Catching Up on Things Episcopal

Due to the press of other obligation, I’ve not gotten around to making some of the posts I have been meaning to write. My post “No Anglican Covenant” really requires some follow-up explaining why I believe an Anglican covenant is a bad idea in principle. Look for some activity on this front soon.

While I was thinking about the Anglican covenant, Bishop Mark Lawrence of South Carolina published his address to the clergy of his diocese. This definitely requires a response. Recall that, soon after Lawrence was elected the first time, I wrote an essay opposing his consecration. I suggested that Lawrence would subvert The Episcopal Church. After a failed attempt to achieve the required consents, he was elected a second time by his diocese. This time he reassured Episcopalians in more convincing words that he would not be a subversive bishop. His reassurances were sufficient to guarantee his consecration. One now has to question the sincerity of Lawrence’s declarations of loyalty to his church. He his sounding a lot like Bob Duncan in September 2003, and we know how that ended!

Various diversions have kept me from fully engaging either of the foregoing projects, not the least of which was my visit to the emergency room of St. Clair Hospital because I was experiencing chest pains. Happily, that turned up only a minor problem from a medical standpoint, and my life is back to what passes for normal.

Another diversion has been more creative. I just finished a poem titled “I Was a Proud Southern Christian,” an autobiographical piece about my spiritual odyssey. (Notice the tense of the verb in the title.) Anyway, the poem may be of interest to Episcopalian readers. And as long as I’m plugging a poem, I should mention another church-related poem from earlier in the summer. Christopher Wilkins, a former vice president of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh and very good friend, was ordained in June. For the occasion, I wrote “Christopher Becomes a Deacon.” Christopher escaped a crazy diocese and joined a sane one, one in which a non-conservative could be ordained. Of course, the Diocese of Pittsburgh is now returning to sanity. Thanks be to God.

Anyway, stay tuned for more essays on things Episcopal. Meanwhile, look for the “No Anglican Covenant” logo, which is now gracing a number of blogs. Does your blog need one?