"On the 12th Day of Christmas ..."

Forget the "Twelve Drummers Drumming" ... here in L.A. on this 12th Day of Christmas we got "Seven Justices Concurring" that the church property in dispute in Newport Beach, North Hollywood and Long Beach belongs not to the individual Episcopalians who have left The Episcopal Church for greener doctrinal pastures but to the Diocese of Los Angeles.

One -- Justice Joyce Kennard -- concurred on the "who owns the property" issue while dissenting on the "neutral principles of law" approach of the majority, but a unanimous decision on the property question was more than I think anybody had hoped for. (And a GREAT way to end the 12 Days of Christmas and start the New Year!)

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The Diocese of Los Angeles has now issued a statement and there's a press conference happening "as we speak."

From the Diocesan Press Advisory:

In a landmark ruling that could have national implications, the California Supreme Court on January 5 upheld an earlier court decision that buildings and property do not belong to three dissident congregations but to the Diocese of Los Angeles and the general Episcopal Church.

Associate Justice Ming W. Chin, writing the opinion concurred to by all justices, said the diocese held the property and buildings in trust for individual congregations. The case involved St. James Church in Newport Beach, St. David's Church in North Hollywood, and All Saints Church in Long Beach, where a majority of members realigned themselves with the Anglican Province of Uganda after The Episcopal Church (TEC) ordained an openly gay bishop. Members of the congregation had amended their articles of incorporation and attempted to retain the property.

Chin acknowledged that while the court cannot decide church doctrinal matters, it could decide property disputes, using a "neutral principles of law" approach. In rendering its decision the court examined property deeds, local church articles of incorporation, the general church's constitution, canons and rules, and relevant statutes and concluded "that the general church, not the local church, owns the property in question.

"Although the deeds to the property have long been in the name of the local church, that church agreed from the beginning of its existence to be part of the greater church and to be bound by its governing documents," Chin wrote.

"These governing documents make clear that church property is held in trust for the general church and may be controlled by the local church only so long as that local church remains a part of the general church. When it disaffiliated from the general church, the local church did not have the right to take the church property with it."

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From the bishop's statement:

"The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is overjoyed with the conclusive opinion of the California Supreme Court.

"We have prevailed in all areas of law addressed in this case.

"We look forward to the possibility of reconciiation with these congregations, and we assure that this Diocese and the people of The Episcopal Church that we will continue mission and ministry in the areas of these congregations.

"The mission of The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles continues, as our prayer book states, 'to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.' We will continue to seek this reconciliation with fellow Christians in the communities of Long Beach, Newport Beach, and North Hollywood, as well as La Crescenta, where Episcopal church properties continue as part of the Diocese of Los Angeles in accordance with the Court's opinion announced today.

"We acknowledge that this opinion establishes a precedent. We further note the pastoral concerns at this time within The Episcopal Church, which continues in its mission of service, especially in providing food, shelter, medicine, and pastoral care to those in greatest need locally and globally, respecting the dignity of every human being."

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From "the other side":

Eric Sohlgren, of the Irvine-based Payne and Fears firm, who represented the congregations, did not return telephone calls Monday.

Stay tuned for further developments!

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LA Times story: Rebellious churches must leave assets behind
AP: CA Court sides with Episcopals over property (Someone give them a call about their headline choice, please!)
Central Valley Busniess Times: State Supreme Court deals blow to Anglicans (Ummm ... excuse me ... WE'RE the Anglicans, here, folks!)

CA SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES

You can read the whole decision here ... but if you want to "cut to the chase," here's the bottom line:

Applying the neutral principles of law approach, we conclude that the general church, not the local church, owns the property in question.

More to come ...

On the 11th Day of Christmas ...

... my true love made for me:

Giada De Laurentiis'
Panettone Bread Pudding
with Amaretto Sauce

Bread Pudding:
1 (1-pound) loaf panettone bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar

Sauce:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
2 teaspoons cornstarch

To make the bread pudding: Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes in the prepared dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to blend. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, and press the bread cubes gently to submerge. Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

To make the sauce: Bring the cream, milk, and sugar to a boil in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. In a small bowl, mix the amaretto and cornstarch to blend and then whisk into the cream mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. (The amaretto sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake until the pudding puffs and is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Spoon the bread pudding into bowls, drizzle with the warm amaretto sauce, and serve.

A Year in Review: Susan's Top Ten List for "Oh Eight"

An unobjectively personal non-scientifically selected top ten list of events in the just completed Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Eight.

