Notes from faraway places

New Miss Iris weblog to debut in November

2008-10-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

The newly re-vamped Miss Iris weblog starts on Nov. 1, 2008 with a very different format. Stay tuned.

Avatar and incarnation

2008-10-12T15:14:00.001-07:00

In response to Miss Georgina McCobb (http://www.mother-god.com/mother-god-blog.html#Our-Lady---Incarnate-avatar-or-Eternal-Savior?): I recommend the book, Avatar and Incarnation, by Edward G. Parrinder (Oxford University Press, 1970).

A Collyridian eucharist liturgy is here.

2008-10-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that the latest (and more complete) revision of a Collyridian eucharist liturgy is now released on the Commission for Liturgy and Worship website. This liturgy is also rewritten in a contemporary North American English language.

http://collyridianliturgies.wikispaces.com/Holy+Eucharist+A

Rosales pipe organ at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Oregon)

2008-08-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.trinity-episcopal.org/sections/Music/Organ.htm

This organ, one of the best in North America, is played weekly in the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist service.

Come down, O Love Divine

2008-08-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Come down, O love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardour glowing.
O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn, till earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Let holy charity mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till she become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes Her dwelling.

#516 in the Hymnal 1982

Words: Bianco da Siena, d. 1434;trans. Richard Frederick Littledale, Jr., 1867
Music: Down Ampney, North Petherton
Meter: 66 11 D

A bottomless well of love springing up in our own hearts

2008-08-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Most Rev. ++Rowan D. Williams at the Lambeth Conference on the feast of St. Gregory of Nyssa.

Memorare, more

2008-08-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

Memorare

2008-08-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Soloist: Racquel Mansukhani; pianist: Alejandro Consolacion; conductor: Jonathan Ayson

Sung here in English:

Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to Thy protection,
implored Thy help or sought Thy intercession,
was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto Thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother;
to Thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in Thy clemency, hear and answer me.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in Thy clemency, hear and answer me.

New York Philharmonic plays Arirang

2008-08-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Beautiful. Arirang is perhaps one of the most famous Korean folk songs. Aside from the national anthems, it may be said that Arirang is the de facto quasi-anthem of the Korean peninsula.

Of course, the NYP played the Joseon Minju-juui Inmin Gonghwaguk Aegugga (i.e. the North Korean national anthem) as they were performing in Pyongyang...

...and perhaps one of the rarest occasions in which the Star-Spangled Banner was performed on the DPRK soil!

"What do you think of Jesus?"

2008-08-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

It almost seems like forever since I was able to believe in something without a trace of cynicism. Yes, at one point in life I was literally naive and gullible: I desired for an ability to believe, and did believe in one thing or another singlemindedly. This meant I was also persuaded by a number of scams, pyramid schemes, network marketing schemes, conspiracy theories and urban legends.

Over the past 10 years I have gone through much to "grow out" of that.

I spent two and a half years in bible colleges -- evangelical types -- and the more I studied what I once believed as an academic subject with an objective scholarship, the less I was able to believe anything that I once did.

Then I went through many years of hardship -- soul-killing, spirit-wrecking hardship -- I went from being a spoiled brat of a wealthy (but not aristocratic; just nouveau riche) family to a street-bum living behind a dumpster in a matter of four years. I have experienced first hand what the privilege meant, and what the oppression and injustice meant.

Then I rose up from the ashes, I felt God's calling to bring healing to the marginalized and oppressed. Yes, I was idealistic. Soon I realized that churches can be some of the ugliest, least civilized and craziest places on earth.

I think through all this, I have learned -- or perhaps, been conditioned -- to survive. The other day I realized how poverty mentality became such a "stronghold" (a Pentecostal jargon here) in my life. I stopped dreaming big, and I was no longer able to aspire to the greatness.

Saturday night there was this outdoor concert at the Pioneer Courthouse Square--I just walked by and I heard this music coming from the square.

A beautiful blonde girl (who is she anyway) asks me out of the blue: What do you think of Jesus?

Well, what does she expect me to say. I know exactly what to say and pretty much know (like those masters of test-taking) what the expected answer was. But do I really follow that line of argument, and if not, would I be a bit dishonest?

I don't know. I frankly do not know. What. To. Say.

If I say one thing, that may please her, but will offend someone else. If I say something else, that would please someone else, but will alienate someone else.

Perhaps this is at the heart of the problem. After having spent years in a number of denominations, trying to work with them to achieve my vision while still being part of a collaborative community, I learned the hard way that I have to often just shut up and let others believe whatever they do--in effect, leaving such matters up to each individual.

To make matters more complicated, what is up in my brain may not be the same as what is in my heart, and as what is experienced. The Rev. John+ Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, used his quadrilateral of revelation, reason, experience and tradition to explain the ways he learns about God. It is a relative recent phenomenon especially in the American evangelical Protestantism (and the mainline liberal Protestantism, two sides of the same coin) that focuses solely on reason (the former on a "rational" hermeneutics of the Bible, the latter on the "rationalist" theological understanding based on the higher biblical criticism and Darwinism).

As much of a complex personality that I have, it is difficult to elaborate on what I believe.

I tend to believe in Christ in a manner similar to the christology of C. S. Lewis and Frithjof Schuon*, both writers with deep roots in traditional education. At the very least, I think it is a big loss to the cause of Christianity that we demythologized the Scriptures and degraded the Bible to the level of a scientific or historical non-fiction book. The Church has not always saw the Bible in a way that today's evangelical Protestant apologists do. To the traditional churches, whether there was a Jewish man by the name of Yeshua ben [or bar, in Aramaic] Yosef of Nazareth existed as a historic person in a historic event was a less of the concern. To them, the story of the eternal truth embedded in the Gospel narratives (and the values, ethics, philosophy and cosmology they conveyed) was much more important, and formed the centre of the Church's teachings.

If you look at the old Christian art, very little to no care was taken to make the paintings and the icons of Christ, the holy family, and the biblical saints look "authentic" in terms of geographical and historical contexts. Many medieval European paintings illustrated the Gospels with pictures of a typical German or French village with a white, West European Jesus. Likewise, in many parts of Africa today, Christian artists depict the scenes from the Bible as though they all took place in Africa--complete with a black Jesus in a traditional African garb.

