sharing based on joy and spontaneous offering

The early Christians did not share their resources out of obligation, guilt or in obedience to a new rule called “equality.” They shared their goods out of a tremendous experience of joy and spontaneous offering. They had experienced the Holy Spirit in their midst, and their response was to share everything they had….

Behaving differently about money is a visible consequence of the Spirit’s presence—a very hard word for people who would rather stay in the upper room with the Spirit and never come down in the street to live out the new economy that the Spirit has created.

Jim Wallis, The Call to Conversion

Seven Whole Days: 10 liturgical changes inspired by swine flu fear pandemic

Scott Gunn at Seven Whole Days blog has another doozy...if you're wondering how churches might respond to the swine flu FEAR pandemic, you need to check this out...click HERE!

Just so good, kudos to Scott!

Scott Gunn offers some perspective on the Slime Flu, I mean Swine Flu

Scott Gunn, priest and blogger at "Seven Whole Days" offers some perspective for us on the Swine Flu...an excerpt is below, but click HERE to read his entire piece.

_____________

I’ve been trying to parse the news explosion around swine flu. It’s still not clear to me if this is a real health threat or if it’s in the family of the buy-duct-tape-to-stop-terror hype meme. So far, it seems closer to the latter. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but here’s what we know:

• A bunch of people have contracted swine flu in several nations around the world.
• It’s easily spread, perhaps more so than other variants of flu.
• Its symptoms are very close to those of “normal” flu.
• More people, including healthy people, have died in Mexico than might have been expected.
• There’s been one death in the US so far.
• Every year 250,000-500,000 die of flu worldwide.

It’s that last statistic that puts some of the others in context. Yes, this seems serious. But if we’re going to panic about things that could kill thousands, here are some other things to worry about:

• Deaths caused by SUVs, which are inherently more dangerous than other autos.
• Deaths due to bad diet.
• Deaths due to smoking.
• Deaths due to gun violence.
• Deaths due to senseless wars.

Click HERE to read the rest

Morning Prayer: Morning has broken - Cat Stevens

Wonderful song, wonderfully sung!

Cat Stevens Morning Has Broken
Uploaded by la_shivi

From morning prayer: Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands

Jublilate

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

God is no stop-gap, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

By Dietrich Bonhoeffer

How wrong it is to use God as a stop-gap for the incompleteness of our knowledge. We are to find God in what we know, not in what we don’t know; God wants us to realize his presence, not in unsolved problems but in those that are solved. That is true of the relationship between God and scientific knowledge, but it is also true of the wider human problems of death, suffering, and guilt. It is now possible to find, even for these questions, human answers that take no account whatever of God. In point of fact, people deal with these questions without God (it has always been so) and it is simply not true to say that only Christianity has the answers to them.

As to the idea of ’solving’ problems, it may be that the Christian answers are just as unconvincing—or convincing—as any others. Here again, God is no stop-gap; he must be recognized as the center of life, not when we are at the end of our resources; it is his will to be recognized in life, and not only when death comes; in health and vigor, and not only in suffering; in our activities, and not only in sin. The ground for this lies in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. He is the center of life, and he certainly didn’t ‘come’ to answer our unsolved problems. From the center of life certain questions, and their answers, are seen to be wholly irrelevant. In Christ there are no ‘Christian problems.’

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

Praying - Poem by Mary Oliver

By Mary Oliver

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

Mary Oliver, Thirst

Ring-Candlelight Ceremony singing at St. Catherine's School, 2009

Ring-Candlelight Ceremony singing at the "arcade" at St. Catherine's School, Richmond, VA.

St. Paul's on the Hill and Christ Church, Winchester, VA join the Youtube generation!

Welcome!

St. Paul's on the Hill and Christ Church, Winchester, VA join the Youtube generation!

