Episcopal

1. Weekly Communion
2. The worship doesn't change from week to week.
3. No matter what fruitcake things the Rector believes, as long as the 1979 BCP is used
the worship will be orthodox and include the Creeds.
4. In most dioceses gay people can be out and be ordained.
5. Remarriage after divorce is subject to restrictions
6. Continuity with the pre-reformation church (I about swooned with delight when +John Saxby called +Cardinal Wolsey his distinguished predecessor as Bishop of Lincoln)!
7. Tradition is subject to correction based on Reason and Scripture (unlike the RCC).

I'd love to see other people's versions of this list in the comments.

Does anyone use a Book of Remebrance in their church, to list those who have died and those who have donated money in their name? Ours is almost out of space and we've been trying to find a new one for years. The one we have currently is 13" x 10" x 2", about 100 pages, leather-bound and with a woven binding (not spiral). And, the important part, is that the pages are thick enough that you can do calligraphy on both sides of the page without the ink running or showing through.

If you use something like that, could I please know where you purchased the book? We have at least 3 large entries to make and there's only room for one of them.

From Thinking Anglicans:

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Judge rules for national Episcopalians, against Iker’s group

A state district judge on Friday ordered the group of Episcopalians headed by Bishop Jack Iker to “surrender all Diocesan property as well as control of the Diocese Corporation” to Episcopalians loyal to the national church.

Judge John Chupp’s ruling in 141st District Court came after months of legal arguments over who owns church buildings and other property in the 24-county Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

Chupp heard arguments for both sides Jan. 14 and granted a summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs — Episcopalians who have remained a part of the U.S. Episcopal Church.

Chupp wrote that they have legal claim to diocesan property. He ordered the defendants to “provide an accounting of all Diocesan assets within 60 days…”

The Diocese of Fort Worth has this press release: Judge Grants Episcopal Parties’ Motions for Summary Judgment and Orders Surrender of Diocesan Property.

On Friday, January 21, 2011, the Hon. John P. Chupp of the 141st District Court, Tarrant County, Texas, granted the Local Episcopal Parties’ and The Episcopal Church’s Motions for Summary Judgments. He denied the Southern Cone parties Motion for a Partial Summary Judgment The orders can be seen here.

The Court orders provide in part that the defendants, including Bishop Jack L. Iker, “surrender all Diocesan property, as well as control of the Diocesan Corporation, to the Diocesan plaintiffs and to provide an accounting of all Diocesan assets within 60 days of this order.” Additionally, “the Court hereby orders the Defendants not to hold themselves out as leaders of the Diocese.”

The parties are ordered “to submit a more detailed declaratory order within ten days of the date of this order” or by January 31…

The judge’s order is available as a PDF file.

A friend linked to this post of tethys89's, and I thought it might resonate with folks here on episcopal.

Yesterday the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, launched his Not Ashamed campaign. He feels that Christians in the UK are being persecuted. [...]

The Not Ashamed (NA) campaign gives examples of Christians who feel that they have been persecuted. A large number of these persecuted feel that they are persecuted because they are not allowed to use their religion to trump the rights of others to not be hassled over religion, to not be put at risk by ignoring safety risks, to be adopted by a loving couple.
[...]
I just want to say that I am ashamed, I am not ashamed of being Christian, I am ashamed that - in name at least - I share a religion with these people. I am ashamed that when someone discovers I am Christian there is a fair chance that they will assume I am homophobic and anti-choice, that I have a persecution complex. [...]

tethys89 gave permission to link; please feel free to go read the rest.

Hope this isn't too far OT, but:

My NJ church is looking for an organist/choir director: http://www.allsaints-spnj.net/home/organist . I gotta say, the choir is really good, very traditional, though. They mention the organ, but there's also a piano available if the musician wants to use it. AFAIK, it's a paid position.

I think I should set a hymn as my alarm tune. Something like this.

Go praise thou the Lord! It's seven o'clock!
You cannot afford to slumber ad hoc.
Five times you've hit snooze, and you've wasted an hour,
Forget your excuse, and go get in the shower.

Go praise thou the Lord! The prayerbook awaits,
its words unexplored, so get on your skates.
It stands on the shelf for the start of the day,
For Jesus himself rose up early to pray.

Go praise thou the Lord! Praise him in the morn!
You seem to be floored. You don't know you're born.
I wake you at six and you wail that you're sunk,
but just try your tricks as a friar or monk!

Go praise thou the Lord! Take heed what I say:
I know you've implored today's Saturday;
No more may you lurk with alarm clock ignored;
For praising takes work, so go praise thou the Lord!

Who else here is from the KC area and from either the West Missouri or Kansas Diocese?

This past weekend I attended the Believe Out Loud Power Summit in Orlando. I'm working on a blog entry about it, but I'm just curious, how many of you have heard of Believe Out Loud, and is your congregation taking part or thinking about it?

My friend Maria has written and posted
This Litany for children who have died from bullying. It is quite powerful and moving.