I do not think that God had just chosen the Israelites and gave them the messiah while neglecting people of other nations--and other time periods. If such is the case, people who lived before the Common Era would be by default burning in hell (according to the evangelical belief system) and so would be southern Africans, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans who were far from any Christian presence until the 19th century.

On the contrary, in every land, in every language, in every culture, and in every time, the Holy One has revealed about God, about the truth, about the redemption, and so on, in the manners and language consistent with the audience. It is time that the Christian community once again returned to the understanding of the tradition and recognized that. In early history of European colonism, Christian missionaries were hell bent on destroying indigenous cultures, on forcing the natives to speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Dutch, and adopt the European (Western) Christianity complete with its cultural trappings. Now even the conservative evangelicals know that it would not work. The Native American Christians use the culture and language of the indigenous America in their worship of the Great Spirit, while the Maori people pray to Te Atua (n.b. Te Atua was feminine until about five centuries ago) using the New Zealand Prayer Book, and liturgical churches in India celebrate the holy eucharist as a traditional puja.

This having said, I take Christianity seriously. As I age from adolescence (when being a certain kind of Christian was being cool) to mid-30s I have come to appreciate many expressions of the faith, developed more appreciation for traditional liturgies, and found home in the beauty and breadth of Anglicanism for the most part. In fact, not very many years ago I could not sit through 15 minutes of a low-liturgical (that is, a mainline Reformed Protestant service, which is hardly liturgical or sacramental) service. Now, while I am a great fan of Hillsong and likes still, I would probably find a typical mega-church/charismatic/evangelical service less than satisfying (it feels more like a rock concert to me, actually).

All this perhaps also reflects the recent trend in emergent church movement. In this regard, perhaps I am as much a product of the contemporary Christianity as a traditionalist-yet-broad-church Anglican.

--
* See also http://www.cutsinger.net/pdf/mystery.pdf

Offline for a while

2008-07-31T12:03:00.001-07:00

I will be mostly offline for the next two to three weeks while dealing with some problems in the home front and straightening out the financial affairs in order. Please expect up to three days of delay if you need to contact me during this period. I will not be available on the phone until further notice, although you may leave a voicemail message at any time.

A virtual Collyridian church

2008-07-28T15:18:00.001-07:00

St. Lydia's Mission is being inaugurated on Sunday, August 3, to respond to the growing interest in the Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church. The mission, functioning as an all-virtual, all-ladies proto-parish, will allow those who have been unable to become part of the CBEC community (the canons of the CBEC allows only bishops and abbots/abbesses as its members; non-clergy persons had to join a parish or a mission).

While St. Lydia's is open to ladies only at the moment, there is a general-audience discussion list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/philomarianites, which may or may not eventually turn into another virtual congregation. The Philomarianites list is run by Markus Moessner, a candidate for transitional diaconate in the Episcopate of St. Brigid.

Rise of an empire: Aristasian edition

2008-07-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

Rising from the ashes, Aristasia.net is back!

Fall of an empire: Aristasian edition

2008-07-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

...well, not really. Some readers however must have noticed that both aristasia.net and aristasia.co.uk domains have been blocked by SupaHosts pending renewal. In fact all pages other than the main pages are accessible as usual at least for now. But if you fear that this treasure box of materials may be lost, go there quickly and copy pages for your record (http://www.furl.net ).

Rationalism's true nature

2008-07-22T13:51:00.001-07:00

This article appeared earlier this month in the Aristasian Treasure Trove.
http://aristasia.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/irrational-rationalism/

"It is important to understand that rationalism is not itself rational. Rationalism cannot be derived from the reason. It is an arbitrary dogma. And yet it is upon this dogma that the outlook of the post 17th-century Western world has based itself...That is precisely what the doctrine of rationalism consists of: the illogical and arrogant denial that anything exists outside the material world of the five senses. Has she any rational reason for denying what all tradition tells her to be true? She has not. She merely repeats: 'I have not seen it, so it does not exist.' That is why rationalism is inherently irrational: and, frankly, naughty. A world based on the rationalist denial of higher Reality is like a group of naughty children who have got together to deny what all the grown ups tell them because they have not seen it for themselves and cannot bear that anyone should know better than them."

Unauthorized scriptures?

2008-07-20T06:58:00.001-07:00

Apparently there were no less than a few complaints about the Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church's making available the Creation-Daughter Mythos online. They came from two different sources with their texts being identical. No "censorship" or any form of textual criticism has been made, so odd words such as goddess and genia are kept therein. They are thought to have been compiled by the Lux Madriana sect in the 1970s England or Ireland. Readers may see parallels to Genesis and the Gospels.

Collyridian eucharist for the devotees of the Queen of Heaven

2008-07-19T20:02:00.001-07:00

Some may wonder how we place such an importance upon the celebration of the holy eucharist, perhaps thinking that we are some bizarre forms of "Christ-free Christianity." The prototypal eucharist obviously predated the appearance of Jesus Christ (note Melchizedek). Likewise, a feminine version of the myth behind is also told in the seventh chapter of the Mythos of the Divine Maid (available for download at http://www.collyridian.info.ms/ ).

An alternate form of the Liturgies of the Hours

2008-07-18T16:53:00.001-07:00

http://www.mother-god.com/canonical-hours.html

Two new paintings

2008-07-18T16:35:00.001-07:00

These and three other (will be uploaded soon) paintings were done in a period of under 18 hours while I was in the woods near Mt. Hood in Clackamas County, Oregon.

