Anglican Orthodox To the Core

Something new

2009-12-25T16:53:00.000-08:00

Well, as some of my church friends know, I had to go back into the hospital. I was at my computer, and I had a heart attack. I called 911, and then called my wife. This was the most exquisite pain I have ever had. I had a double heart bypass at 45-years of age. They cracked my chest open. I spent around 6 days in ICU and 5 or so days in a regular room. The pain from the ribspreader is something else. Getting the chesttubes out was one of the most painful things as well as the urinary catheter. A person also gets VERY close to the Lord during this time. The pain killers that they used were powerful; and also gave a person the most elaborate hallucinations! I am getting stronger everyday, as I am trying to get out to walk as much as I can.

ErikC

My stay in the hospital

2009-12-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

As some of y'all may already know, I was in the hospital. It was no piddly little stay. On Thursday I was picking up my wife from work and I told her that I didn't feel right. She said that we would go home and that if I still didn't feel good we would go to the ER. She took a bath, and I told her that we really had to go to the ER. When we got there, we told the doctor there everything that I was feeling(chest pain, pain radiating down both arms, shortness of breath, etc.). He decided to keep me over for observation. The cardiologist saw me, and initially said that my symptoms were atypical of heart problems. He decided to run some tests just to be sure. He had me do a stress test. He did NOT like what he saw. He also did an ultrasound of my heart, and that was inconclusive. He said that he really needed to do a heart catherization. This would be definitive. The procedure would probably take 30 minutes if nothing was wrong....... well, my procedure took 2 and a half hours!!!!!! I had three blockages.... one that was almost totally blocked(which they put a stent in), and two others(which they did angioplasties on), which were 90% and 80% blocked respectively.

Now that I've told you about the nuts-and-bolts of the situation, I want to say that I felt God's presence through the procedure. God made sure that I was awake; they tried to sedate me, but it didn't work. The only pain I felt is when they put pressure on my groin(where they inserted the wires). The scripture that comes to mind about God's presence comes from the Psalms.

Psalms 91:1- "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

This psalm has become so real to me now. There is no place that I want to be than in God's presence. I would want to implore everybody to do the same.

Erik

The Manhattan Declaration

2009-11-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

I have been following what has been called the "Declaration of Christian Conscience." I have read it, and it is very compelling. It is a statement of faith on things such as marriage, abortion, and other hot points that Christians need to speak out on. It is something that every Christian MUST read. The website is below:

http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/

Some of the notable signatories are: Albert Mohler, Randy Alcorn, around 15 Roman Catholic Bishops and Archbishops, 4 Orthodox Patriarchs, 4 Anglican Archbishops(1 Nigerian, 3 American; no Episcopalian, no British), head of Dallas Theological Seminary, Head of Moody Bible Institute, plus many more. You can see the high profile signatories online at the website, and you can also sign the declaration. We must stand up for our conscience. God is not to be mocked!

Erik

The Future

2009-10-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I have this semester, and next semester will be my last one! The next step in my life will be one that, with God's help, I can start my seminary education. This is going to be a long and arduous process. It will be one that will hopefully bring me closer to God, and make me a true servant. I just hope that I can be proven worthy of that. Praise be to God!

Erik

Evangelism

2009-07-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well, the Episcopal Church is going down the drain. They've decided to stop all national funding for evangelism. This is just another step in the slippery slope. It is true that Episcopalians have trouble with the e word, but evangelism is one way that a denomination gets members! I can see there will be no appreciable increase in numbers in this denomination ever again.

ErikC

Ostriches: How people will deny that anything is going on

2009-07-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

The title is very clear from the true story I will now tell. A friend of mine who is still in the Episcopal Church came into the Christian Bookstore that I work in tonight. He and I had the usual small talk, and then I asked him if he was following what was going on in Anaheim. This was his response: "I don't bother myself with such things. I trust that Bishop Doyle will do the right thing." Now, let me say that this man is truly a good christian man, but in my eyes he is denying that there is a crisis going on in the Episcopal Church. And Bishop Doyle is NOT the person to trust in this instance. He has lied to people in the past, and will do so in the future. To proverbially "bury your head in the sand" will leave your flank open. If this man does not get out, this diocese is in trouble(it is already in trouble, but you get my point.). To just leave it up to your bishop, well meaning he may be, is misguided. He is human. This is a not about flesh and blood but about "principalities and powers." Anyway, it is this type of complacency that will doom the church to hell.

ErikC

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW????

2009-07-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well, the General Convention has decided to authorize Same Sex Blessings. To all of those people who are STILL holding out in the Episcopal Church and are waiting for them to change their minds: IT IS TIME TO GO, VAMOOSE, SKEEDADDLE!! The woman(and I use that term loosely) who is the presiding bishop called a personal relationship with Jesus a HERESY! What type of sign do you folks need??? Do you need a parting of the Atlantic Ocean??? She even dressed down Rowan Williams for trying to tell them about the Same Sex issue. At least Williams has got some sense.... Schori has got a shovel, and is digging her way to HELL. She is a 100%, Grade A, Prime HERETIC! God have mercy on anybody that stays in the Episcopal Church after this convention!!!!

ErikC

UPDATE: Stuff Like This Gets In My Craw

2009-04-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, well. Satan is working overtime. Apparently, the Bishop in this UNNAMED diocese (cough) wanted HIS golden child in the church that the Assistant Rector was fired from. Ah, yes, what a tangled web we weave. I don't totally release blame from that rector, because if he really cared, he would have fought for that Assistant Rector. This Assistant Rector that was fired was fired before his retirement. This means that he will lose about 25-30% of his pension. The rector will have to give an account when he meets with God. God have mercy on his soul...

ErikC

Stuff Like This Gets In My Craw

2009-03-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

I just learned about something that really made me mad. A priest that I respected dearly got let go from his parish recently. The reason was that the head parish priest wanted to give the REST of the staff a raise and NOT the assistant priest they FIRED. This was a MAN OF GOD. Someone who knew the Word, and someone who knew how to preach. He is now preaching positions where other parish priests are taking vacations and the such. Did they give him any type of severance? I don't know. In any sense, this is JUST NOT RIGHT. He has a wife to think of as well. This church will not last long if they keep on doing stuff like this. We once attended this parish, and at one time they did do things in an ethical way. They had better change their ways, or they will begin to lose members. Kyrie Eleison...

ErikC

Lent

2009-02-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, and my wife and I have decided to not use foul language. Usually, that is not a problem with me, but with "Obama the Magnificent" in office I find it very difficult to use regular language. With all of the bailouts and "steal-from-us" packages that he has, it is just plain difficult to not use hard language. He expects to spend money, and then cut the deficit in half in two years... Hmmm.... don't see it, Vern.... Unless he's using that fallacious adage: "You've got to spend money to make money..." I literally had to see if I had enough refills on my blood pressure medication! So far, so good. I haven't said anything bad, and I haven't used God's name in vain. I had to repent for some bad thoughts, but other than that, that's it. Pray for me, that I don't lose my cool.

