The new leader of the Episcopal Church in America, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, says she does not believe homosexuality is a sin and that homosexuals were created by God to love people of the same gender.

As the Episcopal leadership continues to huff and puff to catch up with the world, it would be helpful if it could tell its members what it regards as sinful behavior, or will the very concept of sin soon be up for negotiation in order to avoid giving offense to anyone?

Truly what Paul, the Apostle, warned would happen in the "end times" is coming true in our day: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine, instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV).

Meeting at the Episcopal General Convention in Columbus, Ohio, the denomination passed a resolution expressing "regret" for consecrating a homosexual bishop three years ago, but it declined to repent of its action. On Tuesday, they voted to continue consecrating homosexual bishops and to permit same-sex unions. But, just 24 hours later, they reversed themselves yet again and adopted a resolution to avoid consecrating additional gay bishops. Apparently, they are so wishy-washy; they are even wishy-washy about their wishy-washiness.

Bishop Schori, a former oceanographer for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle, says, "The Bible tells us about how to treat other human beings and that's certainly the great message of Jesus - to include the unincluded."

This is so outside orthodox Christianity that only biblical illiterates or those who deny the supreme authority of the only book that gives foundation to the faith will accept it.

Anglicanism has suffered from probably irreversible corruption since the days of the late C.S. Lewis and John Stott, who is still with us. These men combined intellectual heft with orthodox belief and had little regard for trends, fads or cultural diversions. They have been replaced by theological dim bulbs that are less concerned about proclaiming truth and conversion than in not offending anyone.

Maybe the question for Bishop Schori and her fellow heretics should be: if homosexual practice is not sin, what is? And how do we know? Or is it a matter of "thus saith the opinion polls" and lobbying groups, rather than "thus saith the Lord"? With the bishop's "doctrine" of inclusion, why exclude anyone? How about applying the religious equivalent of "open borders" and let everyone into the church, including unrepentant prostitutes, murderers, liars, thieves and atheists. If the Episcopal Church denies what is clearly taught in scripture about important matters like sexual behavior, why expect its leaders to have any convictions about anything, including directions to Heaven? How can anyone be sure, if the guidebook is so full of errors?

The leader of Anglicanism, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has promoted this doctrinal wishy-washiness. Williams, who has acknowledged ordaining a priest who is a homosexual, says he opposes cohabitation by heterosexuals because it has a harmful impact on family stability. But the same book that speaks against what we used to call "fornication" before such words died along with the accompanying doctrines, also speaks against the "sin" of homosexual practice. So how can anyone be sure one is true and the other not true, or the reverse, or neither, or both? And who is to say if the church leaders don't know or are afraid to say because they might be criticized as "exclusive."

The Episcopal Church isn't the only denomination having trouble deciding what it believes. The Presbyterian Church (USA) has voted to "receive" a policy paper on sex-inclusive language for the Trinity. Instead of the traditional (and biblical) Father, Son and Holy Spirit, these liberal Presbyterians will consider using "Mother, Child and Womb," or "Rock, Redeemer, Friend," among others. Never mind what God calls Himself. These people want a name change without asking permission.

No wonder liberal denominations are losing members while the conservative ones are growing. The liberal ones don't seem to care. Seeking only to be "relevant" they face condemnation from the One they are supposed to represent, whose attitude about such things is anything but "inclusive."

Conservative Episcopalians are too few in number to stop the theological drift. If they intend to preserve their congregations without further theological seepage, they should "come out from among them and be separate."

A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn’t trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn’t happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it’s awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16; and they will let you in."

So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said,"“John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for awhile and thought to himself: John 3:16...I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.

Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, “Well, just a little. I haven’t eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food," The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16...Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I sure don’t understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big fire hydrant as they flushed it out.

The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16...I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.

The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. "Do you understand John 3:16?"  She asked gently. He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it," She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16....don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.

You know, I have to confess I don’t understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don’t understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don’t understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.

Isn't it strange how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Isn't it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short they seem when you're watching a good movie?

Isn't it strange that you can't find a word to say when you're praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or sporting event, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?

Isn't it strange how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events at the last minute?

Isn't it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?

Isn't it strange ho w we believe everything that magazines, newspapers, television, and the Internet say, but we question the words in the Bible?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven, but they don't want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?

"I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.

I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.

So what's the big deal?  It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue.  Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles.

According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1.  So what would you expect-somebody chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.  If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha And I wouldn't be offended.  It wouldn't bother me one bit.  When in America ...

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument.  What about them?  Nobody is asking them to be baptized.  We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.  If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs.  Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand.  Call your lawyer!  Unfortunately, one or two will make that call.  One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do.  I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights.  Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep.

Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.  Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.  God, help us.

And if that last sentence offends you, well ... sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long ... it's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority don't care what they want ... it is time the majority rules! It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray ... you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him.  That is your right, and we will honor your right ... but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away ... we are fighting back ... and
we WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him. God bless America, despite all her faults, she is still the greatest nation of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

May 2005 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions.

