There are moments of grace, then there are "Moments of Grace."

Tonight was a truly gracefull night. My day has been quiet and I spent my day hanging out with my hubby and then we had a nice dinner and watched some tv. I had logged onto IMVU and I was in the middle of a conversation with Hunter, and I got a hit on my facebook as I was sitting here in front of my terminal.

I have to say that I did not expect what was to happen nor could I have predicted it either. There are times in our lives that we complete a journey of faith amid the life that we are living. Days come and go, as they will, but you never know what God is going to give you at any given moment of any given day. I had a God moment tonight. In fact, God hit me with a curve ball and it almost knocked me out of my chair as I sat here.

The group of young people that once populated New Life has begin to reconnect. There are 27 people on my friends list on Facebook tonight. The 27th contact came tonight, her name is Adriana. She tells me that she was sitting in front of her console and just for shits and giggles she plugged my name into facebook and wasn't she pleasantly surprised to see my face pop up in front of her. She sent through a message and I messaged her back and back and forth we went, until I added my phone number to one message and posted that I was waiting for her to call me and she did. It was after midnight.

Once again, we have come full circle.

They say in recovery that when we make our amends list at step 9 that there might happen that one may be unable to make amends to certain people for one reason or another. It seemed that God gave me an opportunity to make amends for a wrong I committed many years ago. I can't tell you how pleased I was to hear her voice on the other end of the phone, after so many years.

And wouldn't you know it, she's a Preacher!!! She has a special someone and lives on 30 acres of green space in Ohio. And I could not be more happier for her. I knew, one day, that those who needed to find me would, for one reason or another. You never know how your life will affect another's in the course of their life. As she said to me that it was because of me that she was able to become the woman she is today, that I somehow gave her strength to get up and stand up and be solid in who she was. I had exited the closet prior to her. But we had lived through our respective hells, sickness and death had come to pass for both of us and for the first time, I was able to share with her what really happened to me during my slip into Hell.

It felt good to finally be able to explain what I had been through and to share with her how I survived that extremely painful time in my life to end up here as I write. Coming full circle feels good. Like putting on an old pair of shoes and sitting down before a warm fireplace and cozying up with hot cocoa and talking well into the night about everything and nothing.

Now I have fulfilled a part of my story. I have reconnected with part of my life that was really very important to me because it was Adriana and her family that reached out to me when I most needed it. We were meant to meet again, God needed each of us to sit here and talk. To share about the men and women we have become. To mourn the dead and remember the past. 10 years is a long time to go without word of life or existence.

Mark 5:24-34

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

If I just touch the hem of his garment, I will be healed...

Come on In the Waters fine, Leave onshore your troubled mind, we don't care where you;ve been just so long as you come on In...

You never know when Jesus is going to walk into your life at any given moment to bless you and heal you. But when I think of tonight's conversation I am reminded of the story from the Gospel of Mark. We have been healed tonight because we believe.

She is preaching on Sunday and this is what she will be preaching on:

The Gospel of Matthew 13:24-43

The Parable of the Weeds

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

" 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

There are no coincidences. And God surely was up with us and sitting with us and for moments during our conversation when the words would stop, I would sit and listen to the silences between us and there in the silence, God would put another thought into the bowl of conversation and mix it up. I am truly blessed to have such people in my life today. All those years of love and devotion that I put into a group of people is coming back now to bless and anoint me. The following is an excerpt from my Page: Youth Ministry. Let us revisit it for a moment.

One solid foundation of any young persons life, is that of Youth Ministry. It was the one place where kids from different backgrounds, lives, and ages came together once a week to sing, to congregate and to celebrate what it means to be a young person and a Christian. For many of my friends at that time, broken homes was something of a phenomenon. Everyone I knew during those days had parents either coming to, deep within, or on the outs 'of' divorce. I was stuck somewhere in the mix of 'they have no clue what to do!' They will either kill each other or they will end up in separate ends of the house until the end of time. But I digress...

After these past years in the pursuit of sobriety and then the years spent acquiring a four year degree in the study of religion, I have some hindsight to a specific period of my life and I can look at my youth as a 'burgeoning' young Christian boy, I can appreciate what it must have been like for the first Christians to identify themselves on a wide scale within a society and community of 'others.'

They took us away to Camp Get Away for weekend sojourns with our friends, peer leaders and leaders. Trusted servants to the church community, who took time out of their busy lives to feed us spiritually. They ask me, if there was one time you could return to, as it was, to relive once again, (like the diet Pepsi commercials) it would be to my years during high school, because it was so hard, and so difficult, but at the same time so sacred and the most incredibly amazing time of my life.

The program followed you through your first year in the youth group where we were the newbies on the block. Each year a new crop of kids were brought to Christ through a finely orchestrated plan of action that was the Youth Ministry of my home parish. That was 10th grade, the same year I was confirmed into the Catholic Church.

I remember the night - that first night, after a four hour bus ride far away from the lights of the big bright city, we got to the camp, lit by candle light. It was the most incredible time of my life. On that weekend we were broken and brought to the Master through talk, testimony and service. We learned what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus, that meant something particular at that time, seeing that so many of us were living in homes that did not bode well for the fostering of Christian youth trying to follow the message and teaching of Jesus.

Can you imagine what it is like to come home from a weekend at Camp Get Away - bible in hand, profession of faith on your lips, and a testimony before two thousand people sitting in the church upon our return to hear a parent say "Jesus Christ, what have they done to you?" Imagine how hard it was to maintain Christian values when your parents constantly fight, your father constantly up your ass with his hatred, bigotry and racism and disdain for all things noble and Christian and Holy!!

Not to mention the life you were re-entering back in school on Monday morning, when you tell your friends that you met Jesus over the weekend and wasn't it swell!! As they roll their eyes and walk away in disbelief, you try your might to stick with your friends that went to school with you - that just came off the mountain, with that glow of Jesus still alive on our faces and in our hearts.

The finding Jesus on the Mountain experience was the most incredible point in my young life. Short lived as it was, I had the youth ministry to help me along the way. A haven of sorts that I, we, could go to and hang out on any given night - all night in some cases. We used to find ourselves sitting on the hoods of our cars in the parking lot of the church until all hours of the night talking about life, safe within the property of Mother Church. The chapel was open all night long, the blessed sacrament always there to give us strength.