ErikC

Something to lift my spirits

2009-02-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

Well, y'all,

There's something that I have come to know, and that is: you can't outgive God, you can't outdo God, and you can't outthink God. Here's one for the recordbooks. I'll give y'all a little bit of background before I tell the story. About two weeks ago, my wife Wanda had some moles removed from her back. This was in part to my urging because one of them had changed color. Anyway, one of the three is indeed a cancerous melanoma; the type of melanoma that metastasizes. Needless to say, I freaked out. The others were benign. If that were not bad enough news, she does not have health insurance.
My daughter-in-law has found out that she has a lump under one of her breasts that is the size of a tennis ball. They are going to go in on Monday to either take a biopsy, or to take what they can if it is bad.
Yesterday, I was working in a big funk. I was just trying to work just not to think about anything. One of the people at work with whom knows about my wife asked how I was doing. I told her about my daughter-in-law. She relayed a situation of a person in her church(I work in a christian bookstore) where sometimes a person may have to walk through the fire for awhile before God heals. I know about that, and that is a distinct posibility. BUT, the story is not over.
My birthday is Monday(2/9), and I am not expecting anything past the blessing from the pastor on Sunday. I walked into the house, and I see a box from Christian Book Distributors opened.... I see a set of Charles Spurgeon's Sermons!!!!! I was crying.... I tell ya, the story is not over. My wife had told my on the phone that there were two boxes in the apartment office that I had to get. Well, I went to get them, and my wife and I went out to dinner for my birthday early, and brought the boxes along with us. She opened the boxes to get the invoices so she could see what was in them. She told me that she did NOT send these two! When she saw the name on it, it was my brother! Now, my brother usually doesn't do stuff like this. It was very interesting. It was around $300.00 worth of stuff. Martin Luther's Sermons, Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology, and Torrey's The Fundamentals. I was aghast. My cup had runneth over. I could not look through them, because I had school reading to do. Needless to say, I am this weekend! Praise be to God!

Erik

An Interesting thing Happened at Work...

2009-01-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

A young gentleman wanted to buy a bible, and I showed him one; but he had an ulterior motive. He was showing me places where it told of a baptism in the name of Jesus only. In a kind way, I reminded him that Jesus gave the Great Commission, saying, "Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." He kept trying to convince me of his side, and that there was a baptism of the Holy Spirit, which I do believe in, and he did not have to convince me. He went back to the issue of water baptism and baptism in the name of Jesus only(there are two Oneness Pentecostal Churches near where I work). Again, I told him about the Great Commission. He got sarcastic, and said to find somewhere in the scripture that had baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, EXCEPT for where I showed him. At that moment, we were putting out our merchandise that the warehouse had sent us, and I was busy. I told him that I would love to debate this with him, but right now is not the right time. I also told him that I loved him as a christian brother, but that I needed to go. He was searching for a fight, and for affirmation, not for a christian brother to talk to. Needless to say, it was interesting.

Erik

Haven't Been Around Lately...

2008-12-16T02:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry about not being around lately... School has had me working non-stop. I had to do a History Research Paper on St. Augustine's Anti-Manichean Writings. He wrote extensively on this heresy, since he was once a Manichean. I will not go into what Manichaeism is, because that will take a long time to explain. If you want to know, you can Google it!!! :-) Anyway, I have had numerous papers to write, and also had to study for finals. Now that the semester is over, I can now breathe! I don't go back until 1/20/2009. I am coming down to the final part of my "stay" at University of St. Thomas, and I am a better person because of it. God has seen fit to let me pursue a degree in Theology while also letting me enjoy my classes in history. I am grateful to God for His grace and loving-kindness, for which I am ever grateful.

Erik

Barack Obama is a Communist

2008-10-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Why such a "in-your-face" title? Well, first of all, it's true. Think about it, my friends. The talk about "Redistribution of wealth" reminds me of a famous (or infamous; depending on your point of view) book that was written quite a while back. I'm leaving a link, and I'll let your brain do the assumptions:

http://www.amazon.com/Communist-Manifesto-Complete-Published-Prefaces/dp/1599869950/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224195099&sr=1-3

Also, Obama talks about everybody getting access to health care. I think that this sounds like Socialized Medicine. This is also a Marxist/Socialist ideal. He wants to tax people who make $250K a year and higher. These are the people that employ people. If these people get taxed, then they will have no choice but to fire employees because they will not be able to afford to pay said employees.

Let's talk about his affiliations: He is friends with William Ayers, a known domestic terrorist. Obama mentions that he is just an English professor at the University of Chicago. Unless one gets saved with the help of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, terrorists do NOT changes their stripes. Ayers was known to have said that he wish he could have done more bombing in his Weather Underground days.

Another affiliation goes without saying: Jeremiah Wright. He is a white-hating BIGOT. Anyone who says "God D*** America" does not deserve to be in the pulpit. You might as well call him a Black Muslim. He deals in the Liberation Theology, which endorses violence to help the poor and down-trodden. This also is linked with Socialism/Marxism. If you look at Daniel Ortega and the Sandinista Movement in Nicaragua, the Liberation Theology Movement was very big there. No doubt about it. He also has been acquainted with Louis Farrakhan, though not as much as Wright. Farrakhan has a sordid reputation, and has been a leader of the Nation of Islam.

To me, the evidence is clear. Anyone who votes for Obama wants to be in a country where a person will have to stand in line for food; a place where a person who was a diligent worker before the election will be making the same as a person who lived off of welfare before the election. Anyway, that is the way I see it. I just hope and pray that my brothers and sisters in Christ don't throw their votes away.

Erik

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer

2008-10-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

After services today, our Assistant Rector, Fr. Craig Heenan, was starting the inquirer's class. The topic was the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and I had to sit in. He went through the history of how Thomas Cranmer wrote the first Book of Common Prayer, and that he had a knack for it. This was also around the time of Henry the VIII, Bloody Mary, and Elizabeth I. One of the points that Fr. Craig forgot to mention what was referred to as the "Vestiarian Controversy." Elizabeth demanded that all clergy wear their vestments. There were some that didn't because they did not feel it necessary to do so. The clergy with this viewpoint were called "Puritans." Yup, you guessed it right; these are the ones whom went to the New World in search of religious freedom. I found it interesting that Thomas Cranmer was one of these! Fr. Craig told me that he went out of the country to get married and also to get away from the persecution of Elizabeth. It was an interesting time discussing the history of the 1662 Prayer Book. I sure do enjoy delving into the history of our faith.

Erik

The California Same Sex Marriage Thing

2008-08-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since my last post, but I'm back. I am just wondering what has gotten into people's minds thinking that they have the right to be married. Being married is a privilege, given by God. Homosexuals do NOT have the right to be married. First of all, let's look at the common sense aspect of it. Biologically, two men or two women cannot procreate. The human body is not made for homosexuals to do that. God made for the institution/sacrament of marriage for one man and one woman. This mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom is one weird character. First of all he marries homosexuals and then calls San Francisco a sanctuary city(that's a whole 'nother topic!). Do not be surprised to see the west coast fall into the Pacific Ocean a la San Andreas fault....