Featuring Lisa and Bill Bromfield's band "Stella and the Stanley's. This dance raised funds to support the St. Paul's on-the-Hill Food Panty (which is open the first Sunday of every month, 1:00pm - 3:00pm) and the outreach programs of Christ Church. Held April 25, 2009.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood, VA - Photos

Psalm 150 Laudate Domi

Psalm 150 Laudate Domi

1 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy temple; *
praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts; *
praise him for his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn; *
Praise him with lyre and harp.
4 Praise him with timbrel and dance; *
praise him with strings and pipe.
5 Praise him with resounding cymbals; *
praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath *
praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: "Credo: Sunday shopping has not made us better or happier"

AMEN!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Read it all HERE

From the TimesOnline (London Times)

Credo: Sunday shopping has not made us better or happier
The Sabbath is our counterweight to the pressures and values of the market undefined

Jonathan Sacks

During this economic crisis much attention has been paid to the deregulation of financial services that took place in the 1980s. That opened the floodgates to higher, and eventually unsustainable, levels of borrowing and spending. Little attention has been paid to another act of deregulation at about the same time, that played its own part in creating an overheated credit-and-consumption culture: the deregulation of Sunday, turning the day of rest into a day of shopping.

It was probably inevitable given the secularisation of society. But from a Jewish perspective I doubt whether Judaism would have survived, let alone thrived, without the Sabbath. It is our counterweight to the pressures and values of the market. It is our oasis of rest in a world that seems as if it is moving too fast for anyone to know where it is going. It is our sanctuary in time, when we celebrate the things that have value but no price....

Read it all HERE

New "call" - Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood, VA - Associate Rector

Some news from "SantosPopsicles" also known as, me, the Rev. Peter M. Carey, ....I have accepted a call to a new position at a church here in the Diocese of Virginia - Associate Rector at Emmanuel Church, Greenwood (outside of Charlottesville). I've attached the letter I wrote to my colleagues at St. Catherine's which was sent out yesterday. I will have much to reflect upon in upcoming days, and will surely blog about the changes upcoming for me and my family...



April 24, 2009
Dear Friends,
I am writing to let you know that I have accepted a call to be the Associate Rector of Emmanuel Church, Greenwood, Virginia which is located just West of Charlottesville. I spent over ten years in schools before seminary, and felt a dual call upon leaving seminary – to work in an Episcopal school or in an Episcopal church. I have felt a strong pull to do parish work full time and this decision is one that I believe is Spirit-filled.

After some careful consideration, prayer, and conversation the Rector and Vestry of Emmanuel issued a call for me to join them as their Associate Rector. The parish is healthy, caring, and I will serve alongside an experienced and pastoral Rector. I get the real sense that it will be another place where I can grow as a pastor, priest and teacher. Specifically, I will be in charge of Christian Formation, Children and Youth Ministries, Newcomer’s Ministry, as well as sharing in the pastoral care, mission work and liturgical leadership of a growing congregation of 500 members.

The decision to step down from being the St. Catherine’s School Chaplain to work at a church fulltime is one that has occupied my prayers and thoughts over several months. In so many ways, the last two years at St. Catherine’s have been a blessing and a gift to me. Having the opportunity to plan or assist with six chapel services a week, teach engaging and bright students at the Upper School level, and serve alongside a dedicated Executive Team has been invaluable and wonderful. In addition, I have the enviable role of spending time in worship with every student in our school weekly.

Beyond this work, I have been blessed to learn from so many people, but especially two wise women who care so deeply about the chapel and the spiritual life of our community. Lower School religion teacher Rives Priddy and Middle School chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Dorothy White have taught me a great deal and I will be forever thankful for their work, their presence and their wisdom. I will also miss the strong professional community of educators which, along with our tremendous students, is at the core of what is best about St. Catherine’s School. This has been a great place to begin my ministry, and I will always cherish it. I will miss your friendship, your humor, your intellectualism, playfulness and exuberance. I will also be ever thankful for the opportunity to begin my ordained ministry amid such a dynamic, interesting and caring community.

There will be time for goodbyes since I will be here through the end of the school year. Since Greenwood is only 80 miles away (and on your way to Wintergreen), I hope you stop by often, and I will visit as well.

In gratitude and with bittersweet feelings,

Peter+

St. Mark - Feast Day today - 25 April 2009

Eastertide - Springtime!!

