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June 29, 2005
Requiescat in pace
Mrs. Elizabeth (Libbey) Knox 1916 - 2005
I AM the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord : he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. St. John 11. 25, 26.
It is with profound sadness and heaviness of heart that we inform you of the passing of Mrs. Elizabeth (Libbey) Knox. Miss Libbey was taken to the hospital Sunday morning as she was experiencing difficulty with her breathing, and she passed away this morning, June 29, at 4:00 a.m.
Miss Libbey, the beloved mother of our own Deacon Ed Knox, was a loving soul and the matriarch of our church. We will always remember her sweet personality and her beautiful smile. Miss Libbey is free from her suffering now, having ascended to be with Our Lord. Please continue to pray for her and for her beloved son, Ed Knox.
Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced as quickly as possible
Due to this and other events in the church, Fr Leo will be unable to post to Episcoblog for the next few days. Please keep him and Holly in your prayers.
Posted by at 11:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 25, 2005
WHOSE NAME IS IT ANYWAY? PART II
It has been difficult for me to engage in this kind of a conversation. However, to speak the truth in love is what is right. Here is the second email.
At issue here is some truth. St. Paul's, St. Thomas', St. Theodore's, and St. Andrew's are the churches in northwest Arkansas that are members of the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas and The Episcopal Church. That's just a fact. Your church is a different denomination with a heritage that is grounded in the Episcopal Church tradition. That's just fine. But honesty and integrity demands that you present yourself in a non-duplicitous way.Your argument is the same one I might make should I say that the Roman Catholic Church violated the "truth once delivered to the saints" with its pope and other accretions, and that my church is the true Catholic church. So, from now on, I would advertise my church as St. Paul's Catholic Church or even St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church. How false and confusing that would be to Catholics moving into NW Arkansas. It would be dishonest of me.
And here is my response:
I am not questioning your committment to Jesus Christ and your faith. It is what has been featured in your columns that I questioned. My take is not the same as yours. Definitely, you may be "holier than me". I agree. But I question what your opinions may do to simple people and their faith.
Coming to the issue. Your email did strike a nerve with me. Imagine if the situation were reversed and I came to you asking you to change the name of your church because of your subscribing to the same sex blessings. I have had difficulties with my people and others who inquire in clarifying that we are not ECUSA and that we are "Episcopalian" but do NOT belong or agree with the practices of ECUSA. I am sure you are aware that there are many people who take a firm stand against same sex blessings and liberalism in ECUSA and don't want to be associated with ECUSA for these reasons. Neither do we at UECNA.
To answer your question, St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church never advertised itself as part of ECUSA. Our Crest clearly would prove the significance of our identity. You are St. Paul's Episcopal Church (ECUSA). We are St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church (UECNA). For one thing St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church has been so called for over two decades. How come your eyes opened now and you need this change? It was called so even prior to my coming here. So what's the point in going this route, I wonder?
Secondly, in reference to your example of Catholicism, yes we are catholic. Does it sound crazy? The answer is, Yes we are as long as we proclaim the Nicene and Apostolic Creeds. If someone is ROMAN catholic, that's fine, but they can not claim exclusivity to the title. If so, where then do Greek Orthodox Catholic churches go? or Russian Orthodox catholic churches go? In the same way you are St. Paul's Episcopal Church, that is okay.
It seems that your church is undergoing a lot of change. In order to accommodate that you want people around you to change. Please go wherever the Lord leads you. But I will speak what I am convinced of and will stand up for it, as far as the Scripture and Traditions teach me and as the Lord leads me. My honesty commensurates with the time tested faith for which millions have shed their blood as martyrs and hence my duty as His servant to defend and proclaim it.
And I hope that we don't visit this issue again. You brought up this issue. Not me.
I hope this would address the issue and that we don't visit it again. But at times, we are called to fight this spiritual warfare and stand up for what we believe in, namely Christ and His values of His Kingdom.
Posted by frleo at 1:51 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
June 23, 2005
Whose Name Is It Anyway?
