A place where Puck might dance

This is the Greenstead Church (The church of St. Andrew at Greensted-juxta-Ongar about 10 miles from Epping).

The author of the unofficial guide to Great Britain describes the churchyard thus "The atmosphere in this little churchyard on a sunny day is absolutely magical! Should you go anywhere near Chipping Ongar this church is an absolute must."

All Saints, Brixworth, Northhamptonshire

"Brixworth is one of the foremost Anglo-Saxon buildings surviving in the United Kingdom.

All Saints, Brixworth is essentially an Anglo-Saxon church, described by Clapham as 'perhaps the most imposing architectural memorial of the seventh century surviving north of the Alps'."

from All Saints, Brixworth, Northhamptonshire , March 23, 2007

by Idle Speculations

Giant birds in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania

Over the past couple years I have noticed an influx of gigantic, almost pre-historic birds into our neighborhood in Perkiomenville. There's a pigfarm about 200 yeards away on the other side of the forest. It has always attracted a large number of scavengers. But these birds seem to be almost of a different species - of a different time. They are large, black, have an enormous wingspan, and menacing nature. They are like Pteradactyls. I fear they could swoop down and snatch away one of our kitties (Harry or Butterscotch). Liberals will of course accuse me of being prejudiced against them. But trust me - these creatures are animals - and they are frightful.

One of these birds is injured and for the past several days has walked through our yard. Today I was fortunate and managed to get this video of him.

If anyone has any idea of what this creature is - please let me know.

Perkiomenville Ice storm, December 15, 2007

Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania ice storm, December 15, 2007 - 7:45 AM.

St. Asaph's - from the inside

As you can see from my post of May 27 below - I enjoy church architecture. I was in St. Asaph's again - this time it was Friday, December 14. Here are some pictures of the inside of the worship chamber.

St. Lucia's Festival at Gloria Dei Church, Philadelphia

St. Lucia's Festival at Gloria Dei Church, Philadelphia, December 9, 2007. Addition clips & Pics.

Pretty song.

St. Lucia 2007 herself.

St. Lucia Festrival, Gloria Dei Episcopal Church, Philadelphia

St. Lucia Festrival, Gloria Dei Episcopal Church, Philadelphia

December 9, 2007

I'm so glad I went to this. It brought tears to my eyes several times in a short (1 hour) performance.

Connie, Philip, Lydia, Margaret, Barry.

Gloria Dei is the oldest church in Philadelphia. It is the second oldest church in Pennsylvania.

Margaret posing at the graveside of the first St. Lucia.

Nan

Buy Nothing (for) Christmas

I couldn't actually do this - but I sure admire and agree with those of us who can.

Buy Nothing Christmas

Audition/Birthday/BonFire

Yesterday was a good day. We had Midsummer Night's Dream auditions. They went well - a lot of talent showed up. Should be a good show. Hope I get cast.

Then the Crushes came over. We celebrated Barry's birthday and made a bonfire in the back. But it never got very big so we came in. Then the kids went out and after a while I looked out and it was huge. They built it up really big.

Then this morning, December 2 was our first snowfall of the winter. Here's our Christmas Holly tree this morning.

Awesome dance blog

Just discovered this really nice dancer blog - The Winger

Winger refers to one who views dance from the wings - e.g. other dancers. There's lots of great dance chat and pics from the wings taken by the contributors.

Here's some pics from a recent performance at Annenberg Auditorium on the Univ of Pennsylvania campus by the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Here's an evocation of the famous modern dancer Ruth St. Denis by Katherine Crockett.

Here's a wings pic of the dance company :

dancing forever..tom

Dead Tree in my Back Yard

I finally reached the terrifying summit of the dead tree in my back yard. I estimate it to be about 70 feet - maybe 80.

Here's what it looks like from up there.

In case anyone is worried for my safety - I am using a harness and rope lanyard - so I cannot fall. Thanks for your concern however.

There's Vic way down there

Success. Unfortunately there's a lot of tree left to get. This took 30 minutes to climb and 30 minutes to cut (I only brought a pruning saw because hey - the limbs look small from down there). It's going to be a huge job - probably knock off till next spring.

Dracula - the ballet

Just have to brag here. My daughter Victoria (A student at Boyertown Middle School) is becoming quite a nice ballet student. She just had a starring role (Sophie) in Dracula at New Horizons Dance Alliance .

Victoria

A Mother's Day flower blooms

Several days ago my lovely wife brought home a Mother's Day flower from church (this was on May 13). Today I notice it had bloomed beautifully. Here it is.

