She's 15, and she's unique, just like everyone else.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Did Jesus just call me "evil"?
I have been meditating this week upon the last line from last Sunday's gospel reading. Jesus said:
Luke 11:13
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
The meaning is straightforward enough. The emphasis is on the fact that our heavenly Father is good and generous. The comparison is that even if a bad earthly Father is naturally generous to his children, how much more will a perfect heavenly Father be good and generous to his children.
And then it hits me. Did Jesus just call us good Christians "evil"? It seems a little out of place in some sense. That is, as far as I can tell he is talking to his disciples, not to some hypocritical pharisee which he has just rebuked. He talking to me. Yet I cannot deny the fittingness of the words, given the knowledge of my own sinfulness. It's just so striking when coming from the lips of the Savior. It's all so Calvinistic.
The only commentary I have found addressing it is an insightful one from my 1928 A New Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, which I picked up because Bishop Gore was one of the authors. It has this to say:
Even when Christ is appealing to the natural goodness in men, he will not let us forget our corruption. Luke's word is strong--huparchontes (being by nature) poneroi (bad or mean).
Any further thoughts from my readers? I also found it interesting that Luke 11:13 has the following cross references in my Bible:
Genesis 6:5
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every(B) intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis 8:21
And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done."
Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Luke 11:13
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
The meaning is straightforward enough. The emphasis is on the fact that our heavenly Father is good and generous. The comparison is that even if a bad earthly Father is naturally generous to his children, how much more will a perfect heavenly Father be good and generous to his children.
And then it hits me. Did Jesus just call us good Christians "evil"? It seems a little out of place in some sense. That is, as far as I can tell he is talking to his disciples, not to some hypocritical pharisee which he has just rebuked. He talking to me. Yet I cannot deny the fittingness of the words, given the knowledge of my own sinfulness. It's just so striking when coming from the lips of the Savior. It's all so Calvinistic.
The only commentary I have found addressing it is an insightful one from my 1928 A New Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, which I picked up because Bishop Gore was one of the authors. It has this to say:
Even when Christ is appealing to the natural goodness in men, he will not let us forget our corruption. Luke's word is strong--huparchontes (being by nature) poneroi (bad or mean).
Any further thoughts from my readers? I also found it interesting that Luke 11:13 has the following cross references in my Bible:
Genesis 6:5
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every(B) intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis 8:21
And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done."
Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Bobbi Brown Nail Polish SS07
Last weekend while the makeup lady at MAC was trying on loads of eye shadow colours on my sister, I wondered over to the Bobbi Brown counter and fell in love with the BB salesgirl's makeup. She had a 'light' (as in not as dramatic as most of MAC's salespeople's makeup,) smokey eye. She proceeded to try it on me but they were out of a certain shimmery, creamy eye shadow base so the eye shadow didn't look at all impressive on me, (or maybe it's just that the salesgirl was really pretty herself -that is so unfair!) 
Next I noticed her nails and loved the colour. They were a lovely milky, white-ish, pinkish, champagne colour. They were exactly what I was looking for -something milky, but not plain white or pink. But I didn't realise Bobbi Brown made nail polishes at that point so I didn't ask her where she got her nail polish from. Later on, a friend told me Bobbi Brown did actually make nail polish so I decided to head to another Bobbi Brown counter in the hopes that the salesgirl's nail polish was from BB. After looking through the six shades, half of which were already out of stock, I guessed it was Tutu. 
Since I have zero skills in painting nails, I got someone to do it for me while getting a facial. The results were... a bit more pink than I anticipated. Now that I've had time to accustome myself to painted nails, I suppose they don't look as pink as they first looked. Actually I think I may be starting to like the colour! (Haha sorry, this is my 28 hours of thoughts after getting my nails done.)
The one really big thing I must complain however is that BB nail polish seems to chip REALLY easily. Admittedly, I've got three layers on because I wanted the colour to completely cover up my nails so maybe the polish on my nails is really thick. But I've been pretty careful about using my fingers in the past day and it's not like I'm doing any nail-polish-chipping activities. (Although did you know msn-ing people is terrible for your nail polish? Too much constant typing!) BG justifies the chipping to me as "Bobbi Brown isn't exactly known for their nail polish". I know but still, I expected more from the brand and the price! Oh well. Nail-painting is such an irritating and time-consuming activity, who know? No wonder I only ever experiment with nail polish during school holidays! Please let me know what other nail polish brands chip or scratch easily so we can all avoid them!
Low expectations
Yesterday, I was working on a healthcare feasibility study questionnaire for the Church Pension Fund. This was sent out to everyone under the Episcopal Church's penion fund program--church employees such as musicians, secretaries, Christian education directors, chaplains, youth ministers, and of course clergy and bishops. I could not help but feel discouraged on the first page. The third question was:
3. Tell us about your healthcare coverage: (Select all that apply. For example, indicate if you are covered by both the Church and by another healthcare plan such as your spouse's/partner's plan).
Now I'm sure that the questionnaire was pretty much a standard format--the same for any corporation that needs to do this kind of study, and it was conducted by a company which specializes in these kinds of things. But these kinds of things are also necessarily tailored for the group being surveyed. Something tells me this question was not worded the same way when surveying a Baptist or Catholic or Methodist or Lutheran group, etc.
The question tells me right off the bat that in the Episcopal Church (except in isolated pockets like the diocese of Fort Worth), there is absolutely no expectation that church leaders, even the clergy who are called to be "wholesome examples to the flock," are supposed to live chaste lives.
It's not like this is any big secret, of course, but it a reminder of how discouraging it is when I'm working with couples to be married or talking with youth about the importance of chastity and not living together outside marriage, and yet the church which nurtured and ordained me has no expectation that I should strive toward same holiness in this one aspect of life.
The epistle reading for next Sunday is very fitting reminder about the vocation of Christian discipleship.
Colossians 3:2-10
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.
3. Tell us about your healthcare coverage: (Select all that apply. For example, indicate if you are covered by both the Church and by another healthcare plan such as your spouse's/partner's plan).
Now I'm sure that the questionnaire was pretty much a standard format--the same for any corporation that needs to do this kind of study, and it was conducted by a company which specializes in these kinds of things. But these kinds of things are also necessarily tailored for the group being surveyed. Something tells me this question was not worded the same way when surveying a Baptist or Catholic or Methodist or Lutheran group, etc.
The question tells me right off the bat that in the Episcopal Church (except in isolated pockets like the diocese of Fort Worth), there is absolutely no expectation that church leaders, even the clergy who are called to be "wholesome examples to the flock," are supposed to live chaste lives.
It's not like this is any big secret, of course, but it a reminder of how discouraging it is when I'm working with couples to be married or talking with youth about the importance of chastity and not living together outside marriage, and yet the church which nurtured and ordained me has no expectation that I should strive toward same holiness in this one aspect of life.
The epistle reading for next Sunday is very fitting reminder about the vocation of Christian discipleship.
Colossians 3:2-10
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.
Giorgio Armani, Milan
So this photo has finally run in Wallpaper magazine so I can finally share it with you.
Back in April I was in Milan shooting the Salone for Wallpaper.
It was Saturday, the last day, and the fair was slowing down so I took a lazy walk around the Brera.
I was on Via Borgonuovo when I looked up and saw Armani walking down the street.
Actually, I saw Armani's giant bodyguard first but Armani was about four steps in front of him.
Anyway, I stopped Armani and began to ask him, and quickly began asking the bodyguard (that guy moves quick) if I could take his photo.
He asked for a business card ,which I didn't have on me, so he looked me over and agreed to let me take his picture.
Armani still looked a little hesitant but I have seen him in action enough backstage at his shows that I know he likes to be shot against a dark backdrop to highlight his white hair.
He began to take his one of his trademark poses but I motioned that we should move off the street and in front of a nearby building with a dark background. I motioned to his hair and said something like "bene constrasto" (not to be confused with "bene castrato"). This instantly won a few big points with him and he was very patient while I got a couple of shots.
Funny thing, one of the reasons Armani has built such an incredible empire is he is very careful with every aspect of his image. For example, when you take a photo of Armani he will not look up at the camera until he has set his pose and checked every element of his look. You cannot take a picture of him until he is ready.
As a photographer this is a pain but it is a perfect example of how he continues to worry about every little aspect - I have tremendous respect for that. The guy is in his 70's and is still sweating all the little details.
INTRODUCING - The SartoriaList Women's
I am happy to begin The SartoriaList Women's
Same concept as the Men's SartoriaList plus two additional services.
As with the men's list I will try to get a good mix of ladies from varied income levels.
I am currently efforting responses from women in New York, Milan, Paris, London and Stockholm (Berlin?).
I will be updating the SartoriaList as I receive answers but quite a few will be going up in the next two weeks.
Of course, I had to start with a few of the coolest women I know.
CARINE ROITFELD
Hair salon
Romain Color - 37 rue Rousselet paris 7eme
tailor:
Styl'up - 5 rue pasquier paris 8eme
Dry cleaner:
Delaporte Teinturerie - 62 rue Francois I paris 8eme
Shoe repair
Pulin bottier - 5 rue chauveau Lagarde paris 8eme
Nail Salon
Sothys institut de beaute - 128 rue du faubourg saint honore paris 8eme
Body Treatment
L appartement 217 - 217 rue saint honore paris 1er
EMMANUELLE ALT
Hair Salon:
Leonor Greyl - 15 rue Tronchet paris 8eme
tailor:
Styl'up - 5 rue pasquier paris 8eme
Dry cleaner:
Delaporte Teinturerie - 62 rue Francois I paris 8eme
Shoe repair
Cordonnerie Vaneau - 44 rue vaneau paris 7eme
Nail salon and body treatment
Institut Revlon - 19 rue Bassano paris 16eme
TARA HENTHORN
Hair Salon: ALAIN COIFFURE 184 rue de grenelle 7emer
cute little place, where the clientele are like your grandparents, and walking in the door is like stepping back into the 1950's. the ladies have regular appointments to get themselves coiffured and to catch up on the quartier gossip. i go there not really for the haircut (as my hair is never in more need than a trim), but so soak up a little of the old life...
Tailor or Alterations: Being a designer i do it myself.
Dry Cleaner: PRESSING MALAR 27 rue malar 7eme
Shoe Repair: CHAUSSURE ROLAND 12 rue malar 7eme
Gorgeous little old man, owns and runs the place all by himself, and every morning i pass him on the street on the way back from the boulangerie, smile and say "bonjour".
Nail Salon: NOCIBÉ 96-98 rue st Dominique 7eme
A quiet little old place that also gives the most fantastic relaxing body massgaes.
Body treatment: CORPORO SANO 15 bis rue Amelie 7eme
Great eyelash tints.
Same concept as the Men's SartoriaList plus two additional services.
As with the men's list I will try to get a good mix of ladies from varied income levels.
I am currently efforting responses from women in New York, Milan, Paris, London and Stockholm (Berlin?).