Water, Fire and Wind: http://lov.li/products/838885

St. Brigid of Kildare: http://lov.li/products/838886

Forever and a day

2008-07-17T19:52:00.001-07:00

This is one of those songs that belong to the category of contemporary (1990s style) "praise and worship." There are a handful of songs that would be appropriate for an Anglican-Collyridian "contemporary" worship services and this is probably one of them that can be used without modification: http://www.lyricsdownload.com/hillsong-united-forever-and-a-day-lyrics.html

Syrian Orthodox and feminine pneumatology

2008-07-17T13:32:00.001-07:00

In my graduate Semitics program at UCLA, one of the languages I had to study was Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic written with rounded letters reminiscent of modern Arabic. Syriac was the language of people living in northern Mesopotamia, from at least 300 BC until the time Arabic became dominant in the region, around 1000 AD. Most of the Syriac documents available today were produced by a Monophysite branch of Christianity, today known as the Syrian Orthodox Church (monophysitism is the belief that Christ had but one nature). One striking puzzlement of the texts, at least to me, was the constant reference to the Holy Spirit as "she". I was aware, of course, that in Aramaic (and hence in the dialect known as Syriac) the natural gender of the word "spirit" was feminine; however, I was surprised to discover that this accident of grammar had resulted in a whole theology constructed around the femininity of the third person of the Godhead.
An example of Syriac theology is found in the apocryphal Acts of Thomas; it is usually assumed that this particular work was influenced by speculative gnostic Judaism because it contains the notion, that associated with God was a wisdom, or creative power - a spirit - which was feminine. In an invocation accompanying baptism, Thomas calls for the Holy Spirit:
Come, holy name of Christ that is above every name;

Come, power of the Most High and perfect compassion;

Come, thou highest gift;

Come, compassionate mother;

Come, fellowship of the male;

Come, thou (f.) that dost reveal the hidden mysteries;

Come, mother of seven houses, that thy rest may be in the eighth house.

(Acts of Thomas 2:27)

Come, silence that dost reveal the great deeds of the whole greatness;

Come thou that dost show forth the hidden things

And make the ineffable manifest;

Holy Dove that bearest the twin young;

Come, hidden Mother;

Come, thou that art manifest in thy deeds

and dost furnish joy and rest for all that are joined with thee;

Come and partake with us in this Eucharist

Which we celebrate in thy name,

and in the love-feast in which we are gathered together at thy call.

(Acts of Thomas 5:50)

After reading such materials I decided that Syrian Orthodox Christianity was somewhat heretical (though perhaps only through an accident of grammar), and so I wanted nothing to do with Syriac literature. I would find something else on which to do my dissertation...

-- http://www.theology.edu/theology/pneumato.htm

In the Aristasian Catechism:

10. What are the three Forms of Dea?
Our Celestial Mother, Her Divine Daughter and the Dark Mother who is Absolute Deity.

17. Who is the Dark Mother?
She is Absolute Deity, Who existed before the beginning of existence and is beyond being and unbeing.

18. What is Her Nature?
She is outside space and time; She is all that is and all that is not.
19. What are Her Acts?
The exhalation of Her breath or Spirit is our Mother, the Creator of the world. Of Her other Acts, our minds cannot conceive.

Collyridian pneumatology

2008-07-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

In response to the trial Liturgies of the Hours recently published, Mother-God.com today posted a response.

It seems to us that they may be broadly accepted on the same basis as the "translation" of the Catholic Rosary prayers. A few phrases, however, may give us pause. Blessed Mother, Divine Daughter and Holy Spirit Is not quite how the Trinity is defined in The Filianic Creed. Can Absolute Deity, the Dark Mother, be called the Holy Spirit? It is often said that all we can know of the Dark Mother is that She outbreathes the universe at the beginning of time and breathes it back into Herself at time's end. Since in many languages the word for breath and Spirit is the same (L. Spiritus, Skt. Atma, Heb. Ruach,Gk. Pneuma etc.) there would seem to be a certain case for this assimilation. The phrase: O Mother of the Word Incarnate also raises some questions. Can the Daughter be referred to as "the Word Incarnate"? And even if so, does not this expression derive from the Christian "reduction" of Our Divine Mother to the mere "carrier" of God? We would say that the doctrinal danger of such a phrase was at least as great as that of "the Great Self that is Thee". For Filianic use, therefore, we should suggest a few adjustments, but we should certainly recommend these Liturgies to the attention of all who are interested in the "Catholic" Western approach to the worship of Our Mother God.

I have also addressed the importance of pneumatological emphasis in a Collyridian theology in the pastoral letter, "Uniting convergent people under Our Lady."

We are also Trinitarian in theological formation. This means we are monotheist (and importantly we do believe that the Mother God created us, not the other way around) who worships a deity that manifests herself eternally in three eternally-existing and co-equal persons. As with the ancient Judeo-Christian feminine spiritual traditions as well as with the modern Aristasians and Madrians, we hold a very strong emphasis on what is known in Christianity as the Holy Spirit. At CBEC she is not merely the “third person” of the Trinity that almost appears in Christian literature as an afterthought that follows Christ as a “fill-in” survival gear between the first and second comings; rather, she is the “Beginning and the End; the First Principle and the Final Cause; the unoriginated Origin of being.” (The Filianic Creed.)

Finally, we are an experiential spiritual community. As Frithjof Schuon succinctly summarized, we believe that Our Lady became a Maid (“incarnation”) so that the Maid may come to her (“redemption”). As a church we are an incarnated body of the Eternal Daughter, the Princess of the Universe, and accordingly our sacraments and ministries are practices and manifestations of this incarnational principle. We thus place an importance in the spiritual experience mediated to us in sacraments and in church life, instead of merely debating and discussing theology, philosophy or doctrines.

This point may appear on the surface as though it is where we have a major disagreement with the religious Aristasians, who tend to follow an approach much similar to that of Hinduism. Yet, beyond the surface differences in semantics, I am confident that any difference there may be is minimal, and mostly aesthetic to maintain the liturgical language of traditional Anglicanism and Catholicism.

I am opening up this thread for discussion in the CBEC/SALT forum. Your participation is encouraged.

Uniting convergent people under Our Lady

2008-07-16T15:34:00.001-07:00

This is the very first pastoral letter I sent out officially today. I discuss the matter of unity and diversity, creating an environment that is welcoming to all. I welcome follow up discussions in the forum.

http://thecbec.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/uniting-convergent-people-under-our-lady/

a biscuit kitty

2008-07-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

A Collyridian liturgy of the hours

2008-07-11T15:58:00.001-07:00

The liturgy of the hours, long part of the monastic tradition of the church that left a great influence on Anglican spirituality, is now being readapted to a Collyridian use.

A trial version is here: http://stanneslts.wikispaces.com/Praying+the+Hours

Collyridians and Aristasian Filianists

2008-07-08T21:22:00.001-07:00

http://besplendid.blogspot.com/2008/07/collyridians-and-aristasian-filianists.html

Generous to oneself

2008-07-03T17:18:00.001-07:00

The Golden Rule commands us to love our neighbours as ourselves; then it follows that one must be generous to oneself if she were to be a generous giver. It seems selfish, until one sees the big difference between a self-respect and an ego. Indeed, one's degree of self-respect is inversely proportional to that of her ego.