Erik

God is Sovereign!!!

2008-07-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Something happened on Wednesday night that made my wife and I stop and take notice. We were going to move into another apartment in the same complex this coming weekend. We couldn't find anybody, it being the holiday. That being so, the apartment manager let us move last week due to my bum knees. This Wednesday, I was taking out the dog to do his business. I looked outside and saw billowing smoke out of the apartment building that housed our OLD BUILDING!!!! All of the apartments that were in the building were ruined. Had we still been in there we would have lost ALL of our possessions. The Lord had made SURE that we were out of that apartment, and that we were safe.
One of the apartment workers whom I am helping with his english told my wife "Jesus Christ go with you!!!!!" Indeed he does... My wife and I have been praising God ever since. This is what is called GOD'S PROVIDENCE. All I know is that MY GOD REIGNS. My prayer is that if you do not know Jesus Christ, get to know Him. Your eternal soul is at stake. If you do, spend more time with your family, and tell your spouse you love him/her more frequently. Praise be to God.

Erik

Going to hell

2008-06-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, well. In California today gay marriages are legal. As far as God is concerned, He does not see these as legal or legitimate because gays trying to marry is an abomination. Gays' behavior itself is an abomination. I found out that a cast member of Star Trek was homosexual. That totally soured my taste for the whole thing. I don't think I can watch it anymore. A person cannot dress up a pig and make it look like a runway model!!!!! The scriptures make it quite clear:

Leviticus 18:22
Leviticus 20:13
Romans Chapter 1

Unless homosexuals repent and turn to God, then of course the answer is clear.

Erik

God sure does have a sense of Humor!

2008-06-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

I went to a follow-up appointment for my left knee, and told them that the physical therapy was doing real well, and I mentioned that my right knee was exhibiting the same symptoms of my left knee. They took some X-Rays, and lo, and behold! THIS knee has osteoarthritis as well!!!! I have another month of physical therapy, another prescription, and MORE pain to deal with. The pain is so great today I had to call in from work. I am also soliciting prayers from anyone. I will be online for a little while longer, so God bless everyone, and take care!

Erik

A Library in Ohio won't let Christians meet... or Anybody else for that Matter

2008-06-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hat Tip: Stand Firm

It seems that a library in Ohio won't let a group of people use the conference rooms in a local library for use. A couple wanted to use it for a "Financial Freedom" workshop. When the Library board heard that there was going to be bible verses quoted, they closed ALL of the conference rooms down to make sure NO christian groups are able to meet there. So much for the First Amendment. I am sure that if some Muslims asked that they could freely meet in the conference rooms. Christians' rights are being trampled on. There is a REALLY big double standard in the court of law these days, and IT HAS GOT TO STOP. It probably started with the ACLU, which has it's beginnings in the Communist Party of the United States. Anyway, before I go on more of a diatribe, here is the link to the article:

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=134456

Erik

Diocese of Texas going down the drain

2008-05-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

The Diocese of Texas had their election for Bishop Co-Adjutor on May 24. There was a little bit of a surprise in that Andrew Doyle, Bishop Don Wimberly's henchman, got the nod instead of Bishop Dena Harrison. Harrison has a lot of pull around the Diocese, especially in Austin which is very liberal. My opinion(and mine only) is that Wimberly turned the screws on some of the clergy. I am so glad that I am no longer in that mess. The Episcopal Church is an organization that no longer resembles a church. It is run by an individual who is not a christian who has a lawyer behind her back suing other congregations. Not my type of church.

Erik

A Few Weeks In...

2008-05-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks into our new church, and I must say that I am enjoying the freedom of worship. Attendance has been steady. Today was what it was around last week(400). Our church has already started making arrangements for their traditions. In June, there is going to be our first annual fish fry!!! It is going to be at Spring Creek Park. I will be posting a map when it gets closer to when the event is.

To all my readers: you know about my broken knee. Well, my other knee is exhibiting signs of my bad knee. I ask for your prayers. I have been "down in the dumps" about it for a couple of days, and I have my final exams this coming week. I just need to have God's peace and strength throughout this week. I thank you in advance. God bless you.

Erik

From the Houston Chronicle

2008-04-19T07:25:00.001-07:00

This is from today's Religion Section of the Houston Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/5713020.html

This is about our former congregation that is splitting and now going to worship at a local junior high school. All of the words you hear about Wimberly saying that he worked with the parish and property are half-truths. He was just tooting the party line. You can bet that he was in constant contact with the Presiding Bishop. Fortunately, our clergy were prepared for just such a contingency. We have church offices, a place to worship, and everything is fine. We have oversight, as well. Our new church is St. Timothy's Anglican Church. We have a basic website up, and it's at:

http://www.sttimothysanglican.org/

It gives directions to where we meet and the time we meet. Thanks be to God. Hope to meet you there!

Erik

Well, they went ahead and did it...

2008-04-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

The Episcopal Church went ahead and did it. They went too far. The congregation that my wife and I are a part of, Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, has been in a discernment process for the past 40 days. Well, the other shoe has dropped. Because of the Episcopal Church's lack of adherence to the Authority of Scripture, our church has decided to split from the Episcopal Church. We tried. Our rector and our vestry went to the bishop with a plan. He told us that he would get back to us, but he just stalled. The Canon of the Ordinary told us that they wanted us to stay, but given the circumstances, our rector said that he could not. So, we will only be in our building for the next two weeks. Also, the bishop wanted our rector and assistant rector to sign an oath of allegiance to the Episcopal Church; not to God, but to the institutional church. To the United States Episcopal Church. Our rector could not do that. An oath of allegiance of all things! This smells of Hitler! The only allegiance I owe is to God! The triune God! We will have our vote in those weeks to see who stays, and to see who goes. We have contingency plans in force, so we are pretty much organized. As with everything, there will be something that will be forgotten. Another good thing is we have oversight for the next 90 days until we make a decision with whom to go with. I will say this; I have never felt as free to be from under such a pagan organization as the Episcopal Church, USA. "By their fruits, will you know them..." Lawsuits... Virginia, California, Connecticut, New York... You do not sue fellow christians... that is how I know that the presiding bishop is not a christian. She is suing for all the money she can get. I have no respect for someone who has no compunction to do what she is doing. Hasta la vista, Episcopal Church!

Erik

Virginia Church Decision

2008-04-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

It was time for the judge in the Episcopal Church v. The Virginia Churches to render a decision. The judge wrote an 88-page decision in favor of the Virginia churches citing that there was a division between the Episcopal Church and the said Virginia churches. The Episcopal Church tried to say that there was not a division, but the counsel for the churches brought evidence saying that division was caused when Gene Robinson was consecrated as Bishop of New Hampshire. There were eleven churches that were part of this suit, and seeing that there were eleven churches shows that this did cause division. Though this court case went the way of the Virginia churches, the legal wrangling is far from over. There will be appeals. Please keep the Virginia churches in your prayers, as well as their counsel.

Erik

Some thoughts...

