The Black Stars shine during World Cup games

I'm recovering from the drama of General Convention by watching the World Cup games. I'm not much of a sports fan, but I LOVE THE WORLD CUP. All the fans are so passionate, the teams are so good (and good-looking), there's so much drama and excitement. Today, the Black Stars of Ghana will challenge the ever victorious yellow shirts of Brazil. The first time World Cup players, sometimes called the "Brazilians of Africa" are representing both their country and their continent. Their very appearance in the Round of 16 foreshadows a strong showing from many African teams as the World Cup goes to South Africa in 2010.

Our new Presiding Bishop - The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada

Well folks, its official - my church is still the best one in town!! From all the accounts I've been reading from GC 2006, it sounded pretty much like any other legislative meeting. But this year we made history.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH HAS ELECTED ITS FIRST WOMEN PRESIDING BISHOP!!


Katharine Jefferts Schori, 51, was consecrated the ninth Bishop of Nevada on February 24, 2001. She serves a diocese of some 6,000 members in 35 congregations. Jefferts Schori is the first woman selected as a nominee for Presiding Bishop.

Her service to the wider church includes current membership on the Special Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion; the Board of Trustees, Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California; the CREDO Advisory Board; the House of Bishops peer coaching program; the General Board of Examining Chaplains; the Board for Church Deployment; the House of Bishops' Pastoral Development, Racism, and Planning Committees; the Court for Review of a Trial of a Bishop; the Episcopal visitor team for the Community of the Holy Spirit; and the Bishops of Small Dioceses group.

From 2001-2003 she was a member of the 20/20 Strategy Group, and served as secretary of the House of Bishops Ministry Committee at the 2003 General Convention.

She is the author of "When Conflict and Hope Abound," Vestry Papers (March-April 2005); "Building Bridges/Widening Circles" in Preaching Through Holy Days and Holidays: Sermons that Work XI, Roger Alling and David J. Schlafer, eds. Morehouse (2003); "Multicultural Issues in Preaching" in Preaching Through the Year of Matthew: Sermons That Work X, Roger Alling and David J. Schlafer, eds. Morehouse (2001); and "The Nag" in Preaching Through the Year of Luke: Sermons That Work IX, Roger Alling and David J. Schlafer, eds. Morehouse (2000). Her Maundy Thursday sermon was included in What Makes This Day Different? by David Schlafer, Cowley (1998).

She is an active, instrument-rated pilot with more than 500 hours logged.

At the time of her election as bishop of Nevada, Jefferts Schori was assistant rector at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan in Corvallis, Oregon, where she also served as pastoral associate, dean of the Good Samaritan School of Theology, and priest-in-charge, El Buen Samaritano, Corvallis. She was ordained deacon and priest in 1994. Prior to ordination, she was a visiting assistant professor at Oregon State University's Department of Religious Studies, a visiting scientist at Oregon State University's Department of Oceanography, and an oceanographer with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle.

She received a B.S. in biology from Stanford University, 1974; an M.S. in oceanography from Oregon State University, 1977; a Ph.D. from Oregon State University, 1983; an M.Div. from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 1994; and a D.D. from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2001.

Jefferts Schori was born March 26, 1954, in Pensacola, Florida. She has been married to Richard Miles Schori, a retired theoretical mathematician (topologist), since 1979. They have one child, Katharine Johanna, 24, who is a second lieutenant and pilot in the US Air Force.

Perhaps the two things I personally like best about her are that she is a licensed fixed-wing pilot and - she grew up in Seattle!

The Witness published a great interview covering her ideas on subjects such as:

the moral dimensions of the federal budget

the Windsor Report and the challenge of remaining in communion

the future of the Episcopal church

multicultural and Total Ministry

There are some dioceses that will be shocked - let's be honest - shattered, by this election. But I am confident that the Holy Spirit was at work in this and this will be a new season in our church.

I attended the UNCSW meetings this year and the main focus was seeing that women must step up into positions at the head of the decision-making table in order to claim their full participation in social, environmental, and political change. This is a wonderful example of what can happen when a women takes the challenge and is recognized as the right leader for the times.

The next nine years will be full of obstacles. We are already straining the company of a Communion where gender and sexuality are used to keep people out of positions of power. This will further annoy those who are already upset at our decisions. But God has given us this time to stand up and use our voice for reconciliation and empowerment. I am so glad to be part of this church at this time.

Voices of Witness

Here's a wonderful video put out by Claiming the Blessing. One of my favorite quotes:

"Do I want to be part of a church that will bless my dog but not my relationship?"