Elizabeth 10th anniversary

2008-07-02T14:47:00.001-07:00

God according to The Shack

2008-07-02T14:38:00.001-07:00

The latest hit in Christian fiction novel industry is also a target of theological controversy. Author William P. Young, of Gresham, Oregon, recently published a novel entitled The Shack.

In this book, the triune God is depicted as a black lady reminiscent of Oprah Winfrey named Elousia (later in the book she shapeshifts into a mountain-climbing old, bearded white man, but of course none of the critics read the book that far!), a Chinese or Tibetan lady named Sarayu, and a working-class Jewish man. Soon condemnations of heresy and blasphemy, predictably, erupted from among evangelical Protestants, even as many evangelicals such as Eugene Peterson openly praise the book as today's Pilgrim's Progress.

Of course this is a fiction and the author uses the fictitious story as a metaphor.

But from a Collyridian or Philomarianite point-of-view, this book also presents an interesting insight on the feminine nature of God. To demonstrate this, I found it very convenient to use an essay written by a Christian fundamentalist criticizing this work:

Writer "Watcher on the Wall" (WOTW) writes: "The icon shows the tenderness between Our Lord and His Mother, emphasizing the humanity of the Son of God. If you look up Elousia or Elousea she is always the Virgin Mary,in the form of the Black Madonna, not God The Father. This particular Elousia "The Black Madonna, came from the middle East and is the same Character as The goddess Kali/Surga/Durga."

Lady Mary as the original form of the "Papa" is certainly striking here. Even more interesting to both Collyridians and Aristasians is that this is the "Dark (Obscure) Mother", who is the Lady without forms, that predates any material manifestation!

Then WOTW continues his attack on Mr. Young by mentioning that the Romas ("Gypsies") venerate St. Sarah: "The most intriguing image, however, is in Les Saintes Maries de la Mere church in France. Here the Black Madonna is venerated as the patron saint of the Gypsies...they congregate and pay homage to the image they call, Kali Sara. (Whether this is Kali as Durga, Kali as in black or both is unclear.)" Again, St. Sarah is an avatara of the "Black Madonna."

In The Shack, Sarayu is the "Holy Spirit" persona of God. What WOTW did not mention, however, is that the word Sarayu in Sanskrit means "to flow." The Greek word for the same is rheo, as used in the Gospel of St. John describing the Holy Spirit as a flowing living water, and is the etymological root from which the name of Greek "Goddess" Rhea derives.

Rhea is often equated as Cybele, who is the Magna Mater figure of the Greco-Roman mythology. In prior to the patriachalization of the Greco-Roman world, she was very likely to be the Mother God.

All this, though coming from a work of fiction, indeed raises an interesting discussion.

* I do recommend this essay by WOTW, even though he is trying to attack the author of The Shack all what he writes really brings readers' attention to the survival of the original Mother God through the history of patriarchal Christianity. http://www.squidoo.com/ShackHeresy

* On this topic, please see also:

Is the universe made of music? Check this out...

2008-06-29T12:06:00.001-07:00

The prayer of the heart

2008-06-27T22:50:00.001-07:00

A correspondent from Germany has recently posted this lovely inspiring story from the Russian Orthodox tradition: http://shorl.com/stefytegranilo [this is from the Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church web forum, http://saltsmmc.netfreehost.com ]

Beyond this weblog

2008-06-26T22:18:00.001-07:00

I normally try to avoid cross-posting same items on different places unless they are important matters. This one is my personal weblog covering many topics. You may also be interested in these:

A rare find in today's publishing world

2008-06-26T22:07:00.001-07:00

I came across this book published this year from Lyons Press. It is entitled, "How to live like a lady: lessons in life, manner and style." Miss Sarah Tomczak in this book offers a wealth of good, pre-1965 instructions with adaptations to contemporary realities (such as using field telephones). In addition the book features many Aristasian-like arts between chapters. ISBN 9781 5992 1352 1.

More on the Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church

2008-06-22T16:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.collyridian.info.ms

Please also see the recent coverage in The Chapel Chronicles -- as always I am very thankful for their service to proclaim the rare truth!

CBEC = The Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church

2008-06-20T17:43:00.001-07:00

Introducing the Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church!

Our name tells the story of converging streams of traditions, our history and our vision.

* Collyridian: The Collyridian church developed around the fourth-fifth centuries C.E. in what would be now Turkey and Syria. The Collyridians, as they were derisively called by the polemicists, believed that Mary was the original representation of the Eternal, Divine Creator. They were later subsumed into the wider Catholic church upon the conclusion of the Council of Ephesus (432). The worship of Mary survived in the Catholicism, however, in a modified form until the Second Vatican Council.
* Britannic: The word Britannic was added to prevent our acronym from otherwise becoming confused with that of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (CEC). Like "Episcopal" it strongly implies the Anglican heritage of our liturgical structure; it also honours our origin three years ago as a mission within the Celtic Anabaptist Church -- the word "Britannic" encompasses both Anglo-Saxon and Celtic cultures of the British Isles.
* Episcopal: We are a sacramental, liturgical community rooted in the tradition of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church united in and governed through the three holy orders (that is, episcopal form of church polity, rather than reformist presbyterianism or congregationalism). Both our Anglican liturgical rites and Old Catholic history are implied and described in the word "Episcopal." Often the word "Episcopal" also implies a strong Anglican kinship, as such is the case with the Methodists (originally the Methodist Episcopal Church) or the Scottish, Spanish and American Episcopalians.

[To state the obvious for those who do not get it: The Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church is the full name of this church movement and community, just like the Charismatic Episcopal Church or the old Methodist Episcopal Church. We are not a "Collyridian Britannic" parish of an American Anglican jurisdiction called The Episcopal Church (TEC).]

A couple of weeks ago I [Sarah] spent three days in the forest near Mount Hood, in Clackamas County, Oregon -- I took a walk around 1 in the morning in a near-total darkness -- and had some mystical experiences there. I've been spending a lot of time in prayer since, seeking wisdom and directions.

