Light and life to all He brings...
If there is any time of the year that we might call a time of lights, it is surely now. Lights on shrubs, trees, railings and houses cause us to "oohh" and "aahh" and warm our hearts. If seen aright, they are but faint reminders of the divine person who came into the darkness of our world to dwell among us as one of us.
As the evangelist John writes, "In him was life" and "from his fullness we have all received." Through him, we become children of God. Through this birth we ourselves are rebirthed into divine life itself. Through the light of the Word made flesh, God is present to us in a whole new way.
That is the meaning behind all the lights and the gifts and the gatherings. Celebrate it with a joyful heart!
By Fr. Thomas Ryan, CSP
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory..."
John 1:14a NKJV
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is my last article before Christmas, so let me begin by wishing you and your loved ones a wonderfully blessed Christmas celebration. Although no one can say for sure exactly what day Jesus was born, the date of December 25 was settled on, perhaps to override the pagan "celebration of the unconquered sun." I'm happy to celebrate Jesus as THE Unconquered Son.
It is useful to stop and think, at least at regular intervals, of all that God has done for us, and the purpose of the gift of Jesus Christ - why he was and is necessary, and how we can best respond to Him. I do believe he will return in power and glory, but I don't know if that will be soon or after I die. In either event, I want to be certain now that I'm on his side, and that he's counting me as one of his flock. I would encourage you to do the same, and then express your joy by loving those less fortunate than you. Once we begin giving away God's love to others, it seems somehow that our ability to receive even more of God's love increases.
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For me, part of the great experience of Christmas has been the adjoining holy day of Holy Innocents, when King Herod's men, commanded to find and kill the possible new rival king, massacred all of the male infants and toddlers in Bethlehem. Evil seems always to lurk nearby, trying to steal away the blessings of God; evil which creeps into and corrupts human souls and turns humans into agents of the Father of Lies, Satan himself. On December 28, we will remember all of the little boys who were slaughtered in the king's attempt to kill the baby Jesus, and all of the mothers and fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc., who suffered such grief when their little ones perished.
There is a prayer for them in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1979), the Collect for December 28, Holy Innocents: "We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims, and by your great might, frustrate the designs of evil tyrants, and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord." I can only say Amen, Lord, and please apply this prayer to those beautiful, happy children in Sandy Hook Elementary School, for whom the evil of Satan also stole away their lives and broke the hearts of all those who knew and loved them. Thank you, Lord, also, for the staff of the school who tried to protect their lambs, even at the cost of their own lives. Amen.
This weekly update is released on Friday, December 21, the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It happens to be the last day of the famous Mayan calendar, but that doesn't mean too much because they used long cycles for their calendars, and when one ends, another begins, and neither they nor we know when Jesus Christ is returning in power and glory. This Winter Solstice also sees the alignment of earth with our galaxy, the Milky Way, but again, let us not be worried or anxious but keep our focus on the Lord. I am quite confident that you will read this either on the 21st or 22nd, you will feel fine and no great cosmic calamity will have befallen us - but just to be on the safe side, let's stay close to Jesus and put our trust in Him.
Christmas blessings and peace in our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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Message from Canon Ashey
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Canon Ashey
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Canon Ashey is taking some well-deserved time off to spend with his family. He wishes all our readers a holy and peaceful Christmas.
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Global South Primates support Bishop Lawrence
| Source: Diocese of South Carolina
14 December 2012
Our dear Bishop Mark,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
We, the Steering Committee of the Primates of the Global South of the Anglican Communion, were very sad to hear that the Presiding Bishop of TEC has interpreted your address to the Diocesan Convention on 17 November 2012 as a renunciation of your ordained ministry.
We want to assure you that we recognize your Episcopal orders and your legitimate Episcopal oversight of the Diocese of South Carolina within the Anglican Communion.
You and your Diocese of South Carolina are in the thoughts and prayers of all our congregations and our colleagues in the Global South.
Please be assured of our prayers and support.
May the Lord bless you!
Yours in Christ,
The Most Revd Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis
The Most Revd Nicholas Okoh
The Most Revd Ian Ernest
The Most Revd Datuk Bolly Lapok
The Most Revd Stephen Than Myint Oo
The Most Revd Dr. Eluid Wabukala
The Most Revd Hector "Tito" Zavala
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Sewanee Approves Same-Sex Blessings in All Saints Chapel
| Source: Inside Higher Ed
December 20, 2012
...In July, the Episcopal Church approved a new liturgy to bless same-sex relationships, which went into use Dec. 2. The rite, which has much in common with a marriage ceremony, is intended to be used even in states where gay marriage is illegal. Bishops that do not approve of the new liturgy can forbid its use within their jurisdiction.
