The Arrow's Path

This is a composite photo of the dog that I got called in to help transport to the Illinois Doberman Rescue this weekend. I am just a volunteer but I got called in because its memorial weekend and animal control was done with the quarantine. (Apparently, the owner told animal control to come take the dog now or he was going to shoot it). Look at how incredibly starved this dog is. This is obviously not a purebred Dobie. I thought it had some Aussie Sheepdog or something, but we could not figure out what sort of a breed had paws that big. Look closely at his paws. They were as big as my entire palm. I have never seen anything like that before. But appeared to be a very sweet dog though, given his living conditions. He is now safe and sound in the Illinois Doberman Rescue, after a stay in the clinic at the local animal control. It will probably be a while before the dog is remotely ready to be adopted. He will need some remedial socialization training and serious nutrition supplements, b...

Here is the official logo of a place at which I volunteer 

I have rather shamelessly included some non-religious links onto my blog. However, it is something close to my heart. I (and my family as well) have for several years been active in supporting (and helping out when possible) Doberman rescue societies. These societies generally take in previously abused and neglected Doberman dogs, almost always in conjunction with local animal shelters. Occasionally they deal directly with the public in taking in strays/abandoned dogs, but that's usually the exception to the rule. I was involved in helping transport a Doberman rescue this weekend and the Illinois chapter people asked me if I would put a link to their site on my blog. I thought it was the least I could do. I have personally been involved in all three of the operations I am providing links for (East Tennessee, Nebraska, Illinois). My family has personally adopted Dobermans from the East Tennessee Chapter, and I have personally done volunteer work for the other two chapters. I will pe...

Tonight at the annual awards night banquet at Seabury, I won the prestigious, if somewhat supercilious, John Calvin "Low Church" award. Ah, the humanity. I think my puritanical outbursts swayed the Academy, who I'd like to thank...

You have to read this and watch the video here. Clown eucharist...that's quite possibly the most horrendous thing I have ever seen. This news just in...we've hit rock bottom.

You gotta read this one. Can you imagine how much tartar sauce would go with that?

Editorial: Respect It is indeed good to note that Mr Blair must have been attending to our comments on social mores! He is surely right to note that ‘respect’ for people is on the slide, and that ‘anti-social behaviour’ grows apace. Whether a government can in fact inculcate moral renewal is a difficult question, but surely government policy can help erode what is still there. Failing to support marriage as the building block of society, the agency of handing on values of respect to the next generation, is a great example of this. Education policy likewise has eaten away at Christianity as the driver of social ethics, resulting in a commitment to relativism. This goes back to the 1944 Education Act, when the Church of England had to cede formative influence to the state, and 20 years later RA Butler, the architect of the changes, lamented: “The perfunctory and uninspired nature of the religious instruction provided in all too many local authority and controlled schools had begun to imp...

Father, part of his double interest Unto thy kingdom, thy Son gives to me, His jointure in the knotty Trinity He keeps, and gives to me his death’s conquest. This Lamb, whose death with life the world hath blest, Was from the world’s beginning slain, and he Hath made two Wills which with the Legacy Of his and thy kingdom do thy Sons invest. Yet such are thy laws that men argue yet Whether a man those statutes can fulfil; None doth; but all-healing grace and spirit Revive again what law and letter kill. Thy law’s abridgement, and thy last command Is all but love; Oh let this last Will stand! – John Donne (1572-1631), Holy Sonnets XVI

There was a question in my pastoral care class this morning about whether you would be civilly liable for not giving a good recommendation if a potential employer of someone you knew called you (a minister) and was doing a background/reference check. I summoned my powers of the force to think back to my law school days. I dug around and checked the Illinois statutes. I am not a member of the Illinois bar nor do I make any claim to giving competent legal advice. Here's the Illinois state law as it stands now, make your own conclusions: CHAPTER 745. CIVIL IMMUNITIES EMPLOYMENT RECORD DISCLOSURE ACT 745 ILCS 46/5 (2005) § 745 ILCS 46/5. Public purpose declaration Sec. 5. Public purpose declaration. The Legislature finds that it is in the public interest to protect from civil actions an employer that provides truthful, performance-related information about an employee or former employee to an employment reference inquiry. § 745 ILCS 46/10. No liability for providing truthful informatio...

I usually detest e-mail forwards, but I had to share this one. In my low church defense, I don't even understand a few of these. You may be an Anglo-Catholic if … If you believe that Sacraments are to be administered, not passed around. If you hold the doctrine that whatever is worth doing is worth overdoing. You think of the Wippel's catalog as liturgical porn. You get more exercise genuflecting, kneeling, and prostrating than running, jogging, or walking. Most of the volumes in your library have been out of print for over a century. The primary causes of your violating the Tenth Commandment are found on the pages of Wippell's. You'd consider going over to Rome if it didn't mean giving up being catholic. On hearing the parable of the Good Samaritan, you wonder what the priest and the Levite were wearing. On Easter morning, the men of your parish wear more lace than the women. You believe that the current controversies over the Bishopric of Jerusalem, the Open Pulpi...