Not long after our first 'Mountain Experience' we were invited to return to that mountain to get another glimpse of the Holy of Holies, through the veil of the Holy Spirit. We packed hundreds of kids on 5 mega size buses and made the trip to Camp Get Away again. The second time up the mountain was so much sweeter because we knew where that 'mountain' was now. We learned about being 'baptized in the spirit' and we were all there in that 'Upper Room' waiting for that Pentecost to come for us too. The Spirit would be called down upon us and we would see and know for sure the Love of Jesus once again.

The second time coming 'down the mountain' was not as painful as the first time, because we now knew what to do to maintain that 'mountain top' feeling when we got home. We had begun to build that community of faithful kids that knew where to find each other at any time of day or night. We created safe places for each other. I spent A LOT of time in other people's houses and bedrooms during those years of my life, because my father went through a very ruthless period in his life. I knew too much and he had to stomp me every chance that he got. God bless him...

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path...

There happened to be one particular portion that made this journey into Christianity a little softer. That was the dawn of Contemporary Christian Music. Singers like Amy Grant, (whom I am listening to at this very moment on my pod), The Imperials, and groups like Petra and many others. Contemporary Christian music was the soundtrack to our lives back then. We had a DJ that carted hundreds of 'records' (yes we had records back then) with his stereo and turntables to Camp Get Away and he would serenade us with Holy music that was uplifting and sometimes painful.

Much of the life of a young Christian boy or girl was shaped by the music that was the backdrop to any retreat. Even today, if I hear a particular song, (I collect Contemporary Christian Music from the 80's) I will be transported directly to a specific point in time - I can see it, feel it and can describe in fine detail exactly who I was with, what was going on and why that piece of music impacted me so deeply...

If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart...

I've seen the face of Jesus. and tonight I heard him say

"Well done good and faithful servant..."

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SUMMARY: Rowan Williams remains "committed" to Anglicanism's stance against extramarital sex, while bishops push rhetoric against gays and their allies to new heights.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said he remains "committed" to the Anglican Church's official stance against gay sex in an attempt to preserve biblical norms, The Times of London reported.

"I do not believe that sex outside marriage is as God purposes it," Williams said Tuesday. He spoke as controversy swirled around the acceptance of homosexuality within the church at global Anglicanism's decennial Lambeth Conference in England.

"Are we heading for schism? Well, let's see. If it is the end of the Anglican Communion, I do not think anyone has told most of the people here," Williams told The Times.

Division within the church arose after openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson was consecrated in the United States in 2003.

Afterward, church elders decreed that no more gay bishops could be consecrated. Liberals within the church are hoping to reverse that ruling by the time the next General Convention meets in the summer of 2009.

In the fray, 230 bishops boycotted the Lambeth Conference and organized their own rival meeting, Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, in Jerusalem last month.

Others went to Lambeth, but used it as a platform against Robinson and everyone who supports him.

Daniel Deng, archbishop of Sudan, called for Robinson to step down, blaming Robinson for the boycott and saying his behavior "violated Anglican norms," the BBC reported.

Deng said Anglicans in other nations, such as Sudan, face discrimination because of Robinson's ordination.

"We are called 'infidel' by the Islamic world," the BBC quoted Deng as saying. "When they are hearing our brothers and sisters from other parts of the Christian (world), when they are talking to the same sex to be blessed, immediately it gives them the way out to tell people these people are evil and they can even harm our people more."

The bishop of Fort Worth, the Right Rev Jack Iker, went a step further, telling the Times of London that bishops "who stand in solidarity with Gene Robinson" should leave.

"Having failed in several attempts to include Gene in the conference, his supporters should themselves feel a sense of rejection from the conference itself," Iker told the Times. (The Advocate)

I have decided not to make any official kind of response. It seems to me that the challenge is not so much to me as it is to the Episcopal Church, and specifically to its House of Bishops, our polity as a Church, and the canons which were followed to the letter in my election and consecration.

But I will reflect on a few questions raised and thoughts I've had since.

First, this is also about the faithful people of New Hampshire who called me to be their bishop. Everyone

seems to forget that I am not here representing myself, but rather all the people of the Diocese of New Hampshire, with whom it is my privilege to minister in Christ's name. They have called me to minister with them as their Bishop, and suggestions that I resign ignore the vows that I have taken to serve myflock in New Hampshire. I would no more let them down or reneg on my commitments to them than flyto the moon. We may be the one diocese in the entire Communion who is, for the most part, beyond all his obsession with sex and are getting on with the Gospel. They would be infuriated, as well they should be,if I entertained any notion of resigning. And it is not just Gene Robinson who is being denied representation at the Lambeth Conference, it is the people of New Hampshire who have been deprived of a seat at the table.

Second, those calling for my resignation seem to be under the impression that if Gene Robinson went away,
that all would go back to being "like it was," whatever that was! Does ANYONE think that if I resigned,
this issue would go away?! I could be hit by a big, British, doubledecker bus today, and it would not change
the fact that there are faithful, able and gifted gay and lesbian priests of this Episcopal Church who are known and loved for what they bring to ordained ministry, who will before long be recognized with a nomination for the episcopate (as has already happened in dioceses other than New Hampshire), and one of them will be elected.

Not because they are gay or lesbian, but because the people who elect them recognize their gifts for ministry in that particular diocese. We are not going away, as much as some would like us to. That toothpaste isn't going to go back into the tube! Not if the Bishop of New Hampshire resigns. Not if the "offending" bishops leave the Lambeth Conference. Not ever.

Though violence is a huge problem-one that will take years and years to correct-Trivani has taken the first step and implemented a widow's microfinance program in Kaberamaido, one of the poorest areas of the country. These widows see some of the worst violence of any group, so this program will provide hope for thousands of women who have nowhere else to turn.

Currently, fifty widows are attending a vocational training school to learn skills such as cooking, sewing, and jewelry making. These skills will help the widows to better support their families and the orphans that many of them have taken in. Trivani is paying for each widow's education and has also partnered with the headmaster of a private secondary school, who has agreed to produce the school curriculum and organize the teachers and classes for these widows.

Seen over on: Randall's Blog, Flickr Retreat Chapel - Chicago

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

My Tuesday's have been upset because of class, and I am disconnected from the hive, and tonight I am feeling a little out of sorts because of my missing a few meetings. Today was an uneventful day as my Tuesday's have been the same as the rest for years.

I spent coffee time with my friends before hand and we walked over for set up. Funny that the matriarch of the meeting comes earlier and earlier to the church so that we have time to visit before I have to leave the church as the Angelus bells ring from the bell tower of St. Leon's Church in Westmount.