I will be updating the SartoriaList as I receive answers but quite a few will be going up in the next two weeks.
Of course, I had to start with a few of the coolest women I know.
CARINE ROITFELDHair salon
Romain Color - 37 rue Rousselet paris 7eme
tailor:
Styl'up - 5 rue pasquier paris 8eme
Dry cleaner:
Delaporte Teinturerie - 62 rue Francois I paris 8eme
Shoe repair
Pulin bottier - 5 rue chauveau Lagarde paris 8eme
Nail Salon
Sothys institut de beaute - 128 rue du faubourg saint honore paris 8eme
Body Treatment
L appartement 217 - 217 rue saint honore paris 1er
EMMANUELLE ALTHair Salon:
Leonor Greyl - 15 rue Tronchet paris 8eme
tailor:
Styl'up - 5 rue pasquier paris 8eme
Dry cleaner:
Delaporte Teinturerie - 62 rue Francois I paris 8eme
Shoe repair
Cordonnerie Vaneau - 44 rue vaneau paris 7eme
Nail salon and body treatment
Institut Revlon - 19 rue Bassano paris 16eme
TARA HENTHORN Hair Salon: ALAIN COIFFURE 184 rue de grenelle 7emer
cute little place, where the clientele are like your grandparents, and walking in the door is like stepping back into the 1950's. the ladies have regular appointments to get themselves coiffured and to catch up on the quartier gossip. i go there not really for the haircut (as my hair is never in more need than a trim), but so soak up a little of the old life...
Tailor or Alterations: Being a designer i do it myself.
Dry Cleaner: PRESSING MALAR 27 rue malar 7eme
Shoe Repair: CHAUSSURE ROLAND 12 rue malar 7eme
Gorgeous little old man, owns and runs the place all by himself, and every morning i pass him on the street on the way back from the boulangerie, smile and say "bonjour".
Nail Salon: NOCIBÉ 96-98 rue st Dominique 7eme
A quiet little old place that also gives the most fantastic relaxing body massgaes.
Body treatment: CORPORO SANO 15 bis rue Amelie 7eme
Great eyelash tints.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Lord, teach us to pray.
A Christian missionary in Africa was being chased through the bush by a ravenous, hungry lion. Feeling the beast come closer with every breath, and knowing that his time was short, the man turned to the Lord in prayer. “O Lord, I pray you to make this lion a Christian.”
As soon as he prayed this prayer, the missionary instinctively knew that the lion had stopped the chase. When he turned around to look, sure enough, he saw the lion bowed down on his knees, with his hands folded, and with his lips moving in prayer. Joyous and exhilarated, the missionary wanted to join the lion in meditation. As he knelt down in front of him, the missionary heard the lion praying, “. . . and bless, O Lord this food which you have set before me . . .”
Prayer is fundamental to being Christian disciples. We are called to be God’s people, to enter into a relationship with him, and no relationship is sustained without conversation. Imagine, if you will, that someone close to you--a spouse, parent, or child--someone you see every day, never said "Good morning," never spoke to you, never said “I love you,” never told you what they thought of you, never told you what was on their mind. And yet, some expect to have a healthy relationship with God even if they never answer him.
They never answer in worship--either public or private. They never answer by speaking to the Lord (except maybe when the lions are after them). And I use the word “answer” deliberately in regards to prayer. God always takes the initiative--even when we haven’t realized it. The Bible says, “We love him because he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19).
The catechism in the Prayer Book answers the question “What is prayer?” by saying that prayer is response--“responding to God by thoughts and by deeds, with or without words.” It puts the old question “do you think God answers prayer?” in perspective. Many people think of prayer as being like room service. We call in and place an order that God is supposed to fill.
But those who are experienced in the art of prayer have a different question in mind. “Have I been answering God in prayer?” is what they are asking. C.S. Lewis said, “I don’t pray because it changes God, I pray because God changes me. I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because the need flows out of me.”
Do you have a prayer life like that? It is possible. It’s a relationship with God characterized by good communication. Jesus knew the art of prayer, and his disciples saw that. The Twelve were with him all hours of the day--they saw the real Jesus.
They saw things in Jesus like how he would get up extra early in the morning just to go off to a quiet place and spend some time in prayer before the distractions of the day got the best of him. The disciples asked Jesus, “Can you tell us the secret? John the Baptist taught his followers how to pray. Teach us to pray.”
It is here that Jesus teaches the disciples what has been called “the Our Father,” or “the Lord’s Prayer.” I’m sure most of you are familiar with the text, so I won’t go through it line by line. But I would like to highlight a few things that have helped me, because if you’re like me, prayer is not something that comes naturally. (Perhaps it is more natural when the lions are chasing you.) But most of the time, it is something that you need to be very deliberate and intentional about.
Prayer is an art that needs habitual formation. It is no mistake that our worship in the Catholic tradition from Sunday to Sunday and indeed from day to day is very repetitious. We need that constant formation, that regularity that shapes our own interior conversation with God.
1. I’d like to point out first, Jesus’ use of the term Father. And this is a very intimate term--Abba--it means something like “Daddy.” Jesus says when you pray, say “Father in heaven . . .” We need to be constantly reminded that God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, is big enough to fill the universe, yet small enough to dwell in the human heart.
Through Jesus--the only Son of God--we have received this personal access. God is not some distant thing, God is some one--he is our Father. We have been adopted into God’s family, and we have a right to come sit in his lap and call him daddy. Through Jesus, we have been given that privileged, personal access. And we should use it. When we begin to think of prayer in terms of family and conversation and relationship, it breaks down some of the barriers that we have to prayer. It can help prayer become more natural--even “second nature.”
2. I’d like to point out second, that Jesus’ example immediately turns to praise and adoration. When you pray, say, “Father in heaven, hallowed by thy name.” “May you be loved; may you be known everywhere as holy.” If you have not learned to praise, you have not leaned to pray. Does God answer our prayers? Absolutely he answers them. We know that because he is holy; he is wonderful, he is beautiful, he is lovely, he is kind, he is awesome, he is majestic, he is powerful, he is the fount of all goodness, he is the defender of the lowly, he is the source of all purity, he is the savior of the world, he is the abode of justice and mercy, he is the seat of all virtue, he is the giver of peace, he is the fairest of ten thousand, he is a worker of miracles, he is worthy of all praise.
What should occupy the highest calling of every parish church is the worship of almighty God. If we are not here for that reason, we are here for no reason at all. Adoration is the highest act of man--something done for God alone. As the catechism in the prayer book tells us, “Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God’s presence.”
If you want to know what prayer is, you need to begin by practicing praise and adoration. Set aside time in the morning to praise. Set aside time in the evening simply to sit in silence and love the Lord. If there is something noble and rewarding that you regularly do, say, “I’m doing this for the Lord, to show God I love him.” Prayer can sanctify all the precious moments of our lives when we make them offerings to God, when we say “I’m doing this as an act of love, I’m doing this because I love the Lord.” When you learn to make you life a prayer, your life will change forever.
3. I’d like to point out third, Jesus’ tells us that God is a generous and powerful giver of gifts. All good things come from above, and we should bring our needs straight to the source.
While some people mistakenly picture God as a cosmic bellhop--waiting to meet our every demand--others go to far in the other direction. They feel like they should never ask for anything from God. But Jesus says no; that’s not what God is like. A Father wants to shower gifts on his children.
One of the lapel pins I wear on my jacket is a depiction of Madonna and child in the style known as “Our Lady of Perpetual Help.” When people ask me about it, I remind them, if you don’t ask for help, you don’t get it.
In the Old Testament lesson today, we see Abraham interceding with God to spare the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He easily whittled the number down to ten--“If there are ten righteous people in Sodom,” God says, “I will not destroy it.” The truth is that if there was one righteous person in Sodom, God would have spared the city. But no one there was asking for mercy.
This church has needs--needs that it will never see met if there are not people praying for those needs to be met. Each one of you has needs in your personal life--needs that will not be met until you bring them to the Lord. Often because the things we really need most, are the things that only God can provide. I pray that everyone in this room today may feel something of the power and generosity of God. The Lord is powerful.
How long has it been since you really felt prayed for? God offers that opportunity to us. Remember to call upon the God we know intimately as Father. Remember to lavish your love and adoration upon him. And do not be ashamed to call upon his power and goodness.
Let me leave you today with the words of the Lord Jesus, “And I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish, give him a serpent? or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
As soon as he prayed this prayer, the missionary instinctively knew that the lion had stopped the chase. When he turned around to look, sure enough, he saw the lion bowed down on his knees, with his hands folded, and with his lips moving in prayer. Joyous and exhilarated, the missionary wanted to join the lion in meditation. As he knelt down in front of him, the missionary heard the lion praying, “. . . and bless, O Lord this food which you have set before me . . .”
Prayer is fundamental to being Christian disciples. We are called to be God’s people, to enter into a relationship with him, and no relationship is sustained without conversation. Imagine, if you will, that someone close to you--a spouse, parent, or child--someone you see every day, never said "Good morning," never spoke to you, never said “I love you,” never told you what they thought of you, never told you what was on their mind. And yet, some expect to have a healthy relationship with God even if they never answer him.
They never answer in worship--either public or private. They never answer by speaking to the Lord (except maybe when the lions are after them). And I use the word “answer” deliberately in regards to prayer. God always takes the initiative--even when we haven’t realized it. The Bible says, “We love him because he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19).
The catechism in the Prayer Book answers the question “What is prayer?” by saying that prayer is response--“responding to God by thoughts and by deeds, with or without words.” It puts the old question “do you think God answers prayer?” in perspective. Many people think of prayer as being like room service. We call in and place an order that God is supposed to fill.
But those who are experienced in the art of prayer have a different question in mind. “Have I been answering God in prayer?” is what they are asking. C.S. Lewis said, “I don’t pray because it changes God, I pray because God changes me. I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because the need flows out of me.”
Do you have a prayer life like that? It is possible. It’s a relationship with God characterized by good communication. Jesus knew the art of prayer, and his disciples saw that. The Twelve were with him all hours of the day--they saw the real Jesus.
They saw things in Jesus like how he would get up extra early in the morning just to go off to a quiet place and spend some time in prayer before the distractions of the day got the best of him. The disciples asked Jesus, “Can you tell us the secret? John the Baptist taught his followers how to pray. Teach us to pray.”
It is here that Jesus teaches the disciples what has been called “the Our Father,” or “the Lord’s Prayer.” I’m sure most of you are familiar with the text, so I won’t go through it line by line. But I would like to highlight a few things that have helped me, because if you’re like me, prayer is not something that comes naturally. (Perhaps it is more natural when the lions are chasing you.) But most of the time, it is something that you need to be very deliberate and intentional about.
Prayer is an art that needs habitual formation. It is no mistake that our worship in the Catholic tradition from Sunday to Sunday and indeed from day to day is very repetitious. We need that constant formation, that regularity that shapes our own interior conversation with God.
