Grant me understanding, that I may live.

The psalm for evening prayer is a portion of 119.  I love Psalm 119.  First, it is ridiculously long.  Second, it is an extaordinary piece of poetry (I open my mouth and pant; I long for your commandments).  Third, it's a word puzzle.  See, God loves geeks.  Derek Olsen writes about even more reasons if you need some.

For tonight, I'm suggesting that we replace the appendix to the proposed Anglican Covenant, which describes how we might resolve disputes, with this simple directive:  Join together in reciting Psalm 119.  Repeat as necessary.  Do it.  Do it. 

On the road again

I'll be gone for a bit in April.

First, continuing ed at the Anglican Covenant Conference at the Tutu Center at General Seminary. I always love being back at General and I'm looking forward to staying in the 'new' building, though I still feel a little bad for William Eigenbrodt, who no longer has a building named after him. My blog collecting resources for studying the covenant is here.

Second, to the National Workshop on Christian Unity/Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical & Irreligious Officers Meeting (see why we love jargon? so much easier to say 'NWCU/EDEIO' meeting. wait, not really.) That's part of my job as ecumenical officer for the diocese.

Third, to a board meeting of Episcopal Peace Fellowship. That's because I believe Christians are to strive for justice and peace. You can become a Peace Partner today. Right now.

The more things change.

Easter, 1914.
Charles Gore,
via Project Canterbury.

"I cannot resist the impression that the Church of England, in particular, has a bad time ahead of it. I think its perils are largely due to its refusal of recent years--a refusal manifested in all classes, movements, and grades of office amongst us--to think clearly about principles. As you know, I have grieved almost all of you by refusing to join in the opposition to Disestablishment, whether in Wales or England. I think that Disestablishment, more than anything else, would throw us upon our principles. I doubt whether anything else will do so effectively. But I should hope that those who do not agree with me about this will agree with me on the necessity, which is urgent in other fields than those which I have been treating above--in the region, for example, of the marriage question--that we should reflect upon and stand by and insist upon those fundamentals of faith and practice by which alone we can hope to hold together, and within those limits exercise the largest toleration of one another, "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," and believing that, through whatever purging trials, our part of the Church has its special vocation for the future and in the whole world."

Sound familiar? You'd think we'd be better at this stuff by now.

PS, Remember how you always wondered what antidisestablishmentarianism meant? Please see above.
And, there's still a row about it.
My brother and I always preferred floccinaucinihilipilification.

Anglican Covenant Conference

More resources on my covenant page.