I made it to class on time and handed in my latest reflection paper in early. I have to say that the discussion in class has gotten very lively. We've been discussing Richard Dawkins, who is a staunch Athiest and Alister McGrath who discusses Dawkins in a lecture given at Babbage Lecture Theatre, Cambridge.

McGrath writes:

"Pretending the religion is the only problem in the world, or the base of all pain and suffering, is simply no longer a real option for thinking people. It's just rhetoric, masking a difficult problem we all need to address - namely, how human beings can coexist and limit their passions. There is a very serious problem here, which needs to be discussed openly and frankly by atheists and Christians alike - namely, how some of those who are inspired and uplifted by a great vision of reality end up doing such dreadful things.

This is a truth about human nature itself. It can easily be accommodated with specifically Christian understanding of human nature, which affirms that we bear the "image of God" while being fallen on account of sin. To put it very simplistically, the lingering remnant of divine likeness impels us to goodness; the powerful presence of sin drags us down into a moral quagmire, from which we can never entirely escape."

Has Science eliminated God? Richard Dawkins and the Meaning of life, pgs. 200-201

I came home and remembered that I had an appointment to write a friend about her life. I have been following her blog religiously for months now. Tuesday is the day I go to church at the Cathedral and I take my friends to church with me and I lay their problems down at the altar. So I spent the better part of an hour when I got home doing that. We've had the discussion of "Should I stay or Should I go" for months now, and it seems that we have come full circle because she has asked this set of questions once again. And again, we have to stop and assess the situation as it is today, and see what has transpired over the last few months since our last communicade, and sit down and ask ourselves a few pointed and sometimes harsh questions.

There are no half measures when it comes to sobriety.

There are three places an addict can find themselves if they don't find recovery, they are Institutions, Jails and finally Six Feet Under. There comes a time in recovery when we reach a point of no return with others who are in the grips of addiction and self destruction that one must assess the viablility of maintaining a relationship with someone who clearly does not strive to clean up their act. Every living person had one redemptive quality about themselves, and I write:

"The fact that you see One Redempive Quality in your husband is so very admirable. And Unlike most, we tend to miss the redemptive quality, while looking for everything that is wrong with said person.

Everyone has a redemptive quality about them. The junky, the addict, the alcoholic and the abuser. The caveat here is this, does the offense overshadow or outperform the redemptive quality of said person? Is it time to hang up your coat and walk away?

Has redemption passed for him? Has he reached the point that redemption has come and gone? Aren't you fed up with this already? For Christ's sake, enough already. havn't you had enough? I know if it were me I would have shipped his ass off to rehab somewhere where he would not get out until he was clean and mentally taken care of.

Is it time for you to call it a night? The [battered] wife, usually goes back because it is all she knows. Until she claims herself free and walks away from her abuser,then she is ready to start her life again without the violence. Oh but he will not do that again, he only does it because he loves me, he is not really a bad man. I see it in him, [every time he drops his pants].

He's abused you enough. Don't you agree, this train is not coming into the station, it is running at warp speed and you are powerless to stop it. And the only way that it is going to stop is when you get off the ride, mentally, emotionally and most importantly physically..."

Found On: Anglican Journal

MARITES SISON
staff writer

Canterbury, England
Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, primate of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan and bishop of Juba, Tuesday said Bishop Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop of New Hampshire, must resign for the sake of the unity of the Anglican Communion, which has been deeply divided over the issue of homosexuality.

Archbishop Deng Bul and his fellow bishops have also issued a statement calling on both the Canadian and American churches to “refrain from ordaining practicing homosexuals as bishops or priests,” to refrain from approving same-sex blessings, and to “respect the authority of the Bible,” among others.

The Sudanese bishops said that the consecration of Bishop Robinson and the approval by the Vancouver-based diocese of New Westminster of same-sex blessings has “seriously harmed the Church’s witness in Africa and elsewhere, opening the  church to ridicule and damaging its credibility in a multi-ethnic world.”

Archbishop Deng Bul came to the media centre Tuesday afternoon to explain the statement issued by Sudanese bishops attending the Lambeth Conference at the University of Kent here. ”I’m representing my people in the Sudan and (same-sex relations) is not what’s found in the Bible,” said Archbishop Deng Bul. “Gene Robinson should resign. For me, if he says he is a good Christian, he should resign for the sake of the church. The Anglican norm has been violated.”

Asked how Bishop Robinson’s resignation would halt a breakdown in the nearly 80-million strong communion, he said, “I think there’s already a breakdown. You have 300 bishops who have stayed away because of Gene Robinson. Can’t Gene Robinson not resign to allow the 300 bishops to come back to the house?”

He said that some bishops have boycotted the conference despite the absence of Bishop Robinson who was not invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury because “the question is not whether he comes in or not. The question is what is the statement for dealing with Gene Robinson?”

Archbishop Deng Bul said he and other bishops opposed to the consecration of Bishop Robinson and the blessing of same-sex unions in the Vancouver-based diocese of New Westminster decided to come because he wanted “to make this statement. I came to make this statement because I have to speak here, not from outside.”

He also said that bishops present at the conference who have consecrated Bishop Robinson “should confess to the conference because they’ve created an outcry for the whole Anglican world.” He added: “We are pleading to them, we are for the Anglican world and we want it to be united. We are not throwing anybody away but to say that this is not the norm of the Anglican world.” Archbishop Deng Bul said there are no homosexuals in the Sudan. “They have not come to the surface. We don’t have them.”

The Sudanese bishops’ statement as well as those issued by Archbishop Deng Bul have provided the first indication that the conference, which had been off to a quiet and peaceful start, is now moving into shakier ground as discussions have began on how to address the fractured unity of the communion.

Archbishop Deng Bul said he was uncertain whether indaba, the African way of settling disputes where people are divided into groups, which has been adopted by the conference, would work in settling the divisions in the communion. “I cannot tell what’s going to come out, but we haven’t seen the way out. People are talking about how to stay together, how to listen, but the main issue we came for hasn’t been discussed,” he said.

He said that about 150-200 bishops representing the “Global South” met Tuesday afternoon to discuss and exchange their views on the progress of the conference. He did not elaborate.

In their statement, copies of which were released to the media, the Sudanese bishops said: “We have come to attend the Lambeth Conference, despite the decision of others to stay away, to appeal to the whole Anglican Communion to uphold our unity and to take the necessary steps to safeguard the precious unity of the church.”

Shortly after Archbishop Deng Bul’s press conference, Rev. Charles Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, issued a statement saying that the American church “has enjoyed fruitful collaboration” with the dioceses of Sudan. “Our goal has been to make a difference... to respect the dignity of every human being and it hasn’t changed,” he said.