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10. All Saints Church 125th Anniversary
It was great fun to spend 2008 celebrating 125 years of work and witness by All Saints Church in Pasadena. From speaking out against the deportation of Japanese-Americans to detainment camps during World War II to standing with Martin Luther King during the 1960's to being a Peace Parish during the Viet Nam war it's a deep delight to be part of a parish with the struggle for peace and justice as part of its DNA!

9. Gene & Mark's wedding
On June 7th I had the extraordinary privilege of being the preacher at the blessing of the union of Gene Robinson. Not just a privilege, it was a delight and a joy -- and Louise and I were so very blessed to enjoy a wonderful weekend in New Hampshire and some time in Boston. "Mazel tov," guys!

8. Rachel Maddow

I've been a huge Rachel Maddow fan ever since she got her Air America radio show and so was thrilled to see her getting such well deserved national attention as a smart, savvy, able political commentator. (And yes, I'm TOTALLY open to any time she needs a little faith-based-commentary on life-in-general ... or Rick Warren in particular! Call me, Rachel!)
.

7. Lambeth Conference

There are a dozen things I could write about Lambeth but the photo blog from Canterbury covers all of them. In retrospect, the moment I'm choosing is this one -- the arrival of "our" bishops at the Integrity/Changing Attitudes Eucharist. (God bless them, every one!)

6. Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton's strong, determined campaign for President of these United States was an inspiration, a source of hope and empowerment and a class act from start to finish. We love you, Hillary!

5. Losing Harvey & Birdie/Getting Juno

Having animal members of your family brings us not only the deep joy of their unconditional love but the deep sadness of vulnerability to grief at their loss. This year we lost Harvey and Birdie ... the two senior members of the Brooks-Russell family ... and welcomed Juno: still a bundle of puppy energy at now-6 months old.

Harvey
1994 - 2008

Birdie
1993 - 2008

Juno (with Luna)
Born June 2008
Arrived @ Our House August 2008

4. Marriage Equality in California

The May 15th Supreme Court decision ushering in marriage equality in California changed the entire landscape of 2008. Pastorally, it gave us the opportunity to celebrate with GREAT joy the marriages of dozens of fabulous couples at All Saints Church between June 17th and November 4th. It also provided the impetus for our bishop, +Jon Bruno, to form a Task Force on Marriage Equality which led to sweeping changes in our diocesan policies on marriage and blessings here in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Happily Ever After All Over the Place!
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3. Proposition 8

The "Bad News" part of the "Good News/Bad News" on marriage in 2008 was the narrow victory of the discriminatory ballot measure stripping a percentage of California citizens of equal protection under the constitution. Out of that election battle came new alliances, hard lessons and a deepened commitment to build the grassroots movement necessary to overcome the bigotry motivated campaign of dis-information waged by the determined opponents of marriage equality. We'll be back!

2. Mother

The sudden and most unexpected passing of my 82 year old mother -- Betty Lou Brown -- on July 24th was a deep grief and leaves a still gaping hole in our lives and in our family. I remain deeply grateful for the parenting of one who didn't just talk about "family values" but lived them. We miss you, Mom!

August 1925 - July 2008

1. "Yes, We Can!"

The election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States is still a goose-bump inspiring landmark for this nation committed to liberty and justice for all. The challenges are great, the hurdles are huge and -- like every political leader in the history of politics -- he will both disappoint and inspire. But at this very moment ... 16 days from his historic inauguration ... it is SUCH a joy to wake up every morning knowing that we are on the cusp of putting the Imperial Presidency of these last eight disastrous years behind us as we move forward with more hope than many of us have had for a VERY long time!
.
Here endeth Susan's "Top 10 List"

[Cue music:]

God of our weary years,

God of our silent tears,

Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

Thou who hast by Thy might,

Led us into the light,

Keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Ed on Oprah

So here's an opportunity to start your New Year out right ... tune into the Oprah Winfrey show next Wednesday (January 7th) and check out my rector, the Reverend J. Edwin Bacon, who's featured on the "Your Spirituality" segment of Oprah's "Best Life Series."

From the website:

YOUR SPIRITUALITY: January 7 -- Elizabeth Lesser, the Rev. Ed Bacon and Michael Bernard Beckwith explore ways to find deeper meaning in life.

And here's from the All Saints publicity blurb:

"In a world where people are searching for meaning and where religion is too often used as a weapon, this chance to share the radically inclusive love of God to such a wide audience is a huge gift,” said Susan Russell, All Saints’ Senior Associate for Communications. “We here at All Saints Church are thrilled that our purpose-driven pastor will have this national platform to preach the values of love, compassion and inclusion."

