The Arrow's Path

Here is an interesting link to some works of Thomas Cranmer . The downloads are huge, but this is a quality resource if you are into Reformation theology.

The last few weeks I get back into the sacristy and try to take the alb off before removing the stole. I finally remembered to take my deacon's stole off first. I guess it's sinking in finally. Now I just have to remember what the Deacon says at the end. d'Oh!

"Last Supper" crashed Web server World's oldest prosthesis Canadian Mounties chase rebel bees after hive coup d'etat (I did not make up this headline!)

Anglican General's Warning: the following contains gross amounts of adult conversation topics. Haha...I had you going on this one, didn't I? In a way, its true...but not that type of adult conversation. I feel like an old geezer. I spent the morning setting up Roth IRAs and 403(b) annuity fund investments. Pass me the aspercreme...I'm old!

The University of Nebraska marching band sometimes practices right outside the building. While it was nice to hear the national anthem (I think that's what it was) while I walking into to work this morning, the 12th time through is sufficient. At least they are getting more on-key...although the cymbal player needs work.

So I have to preach again on Sunday. Twice, in fact. I wasn't real happy with my sermon that I had prepared, but I did spend a lot of time on it so it was not a complete crapper. At the 8:3o service, I was up in the pulpit as usual. I was sort of half looking off my notes and half extemporizing, if that is a real word. (If not, it is now.) This caused me to lose my place a couple of times; I felt like I was completely tanking. In actuality it wasn't as bad as I thought. What I was mistaking for sheer boredom was people not quite awake yet. It was, after all, the early service. But I still felt like that was one of the weakest sermons I have ever preached. I felt like the ghost of Cicero the Holy Spirit was leading me to do something different for the 10:30. Perhaps even preach without notes. I am quite reticent about preaching without notes. This is not because it scares me, per se . I actually quite enjoy speaking in public. I think my reticence comes from my time in seminary...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJCyAHJ27Uw This is too funny... -The Archer

Back in the spring when I learned that I was going to be back in Lincoln, I decided to join a civic organization. I thought it was a good way to get plugged back into the community and is good publicity for the church. I queried several groups and finally ended up settling on the Elk Lodge, or the official title Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks . I was officially inducted into the lodge on Wednesday night. I would tell about it, but its a secret. I guess that means that people think that Elks, like the Masons, are planning to take over the world and start worshipping Man's Enlightened Reason and {insert other ridiculous paranoia here}. By "ridiculous paranoia," I am hoping for something along the lines of Roswell Aliens being produced by an illicit union of Mary Magdalene and Elvis which is a secret protected by the Knights Templar, Dick Cheney, and Leonardo da Vinci via a conspiracy involving Big Tobacco, Walmart, and foods with high levels of Trans Fat. Actually,...

In the Cosmic Universal Timewaster (also known Facebook ), my friend Kyle (also known as Captain Sacrament ) led me to a Facebook group entitled "Just Say No to Christian Commercialism." This was the description given: Because somebody somewhere decided that it was ok to sell Jesus all over again... The Ten commandments (revised): 1. Thou shalt wear no WWJD bracelets nor adopt other junk acronyms (like FROG) 2. Thou shalt not be in possession of stickers such as 'Eternity: smoking or non-smoking?' - a) it's idiotic and b) what an effective way to share God's love... 3. Thou shalt not stick fish symbols on cars 4.Thou shalt not touch anything by Rick Warren or bearing the words ' Purpose Driven Life' - except to burn it... 5. Thou shalt abhorJoyce Meyer's lack of grammar e.g. 'Start your day right' 6. Thou shalt not partake of Christian self-help - what the feck is this? 7. Thou shalt not display nor admire posters with pictures of cute pupp...

This just came over the e-mail wire from the Diocese of Nebraska: -The Archer+ FATHER DANIEL KUOT HAS RETURNED FROM THE SUDAN Father Daniel Kuot, our Sudanese Missioner, has recently returned from six months in Boma County, Sudan. Boma is located in the southeastern corner of Southern Sudan on the Ethiopian border. Boma County is home to approximately 300,000 indigenous people and covers an estimated area of 1500 square kilometers, and is predominately mountainous, primitive and undeveloped. There are five districts in Boma, (Uptown Boma, Kachipo, Jie, Hgalam, and Anyuak) each with their own tribe and language. Fr. Daniel has constructed a main building in Boma which will serve as a headquarters for all of his missionary work in this area. The building is complete except for the roof, which will be finished by the end of July and ready to be used for education, a medical clinic and church services. The goals and objectives of the Boma Project are: Evangelization : To preach the W...