2008-03-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

At church today, my stepdaughter was confirmed in the Episcopal Church. I had tears in my eyes; for several reasons. First, this was a very pivotal moment in her life, since she has not wanted God in her life until recently. She has grown spiritually so much here in the past couple of years. In the past six months, she has been baptized, married, and now confirmed. It has been such a whirlwind of emotions for my wife and I. The next thing is that we had the Bishop of the Diocese of Texas there; Don Wimberly. A man who we thought was an orthodox bishop, but now we know is a liberal leaning bishop, and one who is about to retire in about a year, and has called for a bishop adjutor to be voted on in May of this year. This bishop will take over for Wimberly when he retires. Anyway, Wimberly's sermon was something I wanted to go to the restroom and get rid of my breakfast for. There was so much hypocrisy that I wanted to leave, but since I have a severely injured knee, I was a captive audience, as was the rest of Church of the Good Shepherd. Anyway, we did get the new parish hall opened, and it looks fantastic! Anyway, these thoughts have been bothering me for some time today, and I hope that some people reading this will understand.

Erik

Deposing of +Cox and +Schofield

2008-03-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

While the bishops were at Camp Allen, every bishops favorite place to relax(hey, I did Vocares there when I was in college!), they decided to try and get the votes necessary to defrock both Schofield and Cox. The reasons for bishops Cox and Schofield are totally different. They are wanting to defrock Bishop Cox because he supposedly did confirmations without the OK of the bishop of the diocese that he was in. We all know the Schofield mess. I won't try to explain because it just gets too involved. The Living Church reported that they didn't get the votes necessary; but David Booth Beers, the presiding bishop's enforcer, did some creative accounting, and said, "Oh, my gosh, we DO have enough votes!" So, on we go. This is just another nail. I really have no respect for Schori, I'll be honest. Until she repents and gets saved, then we'll talk.

Erik

Presiding Bishop's visit to the Diocese of South Carolina

2008-03-08T07:01:00.001-08:00

Well, this created somewhat of a stink... It's a good thing that +Schori didn't celebrate communion. There was a question and answer session with the clergy of the diocese, and she spent the time with her arms crossed, and on the defensive. She was not welome in the diocese. I WONDER WHY? Is it because the clergy of the diocese know a heretic when they see one? They wanted answers, and what they got was the usual obfuscation. Just the "beat around the bush" that we're used to from +Schori. Anyway, no news is no news...

Erik

J.I. Packer "Inhibited!"

2008-03-02T03:01:00.000-08:00

You know, nothing ceases to amaze me with the liberal end of either the Episcopal Church or the Anglican Church in Canada. Michael Ingham, the infamous bishop who wants to create a Rite of Same Sex Blessings in the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada, has decided that, since the church that J.I. Packer is affiliated with is aligning itself with the Southern Cone, then they saw fit to "inhibit" him. Actually, it is as good as a defrocking. He will no longer be able to use his canonical duties within the Diocese of Westminster in the Anglican Church of Canada. You might know J.I. Packer from his book, "Knowing God." I work in a christian bookstore, and we can't keep it on the shelves! This just goes to show you their hubris. Anyway, it's just another one of those things to where J.I. Packer is probably thinking, "So what?" Dr. Packer agreed with his church's move to the Southern Cone, from all the reports I've seen. Anyway, this is just another nail in the coffin of the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Church in Canada. Rest in Pieces.

Erik

Something interesting I found out on the way to the Forum...

2008-02-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

One day when I was walking my dog Eddie to the mailbox to get our mail. In the mail was our Diocesan Newsletter. On the front was Cardinal DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston! (If some of you don't know, I am Episcopal, and Cardinal DiNardo is Catholic!) Anyway, the reason that Cardinal DiNardo is on the front of the newsletter is that he is the keynote speaker!!! First of all, I wonder what possessed Bishop Wimberley to get Cardinal DiNardo to be the speaker at the Diocesan Convention in Galveston. I am wondering if Wimberley has an ulterior motive to all of this. Our diocese has some conservative parishes, and some liberal parishes... I am still at a loss to what our bishop is up to...

Erik

The Narrative of the Fall(Genesis Chapters 2 and 3)

2008-02-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

I had an interesting discussion with my professor in my Grace and the Human Condition class on Wednesday. It was referring to the Fall Narrative in the Genesis(as the title indicates). God mentions to Adam and Eve that if they eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they will surely die. My professor thought that when Eve ate of the fruit that she was supposed to die there, right on the spot. Now, what my exegesis of the narrative was this: Once they ate of the fruit, it was a spiritual death, AS WELL as a fleshly one. Adam and Eve could no longer live forever once they have disobeyed God. They had then become mortal, and then their bodies will from that point on decay at a gradual rate(600 years, or so; however long they lived). Granted, this is a Catholic university I attend, and I highly respect this professor(who will remain nameless). This narrative is a point of contention to all; especially scientists in the realm of evolution. Evolution will not be discussed in this post, for that is for another time! Anyway, that was an interesting day, and I love discussions like that.

Erik

Interesting Political Race!

2008-01-30T16:57:00.000-08:00

Now we are getting to see who the front-runners are in both parties. Clinton(of the Female variety) and Obama in the Democratic camp, and it SEEMS McCain and Romney in the Republican camp. I don't usually put up political postings, but this will directly influence how we operate as christians. If we get a democrat in office, BYE-BYE to innocent lives! Abortion on demand! More feminists will be cheering women and their "right to choose." In other words, their right to murder their unborn children. Our Lord God said for us not to kill, and that meant to not shed innocent blood, er go, unborn children. Anyway; that's the way I see it. My opinion, and mine only.

Erik

Consecration of Bishop Lawrence of South Carolina

2008-01-27T04:56:00.001-08:00

It is good to see Mark Lawrence finally consecrated as the Bishop of South Carolina! No thanks to the Presiding Bishop! Anyway, I saw the streaming video, and it was a wonderful service. A true man of God.

Erik

The Inhibitions of Bishops Schofield and Duncan

2008-01-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

I find these inhibitions quite humorous; each of them for different reasons. The Schofield inhibition for the reason that he is no longer under the TEC umbrella, and Duncan for the fact that HE HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING! This makes me chuckle, and makes me think that it is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction from Madame President Schori. The title I gave is not exactly correct, in that the inhibition of Duncan is an attempted inhibition. Schori could not get the three bishops to agree to sign the inhibition form. Anyway, it is rather humorous to watch the Comedy of Errors.

Erik

The Geneva Bible: 1560 Version

2007-12-26T14:32:00.000-08:00

For my Christmas present, I got the Geneva Bible, the 1560 Version. It is a veritable treasure of Biblical History. It is the bible that the Pilgrims brought over on the Mayflower. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it when I looked at it at the bookstore I work at. The Middle English text, and also the "gloss;" which means there is some outer commentary on the outside of the biblical text. There is also the deuterocanonical books, as well. If you are also a student of this type of stuff, I would recommend this to you as well. I LOVE it.

Erik

Hope Everyone had a Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T14:30:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. On my side, my wife and I went to go see the grandkids, and ate too much.

