I was wrong. They have

I was wrong. They have not been filming “Law & Order” these past couple of days. They are filming a new movie entitle, supposedly, “The House of D,” staring Robin Williams. There are a whole heck of a lot of people roaming around. Most of the shooting seems to be taking place in Hoffman, my building, in the gym and Refectory. It seems to be set in the 1970’s – funny seeing all these people dressed up in what is now absurd (although quite retro-chic) 1970’s clothing.
So, look for the movie, and if you see it you will see General Theological Seminary!
comments? e-mail me

Law and Order is here

Law and Order is here in force this morning. I’m not sure how long or for which series, but I have never seen so many people with such an array of equipment and supplies for any of their previous shoots. It looks like they will be here for quite a while. It is fun and interesting to watch. I’m amazed at how much effort, how much equipment, and how many people it takes to produce a one hour series.
comments? e-mail me

I contributed a post to

I contributed a post to the House of Bishops/House of Delegates listserv this morning. Here it is:

To liberals, to conservatives, heck, to anyone like myself who is somewhere in between, the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians:
"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." (Eph. 4:1-6; from the readings For the Unity of the Church)
This should be so basic and should be commonly acknowledged, but despite what any of us might think or want, God is the one who determines the make up of the one body, the Church. The determination of who is in and who is out sits squarely with God, and no one else. Our church structures, our organizations, our councils, and our conventions are meaningless in the grand scheme of things - none will bend God's arm to include or exclude any one or any group. Thank God I am not God!
I came to Anglicanism because I believe in the ethos of the Anglican Way. I will remain Anglican in that sense even if there is not place for me in the structures of this denomination, whether as a gay man or as one who has strong evangelical/conservative sympathies. Regardless of whether the Anglican Communion dissolves into history, God determines whether any of us are individually members of the one Body of Christ. In humility and integrity, all I can do is love God with all my being and pray that God enables me to love my neighbor as myself. As much as my heart aches for this Church and the loss I sense coming, I know that I know that I know that nothing can separate any of us who bind unto ourselves the strong name of the Trinity from the love and grace of Christ. This isn't naivety, but hope and faith in the one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Bob Griffith
Kibitzer, Student, General Theological Seminary

I have always had a

I have always had a nagging sense that once my discernment process concluded, once I was declared a Postulant, then through my seminary education, through Candidacy, only to come to the end and be told I will not be ordained. Everyone over the last four years have told me I have nothing to worry about. My diocese is electing a new bishop in a month. Again, I was assured that the selection committee would not put forward for election someone who did not support ordination of gay people.
Okay. I still have the nagging feeling. Recently, there came a news report from the BBC. Here it is:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?T5CF16F26
Looks like BBC conducted a survey of all the Primates prior to the Lambeth meeting...
******************************
Church leaders to urge gay priests ban
16:59 - 12 October 2003
Anglican Church leaders will be sharply divided at a special meeting to discuss homosexuality this week, according to a survey.
All 38 primates from around the world are due to attend a meeting at Lambeth Palace, London, on Wednesday and Thursday to consider the controversial issue of gay priests.
There were calls recently for the US branch of the church to be excluded from the international communion after Gene Robinson was appointed as the first openly gay bishop.
In this country, Canon Jeffrey John was nominated for the post of Bishop of Reading in June, but later withdrew after controversy over his sexuality.
A BBC survey found that three-quarters of the primates would not allow homosexuals to become priests in their province.
Asian and African church leaders also plan to use the meeting, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, to push for a ban on homosexual priests throughout the Anglican communion, the poll revealed.
The BBC's World This Weekend programme contacted every primate in the communion, and received 17 responses. Only four said they would accept homosexuality among priests in their church province.
A spokesman for the Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, told the programme it was a matter of dealing with the "errant few".
"It is a departure from the teachings handed down from the fathers of faith and the Word of God in the holy scriptures," he added.
The Anglican communion has 80 million members worldwide.

I am still perplexed why there has been no counter argument from scripture against those who claim inclusionists have departed from the authority of scripture. I came to belief that homosexual relationships are not forbidden by God BECAUSE of scripture, not by denying scripture. So, why are liberals not making arguments to engage prohibitionists from scripture? I hope the accusations are not true – that liberals really have denied the authority of scripture.
The funny thing, if that is true, is that this evangelically minded person, because of scripture, is an inclusionist. I still wonder whether I will ever be ordained.
comments? e-mail me