I feel that for the benefit of everyone concerned -- and to honor both the history and the visions of this specific ministry that (though it may not be "popular" or "in high demand") fills a critical spiritual gap in the grand scheme of things -- this growing community needs a kind of identity that both clearly communicates what we are about and at the same time succinctly tells of our history. The name "Collyridian Episcopal Church" came to mind rather strongly, out of nowhere. Later having found out that that acronym CEC is already in use by the International Community of Charismatic Episcopal Church, I went back into prayer for another letter to avoid possible confusion. Thus comes CBEC: The Collyridian Britannic Episcopal Church.

For long I have resisted the idea of "starting" a yet-another-independent-jurisdiction in the sea of overproliferating denominations in the world of the so-called independent sacramental movement. I have never been interested in building a national or worldwide ecclesiastical empire. In the past I rejected a potentially powerful position of becoming a bishop auxiliary for a certain presiding archbishop for that very reason. Honestly speaking it is hard enough for me to deal with the local concerns and get a small group in town off the ground. I've spent the last three years rather unsuccessfully, with much frustration, in this matter.

Yet, part of the problem also resides in that we have been rather unclear both to ourselves and to the wider community about our history, our heritage, our beliefs and values, and our visions and mission. Over three years ago when I started out with still-being-clarified-and-to-be-discerned visions of reaching out to those who are abandoned by the conventional churches and help them encounter the Holy One in the way no one else could, I was "adopted" by a still-nascent denomination called the Celtic Anabaptist Church (of Tillatoba, Mississippi). Being part of a community and being connected to something larger, like a denomination, was generally a good thing; however I feel also that I had to spend a lot of time and work trying to appease those who are in the higher-up and not to earn the wrath of the denominational leadership. In the end what we were doing got very watered-down as we tried to be everything for everyone and keep everyone happy in a state of mediocre compromise.

I am not proposing to build a bureaucracy or an empire. I am however calling out for a network, a movement, and an organic community that share this vision of the CBEC beyond the reaches of what I can possibly do or where I can possibly be in my lifetime with limited resources and abilities.

Granted, this is a bit of a new direction and a new beginning. But I also believe that the pieces of a puzzle that makes up the CBEC have already been in place for the most part. It is just that I feel that we should openly affirm and celebrate this convergence of the feminine, Anglican/Celtic/Old Catholic spirituality.

A history of Marian devotion in Sarum

2008-06-19T22:16:00.001-07:00

http://www.sarumseminar.org/research-97-05.html

CBEC

2008-06-19T15:30:00.001-07:00

It is the CBEC. It will be here and right in your world. It may be what you have been waiting for.

We tend to turn our limitations into identity...

2008-06-14T09:38:00.001-07:00

"A bird's not defined by being grounded but by his ability to fly. Remember this, humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions [God has] for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in [God's] image." - William P. Young, The Shack (100).

The Mythical Truth

2008-06-08T18:01:00.001-07:00

Today's Revised Common Lectionary text (Year A, Proper 5) deals with a
narrative of the Holy Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 9.

This text, among many others, deals with a supernatural event of
healing in the life of Christ interspersed with the teachings.
Sceptics and "Rationalists" predictably question this and conclude
that the Scriptures is false and worthless.

The Rev. Canon Marianne+ Wells-Borg: "[The accounts of miracles] are
true whether they have happened or not, because they are not something
that just uniquely happened 2000 years ago... We tend to interpret
them narrowly or literally; [the stories of miracles] however presents
another dimension of possibility."

The Venerable Ananda Coomaraswamy: "There have been teachers such as
Orpheus, Hermes, Buddha, Lao-tzu and Christ, the historicity of whose
human existence is doubtful and to whom may be accorded the higher
dignity of mythical reality." [The Vedanta and Western Tradition.]

Miss Alice Lucy Trent: "We may say that history tells of events that
might or might not have happened, while myth tells of 'events' (or
rather transcendent Realities couched in the form of events) that
cannot not be." [The Feminine Universe.]

Miss Sushuri Novaryana [a/k/a Lhi Raya Chancandre]: "Allegories and
parables are of human creation. Myths are not. Allegories and parables
put into story form things that can be paraphrased in "plainer" words.
Myths tell of things that cannot be paraphrased. Things that are not
prehensible to discursive reason... Myths and Archetypes are, as Plato
taught, and as every tradition teaches, pointers toward the Truth that
lies beyond the sensible world: and even such a statement as that
risks being undervalued by the modern mind. Until we are realised
beings, until we reach final Enlightenment, Myths and Archetypes are
the closest approach we have to Truth. And even when we are
Enlightened we shall not cast aside those Myths: we shall see them in
their true Reality."[http://aristasia.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/what-is-myth/]

Conversation with a Monk tomorrow morning

2008-06-07T16:09:00.001-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pam Knepper
Date: 2008/6/6
Subject: Conversation with a Monk Clarification

Conversation with a Monk will meet Sunday, June 8 from noon to 1 p.m.
in the Morrison Room of Trinity Cathedral, 147 NW 19th Avenue in
Portland, Oregon.

The Cornerstone Community is hosting this meeting, which will feature
a conversation with Brother Christian, a Benedictine Monk and Prior at
Christ in the Desert Monastery in Abiquiu New Mexico. Brother
Christian will discuss monastic life and the Rule of St Benedict. All
are welcome to this rare opportunity to be in conversation with a
cloistered monk.

Pam Knepper
Communications and Hospitality Coordinator
503-478-1201

Star of the Sea (Stella Maris)

2008-06-06T13:46:00.001-07:00

http://lov.li/img/media/originals/41745.jpg
http://lov.li/products/837764

A pneumatology for the Collyridians and Philomarianites

2008-06-05T11:14:00.001-07:00

Along with eucharistic theology, the doctrines of trinity sometimes presents a bit of difficulty for a Collyridian or Philomarianite movement. I feel, however, that a development of a solid pneumatology will result in a mature and robust church and that this is one area we as a follower of a feminine divinity may find our unique strength.

Pneumatology is a study of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology. The normative Christianity is trinitarian by nature post-Nicene, and indeed the Nicene Creed clarifies this position. The problem may arise when the Nicene Creed says "And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets." However, this is not the original text of the Council of Nicea. Despite its name, this doctrine about the Holy Spirit being "proceed[ing]" from the Father (sic) and the Son (sic) is a revision made at the First Council of Constantinople (381 C.E.). The original statement annunciated by the Nicene Council merely says in its place, "And in the Holy Ghost." Historic Christian faith has maintained that the Holy Spirit is both co-equal and co-eternal with the other two godheads (personae) of the triune God, and we believe the same.