Out of the blue came an email from one of the local ECUSA church rectors (emphasis mine):
I am delighted at the good energy your leadership has produced at St. Gabriel's and wish you continued growth. As you know, the continuing churches are an important pastoral resource for many good Episcopalians who have not agreed with our church's change of Prayer Book, women's ordination and conversation about the place of gay members in the church.
I have one request, however. When you identify your churches in public venues (signs, newspapers, etc.), would it be possible for you to be attentive to identifying your denominational affiliation with the United Episcopal Church of North America. It can be a source of confusion if you call yourself "St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church." I've had a couple of parishioners mention the confusion to me.
And here's my response to him:
Thank you for your kind words. Sorry that some of your members are confused about this. Your first paragraph itself entails a response to your request that we are a continuing EPISCOPAL Church that has not not departed from the "faith once given to the saints." For this reason alone we remain EPISCOPALIANS. Secondly, St.Gabriel's Episcopal Church has been in existence almost two decades under this very title, and for you to ask me to make a change is impossible. We have not changed to satisfy the whims of the modern day society. We have remained true to the teachings and are proud to be serving the Lord the EPISCOPALIAN way. We absolutely have no problem with our name and we are proud of it and we hope that if you have members who are unhappy about the developments at your church, that you would direct them to us.
And if I may ask of you a favor, please refrain from disturbing the faith of the simple people through your column Roots and Wings. Your personal thoughts are yours. But to proclaim as a minister of God, underestimating even the basic tenets of Christianity, like the Ten Commandments is very disturbing and misleading for God's people
Over the years, faithful Episcopalians within ECUSA have been shown the door, forfeiting their properties and endowments, for the simple reason that they did not feel right about what was being taught and practiced within ECUSA. So, who should change the name EPISCOPALIAN? We who want to safeguard and guide the faith handed down by the apostles, rooted in Scripture and Tradition, enshrined in the theology and liturgy of the 1928 BCP? Or liberals who have made a tryst with sin, teaching people that sin is fun and the Ten Commandments are not necessary for salvation?
(If we accepted this for a moment, then there is no sin, and we could question the entire economy of salvation, the futility of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ because in vain he died. Therefore, there is no need of a Jesus who will redeem us from sin. Following such logic, His incarnation, His life and message, His passion, death and resurrection, the Church would not have been established. Jesus loved sinners but hated sin. That's the reason why Christ died for us all even while we were yet sinners and therefore the need to come back to that Amazing Grace).
Many years ago, our folks left everything they had invested in ECUSA and walked out empty handed after experiencing a deep sense of betrayal. The only thing they had and still have today is their pride in having been "cradle Episcopalians." Now we are asked to drop it or differentiate ourselves from being Episcopalians.
At the same time the above email was sent to me, another email was sent to this local ECUSA church's congregation informing that their "vestry made a consensus decision to authorize a vestry-led congregational process for the consideration of pastoral blessings for committed same-gender relationships." Having made so many changes to accommodate hidden agendas and having departed from the faith so radically, it is they who need to change their name and not those who love and honor the true Episcopalian way. ECUSA: Please change your name or change your ways!
To those who love the name of Episcopalian or Anglican, be proud of your name and look for places where the great EPISCOPALIAN traditions live on. God is where grace is. If someone teaches you that sinning and shunning grace is okay, be mindful of where you are! Continue your faith walk where you can find mercy and grace until He comes again. When the son of man returns, will he find enough faith on the earth?
Posted by frleo at 7:37 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
June 13, 2005
GAY MARRIAGE and CANTERBURY
The Archbishop of Canterbury has okayed the marriage of gay priests. Where is the church going to? Many bloggers have been opining on this.
The hypocrisy of Canterbury is only being revealed, when it opposed the same issue with ECUSA in its Windsor Report. And now the Archbishop has approved same sex unions for the clergy in the Church of England. According to the Windsor Report it was only a matter of time.