1. I’d like to point out first, Jesus’ use of the term Father. And this is a very intimate term--Abba--it means something like “Daddy.” Jesus says when you pray, say “Father in heaven . . .” We need to be constantly reminded that God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, is big enough to fill the universe, yet small enough to dwell in the human heart.
Through Jesus--the only Son of God--we have received this personal access. God is not some distant thing, God is some one--he is our Father. We have been adopted into God’s family, and we have a right to come sit in his lap and call him daddy. Through Jesus, we have been given that privileged, personal access. And we should use it. When we begin to think of prayer in terms of family and conversation and relationship, it breaks down some of the barriers that we have to prayer. It can help prayer become more natural--even “second nature.”
2. I’d like to point out second, that Jesus’ example immediately turns to praise and adoration. When you pray, say, “Father in heaven, hallowed by thy name.” “May you be loved; may you be known everywhere as holy.” If you have not learned to praise, you have not leaned to pray. Does God answer our prayers? Absolutely he answers them. We know that because he is holy; he is wonderful, he is beautiful, he is lovely, he is kind, he is awesome, he is majestic, he is powerful, he is the fount of all goodness, he is the defender of the lowly, he is the source of all purity, he is the savior of the world, he is the abode of justice and mercy, he is the seat of all virtue, he is the giver of peace, he is the fairest of ten thousand, he is a worker of miracles, he is worthy of all praise.
What should occupy the highest calling of every parish church is the worship of almighty God. If we are not here for that reason, we are here for no reason at all. Adoration is the highest act of man--something done for God alone. As the catechism in the prayer book tells us, “Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God’s presence.”
If you want to know what prayer is, you need to begin by practicing praise and adoration. Set aside time in the morning to praise. Set aside time in the evening simply to sit in silence and love the Lord. If there is something noble and rewarding that you regularly do, say, “I’m doing this for the Lord, to show God I love him.” Prayer can sanctify all the precious moments of our lives when we make them offerings to God, when we say “I’m doing this as an act of love, I’m doing this because I love the Lord.” When you learn to make you life a prayer, your life will change forever.
3. I’d like to point out third, Jesus’ tells us that God is a generous and powerful giver of gifts. All good things come from above, and we should bring our needs straight to the source.
While some people mistakenly picture God as a cosmic bellhop--waiting to meet our every demand--others go to far in the other direction. They feel like they should never ask for anything from God. But Jesus says no; that’s not what God is like. A Father wants to shower gifts on his children.
One of the lapel pins I wear on my jacket is a depiction of Madonna and child in the style known as “Our Lady of Perpetual Help.” When people ask me about it, I remind them, if you don’t ask for help, you don’t get it.
In the Old Testament lesson today, we see Abraham interceding with God to spare the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He easily whittled the number down to ten--“If there are ten righteous people in Sodom,” God says, “I will not destroy it.” The truth is that if there was one righteous person in Sodom, God would have spared the city. But no one there was asking for mercy.
This church has needs--needs that it will never see met if there are not people praying for those needs to be met. Each one of you has needs in your personal life--needs that will not be met until you bring them to the Lord. Often because the things we really need most, are the things that only God can provide. I pray that everyone in this room today may feel something of the power and generosity of God. The Lord is powerful.
How long has it been since you really felt prayed for? God offers that opportunity to us. Remember to call upon the God we know intimately as Father. Remember to lavish your love and adoration upon him. And do not be ashamed to call upon his power and goodness.
Let me leave you today with the words of the Lord Jesus, “And I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish, give him a serpent? or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Lino in GQ plus Out-Take
This is one of my all-time favorite shots of Lino. It appeared in July GQ but I wanted to make sure it had a home here also.
To me it is the very essence of Milanese style.
I loved this shot but I guess the page just isn't big enough for two Lini (the plural of Lino)
New on The SartoriaList! Reza Raein
As I promised recently, I will be making new additions to The SartoriaList over the next few weeks
Our good friend Reza has sent over his list of resources not only for New York but also Naples!
Reza has also informed me that he has lost 15 pounds and we may soon need to change his moniker to TBM!!
Thanks Reza and the first one to Naples wins!!
from Reza email:
BARBER New York: Peter at Delta Hairstylists
BARBER Naples, Italy: Gianni at Barbieria, via Crispi 13-15
(In my case, given the little hair I have, the barber is really more of a surgeon)
TAILOR/ALTERATIONS suits, Naples, Italy: Mr. Pasquale Sabino at PrimoPiano Italia, Piazza dei Martiri, Naples
TAILOR/ALTERATIONS shirts, Naples, Italy: Mr. Salvatore Piccolo, via Strettola S. Anna alle Paudi 54, Naples
DRYCLEANER: Sophia Careplus 150 E 79th St NYC ( hand pressing of shirts + general dry cleaning)
DRYCLEANER: Perry Process 427 E 74th NYC (suits)
SHOE REPAIR Naples, Italy: Paolo Scafora Custom Shoemaker TEL +39-333-239-6239
SHOE REPAIR NYC: The Empire, 991 Lexington Avenue, NYC (ask for Roman)
This information should be permanently updated on The SartoriaList by the end of this week.
Ladies don't despair the women's SartoriaList in full process. Just wait till you see who I post tomorrow!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
On the Street.......Summer Cardigan, Soho
No matter how hot it is outside, it is always colder in your office.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The Blue Lake Bootleg
Katherine has, of course, been back from Blue Lake for a week; Robert went there on Wednesday. It's been a serious time of trying to catch up.
I had the idea for this video while we were watching the SATB Choir in Gershwin Theater last Sunday. Of course, the concept far outreached my then-skills with iMovie and other necessary applications, but I finally got the sound right, the images right and the project at least passable. The director, Mark Webb, is the director of the International Choir and led this year's Session II choir, and he gets to take the applause.
Gilbert and Sullivan live!
More images to come.
The forgotten third English province
I was reading through Bishop Moorman's A History of the Church in England the other day and ran across this little historical detail which I had forgotten--the short-lived third ecclesiastical province of the church of England, the province of Lichfield. Here is the excerpt from his book:
In the second half of the eighth century it was the turn of Mercia to reach such a position [of prominence over the other kingdoms on the island]. Under the wise and powerful rule of King Offa (757-96), Mercia rose to such power that its king claimed to be 'king of all the English' though such a claim would, no doubt, have been challenged in many parts of the country. Offa was undoubtedly much the greatest ruler of his generation in England. A man of big ideas, he was one of the few English rulers who had a definite foreign connection, corresponding both with the pope and with Charlemagne. He was also a great benefactor to the Church and the founder of many monasteries.
Yet his policy with regard to the Church was mistaken. At a time when the Church was the only real unifying force in the country, Offa conceived a plan for separating Mercia from the rest of the province of Canterbury and giving it its own archbishop. Such a desire sprang from patriotism and zeal for his own kingdom; but it was disastrous for the Church. It meant that, at the moment when the Church of the southern province was beginning to act strongly and unitedly in the cause of reform, it was to be split into two. Offa, however, was determined to carry out his project and invited the pope to send to England two legates with power to carry through such a division of the province.
The two legates, George, Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, and Theophylact, Cardinal-Bishop of Todi, arrived in England in 786, the first of a long series of papal legates who were later to play an important part in the history of England. They made a visitation not only of the southern but also of the northern province and held councils at 'Pincahala' (probably Finchale near Durham) and at Celchyth or Chelsea, both in 787. At both these councils decrees were passed, similar to those promulgated by other reforming councils, and in the same year they succeeded in carrying out the primary purpose of their visit which was to give authority for the division of the southern province into two. Offa thus achieved his ambition; Lichfield became a metropolitan see with its own archbishop and six other dioceses under its jurisdiction—Worcester, Hereford, Leicester, Sherbome, Elmham and Dunwich—leaving only Rochester, London, Winchester and Selsey to the Archbishop of Canterbury. This arrangement lasted until a few years after the death of Offa, but was brought to an end in 803.
2007 Trend: The Slogan Tees
80's styled, bright-coloured slogan tees are 'in' this year. This unfortunate trend was started by House of Holland, which basically makes loads of this kind of tees. I suppose one of the reasons why it caught people's attention was the cheeky slogans about other designers and models, (such as "Do Me Daily Christopher Bailey" and "Wham Bam Thank You Stam" or somthing like that.) I really didn't mind this trend back when the only people I saw wearing the tees were in magazines and websites. Unfortunately, my local department store has recently started selling them and now I'm actually seeing the tees worn on people and featured in local magazines around me! Bleh, I'm obviously no fan of this look. 
And thanks to rising model Agyness Deyn, who is claimed to be 'cool and hip' by various magazines, House of Holland tees are now also considered to be 'cool and hip'. Uh, tacky colours much? (And I mean both Aggy's makeup and the tee, or maybe it's the combination of both.)
If you simply can't resist this trend, consider these very affordable choices by Urban Outfitters (left) and Top Shop (right.) Just because I don't like this trend doesn't mean I'm going to stop you from experimenting. Afterall, fashion's meant to be fun too and I'm sure lots of people out there love this trend!So ok, I still don't completely get why so many people and supposedly classy magazines like Vogue are crazy for these tees. They're just so... unclassy and flashy. But I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Plus, trends pass by so quickly these days, so why not? What does everyone think about this trend?
Photo credit: http://www.style.com/, http://www.topshop.com/, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/
Friday, July 27, 2007
A history of the Diocese of Fort Worth
I have put all five segments of my history paper on the diocese into one front-to-back post, below. When we consider our future, I think it's important to consider our past. Have a look.
Revlon Make-Up Eraser Pen
When I first saw the clipping from the magazines for this eye make-up eraser pen, I knew I had to have it. It was like they had read into my mind and knew I was looking for such a product (recall my previous musing on Jane Blog about dabbing a qtip with make-up remover, putting it in my purse and hope it still works later into the night). My friend told me she thought some brands already had such a thing, but still, this is the first time I've heard of it. So holding the $2 off coupon, I rushed out to the nearest Walgreens and picked one up (I was disappointed to find that it was not easily singled out amongst the products, in my mind, it should be placed on a pedestal).
What it basically is, is a spongy/felt tip pen that is soaked with eye make-up remover (not unlike my original idea, except they figured out a way that the eye make-up remover doesn't dry out). It doesn't quite magically cleans off eye make-up at a swipe of the pen, but more like it disburses minimal amounts of eye make-up remover and kind of smudges the area. I advised you to wipe the rest off with your fingers or a qtip to get maximum cleaning effect. Even though it is not as magical as I'd hope, so far I am loving it as I've discovered two ways of using it:
What it basically is, is a spongy/felt tip pen that is soaked with eye make-up remover (not unlike my original idea, except they figured out a way that the eye make-up remover doesn't dry out). It doesn't quite magically cleans off eye make-up at a swipe of the pen, but more like it disburses minimal amounts of eye make-up remover and kind of smudges the area. I advised you to wipe the rest off with your fingers or a qtip to get maximum cleaning effect. Even though it is not as magical as I'd hope, so far I am loving it as I've discovered two ways of using it:- To very quickly and effectively get rid of make-up screw ups during application. This is especially helpful when you are applying eye liner and you accidentally make a thicker line than you wanted. Then simply swipe off the extra bits and you'll be left with a perfect eye line.