As of press time, the Anglican Journal was unable to get reactions from Canadian and American bishops who are attending closed-door sessions.

Becoming a super hero always seems to happen by accident or some Strange Incident, so I imagine I'd be ordering a bagel and instead of giving me scallion cream cheese the dude would give me Radioactive Cream Cheese and Zap! I'd have super powers.

My first choice is always to be able to fly, because then I could irritate all my friends by flying above them and throwing fruit at their heads.  Small fruit, of course.

I'm not a total asshole.

Then I think that maybe I'd want Super Strength, so I could play in the NFL and be The Best or maybe just be able to shove people really hard when they walk too slow.

The more I think about it though, the more I realize that along with some cool super powers, I'd be destined to get some kind of lame super power, like the ability to fix staplers when the staples get all stuck in there.

Not that I wouldn't be in demand, because I would.

Nothing is more annoying than having a stapler jam on you.  You sit there, swear under your breath, then open the thing up.  Then you have to start digging at the little crunched staple that somehow messed up the whole damn operation and you always end up pricking your finger.

With me around though, the world would be free of this annoyance.

The instant someone's stapler jammed, I'd get this feeling that Something Is Not Right, and I'd fly off to save the day.

It'd be a kind of crappy life for a super hero, always having to read about how Superman saved some kids (who were probably brats anyway) from a fire while I was off helping Steve in HR resuscitate his Swingline Heavy Duty.

But I'd do my duty because that would be The Good Thing To Do.

With great power comes great responsibility, right?

Right.

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer

LONDON - The oldest surviving copy of the New Testament, a 4th century version that had its Gospels and epistles spread across the world, is being made whole again — online.

The British Library says the full text of the Codex Sinaiticus will be available to Web users by next July, digitally reconnecting parts that are held in Britain, Russia, Germany and a monastery in Egypt's Sinai Desert.

A preview of the Codex, which also has some parts of the Old Testament, will hit the Web on Thursday — the Book of Psalms and the Gospel of Mark.

"Only a few people have ever had the opportunity to see more than a couple of pages of the (Codex)," said Scot McKendrick, the British Library's head of Western manuscripts. The Web site will give everyone access to a "unique treasure," he said.

Discovered at the Monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai by German Bible scholar Constantine Tischendorf in the mid-19th century, much of the Codex eventually wound up in Russia — just how exactly the British Library won't say, citing lingering sensitivity over the circumstances surrounding its removal from the monastery.

The British Library bought 347 pages from Soviet authorities in 1933. Forty-three pages are at the University Library in Leipzig, Germany, and six fragments are at the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg. And in 1975, monks stumbled on 12 more pages and 40 fragments stashed in a hidden room at the monastery.

Biblical scholars are thrilled at the news that the Codex Sinaiticus — divided since Tischendorf's trip to the monastery in 1844 — is finally being put back together, albeit virtually.

In the past, anyone wishing to examine the document first hand would have had to approach the British Library "on bended knee," said Christopher Tuckett, a professor of New Testament studies at Oxford University.

"To have it available just at the click of a button is fantastic," he said. "You could do in two seconds what would take hours and hours of flicking through the leaves."

Handwritten in Greek more than 1,600 years ago — it isn't exactly clear where — the surviving 400 or so pages carry a version of the New Testament that has a few interesting differences from the Bible used by Christians today.

The Gospel of Mark ends abruptly after Jesus' disciples discover his empty tomb, for example. Mark's last line has them leaving in fear.

"It cuts out the post-resurrection stories," said Juan Garces, curator of the Codex Sinaiticus Project. "That's a very odd way of ending a Gospel."

James Davila, a professor of early Jewish studies at St. Andrews University in Scotland, said the Codex also includes religious works foreign to the Roman Catholic and Protestant canons — such as the "Epistle of Barnabas" and the "Shepherd of Hermas," a book packed with visions and parables.

Davila stressed that did not mean the works were necessarily considered Scripture by early Christians: They could have been bound with the Bible to save money.

The Codex itself is a fascinating artifact, representing the best of Western bookmaking, Garces said. The parchment was arranged in little multipage booklets called quires, which were then numbered in sequence.

"It was the cutting edge of technology in the 4th century," he said.

The British Library bound its quires into two volumes after their purchase from the Soviets, one of which is kept on show in a climate-controlled, bulletproof display case. Visitors can peer at the ancient book, but only see two pages at a time.

By next July, the entire Codex will be available for free — along with transcription, translation and search functions — on the Internet.

___

On the Net:

Codex Sinaiticus site: http://www.codexsinaiticus.org

"It's like one of those paradigm shifts," Julie said of her family's trip to Nepal. When asked to elaborate she draws several parallels between the US and Nepal; parallels that shed light on monumental differences between both countries. Differences like the fact that basic comforts such as running water and electricity are not a universal human right or that she now feels a little guilty driving her car with empty seats (in Nepal people wait hours for a bus that, upon arrival, may literally be bursting with people). "We just have so many options here."

About the Nepalese, Julie says that they are "beautiful people, quite peaceful. Everyone is industrious and hardworking; you can tell they want more and want to better themselves. They're so gracious. They gave us the best of what they had to give" And the children? "The kids are so eager to learn and so excited to have schools. The parents seem to realize that by educating the children there is hope for a better future."

About Trivani's work in Nepal, Julie observed that the schools being built are not only the nicest buildings in the whole community but are the center of the village, the hub. "You could tell that they took a lot of pride in these schools by how they were painted and adorned with garlands. The schools were built with pride and attention to detail. Everything is hand-made. It was obvious they wanted to turn out the best product they could." However, she makes note that the work Trivani is doing in these villages is much more than just building schools, "It's about the teaching." She goes on to explain that Trivani doesn't simply go into a community and start building a school-it takes a lot of community involvement and cooperation. Community members are learning and cultivating skills that can then be used for other community projects such as building a library or a community center. "It's amazing to see that a little encouragement from a company like Trivani starts a fire within the community." People see possibility and are driven to action.

And about her children, "I was very proud of them." They are already talking about the next country they can visit and be of service in. "It's contagious," Julie says "everyone wants to help."

Read more about the Steed's trip to Nepal.

]]> http://misurene.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/courtliness-ingressive-the-general-public-in-point-of-blogs/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:09:39 +0000 misurene http://misurene.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/courtliness-ingressive-the-general-public-in-point-of-blogs/ A Invoke Use gangplank the Gaea as for Blogs.