Erik

State of New Jersey votes to abolish the Death Penalty

2007-12-18T13:53:00.000-08:00

Sigh... Here's one that will really get a lot of debate. I will be the first to probably get a shot off my bow and say that I am pro-death penalty; probably because I look to the scriptures when I see that when it says "Thou Shalt not Kill," it means the taking of innocent blood. All of these people on Death Row in New Jersey now are having their sentences commuted to Life in Prison. That really does no good to the families of the victims. I would really like to hear the reasoning and/or rationale from the other side of the fence.

Erik

My Weigh-In on the San Joaquin Mess

2007-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well, well well. It came down to the vote, and it was NOT EVEN CLOSE. The Diocese of San Joaquin voted to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church. I, for one, am proud of them. Bishop John-David Schofield is a warrior of the faith, and he did not flinch. For you people not in the Episcopal Church, there are several Dioceses that are getting ready to move out of the Episcopal Church due to the actions that occurred at our General Convention in Minneapolis in 2003. An openly homosexual bishop was consecrated, and he was in a relationship as well. This did not go well with some of the churches, and people started leaving. Then churches started leaving. Right now, there is a BIG lawsuit in Virginia that is going on to see if 15 Virginia Churches get to keep their property after they leave. There was already a plan in place for them to leave, but the Presiding Bishop told the Bishop of Virginia to renege on that plan because they did not want them to leave with the property. The churches in Virginia date back to before the US Revolutionary War, and the Episcopal Church will lose the bulidings. So, that is the story of that.
San Joaquin's story is different. They see it as an issue of Biblical Authority. They see that the Word of God not being followed, and they see the faith once delivered being abandoned. The other dioceses that are probably going to follow suit are the Dioceses of Ft. Worth(TX), Quincy(IL), Pittsburgh(PA). Anyway, that is something to ponder. I have some of the Anglican sites on my favorites for those that aren't Anglican.

Erik

Thanks for the Post, Guys!

2007-12-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

I want to thank the people who posted the comments recently. It was refreshing to see the comments there on the blog! Anyway, I'm not a Presbyterian, or anything, but my oldest brother is. He is rather concerned about the lapse of the PCUSA being a "Five-Point Calvinistic" Denomination. He also said that there are some people in the denomination, and some people in his church that are "Four-Pointers," as he put it. Is there any truth to this?

Erik

A little reminder

2007-10-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

If people need a little refresher, this whole mess about Gene Robinson is not about homosexuality; it is about scriptural authority. It is about people who are in direct rebellion to God's Holy Word. They look at something and say, "It doesn't pertain to me, so I won't follow it." This didn't start with Gene Robinson and GC2003. This started with Bishop Pike and his denial of the Trinity. Then we have heretics such as Walter Righter and John Shelby Spong(my opinion). These individuals "married" homosexuals when they KNEW it was illegal. Spong still writes blasphemous books today such as "Saving Christianity from the Fundamentalists." He denies the divinity of Christ, and for the Trinity, for that matter. What a wonderful role model for the Episcopal Church to bring forth, eh?

Erik

Books I've read lately...

2007-09-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Now that the semester has been going full blast, I have a couple of minutes to put a blurb in for my blog. Here are some books that I have read over the past years. Most of them have been in between semesters since I've been in school the past couple of years. Well, here goes:

Bondage of the Will, By Martin Luther
Reflections on the Psalms, By C.S. Lewis
Foxe's Book of Martyrs, By John Foxe
The History of the Church, By Eusebius
Pensees, By Blaise Pascal
Awakening, The Essential Writings of Jonathan Edwards, Edited by Bernard Bangley
A Theological Miscellany, By T.J. McTavish
City of God, By St. Augustine
Mere Christianity, By C.S. Lewis
The Lord of the Rings, By J.R.R. Tolkien
How the Scots Invented the Modern World, By Arthur Herman

That's just a few; I read quite often! I work at a Christian bookstore, so I am inundated by books all of the time! So I am constantly broke! I'll probably post another one pretty soon...

Erik

The Eucharist

2007-07-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

While my wife and I were at church today, I was watching people as they went up to the altar to take communion. What I wanted to see was if they were taking it seriously, going through the motions, or some other emotion. I'd have to say that most of the people in our congregation take it VERY seriously. There are a few that just go up there because they feel like they have to because: 1) They feel like they have to please someone else, or 2) They're being told to!

The latter of those should never be the case, because no one should have to feel that they have to come to the Lord's table unwillingly. The former is also a bad reason, because it is an ulterior motive, and therefore not for good intentions.

The Holy Eucharist is Jesus incarnate, and therefore should not be taken on bad or ulterior motives. As the scriptures say, one should examine themselves beforehand. I make sure I pray before each service to make sure that I'm in the right frame of mind to partake.

Just a note to anybody that just happens to read my blog(is there anybody?). Please make sure that you are prepared to take communion beforehand.

Erik

Interesting article...but heretical and blasphemous

2007-06-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hat Tip: Stand Firm

I read an article--no, make it two articles that happened to be in the Diocese of Olympia's Diocesan Newsletter. One was titled Is Jesus the only way to God? Hmm... my answer is, of course He s, and in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 6, it reads, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one can come to the Father except through Me."(KJV) The author of the first article, The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding, PhD., believes that participating in the religions of our "Abrahamic cousins can illumine our blind spots, even as it sharpens our vision."

First of all, there are some stark differences between Islam and Christianity. And that one of the misconceptions is that we serve the same God. First, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the one whom came to save the world from sin is a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Allah, the "god" of Islam, is not triune. Next, in Christianity, Jesus is divine, and is the Son of God. In Islam, Jesus is just a mere prophet, and is just a man. They deny the deity and divinity of Christ.

The second article is an interview with Dr. Redding. The title? Well, it gets even better: On Being Christian and Muslim. Yes, you read that right. Interesting. It says in the scriptures that one cannot serve God and mammon. Choose today whom you will serve. (Matthew 6:24, NKJV) She serves as a priest in the Episcopal Church, and THEN turns around and goes to the mosque and worships there!!!!! By doing that, she is DESECRATING the Lord's table. I know enough Sacramental Theology to be dangerous, and that is blasphemous, and downright wrong. She should renounce her orders; by doing this, she is showing that she is not a christian. One cannot serve two masters; allah and God are not the same God.

Erik

What version of the Bible?

2007-06-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

A VERY interesting thread on Titus 1:9 about versions of the Bible is on-going, and needless to say, it is very interesting and refreshing. I would like comment a bit on what versions I have and what I use them for:

KJV(King James Version): The most authoritative; I use this version for my deep studies.

NKJV(New King James Version): I use this if I am just reading just to read the scriptures. The fluidity of the scriptures in this version are AMAZING.

NIV(New International Version): This version I NEVER use. It is just too choppy, and it renders the verses that one goes to the most(John 3:16, Romans 8:37) either unreadable or indistinguishable to what a person remembers the scriptures were.

NRSV(New Revised Standard Version): This version is okay. Since I go to a Catholic university and I am a Theology major, the professors frown on the KJV. I bring my NRSV w/ the apocrypha.

