Katharine Jefferts Schori Goes Soylent Green

The Episcopal Church's leaderene, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has discovered a new virtue, viriditas, or greenness.

Here's what she had to say to her fellow climate change warriors at the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops meeting in Taiwan:

"Where do you meet viriditas? Where is joy and wonder in the world around you? What creative ferment engages and transforms you? All are signs of expanding possibility, divine creativity, and new green shoots emerging.

Typical Greens, Goofing-Off

Then, after referring to Christ as the "Green Man", Schori went on to state:

"This Episcopal Church is in the throes of creative ferment, yearning to find a new congruence that will discover emerging life in new soil, and refreshed growth in the plantings of former years. Our gathering here will offer opportunities to learn of greenness in different pastures, and God willing, transform us to discover abundance and possibility in more familiar ones. 

"Hildegard’s vision motivates all healers of creation who understand the green web of connection that ties creation together in Wisdom’s body. Creation is sacrament of God – the outward and visible sign of the green and growing, creative expression of God who is the origin of all life and liveliness. Viriditas begins in wonder, and emerges to motivate constructive, healing connection between air and ocean, carbon and crops, hunger and floods, Ebola and economic inequality."

The Presiding Bishop concluded by referring to the viridic power of the Apostle Paul:

"As Colossians puts it, be at peace, let the creative word of God take root within you and bear new branches, discover viriditas and truth, and be not afraid. New life is springing forth – be thankful – and pray for the gift of joy and wonder in God’s good, green, creative possibility."

Resisting the urge to ask how much fossil fuel was used to fly the Episcopal hypocrites Bishops to Taiwan, I'll simply direct attention to the dystopian classic, Soylent Green, in which humanity survives by eating people. 

Call it recycling, if you like.

LSP

TEC Loses. Quincy Wins.

Boy Bishop

The Episcopal Church (TEC) has been losing lately, and not just members! After defeats in Texas, South Carolina and Quincy, TEC's lost again in a rearguard spoiler action against the small Midwest Diocese of Quincy. 

After the Diocese of Quincy withdrew from the the Episcopal Church, TEC wasted no time in suing the recalcitrant trads in 2009 for all their money and assets. Part of that meant writing to the Diocese of Quincy's banks and getting $4 million of diocesan money frozen pending a legal outcome in the courts. The court decided against TEC this September, allowing the trad diocese to break free of TEC with its property and cash intact. But TEC isn't one to give up and filed a motion with the courts to keep diocesan money frozen. 

Nice

That was defeated earlier this month, when Judge Orbtal ruled that the Diocese of Quincy was the owner of its money. 

TEC has spent at least $22 million in litigation against traditionalists in the last 10 years. During that time the incredibly shrinking denomination has lost well over 1 million members and now has an average Sunday attendance of maybe 650,000 people. 

Down You Go

Some people would say that TEC's tanking. Others argue that it's going to make a come back, like Detroit, or a bad pop star.

Well done Quincy. 

God bless,

LSP