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SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI met privately on Monday with Australians who were sexually abused as children by priests, in a gesture of contrition and concern over a scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic church.

The pontiff held prayers and spoke with four representatives of abuse victims -- two men and two women -- in the last hours of a nine-day visit to Australia for the church's global youth festival.

The abuse scandal was a sour undertone to the trip. On Saturday, Benedict delivered a forthright apology for the scandal, saying he was "deeply sorry" for the victims' suffering.

But victims' supporters said this was not enough and have demanded that Benedict do more to provide financial compensation and psychological help for them.

The Vatican did not give details of the conversations between the pope and the victims he met for about one hour Monday.

"In an expression of his ongoing pastoral concern for those who have been abused by members of the church, his holiness celebrated mass with a representative group of victims," the Vatican said in a statement.

"He listened to their stories and offered them consolation. Assuring them of his spiritual closeness he promised to continue to pray for them, their families and all victims.

"Through this paternal gesture, the holy father wished to demonstrate again his deep concern for all victims of sexual abuse," it said.

The pope, who has made repairing damage caused by the scandal one of the themes that defines his papacy, held a similar meeting with clergy abuse victims in the United States during a visit there in April.

The meeting and Mass in Sydney took place between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. at the residence in Sydney's St. Mary's Cathedral, where Benedict stayed for five nights during the World Youth Day festival that drew more than 200,000 pilgrims to the city. The pope's plane was due to leave Australia for Rome later Monday.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the pope waited until the end of his visit to Australia to meet victims because he wanted to keep the abuse issue separate from World Youth Day, a six-day series of celebratory events designed to inspire a new generation of Christians.

In a final Mass on Sunday under threatening skies, Benedict urged young Christians to be agents of change because "the world needs renewal."

"In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair," the pontiff said.

The pope said it was up to a new generation of Christians to build a world in "which God's gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished -- not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed."

The Vatican said 350,000 faithful from almost 170 countries packed the Randwick race track for the final Mass on Sunday -- many of them camping out in sleeping bags in the mild chill of the Australian winter -- as well as a global television audience.

Lombardi said it was Sydney's biggest crowd since the Olympic Games in 2000

Sometimes I just want to wander around aimlessly by the shore. But we live too far away from the water for me to be able to do that. So It's 4:43 a.m. and I am still up, I was reading from one of my books, and it got me to thinking about self. Are we who we present ourselves to be? Do we stand for something greater than ourselves? Do we remember the person we are at all times? Have I failed in some way to be that person I was meant to be to all of my friends and fellows?

Am I the man I am supposed to be? The Gospel from today is Matthew 13:24-43

The Parable of the Weeds

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

" 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

This Gospel comes to us at the right time. Are we sowers of good seed? I've been reading from a history of John Paul II - The Power and the Glory, Inside the Dark Heart of John Paul II ... I have read most of this text which is quite large. The text that I have been reading through the chapter titled "Beyond Belief." So many men are called to the ministry, and many of them have sinned the greatest sin. Against themselves, against children and against God.

We have heard in recent days that His Holiness Benedict XVI has apologized for the sins of the priests of the church.

"Until the 1980's, John Paul II and many of his cardinals and Bishops, including [Then: Cardinal Ratzinger,] chose to ignore centuries of sexual abuse by priests. There is undeniably a direct unbroken line which stretches back over centuries from the present scandals of paedophile priests back to the first millenium." pg. 273

Our writer goes on the tell us that Cardinal Ratzinger the head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the faith warned his people of the severe penalty that would be handed down if these cases of abuse went to trial in the civil arena. Pope Benedict was complicit in keeping these secrets from the light of day under the Highest Secrecy that the Vatican could keep up. And now as Pope Benedict, he must find his way through these issues where he was so complicit over the 25 years that John Paul II was Pope.

John Paul II was of the thought that the priesthood was an exalted position and that nothing could go wrong in the eyes of a priest [his priests]. John Paul II protected men and kept secrets.

"The Roman Catholic Church looked after its own, and offending clerics could not be brought before civil courts unless specific permission was obtained to do so." pg. 270

*********************************

The world is watching Lambeth and those who sit outside the meeting are wondering what is going on inside, as +Gene Robinson and many others were not invited to join the conference.

Taken from +Gene's Blog: Canterbury Tales from the Fringe.

Never have I felt more in need of your prayers. As I write this, the opening service of the Lambeth Conference is going on at Canterbury Cathedral. I am a few miles away -- but it feels like a much further difference. I am not appearing at the opening service, as I promised the Archbishop.

I usually don't like going to places when I don't know anybody, especially something like this, but when I go to be of service it's a lot easier because there is a job to be done. Well I went there and it turned out they didn't need me. My first reaction was to leave then...I thought to myself who would I talked to? But I realized this was a great opportunity to network and practice talking to people in these kinds of atmospheres.   So I went around the property a couple of times scoping it out and finally started to talk to people.

The easiest way to talk to someone you don't know, is to just talk about them! People love to talk about themselves and I love learning about people, engaging them, it's now a lot easier to do.

Being willing to help others has become a natural thing for me now. Before you couldn't ask me to do anything for you unless you payed me. Being of service has helped me in infinite ways, and now I have some people I know in the tech world, so we'll see where this goes.

Much Love,

Mike

If he did not want this to come to pass, he would have included those who are celebrating and meeting just across the field from where they are meeting. There is trouble because the Archbishop feels better to include some and not all, and he fears the "Other" more than he fears faith. Had the Archbishop of Canterbury had some BALLS he would walk across the field, and ask the others to join the meeting.

By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer

CANTERBURY, England - The head of the Anglican Communion said Sunday that the global fellowship faces "one of the most severe challenges" in its history, and he urged bishops at their once-a-decade Lambeth Conference to do the hard work of finding solutions.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said the Anglican family's most immediate need is for "transformed relationships" so they don't break apart over homosexuality and the Bible.

"We all know that we stand in the middle of one of the most severe challenges to have faced the Anglican family in its history," he said in an address to the 650 bishops at the assembly.

But he said the world fellowship has survived other crises in its centuries-long history, and he has faith that church leaders can overcome the most recent troubles.

"Whatever the popular perception, the options before us are not irreparable schism or forced assimilation," Williams said. "It is not an option to hope that we can somehow just carry on as we always have."

