OCCUPIED!!
A week ago, Katharine Jefferts Schori was in town to preach at the Diocese of Missouri’s convention Eucharist. She opened with some observations on The Most Importantest Social Movement In The Whole History Of The Whole Wide World:
Well, the Occupy-ers have been thrown out of one park after another. They were evicted from Zuccotti Park near Wall Street Monday night and from Kiener Plaza here in St. Louis last weekend.
I’ve got a hundy that says that Mrs. Schori pronounced it KYE-ner Plaza rather than KEE-ner Plaza which is correct. I’ve got another hundy that says that if she did, Missouri Episcopalians will pronounce it KYE-ner Plaza from now on and will correct you if you pronouce it the way it’s supposed to be pronounced.
Oakland tired of them quite a while ago, and London hasn’t been able to make up its mind about whether or not to let them stay at St. Paul’s. Our city governments and even churches have been mightily conflicted about this movement. I am profoundly struck, however, by the parallels between the Occupy movement and Jesus’ band of homeless wanderers.
I see her point. After all, the early Church was known for taking over public forums in the Roman Empire and refusing to leave. The first Christians were fond of keeping people awake at all hours by pounding on drums for no particular reason.
The first Church had a vague, inchoate, diffuse set of goals as well as a pronounced sense of entitlement. And if your business went south because your customers didn’t want to wade through the sea of filthy, Christian humanity, it made the Church no never mind.
Then, of course, there was the wel-documented public defecation and urination which the Christians left for other people to clean up. So yeah, the parallel is an eerie one.
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’” It seems to me that most of these bands of campers have done just that. “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.” The Occupiers have shared food, cared for each other, and challenged the rest of us about justice in the size of paychecks. Now those who have been evicted are struggling with how to continue their global demonstration.
Here’s a thought. This may sound a little Tea Party-ish but the hippies could pay the requisite fees to reserve this or that public space, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WHO HAS A POINT TO GET ACROSS DOES, make their point and go home. If they felt it necessary, they could repeat the process for as long as it took. Also, they could budget for Porta-Potties.
The group at Kiener Plaza has dwindled to a small fraction of its earlier strength. One of the leaders said that without tents they no longer have access to food, medical supplies,
Translation: they have to start actually buying stuff.
or the media. Their witness has been subverted, and now Occupy is going to have to find another way to make its presence known and its message heard.
Oh sweet mother of…it’s called the Internet, Kate. Pretty much anybody can start a web site to get one’s point across. And Vague, Ambiguous, Infinitely-Malleable Deity Concept knows that the hippies will get hits since they have the added advantage of an American news media that still joyfully serves as the presidential milking machine if you know what I mean and I think you do.
We have the same challenge in the Church – both in presenting the good news we have to share, and in how best to do it. Our old settled tradition of staying put in church and waiting for others to come to us doesn’t work so well with younger generations or the unchurched. Our message remains the same as it always has, but we need new ways of telling it and showing an effective response to the hungry outside our doors.
Very nice segue. While I’m obviously a partisan, I have to think that Presiding Bishop Frank wouldn’t have handled the transition anywhere near that well.
What does Jesus tell his band of wanderers? He sends the 70 out two by two to every city where he plans to go himself. He SENDS them OUT. That’s where our word “mission” comes from. When they arrive in the mission field, they’re supposed to find some place that’s interested in hearing what they have to say, and then stay long enough to build some community and have an effective conversation. They’re supposed to start with good news of peace, and then share food, heal the sick, and tell about the coming reign of God.
Fair enough. And it’s at this point that I’m going to strongly urge you to get yourselves something enjoyable to drink. Could be bourbon, an exceptional coffee or tea, anything that you particularly enjoy. Because you are about to witness pure and unadulterated greatness. Don’t worry, I won’t resume until you get back.
“Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking. And when she passes, each one she passes goes…”
You’re back? Good. Great choice, Fuinseoig! Normally, no one associates the Irish and drinking but Ireland can pull off an exceptional whiskey.
Anyway, settle in and relax as I present for your reading pleasure the Katharine Jefferts Schori Sociopathic Thought for the Day.
We are experiencing a slow-motion version of being occupiers ousted from their camps. You’ve heard the familiar lament about buildings being albatrosses. At this convention you’re dealing with the challenge of affording health insurance for everyone who works for pay in the church. As long as we understand our primary mission as preserving buildings, maybe we ought to welcome being tossed out. The shelters in which we gather to worship are meant to be aid stations, like those tents here in Kiener Plaza. We come together here to be fed for service in the world, to share a meal and be healed and remember the great dream of God, and then go out into the city or the countryside and do the same for others. And all across this Church we’re beginning to learn new ways of gathering and of serving.