This is your brain on Biblical Inerrancy - Father Matthew Cooks up another good one

A presentation on Biblical Inerrancy by Episcopal priest, Matthew Moretz. The piece deals with the problems that come with believing that the Scriptures are infallible in every way. Biblical inerrancy can be an obstacle to Christian faith, and a kind of idolatry if one isn't careful. As suggested in the video, something doesn't have to be infinitely perfect for God to speak through it. This is an installment of the "Father Matthew Presents" series, now in stunning HD. Father Matthew is a priest at Christ's Church (Episcopal) in Rye, New York.

www.fathermatthewpresents.com

www.ccrye.org

You can purchase his DVD on the Sacraments at https://www.createspace.com/260580

Psalm 134

Psalm 134 Ecce nunc

1	Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, * you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
2	Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; * the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

"A video invitation to learn more about Episcopal Diocese of Washington. "

From the award winning editor at the Episcopal Cafe today:

"Because the canon for communications in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington (that would be me) is a bear of very little brain, it only recently occurred to him to put the movie that the marvelous Hugh Drescher made for us five years ago on You Tube. You can see the entire extravaganza here, in seven bites of about 75 seconds a piece. But here is a taste."

"A video invitation to learn more about Episcopal Diocese of Washington. "

Diocese of Washington (DC) Welcome Video - Part 1



Diocese of Washington (DC) Welcome Video - Part 2



Diocese of Washington (DC) Welcome Video - Part 3



Diocese of Washington (DC) Welcome Video - Part 4



Diocese of Washington (DC) Welcome Video - Part 5



Diocese of Washington (DC) Welcome Video - Part 6



Diocese of Washington (DC) Welcome Video - Part 7

God delights in us - Psalm 18:1-20

Psalm 18:1-20 Diligam te, Domine.

1	I love you, O LORD my strength, * O LORD my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2	My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, * my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise.
3	I will call upon the LORD, * and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4	The breakers of death rolled over me, * and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5	The cords of hell entangled me, * and the snares of death were set for me.
6	I called upon the LORD in my distress * and cried out to my God for help.
7	He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; * my cry of anguish came to his ears.
8	The earth reeled and rocked; * the roots of the mountains shook; they reeled because of his anger.
9	Smoke rose from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth; * hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
10	He parted the heavens and came down * with a storm cloud under his feet.
11	He mounted on cherubim and flew; * he swooped on the wings of the wind.
12	He wrapped darkness about him; * he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13	From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, * burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14	The LORD thundered out of heaven; * the Most High uttered his voice.
15	He loosed his arrows and scattered them; * he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16	The beds of the seas were uncovered, and the foundations of the world laid bare, * at your battle cry, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17	He reached down from on high and grasped me; * he drew me out of great waters.
18	He delivered me from my strong enemies and from those who hated me; * for they were too mighty for me.
19	They confronted me in the day of my disaster; * but the LORD was my support.
20	He brought me out into an open place; * he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Some sites to check out...

Here are some sites to check out!


Dean Whitbeck's website: http://www.deanwhitbeck.com/
A great guy, wonderful artist, educator, musician and friend...check out his site.

"Incredibly True" Photography: http://www.incrediblytrue.com/
This is Diane Vaccarino's photography website. She takes natural light portraits that are very good. If you are in the Richmond area, consider hiring her!

Diego Sanchez's website: http://www.diegosanchez.com/
Diego Sanchez is a wonderful artist, teacher, colleague and friend. Check out his work, and buy some of it!

John 17:20-26

John 17:20-26 (NRSV)

20 "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 "Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Earth Day - "this fragile earth, our island home"

Lance Armstrong Climbing...today - from twitpic

"Trusting the Spirit" - "Big Wave Surfing"

I have never been big wave surfing, but I do believe that trusting the Holy Spirit feels a lot like what big wave surfing looks like....

...check out this video, just wild...just ride it, man!

~ The Rev. Peter M. Carey

John 17:12-19...and "Spirits in the material world"

Read John 17:12-19....and then watch the clip below....

John 17:12-19 (NRSV)

12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Click HERE to watch the video clip

"Faith Seeking Understanding," St. Anselm of Bec and Canterbury, 21April

From "Bishop Alan's Blog"...


Saint Anselm of Bec and Canterbury died this day 900 years ago in 1109. There’s been barely a squeak about the anniversary. But he was not only an impressive Archbishop of Canterbury but a major theologian and philosopher, who can be seen as the founder of Scholasticism and originator of the ontological argument for the existence of God.