Williams made the comments as church leaders in Canterbury emerged from days of prayer and turned to the business of their meeting. In Bible study and small group discussion, they will try to rebuild the ties among Anglican national churches that shattered after the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

The work of the meeting, which runs through Aug. 3, is complicated by a boycott. About one-quarter of the invited bishops — theological conservatives mostly from Africa — stayed away because Williams invited bishops from the U.S. and elsewhere who accept gay relationships.

Williams called their absence a "wound" and asked participants to pray for the boycotters. He barred Robinson and a few other problematic bishops from the conference.

Still, Robinson is in Canterbury, staying on the outskirts of the meeting, working with advocates for Anglican gays and lesbians and hoping to meet as many overseas Anglican bishops as possible.

The 77-million-member Anglican Communion is a global fellowship of churches that trace their roots to the missionary work of the Church of England. It is the second-largest group of churches in the world, behind Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

Anglicans have long held together divergent views of Scripture and ritual. But those divisions have been widening as Anglican churches in the developing world, where strict Bible interpretation is the norm, have become the biggest and fastest-growing in the communion.

Last month, a group of Anglican conservatives from Africa, Australia and elsewhere formed a new network within the fellowship that challenges Williams' authority, but stops short of schism. Some of the network organizers are attending Lambeth, but most are staying away.

Other religious groups are facing similar divisions over how they should interpret Scripture, and they are closely watching the outcome of the assembly. Several Vatican officials are among the ecumenical participants at Lambeth.

The meeting was designed without any votes or legislation, and no one expects the Anglicans to resolve their problems by the assembly's end. Organizers instead hope their discussions will help clarify what direction they should take to stay together.

"A Lambeth Conference is not a political meeting about organization or structure alone, but it is a spiritual meeting," said Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, head of the Anglican Church of Australia. "We must go into this confident that a way has been found to the Father ... . We must be confident that that way is there."

Barangaroo, Sydney Harbour
Thursday, 17 July 2008

Source: Vatican.va site World Youth Day Celebrations

Dear Young People,

What a delight it is to greet you here at Barangaroo, on the shores of the magnificent Sydney harbour, with its famous bridge and Opera House. Many of you are local, from the outback or the dynamic multicultural communities of Australian cities. Others of you have come from the scattered islands of Oceania, and others still from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Some of you, indeed, have come from as far as I have, Europe! Wherever we are from, we are here at last in Sydney. And together we stand in our world as God’s family, disciples of Christ, empowered by his Spirit to be witnesses of his love and truth for everyone!

I wish firstly to thank the Aboriginal Elders who welcomed me prior to my boarding the boat at Rose Bay. I am deeply moved to stand on your land, knowing the suffering and injustices it has borne, but aware too of the healing and hope that are now at work, rightly bringing pride to all Australian citizens. To the young indigenous - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders - and the Tokelauans, I express my thanks for your stirring welcome. Through you, I send heartfelt greetings to your peoples.

Cardinal Pell and Archbishop Wilson, I thank you for your warm words of welcome. I know that your sentiments resonate in the hearts of the young gathered here this evening, and so I thank you all. Standing before me I see a vibrant image of the universal Church. The variety of nations and cultures from which you hail shows that indeed Christ’s Good News is for everyone; it has reached the ends of the earth. Yet I know too that a good number of you are still seeking a spiritual homeland. Some of you, most welcome among us, are not Catholic or Christian. Others of you perhaps hover at the edge of parish and Church life. To you I wish to offer encouragement: step forward into Christ’s loving embrace; recognize the Church as your home. No one need remain on the outside, for from the day of Pentecost the Church has been one and universal.

This evening I wish also to include those who are not present among us. I am thinking especially of the sick or mentally ill, young people in prison, those struggling on the margins of our societies, and those who for whatever reason feel alienated from the Church. To them I say: Jesus is close to you! Feel his healing embrace, his compassion and mercy!

Almost two thousand years ago, the Apostles, gathered in the upper room together with Mary and some faithful women, were filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14; 2:4). At that extraordinary moment, which gave birth to the Church, the confusion and fear that had gripped Christ’s disciples were transformed into a vigorous conviction and sense of purpose. They felt impelled to speak of their encounter with the risen Jesus whom they had come to call affectionately, the Lord. In many ways, the Apostles were ordinary. None could claim to be the perfect disciple. They failed to recognize Christ (cf. Lk 24:13-32), felt ashamed of their own ambition (cf. Lk 22:24-27), and had even denied him (cf. Lk 22:54-62). Yet, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, they were transfixed by the truth of Christ’s Gospel and inspired to proclaim it fearlessly.

Emboldened, they exclaimed: repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:37-38)! Grounded in the Apostles’ teaching, in fellowship, and in the breaking of the bread and prayer (cf. Acts 2:42), the young Christian community moved forward to oppose the perversity in the culture around them (cf. Acts 2:40), to care for one another (cf. Acts 2:44-47), to defend their belief in Jesus in the face of hostility (cf Acts 4:33), and to heal the sick (cf. Acts 5:12-16). And in obedience to Christ’s own command, they set forth, bearing witness to the greatest story ever: that God has become one of us, that the divine has entered human history in order to transform it, and that we are called to immerse ourselves in Christ’s saving love which triumphs over evil and death.

Saint Paul, in his famous speech to the Areopagus, introduced the message in this way: “God gives everything – including life and breath – to everyone … so that all nations might seek God and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him. In fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17: 25-28).

And ever since, men and women have set out to tell the same story, witnessing to Christ’s truth and love, and contributing to the Church’s mission. Today, we think of those pioneering Priests, Sisters and Brothers who came to these shores, and to other parts of the Pacific, from Ireland, France, Britain and elsewhere in Europe. The great majority were young - some still in their late teens - and when they bade farewell to their parents, brothers and sisters, and friends, they knew they were unlikely ever to return home. Their whole lives were a selfless Christian witness.

They became the humble but tenacious builders of so much of the social and spiritual heritage which still today brings goodness, compassion and purpose to these nations. And they went on to inspire another generation. We think immediately of the faith which sustained Blessed Mary MacKillop in her sheer determination to educate especially the poor, and Blessed Peter To Rot in his steadfast resolution that community leadership must always include the Gospel. Think also of your own grandparents and parents, your first teachers in faith. They too have made countless sacrifices of time and energy, out of love for you. Supported by your parish priests and teachers, they have the task, not always easy but greatly satisfying, of guiding you towards all that is good and true, through their own witness - their teaching and living of our Christian faith.

