The Practical Parson

 Recently, the Vatican issued a reprimand of 2 Argentinian bishops who deprived the faithful in their dioceses of the canonical right to receive Holy Communion while kneeling.  While that is something one would not EXPECT to hear ordinarily, it is sadly a sign of the times in the modern era of sacramental Christianity.  Ever since the accursed "council" in the 1960's, the Roman Church's modern proclivities towards sacrilege have sadly infected the other sacramental churches as well; in the spirit of ecumenism, of course.  Yes, rather than being bold in tradition and liturgical worship, our churches have abandoned centuries old practices and observances, in favor of the new and innovative concepts of faith; which are ever-changing and never the same from day to day.  There is an old Latin expression which says "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" or "As you pray, so you believe".  If we do not worship the Lord with respect, with honor, and with dignity; what ...

 The Bishop of Charlotte seeks to cement his legacy in destruction and demanding the faithful pay for the privilege of it.   Let's help him out, shall we?

 Recently in the State of North Carolina where I live and conduct my own ministry, the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Charlotte Diocese has issued new "liturgical norms", pertaining to the administration and reception of Holy Communion.  In his letter, he orders that altar rails and prayer kneelers no longer be used by people who wish to receive communion, that altar rails should be removed, and that the faithful are to be encouraged (if not commanded) to receive communion standing instead of kneeling.   While it is entirely within the Roman Church's capacity to force upon its followers whatever it may deem appropriate; one must keep in mind that forcing the faithful to practices which go against their own tradition and the faith they practice, is a mark of arrogance and irreverent pride.   The Bishop writes that he has chosen to enforce these actions to produce "Uniformity" within the church's liturgies.  Ah yes, the age-old myth of liturgical "Uniformi...

 With the recent election of a Woman to sit in the seat of St. Augustine at Canterbury; the Anglican world is yet again aflame with the half-a-century old debate on women's ordination.  Having written extensively in previous posts on the matter from a theological and philosophical perspective, which are still unconvincing to those most ardent supporters of women's ordination; it would seem a point of futility to argue the point any further.  However a cleric that I have known made the statement recently, that the ordination of men only, was only a "tradition" of the church; and argued that such could be changed by the church.  Unfortunately, this is not only untrue, but it degrades the very heart and essence of the priestly ministry to a position of non-consequence.  If such a thing were indeed true that the church alone created and could change the dignity and nature of the priesthood by popular acclaim, then the promised salvation and ever-abiding presence tha...

You hear the call to arms from the liberal progressives every day: free food, free housing, free healthcare, etc.  Free?  Is anything in life ever truly Free?  The answer, much to the chagrin of our liberal neighbors, is sadly not.  Nothing in this world is ever free; not even the gift of salvation is truly free, since the price of salvation was borne by our Savior.  Yes we receive it at no cost to ourselves; but the price has been paid and most dearly, by someone else, somewhere else.   This is the answer to the great myth of the "free" anything.  There is nothing in life that does not come without cost, however you try to frame it.  The only thing one can do is to try to mitigate the appearance of the costs, and usually by transferring it to another person, and also usually another person as far removed from ourselves as possible.   In the secular state, 'free' programs are funded by taxpayer investment; which rise and fall accord...

 As some of you may know, back in December, just a few days before Christmas; I had to go to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.  While appendectomies are a fairly routine surgery in this day and age; the expenses associated with hospital stays are certainly a factor of their own.  Due to a number of health issues, I have not been able to work a secular job since 2012; and as a result of many circumstances, do not presently have health insurance.   I do not address this to elicit sympathy from any of you, but to describe my experience with the aftermath of all of this.  With what little resources I have available to me, I am working to pay off the medical bills which are ever present; however I thought that I would ask for just a small amount of help from friends and family in the form of a "Gofundme" page.  The amount a small portion of the bills in total; but a chance for those who wish to, to help if they want.  I expect nothing of any ...

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.    Speak unto others as you would have them speak unto you.   Speak of others as you would have them speak of you.    Love others as you would have them love you.   Give unto others as you would have them give unto you.   Be a friend unto others as you would have them be a friend unto you.   Care for others as you would have them care for you.    For by the standard that you judge others, you yourself shall also be judged.  If we say that we are above the judgement of man, yet judge other men; how shall we be spared ourselves from the more righteous judgment of God?  We speak ill of those we despise, we treat with contempt those with whom we disagree, we lash out against those who have angered us; forgetting that we ourselves are reflecting the manner in which we desire to be treated by our treatment of others.   Love your enemies, do good to those...