"BECAUSE AT THIS TIME WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR CONSENSUS" ...
When this was written, the approval of same-sex unions was only a consensus away. The Lambeth Commission has acted already on this premise once: Right or wrong, if there is a consensus it is okay for them to approve -- as long as there is consensus. There is a similar paradigm in the case of the ordination of women. It seems that morality is based on majority opinion, not on Scripture or Apostolic Tradition.
At the time of the Windsor Report, Canterbury's position on ECUSA was very stiff. But now the Archbishop has gone ahead approved the "marriage" of gay clergy. All the while, ordination of gay clergy was a clandestine affair. Now it has come out into the open.
Those who are leaving ECUSA and seeking Anglican Communion are only jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Where can they turn? Perhaps the continuing churches? YES.
I belong to the United Episcopal Church of North America. We cannot boast of big dollars and buildings. The properties are owned by the people and we are purely attending to their spiritual and pastoral needs. Some of our stories are heart wrenching, when we chose to continue in the Faith, instead of embracing ECUSA's tampering with theology and liturgy in the form of the 1979 BCP. Martin Luther said, "Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill, God's truth abideth still." Thirty years ago we saw the finality of ECUSA's liberalism.
We hope Anglicans will hold on to their faith even though some of their leaders are leading them astray.
Posted by frleo at 3:55 PM | Comments (0)
June 11, 2005
THE PROMISE KEEPERS
One of the media folks called me the other day and asked me if my church or I opposed The Promise Keepers event in Northwest Arkansas. This is what I said in a reply to one of my members:The Promise Keepers event is a wonderful thing, making men better husbands, fathers and brothers. Our Bishop thinks that this is a blessing and the fact we are not actively involved in our support of this event, in no way means that we are opposing it. Those who are opposing this event are those who deny the role of womanhood. And therefore, think that a spiritual gathering as this would be a threat to their ideosyncracies, such as the revival of Patriarchy. Both men and women are equally aware of the complimentarity and therefore in today's context to think so would be out dated. Bringing men closer to God and to the Country is what every organization must accomplish.
As I went to celebrate the Eucharist in Spanish last night, I realized that some men had gone to the event. Also, one of our members Dr. Johanson and his family has been actively involved in the event.
God bless all those who have made this event possible.
Posted by frleo at 7:11 AM
June 10, 2005
Speak When You Must
In my Marriage and Family Counseling Class, we were examining various types of families -- the nuclear, blended, single parent ... gay/lesbian couples. The discussion continued until at one point, the gay/lesbian couple style of family almost came to be accepted as a "normal" mode of existence. I was sitting there, waiting for my turn to speak of course.
Just then our professor asked this question: As a counselor what would you do if a gay couple came to you for counseling? After having listened to what was going on, I could not but open my mouth and speak. I understand that this is a current phenomena, but that does not mean it is a normal. Each of us come from a different background and might have different take on it. As for me, coming from a traditional and spiritual background, I cannot counsel a gay couple. First of all, my own prejudice would prevent me, and also perhaps I might not do justice to the profession. Therefore, the best thing for me would be to refer them to another counselor. The professor thought my answer was a professional one, but then the argument continued on the importance of developing an open mind and a challenge.
Then began a volume of exchange regarding the respect to the human person. One person asked, if a pre-teen who continues to have pre-marital sex came to you, what would you do? The question was not directed to me. Then during the break we went over this and I told my professor my take. If something is sinful, it is sinful, and I would welcome any person. But as a priest I am obligated to correct them, whether it is a question of pre-marital sex or homosexuality. Just then my friend quipped, what we are looking at is not disregard for the human person, but disregard of the behavior. He is right: we are called to respect every fellow human being, but that does not mean we have to accept their behavior. Slowly we could see the whole class looking at it from their own natural and religious perspective.
If you don't speak out, that is tantamount to your acceptance of it. Unfortunately, that's how silence is interpreted these days!