Mothers are magic - in them is our future.

Trip to St. Asaph's in Bala Cynwyd, PA

I visited St. Asaph's Episcopal church in Bala Cynwyd, Pannsylvania near Philadelphia over the weekend. I always enjoy it there. They have a lovely labyrinth which I walked, slowly and contemplatively - trying unsuccessfully, to get temporal concerns out of my head.

It is a majestic, old stone church that now shows signs of wear and tear. This usually means that it is in a hands now of people who cannot match the passion, and spirit of the founders. Certainly the neighborhood is less affluent than it was 100 years ago. But somehow I think is has become a church dedicated to a belief in man rather than God. It calls itself a "Church of radical welcome" - this usually translates into Traditionalists are not welcome here.

Here are some photos I took of this lovely church.

Gargoyle

A perfect image for Pentecost - looks as if the Holy SPirit is coming down from above.

This was really cool. An outside set of stone stairs built into the wall to climb into the bell tower.

Abortion is Back - in 2008

PJB: Abortion is Back – In 2008


by Patrick J. Buchanan

"The partial-birth abortion ban is a little like the state outlawing the beheading of innocent people, while approving of their execution by more humane means. While the ban is most welcome, it remains but a limited victory for those who believe in the sanctity of all human life."

"Look for Right to Life groups to run ads linking the Democratic nominee to this barbaric and now criminal procedure, which even the high court agrees can be treated as a felony, justifying two years in the penitentiary for any abortionist who performs it.





If the Democratic presidential nominee can be credibly portrayed – in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio or Pennsylvania – as seeking the return of this pagan practice, it could be decisive."

Thank you Bishop Bennison for the most secular Easter I can remember

The Right Reverend Charles Bennison of the Pennsylvania Episcopal Diocese paid an Easter visitation to St. Dunstan's church - and in the space of an hour and a half managed to bring up - the Holocaust, our gay and lesbian brothers (now 15% of the population), feminist liberation theology, racism, and several other things that felt more like a New York Times editorial than an Episcopal Easter homily.

I'm sure that he must have casually mentioned the resurrection of Jesus Christ - but somehow I missed it.

Church today was filled with people who come once a year but are perfect candidates for commitment. I cannot imagine how they felt. They could have gotten the same message in a Hillary Clinton stump speech but in half the time.

The Episcopal church deserves its fate. And Bishop Bennison is a perfect escort for its descent.

WANTED: A "SAFE PLACE" FOR ORTHODOX EPISCOPALIANS

Wanted: A safe place for Orthodox Episcopalians

by David Virtue

April 2, 2007

The churches of the Anglican Communion must be a safe place for gay and lesbian people, says the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams. One wishes the Anglican leader had the same concern for besieged orthodox Episcopalians.

Perhaps the ABC should spend some time in the U.S. (he has been invited often enough), and chat with orthodox parishes and their priests caught in revisionist dioceses. If he did, perhaps he might issue another edict. It could read: The Anglican Communion must be a safe place for Anglo-Catholic and Evangelical Parishes and their priests who are being enslaved and persecuted by revisionist bishops who hate them and want them to change their beliefs for The Episcopal Church's new religion.

Now that would be a word that would ricochet around the communion. There would be rejoicing in Africa, Asia and Latin America not to mention in dioceses like Florida, Pennsylvania and California. The raw naked truth is: it is not gays and lesbians who cannot find a "safe place" in The Episcopal Church, they have thousands of "safe" parishes; it is orthodox Episcopalians who are being hounded and harassed by bishops who want to broker a new pansexual religion that the orthodox want no part of.

The Joffrey Ballet's - The Green Table

Nice to see a dance review ( Dancing With Death ) that goes way beyond the generally shallow political understanding of the elite media. I've never seen the Joffrey Ballet's The Green Table - though it was quite a hit decades ago when I went to dance concerts often. I figured that an anti-war polemic in those days must be as shallow as the morons marching in the streets were when I went to Penn on 1969.

Guess I've changed - but then so has the spirit of the times.

Thank you Henry Johnson for a perceptive read.

Snow falls in Audubon Park, March 7, 2007

The virtue(?!) of tolerance

“In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.”

[Dorothy L. Sayers, qu in Charles Colson, Against the Night: Living in the New Dark Ages, Hodder, 1990, p 93.]

Anglican Agonies

Thank you William Murchison for a wonderful column in Human Events.
Anglican Agonies.
2/27/2007

"The media, which had covered civil rights and feminism with sympathy, found gay rights at least as engaging a matter, and as central to modern notions of liberation. If you opposed gay rights -- so the manufactured mythology went -- you probably hated gays...