 As many Anglicans and conservative Christians have seen in the past couple of weeks, there is a cognitive dissonance between what is correct, and what is personally acceptable; summed up in the ongoing case of Rev. Calvin Robinson.   As I have touched on previously in Rev. Robinson's case, the situation of what transpired was centered entirely around his determined trolling of leftist, liberal ideologues, and their mistaken notions that everyone who thinks other than what they think is a Nazi/ fascist.  While Robinson's actions in and of themselves hold no true transgression against sense or a desire for conversation; they do transgress one of the most important duties of any ordained cleric: which is to defend the church against those who would destroy it, and to protect the people of God entrusted to our care.  While Robinson's actions have had the desired outcome he wished for in the secular scene (inspiring conversation, to some extent); they have had a neg...

 I recently had an exchange with a gentleman who was curious about the term "Christian Nationalism", and why it was such a big talking point in the US at the present time.  I explained that, in short; Christian Nationalism's proper definition is a movement to promote Christian ideals as superior or supreme; which does not differentiate in practice from other religions that are likewise bound to the same practices (i.e. Islam, Judaism, etc.).   In the past decade (or so) however, the self-professed progressives in society have used the term "Christian Nationalism" as a brand and a cudgel; for any conservative or evangelical Christian person or group that they seem as unacceptable to their progressive wish for society.  Any time a person holds to a traditional view or interpretation of anything to do with faith, morality, law, or order; they are branded "Christian Nationalist", and exiled to peripheries of society.  The term itself holds no great threat ...

 In Anglican Church circles today, as I suspect has been for some time; there is an ongoing debate as to the nature of the theology of provinces within the Anglican patrimony.  Some, like myself, tend more towards what might be called old-school Anglo-Catholicism; which others claim is a recent innovation.  Others tend more towards Calvinist theology; which the evangelicals in Anglicanism is the only "true" expression of the Anglican identity.  While I will not argue the value of churchmanship as part of theology, I have very good and solid friends on both sides of that spectrum who are theologically quite similar; it is worth noting that a principle cause for so many to claim Calvinism as Anglican has largely to do with an evangelical approach to the liturgy and church in general.  Being evangelical is not in and of itself a bad thing, nor does it denote an unnecessarily unfortunate tendency towards anarchy; however the notion of denying anything good about the...

   “Holy Communion is not a reward for good behavior, but spiritual food for the starving!” While on the surface this may sound like a noble and pastoral sentiment, it underlies a lack of knowledge of the depth of the great mystery of Holy Communion, and a lack of respect for the dignity of the mystery itself.   While it is indeed true that Holy Communion is not a reward for good behavior, it must be understood quite clearly that the church has never held nor taught that only those who are on their best behavior are able to receive it.  Rather, the church advises and admonishes the faithful (as they are charged so to do, 1 Corinthians 11:27) to prepare themselves as best they may in order to receive the great mystery of our Lord’s true presence in the sacrament.  Why does the church do this?  Is it because they want to prevent sincere souls from seeking Christ?  Heaven forbid!  It is rather because the church truly loves those even outside of...

 So the General Conference of the United Methodist Church decided this past week, that they would lift the church's ban on openly gay clergy, broaden the church's definition on marriage, and extend to deacons the right to baptize and consecrate the elements of Communion.  Quite the few days they had, no?   While the traditionalist world is loosing its collective mind over the 'gay clergy' matter, they overlook simple facts that make the situation worse than it truly seems.  There have always been gay clergy in every church, and there always will be; because it is not something that people simply, actively choose for themselves.  No, what is worse is what is done WITH who and what one may be in this life.  Rather than simply expressing "we are clergy and gay" and going back to worshiping the Lord in the traditions handed to them; the UMC has decided that it needs to change everything in order to make a pronounced statement about their acceptance of gay ...

 Recently, I was watching a group interview with members of GAFCON and ACNA speaking about the creation of a new, Independent Anglican Diocese info Australia (Diocese of the Southern Cross).  A theme which kept recurring in the discussion they engaged in was the term and references to "Revisionists" and "revisionism".  At face value, to anyone who holds Sacred scripture as the groundwork of our faith, that sounds like a terrifying concept- who would dare try to revise holy writ?  And I think that, that is to an extent what the bishops of GAFCON and ACNA were going for- the shock factor of others attempting to revise what the scriptures teach.  However, as Anglicans, it is an intriguingly odd notion to accuse anyone else of attempting to revise teachings; when the revision of teaching itself is the cause for the Anglican Communion's very existence.  Had it not been for Henry VIII and Cranmer changing the foundational teaching of the church's independence and...

 Recently I have seen some clergy of different churches demanding that the church as a whole "modernize and cast aside outdated theological and sexual ideas".   They insist that the church needs to set aside any and all teachings, theological interpretations, and traditions which could be seen as even remotely "non-inclusive" of the Alphabet community (LGBT... and whatever the hell acronym they're adding this week).  Some going so far as to say that 'queer people should lead the way to showing the church how to love one's neighbor'.    First and foremost, the church does not exist for any age in particular; as she exists in and for ALL ages, times, and places.  So to say that the church needs to 'modernize' in order to better suit modern man, is no less than to say that what was good enough for millions of saints and blessed ones and even our own Savior; is no longer good enough for us.  The hubris of making demands of a gift that God himself...