NJB(New Jerusalem Bible): The translation I don't really like, but there is one thing I do like about it; the footnotes. They give Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and other words, as well as other texts. I will probably go back to it for that reason to see what it says about certain verses.

NAB(New American Bible): The translation is okay, but not like the NRSV or NKJV.

Anyway, I wanted to give an overview of what I have. I would like to get my hands on an RSV(Revised Standard Version). I have heard good things about that translation.

Erik

It's Hurricane Season!

2007-06-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

My wife and I often wonder about Florida(and this is just speculation). Is it God punishing them for their sin and wretchedness? It seems that every hurricane season not a year goes by that a hurricane hits Florida. My wife thinks this more than me; I think that it is more of the Ecclesiates "chance happens to the good and the bad..." etc... Just a thought...

Erik

On to the MEAT!

2007-05-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

I hear Susan Russell of "Integrity" fame mention that there is more to the Liberal side of the coin than Social Justice. Well, Ms. Russell, that's mighty fine, but how come THAT IS ALL WE HEAR??? How come we do not hear of Christ's redeeming blood? How come we do not hear that Christ died "once for all?" Instead, we hear from the liberals that "there is more than one way to God..." Rubbish... pure unexpurgated rubbish. We read in scripture that nobody comes to the Father except by the Son. That is VERY clear. No amount of "social justice" will change the reading of scripture. Scripture is VERY CLEAR, unless you're reading Thomas Jefferson's version of the Bible, Ms. Russell. God bless you, Ms. Russell. I will be praying for the scriptures to be clear to you.

Erik

A little off topic, but nonetheless IMPORTANT!

2007-05-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

My wife Wanda showed me where my former employer Walgreens started giving medical benefits to partners of homosexuals. This hit us very hard, because we never thought that they would stoop so low as to offer benefits for "couples" that don't deserve it.

We are going to start to BOYCOTT Walgreens, and my wife has already started looking for another place of employment, so if you read this BOYCOTT WALGREENS!!!!! Bring your prescriptions elsewhere!

Erik

This "Fr. MacGreevey" nonsense...

2007-05-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

You know, I really thought I had heard it all when Gene Robinson had been consecrated at the Bishop of New Hampshire. But no, then we get a female Presiding Bishop who's not even a Christian. Now, we have the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Remember the former New Jersey Governor that got "outed" as a homosexual? Well, now he is in the discernment process as an Episcopal priest!!!! Doesn't this just get all. Next thing that you'll see on an application for the seminaries is that they'll ask you if you're a homosexual. And if you answer no, you won't get in. It also seems as if the "coming out" process for gays is naturally followed by the discernment process into the Episcopal priesthood!!! Isn't that just rich!!! Gotta love it... Nowhere else but the Diocese of Newark...

Erik

Women's Ordination plus other stuff

2007-04-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

This issue has been a tinder box since before the "Philadelphia 13" issue. When I was young and ignorant, I believed that women had the right to be ordained as priests. That was around 1984, or so. I had that opinion until around 2001. What got mind to change was to find biblical evidence that God supported women being ordained as either bishops or priests. I could not find any. Since I am a theology student, and consider myself an armchair theologian, my opinion of the women's ordination took a 180 degree turn. Lately, especially on titusonenine, there has been some heated discussion on the issue of women's ordination. The link is below:

http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=18943#comments

In this article, one person in particular also states that they are pro-choice as well. They claim to be an orthodox anglican, and be pro-WO, and pro-choice. In my opinion, you cannot have either. I was so elated when the Supreme Court upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban. It's only a start, but I'll take it. I have also seen bumperstickers that have said "Prayerfully Pro-Choice." Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do.... Either that, or they know EXACTLY what they're doing....

Erik

A minister in England says Jesus didn't die for our sins...

2007-04-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... I must not be reading the same Holy Bible that Jeffrey John is reading, because Jesus died "once, for all." Yes, you saw the name right. John, who has a civil "partnership" with another male in England. Rowan Williams asked him to step down from being the Bishop of Reading because he was not a celibate homosexual. To his credit, John did so to preserve the communion. Anyway, John should not even be an ordained minister. A bishop or minister should be a man of one WIFE, not husband. He's been listening to those liberals at Oxford too long. His brain will turn to mush before too long...

Erik

Elton John desecrates a church in NYC

2007-03-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

Well, if it isn't enough that he's an open homosexual, he has his 60th birthday bash in St. John the Divine in NYC! In front of the altar, no less! Using the chalices for champagne??? That is desecrating the chalices, and what they are used for. This is nothing less that a statement from him about organized religion. He just cannot stand that homosexuality is a sin, and is unable to face his own sin in his life. He is in REBELLION against God, and until he repents and turns from his sinful ways, well, you do the math...

Also, as my friend and compadre Gene Whitehurst told me, what where they THINKING when they ok'd this? Well, it all comes down to the mighty dollar. They needed the money. Since when is money more important than our faith? That is the mantra of 815, or the home office of TEC, or the Episcopal Church, or the Episcopagan Church. In my opinion, they have ceased to be christian. The Presiding Bishop is not a christian, believes in suing parishes. The old adage, "The beatings will continue until morale improves..." takes on new meaning with the Presiding Bishop's office, and the Chancellor, David Booth Beers. Now that I have gone off on my tangent, I shall return.

Elton John should have not even been ALLOWED in the church with all of the anti-christian rhetoric that he has been spouting here lately. Unless he repents and is truly sorry and turns away from his homosexuality, that is the only time he should be allowed near an altar for communion, or for anything, for that matter.

Erik

What type of theologian are you?

2007-03-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

Hat Tip to: A Traditional Anglican Blogging

I ran into this quiz that scores a person on their personal theology. They ask you questions(mighty good ones, if you ask me), and they come up with a percentage as to who influences your theology. For example, to my horror and surprise, my theology is 87% Calvinist! To my utter horror and shock! I always thought of myself as Augustinian/Lutheran... Anyway, here's the link: http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=44116
My wife ended up 100% Anselmic! Enjoy!

Erik

Message from the House of Bishops(nyah! nyah! Here's to you, Rowan!)

2007-03-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

Well, if we were expecting clarity from the House of Bishops, we got it. Not the type of clarity we wanted or expected, but at least we know where the majority of Bishops are. Kind of reminds me of that scene in Monty Python's The Holy Grail where Arthur goes up to the castle in England that is full of French troops and is cursed at! I will not say the words that are said in the movie, because this is a family blog! ;-) But, I digress! There have been numerous statements from bishops after the fact as to their thoughts to what went on in the meetings down in Navasota. I've been to Camp Allen, and it is a BEAUTIFUL place. I went to several Vocares there. Once as a person searching, and twice as a counselor. A person would have thought that the clean air out that would have given the bishops clarity of thought; apparently not. I have read most of the statements. I feel for the orthodox bishops who tried to fight for what was right(+MacPherson, +Lillibridge, +Steenson, and also the Bishop of Albany, whom I cannot remember his name...). I admire +Western Louisiana greatly, and know that he did his best. I do not know the others, and do not know them, but know that +Steenson is pretty reliable.
+KJS has gotten her way, and has put the noose around the neck of the American church as we know it today. I certainly feel that as we go down the road to schism, Churches will have to meet in homes as they do in China, and lawsuits will continue. That is certainly not how to treat your brothers and sisters. I pray for Pat Dague as he prepares his briefs, that God gives him Godly wisdom. Also, that the legal issues in New York, Connecticut, and California be settled with GOD's justice. Let GOD's will be done. AMEN.