- To get rid of those smudges that inadvertently creeps up after a few hours of application of eye make-up- even when they say its water proof! To avoid smudges completely, I heard using bases, avoiding water/sweating and keeping your lids oil free helps...but good luck with stopping natural body responses to the environment.
Photo source: Revlon
Sartorialist Lesson #1A- Wear Your Pants On Your Waist NOT Your Hips
The late Mr. Ferre shows how a larger man can wear his pants at his waist WITH a vest and create a very slimming effect.
Again, the "rules" don't work for everyone but they can usually be slightly tweaked and work more often than not.
If you are taller, check out old photos of Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart or Gregory Peck - all tall and still wearing their pants at their waist (with very successful results)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Forward in Mission: Parts 1-5
Forward in Mission to Equip the Saints for the Work of Ministry: A History of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
1. The Episcopal Mission in Texas
Episcopalians have had a presence in Texas since it was under the rule of Mexico, although they were not legally permitted to openly practice their faith at that time. During the Texas revolution in 1835, the Rev’d Richard Salmon led a missionary settlement from New York state, and established schools at Brazoria and Houston. Along with a fellow Anglican missionary priest named Chester Newell, Salmon applied to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church for appointments as foreign missionaries, but they were denied. It was not until 1839 that the first Episcopal church was organized in Texas; the Rev’d Caleb Smith Ives established Christ Church at Matagorda. That same year, services were held in Houston, Galveston, Valesco, and Quintana. And Christ Church, Houston was also organized as a parish. (1)
Above, Christ Church in Metagorda. Below, Bishop Leonidas Polk.
Bishop Leonidas Polk had oversight of these churches as Missionary Bishop of the Southwest. After visiting Texas in 1839, he recommended establishing a bishopric in Texas as soon as possible, especially since Bishop Polk himself had relatives who had migrated there from Tennessee and North Carolina. His venture across the Red River into northern Texas was called by Bishop Kinsolving the “first foreign missionary visit” of an Episcopal bishop, because Texas was at that time an independent Republic, and would remain so until 1845. (2)
At the General Convention of 1844, George Washington Freeman was elected as Missionary Bishop of the Southwest, with provisional oversight of the Church in the Republic of Texas. Texas was annexed to the United States in 1846, and the organization of the Diocese of Texas soon followed in Matagorda in 1849. In 1859, Alexander Gregg was elected the first Bishop of Texas. Growth was so extensive in the church there that the diocese petitioned General Convention for division in 1871. Three years later, Northern and Western Texas became two missionary districts—separated from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas in the Southeast. (3)
Above, The Right Rev'd Alexander Charles Garrett.
Alexander Charles Garrett, Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Omaha, was elected as the first bishop of missionary district of Northern Texas. A High Churchman of eloquence, learning, and passion, Garrett quickly set about building and planting churches in his mission field. He designated St. Matthew’s in Dallas as his cathedral and missionary outpost, and by 1895, the district had grown strong enough to become a diocese. The newly formed Diocese of Dallas remained such until 1910, when the Western portion was separated from Dallas as the remaining missionary district of Northern Texas. Garrett, the “Apostle to Northern Texas,” succeeded Daniel Tuttle as Presiding Bishop in 1923. His strong leadership, catholic faith, and missionary zeal left a lasting impression on the Episcopal Church around Dallas. (4)
Above, the high altar of St. Matthew's Cathedral in Dallas.
The Dean of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Dallas, Harry Tunis Moore, was elected coadjutor in 1917, and succeeded Garrett as diocesan in 1924. For Bishop Moore, the diocese existed to create and build strong parishes. (5) His successor, Charles Avery Mason, also worked tirelessly to move missions to parish status and to support parish expansion and construction projects. As Executive Secretary of the Forward in Service Movement, and then as Bishop of Dallas from 1946—1970, Mason’s zeal at his work was exercised at the risk of his own health.
Archibald Donald Davies, the fourth Bishop of Dallas, was, like Garrett, Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Omaha. And also like the first Bishop of Dallas, Davies had a heart for mission. But Davies coupled that concern with a stress on renewal and a strategy for the future. It is this bishop who brings forth the churches in Fort Worth to carry on this heritage with an innovative and evangelistic spirit in a rapidly changing ecclesiastical climate. The story of the young Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is one of being a missionary church in an era of conflict.
2. Catholic and Apostolic: Carving out a new Diocese
By 1982, the Diocese of Dallas had grown to encompass 115 parishes and missions, 244 resident clergy, and 39,000 communicants. These numbers were slightly down from the beginning of Bishop Davies’ ministry in Dallas in 1970. (6) However, it was thought that division of the diocese was an inevitable move whose time had come because of numerical growth and geographical concerns. A decade’s worth of long-range planning for mission, first investigated by Bishop C. Avery Mason, saw that the numerical growth in the two metropolitan centers necessitated some kind of change for the future of ministry in North Central Texas. Even with one suffragan, episcopal visitations could not be made yearly to every congregation as the situation stood in 1982.
The territory of the new diocese of Fort Worth is highlighted in gold.
The Diocese of Texas, in comparison, decided to remain a large unit by having a second suffragan and help from assistant bishops. It is now the second largest diocese in the Episcopal Church. The case of Dallas was different geographically. The polarization of the twin cities of Dallas and Fort Worth provided mirror images of a diocese with rural missions supported by a large metropolitan see. It provided a nice even division, and the resulting jurisdictions were also more akin to the catholic model of a diocese, which is smaller in geographical size and oriented around a see city.
The division of 1 January 1983 was probably inevitable from the beginning, and it was the leadership of Bishop Davies that took advantage of this call to adventure in mission. As Bishop Garrett noted in the 1910 diocesan journal,
"The twin cities of Dallas and Fort Worth are growing like young giants. The little towns are stretching out their steel fingers with emerald rings strung all along to bind each other together in bonds of common life and hope of enterprise. They call upon me every day for enlarged facilities for doing their work." (7)
As separate jurisdictions, the two churches would be closer to the people, and be better able to equip them for mission in local congregations and beyond.
The Rev'd Canon James P. DeWolfe, Jr., of All Saints', Fort Worth.
The transition was smoothly achieved within six months of the decision by the diocesan convention—due in part to extensive planning and Bishop Davies’ leadership. Canon James DeWolfe, rector of All Saints’ Church in Forth Worth, noted, “The time was simply right. The homework was done, the need was clear, and General Convention was just around the corner.” (8) As part of his commitment toward a sound transition, Bishop Davies decided to accept the call to become the first bishop of the new (and the financially and numerically weaker) Diocese of Forth Worth.
The Rt Rev'd A. Donald Davies, first Bishop of Fort Worth.
Close working relations with the congregations and lay involvement were two of the founding principles of the Diocese of Fort Worth. In drawing up the constitution of the new diocese, emphasis was put on the participation of the deaneries—represented by the dean and one elected layperson on the Executive Council. This difference in the Fort Worth diocesan constitution was created to foster Bishop Davies’ goals of ensuring greater lay participation in decision making and prompting creative and cooperative adventures in ministry. (9)
The Chrism Mass of the new diocese, held at St Christopher's.
Controversy was also a part of the birth of a separate Diocese of Fort Worth. Though, this aspect has probably been over-stressed in the past. By separating from Dallas, it is argued, the new diocese (like the Evangelical and Catholic Mission) could establish an orthodox safe-haven that would be for conservatives a “place to stand” within the Episcopal Church.
However, the deep division among the clergy, and to a lesser extent the laity, reflected at Bishop Iker’s election in 1992 indicated that this concept was more a perception than a reality. Likewise, Dallas was not necessarily carved out as a contrasting place of liberal experimentation as is sometimes thought. According to a survey by the search committee to elect a new bishop for Dallas in 1983, most of the laity in the diocese wanted their new bishop to take negative stands on the ordination of women, charismatic renewal, and homosexual ministries. (10)
In reality, for the Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, ministry and fidelity to the Church’s tradition have always gone together. The Church does not retain its teaching for itself, but for others. Therefore, as Bishop Garrett noted, the missionary idea “is the fundamental idea of an Apostolic Church.” (11) This thought resonated at the first diocesan convention of Fort Worth in October of 1983, when progress in missionary efforts was already being made.
Bishop Davies of Fort Worth concluded his opening address by saying, “We are about to make a transition in Episcopal leadership in one of the most alive and exciting dioceses in the Anglican Communion.” As a part of this renewed missionary endeavor, Davies stated, “The Diocese of Fort Worth is here to stay as a witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and as a visible part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” (12)
3. Pope and the Partisanship
One of the reasons that the Diocese of Dallas was divided in 1982 was that Bishop Davies had announced that he would retire in 1985, and Davies did not want to leave the difficult task to his successor. Therefore, at the first diocesan convention in Fort Worth, Davies (now Bishop of Fort Worth) called for a coadjutor to be elected in 1984 to lead the new newly created diocese upon his retirement. Their choice was The Rev’d Clarence C. Pope, Jr., rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bishop Davies did not end up retiring from active church ministry, however. At the request of Presiding Bishop John Allin, Davies went on to serve as bishop for the Convocation of American Churches in Europe from 1985-1988. (13)
Bishop Davies hands the crozier to Bishop Pope after his consecration.
As the second Bishop of Fort Worth, Clarence Pope inherited Davies’ initiatives on renewal and mission. But what was to prove even more significant was that Pope inherited a position of leadership among the bishops of the Evangelical and Catholic Mission (ECM). Davies was also a member of the group, founded in 1976 by bishops Stanley Atkins and Charles Gaskell as a fellowship of conservative Episcopalians (particularly Anglo-Catholics) who decided to remain as an orthodox witness in the Episcopal Church following the first ordinations of women to the priesthood in Philadelphia in 1974. Other concerned churchmen, meeting in St. Louis in 1976, had decided to break with the national Church and establish churches that would continuing to maintain exclusive use of the 1928 Prayer Book and a male priesthood.
Bishop Clarence Pope took his role of leadership at home and on the national scene seriously. The chief areas of conflict for ECM within the national church were the ordination of women to the priesthood (authorized by General Convention in 1976) and the struggle to maintain biblical morality in teaching and practice. The struggle intensified with the election of Edmond Browning as Presiding Bishop in 1986, who, unlike previous the Presiding Bishop John Allin, enthusiastically supported the ordination of women as well as gay rights issues. With his strong will, eloquent voice, and depth of experience, Pope met these challenges head-on.
The Rt Rev'd Clarence C. Pope, Jr., II Bishop of Fort Worth.
