(BTW I’ve posted my preaching schedule on the sermons page)
O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP 839)
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP 823)
1. Unfortunately war is necessary and has been for thousands of years.
2. War is a tragic and hopefully unnecessary part of life. I pray that militaries may become deterrent forces only.
3. War is a necessary evil.
4. While war may appear to be the least beneficial thing to mankind and society in general, there are numerous aspects of it which further our development. Whether it be the liberation of oppressed people or simply the cooperation of two very different peoples, which results in new friendships between cultures, many positives are found amongst the tragedies.
5. War is the most effective way to get things done.
6. War is about protecting the innocent and fighting so others don’t have to.
7. Fear leads to hatred and hatred leads to war.
8. It is a horrible and necessary thing. We may as well be the best at it.
9. I believe war is a necessary evil if there is a good enough reason (e.g., World War II).
10. War is that in which humans grow most.
11. I think war is a way to strengthen our country. It shows other countries that our country will not be stepped on and we will defend our country.
12. War is a failure of diplomacy.
Care to guess what group these 12 respondents belong to?
They are all West Point cadets — more specifically, members of the West Point Canterbury Club, whose answers to questions about war were recently featured in an edition of The Episcopal New Yorker. (It’s amazing what shows up in your mailbox sometimes; I guess not all junk mail is worthless.)
The only answer I abbreviated above was No. 12, in order not to give it away. The rest of No. 12’s reply: “As soldiers and officers we will manage and control the application of violence in order to protect the United States.”
The 12 answers reflect the thoughtful, varied, and independent mindset that I have always encountered when dealing with folks at West Point, properly known as the United States Military Academy. It is a truly remarkable institution, and I wish the rest of the world knew more about it.
I learned a bit once when writing a chapter about its historic cemetery for this book.
Brian’s comments: As a West Point graduate, I agree with Stephen Dubner’s assessment. When I was there, and I’m sure it is still true, West Point did a very good job of creating thoughtful and critically thinking leaders. It is not a place of simple, monolithic answers. We were taught to do the honorable, ethical thing, even if it cost us personally. Even if it meant disobeying orders we believed to be illegal. It was also made clear to us that we did not get to choose when or where the military would be deployed. We were committing ourselves to submit to the will of the civilian government. This may sound crazy to some people, because it meant we would be willing to serve in wars that we might think were wrong. But the alternative would be to have a military that chose when it would fight. If this happened, then the decision to go to war would be separated from the checks and balances inherent in our democratic system of government, and you can quickly see how that is a bad idea. I can’t think of any other arena where people are asked to be as self-giving as they are in the military. And ours is an all-volunteer armed forces.
But because these heroes who serve on our behalf do not get to choose where they are deployed, it makes it even more important for us, the civilian population, to be as careful as possible when we deploy troops. The first way we “support our troops” is to be as conservative as possible when we ask them to die, and to kill, for us.
The Wenatchee World, the “fiercely independent voice of North Central Washington,” offers up some local wisdom about the Episcopal Church in the form of five bullet-points from the Rev. Patton Boyle of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Wenatchee. Boyle, briefly profiled before moving on to a short primer on “being Episcopalian,” makes an interesting observation about ministry that many people might relate to:
Now, after being an ordained minister for 38 years and a priest for 37, Boyle says it’s part of the natural rhythm of his life. “Ministry makes introverts more extroverted. … I tended to think too deeply about stuff when I was younger. I think I’ve mellowed over the years.”
The five things you ought to know read almost like a rebuttal to media portrayals of the Episcopal church. It’s okay that we disagree, he says; worship is what brings us together. We draw from both Catholic and Protestant traditions, and yes, we are part of the Anglican Communion. From bullet-point No. 2:
The Episcopal Church approaches the faith from three basic standpoints: Scripture, reason and tradition. Episcopalians aren’t expected to accept everything they are told or always agree with the priest or other leaders. “They take what is of value and use it. I expect them to disagree with me at times. … The church expects people to make their own moral and ethical decisions.” Parishioners are asked to explore issues thoughtfully and prayerfully and to come to their own decisions. The approach is more like, “I respect your opinion, and I will think deeply about that, but that may not be, in the end, what I decide is right for me.” Parishioners make decisions based on thorough study, reason, prayer and examining one’s own conscience rather than having them prescribed to them.
You can read the entire tip-sheet (which might be of use to you the next time you run into someone who says, “Episcopali-huh?”) here.
Here’s the Agenda for Buddha Day.
Tags:Buddhism
SAN FRANCISCO — In the days leading up to the California Supreme Court’s historic same-sex marriage ruling Thursday, the decision “weighed most heavily” on Chief Justice Ronald M. George — more so, he said, than any previous case in his nearly 17 years on the court.
The court was poised 4 to 3 not only to legalize same-sex marriage but also to extend to sexual orientation the same broad protections against bias previously saved for race, gender and religion. The decision went further than any other state high court’s and would stun legal scholars, who have long characterized George and his court as cautious and middle of the road.
Read it all HERE.
It is very important that we do all we can to defeat the ballot initiative to amend the California constitution. It is shocking that this wonderful step forward could be undone with a simple majority at the polls this November.
I am wondering how I, as an Episcopal priest, can be supportive of the gay and lesbian members of the community that want to be married. I am not, in this Diocese, yet permitted to officiate at blessings of same-sex unions, let alone marriages. Hopefully after the summer of ‘09, when our national legislative body meets, I will get permission to officiate at public blessing services.
But right now, I can’t. And I can’t host such services in the Cathedral. What I can do is help couples as they plan wedding ceremonies and I can participate in the ceremonies. There is nothing preventing couples from using the Prayer Book as a resource for weddings. There is also nothing preventing me, or any other clergy person, from participating in such services. We can read lessons. We can offer prayers. We just can’t offer the final blessing, or “officiate” or sign the marriage license. Those are the basic rules as I understand them.
I have also been wondering how the Cathedral community could be more supportive of couples who are getting married. I was wondering if there might be an interest in having a service at the Cathedral for all couples who are getting married, or have been recently married, or are in some form of committed relationship, to come together and celebrate their relationships. We can have a part of the service where everybody gathered pledges to support the couples (like what happens in a wedding ceremony, but this would be on a bigger, more public scale.) We could also have an element of the service where we acknowledge the pain that people experience and have experienced over the lack of marriage equality.
These are just some thoughts from one priest who is eager to be supportive. I am very interested in people’s feedback.
The movie was fun and the clips of young Jagger were very charming. Here’s a clip and trailer for the movie.
Here’s a couple of exerpts from an article about the event and then the video. The beer blessing liturgy in the video is great fun.
we respect the skilled brewmaster, and respect a well-made beer, and appreciate the fact that so many Minnesotans have a taste for a good beer. It tells you a lot about the Twin Cities’ relationship with beer that, when the Town Hall Brewery introduces their maibock, they bring in a Episcopalian vicar in a red and blue dalmatic and red sneakers to bless the stuff.
The vicar takes his place under a photograph of an oversized cask, again with proud brewers scampering atop it, and launches into his ceremonial duties, which include reading from classic literature and a call and response section, where he beseeches heaven to prevent us from such untoward behavior as thinking ourselves clever after a few drinks, when, in fact, we actually are starting to sound like idiots. With each of his entreaties, the multitude chant back, tunelessly, that they too would like heaven to save us from this, particularly when the vicar’s pleas include protection from having cars towed or spending the night in jail. At the end of the blessing, all the assembled raise their glasses in toast, as the vicar reminds us that Jesus himself did not avoid the drinker, despite the possibility that he might be considered a drunkard himself.
Read itall HERE.
