An Aid To Memory

Robb over at lutherpunk (in this post) has drawn our attention to HerChurch.Org, the website for Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco. If Martin Luther could have seen this website, he most certainly would have turned his attention away from Zwingli and Catholics, and spent his remaining years fighting this stuff.

No, this site is not a joke. It actually does have a "she who is" retreat, and, most notably, a "goddess rosary" recitation on Wednesday nights, where they recite:

Hail Goddess full of grace.
Blessed are you
and blessed are all the fruits
of your womb.

For you are the MOTHER of us all.
Hear us now
and in all our needs.
O blessed be, O blessed be.  Amen

The church makes/sells the beads, where the traditional rosary with crucifix is replaced by a classical goddess image.

Like Robb, I similarly ask, "if you have moved so far away from the Christian faith into paganism, why even retain the name ‘Christian?’" Be honest, and be a pagan. Be the best pagan you can be, but don’t pretend that Lutheran Christianity allows for this sort of thing (of course, if this church is tolerated by ELCA leadership, maybe it effectively does allow it??). This is the postmodern era. There are very few social pressures to be Christian. Just admit you have moved on from Christianity, and go pagan. Granted, we as Christians always prefer someone remain Christian, but if you can’t do that anymore, be honest, and don’t water down a venerable tradition.

Sometimes I feel like I am just kind of wandering, since I am deciding what I am going to do about school and work. I kind of naturally like wandering I think. Just the other day I was browsing former Byrds lead singer Roger Mcguinn’s Home Page, looking for free music. I found "Wanderin," with lyrics written below, and it kind of resonated. Of course, we must remember as J.R.R. Tolkien reminds us, "all who wander are not lost." Plus, despite a tendency to wander, I never enjoy doing it alone.

The song was originally written during the first half of the 20th century about a soldier who returned from World War I to find hard times. McGuinn recently added some of his own lyrics. The MP3 may be downloaded for free here.
 

My daddy is an engineer,
my brother drives a hack
My sister takes in washing
and the baby balls the jack…
And it looks like I’m never going to cease my wandering

I’ve been out a-wandering
both early and late
From New York City
to the Golden Gate…
And it looks like I’m never going to cease my wandering

Been across this country
so many times before,

But I never lose the feeling,
that’s what God made me for…
And it looks like I’m never going to cease my wandering

Been working in the city,
working on the farm
I always have a guitar
underneath my arm…
And it looks like I’m never going to cease my wandering

Played most every country,
played most every town.
Want to keep on playing,
this whole wide world around…
And it looks like I’m never going to cease my wandering

There’s fish in the ocean,
and eels in the sea

And everywhere I haven’t been,
that’s where I want to be…
And it looks like I’m never going to cease my wandering

*Traditional, New lyrics by Roger McGuinn (C) McGuinn Music 2005 / BMI*

Image is my own, enhanced

Speaking privately, Pope Benedict opposes Harry Potter. There is a good discussion about it over at Pontifications. Personally, I think Harry Potter books can be a gateway into neo-paganism for those ungrounded in their faith, but no more a gateway than hundreds of other common influences that can lead people so-inclined that direction. Heck, even well-meaning, but over-burdening and exasperating Christian parents can lead children in a direction opposite of their own faith, perhaps in the direction of paganism.   

I have decided to remove the original post I composed here for an important reason: I have never read the HP books or seen the movies. Also, my post was almost entirely about the rise and influence of neo-paganism among youth, and the Harry Potter books were only peripherally related. I will be taking some things from this removed post and molding it into a new post about neo-paganism, which I want to address soon. This is a project I have been developing for awhile. So please come back and check that out, saving all of your comments.

The Church of England recently voted to remove barriers in place preventing women bishops from being appointed. Many Anglicans (especially Anglo-Catholic Anglicans) are rather upset about the prospect of women bishops. One Anglican leader has said that if women are ordained as bishops in the near future, up to 800 Anglican priests may leave for the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has responded to this possibility.

British Catholic bishop Declan Lang says Anglicans should not convert for negative reasons, but only because they accept the Teaching of the Church. The question of Anglicans converting to Catholicism in high numbers is not new in England. When women were accepted into the C of E priesthood in 1992 many Anglican priests defected to Rome under the Catholic Church’s Anglican Use provision. Under this provision, Anglican priests may be ordained as Catholic priests, even if they are married, and may serve in parishes that use a modified Anglican liturgy. I must note that over the years many individuals have converted from Anglicanism to the Catholic Church (and vice-versa), two famous ones being John Henry Newman and Gerald Manley Hopkins.

Bishop Lang brings up an interesting point. It is never good to convert to any faith solely for negative reasons. Whenever someone converts to the Catholic faith, he or she is expected to profess acceptance of all that the Church teaches. Thus the only real reason to convert is a love and acceptance of the entire Catholic faith. Being upset at the direction of your own church is not by itself a sufficient reason to join the Catholic Church.

That being said, problems in other denominations can certainly point one toward the Catholic Church and put one on the path so to speak. We must be there to encourage the disaffected individuals exploring our faith, and show them the reasons to love the Catholic faith.

I had been flirting with converting to the Catholic Church for years, but it was the Episcopal Church’s actions at General Convention 2003 that finally pushed me out their door and put me on the path to Rome. However, even after I decided to leave for the Catholic Church, I had to spend much time in prayer and study to make sure I could truly affirm that I held to all that the Church taught. Otherwise, I could not have professed just that.

I hope the Catholic Church is open to receiving the bishops, priests, and laity that feel like Anglicanism is no longer their home, and who are (for good, positive reasons) looking to the Catholic Church for a home. They need an Apostolic home, and we always need priests and laity who know good liturgy and good theology.