The new rite posed a particularly thorny question for Sewanee. The university, which
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All Saints Chapel
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includes an Episcopal seminary, is owned by 28 dioceses in the United States, and the bishops of those dioceses make up the university's board of trustees. The bishops do not share a common stance on the issue, but several members of Sewanee's Board of Trustees urged their fellow bishops in July to vote against the new liturgy. One, a bishop in South Carolina, has tried to secede from the Episcopal Church as a result [sic].
The controversy placed Sewanee in a tricky position, said John McCardell Jr., Sewanee's vice chancellor and president. The college itself isn't part of any diocese, and its religious governing authority is the chancellor, a post that rotates among the bishops of the 28 owning dioceses.
"An absolute yes or an absolute no was just not possible," McCardell said. The college feared its chapel could become a sort of Las Vegas for blessings of gay unions-an end-run for couples whose bishops wouldn't permit the rite in their own diocese.
The compromise: Gay and lesbian couples who meet the other eligibility requirements for a Sewanee wedding will be able to have their union blessed in the college chapel, as long as their bishops are supportive.
McCardell described the decision, reached by the college chaplain, dean of the School of Theology, and the two bishops on the Board of Regents, which oversees university governance, as "the only sensible thing."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Appeals Court Orders Obama to Revise Contraception Mandate
| Source: NewsMax
December 19, 2012
By Stephen Feller
The Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Obama administration must follow through on a vow to revise requirements for employers who offer health insurance to fund contraception for employees.
Wheaton College and Belmont Abbey College are among several religiously-affiliated institutions that filed suit over the contraception mandate, saying that it violates their First Amendment-protected beliefs, reported Fox News.
The ruling did not overturn the mandate itself, which includes an exemption for religious institutions themselves, such as churches, but not for ones like hospitals.
Even before suits had been filed, the administration had said it would craft a system to exempt appropriate institutions, which the Court called a "binding commitment" in its ruling.
"The D.C. Circuit has now made it clear that government promises and press conferences are not enough to protect religious freedom," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund. "The court is not going to let the government slide by on non-binding promises to fix the problem down the road."
Expecting a new policy on contraception to be finished sometime in the first quarter of 2013, the Court is requiring the administration to file progress reports on the pending policy every 60 days.
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Federal Court denies Hobby Lobby request
| Source: LifeSiteNews
December 20, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, a federal court denied a request to temporarily stop  enforcement of the abortion pill mandate, which would force the Christian-owned-and-operated Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., to provide the "morning-after pill" and "week-after pill" in its health insurance plan, or face crippling fines up to $1.3 million per day.
"The Green family is disappointed with this ruling," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. "They simply asked for a temporary halt to the mandate while their appeal goes forward, and now they must seek relief from the United States Supreme Court. The Greens will continue to make their case on appeal that this unconstitutional mandate infringes their right to earn a living while remaining true to their faith."
The 10th Circuit judges denied the motion calling the religious burden to the Green family "indirect and attenuated."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Stanley Ntagali Enthroned as 8th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda
| Source: Church of Uganda via email
December 17, 2012
The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali was enthroned as the 8th Archbishop of the Church of
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Archbishop Ntgali
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Uganda on Sunday, 16th December, at St. Paul's Cathedral, Namirembe.
More than 3,000 people attended the colourful ceremony, including His Excellency the President, political leaders, business leaders, and all the Bishops of the Church of Uganda.
Ten Archbishops (Primates) from other Provinces in the Anglican Communion were also present - Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Indian Ocean, Nigeria, Jerusalem and the Middle East, England, Scotland, and North America - along with other Bishops from Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Australia, United States of America, and England.
The President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, attended the function and addressed the gathering, urging the Church to increase their ministry to young people and to guide the youth in moral, upright, and productive living....
Retiring Archbishop Henry Orombi thanked the Primates from other Provinces in the Anglican Communion present, his fellow Bishops, and the clergy and lay leaders in the country.
He especially thanked the preacher for the service, Archbishop Bob Duncan of the Anglican Church in North America. "Our partnership," he said, "has been unique because it has been a mutual partnership. When the ACNA needed support, we stood with them. When we have needed support, they stood with us. This is how it should be - true partners in the global advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
The Rev. Canon Dr. Alison L. Barfoot, Assistant to the Archbishop of Uganda for International Relations, said, "We thank the former Ugandan parishes of the ACNA for their sacrificial and generous support over the years and bless them as they focus on evangelism and planting churches in North America for the spread of God's Kingdom. The Church of Uganda is very happy to support such efforts."