The bloggers from convention keep reporting that the buzz word is "Clarity". I think a better word is "Honesty". As one blogger stated so well at the public hearing


To “repent” means we did something new.• We did not.• Gene Robinson is not the first gay bishop. He is the first honestly gay bishop. He won’t be the last.

To “repent” means that we have broken communion.• We did not.• Indeed, we have been in broken communion for more than thirty years over the ordination of women.• Our greater sin is that we won’t elect the one bishop as Presiding Bishop who is far and away the most qualified to be our next Presiding Bishop because she is a woman and that would “further impair” our already broken communion. So, we face a dilemma – The Windsor Report asks us to repent. All we can offer is regret.

We are dishonest if we say "We will not ordain gay bishops". We just shove them back into the closet. We are dishonest if we say "We will accept gays and women as priests, but not bishops." We are just shoving them into pidgen holes. As a women, I want to see more women bishops and of course Presiding Bishop. As a human, I want to see all God's creatures recognized and blessed.

Another quote:

"Jesus said, "If I am lifted up, I will draw ALL people into myself"

A prayer for the delegates

As many of you know my church is having its triannual convention. There are many issues on the table. My prayer is that the delegates will indeed remember it is a table to which we are called. It is the table of Incarnation and that those who sit beside us are the visible presence of our invisible God.

Give us, Lord, a humble, quiet, peaceable, patient, tender, and charitable mind, and in all our thoughts, words and deeds a taste of the Holy Spirit. Give us, Lord, a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, a love of you. Take from us all lukewarmness in meditation, dullness in prayer. Give us fervour and delight in thinking of you and your grace, your tender compassion towards us. The things we pray for, good Lord, give us grace to labour for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Thomas More

Dorothy Sayers

The feminist of the day is Dorothy Sayers. She was an amazing author of both detective fiction and feminist theology.

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/19.html

Almighty God, who gave to your servant Dorothy L Sayers special Gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

I was introduced to Sayers at during my very conservative undergraduate education. She was a breath of fresh air in a very stuffy atmosphere. It was the first time I was able to see feminism and theology as two ideas that must go together. I realized that being a Christian did not exclude me from being a feminist.

Women of Strength

In honor of all the women who are teaching me about true beauty and strength (and especially one from Revgalblogpals)

Spiritual Strength of Women

A Strong Woman

A strong woman works out every dayto keep her body in shape...but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything ...but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyoneget the best of her ...but a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone...

A strong woman makes mistake sand avoids the same in the future...but a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God'sblessings and capitalizes on them...

A strong woman walks sure footedly...but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey...but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

Knitting Blog

Lest I wallow in self-pity indefinitely, I ought to remind myself of the better parts of my life. Three of which are being featured in this post. Here I present –

THE SWEATER

The intended recipient being my husband (he would be the best part of all) and hopefully he will enjoy wearing it as much as I have enjoyed making it. This is my first serious project. I can’t wait to finish it and see him wear it. I am fully conscious of the myths surrounding knitting for the special man/woman in your life (I assume it works equally on both genders). But since we’ve been together 10 years already, I’m confident that a sweater won’t break us up. And I secretly made it in colors I like so it will look great as a “she’s wearing his sweater” sweater. As I said it’s not finished yet but here are the major pieces:

Basil examines the pieces. “Which one should I chew on first?”



















Now that looks more like it.















Working on the last piece.














“I would never chew your yarn!”

Empty

Empty
Worn-out
Tired
Useless

That’s me today. I’ve been skimming through my favorite blogs, but that seems to reinforce the idea that everyone is doing something useful, interesting, or at least fun. And I’m not! I’ve been job-hunting for about three months now and it’s beginning to feel like an exercise in self inflicted punishment. Okay, someone will remind me that a mere three months is a fraction of the time some folks have to look. The bravest ones will even suggest that since I am working currently AND we are a two-income family, there’s no need to go crazy. But, I’m just feeling so discouraged. Probably, like everything else in my life, it’s because I have incredibly unrealistic expectations for the whole thing. I want a super interesting job with a great salary and a fantastic work environment. I’ve been fortunate so far to have lots of freedom and flexibility in my work. Now I’m looking for the kind of job most people are trying to get out of – 9 to 5. Why, well I’m just tired of being alone. I go to work – which happens to be teaching – I teach a class or two then I go home, or I go to N.J. and teach there or Brooklyn or some other place. I want to work for someone – with someone. I want to feel like I am part of something bigger than today’s lesson. I want to change the world….That’s what I’ve always wanted, of course. That’s how I got here. But boy, this isn’t what I expected. So I’d better stop this whining and get back to Idealist.org. Wish me luck and say a prayer. Thanks