For long in Christian history the Holy Spirit has been relegated to the back-burner as the "third person" of the Trinity, as though it is an afterthought that followed Jesus to merely function as a "comforter" until his second coming. However, there is a potential in our movement to restore the Holy Spirit to a position of a relative prominence, as the unmanifest, absolute Deity that predated all things, as the Eternal Wisdom, as the life, love, life and order themselves.

Being a traditionalist, Aristasians for example have long given the Holy Spirit (or "The Absolute Deity" or the "Dark [i.e. Obscure or Unseen] Mother" the position of primacy (yet without compromising the co-equal nature). This is also consistent with some of the oldest existing writings of ancient India.

And above all, the Hebrew language describes the Holy Spirit as a feminine being.

I envisage a day when a new move of the Spirit will revive the feminine worship -- perhaps in an even greater scale than the Pentecostal revival of the bygone era. Likewise, there will be a lot of theological contribution to be made to the Church at large as we bring a renewed interest in a feminine pneumatology.

Wrestling with eucharistic theology

2008-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

For those who seek a path once followed by the Collyridians and Philomarianites, perhaps one of the biggest "sticking points" is how to make sense of the sacrament of holy eucharist. I have been considering this issue last two months, as how we define the discussion will eventually define the direction and identity of our ministry and life at St. Mary's Divine Heart Mission.

This is in no way the first time in church history in which eucharistic theology underwent a revision. The Protestant Reformation significantly redefined the sacrament by rejecting transsubstantiation and by saying that it is merely a symbolic ritual (or an "ordinance" rather than a "sacrament", something that is done only because Jesus commanded us to, according to Baptists).

One way of seeing the eucharist is that it is indeed, as the very word eucharist suggests, a feast of thanksgiving. It may also be framed in the narratives of the passover, as some liberal and liberation theologians may, to symbolize God's liberating act. I also see a parallel between it and the thanksgiving offering rite of Abraham and Melchizedek. There are many ways to talk of the eucharist even without making it into a reenactment of human sacrifice.

Traditionalist school views that the scriptures are containers of God's divinely revealed truth, rather than the truth itself. Problems arise when the container is mistaken for the content itself, or when a messenger is given the place of the message. This is because in the iron age, minds that are accustomed to the materialistic world cannot easily grasp the spiritual concepts without having a point of reference in the language of the material world. This is why Jesus Christ spoke in parables, and the Bible is full of metaphors and similes. Containers may differ depending on cultures and times in history, but the message contained therein is eternal and not bound by any time or place. Eucharistic theology in this context focuses on the underlying common themes behind the symbolism of wine and bread.

This is, granted, a difficult topic for those who are raised in Christian Church in which the historic event of Jesus' death and resurrection plays the central role -- especially for Protestants, whose rationalistic understanding of theology and the cosmos leaves little room for this type of thinking.

Responding to the "Devil's Advocate"

2008-06-03T22:44:00.001-07:00

In my other weblog, I made my response to a discussion regarding my earliar comment about whether the Aristasians "dishonestly" co-opted Hinduism. Apparently it caused a bit of unease among some, and I feel that it has been misconstrued. See http://askmissiris.blogspot.com/ . In response SMDHM also added a page to clarify its purpose: http://stmarysdivineheart.googlepages.com/ourstory

An automated Book of Common Prayer online

2008-06-02T12:27:00.001-07:00

This superb website automatically selects and inserts appropriate collects, scripture readings and prefaces for any given day and presents the liturgy in a very user-friendly way.

The liturgical text is from the Book of Common Prayer 1976 according to the use of The Episcopal Church. I highly recommend this for those who are not yet expert users of the BCP, or those who simply prefer a fast and easy way to get the right liturgical text for a service. This website is sponsored by the Charismatic Episcopal Church.

http://www.bookofcommonprayer.net/

Mobile edition: http://m1.bookofcommonprayer.net/
Older mobile phones: http://wml.yeswap.com/h2w.php?u=m1.bookofcommonprayer.net

Note: The lectionary reading is that of the CEC, which differs from the one in use by TEC (which now uses the Revised Common Lectionary for Sundays).

Take a moment in a sacred space

2008-06-02T07:26:00.001-07:00

With this guided scriptural meditation you can align your thoughts with the Holy. http://www.sacredspace.ie [mobile xhtml: http://www.sacredspace.ie/mobile/en/ mobile wml: http://wml.yeswap.com/h2w.php?u=www.sacredspace.ie/mobile/en ]

Puja to the Divine Lady

2008-05-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Who is Our Lady of Guadalupe?

2008-05-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Millions of Mexicans commemorate December 12th as the day when Mary the Mother of Jesus miraculously appeared to St. Juan Diego and spoke to him in his native Nahuatl language at Tepeyac in Tenochtitlan in 1531.

Mary mysteriously imprinted her image on Juan Diego's indigenous mantle known as the tilma. This tilma is kept at the altar of the Basilica of Guadalupe a Church that Mary had asked Juan Diego to have built in her honor at Tepayac.

Scientists have examined the image on the tilma and say that the dye of the image is of an unknown origin. They are also baffled as to why after 465 years the tilma has no sign of deterioration.

This sacred site is the most popular site in the world for pilgrimages second to the Vatican. Every December 12th famous singers and bands perform inside of the Basilica to pay their homage and sing to Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.

The Hill at Tepeyac previously had a pyramid which was built to honor Tonantzin the Mother Goddess and Lunar Deity of the Mexica Tribe. Many people seem to believe that the Beautiful Brown Skinned Virgin of Guadalupe and the Beautiful Brown Skinned Goddess Tonantzin are one and the same being.

According to Indigenous Tradition the black ribbon around her waist indicates that Mary is pregnant with Jesus. It is the only image of Mary that depicts her pregnancy.

In ancient Indigenous teachings Tonantzin is also representative of the duality of the Cosmos, a concept which similarly is found in the Ancient Jewish Esoteric Tradition of Kabbalah which states that when God (who is without gender) manifests itself for the purpose of creation and creating it becomes dual: male & female.

