"Were You There When They Crucified My Lord" Sung at the Cardiff Arms Park in Wales

The World's Largest Ever Male Voice Choir from the old Cardiff Arms Park in Wales sings "Were You There (when they crucified my Lord)" (May 1993).

The New Thirty Nine Articles Part 1, Articles I-XIV

As I was leaving church last Sunday, I was surprised by the sudden appearance of a bright eyed young visitor rushing up to greet me. "Helloooo Pewster! Have I got something for you!", he said with a tone of familiarity. Indeed, there was something familiar in the voice, but his face and youthful gait did not match up with the memories that raced through my mind. The young man noticed my confusion, "Of course, you don't recognize me. Neither do I when I see myself in the mirror. It's me, Deep Pew."

"Well," I replied, "you do have his voice."
The new, younger appearing, Deep Pew explained, "I know this will be hard to believe, but I have invented a time machine that allowed me to travel into the future and back. That's where, in addition to the remarkable anti-aging treatment that I purchased, I found this!"
He thrust the following document into my pocket and vanished as fast as he had appeared.

As established by the Bishops, the Clergy, and the Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Convention, on the first day of July, in the Year 2050. 

I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinogamy.
There is but one living and true Relationship, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Creator, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Relationship there be three, of one substance, power, and eternity; The Creator/Om/Allah, the Christ, and the Relational Spirit. 

II. Of the Word or Child or Christ of the Creator/Om/Allah, which was made very human.
The Child, which is the Word of the Creator/Om/Allah, begotten from everlasting of the One/Om/Allah, and of one substance with the Creator/Om/Allah, took human nature so that two whole and perfect Natures, that is to say, the Relationship and Humanity, were joined together in one Person, whereof is one Christ, very Creator/Om/Allah, and very human; who was crucified, and buried, to reconcile the One/Om/Allah to us, not that a sacrifice was needed, not that there exists original guilt, but for the imagined sins that people might feel that they may have committed. 

III. Of the going down of the Christ into Hell.
After the Christ died, and was buried, there is no cause to believe that the Christ went down into a real Hell. 

IV. Of the Resurrection of the Christ.
The Christ is said to have risen from death in a metaphorical sense this is true, and appeared as though living to his followers who thought they touched body, flesh, bones; the Christ metaphorically ascended into a non literal Heaven and it is often helpful to visualize the Christ as being seated there. 

V. Of the Relational Spirit.
The Relational Spirit, proceeding from the Creator/Om/Allah and the Christ, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Creator/Om/Allah and the Christ. One may connect with this Spirit through coming together in Convention or by the use of various enhanced spiritual techniques as deemed reasonable by the Church.

VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.
Holy Scripture containeth lots of things some of which might be necessary to salvation: so that some of whatsoever is read therein, is not to be required of any person, that it should have to be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. 

We do understand those Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority is sometimes questioned, to be historically canonical.
Of the Names and Number of the Historically Canonical Books.
Genesis, The First Book of Samuel, The Book of Esther,
Exodus, The Second Book of Samuel, The Book of Job,
Leviticus, The First Book of Kings, The Psalms,
Numbers, The Second Book of Kings, The Proverbs,
Deuteronomy, The First Book of Chronicles, Ecclesiastes or Preacher,
Joshua, The Second Book of Chronicles, Cantica, or Songs of Solomon,
Judges, The First Book of Esdras, Four Prophets the greater,
Ruth, The Second Book of Esdras, Twelve Prophets the less. 

And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine as they address subjects about which the Church has no core doctrine; such are these following:
The Third Book of Esdras, The rest of the Book of Esther,
The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Wisdom,
The Book of Tobias, Jesus the Son of Sirach,
The Book of Judith, Baruch the Prophet,
The Song of the Three Children, The Prayer of Manasses,
The Story of Susanna, The First Book of Maccabees,
Of Bel and the Dragon, The Second Book of Maccabees. 

Additional resources that may be of use as part of the wisdom literature of the Church include:
Gospel of Mary
Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Truth
Gospel of Philip
Gospel of Judas
The Letters of Gene Robinson to the Huffington Post
The Books of Marcus Borg
The Books of John Shelby Spong 

All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account them Canonical but this Canon will remain open with additions or revisions permitted as Biblical scholarship reveals. 

VII. Of the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is sometimes contrary to the New: for in the Old Testament laws and rules were established for the ancient Jews which may not apply in the light of recent discoveries. Therefore they are not to be taken in a literal sense. The Law given from the Creator/Om/Allah by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites and Morals, do not bind Christian persons, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received. 