Erik

Woman suing because child was born(Wrongful Birth)

2007-03-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

At first, I chuckled. Then I smiled. Then God spoke to me and said, "I will not be mocked; that child is mine, and it was meant to be born." The phrase "God don't make junk" rang true to me when I heard the news story this morning. She is asking for damages for "Wrongful Birth." What a farce. She is also asking for money to help raise the child! The child was meant to be because GOD MADE SURE THE CHILD WAS ALIVE! I just hope that God provides the child with parents that love her unconditionally. I know He will; he always does!!!!

Erik

Marcionites!!!!!

2007-03-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

I will give a warning: This is a post that is dripping with sarcasm. Okay, now that I have that out of the way, let me get to the issue that has been eating away at me for weeks. These homosexuals who are parading as clergy say that there is biblical back-up for their "lifestyle." First of all they must be Marcionites, because they must have totally thrown out the Old Testament. Marcion was a Gnostic back in the day who thought that the God of the Old Testament was not the same G0d of the New Testament, therefore, the Old Testament had to go. Also, he thought that only parts of Luke's gospel were appropriate as well. That is the history lesson part of this post. Anyway, it has become increasingly aware to me that since all of the relevant scriptures in Leviticus revolving around homosexuality(Leviticus 18:22, etc.), are not germane to "their type of people." Well, if the New Testament is fair game, I quote Hebrews 13:8, which states, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and for ever." (KJV) And to the argument that it says Jesus and not God, oh, give me a break.... JESUS IS GOD. He is part of the Trinity. As of late, the Episcopal Church's hierarchy has become so Anti-Trinitarian, it's unbelievable, but that's another post...

Erik

This Whole Mess

2007-02-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been thinking about this whole mess about the Communique', and it has really been a mess. Yes, they said that TEC has not complied with Windsor and Dromantine. But there is one thing that has REALLY got my wife and I upset. They have elected the Presiding Bishop to the STANDING COMMITTEE of the Primates!!! What WERE they thinking???? She is not even a christian in my book.... She should have been kicked out of the meeting. Instead they give her a promotion? Go and figure... My wife and I are going to stick it out because God is in control, and we figure God has a reason for this, so we will see. So we will be in constant prayer, and I hope the readers will be....

Erik

Letter from Global South Primates

2007-02-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

Here's an opening salvo from the Global South:

Church of NigeriaURL: http://www.ctsix.org/index.cfm/2007/2/16/Church-of-Nigeria
A number of the Global South Primates have not shared in the Holy Eucharist today with their fellow primates. They include Abp. Peter Akinola, Abp John Chew, Abp. Benjamin Nzimbi, Abp Justice Akrofi, Abp. Henry Orombi, Abp. Gregory Venables, and Abp. Emmanuel Kolini. They represent more than 30 million faithful Anglicans. They have released this statement: "We each take the celebration of the Holy Eucharist very seriously. This deliberate action is a poignant reminder of the brokenness of the Anglican Communion. It makes clear that the torn fabric of the Church has been torn further. It is a consequence of the decision taken by our provinces to declare that our relationship with The Episcopal Church is either broken or severely impaired. Scripture teaches that before coming to sit with one another at the Lord's Table we must be reconciled. (Matthew 5:23-26 and 1 Corinthians 11:27-29) We have made repeated calls for repentance by The Episcopal Church and its leadership with no success. We continue to pray for a change of heart. We are unable to come to the Holy Table with the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church because to do so would be a violation of Scriptural teaching and the traditional Anglican understanding, "Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; Draw near with faith" (Book of Common Prayer) This is a painful decision for us and also for our host and brother, the Most Rev¹d Donald Mtetemela. He understands our painful dilemma and accepts our decision. Pray for the Church." Friday, February 16, 2007 White Sands Hotel, Jangwani Beach, Tanzania

We shall see what happens later on. Let us pray.

Erik

The Meeting In Dar es Salaam

2007-02-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

Everybody on both sides of the coin in Anglicanism are waiting with baited breath to see what happens with the meetings today with the Primates and the Bishops meetings. Preliminary word with the Subcommitee meeting is that supposedly TEC has complied with Windsor, Dromantine, and Lambeth 1.10. I read the report, and it is utter rubbish. TEC has done none of the sort. These are supposedly only preliminary reports, but it does not bode well for us orthodox Anglicans in the United States.
Now, Bishop Robert Duncan, Bishop Bruce MacPherson had time today to give presentations to these committees. We will see as to what impact these presentations had on the outcome. Anyway, I cannot help but be a bit pessimistic at this time, but it does not look good at this moment. I just hope and pray that God's will be in the situation.

ErikC

Schori: The New Age Bishop

2007-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

Once again, our Presiding bishop has stuck her foot way down deep in her throat. Here is a quote from an interview in USA Today:

"God became human in order that we may become divine. That's our task."

Tell me what is wrong with this picture. Humans DO NOT BECOME DIVINE. Now there will probably be people coming on saying that she was "misquoted," but how can you not see that last line in an interview like that???? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck... you get the picture.

Another question: With all of the heresy that she is spouting, WHY IS SHE NOT TRIED FOR HERESY?????????????

Back to the quote: Becoming diving smacks of the New Age movement. They speak of being Gods. We are not on the same level as God. Satan tried that and failed. We are not God and cannot become God. End of argument.

Erik

Gene Robinson: The new MLK: NOT!!!!

2007-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_telling-secrets_archive.html#116895408656104461

Here is another one for the books. Gene Robinson, the new Martin Luther King, Jr. There is no comparison.
First of all, King was a visionary; Robinson is an unrepentant sinner.

Erik

A Bit Off-Topic, but....

2007-01-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

The Saints beat the Eagles, 27-24! Deuce McAllister ran for 143 yards! Now they have the Bears to worry about and play up in the cold weather in Chicago...

Erik

Huh?

2007-01-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

"And in this one sense Cranmer was right: the church does have the authority to set aside commandments -- not only the ones made by human authority, but the ones which even though placed in the mouth of God by the Scriptural authors, can be determined to reside only upon human culture and human agendas and human failings. Ultimately all of Scripture comes to us through human agency -- and it is no good idealistically pretending otherwise; to do so is to turn the Scripture itself into an idol. The Scripture is not the Word of God spoken, but the Word of God written -- and in all cases apart from the purported engraving of the original Decalogue, the writing is made by human hands. For Israel in its long wanderings, for the church in its pilgrimage, and for us today, the Scripture is an instrument through which God's will is made known, but an instrument which must be played: and the people of God are the musicians.read it all or some, as the case may be...."