I'm in heaven...check this out. If only I still got an allowance. Sigh... In other news, due to numerous customer complaints (OK, it was a pet peeve of a fellow blogger who shall remain nameless) I have arranged my Interesting Blogs links in some semblance of alphabetical order. I refuse to do that with my Religious Links, as they are arranged by order of relative importance. I also added YodaBeth to my Blog link list. So, welcome aboard. Try not to get lost in the Forest. I'd hate to have to unleash my Raven to go hunt for you.

The BBC is running an interesting picture-history of Las Vegas, Nevada, on its news website . Having been to Vegas, I have never understood the fixation myself. I guess I am just not into gambling and hookers.

Oh, somebody stop me. Another online personality test, Charlie Brown Style... I am Woodstock! Which Peanuts Character are You? brought to you by the number 4.765453 and the Letters Q, X, & P Good Grief...Charlie Brown!

I found this link on the BBC which I think is pretty cool. Apparently the BBC broadcasts a version of choral evensong some Anglican church in England every week. BBC tested...Archer approved!

I have no idea if this is in fact for real, but you have to read this link . Its a few months old, but its new to me. Enjoy...

To supplement the article I posted yesterday, I found another article today from the London Times. Its sort of a different slant. Let me know what you think... Is Protestant England on its last legs? by Ruth Gledhill Anyone would think that with the demise of the Pope has come another death, that of our national church. Read Ruth Gledhill's comments and send us your views - using the e-mail form at the bottom of this page In case you hadn't noticed, with the demise of the Pope has come another death, that of Protestant England. Oh, so you hadn't realised? Your church is still standing, your services continuing on their weekly round, your vicar still paid his or her stipend. Well, maybe we shouldn't inquire too closely into that last one. But I can't be the only Anglican to have become profoundly irritated by pundits who've interpreted the response to the death of the last Pope and election of a new one as a sign that our own church is on its last puff of smoke. ...

Being a proud Anglo-Presbyterian, I found this article of interest. Please feel free to leave comments. I would love to hear what people think of this: "The Church that lost its spirit" By Theo Hobson As the new papacy reaffirms Catholic dogma, why is the Anglican Church so lily-livered? Was it any surprise that the recent events in Rome eclipsed a royal wedding and a general election campaign? We love a spectacle. And the swarms drawn to the ancient rituals in the Eternal City made better viewing than politicians fiddling with figures, or a brief and Englishly awkward congregation at Windsor. A scene from Gladiator was taking place, in real life — who wouldn’t want to watch that? Nor was I surprised by the general reverence of the press. For about a decade the overwhelming majority of religious comment has come from Roman Catholics. One can instantly think of a large handful of Catholic columnists (Paul Johnson, Charles Moore, Libby Purves, Christina Odone, William Rees-Mogg...

Wanna find out your nerd* aptitude? Click here: Because inquiring nerds want to know, here's my Nerd test: 36% scored higher (more nerdy), and 64% scored lower (less nerdy). What does this mean? My nerdiness is: Low I am a Ranking Nerd. Definitely a nerd but low on the totem pole of nerds. *Anglican general's disclaimer: Only nerds use the term nerd. FYI...I prefer geek.

I will no doubt comment on this later. Rock of Ages and Sweet Hour of Prayer coming to a mass near you! Submitted for your approval: From the United Methodist Church News Service: Council Approves Interim Pacts with Episcopalians, Lutherans WASHINGTON (UMNS)—The top clergy leaders of the United Methodist Church have approved interim agreements for sharing the Eucharist with two other mainline denominations—the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.The approval came May 5, during the United Methodist Council of Bishops’ weeklong spring meeting in Arlington, Va. The agreements, if approved later this year by the Lutheran and Episcopalian lawmaking assemblies, would result in those churches and the United Methodist Church sharing worship, particularly communion, studying with one another and being involved in mission together. The United Methodist Church is entering into separate agreements with each of the denominations. “We will be entering those agreements wi...

There is an interesting article on the BBC website dealing with religion in the Deep South. Being from the South myself, I found this to be a very interesting view, coming from a British journalist. Read it and tell me what you think...

Well, I felt like I needed to explain my actions in a certain S-W chapel blow up yesterday. Apparently the fiasco is becoming the stuff of legends here at the S-W pen, and for sake of posterity, here she blows... I have, for some time, been getting increasingly disdainful at certain, shall we say, silver spoon liberal tendencies at my seminary. Don't get me wrong, despite my grousing, I do enjoy my seminary and I love the people. But there is this latent albeit polite tendency around here from various quarters to look down noses at those of us who may be from more conservative backgrounds. Conservative does not equal ignorant . Now, I know some ignorant, conservative people, but I also know some ignorant, liberal people too. Where one is on a theological or political spectrum is in no way synonymous with ignorant. They are two completely separate issues. Apparently this was building up in me more than I realized. I do not know if it is a combination of end of the quarter angst, lo...