The ordination of women quickly became the norm in most dioceses of the Episcopal Church. However, it was the election of the first female bishop (Barbara Harris as suffragan of Massachusetts) in 1988 that prompted action by the ECM. It was decided to convene a synod of the ECM clergy and people in Fort Worth on June 1-3, 1989. “The final crisis of the Episcopal Church is now upon us,” wrote the ECM bishops in a pastoral letter. They explained: "The purpose of this Synod will be to consider how we shall be the Church within the Episcopal Church and to adopt a detailed and unified plan for active witness in the face of the institution’s present disintegration." (14)
The meeting of the ECM in 1989 in Fort Worth begot a new organization to succeed it—the Episcopal Synod of America—with Bishop Pope as its first president. The election of a female diocesan seemed inevitable with the consecration of Bishop Harris, and did occur in 1993 when the Diocese of Vermont elected Archdeacon Mary Adelia McLeod of West Virginia as their diocesan bishop. The Synod dealt with the question of episcopal ministry for parishes that may not accept female bishops. In light of the episcopal visitor’s clause created by the 1988 General Convention, the ESA resolved to provide the ministry of alternative episcopal visitors where requested. (15)
Women Anglican bishops gathered at the 1998 Lambeth Conference.
This was, however, a provisional action. The advent of female diocesan bishops was approaching, and the movement toward the ordination of women was gaining momentum in England. While Pope was publicly trying to plug the leaks in the Episcopal Church, privately he was seeking a long-term solution. For Pope, the most promising solution lay beyond the Alps. “I was thrilled to the possibility for our communion [with Rome],” said Bishop Pope, “as the Anglican— Roman Catholic International Commission took up their work and made such wonderful progress in finding a way forward toward organic reunion between Rome and Canterbury.” (16)
The official dialogue between the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
With the Roman and Anglican Communions going in opposite directions on the question of women’s ordination, that hope was steadily diminishing. But perhaps it still would be possible on a smaller scale. Was there a place for whole Anglican dioceses and associated parishes to find a home in the Roman Catholic Church? Bernard Cardinal Law of Boston, head of the Anglican Use congregations under the “Pastoral Provision” of 1980, was lobbying for an extension of the program in the United States.
Bernard Cardinal Law, former Archbishop of Boston.
With the help of Cardinal Law, Bishop Pope attempted to negotiate at most a kind of personal prelature (modeled on Opus Dei) or perhaps an expanded pastoral provision similar to a uniat province (with their own liturgy and bishops, under Canon 372, §2) with the Holy See. Cardinal Hume of Westminster was also lobbying for a similar arrangement in England. Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, was very supportive. In 1990, Bishop Clarence Pope met with Pope John Paul II, who embraced the Anglican bishop and gestured toward him, saying “in communion.” (17)
Prospects could not have appeared better, yet when Bishop Pope returned to Texas, nothing happened. Action on the plan had been stalled by Roman Catholic bishops in England. They did not want to receive a large faction of English Catholics opposed to the ordination of women and loyal to the pope. They produced a counter-proposal stating that Anglicans could convert as groups, but would then be absorbed into mainstream parish life. They could not maintain an Anglican identity as several parishes in the US had done under the pastoral provision.
This development essentially took away the Roman option for English Anglo-Catholics. With the succession of George Carey in the see of Canterbury 1991 and the approval of female priests in England in 1992, there were some conversions to Rome, but on a smaller scale and only as individuals. Back in America, what was once a communion-wide possibility and eventually only a diocesan possibility, was now merely a personal possibility. Many traditional Anglicans felt that the dawn of female priests in England left them no choice. In 1991, the parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Arlington voted to leave the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth for communion with Rome. On the other side of Fort Worth, the Church of the Holy Apostles decided that they could no longer remain in the Episcopal Church either. They changed their affiliation to the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 1992.
Bishop Pope, in ailing health and despondent over the long wait for a corporate reunion with Rome which was never to come, announced on 25 October 1994 that he would convert to Roman Catholicism upon his retirement at the end of the year. Bishop Pope cited the 1992 act of synod to ordain women as priests in the Church of England as the final impetus in his decision. “It was then,” said Pope, “that I became very aware that the pilgrimage I had longed to take corporately would now have to be taken alone.” While most of the leaders in the diocese sympathized with the bishop, others left behind in the Episcopal Church felt abandoned. His fellow ESA bishop, William Sheridan, remarked, “It’s a terrible self-centeredness.” (18)
Clarence Pope and his wife Martha were received into the Roman Catholic Church by Cardinal Law in a special ceremony at the former Episcopal parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Arlington. However, Pope’s plight was not over. The Popes retired to their former home of Baton Rouge in Louisiana. Clarence Pope presented himself to the local bishop for priestly ordination under the terms of the pastoral provision. Pope felt that a continuation of his ministry would allow him to serve out his calling in a new home. The Catholic bishop of Baton Rouge announced that he would be happy to ordain Pope as a priest . . . pending the approval of his diocesan priests’ council (which finally returned a negative vote).
Pope was isolated from the Catholic community in Baton Rouge and he started getting calls from his successor in Fort Worth, Bishop Jack Iker, and from Episcopal Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning to withdraw his resignation from the House of Bishops and return to the Anglican fold. Less than a year after their conversion, the Popes returned to the Episcopal Church. Pope confessed that he tended to idealize the Roman Catholic Church and found the reality somewhat different. He also noted increasing discomfort with the idea of absolute (re)ordination and a sense of guilt that he had abandoned traditionalists in the Episcopal Church. (19)
4. A Difficult Transition
Bishop Pope’s leadership—which tended to be perceived as equating national leadership in the ESA with leadership back in the Diocese of Fort Worth—was not without opposition at home. Some contested Pope’s conservative views; others agreed with them, but did not want to be drawn into a political struggle. All Saints’ Cathedral in Fort Worth (a generally conservative parish) was seen as being used to promote Pope’s agenda with which most parishioners agreed. However, the dean, the Very Rev’d William D. Nix, Jr. and members of the Vestry complained about being tied to the ESA’s national political struggle. A period of conflict between All Saints’ and the diocesan office led to the parish choosing to end its status as the pro-cathedral of the new diocese.
All Saints' Cathedral in Fort Worth.
Others were hoping to move the Diocese of Fort Worth more in line with the policies of the national church. In order to obtain episcopal assistance and forestall the possible election of a liberal successor, Pope called for the election of a coadjutor in 1992 without announcing his retirement. The ordination of women was a contentious issue throughout the election process. The nomination committee put forth four candidates—Fr. Jack Iker of the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, Florida; Fr. Keith Ackerman of St. Mark’s in Arlington, Texas; Dean Richard Hatfield of Christ Cathedral in Salina, Kansas; and Fr. Dwight Duncan of St. Matthias in Dallas. All four candidates indicated that they would neither ordain women as priests, nor license them to minister in the diocese.
The Rt Rev'd Jack Leo Iker, III Bishop of Fort Worth.
A group of liberal opposition called the Council of Laity nominated Fr. John Payne of All Saints’ Church in Wichita Falls, Texas from the floor of the convention, held in October of 1992. Although originally a member of the ESA, Payne had grown to favor the ordination of women. The Rev’d Jack Iker won decisively on the sixth ballot, but the opposition party refused to join the customary unanimous resolution vote out of protest over his opposition to the ordination of women. (20)
St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, the site of the consecration.
The Council of Laity continued their protest by a campaign to thwart the process of consent from other diocesan standing committees and bishops. Within a short time of the election, a significant number of refusals came in from standing committees across the Episcopal Church. Bishop Pope called Iker at the time and advised him to not resign from his parish nor come to look for a house in Fort Worth just yet. A very slim margin of standing committee consents was finally obtained on 26 January 1993, after a push by Bishops Benitez, Bowman, and Kelshaw who insisted that the Church honor its commitments to tolerance on the women’s ordination issue. (21) Iker was finally consecrated as a bishop on 24 April 1993 at St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth amid picketers outside, and six formal protests inside. (22)
5. A Renewed Focus on Mission
Upon the retirement of Clarence Pope in 1995, Jack Leo Iker became the third Bishop of Fort Worth. Bishop Iker’s pontificate has been marked by growing unity and revitalization on the diocesan level. Since his election, Iker has explicitly attempted to build bridges with both those who supported and opposed him. “I recognize and respect your position and rightful place in the church,” he told convention delegates. “I make the commitment to love you and work with you wherever you happen to be on the theological spectrum. I simply ask you to do the same.” While he has remained active in the ESA (now Forward in Faith, North America), Iker has not taken on leadership of the organization as did Bishop Pope.
Bishop Iker has also been vocal about his commitment to stay in the Episcopal Church. One of his first actions was to designate St. Vincent’s Church in Bedford—a young, vibrant congregation—as the pro-Cathedral for the duration of his episcopate. Like Bishop Terwilliger, the late suffragan of Dallas, Iker has decided not to confront the Episcopal Church by threatening to leave, but by threatening to stay.
The Chrism Mass at St Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford, TX.
As coadjuctor, Bishop Iker presided over the last diocesan convention (October 1994) before Bishop Pope’s retirement. The executive director of the ESA, Fr. Samuel Edwards, proposed resolutions that would have repealed Article 1 of the diocesan constitution, and enabled parishes to secede with their property, and would have removed from parishes the option of sending money to the national church. “We need to begin disengaging from a morally corrupt national organizational structure,” said Fr. Edwards. Edwards argued that the action would not exactly be leaving the Episcopal Church, but only disengaging from it’s national control.
But Bishop Iker countered from the chair that passage of the resolution would in fact mean the diocese would be seceding from the Episcopal Church, and urged others to vote against the resolutions. Although national issues may be troubling, Iker noted, leaving is not the way to address the problem. The resolutions were rejected.
Similarly, when Bishop Pope announced his decision to leave the Episcopal Church, Bishop Iker quickly put out a pastoral letter in which he expressed sympathy with Pope’s concerns, but also stated: "It should be stressed that this is a personal decision of Bishop Pope’s and indicates no change of direction for the Diocese of Fort Worth. This is a time for us all to pull closer together as a diocese and to move forward with the work God has given us to do with gladness and singleness of heart. I still believe we have an important role to play within the Episcopal Church, and by God’s grace, I intend to lead us in this vocation with courage and enthusiasm."
Despite conflict with the national church, or perhaps because of it (with a growing sense of the irrelevance of national church policies), the Diocese of Fort Worth has steered away from separatist political considerations and focused more on renewal and mission at home. One of Bishop Iker’s stated goals for the diocese was a plan for emphasis upon evangelism and spiritual renewal.
This led to his first Conference on Evangelism and Renewal, held at the downtown parish of St. Andrew’s in April of 1995. The conference was called a spiritual pep rally by the bishop. It also provided important workshops for clergy and lay leaders on learning to joyfully and effectively share the gospel within and beyond their congregations. “We must be anointed by God and empowered by the Spirit to go forth and share the good news with others,” said Iker. But, he added that we must also “first be convinced ourselves that it is good news, and that it is worth sharing.”