The above is a quote from the HOB/D list. The thing I find funny is that it says that "...the church does have the authority to set aside commandments--not only the ones made by human authority, but the ones which placed in the mouth of God by the Scriptural authors," I almost find this laughable. This is HERESY; picking and choosing what scriptures fit one's agenda. If indeed Cranmer wrote this, I wholeheartedly disagree. One cannot just "set aside" commandments. In that case, a person could just set aside, "Thou shalt not murder," and go ahead and take a machine gun and blaze a trail of blood through the streets. I do not think that God expects people to take His Word for granted.

Erik

The Diocese of Fort Worth Vindicated!

2007-01-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Panel of Reference has sent their report on the issue of Women's Ordination and Women Clergy to the Diocese of Fort Worth, and the news is VERY good for Bishop Iker! To read the report, here is the link :

http://www.aco.org/commission/reference/docs/Fort_Worth_final.pdf

Erik

Something that's sticking in my craw...

2007-01-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a lurker on the HOB/D(House of Bishops/Deputies) Listserv, and I cannot help but get ANGRY at the utter idiocy of the people about gay marriage. The majority of the deputies and bishops on the list believe that gays and lesbians should have the right to be married and that there should be a liturgy regarding this. Well, let me tell you. THEY ARE DEAD WRONG. They said that Jesus didn't talk about gays and marriage. Well, let me show you. First of all, let me state that JESUS IS GOD. Plain and simple. I can back this up with scripture.

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination."
Leviticus 18:22(NKJV)

How much plainer can you get? To go any further and DEMAND that you have the RIGHT to get married is just plain HERESY. Next, homosexuals and lesbians now have minority status where they never should have been given that status. Homosexuality is a CHOICE, not genetic. I would like to see some unbiased scientific evidence regarding it as being genetic. No one will take me up on the offer, BECAUSE THERE IS NONE!

Erik

Schori: Jesus a "Vehicle to the Divine?"

2007-01-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

I must admit that when I read the interview I busted a gut. Every time that Madame President speaks, she puts her foot in her mouth. Here are some quotes that have been noted from the new Presiding Bishop:

"Jesus is a vehicle to the divine,"

"Jesus is an event...."

Let us remember what the Gospel of John says about Jesus:

John 1:1-14(NKJV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness for the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness to that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

This, first of all labels Jesus AS divine, not as a vehicle of the divine. Jesus is not some event that just "happens." He is GOD! In my opinion, Ms. Schori has a LOT to answer to. Gnostic gospels are not in the canon.
They are not even in the Apocrypha! JESUS IS GOD: PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

Erik

The On-Going Soap Opera of The Diocese of Virginia

2006-12-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems as if there is a mass exodus of churches that are leaving the diocese. When all is said and done, a tenth of the diocese will be gone. 815(Episcopal Church, USA, Home Office) will be fighting tooth and nail to keep the big churches(Truro and Falls Church)due to their historic significance and the money that they bring in. If 815 denies this, they are lying. There are certain things about the human condition that are obvious, and that is money. TEC needs that money, and they will bring in the lawyers to keep it.
In my opinion, the churches had no choice but to do what they did. They had to do something in order to keep the true doctrine of the faith, and the teaching of the scriptures pure. I applaud them, and wish them well, and send them my prayers.

Erik

Serving Others this Christmas...

2006-12-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

My wife and I brought groceries and Christmas gifts to needy families in the surrounding area this year, and we were astounded by the conditions that people live in. It made me all the more humble and wanting to serve those people who do not have as much. All too often we forget those who don't have as much as we do. I want to challenge people to serve others this year; perhaps a homeless shelter, or maybe even serving them food at Thanksgiving or even as small as perhaps giving them food at the street corner. That little gift can go a long way. Remember you could be entertaining angels unaware...

Erik

Falls Church and Truro Respond to Bp. Lee

2006-12-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

Kudos to: CTSix

http://www.ctsix.org/index.cfm/2006/12/8/Truro-and-Falls-Church-respond-to-Bp-Lee

I must admit that the letter was very well worded. This only shows that the fallout from both GC's('03 and '06) as well as the investiture of a female Presiding Bishop whom doesn't believe in the Virgin Birth has had ramifications. A person must read the letter to get a full understanding of where both vestries are at this very crucial time.

Erik

Hooker and the Three "Legs" of Anglicanism

2006-11-28T21:48:00.000-08:00

All right; the first Theological Question for the blog. Thomas Hooker had a three-pronged approach to Anglicanism which I think is VERY good. It is stated as such below:

1) Scripture- The most important. This part should never be abandoned.

2) Tradition- Traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation. Also very important.

3) Reason- As I see it, the second most important.

The reason I mention this is that TEC has essentially abandoned all three. Scripture has been abandoned. Read Lev. 18:22, for instance. TEC has gone as far as to ordain a non-celibate homosexual bishop. Technically, homosexuals should not even be in leadership positions in churches. People in TEC now are saying, "God is doing a new thing," Well, from what I know of scripture, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. HE NEVER CHANGES. His Word never changes, so doing a new thing in this case would be against His nature.
Tradition has been abandoned. After hearing that there was no confession of sin at the GC '06 Eucharist, that goes to show that Tradition has been abandoned. Man has a fallen nature; he needs to confess his sin to keep his relationship with the Creator. TEC shows that they don't need to confess their sins, and that they are higher than God. At least at GC '06.
Reason has definitely been abandoned. Anybody that has the Spirit of God within them would not commit the heresies that are being committed by TEC. The PR nightmare that the PB has right now is beyond reason. Had the people who voted her in known that she was going to say what she said, that might have voted for someone else. Her theology is not Episcopal or Anglican; an individual can tell what her theology is just from reading her interviews.

All in all, it is easy to see the three legs of Anglicanism have been abandoned. Any opinions?

Erik

The new ++PB, and her views on Church Growth

2006-11-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

I had read an article from somewhere(don't have the link right now), that ++Katharine didn't think church growth was all that important. What she thinks is important is the "Millenium Goals" that include eradicating hunger, education for all youngsters(believe me, these are all noble and good), etc., etc. What we are not seeing is that if the leader of a denomination is not concerned about church growth, then how is the church to flourish?

Erik

Welcome!

2006-11-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome, all! My name is Erik Cowand, and I am new at this blogging business. I have been a lurker on other blogs, and have felt that I needed a voice of my own, and for other orthodox Anglicans/Episcopalians(I don't like that name Episcopalians anymore; TEC does not represent my views, and it is difficult to see having a Presiding Bishop that does not believe in Orthodox doctrine.). Anyway, I digress! Let me tell you about myself. I am a Bacculaureate Theology student at the University of St. Thomas here in Houston, TX. My wife and I live in Spring, TX, which is about 15 or 20 miles north of Houston. We have a canine child named Eddie, whom is a spoiled brat!!! :-) I will be bringing up current issues of the church, theology questions, prayer requests, and other general questions and comments. Anyway, enjoy, and let's keep it nice!

Erik