Who's in charge here, God or us, is roughly the question. That the Bible, God's word, takes a high view of obedience to divine authority and a low view of what might be called I'll Do It My Way, is the real question, not whether to bless same-sex unions in Episcopal churches.

The media, with ample help from gay-rights exponents, helped perpetuate the notion that God was more bystander than participant in a controversy that was about rights and choices, not duties, not obligations, not responsibilities, not behaviors that advanced divine ideals as to the leading of life."

Snow falling in Perkiomenville, PA Feb 25, 2007

Snow falls on my stone circle. Perkiomenville, PA. Feb 25, 2007

The First Sunday in Lent at St. Clements

I went to St. Clements in downtown Philadelphia this morning for Low Mass (Rite 1). I felt like I was home. 1928 Book Of Common Prayer all the way.



What a lovely place for those of us who miss the Episcopal church the way it was for 400 years - until just a few decades ago - when the barbarians took over.

Blessed are the peacemakers

This letter was published Feb 5, 2007 in the Tuscaloosa News:

Dear Editor:

Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers." So, how did Christians turn into Christian-Zionists (evangelicals), elect Bush, and fund the bombing of Iraqi and Palestinian children? And how can they claim to be “pro-life?"

Jean Allen Feb 17, 2007

Anglicans coming back to "The Holy Catholic Church" ?

This is very interesting. Surely no Anglican can feel good about the separation of the Anglican (Church of England) from Catholicism during the reign of Hery VIII. Maybe a reconciliation is in the offing.

Churches back plan to unite under Pope
from the London Times
February 19, 2007

Radical proposals to reunite Anglicans with the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope are to be published this year, The Times has learnt.

The proposals have been agreed by senior bishops of both churches.

In a 42-page statement prepared by an international commission of both churches, Anglicans and Roman Catholics are urged to explore how they might reunite under the Pope.

The statement, leaked to The Times, is being considered by the Vatican, where Catholic bishops are preparing a formal response....

Celebrate Jesus' Entrance into Jersusalem - and be ecofriendly too!!

Thank you Episcopal Church USA - for a good laugh. No other comment is needed.

Episcopal Church and partners offer way to make social and environmental justice part of Palm Sunday celebrations[ENS] Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, accented by the jubilant waving of palm fronds, is re-enacted each Palm Sunday in Christian congregations worldwide as the observance of Holy Week begins. More than 300 million palm fronds are harvested each year for U.S.consumption alone, most of them for Palm Sunday. Unfortunately, for the communities where these palms are harvested, palm fronds do not always represent the same jubilation. The Episcopal Church is joining Lutheran World Relief, Catholic ReliefServices' (CRS) Fair Trade Program and the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Enough for Everyone Program to promote the use of sustainably harvestedeco-palms for Palm Sunday 2007. By purchasing eco-palms for Palm Sunday celebrations, Episcopal congregations can play an important role inprotecting forests, local jobs, and sustainable livelihoods in the harvesting communities.

Happy St. Valentine's Day

Happy St. Valentine's Day.

My daughter Victoria and her friend Sarah took this picture out of our kitchen window into a holly tree in our back yard. There's a Robin in the tree. What would a Robin be doing here in the dead of February?

Nice picture girls.

An excellent reply to homosexual evangelism

Recently the Evesham School Board has come under fire from some parents for showing a film in school to their students that normalizes homosexual behaviour. Here is an excellent editorial from a parent who objected to the showing of such a film to her child in that public school.

"That's a Family! was produced not to encourage tolerance, but to aggressively advocate the normalization of homosexual behavior. The San Francisco-based organization that made the video, Women's Educational Media, says in its mission statement: "We ensure that our films are used to inspire meaningful social change." Other films produced by the group include One Wedding and a Revolution, a "behind-the-scenes look at the days leading up to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's decision to allow lesbian and gay couples to marry," and Choosing Children, a "groundbreaking documentary about lesbians becoming parents."

" film on family life and sexual mores produced by the Catholic Church would never be shown in the public school system. Nor should it be. Family values and sexual mores are areas of great controversy in our society. The taxpayer-funded public school system has no right to step into this debate, redefine the family unit, and establish new sexual norms, just as it has no right to promote a particular religion to the exclusion of others."