 Today is Ash Wednesday, and the Christian world (especially here in the states) is plagued by a relatively recent innovation in church 'services' called affectionately by its proponents- "ashes to go".   I'll let the reader soak that in for a minute.   Yes, clergy will stand on street corners throughout the nation to administer ashes to people who happen by and want to receive them.  Many have argued that this extends the Christian message and Lenten observance to more and more people, but does it really?   Or does it rather cheapen the sign and symbol of what those precious ashes actually represent? The ashes we receive today are taken from burning the palms we blessed the previous Palm Sunday.  In that, they symbolize both the mortality of humanity's actions; as well as how quickly our voices of praise and celebration can turn to dust and be lost to the winds of time.  How loudly we exclaimed "Hosanna" to the savior, only to turn our ...

  If you've lived in the south long enough, you've been pulled over for a traffic stop at some point most likely.  When the officer/ trooper explains their reason for stopping you, there is always a "tell" that indicates they really only pulled you over because they could: and that is the famous point, usually given at the end of a brief list, that you "were swerving a little".  It's the accusation that gives a ground for every other thing they may want to write you a ticket on, because it is the one point which NO ONE is capable of proving incorrect.  Simply put, there is no human being on the face of this earth who is capable of driving a motor vehicle perfectly parallel to the street lines at all times.  Even if every other accusation they level at you falls by the wayside; they still have that one "gotcha" they can fall back on. Recently, the Bishop of Rome decided to sack the Bishop of Tyler, Texas.  When giving his justifications for doin...

 This morning I woke and read of a sudden, violent assault in the land of Israel; coming out of the eternally problematic Gaza strip.  Of course the media is currently obsessing over what Israel did to supposedly prompt Hamas to attack; an outlandish and bizarre philosophy that leftist politicians and reporters have enforced for many years.  Essentially they would like us to believe that Hamas (a globally recognized terrorist organization) would NEVER attack anyone unprovoked; and then spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to come up with explanations when Hamas orders unprovoked attacks on Israel.  This latest unprovoked onslaught comes at the conclusion of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot; proving that the terrorists had planned to attack people of the Jewish faith, making this not only a terrorist attack against Israeli citizens- but an assault on people of the Jewish faith.   Thousands of rockets, missiles, and dozens of heavily armed terrorist mili...

Having an emotional connection with one's faith is a wonderful thing, but also one that can be deceptive and dangerous. Many people base their entire faith practice on the emotional feedback they obtain from worship or services, and lose hope when they start to lose their emotional "high" from such. Faith is more than a fevered emotional high experienced during church service with beautiful music and moving scenes; it is a day to day battle against the terror and difficulty of this world, towards a world of peace and hope. Faith is not an emotion to be enjoyed, it is as a child; that one straps to one's back at the start of their journey. Either the child grows and eventually takes you by the hand and helps you onward; or you throw it to the side the moment it begins to cause you discomfort. Faith requires dedication, even when we cannot understand. It requires us to press ever forward; knowing that where we are headed is a brighter day, a brighter hope than w...

This month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and is also sanctioned by the state as "Pride Month".    Years ago as a younger man, it seemed as though the concept of this Pride thing was something benign; something wherein a group of people simply came together in order to celebrate who they were as individuals.  I have always believed that people should have the (civil) right to express their own individual identity; as it is one of the rights afforded to citizens under the Constitution.   However, in the past 10 years especially, Pride has become less a celebration of who a group of people are; and more of a year-round cudgel with which a group of people will beat you if you do not agree with them 100% regardless of the topic.  It seems like there isn't a month or a week that goes by wherein there isn't some form of pride festival, event, or protest; and the Alphabet community still proclaims that it isn't nearly enough.  They scream ...

  Today we celebrate the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, following the 40 days we have walked alongside him in the desert of Lent towards the cross of Calvary. Easter is a joyous time; filled with light, happiness, family, friends, and flowers... absolutely EVERYWHERE you can imagine.  Yes, the Joy of Easter is palpable to all who even simply pass by a church today.  However, what do we make of it?   So many people in our churches these days focus all of their energy on the end holiday of the period, and little to none on the time leading up to it; much like as with Advent and Christmas.  Yes, we want the joy, chocolate, and flowers of Easter; but so many don't want the rest of the story that makes today possible- Suffering, Crucifixion, and Death.  This is endemic of our society, which has grown so dependent on "safe spaces" and coddling; to the point where we can't handle any form of negativity or sadness, only ever focusing on happy things th...