All over the world the moon symbolizes everything that is of a femenine nature.

In esoterism we study that the crescent moon symbolizes force in action. Mario Botello:Presentation, Evelyn Frances: description in English

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9gFed6FsC-Q

Purr?

2008-05-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

The traditional feminine thealogy, doctrine of trinity and the Holy Spirit

2008-05-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

John 7:37-39 (NRSV)
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' “Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

In the Eleusian mythology of Greece, the triple ‘Goddesses’ of Rhea (or Cybele), Demeter and Kore (or Persephone) were at the core of the all-feminine tradition that survived highly patriarchal Greco-Roman culture.

Christians tend to perceive the Holy Spirit as the “third person” or the tertiary godhead of the Trinity, for the Holy Spirit is described as the “other comforter” who would come after the Christ (the second person) is raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. However, it may also be said (and remembering that each of the three godheads is “co-equal” to the other two according to the Nicene and Athanasian doctrines) that the Holy Spirit is “the first of three” because of her “unmanifest” nature – unlike the other two personae who are described in terms of a more “earthly” parent-child relationship. As the Filianic Creed states, this is “She that stands beyond these Two, Whose Name has not been spoken on this earth: For She is the Beginning and the End; the First Principle and the Final Cause; the unoriginated Origin of being.”

Genesis 1:1-2 (NRSV) In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

In the Greek language, the name Rhea derives from the verb rheo (to flow, Strong's #4482). This is the same word used in the holy Gospel of John likening the Holy Spirit as the flowing living water. The imagery of the Holy Spirit flowing from one’s heart is of itself significant from the traditionally cosmological point of view. Likewise, the mythological meaning of the Spirit as water of the heaven and infilling of the Holy Spirit likened to (or symbolized by) the rite of baptism most likely predates the Christian or even Jewish (practice of mikvah, which still is considered to be one of the most feminine aspects of Judaism to this day).

Meeting God again like never before

2008-05-28T11:50:00.001-07:00

Here is a better version with a prettified presentation: http://stmarysdivineheart.googlepages.com/tract-prettified.pdf (87kB).

A "gospel tract", Philomarianite style

2008-05-27T23:45:00.001-07:00

I have long wondered if there should be a "gospel tract" of some kind for Philomarianites. Now there is one.

http://stmarysdivineheart.googlepages.com/meetinggodagainlikeneverbefore

Found a poem in a park

2008-05-27T20:51:00.001-07:00

Starlight / moonlight / sunlight / & we still bump into things. [author unknown]

Holy Trinity of Demeter, Kore and Rhea?

2008-05-22T12:42:00.001-07:00

It has been said that Homer's Hymn to Demeter preserves the pre-Hellenic feminine spiritual traditions. There has been theories about the Mother-Daughter relationship of Demeter (lit. God-Mother) and Kore (lit. Girl, or Daughter).

Adding Rhea (or Cybele) -- or some may argue, Hecate -- to this picture, a case may be made that the pre-Hellenic traditions -- likely from Crete -- made ways into the Greco-Roman pantheon and into the philosophical system of the Greeks and Romans, upon which Christian theology was constructed.

Kisshoten

2008-05-21T22:53:00.001-07:00

In Japanese pantheon, Kisshoten was one of the earliest foreign
deities to be incorporated into the Japanese religious system. Due to
her long history in Japan, she is worshiped both in Buddhism and
Shinto.

The origin of Kisshoten was Sri Mahadeii (i.e. Great Dea), who was
also called Mahasri. It is believed that she is same as Sri
Mahalakshmi.

In Japanese folk beliefs Kisshoten was often conflated with Benzaiten,
the Japanization of Sarasvati.

Tenmokyo

2008-05-21T22:26:00.001-07:00

In Taiwan under the Japanese colonial occupation, a sect within Shinto called Fuso-kyo established in 1925 a religious group "Tenmokyo" (or Tianmujiao in Chinese, lit. "teachings of the Heavenly Mother").

The Tenmokyo considered the Japanese goddess Amaterasu and Chinese folk goddess Mazu two different interpretations of the same deity. In so doing, Tenmokyo attempted to propagate Shinto within the context of Taiwanese folk beliefs.

"Tenmo" (Tianmu in Chinese) refers thus to both Amaterasu and Mazu, and the Tenmokyo teachings emphasized that maternal love is the greatest strength for all humankind, and therefore is the most noble virtue any person could attain. As such the Tenmokyo taught that the Supreme Deity is feminine.

The group established the Tenmo Jinja in Taipei, with a statue of Mazu received from a shrine in Fujian at its altar. The Tenmokyo at one time grew rapidly and amassed wealth, owned hotels, a bus company, a real estate development firm and a hotspring resort. It, however, dissolved
immediately following the end of World War II (1945) and forced repatriation of the Tenmokyo's founder to Japan as Taiwan (the Republic of China) gained independence.

There is, however, a neighbourhood in Taipei to this day called Tianmu, which is today a home of upscale department stores, expatriate foreigner residences, and the American School.

Qualities of leadership

2008-05-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

An excellent worksheet based on John Maxwell's works: http://teach.beavton.k12.or.us/~erin_livingston/S082C1ACA

Salve Regina Virgini Immaculata

2008-05-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Two unrelated stories on validity of religious conversion

2008-05-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

In Ashdod, Israel, the Beit Din is about to issue a ruling invalidating hundreds of conversions done by a certain Rabbi Haim Druckman because one of his converts "never practised Judaism."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/980565.html

In Penang, Malaysia, yesterday a widow was permitted to renounce Islam because the local Sharia judge ruled that she was after all a Buddhist and that she "never practised Islam."
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iv9_onpaX-V8TGG9WzTwstic81yw

Two unrelated cases with one uniting theme.

From the University of Dayton exhibit: Virgin Mary in traditional Korean style

2008-05-06T19:37:00.001-07:00

"Ms. Bang [O Seok]'s deep devotion to Mary is reflected in the number
of paintings she has created of the Holy Mother of Korea, several of
them included in this exhibit. In them Mary is shown in traditional
garments of a queen or noble woman. All of her work is in traditional
Korean painting style and reflects her culture's religious ethos. The
characteristic trait of Korean painting is to express briefly and to
the point, leaving some blank area on the work. In this way spectators
have latitude for thinking and are able to fill up the space, not with
craftsmanship or technique, but with faith, according to Ms. Bang."