Rebecca Nugent
Philadelphia Inquirer
Feb 13, 2007

Bishop Katherine Schori and her army of lawyers

Episcopal Church goes to court in Virginia to retain parishes' property

Complaint asks for compliance with canons, accounting of property

Lawyers from the Episcopal Church USA, filed a 20-page complaint in the County of Fairfax, Virginia, courts on February 9. The complaint lists the Episcopal Church as the plaintiff and names as defendants the former clergy and vestry members of the 11 parishes and missions in Virginia that have chosen to leave the ECUSA for the Anglican communion.

In addition the Virginia Diocese is suing those churches. Also Virginia Bishop Peter Lee inhibited 21 diocese and clergy in mid-January and rescinded the licenses of six others, saying that he was acting on a determination by the diocesan Standing Committee that the clergy "have openly renounced the doctrine, discipline or worship of the Episcopal Church and, therefore, have abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church" because of the votes.

The parishes and missions (of the 195 in the diocese) are: Church of the Apostles, Fairfax; Church of the Epiphany, Herndon; Church of Our Saviour, Oatlands; Church of the Redeemer, Chantilly; Church of the Word, Gainesville; Potomac Falls Church, Sterling; St. Margaret's, Woodbridge; St. Paul's, Haymarket; St. Stephen's, Heathsville; The Falls Church, Falls Church; and Truro Church, Fairfax. Church of the Word and Potomac Falls Church are missions of the diocese; the other nine are parishes.

Although the Bible says that you should not sue fellow Christians in courts - the actions of Bishop Lee and Bishop Katherine Schori make it clear that they will be playing hardball with any church members who disagree with their edicts.

Episcopal Church bars 21 clergy from duties

Acting like Democratic politicans, Islamic Holy Warriors, or mafiosi the leadership of the Episcopal church continues to play hardball with anyone it doesn't like.

Katherine Schori, and the Bishop of Virginia, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, have inhibited 21 priests in the Diocese of Virginia who have publically disagreed with the liberal direction the church is going.

"Jim Pierobon, a spokesman for some of the departed Northern Virginia churches, said, "We at The Falls Church were preparing to offer a service, presided over by an Episcopal priest who remains on our staff, for the handful of folks who disagreed with our decision in mid-December to separate from the denomination.

"But Peter Lee has now cut off our ability to accommodate those whom he says need pastoral care. Once again, Peter Lee appears to be working at cross-purposes," Pierobon added.

The diocese's standing committee met last week to consider the status of the clergy and determined that the clerics had abandoned the Episcopal Church."

The Richmond Times Dispatch

Dex And Julie - at the Arden - mostly cheers

Took my wife to the Arden Theater Saturday for their latest world premier - Dex and Julie Sittin' In A Tree by Bruce Graham.

Briefly, the acting was professional and competent, set design wonderful, a professional and tight script, direction was fine. Length was perfect at 1 hour and 45 minutes. It's a good show although for most of the first act it didn't appeal to me.

Dex and Julie is a show written for the Arden and its clientele - sophisticated, urban and urbane, clever (there is a lot of clever writing in the script). It attempted to appeal to the downtown Philly crowd - and that's where it almost lost me. I don't relate in any way to the famous economist (Dex) - and the very successful professor (Julie) - both late-middle-aged, childless, living well, and successful in everything - well not quite.

I don't like Dex. I don't like men who don't eventually want to settle down and have a family. I'm not saying every man should (probably better that this guy didn't) but I don't relate to a man who can grow into his late 40s, have lots of sex (much of it with young women), and never feel an overwhelming desire for children and family. Also a heterosexual woman who never feels this way is so far from nature that I find her un-realistic. Maybe Bruce Graham intended to set me up like this.

This show takes the first of 2 radical turns that make it suddenly interesting at its mid-point. It humanizes Julie, and sets the stage for an interesting act 2. What was a light, fluffy sit-com is suddenly not light at all. This is noted in the Philadelphia Inquirer review as well.

Then there is a second radical turn in act 2. The Inquirer did not note this. And I'm not sure the target audience will like it. I loved it. I cannot say what happens because it's a spoiler - but I can say it's not politically correct - and it's not normal for the sterotypical urban and urbane, well-educated, successful downtown woman. This turns Julie into a real woman (although dangerously calculating - and very much too cold for my wife).

I never liked Dex. But his character is reflective of a great many successful men today - it's all about him. I came to feel for Julie and see her humanity and true femininity (not the ideological and un-natural femininity we've been exposed to by the media and academia for the past 3 decades).

Bruce Graham is a real pro. The Arden is a very good theater. This will leave you with a lot to think about. And so I'd recommend this show.

Episcopal Revisionism comes to The Lord's Prayer.