The keystone of his work is the relationship between faith and reason, from the basis that faith seeks and leads to understanding: credo ut intelligam. I find that to be very true for me. Faith comes first, a gift a God. But that does not mean we switch our brains off. They too are part of God’s gift to us, and in the powers and patterns of our intellect His pattern is already etched. We may not be able to use them to prove the things of God in the tightest sense of proof (and Anselm’s own ‘proofs’ were not for him knockdown arguments either), but they do reveal a world fully consistent with our faith, and full of beauty and integrity too. Happy Birthday Anselm!

Almighty God, who raised up your servant Anselm to teach the Church of his day to understand its faith in your eternal Being, perfect justice, and saving mercy: Provide your Church in every age with devout and learned scholars and teachers, that we may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Psalm 5

Psalm 5 Verba mea auribus

1	Give ear to my words, O LORD; * consider my meditation.
2	Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, * for I make my prayer to you.
3	In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; * early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
4	For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, * and evil cannot dwell with you.
5	Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; * you hate all those who work wickedness.
6	You destroy those who speak lies; * the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
7	But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; * I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8	Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness, because of those who lie in wait for me; * make your way straight before me.
9	For there is no truth in their mouth; * there is destruction in their heart;
10	Their throat is an open grave; * they flatter with their tongue.
11	Declare them guilty, O God; * let them fall, because of their schemes.
12	Because of their many transgressions cast them out, * for they have rebelled against you.
13	But all who take refuge in you will be glad; * they will sing out their joy for ever.
14	You will shelter them, * so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
15	For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; * you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.

Earth Day: Get out and ride!

Like Lance!

from Lance Armstrong's Twitter pics - "twitpic"

Earth Day: Living as stewards in God's house

From the Daily Episcopalian today:

Earth Day: Living as stewards in God's house

By George Clifford

Wednesday, April 22, is Earth Day. Began in 1969, Earth Day was instituted to call attention to the global environmental crisis. In the intervening forty years, awareness has grown. Embarrassingly, much of the Church has remained indifferent while environmental problems have worsened, often taking a back seat to other, purportedly more urgent issues.

Today, the economic crisis cries for center stage. However, the economic crisis and environmental crisis intertwine inseparably with one another, as theologian Sallie McFague emphasized in her 2001 book, Life Abundant: Rethinking Theology and Economy for a Planet in Peril. McFague describes two worldviews, the neo-classical economic and the ecological economic, first explaining the connection and then suggesting theologically responsible responses.

The neo-classical economic worldview emerged from market-based capitalism guided by the invisible hand of self-interest, which Adam Smith first outlined in the eighteenth century. Theoretically, independent, acquisitive individuals eventually work out, albeit unintentionally, a society’s optimal production and consumption solutions to the benefit of all. McFague helpfully observes that this worldview focuses on monetary gains as its sole aim, excluding the values of the fair distribution of profits from the earth’s resources and global sustainability.

For the world’s entire population to enjoy a Western, middle class standard of living, we would require the resources of four more earth-type, earth-size planets. ...

Read it all HERE

Membership has its privileges

I saw this poster recently in a church kitchen...pretty good.

Have a great morning!

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Church: Dynamic Ecclesiology of Communion - Bonhoeffer, Cone, Williams - on Wordle

I put my Master's thesis through "wordle" and this is what I got:

pretty cool...click on the image above for higher res (more visible) version

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Emmaus, by Rowan Williams

Emmaus, by Rowan Williams

First the sun, then the shadow,
so that I screw my eyes to see
my friend’s face, and its lines seem
different, and the voice shakes in the hot air.
Out of the rising white dust, feet
tread a shape, and, out of step,
another flat sound, stamped between voice
and ears, dancing in the gaps, and dodging
where words and feet do not fall.

When our eyes meet, I see bewilderment
(like mine); we cannot learn
this rhythm we are asked to walk,
and what we hear is not each other.
Between us is filled up, the silence
is filled up, lines of our hands
and faces pushed into shape
by the solid stranger, and the static
breaks up our waves like dropped stones.