Check it out and see what you think!

Same "Stuff", Different Year

It may be a New Year but in the Church of England it's starting off with an Old Fight over ... (wait for it ...) WOMEN BISHOPS!

(Yes, Virginia, it IS two-thousand-and-nine ... go figure!) Here's an overview from Judith Maltby in the Guardian:

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Women bishops by Judith Maltby
What makes women bishops so difficult for the Church of England is not theology. It's that they're women

When I was ordained a deacon in 1992, a few months before the historic vote on women priests, I was like most people shortly to be ordained: overly anxious and overly serious. Added to that I had recently finished my doctorate on an aspect of the English Reformation. This meant, unlike most Anglican ordinands, I had actually read the 39 Articles to which one must assent before being ordained in the Church of England. I had scruples. I told my diocesan bishop that although most of the thirty-nine were fine, one or two were a real problem.

Article 37 for example, endorses capital punishment, a position I find incompatible with the Christian gospel – a fact that seems to have been overlooked (or has it?) by those who wish to impose the Articles as a touchstone of orthodoxy and morality on the whole of the Anglican Communion. I received from my bishop just the right response for the occasion: he told me that by 'assent', I was saying 'Yes bishop, those are the 39 Articles'. His pastoral, intelligent and humane response to my somewhat precious scrupling carried me through the day.

The draft legislation to consecrate women as bishops published on Mondayand the supporting documentation makes a great deal of Anglicanism's gift for holding together diverse, at times, contradictory points of conviction in a wider context of pastoral common sense. Often derided by others for this as the fudge producers extraordinaire of Christianity, we Anglicans tend to make a virtue of it and if it makes us less prone to witch-hunts and the gleeful doctrinal purges of the purity police, I'm all for it. Human beings, let alone God, are rather complicated.

Anglicans disagree about more things than I could live long enough to enumerate: how is Christ present in the Eucharist, if at all; does Baptism make people regenerate or does it anticipate later conversion; what does it actually mean to say that the Bible is the Word of God; is the death of Jesus redemptive because he took punishment which should have been ours or through his death, God shows the profundity of the divine identification and commitment to the human race; is ordination ontological or merely the authorizing an individual to perform a set of ecclesiastical functions ndash; oh and can women, as well as men, be priests and bishops? Yes we disagree about that too as well as not agreeing just what a priest or bishop actually is in the first place. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the things over which Anglicans differ.

In the midst of all this merry muddle, what we have never done as a church until the Act of Synod in 1993, is to deal with differing convictions by setting up a class of bishop to give pastoral care to one group based solely on their views on one issue. The draft legislation carries on this idea with its proposal of 'complementary' bishops to serve the minority in the church unhappy about women bishops. Not only would these bishops be men, they would have to be men untainted by sacramental association with women clergy – please understand: just being a bloke isn't good enough, the bloke must be pure. I get angry emails from time to time for describing this as a theology of taint, but I honestly can't think of a more candid description for this position.

The point is this: I have a very 'high' view of the Eucharist – if my bishop does not share this view, by the reasoning that gives us complementary bishops, I should be entitled to a bishop who agrees with me for surely Eucharistic theology is as important as disputes over ordination. But no. From disagreements over the Eucharist, the Bible, even the theological meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we Anglicans feel no need to haul in a complementary bishop.

Why is that? One is left with the sad conclusion that the draft legislation and its code of practice isn't really trying to deal with genuine theological difference – the Church of England has that in abundance – it is trying to deal with women. I don't blame the hard working members of the drafting group for this – this reflects state of the Church of England. Women are the problem, not a gift, which needs a solution.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'complementary' as 'completing and perfecting'. What, I wonder, could possibly be 'incomplete' about a woman in episcopal orders (answers on a post card, please)? Maude Royden, the first Anglican woman to preach in the Church of England in 1919, sparking enormous controversy at the time (as it still would in Sydney), once remarked ironically 'I was born a woman and I can't get over it'. The Church of England, it would appear, bereft of any irony, cannot get over it either.

Ringing in the New Year ...

... with Mimosas for Brunch and these roses picked this morning from our garden.

Working on a "that was the year that was" piece but first we're going to watch USC win the Rose Bowl -- GO TROJANS!

Meanwhile, here are some words of wisdom for the New Year from Harvey Milk, courtesy the Human Rights Campaign:

Happy New Year, All!