In church this morning we were given a new version of The Lord's Prayer. My church, St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Pennsylvania has (like much of the rest of The Episcopal Church) been running away from its traditions at full speed - especially the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (which is now forbidden to be used in the Diocese of Pennsylvania).

*************
Aside
- here is The Lord's Prayer in Old English as it would have been recited prior to the Norman invasion of 1066, before the influx of French words into our language -

Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum si þin nama gehalgod tobecume þin rice gewurþe þin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice


Hear this recited in Olde Englisc below



- here is the Lord's prayer in Middle English - as it would have been spoken in England before the Church of England, but after the Norman invasion:

Oure fadir þat art in heuenes halwid be þi name;
þi reume or kyngdom come to be.
Be þi wille don in herþe as it is doun in heuene.
yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred.
And foryeue to us oure dettis þat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris þat is to men þat han synned in us.
And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl.

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

The traditional 1928 BCP version of the Lord's Prayer is this:
OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it
is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive
us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against
us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from
evil. Amen.

Today our rector, Fr. Paul Harris, gave us this which he called The Lord's Prayer, and asked us to recite this during the season of Epiphany. I have not heard this before.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
an earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.


Although the modern language is vulgar - and I dislike addressing the Father as though He were a good buddy ("your" instead of "Thy") all of these updates could be explained by a desire to modernize the text. The real problem however is with "Save us from the time of trial."

What does "Save us from the time of trial" mean? And why have they removed "lead us not into temptation?"

Are they so totally against the doctrine of original sin now that even the notion of temptation must be removed from worship?

If any of my millions :-) of faithful readers can help me with this one I'd really appreciate hearing from you.

thanks,

..tom

The need for clarity

Magnificent article from an Episcopal priest who now regrets his vote to confirm Katherine Schori as Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.

So Much in a Few Words
By James B. Simons
rector of St. Michael’s of The Valley Church, Ligonier, Pa.
Jan 2, 2007
The Living Church Foundation

" "Q. How many members of The Episcopal Church are there in this country?

A. About 2.2 million. It used to be larger percentagewise (sic), but Episcopalians tend to be better educated and tend to reproduce at lower rates than other denominations."

New York Times Magazine. Sunday Nov. 19, 2006 The New York Times was lobbing soft balls to the new Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, when this exchange took place. The more I have thought about her answer to this simple question, the more I am convinced that in a single sentence the Presiding Bishop illustrates rather dramatically the crisis that faces The Episcopal Church. She does so in three ways.

First, she confirms our sense of cultural elitism. In an essay reflecting on his short sojourn into The Episcopal Church, Garrison Keillor described us as the “church in wing-tips, the church of the scotch and soda, worshipping God in extremely good taste.”

Apparently in this case, caricature is reality. We see ourselves as better than other Christians, more privileged, more enlightened. What’s even more amazing is that we are apparently willing to announce this publicly. “We’re better educated than other denominations” would seem to me to be in the class of statements such as “You look pregnant.” Even if it were true, why would you say it out loud, let alone to The New York Times?

I think the answer has to do with mistaking hubris for honesty.This statement is also a slap at our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion where the church is growing rapidly. The clear inference is that those in the global south are less educated and so they have more children, hence the enormous growth of those provinces. This understanding is of a whole cloth with The Episcopal Church’s continued insistence that we know better than the rest of the Communion about issues of sexuality and doctrine. We can dismiss the primitive musings of an uninformed, if growing, Communion. We are, after all, better educated.

Second, the statement illustrates the enormous denial of our church leadership regarding the denomination. People are leaving congregations, congregations are leaving dioceses, and dioceses are seeking a way to be Anglican without being Episcopalian. Even a cursory reading of the pages of this publication will reveal that controversies over issues of sexuality, biblical interpretation, and doctrine are among the primary issues causing this flight. ..."

Hope for the Church of England!

The magnificent Church of England may be on the verge of a revival. I wonder if the Muslim-worship preached by Tony Blair has anything to do with it? In any case it is welcome. Perhaps the Episcopal church here in America is on the verge of the same kind of revival.

Question: How will those who (like me) who were raised in the Episcopal church react when they come home to discover it has been taken over by the Left with it's political and sexual agendas?

"I hope that this Christmas may see the beginning of a modest but definite return to Christianity in this country, where many people have for so long either despised it or been indifferent to it. I think there are, at last, signs that this may be happening. The news that the Church of England's Cathedrals have, in recent years, had to turn away Christmas worshippers because they are full up is quietly encouraging - especially given how enormous many of these buildings are. "

"A religious revival for people who are not really religious"
Peter Hitchens
The Daily Mail
Jan 2, 2007