VIII. Of the Creeds.
The Nicene Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be repeated although the fingers may be crossed when any part thereof is felt to be contrary to one's personal belief.

IX. Of Original or Birth-Righteousness.
Sin standeth not in the fault and corruption of the Nature of every person, that naturally is created good in the image of the One/Om/Allah; Humanity is led from original righteousness through the acts of others upon the developing child; and therefore in every person born into this world, nothing deserveth the Creator/Om/Allah's wrath and damnation. Yea the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, p¢vnæa sapk¢s, (which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the desire, of the flesh), is a gift of the Creator/Om/Allah. And there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized who seek to multiply their relationships in light of such wisdom. 

X. Of Free-Will.
The condition of people since the earliest times is such, that they can turn and by their own self exploration and natural strength do good works, pursue faith; and call upon the One/Om/Allah. 

XI. Of the Justification of People.
We are accounted righteous before the Creator/Om/Allah before our Baptism, and not for our own works or deservings, but they do help. Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort, we should create a safe space for those who would disagree. 

XII. Of Good Works of Social Justice.
Good Works of Social Justice, which are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification are pleasing and acceptable to the Creator/Om/Allah, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit. 

XIII. Of Works of Social Justice before Justification.
Works of Social Justice done before the grace of the Christ, and the Inspiration of the Relational Spirit, are still pleasant to the Divine Relationship, forasmuch as faith in other religions may also lead to good Works of Social Justice; yea rather, for that they are done as the Creator/Om/Allah hath willed or suggested them to be done, they are justified. 

XIV. Of Works of Supererogation.
Voluntary Works besides, over and above, the  Creator/Om/Allah's suggestions, which are called Works of Supererogation, may include bake sales, rummage sales, chili cook offs, and marching in LGBT pride parades, are helpful in building relationships amongst the people and are pleasing to the Creator/Om/Allah.

Part two will be published next week provided my friend Deep Pew returns from whenever he went.

ADDENDA: PART TWO CLICK HERE, and for PART THREE CLICK HERE

+Waldo Invokes Nazi Reference for Religious Freedom Legislation: The Implications for His Clergy

The following was shared by the Bishop of Upper South Carolina in a March 26 Facebook post, (UPDATE: the post has been removed as of 04/06/2015 but the contents are below)

Andrew Waldo:

"One brief recollection of Germany's 1930's-1940's requirement that gay/lesbian persons wear pink triangles and Jews wear yellow stars of David reminds us how far and how violently this kind of law can go and how utterly and deeply immoral, unChristian, cynical and un-American it is. No. No. No. And no. We will not stand for this." 

Re: Devout Christians Protest Indiana’s New Anti-Gay Law. We Need More Of This.

+Waldo's Nazi reference should bother traditional Christians in his diocese. How long will he tolerate priests and/or parishes in his diocese who "discriminate" against gays by refusing to participate in the same sex blessing rite? Aren't those priests and parishes forcing gays to wear pink triangles? And he condones that?

Was he not aware that South Carolina has similar legislation, and was he at the State house when an amendment to that legislation was introduced this year??

Is he aware that the Indiana legislation is similar to a Federal law signed by former President Clinton?

Has he read the legislation?

Here is a link to the Indiana bill in question, and let me quote from that page,

Religious freedom restoration. Prohibits a governmental entity from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless the governmental entity can demonstrate that the burden: (1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering the compelling governmental interest. Provides a procedure for remedying a violation. Specifies that the religious freedom law applies to the implementation or application of a law regardless of whether the state or any other governmental entity or official is a party to a proceeding implementing or applying the law. Prohibits an applicant, employee, or former employee from pursuing certain causes of action against a private employer.  

I believe the following is the section that most of those who would say "No, no no" find objectionable,

Sec. 9. A person whose exercise of religion has been
substantially burdened, or is likely to be substantially burdened, by a violation of this chapter may assert the violation or impending violation as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding, regardless of whether the state or any other governmental entity is a party to the proceeding. If the relevant governmental entity is not a party to the proceeding, the governmental entity has an unconditional right to intervene in order to respond to the person's invocation of this chapter.

In an unusually balanced article at Yahoo we learn more about the flaws in our Bishop's reasoning,

Indiana University law professor Daniel Conkle, who testified in favor of the bill in Indiana legislative committees, said he was a supporter of gay rights and that the predictions of negative implications from the law were unjustified.
Conkle, who has written extensively on religious legal issues, said he didn't know of any cases under the similar state laws or the federal statute, which dates to 1993, where a court had sided with a religious objector in a discrimination case.
"This 'license-to-discriminate' argument that seems to have this relentless repetition is just legally wrong," Conkle said Friday. "It is as if you just keep repeating something often enough it takes on a life of its own."