Keep looking up ... In God WE Trust.

Psalm 118:24 ~ "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Well, said Paul Harvey.

Two parishes could be ejected from the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh if they do not drop a lawsuit aimed at blocking a conservative split from the national church, Bishop Robert Duncan warned Saturday.

"Congregations suing the leadership of the diocese is an egregious break in church order," Duncan said, after issuing the proclamation before stunned delegates at the diocese's 139th annual convention at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Moon.

Duncan characterized the admonition as a "last resort" to restore order to the diocese -- which, along with the national church, has been bitterly divided since the denomination consecrated an openly gay bishop last year. Led by Duncan, the Pittsburgh Diocese passed a series of resolutions opposing the move, triggering talk of a potential break from the Episcopal Church USA.

In the wake of the controversy, Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside sued Duncan and other Episcopal leaders last October seeking to ensure that the Episcopal Church USA retain ownership of local church buildings in the event of a split. St. Stephen's Protestant Episcopal Church in Wilkinsburg later joined the lawsuit.

Duncan's warning did not sway Calvary rector the Rev. Harold Lewis

"We will not withdraw the suit," he said. "First of all, we believe that we filed the lawsuit to protect the diocese... We are trying to help the church adhere to its own canonical laws, and that is not an impeachable offense."

St. Stephen's rector, the Rev. Diane Shepard, said she is "concerned and distressed for the well-being of the diocese," then referred further questions to Lewis.

Lewis insisted no court would uphold the expulsion of his or other churches from the diocese.

Still, if the churches do not withdraw their lawsuit, the diocese will vote on severing ties with them either during a special convention or at next year's annual convention in November, Duncan said.

"They have a perfect right to sue us ... but actions have consequences," Duncan said yesterday after the convention.

Diocesan canons allow the convention to dissolve connections to a parish "where there are egregious breeches (sic) of church faith or church order," according to a statement from the diocese.

"It is my earnest hope that we don't have to go there," Duncan said.

Calvary member Ardelle Hopson, 77, a lifelong Episcopalian, said the lawsuit is aimed at healing, rather than furthering, the division within the diocese.

"It's about keeping the church together," she said.

Lionel Deimel, a leader of the liberal Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh, vowed that his group will appeal to the national church and enlist other parishes to stand with Calvary and St. Stephen's.

"They are stepping on these two churches with a very big boot," said Deimel, a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon. "We have considered many possibilities, but we certainly didn't (expect) this vindictive action."

The rift between conservatives and the national church has been widening since August 2003, when the Episcopal General Convention approved the election of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, as bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. Leaders in the Pittsburgh Diocese, which covers 11 counties and includes 77 parishes, are prominent in a conservative wing at odds with the national church over homosexuality.

The diocese on Friday passed a constitutional amendment giving the body the authority to ignore national church resolutions local leaders consider contrary to historical biblical teachings.

Delegates listened to Duncan's warning in silence yesterday, but left St. Philip's buzzing.

"We pray for reconciliation, then we throw two churches out," said Lynn Edwards, a retired priest now active at the St. Matthew's Church in Homestead. "This is not the Episcopal Church where I was ordained some 37 years ago."

The worldwide Anglican Church is in turmoil over Robinson's election and the decision of some American and Canadian churches to bless same-sex unions. Last year the Archbishop of Canterbury created a commission of liberals and conservatives to address the problem.

The 17-member commission last month called on the Episcopal Church USA to apologize for installing Robinson and urged the church to refrain from naming bishops living in same-sex relationships "until some new consensus in the Anglican communion emerges."

---------------------
 
 

Pittsburgh, PA, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- An overwhelming majority of Episcopal Church leaders in western Pennsylvania have voted to ignore their U.S. leaders over sexuality issues.

Delegates to a Friday Pittsburgh diocese conference passed a constitutional amendment allowing them to ignore national church laws it believes are contrary to Scripture or an interpretation of Scripture that is held by the global Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is only a small part.

About 85 percent of the clergy and 74 percent of the laity voted to support the measure, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Saturday. The vote is yet another expression of concern of the recent decision by the Episcopalian Church's hierarchy to condone homosexuality and same-sex unions.

Rev. Geoff Chapman, rector at St. Stephen's Church in Sewickley said, "The diocese is determined to stay inside the national church and the (global) Anglican Communion, while at the same time holding faithful to the authority of the Bible."

The Anglican Communion includes about 77 million believers, of which about 2 million reside in the United States where they are known as Episcopalians.

Leaders of those 77 million Anglicans will meet in February to decide whether to punish the Episcopalian Church's hierarchy for actions they say promote homosexuality.

Posted by dvirtue on 2004/8/11

Duncan says Moody's letter based on false assumptions and ECUSA's innovations

Special Report: www.Virtuosity.com

By David W. Virtue

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (8/11/2004)--The Bishop of Oklahoma, the Rt. Rev. Robert M. Moody has written a letter, which Virtuosity has obtained, publicly castigating and chastising the Bishop of Pittsburgh, the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Jr., over the appointment of a deacon in his diocese, who was not, it turned out, under his jurisdiction.