In a further attempt to build bridges and meet needs at home in the diocese, Bishop Iker developed “The Dallas Plan” together with Bishop James Stanton of Dallas. This informal pastoral arrangement was developed to meet the needs of potential female ordinands as well as congregations on both sides of the issue of women’s ordination. The agreement supplies workable provisions for both the ordination and priestly ministry of women. At present, no congregation has called a female assistant priest or rector, but several women have been ordained to the priesthood through the Dallas Plan.
Bishop Iker at the Altar with Dallas Bishop James M. Stanton.
In spite of this agreement, the 1997 General Convention voted to amend the canons to make the ordination of women mandatory in all dioceses of the Episcopal Church. “The tragic thing,” noted Iker, “is that they are seeking to require something that the Scriptures do not require.” It was also the Anglican principle of not requiring things not found in holy Scripture which led to a diocesan constitutional amendment, qualifying the moral teaching authority of General Convention.
Because of the impending approval of same-sex blessings by the national church, the 1997 diocesan convention of Fort Worth changed the wording of the diocesan constitution to indicate that it recognizes the authority of the national Constitution and Canons and the General Convention, “provided that no action of General Convention which is contrary to Holy Scripture and the Apostolic Teaching of the Church shall be of any force or effect” in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.
Although the constitutional change does not weaken the tension with the national church, it does allow the diocese to remain in the Episcopal Church while in good conscience remaining loyal to Anglican tradition. The Bishop also cautioned against reading too much into the change. “I want to say again that I am not leading a secret movement out of the Episcopal Church,” Iker stated to the delegates. “I am working to carve out a place to stand. I will do whatever it takes to defend this diocese from revisionism, heresy, and factionalism.”
Indeed, Bishop Iker has called Fort Worth anew to its purpose since the beginning of the Church crossed into Texas—being a missionary Church. Following the bishop’s request in September 2001, the Executive Council adopted as the mission statement for Fort Worth: “To equip the Saints for the work of ministry” (Eph 4:12). At the 2001 Diocesan Convention, Iker noted: "The central theme that I have turned to year after year in these convention addresses has been the same for the past nine years—mission. I have called us to become a truly missionary diocese, focused upon evangelism, outreach, and church growth."
The future of the church in Fort Worth lies in carrying on its heritage—the apostolic work of ministry, rooted in the catholic faith.
Bishop Iker on a mission trip in the companion Diocese of Northern Malawi.
Notes
1. Lawrence L. Brown, “Protestant Episcopal Church,” in the Online Texas Handbook.
2. Clause A. Beesley, The Episcopal Church in Northern Texas (Wichita Falls: privately printed, 1952), 13, 10.
3. Ibid., 20, 32.
4. C. Preston Wiles, The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas: A Centennial Narrative History (Dallas: privately printed, 1995), 9-25.
5. Ibid., 26.
6. Ibid., 46.
7. Quoted in The Living Church 185, no. 24 (12 December 1982): 7.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Reported in an article by Helen Parmley in the Dallas Morning News, cited in The Christian Challenge XXII, no. 5 (May 1983): 18.
11. Alexander C. Garrett, The Church: Its Mission and Principals of Growth (Hartford: Wiley, Waterman, & Eaton, 1876.), 25.
12. A. Donald Davies, “The Bishop’s Address to the First Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Forth Worth,” (sermon of the opening Eucharist of the Convention at Trinity Episcopal Church, Forth Worth, TX) 8 October 1983.
13. The Living Church 191, no. 25 (22 December 1985): 7.
14. A. Donald Davies, ed., The Episcopal Synod of America: Speeches, Sermons, Documents and Pictures from the Founding Meeting (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 1990), 107-110.
15. David L. Holmes, A Brief History of the Episcopal Church (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity, 1993), 169-70; and Davies, ed., Ibid., 121-122.
16. The Living Church 209, no. 20 (13 November 1994): 6.
17. For a detailed narrative of the negotiations for union with Rome, see: William Oddie, The Roman Option: Crisis and the Realignment of English-speaking Christianity. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. Available used.
18. The Living Church 209, no. 20 (13 November 1994): 6.
19. The Living Church 211, no. 11 (10 September 1995): 19.
20. The Living Church 205, no. 17 (25 October 1992): 6.
21. The Christian Challenge XXXII, no. 2 (March 1993): 16-17.
22. The Living Church 206, no. 20 (16 May 1993): 6.
23. The Living Church 205, no. 17 (25 October 1992): 6.
24. The Living Church 209, no. 18 (30 October 1994): 6.
25. The Living Church 209, no. 20 (13 November 1994): 6.
26. The Living Church 210, no. 25 (18 June 1995): 6.
27. As Bishop Iker explained, “Any woman in this Diocese who wishes to enter into the ordination process for the priesthood must first secure the endorsement of her parish priest and then arrange for an interview of the two of them with me. I then recommend her to Bishop Stanton so that she may enter into the discernment process in Dallas. If any congregation here insists on going against my wishes and must have a woman priest at their church, I am willing to relinquish my episcopal oversight of that congregation to Bishop Stanton, so that he may license and institute a woman priest there. The congregation would remain fully a part of this Diocese; the woman priest would be fully a part of the Diocese of Dallas, while serving under this special pastoral provision. The desire to continue to live and work together, in spite of differences on this issue, means that this is a good and workable plan for this Diocese” (from the Forward in Mission, a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, September 1997).
28. Jack L. Iker, “Conservatively Speaking.” Interview by Jim DeLa (Advent 2000). The Southern Cross, a publication of the Diocese of Southwest Florida; c.f., Article VI of the Articles of Religion, in The Book of Common Prayer, 868.
29. The Living Church 215, no. 23 (7 December 1997): 6.
30. Ibid., 8.
31. Jack L. Iker, “The Bishop’s Address to the Nineteenth Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Forth Worth,” (sermon of the opening Eucharist of the Convention at the Church of the Holy Apostles, Forth Worth, TX) 9 November 2001.
1. The Episcopal Mission in Texas
Episcopalians have had a presence in Texas since it was under the rule of Mexico, although they were not legally permitted to openly practice their faith at that time. During the Texas revolution in 1835, the Rev’d Richard Salmon led a missionary settlement from New York state, and established schools at Brazoria and Houston. Along with a fellow Anglican missionary priest named Chester Newell, Salmon applied to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church for appointments as foreign missionaries, but they were denied. It was not until 1839 that the first Episcopal church was organized in Texas; the Rev’d Caleb Smith Ives established Christ Church at Matagorda. That same year, services were held in Houston, Galveston, Valesco, and Quintana. And Christ Church, Houston was also organized as a parish. (1)
Above, Christ Church in Metagorda. Below, Bishop Leonidas Polk.
Bishop Leonidas Polk had oversight of these churches as Missionary Bishop of the Southwest. After visiting Texas in 1839, he recommended establishing a bishopric in Texas as soon as possible, especially since Bishop Polk himself had relatives who had migrated there from Tennessee and North Carolina. His venture across the Red River into northern Texas was called by Bishop Kinsolving the “first foreign missionary visit” of an Episcopal bishop, because Texas was at that time an independent Republic, and would remain so until 1845. (2)
At the General Convention of 1844, George Washington Freeman was elected as Missionary Bishop of the Southwest, with provisional oversight of the Church in the Republic of Texas. Texas was annexed to the United States in 1846, and the organization of the Diocese of Texas soon followed in Matagorda in 1849. In 1859, Alexander Gregg was elected the first Bishop of Texas. Growth was so extensive in the church there that the diocese petitioned General Convention for division in 1871. Three years later, Northern and Western Texas became two missionary districts—separated from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas in the Southeast. (3)
Above, The Right Rev'd Alexander Charles Garrett.
Alexander Charles Garrett, Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Omaha, was elected as the first bishop of missionary district of Northern Texas. A High Churchman of eloquence, learning, and passion, Garrett quickly set about building and planting churches in his mission field. He designated St. Matthew’s in Dallas as his cathedral and missionary outpost, and by 1895, the district had grown strong enough to become a diocese. The newly formed Diocese of Dallas remained such until 1910, when the Western portion was separated from Dallas as the remaining missionary district of Northern Texas. Garrett, the “Apostle to Northern Texas,” succeeded Daniel Tuttle as Presiding Bishop in 1923. His strong leadership, catholic faith, and missionary zeal left a lasting impression on the Episcopal Church around Dallas. (4)
Above, the high altar of St. Matthew's Cathedral in Dallas.
The Dean of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Dallas, Harry Tunis Moore, was elected coadjutor in 1917, and succeeded Garrett as diocesan in 1924. For Bishop Moore, the diocese existed to create and build strong parishes. (5) His successor, Charles Avery Mason, also worked tirelessly to move missions to parish status and to support parish expansion and construction projects. As Executive Secretary of the Forward in Service Movement, and then as Bishop of Dallas from 1946—1970, Mason’s zeal at his work was exercised at the risk of his own health.
Archibald Donald Davies, the fourth Bishop of Dallas, was, like Garrett, Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Omaha. And also like the first Bishop of Dallas, Davies had a heart for mission. But Davies coupled that concern with a stress on renewal and a strategy for the future. It is this bishop who brings forth the churches in Fort Worth to carry on this heritage with an innovative and evangelistic spirit in a rapidly changing ecclesiastical climate. The story of the young Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is one of being a missionary church in an era of conflict.
2. Catholic and Apostolic: Carving out a new Diocese
By 1982, the Diocese of Dallas had grown to encompass 115 parishes and missions, 244 resident clergy, and 39,000 communicants. These numbers were slightly down from the beginning of Bishop Davies’ ministry in Dallas in 1970. (6) However, it was thought that division of the diocese was an inevitable move whose time had come because of numerical growth and geographical concerns. A decade’s worth of long-range planning for mission, first investigated by Bishop C. Avery Mason, saw that the numerical growth in the two metropolitan centers necessitated some kind of change for the future of ministry in North Central Texas. Even with one suffragan, episcopal visitations could not be made yearly to every congregation as the situation stood in 1982.
The territory of the new diocese of Fort Worth is highlighted in gold.
The Diocese of Texas, in comparison, decided to remain a large unit by having a second suffragan and help from assistant bishops. It is now the second largest diocese in the Episcopal Church. The case of Dallas was different geographically. The polarization of the twin cities of Dallas and Fort Worth provided mirror images of a diocese with rural missions supported by a large metropolitan see. It provided a nice even division, and the resulting jurisdictions were also more akin to the catholic model of a diocese, which is smaller in geographical size and oriented around a see city.