If you keep repeating something often enough... Hmm, I think I've heard that once before.

So what will it be, can a Christian baker refuse to bake a gay wedding cake? If "No, no, no, that is deeply immoral, unChristian, cynical and un-American", then will Bishop Waldo condone an Episcopal priest in Upper South Carolina who refuses to bless a gay "marriage", or is that priest "unChristian" too?

Who will be the ones wearing armbands in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina?

Notes on Fig Sunday

Last year on this day, which is commonly called Palm Sunday, I posted a list of other names for the celebration. I left out a few, and one in particular came to light while perusing "The Lives of the the Saints or Notes Ecclesiological and Historical on the Holy Days of the English Church" by William Leeson Dickinson published in 1865 (available on Google Books).

"In several parts of England, and especially in Hertfordshire, it is known as Fig Sunday; and in Hertford itself and the surrounding towns more figs are sold in the preceding week than in all the rest of the year together. No doubt the origin of this custom was our Lord's desiring to eat of the fig-tree on the Moday following that Sunday; only it is curious that the tradition should have lasted on through the middle ages, when preserved figs must have been as great a rarity as natural figs are with us." William Leeson Dickinson, "The Lives of the the Saints or Notes Ecclesiological and Historical on the Holy Days of the English Church." London: The Church Printing Company, 1865. p164 

I think it curious that one would eat figs in memory of a day where our Lord could not find a fresh fig to munch upon, so I wonder if it should be called "Figless Sunday".

For those who are undeterred and who may want to indulge in figs today, I think it would only be appropriate if you eat dried figs or fig preserves even if fresh figs are available in your locale. For myself, I pulled out the fig/strawberry preserves we canned last year. If you are feeling industrious, here is a recipe for Fig Preserve Cake that you should try,


TOTAL TIME
1hr 15mins
PREP 15 mins
COOK 1 hr

YIELDS
1 10inch cake
INGREDIENTS
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup fig preserves
1⁄2 cup chopped pecans or 1⁄2 cup walnuts
Buttermilk glaze

1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar
1⁄4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon real butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large mixing bowl;add oil and eggs,beating well at medium speed with electric mixer.
Add buttermilk and vanilla,beating well.
Stir in preserves and pecans or walnuts.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan 10 minutes;remove from pan and place on serving platter.
Pour buttermilk glaze over cake while both are still warm.
BUTTERMILK GLAZE.
Melt 1 tablespoon real butter in saucepan over low heat,add the buttermilk and the powdered sugar and heat till dissolved,then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
If the glaze is to thin or thick add powdered sugar or more buttermilk accordingly till you get the consistency you like.

"The Problem That Intelligent Traditionalists Face"

The so called "Marriage Equality" bandwagon has been rolling across America with the help of a number of Federal courts. Today's youth and a large percentage of adults are in favor of redefining marriage to mean more than just "traditional" male-female marriage. Such things do not happen without an underlying cultural shift.

What causes cultural shifts? Typically people think of the following,

1. Invention (the creation of something novel)
2. Discovery (new knowledge)
3. Diffusion (contact with other cultures)
4. Conflict (war and conquest)

While some might argue that #2 or "New Knowledge" concerning marriage is the primary reason behind the shift in society's opinion about marriage equality, I would argue that the new knowledge of which they speak is not grounded on reality but instead derives from both a loss of "old knowledge" and a flood of false knowledge coming from the primary sources of information from which today's people learn about the world. Carl R. Trueman ( Professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary) in a piece over at First Things puts it this way (I have purposely reversed the order of these two paragraphs),

"Most people gain their understanding of selfhood not from reading Thomas Aquinas but from watching The Bold and the Beautiful and following the antics of the Kardashians. We who advocate for traditional marriage and sexuality are at a huge disadvantage in the public square because we simply do not have the access to the kinds of tools exemplified by Will and Grace and Transparent. As we try to argue for our position, our opponents have simply narrated theirs, identifying their revolutionary positions with the reasonable and the normal by using the most apparently harmless and familiar of cultural idioms."  

"Some months ago, I was asked by a student how I would argue in the public square against gay marriage. I answered that I regarded Robert George’s work in the area to be compelling but I also observed that the work had seemingly persuaded nobody to change their minds. The reason for this is simple: Gay marriage has not become normalized through the presentation of arguments (though that is not to deny that many of its proponents have made arguments). It has become normalized through the Will and Grace factor: The impact of comfortable, sentimentalized, middle-class sitcoms, soap operas and their like in which no-one is ever seriously hurt, no action ever has wider social ramifications, and niceness triumphs every time."  

