Necessary Reminders

In all seriousness, a day doesn't go by where I have don't have pangs of regrets over my decision to leave the Episcopal Church. The Anglican spiritual tradition is a rich one and never to be dismissed, nor I hope forgotten. Fortunately, however, whenever the pangs become acute, good ol' TEC reminds me why I left; that the tradition I love has long ago passed. Just yesterday there were two good reminders, provided via Christopher Johnson at MCJ, and both taken from the "Calendar of Events" on the Episcopal Church website.

First up for your inspection, "Movement as Prayer: A Workshop. An Experience. An Education." At Saint Mark's Cathedral in Seattle you are invited to

Join us on October 13 for a day of learning and experiencing the ways in which movement becomes a form of worship. There will be opportunities to whirl with the Sufis, dance with liturgical dancer Betsey Beckman, to walk the labyrinth.

There will be both instruction and demonstrations; no previous experience needed. It is about turning and turning until we come around right (emphasis added).

Uh oh, that could make for a long, long day. You might want to hire a sitter and leave the kids at home...and wear comfortable shoes. Speaking of kids, next up is "Hip Hop Schoolhouse" where in the land of the bean and the cod

All are welcome at St. Paul's Cathedral in Boston, Massachusetts on October 13 at 5:30 p.m. for the HipHopEMass 'Big Bean' Celebration with the newest Hip Hop Bishop (sic), 'Great Momma' Gayle Harris.

On October 14, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., the Cathedral will then host HipHopEMass Schoolhouse where the elements of Hip Hop, theology of Hip Hop, Hip Hop liturgy and evangelization will be introduced.

Ah, the Hip Hop Mass; an old favorite of mine. This one pretty much defies belief but picture if you will a bunch of ageing baby-boomer Episcopal Clergy in vestments, shoutin' out into over-amplified hand-held mikes the likes of

The Lord is all that, I need
For nothing
He allows me to chill.
He keeps me from being heated
And allows me to breathe easy.
He guides my life so that
I can represent and give
Shouts out in his Name.
And even though I walk through
The Hood of death,
I don't back down
For you have my back.
The fact that you have me covered
Allows me to chill.
He provides me with back-up
In front of my player-haters
And I know that I am a baler
And life will be phat
I fall back in the Lord's crib
For the rest of my life

"And life will be phat." God have mercy. Anyway, that would be the 23rd Psalm, in case you were wondering and fo' shizzle my nizzle that'll get my homies into the pews, yo! And, I guess, da bling.

I feel much better now, thank you.