Angry Anglicans

http://changingattitude-england.blogspot.com/2009/08/angry-anglicans.html

Anglicans and a covenant

I don't take a lot of notice of how the church organises itself these days. I am not on Synod, or even Parish Council. It is like the freedom of being sixty. I don't need to know. It is a freedom I relish.
Except that other people make the decisions!

I remember fondly that Canon Laurie Murchison (may his name be forever remembered), told us at All Saint's and St Mark's that the fundamental unit of governing the church was the diocese. (governance was not a word in use then,) The diocese (and its Synod) was where the decisions were made. Later on in my life I discovered Provincial Synods and Primates.

But a covenant to keep "the communion" together; this comment worth reading is from Pluralist:
http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/08/thirteen-unsure.html He stirs my unease. We are in communion, because we take communion at each other's tables. We break bread together.

As Pluralist says:

Here is my 'but', and it is as if these organisations do not yet get it. It is this:

We will work to ensure that if the Church of England is to sign up to the Covenant, it has potential for rapid progress on this and other issues.

No! Work to ensure the Church of England does not sign up to the Covenant. The Covenant is no good for anyone interested in Anglican flexibility and the inclusion of all its people liturgically and in ministry. If you sign the Covenant, you get the two track approach at the very least, which this joint statement rightly rejects. It would mean having to defy the Covenant and linking up with those Churches that are more flexible, which would not be possible structurally in the Church of England. Also if the Covenant fails in the Church of England, it means it won't constrain other parts of Anglicanism either, except those Churches that want to draw up agreements with others (and nothing surely wrong with that - part of the decentralised or confederal way of doing things).

as I say, he is worth reading.

Mystery

Colin Coward has this quote in the Changing Attitude blog.
http://changingattitude-england.blogspot.com/2009/08/cloud-of-unknowing-living-with-mystery.html

The way Henry Morgan speaks reminds me of a favourite quote of my fathers from HG Wells which was something about the larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder... This paragraph seems to say much the same, but adds that touch of change and shift. As the trip approaches, it seems to me that I need to ponder this mystery some more!

The Revd Henry Morgan writes that:

“... what humankind will ever know is but a small island among a vast sea of unknowing and mystery, The edges of the island will shift as new things are learnt and old things are forgotten, but mystery remains huge and overwhelming and touches us everywhere, wherever we look.”

"I don’t even know very much about God. God by definition is beyond our knowing: a vast, silent emptiness. We may sense God’s presence from time to time. We may believe that Jesus has shown us something of his nature, sufficient of God’s nature, even. But, in another sense, however true that may be, God will always remain beyond our knowing.”

“So, maybe we could usefully learn to approach all of life with a sense of mystery, wonder and reverence. It might usefully teach us a little humility.”

[The God You Already Know, pp95-96]

The Pentatonic Scale (some links)

http://gimundo.com/videos/view/a-singing-science-experiment/

A video that music teachers should see. (hence the email to radford not home!)

something for a student concert perhaps? But who can jump around like this man?

This is another site for the exercise freaks amongst us:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9ccp8_bachduo_music

then there is the Sound of Music in Antwerp (ideas for larger groups)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

Posting photos on blog

Patricia wants photos in the blog. And there is a new camera in the house, a dinky little one that isn't too small for my clumsy fingers.
A Lumix Panasonic. So I have been taking photos of flowers and birds.

the Daphne at St Philips is blooming and wondrous to smell!
('O taste and see' was in the psalm on Sunday.)

Caruso (I think this is her) waiting for some muesli.

This is a bit difficult. I will only be able to do it when at home. Obviously I am missing something! (Probably a Picasa account!)

Antony Loewenstein's blog

http://antonyloewenstein.com

unlike this blog, Antony's is very focussed on Palestine and Israel. An Australian Jewish contribution to the debate. You can also hear Antony discussing these issues on Late Night Live on Thursday 6th August 2009. Hear or download the segment from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2009/2648169.htm