Today, it is my turn. For some of us, it might seem like we have come to the end of the world! For people of your age, however, any flight is an exciting prospect. But for me, this one was somewhat daunting! Yet the views afforded of our planet from the air were truly wondrous. The sparkle of the Mediterranean, the grandeur of the north African desert, the lushness of Asia’s forestation, the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the horizon upon which the sun rose and set, and the majestic splendour of Australia’s natural beauty which I have been able to enjoy these last couple of days; these all evoke a profound sense of awe. It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story - light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth, and living creatures; all of which are “good” in God’s eyes (cf. Gen 1:1 - 2:4). Immersed in such beauty, who could not echo the words of the Psalmist in praise of the Creator: “how majestic is your name in all the earth?” (Ps 8:1).

And there is more – something hardly perceivable from the sky – men and women, made in nothing less than God’s own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26). At the heart of the marvel of creation are you and I, the human family “crowned with glory and honour” (Ps 8:5). How astounding! With the Psalmist we whisper: “what is man that you are mindful of him?” (Ps 8:4). And drawn into silence, into a spirit of thanksgiving, into the power of holiness, we ponder.

What do we discover? Perhaps reluctantly we come to acknowledge that there are also scars which mark the surface of our earth: erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world’s mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption. Some of you come from island nations whose very existence is threatened by rising water levels; others from nations suffering the effects of devastating drought. God’s wondrous creation is sometimes experienced as almost hostile to its stewards, even something dangerous. How can what is “good” appear so threatening?

And there is more. What of man, the apex of God’s creation? Every day we encounter the genius of human achievement. From advances in medical sciences and the wise application of technology, to the creativity reflected in the arts, the quality and enjoyment of people’s lives in many ways are steadily rising. Among yourselves there is a readiness to take up the plentiful opportunities offered to you. Some of you excel in studies, sport, music, or dance and drama, others of you have a keen sense of social justice and ethics, and many of you take up service and voluntary work. All of us, young and old, have those moments when the innate goodness of the human person - perhaps glimpsed in the gesture of a little child or an adult’s readiness to forgive - fills us with profound joy and gratitude.

Yet such moments do not last. So again, we ponder. And we discover that not only the natural but also the social environment – the habitat we fashion for ourselves – has its scars; wounds indicating that something is amiss. Here too, in our personal lives and in our communities, we can encounter a hostility, something dangerous; a poison which threatens to corrode what is good, reshape who we are, and distort the purpose for which we have been created. Examples abound, as you yourselves know. Among the more prevalent are alcohol and drug abuse, and the exaltation of violence and sexual degradation, often presented through television and the internet as entertainment. I ask myself, could anyone standing face to face with people who actually do suffer violence and sexual exploitation “explain” that these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are considered merely “entertainment”?

There is also something sinister which stems from the fact that freedom and tolerance are so often separated from truth. This is fuelled by the notion, widely held today, that there are no absolute truths to guide our lives. Relativism, by indiscriminately giving value to practically everything, has made “experience” all-important. Yet, experiences, detached from any consideration of what is good or true, can lead, not to genuine freedom, but to moral or intellectual confusion, to a lowering of standards, to a loss of self-respect, and even to despair.

Dear friends, life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose (cf. Gen 1:28)! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences, helpful though many of them are. It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this – in truth, in goodness, and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy. Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.

Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life. Thus the “way” which the Apostles brought to the ends of the earth is life in Christ. This is the life of the Church. And the entrance to this life, to the Christian way, is Baptism.

This evening I wish therefore to recall briefly something of our understanding of Baptism before tomorrow considering the Holy Spirit. On the day of your Baptism, God drew you into his holiness (cf. 2 Pet 1:4). You were adopted as a son or daughter of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling place of his Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). Indeed, towards the conclusion of your Baptism, the priest turned to your parents and those gathered and, calling you by your name, said: “you have become a new creation” (Rite of Baptism, 99).

Dear friends, in your homes, schools and universities, in your places of work and recreation, remember that you are a new creation! As Christians you stand in this world knowing that God has a human face - Jesus Christ - the “way” who satisfies all human yearning, and the “life” to which we are called to bear witness, walking always in his light (cf. ibid., 100).

The task of witness is not easy. There are many today who claim that God should be left on the sidelines, and that religion and faith, while fine for individuals, should either be excluded from the public forum altogether or included only in the pursuit of limited pragmatic goals. This secularist vision seeks to explain human life and shape society with little or no reference to the Creator. It presents itself as neutral, impartial and inclusive of everyone. But in reality, like every ideology, secularism imposes a world-view. If God is irrelevant to public life, then society will be shaped in a godless image. When God is eclipsed, our ability to recognize the natural order, purpose, and the “good” begins to wane. What was ostensibly promoted as human ingenuity soon manifests itself as folly, greed and selfish exploitation. And so we have become more and more aware of our need for humility before the delicate complexity of God’s world.

But what of our social environment? Are we equally alert to the signs of turning our back on the moral structure with which God has endowed humanity (cf. 2007 World Day of Peace Message, 8)? Do we recognize that the innate dignity of every individual rests on his or her deepest identity - as image of the Creator - and therefore that human rights are universal, based on the natural law, and not something dependent upon negotiation or patronage, let alone compromise? And so we are led to reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the voiceless, have in our societies. How can it be that domestic violence torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous and sacred human space – the womb – has become a place of unutterable violence?

My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable. Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through the gifts of the Spirit at Confirmation. Let this be the message that you bring from Sydney to the world!

Had the Archbishop of Canterbury invited ALL bishops to attend, there would not have been a boycott of said Lambeth conference. But because of homophobia and bigotry of some of the clergy who are attending and some NOT attending Lambeth, we have this issue to contend with.

By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer

CANTERBURY, England - The spiritual leader of the world's Anglicans said he feels "great grief" that more than 200 bishops are boycotting the Lambeth Conference, calling it a wound to the once-a-decade meeting of the Anglican fellowship.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams expressed respect for the decision of church leaders who stayed away, but he said their absence should not stop participants from trying to repair fractured relations, according to a paper released Thursday containing highlights of his private talk the previous day.

"I don't imagine that simply building relationships solves our problems," he told bishops at a closed-door prayer retreat Wednesday. "But the nature of our calling as Christians is such that we dare not, and I say very strongly, dare not pretend that we can meet and discuss without attention to this quality of relation with each other even if we disagree."

The Anglican Communion is a 77 million-member family of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England, including the Episcopal Church in the United States.

The centuries-old fellowship has long held together with different views of ritual and Scripture. But the communion began splintering in 2003 when the Episcopal Church consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Around one-quarter of the world's Anglican bishops — theological conservatives mainly from Africa — are not attending the Lambeth Conference because Williams invited U.S. church leaders who consecrated Robinson and other church leaders who accept gay relationships.