Posted by frleo at 2:09 PM
June 4, 2005
On Mathew Fox's mimic of Luther
I read a few more of Mathew Fox's mimicry of Luther. Whether you are Roman or Episcopalian, you are basically Christian and therefore need to check out your basic tenets of Christianity.
If you are trying to form a cult of your own which is a conglomeration of all religions -- especially and mostly Hinduism (in the midst of which I grew up with for forty years as a Christian), then go for it. A Hindu believer would embrace Fox in a second. If this is where you find your salvation, then please move on.
Monotheism is what the Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition has taught us to believe in, which we have come to believe, the faith for which millions gave up their lives defending. This does not mean that I have no respect for other religions. But to me Christ is unique and He is my savior and Lord. If ECUSA and people like Fox want to flaunt a new religion, let them go ahead, but not under the name of CHRISTian.
Posted by frleo at 9:29 AM
Matthew Fox's "95 Theses" or Articles of Faith for the New Millenium
Check out this post on Midwest Conservative Journal, "It's The Matthew Fox Show," regarding Matthew Fox's attempt to mimick Luther but in reality puking liberalism through his 95theses. Mathew Fox is former Roman Catholic priest turned Episcopalian who spews liberal ideologies. I just went to his website and read the very first of his "theses," "God is both Mother and Father."
God is the embodiment of all attributes like Truth, Beauty and Goodness. If one would like to perceive the mother in Him, based on one's own unique and personal experience of a mother, so be it. But to proclaim this as an edict? Wait just a minute. For us the basis is the Gospels and the fact that Jesus, through His incarnation, came to establish a rapport between God the Creator and humanity in the most endearing term, Abba, Daddy. Did Jesus ever refer to God as mother? This should be the basis to operate on. (I am sure this point is very well within the Roman Catholic Theology's ambience).
While everyone is welcome to opine, this is an example of people going overboard and declaring their personal whims as a dogma of faith. Hardline liberals are doing this within ECUSA.
This is also happening with liberals inside the Roman Catholic Church. Is the perception of 'God as mother' a matter of salvation? Absolutely not. But is the belief in GOD a matter of Salvation? YES, as long as we believe in God who created us and the Son who came to reveal the Father's love through His passion, death and resurrection and the Holy Spirit who continues to vivify and guide the church. However, in terms of perceiving one's personal relationship to God, that's fine, as long as the basis is the "Scripture and Tradition" of the Church, that has survived 2 millenia of human history.
Posted by frleo at 9:05 AM
June 2, 2005
On Leading and Misleading
In this time of turbulance caused by the mainstream ECUSA, it is great to ponder on the role the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen played during the 1977 Congress of St. Louis and the Affirmation of St. Louis which resulted. The mission of their magazine, The Christian Challenge, is to promote and safeguard orthodoxy. It was during the time of the 1977 St. Louis Congress that the UECNA began its journey of adhering to the faith already, when ECUSA wanted to tamper with the Book of Common Prayer.
It is good for the continuing churches do an examen of conscience and see whether we are the custodians of faith and morals, a responsibility that we need to be conscious of. On Midwest Conservative Journal, I agree with EJN's comment on the Tradition of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, whose theology and liturgy we observe very meticulously. I am a priest of the United Episcopal Church of North America who focusses on the origin of our traditions which are Biblically sound, sacramentally orthodox and Apostolically valid. I believe that all the like-minded continuing churches can together and lead the people of God, preserving and protecting the 'faith once given to the saints." The differences among the many continuing churches are not that of theology but that of churchmanship.
May His Spirit lead us on toward this unity which Jesus prayed for, "that they may all be one." Grace and Peace.
Posted by frleo at 11:20 AM
June 1, 2005
Pray For Those Affected By The Landslide
It was heartwrenching to see so many houses being swept away by landslides, houses dangling in the air, when the earth moved from beneath their foundations in California.
Our thoughts and prayers go to them, asking for God's protection of those who are rendered homeless because of this calamity. And that He protect and preserve this part of the earth.
Posted by frleo at 10:17 PM