While we traditionalists do not have "Will and Grace" gravitas, we have a narrative which will out live all of the world's sit-coms and celebrities. The Gospel narrative is the story which the world needs to hear, not the shenanigans of the Kardashians or the latest sexual experiments being promoted by the popular media outlets. The Church must remain the unpopular counter cultural voice that can re-tell the Gospel as it has been handed down to us. The Church must repeat the words of Jesus which were as unpopular then as they are today, words like,

“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:4-6  NKJV

Shun the Labyrinth!

After last year's fun we had with Wallace Hartley's version of "Your Labyrinth Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore", I thought that the church had seen the last of this new age travelling spiritual floor show, but no, the roll out labyrinth made its reappearance today. It was greeted by huge crowds of maze walkers as you can tell from the photo above.

Let's face it, the labyrinth is nothing more than patterns on the floor. If we need it to help guide us in prayer, then the church has not been doing a very good job with its worship services and disciple development. In fact, the modern labyrinth movement came out of the mind of a San Francisco priestette by the name of Reverend Lauren Artress whose web page traces the less than Christian principles behind the enterprise.

"Walking the labyrinth is a spiritual exercise. My approach is to offer the labyrinth as a free and save space for personal exploration. There is no right way to walk a labyrinth. Using this guideline, the walker’s inner world becomes transparent to them. Dynamics not ordinarily recognized ---one’s relatioinship to rules, projections of judgment, impatience --- become crystallized into metaphor. The labyrinth is a place where the mind empties and one discovers interior silence. The path of the labyrinth becomes a metaphor for our spiritual lives. It is a safe container with clear boundaries."
"Through walking the labyrinth, I teach a process that opens the Divine Imagination. This is based on family systems theory; psychdynamic group work based on the English school of object-relation theory. The work of symbolic fields has a Jungian base, since I am working with archetypes, symbol, shadow and encounters with collective unconscious. Transpersonal theory and methods of change is also woven into my lectures and the designing of each event."

 And it is an enterprise. These temporary labyrinths cost a dizzying 2,900 -3,400 dollars apiece, and you can shell out a few more bucks to buy books on the subject, but why bother when you can read this blog for free!

The labyrinth itself predates Christianity and was made famous by the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. The Minotaur supposedly lived in the labyrinth at Knossos on Crete and was killed by the brave young Theseus.

The labyrinth and similar patterns are popular in Wiccan circles as well. Hecate's Wheel is one such symbol used by some traditions of Wicca.

"It seems to be most popular among feminist traditions, and represents the three aspects of the Goddess -- Maiden, Mother and Crone. This labyrinth-like symbol has origins in Greek legend, where Hecate was known as a guardian of the crossroads before she evolved into a goddess of magic and sorcery.According to fragmentary texts of the Chaldean Oracles, Hecate is connected to a maze which spiraled around like a serpent. This maze was known as the Stropholos of Hecate, or Hecate's Wheel, and refers to the power of knowledge and life. Traditionally, a Hecate-style labyrinth has a Y in the middle, rather than the typical X shape found at the center of most labyrinths. Images of Hecate and her wheel have been found on first-century c.e. curse tablets..."

Personally, if one prays to God in the name of Christ Jesus, I don't think it matters if you are alone in your closet, with two or three gathered together, walking in circles, or standing on your head, but the labyrinth movement is less about Jesus and more about oneself, and for that reason it should be shunned.

"When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee." Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (KJV) 

Who Walked Away? Not the Diocese of South Carolina

In an interview with Genelle B. Williams of the Jasper County Sun Times, the Rev'd James Gibson (who posts at Locusts and Wild Honey) attempts to explain that the Diocese of South Carolina wasn't the one that first walked away from the Church.

“The national church has kind of moved in the direction of saying that Jesus Christ is a way, but not the way,” he said. “And that has been a cause of some problems for a number of people in the diocese.”
“Our contention is that we have kept the faith, we have stayed within the historic faith of the church and that our diocese, in the decision it has made to disaffiliate with the national church, is not ‘leaving’ the church,” Gibson said.

James Gibson+ may sound like he is using harsh words, but he is merely restating something the Presiding Bishop has taught as shown in the video clip below,



The Presiding Bishop would stand condemned under XVIII of the Articles of Religion if they had any meaning for the Episcopal church. For those of you who need a reminder,

XVIII, Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ. 

They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.

The Articles tell it like it is in that they reflect what is found in the Gospel.

KTF James.