The Sunset Juggler (formerly The Dragon's Mouth)

My friend Jim Richardson linked to this post of an article by Matin Marty (found in Ekklesia) in his blog (fiat lux).  It is about the appropriateness of using Jesus in public prayers (like the inauguration).  I think it’s food for thought.  If you’re interested, you can see the article here:  “Inaugurating Jesus?“

This is what I wrote for our church newsletter this month:

Many churches try to tell you not only what you have to believe, but also how you have to believe it.  The Episcopal Church is not like that.  It goes back to our roots in England.  Protestants and Roman Catholics had been alternating in seizing political and church power.  They celebrated by trying to kill off the other side when it was their turn in power.  When Elizabeth took the throne, she imposed a different kind of settlement.  Everyone would worship out of the same book.  Everyone would believe a few basic things.  But so long as you could believe these things in good faith, no one would inquire about how you believed them.  It’s never gone entirely smoothly.  But on the whole, it has worked for us.

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Soujorners posted an article on God showing up in older women by Nadia Bolz-Weber. a Lutheran pastor living in Denver, Colorado, where she is developing a new emerging church, House for all Sinners and Saints. She blogs at the Sarcastic Lutheran.  The article can be found here:  “God Showing Up in Older Women.”

Brian Baker gives us this prayer from the servce leaflet for the prayer service at the National Cathedral.  It was given as the closing prayer for the inaugural events by The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church:

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If you would like to see the prayers given at the inauguration by Pastors Rick Warren and Joseph Lowery, my friend Jim Richardson has them on his sight here: “Pastors Rick Warren and Joseph Lowery inauguration prayers.”

Gene Robinson gave a prayer to kick off the inauguration events on Monday.  Most people did’t see it, hear it, or read about it.  If you would like to see the prayer, click here:  “Bishop Gene Robinson’s prayer few heard.”

I don’t think I’ve ever watched an inauguration before.  If I did, I have no memory of doing so.

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My wife found this for me.  At the House for All Sinners and Saints, an urban Lutheran liturgical community in Denver Colorado, they asked this question and collected answers throughout Advent.  If you’d like to see how they answered this question, click here http://sarcasticlutheran.typepad.com/sarcastic_lutheran/2008/12/where-we-met-christ.html and look below the icon.  There are futher comments below (on that site) if you are interested in following further.

You might be interested in Gene Robinson’s posting about his participation in the inaugural events.  If so you can click here http://canterburytalesfromthefringe.blogspot.com/2009/01/washington-tales-from-closer-to-center.html.

I was really struck by Dean Brian Baker’s posting quoting Ed Bacon, the Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California, during his appearance on Oprah, saying that “being gay is a gift from God.”  If you are interested, you can find his post at http://blogs.deanbaker.org/?p=863.