Rest in Peace

My Father died yesterday afternoon, so no posting for a time.

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

God bless,

LSP

B16 and the Zeitgeist

B16's Coat of Arms

You'll have to forgive me for speculation but I don't think there's much room remaining for bit-part Christian players in the face of militant secularism and Islam. That twin and oddly inter-related threat indicates an urgent call for Church unity; at least that's the way I see it and perhaps the latest announcement from the Vatican concerning a new canonical structure for Anglican converts is a move in that direction. Time will tell; in the meanwhile I've enjoyed this take on the NOTE from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Here's an excerpt, from Let Nothing You Dismay:

"There are those whose visceral suspicion of the Vatican is such that they are already queuing up to accuse Pope Benedict of “poaching” traditionalist Anglican clergy and laity. I’m at a loss to understand their logic. For years we have been told, in effect, to leave because we are not wanted in the new “inclusive” Anglican order. Now we hear that we are being “poached” by the terrible scheming, devious Church of Rome. Could it be that modernists know deep down in their heart of hearts that heterodoxy needs even a vestigial remnant of orthodoxy (however much they affect to despise it) to feed off and in some sense protest against, and that without it they fear they will just wither and die? I shouldn't be tempted into amateur psychology, but I am convinced that some of our ecclesiastical leaders dream they are still taking part in the student protests of the 60s; it would account for their “blue jeans” version of theology; in their hearts they are still fighting “the establishment,” failing to appreciate that they themselves have become the conventional authority figures they so despise. But are liberals so lacking confidence in their newly packaged and zeitgeist-friendly version of the faith..."

It's interesting to see that the ancient Churches of the West and East have both begun to move towards positive dialogue with trad Anglicans as soon as links were cut with the mainstream, "zeitgeist friendly version of the faith." Well, you know what they say, "I don't want a God that looks like me."

Horses and guns tomorrow.

LSP

Hospital, Church, Gun

I didn't go to the range today, but I did get my Father (via ambulance) to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at Methodist Hospital in Dallas this morning. It looks as though he's had a stroke and wasn't really conscious when I left to go back to the country. Difficult.

On a different theme, Pope Benedict announced a new 'structure' to receive Anglican converts into the Roman Church. Interesting news for those who want reunion with the Holy See; I think Virtueonline has the best coverage if you want to read more. Evidently the Archdruid of Canterbury, the Sharia endorsing Rowan Williams, learned about the latest popish plot at a rather late date. Well, there's nothing like being on top of the news.

Speaking of which, Boy Bishop Jefferts Schori, leader of the pelosian Episcopals, has put the boot into Bishop Keith Ackerman. He's been 'inhibited' for 'renouncing his orders' and 'abandonment of ministry', as announced at yesterday's press conference. He's done neither; he has stood for the Faith, Order and Morals of the undivided Church and made the mistake of accepting part time work (he's retired) with the Diocese of Bolivia. Well there it is, another Christian given a mauling by atheistical modern liberal humanists - masquerading as Bishops.

So here's a picture of a gun to cheer myself up.

Thanks to all who've wished my Father well.

Shoot the Lee.

LSP

Anti-Matter Mahdi

Large Hadron Collider

Pulled myself from the sickbed that I've been confined to for the last few days to discover strange goings on in the anti-matter community. According to the Daily Telegraph, two scientists, Holger Nielsen, from Denmark, and Masao Ninomiya, from Japan, have proposed that the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) will be sabotaged by its own future. This is because the Bosun Higgs particle that it might discover may be so 'abhorrent to nature' as to go back in time to stop the Collider's discoveries. Curious, but maybe the threat to the world's largest, highest energy particle accelerator is more present tense.

Large Texan Truck

It seems that one of the nuclear physicists, Algerian Dr. Adlene Hicheur, involved in the LHC project is an aspiring Al Quaeda terrorist - or 'militant'. After his arrest by French police, Hicheur evidently confessed planning to attack nuclear facilities.

Some might say that Hicheur and associates are from the future world of the Twelfth Imam, others again argue that we needn't look so far afield to find apocalyptic adherents of the Mahdi. Either way, terrifying prospect.

LSP

Ecumenism Restarts In The North

Rood Screen at Nashotah

Back from Nashotah House Seminary, Wisconsin, and the first meaningful Anglican-Orthodox dialogue since the 1970s and the descent of Western Anglicanism into the pelosian spectacle it is today. Now that traditional Anglicans have split from the pelosianites talks can begin again, and they did, in the frozen wilds of the North. I found Metropolitan Jonah, leader of the OCA (Orthodox Church in America), compelling; here's an excerpt:

“We stand at a crisis which threatens to undermine the very basis of our culture… only by standing together, united by one Faith, one Heart one Church, will we be able to withstand the onslaught of licentiousness... and fight against it. There is in materialism, there is in secularism only despair.”

