Inclusive Church Paper Work Blues

TEc's General Convention continues in Anaheim, California. And, as one would expect, some ... umm ... interesting Resolutions have come out of it.

So far, I think D090: Inclusive Church Paper Work is my favourite one.

It is attracting some attention at Anglican blog sites. The comments here are hilarious!

And, so, in tribute to D090, I have written and recorded a new song for you:



The lyrics may be viewed here.

New Episcopal Creed?

As you know, the General Convention of The Episcopal church is meeting now in Anaheim, California. I don't think that they will be (explicitly) re-writing the Creed this time round, but if they did, it might end up a little something like this ...



(H/T: Scott Broadway)

In Case You Needed One More Reminder ...

The Episcopal church is no longer Christian in any meaniful sense.

The Presiding Bishop's Opening Address: Confessional Christianity is a heresy.

Soul of a Man (Chrome Folk Bar-B-Q)

My band, Chrome Folk Bar-B-Q, has acquired a new member. Lauren Garfield is her name, and her voice adds much to the sound of the band.

This song, from a concert we gave on June 26, 2009, shows you what I mean ...




That is me, at right, on lead guitar.

Forgotten Detroit - Remembered Sister in Christ

Can it have been 5 years? She blew into our downtown Detroit Episcopal parish like a mighty wind during the summer of 2003, and that fall she was to have been the Sunday School teacher for my (then) 4th Grade son. But what I didn't know at the time was that the cancer that was to claim her life on June 15, 2004 was already present and active in her body. As it happened, Mary Jo only taught Eliot's Sunday School class one time, but even after knowing him for all of 45 minutes, she was able to "read" his spirit and his faith and give us valuable feedback about God's work in him.

Shortly after the wind of the Holy Ghost swooped down and picked her up into the life of the world to come, a memorial service was held at St. John's, Detroit. The nave was packed, and even though we were early, our family got the last few seats in the balcony. It was a Friday late in June in 2004, and the transom windows on the Epistle side of the nave were cranked open, giving a view of the Detroit skyline.

Throughout the service, in my direct view was the rooftop sign of the now departed Madison-Lenox hotel (see below). I don't know why that image struck me with such force, but it did. I'm a visual kind of a guy. Hotel and sign are both gone now, but are photographically chronicled at a website called Forgotten Detroit. This website makes me cry like the Weeping Prophet, but if you have a strong constitution, or are desirous of weeping with me over the departed glory of my city, by all means, go and have a look.

More Mercury Love

Rachel is not the only one with a lifelong love of a particular Mercury automobile ... I have another such story right in my own family.

We brought home our very first Mercury Meteor almost 15 years ago, the exact same day that we finalized our adoption of our son Eliot. Eliot immediately fell in love with the old black 1963 Mercury, which we named "Mr. Venables" after the Anglican rector in Dorothy L. Sayers' 1934 mystery novel, The Nine Tailors.

Here is Eliot, wrenching on "Mr. Venables", at a very early age:



And, here he is, practicing his driving ...



Time and Michigan winters were not kind to Mr. Venables, however, and he died from "rust cancer". It was one of the saddest days of Eliot's life when we dismantled Mr. Venables and had him towed away ...



But, Eliot's love for this car never faded, and now we are pleased to say that Mr. Venables II, which is Eliot's first car, is now a living, breathing reality, and out on the streets of metro Detroit. Love is love, not fade away ...

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot!

The entire car hobby segment of the Internet is abuzz with the story of Rachel, the cute elderly lady who has gone over 540,000 miles in her car "Chariot" - a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente, which she bought new.

Aside from being one of those great "feel-good" stories, Rachel's lifelong love of a single car is an indictment of our entire throw-away society. Hot Rodders: think "true love"! "Enviro-Wackos: think "incredibly low life-cycle cost". You might not like the instantaneous efficiency of Rachel's carbureted Caliente, with its antiquated ignition points, but think of how she has been saving the planet for 45 years by not causing 15 new Hondas or Toyotas to be produced!



I've been a Mercury man since 1994, and the Caliente is as hot as its name, but that is obviously not the only captivating thing about this story. Her faithfulness to a single car, a single idea ... the awesome stability of that love ... well, it is a lesson for this whole fickle, "changing partners" society that we've evolved. The bittersweet part, of course, is that her Mercury has outlasted three husbands. Perhaps they did not understand the incredible power present in the monogamous love of a woman - which Rachel has clearly demonstrated toward "Chariot".

There is a sequel to the story, here.

And it just gets better and better ... (H/T: Drew Collins)