutilating surgeries to teenagers, according to a recent report by a conservative parents’ group. 

Last week, Parents Defending Education released an investigative report that exposed the School Based Health Centers within the Seattle Public School system for doling out cross-sex hormones and referrals for so-called “sex change” surgeries to middle and high school students, free of charge. 

The group specifically unveiled information about Nova High School and Meany Middle School, both located in Seattle. Both institutions’ health centers are operated by the Country Doctor Community Health Centers healthcare organization, which boasts that part of its mission is “to promote health in transgender, non-binary and gender diverse [sic] communities through ensuring equal access to gender-affirming [sic] medications and procedures, and training staff to be trauma-informed and culturally responsive.” 

“Our staff work[s] hard to address every patient with correct names and pronouns,” the organization’s website reads, explaining that different staff members “assist patients seeking gender-affirming [sic] surgeries and procedures” and “provides injection teaching and assists accessing hormones and other gender-affirming [sic] medications.” 

Estrogen, testosterone, and androgen blockers are listed as medications given to gender-confused individuals, including adolescents, along with “specialty referrals for younger patients.”

The site states that “we do not provide puberty blockers at this time.” 

Additionally, the organization gives referrals for surgeries, such as vaginoplasty and chest reconstruction, and “assistance obtaining mental health letters of support” for the irreversible, mutilating procedures.  

The group also advertises birth control as part of its “family planning” services. Nova High School presents a so-called “progress pride flag” on its health center website and lists “gender affirming care” and “reproductive health” as among its services. Meany Middle School includes “gender reaffirming care” and “reproductive care management” as services advertised on its website. Both schools emphasize that the health centers will not only bill insurance companies but will also assist students whose families do not have insurance. 

Additionally, the district’s policy states that “staff should not disclose a student’s transgender [sic] or gender X status to others unless (1) legally required to do so or (2) the student has authorized disclosure.” When “contacting the parents/guardians of a transgender [sic] or gender X student and it is unclear whether the student asserts the same gender identity at home,” the district recommends staff “to avoid using gender pronouns.” 

I call that state sponsored child abuse. 

The Transfiguration

This Sunday's reading from Luke 9:28-36 reports the transfiguration of Jesus witnessed by three of his followers,

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

"They were terrified" not when they saw Moses and Elijah, but by the cloud. Losing your vision and sense of direction when on a mountain top can be the most frightening. I have experienced that, but I did not hear any voices. I can only imagine how Peter, John, and James felt. They were silent. In Mark and Matthew's accounts Jesus told them not not tell anyone. One wonders if it was because no one would believe them yet, they would accused of blasphemy, or because the rest of the twelve had not yet witnessed the Resurrection, nor had they received the Holy Spirit. 

The rise of non-denominational Protestant Christianity

 I used to think that belonging to an organized denomination provided a certain level of protection against false teaching. Brother was I wrong. As I make the long drive to our small Anglican parish, I pass many churches along the way. I have noticed an increasing number that identify as "non-denominational".  While I am sure that many are keeping the Apostolic faith, I worry about how many will go the way of the Episcopal sect (or cult as pewster-son would say), the Evangelical Lutherans, the United Methodists, and some of our Presbyterians. The bad reputation that that the old mainlines earned must be part of the reason for the rise of the "nons", but whatever the reason, the nons are gaining ground.

This report from Get Religion gives us some numbers, 

In 1972, less than 3% of all American adults indicated that they were non-denominational. That share has only risen from there. 

In the 1970s and 1980s, the growth rate was undoubtedly small. It took until 1996 for the share of Americans who were non-denominational to surge past 5%. But from that point forward that line has only gotten steeper.

The Nons niche reached 7.5% of the population in 2004, then 10% of the sample by 2012. The most recent data says that nearly 13% of all adults in the United States are non-denominational Protestant Christians. There are more Nons in the U.S. today than mainline Protestants.

The article also presented the following raw numbers. 

If it is any comfort, more people still belong to some sort of denomination than all the non-denominationals combined.  

When I travel, I am more likely to visit an ACNA church than I am to walk into a non-denominational one. I don't think I could take the uncertainty about where these "nons" fall along the orthodox/heterodox spectrum.