Left image (JH Newman): http://www3.villanova.edu/mission/newman/archive.htm
Right image (GM Hopkins): http://www.info.sophia.ac.jp/renaissa/HopkinsSocietyDefaultPage.htm

Many of you know that I read Pontifications often, and that Fr. Al Kimel’s observations helped me cross the Tiber almost a year ago. His observations eventually helped him convert to the Catholic faith as well. His newest post, The Church of the Body and Blood of Christ, describes his reception into the Church and his confirmation at a parish in South Carolina, as well as a few implications of his conversion.

I just got back from a 3 day trip to Lake Erie. I had a lot of fun hanging out at the local beaches, and I even attended a nice local small-town festival on the lake. I attended an Eastern Catholic Church for the second week in a row, mainly because I was close to one. Sadly, now I am back to the daily grind for awhile I guess.

Image from: http://www.hrparish.net/

One of my biggest complaints about Catholic worship in America is the slipshod way in which the novus ordo Mass has been implemented. For one, the English translation is unfaithful to the dignified Latin. Second, and my concern here, is the music many parishes choose for the Mass. While there are great contemporary hymns, much of what is sung is theologically thin and musically more suited to sitting around a campfire (and even then, why ruin a good campfire?). The Eastern Catholics and Orthodox haven’t been too affected by musical trendiness.  Eastern Christians haven’t lost their musical heritage, and Pope Benedict XVI is trying hard to assure that we in the west don’t lost ours either.

Here is a link to some great Eastern Catholic music: Choir Chant of the Byzantine Catholic Church in MP3.  The language is Church Slavonic, Slovak, and other languages, but simply hearing the music alone transports me heavenward. If it is possible to hear a preview of the heavenly chorus, this is it.

Image from: http://members.aol.com/louisav/windowstoheaven.html

Today is Independence Day in the United States. This is when we celebrate the day our founding fathers declared Independence from Great Britain. We also celebrate our values of freedom and democracy.

Traditionally, the day is marked by fireworks celebrations and displaying the US flag. Other ways I have celebrated the day include: offering extra prayers for our nation, our troops, and our leaders, and offering up my daily sacrifices on behalf of our nation.

We are also grilling out today and having some family over. Happy 4th of July!

Today, Jonathan and I visited an Eastern Catholic Church for the first time. We visited St John Chrysostom (Ruthenian) Byzantine Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio. The image on the left is from the inside of the church, and the image on the right is of golden-mouthed preacher and doctor of the Church, St. John Chrysostom. I must admit I was a little nervous as I walked into the building. It is the first time in 6 years I have been in an Eastern Church, and the first time ever I have visited one in which I could commune.

The worship was other-worldly and appealed to every one of my senses. The entire Divine Liturgy, minus a few words, was completely sung. The place smelled of incense, and I was surrounded by many beautiful icons of Jesus, the theotokos (Mother of God), and the apostles and saints. We had an opportunity to kiss an icon as we entered and before receiving communion. Fr. Bacha gave an excellent homily, and at the end of the service welcomed those such as myself that were guests. Everybody was extremely friendly, and three people talked to my brother and me, welcoming us and inviting us back.

Having been raised in a western church, and recently converting to the Western Rite of the Catholic Church, I kept an eye out for East/West differences. Here are a few of the major differences:

1. There is no genuflecting, only bowing. This goes back to Eastern customs, where bowing shows deference, whereas traditionally in the West genuflection is the way to defer in respect.

2. Byzantine Catholics cross themselves right-to-left, and do so in the service much more frequently than we Westerners do in the Novus Ordo mass. Additionally, they cross themselves during the Gloria Patri, whereas western custom is to bow.

3. The Nicene creed is closer to the original Eastern version, and it lacks the filioque (and the Son) clause.

4. The communion bread is leavened, and is mingled with wine in a chalice and dropped into the mouth using a little spoon. Custom is to cross your arms (some dangle them down, the point being to not risk dropping the body and blood mixture), arch your back a little, and open your mouths (keeping your tongue inside!) as the priest drops in the body/blood mix.

5. This particular Divine Liturgy (the Eastern Eucharistic liturgy) was sung in English and Church Slavonic.

6. The language referring to the pope differs slightly. The pope is the "ecumenical pontiff, the bishop of Rome." His role as servant of servants is emphasized. Additionally, they pray for the patriarch of Constantinople, who as of now, is not in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Keep in mind that the differences between East and West that I have listed above can be chalked up
to differing customs, traditions, and ways of approaching the same
theological mysteries. Fortunately, the Church of Christ is above any culture, and can transform and find expression in all cultures. I highly recommend my readers visit an Eastern Catholic Church, to appreciate what we mean when we say "we believe in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

Left Image: http://www.chrysostomstjohn.org/
Right image: http://www.unf.edu/classes/byzantium/

I started drinking coffee regularly in 1995, when I tried one of those sugar loaded Milky Way cappuccino drinks. After that, I stuck with those, until finally I realized three dollars for flavor, sugar, and coffee was a rip-off and too calorie-dense, so I just switched to regular coffee.

Now I usually have 2-3 cups of coffee in a day, an amount by the way, associated with lower risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinsons disease. I like trying different blends and flavors. I personally rank the coffee of various gas stations, restaurants, and coffee shops. I love different creamers and flavors, and I usually get into them seasonally (Hazelnut just tastes more like fall and winter than Irish Cream). If you ask me, everything goes better with coffee. After a having an irregular heartbeat for a few days, I decided to add a little decaf to the mix, but otherwise, the image to the right just about gets it right.

Image from: www.anglican.tk

Typepad finally got around to making some new templates. I found one I liked and changed this blog over. I hope you like to new design.