Powerful words and, I think, true.

Bishop Melchizadek & Metropoloitan Jonah

I liked what the Chancellor of St. Vladimir's Seminary had to say as well, for example, “A heavy diet of low-cal theology has left our Church emaciated and thin.” Well said, Fr. Hatfield; I hope the discussion between the two Churches continue and that 'low cal' turns into something more substantial. You can read more about the event at Virtueonline if you like.

God bless,

LSP

Its In The Numbers

'Bonnie' Anderson, President, House of Deputies

Still in Wisconsin at the Anglican-Orthodox conference at Nashotah House Seminary; compelling addresses by Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church in America. His theme is that we can't afford disunity in the face of increasingly aggressive secularism and resurgent Islam, to say nothing of Our Lord's prayer that we should "all be one." Jonah gets my vote, unlike the pelosian Episcopal Church, which is being cagey about it's numbers. As found at Bible Belt Blogger via Stand Firm:

That didn’t match what I’d been led to believe by a very reliable source. So I asked Anderson and the Presiding Bishop about the numbers during the press conference. Here’s what they said:

BIBLE BELT BLOGGER: The ASA and membership figures for 2008 have been compiled. I’m wondering if those were shared with the Executive Council this week and what the ASA and membership figures show for 2008 for the domestic dioceses.

PRESIDENT ANDERSON: Yes. (Clears throat). Excuse me, yes, they’ve been, um, circulated to the Executive Council via electronic means but we’re not going to be talking about those per se. Our agenda’s pretty full and we’ll probably be taking those up in the future at our next meeting.

BIBLE BELT BLOGGER: Can you share, though, what the results are?

PRESIDENT ANDERSON: We don’t know. I mean we have it written out but we’ll be posting it I’m sure as soon as we’re, they’re, approved and available. But yes, you’ll be able to get them.

LOCKWOOD: But presiding bishop, can you tell us what they show?

PRESIDING BISHOP JEFFERTS SCHORI: I, I’m sorry. I’m not able to comment on that at the moment. I don’t have it in my head.

BIBLE BELT BLOGGER: Do you know approximately? Can you give an approximation? Are they up or down?

CHURCH PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER NEVA RAE FOX: Frank, we need to move on now. Um, I believe the presiding officers have indicated that the figures will be available at a later time, but not right now. Thank you.

So there you have it. The numbers have been circulated, not passed out. The figures have been shared with the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, but the theologian/scientist can’t comment on them because “I don’t have it in my head.”

Based on the above, do you think the statistics — if they were in the presiding bishop’s head — would be good news or bad news for this badly divided denomination?

Thing's don't seem to be going too well for Boy Bishop Schori and her friend "Bonnie". Hopefully they'll be better for trads in the Diocese of Fort Worth and the OCA, but more of that anon.

God bless,

LSP

Hunt, Church, War

I'm a little jealous of my friend's trout catch but made up for it with some decent shooting - beautiful overcast early evening and enough action to supply a goodish snack for the LSP table; as always, powerful medicine to get out in the field.

Off to the frozen wilds of Wisconsin tomorrow for talks with the OCA (Orthodox Church of America), the Diocese of Fort Worth and ACNA (Anglican Church of North America). The hope here is that some sort of concordat or 'communion statement' will be reached, but more of that later. In the meanwhile...

Why does our government seem set on some sort of 'half mission' in Afghanistan, against the advice of General McChrystal? Seems to me that we should either fight to win, or not at all - an in between effort is surely a tragic waste of lives. Just a thought.

God bless.

LSP

Churches I Don't Like

H/T Hermeneutic of Continuity/Fact Compiler

The trombone at the beginning of the Obamadolatry is especially

good.

Every blessing,

LSP

Riding Logic

Hugely enjoyable morning's ride practicing "flying changes", which is when a horse changes leads at the canter or gallop without transitioning down to a trot. All very equestrian and, for me, a lot of fun, helped in part by Wilhelm Museler's book, Riding Logic. There's an awful lot to take in but Museler's Teutonic precision is softened by his occasional romanticism. Here's an example, in which the author warns us not to jump horses too young:

"...their legs are tired and they just do not want to jump. These are truly sad creatures, the ones who are victims in their adolescence to man's unthinking vanity and selfishness!"

Again:

"...it must be treated with tolerance or one will turn it into something worse than a dead machine."

So, treat the horses right.

Cheers,

LSP