The division of 1 January 1983 was probably inevitable from the beginning, and it was the leadership of Bishop Davies that took advantage of this call to adventure in mission. As Bishop Garrett noted in the 1910 diocesan journal,
"The twin cities of Dallas and Fort Worth are growing like young giants. The little towns are stretching out their steel fingers with emerald rings strung all along to bind each other together in bonds of common life and hope of enterprise. They call upon me every day for enlarged facilities for doing their work." (7)
As separate jurisdictions, the two churches would be closer to the people, and be better able to equip them for mission in local congregations and beyond.
The Rev'd Canon James P. DeWolfe, Jr., of All Saints', Fort Worth.
The transition was smoothly achieved within six months of the decision by the diocesan convention—due in part to extensive planning and Bishop Davies’ leadership. Canon James DeWolfe, rector of All Saints’ Church in Forth Worth, noted, “The time was simply right. The homework was done, the need was clear, and General Convention was just around the corner.” (8) As part of his commitment toward a sound transition, Bishop Davies decided to accept the call to become the first bishop of the new (and the financially and numerically weaker) Diocese of Forth Worth.
The Rt Rev'd A. Donald Davies, first Bishop of Fort Worth.
Close working relations with the congregations and lay involvement were two of the founding principles of the Diocese of Fort Worth. In drawing up the constitution of the new diocese, emphasis was put on the participation of the deaneries—represented by the dean and one elected layperson on the Executive Council. This difference in the Fort Worth diocesan constitution was created to foster Bishop Davies’ goals of ensuring greater lay participation in decision making and prompting creative and cooperative adventures in ministry. (9)
The Chrism Mass of the new diocese, held at St Christopher's.
Controversy was also a part of the birth of a separate Diocese of Fort Worth. Though, this aspect has probably been over-stressed in the past. By separating from Dallas, it is argued, the new diocese (like the Evangelical and Catholic Mission) could establish an orthodox safe-haven that would be for conservatives a “place to stand” within the Episcopal Church.
However, the deep division among the clergy, and to a lesser extent the laity, reflected at Bishop Iker’s election in 1992 indicated that this concept was more a perception than a reality. Likewise, Dallas was not necessarily carved out as a contrasting place of liberal experimentation as is sometimes thought. According to a survey by the search committee to elect a new bishop for Dallas in 1983, most of the laity in the diocese wanted their new bishop to take negative stands on the ordination of women, charismatic renewal, and homosexual ministries. (10)
In reality, for the Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, ministry and fidelity to the Church’s tradition have always gone together. The Church does not retain its teaching for itself, but for others. Therefore, as Bishop Garrett noted, the missionary idea “is the fundamental idea of an Apostolic Church.” (11) This thought resonated at the first diocesan convention of Fort Worth in October of 1983, when progress in missionary efforts was already being made.
Bishop Davies of Fort Worth concluded his opening address by saying, “We are about to make a transition in Episcopal leadership in one of the most alive and exciting dioceses in the Anglican Communion.” As a part of this renewed missionary endeavor, Davies stated, “The Diocese of Fort Worth is here to stay as a witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and as a visible part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” (12)
3. Pope and the Partisanship
One of the reasons that the Diocese of Dallas was divided in 1982 was that Bishop Davies had announced that he would retire in 1985, and Davies did not want to leave the difficult task to his successor. Therefore, at the first diocesan convention in Fort Worth, Davies (now Bishop of Fort Worth) called for a coadjutor to be elected in 1984 to lead the new newly created diocese upon his retirement. Their choice was The Rev’d Clarence C. Pope, Jr., rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bishop Davies did not end up retiring from active church ministry, however. At the request of Presiding Bishop John Allin, Davies went on to serve as bishop for the Convocation of American Churches in Europe from 1985-1988. (13)
Bishop Davies hands the crozier to Bishop Pope after his consecration.
As the second Bishop of Fort Worth, Clarence Pope inherited Davies’ initiatives on renewal and mission. But what was to prove even more significant was that Pope inherited a position of leadership among the bishops of the Evangelical and Catholic Mission (ECM). Davies was also a member of the group, founded in 1976 by bishops Stanley Atkins and Charles Gaskell as a fellowship of conservative Episcopalians (particularly Anglo-Catholics) who decided to remain as an orthodox witness in the Episcopal Church following the first ordinations of women to the priesthood in Philadelphia in 1974. Other concerned churchmen, meeting in St. Louis in 1976, had decided to break with the national Church and establish churches that would continuing to maintain exclusive use of the 1928 Prayer Book and a male priesthood.
Bishop Clarence Pope took his role of leadership at home and on the national scene seriously. The chief areas of conflict for ECM within the national church were the ordination of women to the priesthood (authorized by General Convention in 1976) and the struggle to maintain biblical morality in teaching and practice. The struggle intensified with the election of Edmond Browning as Presiding Bishop in 1986, who, unlike previous the Presiding Bishop John Allin, enthusiastically supported the ordination of women as well as gay rights issues. With his strong will, eloquent voice, and depth of experience, Pope met these challenges head-on.
The Rt Rev'd Clarence C. Pope, Jr., II Bishop of Fort Worth.
The ordination of women quickly became the norm in most dioceses of the Episcopal Church. However, it was the election of the first female bishop (Barbara Harris as suffragan of Massachusetts) in 1988 that prompted action by the ECM. It was decided to convene a synod of the ECM clergy and people in Fort Worth on June 1-3, 1989. “The final crisis of the Episcopal Church is now upon us,” wrote the ECM bishops in a pastoral letter. They explained: "The purpose of this Synod will be to consider how we shall be the Church within the Episcopal Church and to adopt a detailed and unified plan for active witness in the face of the institution’s present disintegration." (14)
The meeting of the ECM in 1989 in Fort Worth begot a new organization to succeed it—the Episcopal Synod of America—with Bishop Pope as its first president. The election of a female diocesan seemed inevitable with the consecration of Bishop Harris, and did occur in 1993 when the Diocese of Vermont elected Archdeacon Mary Adelia McLeod of West Virginia as their diocesan bishop. The Synod dealt with the question of episcopal ministry for parishes that may not accept female bishops. In light of the episcopal visitor’s clause created by the 1988 General Convention, the ESA resolved to provide the ministry of alternative episcopal visitors where requested. (15)
Women Anglican bishops gathered at the 1998 Lambeth Conference.
This was, however, a provisional action. The advent of female diocesan bishops was approaching, and the movement toward the ordination of women was gaining momentum in England. While Pope was publicly trying to plug the leaks in the Episcopal Church, privately he was seeking a long-term solution. For Pope, the most promising solution lay beyond the Alps. “I was thrilled to the possibility for our communion [with Rome],” said Bishop Pope, “as the Anglican— Roman Catholic International Commission took up their work and made such wonderful progress in finding a way forward toward organic reunion between Rome and Canterbury.” (16)
The official dialogue between the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
With the Roman and Anglican Communions going in opposite directions on the question of women’s ordination, that hope was steadily diminishing. But perhaps it still would be possible on a smaller scale. Was there a place for whole Anglican dioceses and associated parishes to find a home in the Roman Catholic Church? Bernard Cardinal Law of Boston, head of the Anglican Use congregations under the “Pastoral Provision” of 1980, was lobbying for an extension of the program in the United States.
Bernard Cardinal Law, former Archbishop of Boston.
With the help of Cardinal Law, Bishop Pope attempted to negotiate at most a kind of personal prelature (modeled on Opus Dei) or perhaps an expanded pastoral provision similar to a uniat province (with their own liturgy and bishops, under Canon 372, §2) with the Holy See. Cardinal Hume of Westminster was also lobbying for a similar arrangement in England. Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, was very supportive. In 1990, Bishop Clarence Pope met with Pope John Paul II, who embraced the Anglican bishop and gestured toward him, saying “in communion.” (17)
Prospects could not have appeared better, yet when Bishop Pope returned to Texas, nothing happened. Action on the plan had been stalled by Roman Catholic bishops in England. They did not want to receive a large faction of English Catholics opposed to the ordination of women and loyal to the pope. They produced a counter-proposal stating that Anglicans could convert as groups, but would then be absorbed into mainstream parish life. They could not maintain an Anglican identity as several parishes in the US had done under the pastoral provision.
This development essentially took away the Roman option for English Anglo-Catholics. With the succession of George Carey in the see of Canterbury 1991 and the approval of female priests in England in 1992, there were some conversions to Rome, but on a smaller scale and only as individuals. Back in America, what was once a communion-wide possibility and eventually only a diocesan possibility, was now merely a personal possibility. Many traditional Anglicans felt that the dawn of female priests in England left them no choice. In 1991, the parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Arlington voted to leave the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth for communion with Rome. On the other side of Fort Worth, the Church of the Holy Apostles decided that they could no longer remain in the Episcopal Church either. They changed their affiliation to the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 1992.
Bishop Pope, in ailing health and despondent over the long wait for a corporate reunion with Rome which was never to come, announced on 25 October 1994 that he would convert to Roman Catholicism upon his retirement at the end of the year. Bishop Pope cited the 1992 act of synod to ordain women as priests in the Church of England as the final impetus in his decision. “It was then,” said Pope, “that I became very aware that the pilgrimage I had longed to take corporately would now have to be taken alone.” While most of the leaders in the diocese sympathized with the bishop, others left behind in the Episcopal Church felt abandoned. His fellow ESA bishop, William Sheridan, remarked, “It’s a terrible self-centeredness.” (18)
Clarence Pope and his wife Martha were received into the Roman Catholic Church by Cardinal Law in a special ceremony at the former Episcopal parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Arlington. However, Pope’s plight was not over. The Popes retired to their former home of Baton Rouge in Louisiana. Clarence Pope presented himself to the local bishop for priestly ordination under the terms of the pastoral provision. Pope felt that a continuation of his ministry would allow him to serve out his calling in a new home. The Catholic bishop of Baton Rouge announced that he would be happy to ordain Pope as a priest . . . pending the approval of his diocesan priests’ council (which finally returned a negative vote).
Pope was isolated from the Catholic community in Baton Rouge and he started getting calls from his successor in Fort Worth, Bishop Jack Iker, and from Episcopal Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning to withdraw his resignation from the House of Bishops and return to the Anglican fold. Less than a year after their conversion, the Popes returned to the Episcopal Church. Pope confessed that he tended to idealize the Roman Catholic Church and found the reality somewhat different. He also noted increasing discomfort with the idea of absolute (re)ordination and a sense of guilt that he had abandoned traditionalists in the Episcopal Church. (19)
4. A Difficult Transition
Bishop Pope’s leadership—which tended to be perceived as equating national leadership in the ESA with leadership back in the Diocese of Fort Worth—was not without opposition at home. Some contested Pope’s conservative views; others agreed with them, but did not want to be drawn into a political struggle. All Saints’ Cathedral in Fort Worth (a generally conservative parish) was seen as being used to promote Pope’s agenda with which most parishioners agreed. However, the dean, the Very Rev’d William D. Nix, Jr. and members of the Vestry complained about being tied to the ESA’s national political struggle. A period of conflict between All Saints’ and the diocesan office led to the parish choosing to end its status as the pro-cathedral of the new diocese.