In his letter, Moody blasted Duncan saying that the appointment of the Rev. Vern Caswell as vicar of St. James Anglican Church (formerly St. James Episcopal Church - an ECUSA parish) was outside his authority and jurisdiction and he questioned the orthodox bishop's pastoral judgment.

Moody accused Duncan of assigning the recent graduate of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry to this parish "as the moderator of the Anglican Communion Network."

"Since the Anglican Communion Network is not a jurisdiction that is recognized within The Episcopal Church or by The Anglican Communion, I question how you, as an active Diocesan Bishop of the Episcopal Church can assign or permit one of your Deacons to function in a congregation that is not a member of The Episcopal Church or the Anglican Communion? I also question your authority and pastoral judgment to assign a Deacon to minister outside the Diocese of Pittsburgh and within the Diocese of Oklahoma," he wrote to Duncan.

Moody then said that he realized that Duncan was not breaking the letter of the Canons and Constitutions, "especially as St. James Anglican Church is not part of this diocese and is not part of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. But you are breaking the spirit of the Canons and Constitutions that govern this Episcopal Church and you bringing schism into this Church by your actions."

The bishop, who is known for his revisionist positions, concluded the letter by saying that he felt "regret and deep sorrow" because of Duncan's actions.

Bishop Duncan responded and on July 30th wrote the following letter to Moody.

Dear Bob,

Word of your letter has reached me while on vacation in rural France. Your communication proceeded based upon a false assumption as stated in your letter, "I assume that he is under your authority and that you are assigning him to this ministry as the moderator of the Anglican Communion Network." It would have been simple to pick up the telephone and check with me. It is destructive of the life of the church to communicate with the entire church without verification. All the bishops of the church now have a letter stating something that is not true.

Before I left on vacation I had already begun the proceedings to transfer Deacon Vern Caswell to the Most. Rev. Gregory Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone, at their mutual request. Since then, Archbishop Venables has received Deacon Caswell. His subsequent assignment is not a matter of my jurisdiction.

Finally, while your letter questions my authority and pastoral judgment, I must state that it was your action and those of the majority of the bishops of the Episcopal Church that created the schism to which you refer. The consequences of last summer are simply unfolding all around us. I regret this is so, and even more so in consideration that with the Church's adoption of these innovations it finds itself increasingly separated from the vast majority of the Anglican Communion and the whole of catholic Christendom.

Please know that those of us in the Network are most willing to try to work with you to repair the damage done if you would turn back from these innovations which have been so divisive.

Faithfully in Christ,
+Robert/Pittsburgh.

Both letters were also sent to the Presiding Bishop, Bishop Clay Matthews, The Chancellor, The Diocesan Bishops of the Episcopal Church.

Bishop Moody is the first bishop in the 2,000-year history of Christendom to ordain a transsexual to the Diaconate. The Rev. Paul Schonauer is now the Rev. Paula Schonauer, following a sex change operation.

 8-10-2004

 God bless you all!
 Nancy Rowe
 Littleton, NH

P.S.  I walked out too, but I had to do it alone and now attend a wonderful and orthodox non-denominational church.  If I ever get to  your neighborhood I'll visit you for sure!

8-10-2004

As a member of a parish that has left ECUSA for the AMiA I can certainly empathise with the decision you made to establish a new Anglican church, and I applaud your moving out of your building. I hope the last person there turned out the lights and left the key with the diocese. I pray that God will richly bless your new congregation and allow you to either rent or build in the future. God bless and keep you. May he make his face to shine upon you and uphold you in your effort to follow Him.

Bob from the Church of the Good Shepherd in St. Louis, Mo.

8-11-2004

Dear Members of St James:

Hang in there! The Lord is with you, and I know He is listening and  watching as you work to live as faithful Christians according to his Word. I am proud and grateful that there are groups of Anglicans such you who are willing to take a stand when it is so much easier to stay in your comfortable church building and sit in complacency rather than get called "bigots" and "fundamentalists" (and the accusers don't mean the latter in a *good* way).

I am in the Diocese of Dallas, where Bishop Stanton has asked the orthodox to stay in the church and fight for traditional scripture and teachings, in part by having our Diocese join the Anglican Communion Network. I certainly understand why that was not necessarily a viable option for your parish in your diocese.

Unfortunately, even in our more traditional diocese, the bishop's words quite often make it into the ears of the priests, delegates, and vestry members but not necessarily the laity. In several parishes, the clergy and vestries seem to work hard to ensure that the laity doesn't hear about the big issues of the church---in some cases so that the "new," "inclusive" doctrine will reign. The people in the pews don't even see it happening.

There's hope for us, with Christ's help. A new group is being organized in the Dallas diocese among laity members who support traditional biblical teachings, called "Plain Truth for Anglicans." They are preparing a website. Please remember us in your prayers, as I will remember you.

 Brook Johnson

8-11-2004