Robinson and a few other clergy have been barred from the assembly, which runs through Aug. 3. The 650 or so church leaders who are participating are a mix of traditionalists, liberals and others with conflicting ideas on what Anglicans should believe.

Williams has designed a conference program with no votes or resolutions. Instead, the bishops will engage in Bible study and small group discussions on issues ranging from evangelism to the structure of the communion. Williams said the gathering has been set up so "every voice can be heard." The first public event, opening worship, is set for Sunday.

"It's a great grief that many of our brothers and sisters in the communion have not felt able to be with us for these weeks, a grief because we need their voice and they need ours in learning Christ together," Williams said at the prayer meeting.

On Thursday, bishops gathered privately in Canterbury Cathedral, where Williams gave sermons on the role of bishops as viewed through the Gospel.

Details of those talks were not released. But Bishop Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island said the archbishop of Canterbury spoke about how bishops must "call everyone together."

"Many people want us as bishops to align ourselves to one group or another," she said, summarizing his remarks. "But as bishops we must say there is more than just being on one man's side. You have to make decisions for the good of the whole. There's not just one way."

Last month, a group of Anglican traditionalists from Africa, Australia and other regions who are frustrated with Williams' leadership formed a new network within the communion that challenges his authority, while stopping short of schism.

Of Williams' sermon Thursday, Wolf said, "For those who like absolute answers and who wish for him to address the issues in the communion, this was probably a disappointment," but she said most people seemed to find his address inspirational.

Bishop Stacy Sauls of Lexington, Ky., who participated in the retreat Thursday, said he has sensed no animosity from bishops who have condemned the decision to consecrate Robinson. One strong critic, a West African bishop, even hugged him, Sauls said.

But Sauls said, "We're also too soon to get into many issues. The focus right now is on prayer."

It was a very good day. I was up all night programming two new rooms in my IMVU account, because my friend Hunter gifted me with a few thousand free credits, which was a really nice gift. I got a few hours of sleep and started my day as usual.

I met with my spiritual adviser this afternoon and we talked for over an hour about life and my work in the community and she gave me some sage wisdom and cautioned me as well. So I took her advice to heart and all was well. I come to find out that the Rev. Canon will be traveling to the UK to attend Lambeth because she is on a commission of female clergy that will be making a presentation at Lambeth.

I also encouraged her to extend an invitation to +Rev Gene Robinson to come back to Montreal to preach at the Cathedral again, she told me that she had made an invitation to him by email and was told that his schedule is really busy, but we hope that a face to face meeting with Bishop Robinson will change his mind and maybe he can find some time to come and see us again.

This years Outmass has been put on hold until we can secure Bishop Robinson to come and preach for us, the mass usually falls during Pride which is in 2 weeks here in Montreal. But because of the Bishop's busy schedule the Cathedral thought that they would hold off on the mass for a better date.

If you had a chance to go and listen to the sermon which I posted last night for you, Bishop Robinson touched on a number of points. In the church, our church, although some would like to think that we are up to some Gay Agenda, or homosexual truth, we are not. Like many of my Gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters, Jesus is what we think about, its what we talk about and it why we do what it is that we do.

The whole squabble over sexual orientation and the elevation of one man to the position to Bishop and his subsequent marriage to his partner is not all that important. Although some in the Anglican Communion would want you to think that way. Some priests and Bishops in the communion so staunchly hold to the seven deadly scriptures to bolster their argument about homosexuality. What is the real issue, that we are gay or that we are Christians? Or that God so loved us too that he sent his only son to be our savior? We were born of the same stardust that you were. God breathed life into us and He is the one who guides our days and nights, speaks the words that need to be spoken.

We should "Be Not Afraid..."

In his final words Bishop Robinson quotes the prophet Jeremiah and his calling by God. From the first chapter of Jeremiah. Jeremiah 1:4-10

The Call of Jeremiah

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

We are no longer boys and girls. We can no longer afford to hide in the shadows and make excuses for the work that God has asked us to do. To speak the words that need to be said. Bishop Robinson said that each and every one of us knows someone who needs to hear a good word. We all know someone who can benefit from the words only we can speak to them because of our relationship with the people we know best. When we do not have the words to speak, God puts "into our spirits" that which we need.

We should tarry not the work of the Master gardener. So step out there and speak your truth to those who will hear it, share the message of peace and love with those who need it. Go out into the crowd and do good things. Acts 3:1-10

Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

What if what we share with another has the miraculous spark to help someone walk, or to see, or to hear or to feel, what glorious feeling that would be to those of us who work in the field. Be peacemakers. Be Christ like minded people and go out and speak your truth to the world. We are all equals under God. No one is better than the other. We are all just journeymen and women. We follow the same god of our understanding when all is said and done.

As Sisiter Georgette is apt to say to me "Go, DO, Good Works."

Originally posted on: Walking with Integrity

Tonight the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre featured the UK premier of For The Bible Tells Me So, “a provocative documentary about the chasm that separates gay life and Christianity today,” produced by Dan Karslake. It was followed by a conversation and Q&A with the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson and Sir Ian McKellen, Shakespearean actor and star of The Lord of the Rings.

The evening started with a beautiful bass voice giving the standard instructions for everyone to turn off their cell phones and pagers. Turns out it was Sir Ian, who arrived on stage a few minutes later.

He introduced the movie, saying he had seen it in Minneapolis when he was touring with Lear. He then retired to the audience to watch it. The full house was clearly engrossed in the film, laughing, applauding, sighing, and wiping away tears as it progressed. When it was finished, they applauded enthusiastically for well over a minute.

Sir Ian returned to the stage to introduce Bishop Robinson, comparing him to the “heroes” who helped overturn the ban on gays in the military in the UK. Then he introduced Bp. Robinson as “a man of hope, but so much more than, all the way from New Hampshire, all the way from Sodom and Gomorrah, but not all the way from the Lambeth Conference.”

Bp. Robinson entered to laughter and wild applause. He began by introducing producer Karslake and then introducing the audience “to the person who makes my life possible and the love of my life, my partner, Mark Andrew.”

Sir Ian began by asking why the bishop agreed to participate in this film – wasn’t taking care of his diocese enough without getting involved in something larger?

Bp. Robinson told how after all the death threats that followed his consecration, Karslake managed to get past all his security and appear in his office to tell him about his idea for the film. Karslake impressed him with his passion. But more than that, the bishop