So it is necessary to carry him with us,
cupped between hands and profiles,
so that the table is filled up, and as
the food is set and the first wine splashes,
a solid thumb and finger tear the thunderous
grey bread. Now it is cold, even indoors;
and the light falls sharply on our bones;
the rain breathes out hard, dust blackens,
and our released voices shine with water.

hat tip to Richard Hall at "Connexions Blog"

UVa's Stanwick seeks sisterly approval

Freshman attackman Steele Stanwick (left) and his Virginia teammates end their home schedule today against Dartmouth.

By: WHITELAW REID 
Published: April 18, 2009

» 0 Comments | Post a Comment

“A terrible shot by Stanwick.”

A few years back, that was a remark made bytelevision color commentator Sheehan Stanwick Burch after her younger sister Coco Stanwick, then a star player for Georgetown, took an ill-advised shot.

This afternoon, Virginia freshman Steele Stanwick will be hoping to avoid similar critiques.

Burch, Steele’s oldest sister, will be part of the broadcast team for CBS College Sports (formerly CSTV). It will be the first time that the former Georgetown All-American will be working one of her brothers’ games.

She has previously broadcasted games involving sister Wick, a 2003 Georgetown graduate, and Coco, a 2005 alum.

Steele, who has seven siblings, still recalls the game when Burch was particularly harsh on Coco.

“[She] didn’t play too well that game so I kind of remembering it being awkward for Sheehan to make the call,” he said, with a laugh. “Hopefully I hold my own out there and don’t embarrass myself.”

If Stanwick plays like he has all season, that shouldn’t be a problem. The Baltimore native, who arrived atVirginia with big expectations, is second in goals (28) and third in assists (12).

“He was ranked as the No. 1 recruit [in the country] by one publication,” Burch said. “I think so far he’s done a fantastic job of living up to the all press and handling that pressure well.”

Burch, a mother of two who has worked in television and commercial real state since graduating fromGeorgetown in 2001, says she has learned to be as unbiased as possible when covering her siblings’ games. She says the fact that everybody grew up critiquing each other in the family car after games has made it easier for her to just say what she feels during a broadcast.

“I can look at the game and separate my family ties,” she said. “I can take a step back and not have any real emotion.

“If anything, I feel like I’m probably harsher on them than cheering for them or talking about them the entire time.”

Coco can probably attest to that.

“[She] probably could have had a few bones to pick with me,” said Burch with a chuckle, “but it’s stuff that if she watched, she would have probably agreed, ‘Yes, that was a horrible shot.’”

Steele says he’s looking forward to playing Dartmouth. Virginia (12-1, 3-1) is coming off its first loss of the season to Duke last weekend.

“They’re a very capable team,” said Stanwick of the Big Green (4-8). “We’re going to have to go out and have a good game. It’s Senior Day, so I’m sure everyone’s going to be ready to play. Dartmouth’s our most important game right now, so we need to put everything we have into this one.”

Of course, having big sis up in the press box adds a little more spice to the event.

“It’s definitely something that’s never happened before,” Stanwick said, “so it should be a pretty cool experience.”

Added Burch: “He’s a very mellow guy, so I don’t think he has too much anxiety about what I will say.”

Psalm 145

Psalm 145 Exaltabo te, Deus

1	I will exalt you, O God my King, * and bless your Name for ever and ever.
2	Every day will I bless you * and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3	Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; * there is no end to his greatness.
4	One generation shall praise your works to another * and shall declare your power.
5	I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty * and all your marvelous works.
6	They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, * and I will tell of your greatness.
7	They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; * they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
8	The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, * slow to anger and of great kindness.
9	The LORD is loving to everyone * and his compassion is over all his works.
10	All your works praise you, O LORD, * and your faithful servants bless you.
11	They make known the glory of your kingdom * and speak of your power;
12	That the peoples may know of your power * and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13	Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; * your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14	The LORD is faithful in all his words * and merciful in all his deeds.
15	The LORD upholds all those who fall; * he lifts up those who are bowed down.
16	The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, * and you give them their food in due season.
17	You open wide your hand * and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
18	The LORD is righteous in all his ways * and loving in all his works.
19	The LORD is near to those who call upon him, * to all who call upon him faithfully.
20	He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; * he hears their cry and helps them.
21	The LORD preserves all those who love him, * but he destroys all the wicked.
22	My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; * let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.