Proper 10 Year C Deuteronomy 30:9-14 Psalm 25 Colossians 1:1-14 Gospel: Luke 10: 25-37 “Echoes of Shema” This will no doubt come as a shock to all of you, but most American church goers today are probably not all that thrilled about the themes in scriptures we have from the Lectionary. There's a;; this talk about “The Law” and “obedience” and perhaps even worse a story about Jesus arguing with a lawyer, and everyone knows how much Americans love lawyers. So, what are we to make of the lessons for today? What of this thing we call “The Law”? We in the Modern west hear the term “The Law” in a much more negative light than the original audience would have understood the term. “Law” to us usually means riles to be obeyed, dictated to us for, at least in theory, the common good. The Law is a list of things we can and cannot do because laws, at least in much of Western political theory, exist only as a negation of our freedom. Likewise, we Americans hear the term “obedience” in an even m...

I live about two blocks from the Nebraska State Capitol Building. In fact, I have a great view of it from my deck. It is by far the tallest building in Lincoln, and is a unicameral legislature. This is the view from the top. This is an interesting mural from the chapel area near the top of the dome.

While I usually can't stand am not a big fan of Paul Tillich, I found this to be an interesting statement: "When fundamentalism is combined with an antitheological bias, as it is, for instance, in its biblicistic-evangelical form, the theological truth of yesterday is defended as an unchangeable message against the theological truth of today...It elevates something finite and transitory to infinite and eternal validity. In this respect, fundamentalism has demonic traits. It destroys the humble honesty of the search for truth, it splits the conscience of its thoughtful adherents, and it makes them fanatical because they are forced to suppess elements of truth of which they are dimly aware." -Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology Volume I . Chicago: University Press, 1951.

I have my own business cards now. This really is a weird feeling. I don't think anyone in my family has had business cards...like, ever. I'm all respectable...how did this happen?!?!

This news just in: The St. Mark's Curate just had a brain wave! I have no idea will pan out, but I thought it might be a good idea to create an online Bulletin Board (BBS) to help foster discussions and such for Inquirer's Classes, etc., at St Mark's. If nothing else, St Mark's can claim it has one. Wheeee... I have been doing some research and cost analysis for a Church BBS. The best I found was www.conforums.com , which has free BBS hosting and is fairly user friendly if you aren't into GeekSpeak. For anyone like myself who is puttering around with new church ideas, you might want to check this out and set one up on your own. Mine (a work in progress) is at stmarks.conforums.com

Well, the Bossman is away for two days, so the curate is now the new Sheriff in town, as least for a few days. I guess that gives me time to read the paper and work on my sermon for Sunday. In other news, the alternator on my car went out, so I have been carless for a few days. Luckily, I ride mybike to work, so it hasn't been a problem. Ah, the joys of the real world.

On my second Sunday as a curate, I got to wade in the water of a vestry meeting. I have attended several vestry meetings in different churches in the past, but always as a lay person. This was a different experience entirely, being involved in a vestry meeting as a wearer of a clerical collar. In fact, more than once as issue was raised and someone would say something like, "Well, I think such-and-such, but what do the clergy in the room think?" At which point there would be a pause and people would look at me. It would always take me a few seconds for my brain to register the fact that one of these so-called clergy people is, in fact, myself. Oh, is that what this stupid piece of plastic around my neck means? Woopsies...

After the first day, I was beginning to wonder what I would going to be doing all day long. The first day was mostly sitting around the office checking e-mail working on my sermon. Today, the meetings started. People began trickling in. I am told by the powers that be that this is the Meet-the-New-Curate week and that everyone is "on their best behavior." Right...can't wait for the real behavior to start. I hope it isn't a murder.

I promise these are the last two pictures of my ordination I will post. Notice the Lakota star quilt hanging from the ceiling. Me and the former roomies...

On my first day at the office, this was what was waiting on my desk first thing: That's me...Communist Curate. Oh my...

So I started at St. Mark't today. The first day of the rest of my life as the curate. I think it went pretty well. I think my major challenge is going to be in trying to remember people's names, which I am not especially good at. I can remember minute details and conversations I have with people, but it takes me a few minutes to conjure up their names. I generally tend to think of them after the fact. So, what was my first curate task other than functioning liturgically as a deacon? Well, I was forced to rescue data from a computer in the office which was showing the dreaded Windows blue screen of death. I pulled out my emergency Ubuntu Linux live CD and circumvented the malfunctioning Windows operating system long enough to rescue the data onto an external USB harddrive by using a temporary operating system. The bad news is we had to reformat. The good news is the sermon (and other important data) were saved. Fear the Geek... he's on a mission from God.