Back in the saddle

Today is "back in the saddle" day ... back to my regularly-scheduled-life after a our month-long "Excellent European Adventure." It's a June Gloomy Tuesday morning ... quite a contrast to what looks like record head on the east coast ... and while I'm sorry to see the end of a great month off, I'm also ready for re-entry and the work ahead.

And there's plenty of it.

At All Saints Church we're bringing new colleagues on board, getting ready to launch a fabulous new website, moving ahead with our new building & capital campaign and working on refining and reorganizing our new member incorporation program while continuing the ongoing work of preaching, pastoring and turning-the-human-race-into-the-human-family that goes on all year long.

In the Diocese of Los Angeles we're living into a new era of mission and ministry with our two new bishops suffragan in general and building up the work and witness of the Diocesan Program Group on LGBT Ministry in specific.

And in national church work, the first meeting of the SCLM (Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music) task forces charged with implementing GC2009 Resolution C056 happens in L.A. this week and I am honored and delighted to be part of that important work.

Meanwhile the ongoing saga of "As the Anglican World Turns" continues to turn in the Anglican Communion. The shocking news of the tragic death of an Integrity Uganda youth worker contrasts with the ongoing dither about +Katharine's mitre , women bishops and Jeffrey John.

Diana Butler Bass said it best:

This is why people are rejecting Christianity. It isn't because some Christians chose women to lead their churches, ask questions about traditional renderings of theology and the Bible, doubt God's existence, or want their gay and lesbian friends and relatives to be part of their church communities. Canterbury, please know that western people are rejecting Christianity because--as noted in a recent survey of young Americans--Christians are "out of touch with reality."

Worldwide, Anglicans do care about any number of profound social justice issues and are working to make the world a better place in God's name. But if the Archbishop of Canterbury's staff can issue a directive about Katharine Jefferts Schori's mitre, then they have too much time on their hands. Being worried about ecclesiastical millinery while Rome burns certainly counts as being out of touch with reality.

Amen.

And now ... hi ho, hi ho -- it's off to work I go!