Archbishop Orombi's tenure as Archbishop was marked by extensive travels and preaching around the country, a commitment to youth ministry, and the construction of Church House, a commercial building on Kampala Road. Because of the Church House project, the Church of Uganda's provincial office expects to be self-supporting within the next two years as Church House becomes operational....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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UK Gay "Marriage" controversy: Letter to David Cameron from Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth
| Source: Quo Vadis blog
15th December 2012
Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP
Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party
Dear Mr Cameron
I am writing to you to send you best wishes from the priests and people of the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth, and the promise of our prayers for you, as you carry the heavy responsibility of leading our great nation. However, I am also writing to ask you, indeed to urge you, to change course on your intention to introduce same-sex marriage.
You have said you are an enthusiastic supporter of marriage and that you do not want "gay people to be excluded from a great institution." Yet I wish respectfully to point out that behind what you say lurks a basic philosophical misconception about the nature of 'equality.' Equality can never be an absolute value, only a derivative and relative value. After all, a man cannot be a mother nor a woman a father, and so men and women can never be absolutely equal, only relatively equal, since they are biologically different. So too with marriage. Marriage, ever since the dawn of human history, is a union for life and love between a man and a woman. It is a complementary relationship between two people of the opposite sex, the man and the woman not being the same, but different. They are not, in other words, absolutely equal but relatively equal. This is why gay couples, two men or two women, are not being 'excluded' from marriage; they simply cannot enter marriage.
By enabling gays to 'marry' and by equating the union of gay people with marriage, however well-intentioned, you are not only redefining what we mean by marriage but actually undermining the very nature, meaning and purpose of marriage. Marriage, and the home, children and family life it generates, is the foundation and basic building block of our society. If you proceed with your plans, you will gravely damage the value of the family, with catastrophic consequences for the well-being and behaviour of future generations. The 2011 Census shows the parlous state of the institution of marriage which you claim to believe in so strongly, and of family life in general, with one in two teenagers no longer living with their birth parents and over 50% of adults living outside of marriage.
Can you imagine the confusion and the challenge for teenagers as they grow up and seek to reach a fully mature and integrated sexuality? This is why I fail to see how your intentions can possibly strengthen the institution of marriage and family life. Rather they will dilute it.
More, you are ignoring the huge opposition of Christians, Jews and Muslims alike, as well as that of a huge number of ordinary people. You are imposing the aspirations of a tiny minority on the vast majority. Make no mistake, the change you are proposing is of immense significance. By it, you will be luring the people of England away from their common Christian values and Christian patrimony, and forcing upon us all a brave new world, artificially engineered. What you are proposing will smother the traditional Christian ethos of our society and in time strangle the religious freedom of the Catholic Church in Britain to conduct its mission. There is no sanction whatsoever in the Bible and the Judaeo-Christian tradition for gay marriage. I cannot see how anyone who claims to be a Christian can possibly justify what you are intending to do.
I know you have spoken of the 'quadruple lock' and other legal safeguards. Yet for me many grave concerns remain about the brave new world you are fashioning in the name of the false gods of equality and diversity. For example, will I as a Christian have to support your ideology when preaching? Will you exempt the Church, its resources and premises, from charges of discrimination if it declines to host same-sex social activities? Will Catholic schools, Catholic societies, Catholic charities and Catholic institutions be free (and legally protected) to teach the full truth of Christ and the real meaning of life and love?
I appreciate how politically difficult it can be to undertake a U-turn and to sustain the attendant criticism such would bring. But when it is a matter of the truth, and the reasons are cast-iron clear, a U-turn would be hailed by history only as brave and courageous. This is why, like a Thomas a Becket appealing to Henry II, I do not hesitate to ask you to consider doing what is the right and just thing to do. Otherwise, will we ever be able to forget that it was the leader of the Conservative Party (sic) who finally destroyed marriage as a lasting, loving and life-giving union between a man and a woman?
I assure you of my respect, best wishes and prayers.
Rt. Rev. Philip A. Egan
Bishop of Portsmouth
Editor's Note: The Pope has come under fire by "progressives" recently for some of his comments in support of the unborn, marriage, and religious freedom. See items 4 and 6 in his World Day of Peace message here.
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