All Saints' Cathedral in Fort Worth.
Others were hoping to move the Diocese of Fort Worth more in line with the policies of the national church. In order to obtain episcopal assistance and forestall the possible election of a liberal successor, Pope called for the election of a coadjutor in 1992 without announcing his retirement. The ordination of women was a contentious issue throughout the election process. The nomination committee put forth four candidates—Fr. Jack Iker of the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, Florida; Fr. Keith Ackerman of St. Mark’s in Arlington, Texas; Dean Richard Hatfield of Christ Cathedral in Salina, Kansas; and Fr. Dwight Duncan of St. Matthias in Dallas. All four candidates indicated that they would neither ordain women as priests, nor license them to minister in the diocese.
The Rt Rev'd Jack Leo Iker, III Bishop of Fort Worth.
A group of liberal opposition called the Council of Laity nominated Fr. John Payne of All Saints’ Church in Wichita Falls, Texas from the floor of the convention, held in October of 1992. Although originally a member of the ESA, Payne had grown to favor the ordination of women. The Rev’d Jack Iker won decisively on the sixth ballot, but the opposition party refused to join the customary unanimous resolution vote out of protest over his opposition to the ordination of women. (20)
St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, the site of the consecration.
The Council of Laity continued their protest by a campaign to thwart the process of consent from other diocesan standing committees and bishops. Within a short time of the election, a significant number of refusals came in from standing committees across the Episcopal Church. Bishop Pope called Iker at the time and advised him to not resign from his parish nor come to look for a house in Fort Worth just yet. A very slim margin of standing committee consents was finally obtained on 26 January 1993, after a push by Bishops Benitez, Bowman, and Kelshaw who insisted that the Church honor its commitments to tolerance on the women’s ordination issue. (21) Iker was finally consecrated as a bishop on 24 April 1993 at St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth amid picketers outside, and six formal protests inside. (22)
5. A Renewed Focus on Mission
Upon the retirement of Clarence Pope in 1995, Jack Leo Iker became the third Bishop of Fort Worth. Bishop Iker’s pontificate has been marked by growing unity and revitalization on the diocesan level. Since his election, Iker has explicitly attempted to build bridges with both those who supported and opposed him. “I recognize and respect your position and rightful place in the church,” he told convention delegates. “I make the commitment to love you and work with you wherever you happen to be on the theological spectrum. I simply ask you to do the same.” While he has remained active in the ESA (now Forward in Faith, North America), Iker has not taken on leadership of the organization as did Bishop Pope.
Bishop Iker has also been vocal about his commitment to stay in the Episcopal Church. One of his first actions was to designate St. Vincent’s Church in Bedford—a young, vibrant congregation—as the pro-Cathedral for the duration of his episcopate. Like Bishop Terwilliger, the late suffragan of Dallas, Iker has decided not to confront the Episcopal Church by threatening to leave, but by threatening to stay.
The Chrism Mass at St Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford, TX.
As coadjuctor, Bishop Iker presided over the last diocesan convention (October 1994) before Bishop Pope’s retirement. The executive director of the ESA, Fr. Samuel Edwards, proposed resolutions that would have repealed Article 1 of the diocesan constitution, and enabled parishes to secede with their property, and would have removed from parishes the option of sending money to the national church. “We need to begin disengaging from a morally corrupt national organizational structure,” said Fr. Edwards. Edwards argued that the action would not exactly be leaving the Episcopal Church, but only disengaging from it’s national control.
But Bishop Iker countered from the chair that passage of the resolution would in fact mean the diocese would be seceding from the Episcopal Church, and urged others to vote against the resolutions. Although national issues may be troubling, Iker noted, leaving is not the way to address the problem. The resolutions were rejected.
Similarly, when Bishop Pope announced his decision to leave the Episcopal Church, Bishop Iker quickly put out a pastoral letter in which he expressed sympathy with Pope’s concerns, but also stated: "It should be stressed that this is a personal decision of Bishop Pope’s and indicates no change of direction for the Diocese of Fort Worth. This is a time for us all to pull closer together as a diocese and to move forward with the work God has given us to do with gladness and singleness of heart. I still believe we have an important role to play within the Episcopal Church, and by God’s grace, I intend to lead us in this vocation with courage and enthusiasm."
Despite conflict with the national church, or perhaps because of it (with a growing sense of the irrelevance of national church policies), the Diocese of Fort Worth has steered away from separatist political considerations and focused more on renewal and mission at home. One of Bishop Iker’s stated goals for the diocese was a plan for emphasis upon evangelism and spiritual renewal.
This led to his first Conference on Evangelism and Renewal, held at the downtown parish of St. Andrew’s in April of 1995. The conference was called a spiritual pep rally by the bishop. It also provided important workshops for clergy and lay leaders on learning to joyfully and effectively share the gospel within and beyond their congregations. “We must be anointed by God and empowered by the Spirit to go forth and share the good news with others,” said Iker. But, he added that we must also “first be convinced ourselves that it is good news, and that it is worth sharing.”
In a further attempt to build bridges and meet needs at home in the diocese, Bishop Iker developed “The Dallas Plan” together with Bishop James Stanton of Dallas. This informal pastoral arrangement was developed to meet the needs of potential female ordinands as well as congregations on both sides of the issue of women’s ordination. The agreement supplies workable provisions for both the ordination and priestly ministry of women. At present, no congregation has called a female assistant priest or rector, but several women have been ordained to the priesthood through the Dallas Plan.
Bishop Iker at the Altar with Dallas Bishop James M. Stanton.
In spite of this agreement, the 1997 General Convention voted to amend the canons to make the ordination of women mandatory in all dioceses of the Episcopal Church. “The tragic thing,” noted Iker, “is that they are seeking to require something that the Scriptures do not require.” It was also the Anglican principle of not requiring things not found in holy Scripture which led to a diocesan constitutional amendment, qualifying the moral teaching authority of General Convention.
Because of the impending approval of same-sex blessings by the national church, the 1997 diocesan convention of Fort Worth changed the wording of the diocesan constitution to indicate that it recognizes the authority of the national Constitution and Canons and the General Convention, “provided that no action of General Convention which is contrary to Holy Scripture and the Apostolic Teaching of the Church shall be of any force or effect” in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.
Although the constitutional change does not weaken the tension with the national church, it does allow the diocese to remain in the Episcopal Church while in good conscience remaining loyal to Anglican tradition. The Bishop also cautioned against reading too much into the change. “I want to say again that I am not leading a secret movement out of the Episcopal Church,” Iker stated to the delegates. “I am working to carve out a place to stand. I will do whatever it takes to defend this diocese from revisionism, heresy, and factionalism.”
Indeed, Bishop Iker has called Fort Worth anew to its purpose since the beginning of the Church crossed into Texas—being a missionary Church. Following the bishop’s request in September 2001, the Executive Council adopted as the mission statement for Fort Worth: “To equip the Saints for the work of ministry” (Eph 4:12). At the 2001 Diocesan Convention, Iker noted: "The central theme that I have turned to year after year in these convention addresses has been the same for the past nine years—mission. I have called us to become a truly missionary diocese, focused upon evangelism, outreach, and church growth."
The future of the church in Fort Worth lies in carrying on its heritage—the apostolic work of ministry, rooted in the catholic faith.
Bishop Iker on a mission trip in the companion Diocese of Northern Malawi.
Notes
1. Lawrence L. Brown, “Protestant Episcopal Church,” in the Online Texas Handbook.
2. Clause A. Beesley, The Episcopal Church in Northern Texas (Wichita Falls: privately printed, 1952), 13, 10.
3. Ibid., 20, 32.
4. C. Preston Wiles, The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas: A Centennial Narrative History (Dallas: privately printed, 1995), 9-25.
5. Ibid., 26.
6. Ibid., 46.
7. Quoted in The Living Church 185, no. 24 (12 December 1982): 7.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Reported in an article by Helen Parmley in the Dallas Morning News, cited in The Christian Challenge XXII, no. 5 (May 1983): 18.
11. Alexander C. Garrett, The Church: Its Mission and Principals of Growth (Hartford: Wiley, Waterman, & Eaton, 1876.), 25.
12. A. Donald Davies, “The Bishop’s Address to the First Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Forth Worth,” (sermon of the opening Eucharist of the Convention at Trinity Episcopal Church, Forth Worth, TX) 8 October 1983.
13. The Living Church 191, no. 25 (22 December 1985): 7.
14. A. Donald Davies, ed., The Episcopal Synod of America: Speeches, Sermons, Documents and Pictures from the Founding Meeting (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 1990), 107-110.
15. David L. Holmes, A Brief History of the Episcopal Church (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity, 1993), 169-70; and Davies, ed., Ibid., 121-122.
16. The Living Church 209, no. 20 (13 November 1994): 6.
17. For a detailed narrative of the negotiations for union with Rome, see: William Oddie, The Roman Option: Crisis and the Realignment of English-speaking Christianity. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. Available used.
18. The Living Church 209, no. 20 (13 November 1994): 6.
19. The Living Church 211, no. 11 (10 September 1995): 19.
20. The Living Church 205, no. 17 (25 October 1992): 6.
21. The Christian Challenge XXXII, no. 2 (March 1993): 16-17.
22. The Living Church 206, no. 20 (16 May 1993): 6.
23. The Living Church 205, no. 17 (25 October 1992): 6.
24. The Living Church 209, no. 18 (30 October 1994): 6.
25. The Living Church 209, no. 20 (13 November 1994): 6.
26. The Living Church 210, no. 25 (18 June 1995): 6.
27. As Bishop Iker explained, “Any woman in this Diocese who wishes to enter into the ordination process for the priesthood must first secure the endorsement of her parish priest and then arrange for an interview of the two of them with me. I then recommend her to Bishop Stanton so that she may enter into the discernment process in Dallas. If any congregation here insists on going against my wishes and must have a woman priest at their church, I am willing to relinquish my episcopal oversight of that congregation to Bishop Stanton, so that he may license and institute a woman priest there. The congregation would remain fully a part of this Diocese; the woman priest would be fully a part of the Diocese of Dallas, while serving under this special pastoral provision. The desire to continue to live and work together, in spite of differences on this issue, means that this is a good and workable plan for this Diocese” (from the Forward in Mission, a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, September 1997).
28. Jack L. Iker, “Conservatively Speaking.” Interview by Jim DeLa (Advent 2000). The Southern Cross, a publication of the Diocese of Southwest Florida; c.f., Article VI of the Articles of Religion, in The Book of Common Prayer, 868.
29. The Living Church 215, no. 23 (7 December 1997): 6.
30. Ibid., 8.
31. Jack L. Iker, “The Bishop’s Address to the Nineteenth Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Forth Worth,” (sermon of the opening Eucharist of the Convention at the Church of the Holy Apostles, Forth Worth, TX) 9 November 2001.
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