You might want to take the field in order to take that down or argue with it but trust me. Just let it go. There’s no longer any point in bringing up all the moneyTEO has spent tosteal preserve buildings which will either house Christian churches with no connection to the “Anglican tradition” or no Christian churches at all.
Well, the Occupy-ers have been thrown out of one park after another. They were evicted from Zuccotti Park near Wall Street Monday night and from Kiener Plaza here in St. Louis last weekend.
I’ve got a hundy that says that Mrs. Schori pronounced it KYE-ner Plaza rather than KEE-ner Plaza which is correct. I’ve got another hundy that says that if she did, Missouri Episcopalians will pronounce it KYE-ner Plaza from now on and will correct you if you pronouce it the way it’s supposed to be pronounced.
Oakland tired of them quite a while ago, and London hasn’t been able to make up its mind about whether or not to let them stay at St. Paul’s. Our city governments and even churches have been mightily conflicted about this movement. I am profoundly struck, however, by the parallels between the Occupy movement and Jesus’ band of homeless wanderers.
I see her point. After all, the early Church was known for taking over public forums in the Roman Empire and refusing to leave. The first Christians were fond of keeping people awake at all hours by pounding on drums for no particular reason.
The first Church had a vague, inchoate, diffuse set of goals as well as a pronounced sense of entitlement. And if your business went south because your customers didn’t want to wade through the sea of filthy, Christian humanity, it made the Church no never mind.
Then, of course, there was the wel-documented public defecation and urination which the Christians left for other people to clean up. So yeah, the parallel is an eerie one.
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’” It seems to me that most of these bands of campers have done just that. “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.” The Occupiers have shared food, cared for each other, and challenged the rest of us about justice in the size of paychecks. Now those who have been evicted are struggling with how to continue their global demonstration.
Here’s a thought. This may sound a little Tea Party-ish but the hippies could pay the requisite fees to reserve this or that public space, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WHO HAS A POINT TO GET ACROSS DOES, make their point and go home. If they felt it necessary, they could repeat the process for as long as it took. Also, they could budget for Porta-Potties.
The group at Kiener Plaza has dwindled to a small fraction of its earlier strength. One of the leaders said that without tents they no longer have access to food, medical supplies,
Translation: they have to start actually buying stuff.
or the media. Their witness has been subverted, and now Occupy is going to have to find another way to make its presence known and its message heard.
Oh sweet mother of…it’s called the Internet, Kate. Pretty much anybody can start a web site to get one’s point across. And Vague, Ambiguous, Infinitely-Malleable Deity Concept knows that the hippies will get hits since they have the added advantage of an American news media that still joyfully serves as the presidential milking machine if you know what I mean and I think you do.
We have the same challenge in the Church – both in presenting the good news we have to share, and in how best to do it. Our old settled tradition of staying put in church and waiting for others to come to us doesn’t work so well with younger generations or the unchurched. Our message remains the same as it always has, but we need new ways of telling it and showing an effective response to the hungry outside our doors.
Very nice segue. While I’m obviously a partisan, I have to think that Presiding Bishop Frank wouldn’t have handled the transition anywhere near that well.
What does Jesus tell his band of wanderers? He sends the 70 out two by two to every city where he plans to go himself. He SENDS them OUT. That’s where our word “mission” comes from. When they arrive in the mission field, they’re supposed to find some place that’s interested in hearing what they have to say, and then stay long enough to build some community and have an effective conversation. They’re supposed to start with good news of peace, and then share food, heal the sick, and tell about the coming reign of God.
Fair enough. And it’s at this point that I’m going to strongly urge you to get yourselves something enjoyable to drink. Could be bourbon, an exceptional coffee or tea, anything that you particularly enjoy. Because you are about to witness pure and unadulterated greatness. Don’t worry, I won’t resume until you get back.
“Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking. And when she passes, each one she passes goes…”
You’re back? Good. Great choice, Fuinseoig! Normally, no one associates the Irish and drinking but Ireland can pull off an exceptional whiskey.
Anyway, settle in and relax as I present for your reading pleasure the Katharine Jefferts Schori Sociopathic Thought for the Day.
We are experiencing a slow-motion version of being occupiers ousted from their camps. You’ve heard the familiar lament about buildings being albatrosses. At this convention you’re dealing with the challenge of affording health insurance for everyone who works for pay in the church. As long as we understand our primary mission as preserving buildings, maybe we ought to welcome being tossed out. The shelters in which we gather to worship are meant to be aid stations, like those tents here in Kiener Plaza. We come together here to be fed for service in the world, to share a meal and be healed and remember the great dream of God, and then go out into the city or the countryside and do the same for others. And all across this Church we’re beginning to learn new ways of gathering and of serving.
You might want to take the field in order to take that down or argue with it but trust me. Just let it go. There’s no longer any point in bringing up all the moneyTEO has spent to
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