"Holy Mother the Queen of Korea, Full of Love"
(Hangug-e Yeowang ishimeo Sarang-e chungman-hashin Eomoni)
1975
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//gallery/bangosek11.htm
In this piece the Holy Lady is depicted in a traditional Korean
outfit, holding an orb. Note certain iconographical symbolisms are
kept intact although expressed in a decidedly Korean manner.

"Holy Mother of Korea, Plantain Lily, Immaculate, and Mother of Mercy"
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//gallery/bangosek13.htm
In this piece the lily (a traditional iconographical device) is Korean.

"Assumption"
1992
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//gallery/bangosek12.htm
Note that she is riding the crescent.

"Mother of Virgins, Mother of Love"
2001
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//gallery/bangosek26.htm
This is perhaps the most intriguing of all paintings on exhibit. The
UD website does not explain much, and it is really up to how one would
make of this painting. The flowers in the centre are probably
Mugunghwa 무궁화 無窮花 (Lit. "The immortal flower," Hibiscus syriacus;
translated as "Roses of Sharon" in the English version of the South
Korean national anthem.)

A lovely statue of the Lady Mary

2008-05-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Liturgical project goes open-source

2008-04-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

http://stanneslts.wikispaces.com

The St. Anne's Liturgical & Theological Institute (SALT) announced today that its feminine-language liturgy project source texts will now become open-source. In the future a committee will be formed to select and edit materials from this source for publication.

The colour lovers

2008-04-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

ColourLovers, a Lake Oswego web site, now catalogues over one million unique colours. http://colourlovers.com

No small controversy brewing over a Christian fiction book

2008-04-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

http://lccn.loc.gov/2007276931
http://books.google.com/books?id=Yw3IGQAACAAJ

Clackamas, Oregon, author William P. Young's new novel, The Shack, attempts to illustrate the timeless spiritual struggle over finding God in life's darkest and saddest moments. Since the book's recent release the evangelical Protestant book industry is raving over this book, which has been compared to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

Yet, some readers are very alarmed and unhappy about how God in this book is depicted as a feminine being. A reviewer explains:

Though uncertain, Mack visits the scene of the crime and there has a weekend-long encounter with God, or, more properly, with the godhead.

"What should you do when you come to the door of a house, or cabin in this case, where God might be? Should you knock? Presumably God already knew that Mack was there. Maybe he ought to simply walk in and introduce himself, but that seemed equally absurd. And how should he address him? Should he call him Father, or Almighty One, or perhaps Mr. God, and would it be best if he fell down and worshipped, not that he was really in the mood.

As he tried to establish some inner mental balance, the anger that he thought had so recently died inside him began to emerge. No longer concerned or caring about what to call God and energized by his ire, he walked up to the door. Mack decided to bang loudly and see what happened, but just as he raised his fist to do so, the door flew open, and he was looking directly into the face of a large beaming African-American woman."

This large and oh-so-stereotypical matronly African-American woman is God (or at least an anthropomorphism of God she chose to take on in order to communicate with Mack). Throughout the story she is known as Papa. Near the end, because Mack requires a father figure, she turns into a pony-tailed, grey-haired man, but otherwise God is this woman. Jesus is a young to middle-aged man of Middle-Eastern (i.e. Jewish) descent with a big nose and rather plain looks while the Holy Spirit is played by Sarayu, a small, delicate and eclectic woman of Asian descent. By this point many people will choose to close the book and be done with it.

-- http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/the-shack-by-william-p-young.php

Miss Jennifer from Bellingham, Washington raises one of such typical objections:

"Relationship with God? Definitely. One can't argue with that, but what god? Please look up: "powers-that-be" (find out who "Papa" really is) and also: "she of a thousand names."...There is a movement quickly rising, one of goddess worship, one that started at the Tower of Babel, with Nimrod and Semiramis and has moved throughout history and people groups, a counterfeit trinity with ever changing aliases, including Sophia, Papa, Sarayu (also Saranyu). This is the same pagan goddess as Diana, Isis, Aphrodite, the Virgin Mary (of Catholicism), Ishtar, Mother Earth, (transgendered: Baphomet, Kali/Shiva), etc. This movement represents a transgendered god/goddess that is all about Oneness, Love, Peace...Though, not the same Oneness, Love and Peace that can only be had through a relationship with the Jesus of the Bible. No, this has to do with god of the New World Order; a god who compassionately embraces all religions, beliefs and creeds -- after all, isn't it all about DIVERSITY, LOVE, TOLERANCE, ACCEPTANCE and PEACE? Those who disagree must be hatemongers! Granted this book does not dismiss Jesus as being God, but I do see it as a "gateway" book, one that subtly introduces alternative views of God, to open and condition the readers' minds for later, more emboldened ideas of the nature and character of God. http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=729230&event=CF

And another critic makes a great analysis of the book's controversial subject at http://wiredforstereo.blogspot.com/2008/02/answers-to-some-concerns-about-shack.html :

Elousia, if you do a quick search, you will find out is Greek for tenderness. It is also the title of a Catholic icon depicting the Madonna and the baby Jesus. Critics jump all over this saying that Mr. Young is trying to sneak in some Marianism, attempting to water down God by inserting Mary. I find this interesting because it would seem to me that a book attempting to plead the case of a merciful and good God might use a name that reveals just that. We must go back to the definition of the word, tenderness. This is a trait that the God of The Shack is soaked in.
...

That is to say that the Father and Spirit appear as women, and if you can get past that, you see the classical view of the Trinity. Now you must understand one thing: Cults and heretics never never usually never espouse the classical view of the Trinity. It is often the first thing to go, and yet it appears in this book, a controversial work of symbolic fiction.

...

The next subject has earned The Shack an accusation of being a subversive work of Hinduism. In the book, the Holy Spirit is depicted as an Asian woman named Sarayu. Sarayu is a Sanskrit word meaning "to flow" and also wind, air, or that which streams. It is a tributary of the Ganges in India. It played a role in some great Hindu stories and myths and is mentioned in the Rig Veda. Anyway, some say this means that the book is a Hindu work or at best has a message of universalism. Again we must simply look at the word itself. It means wind, just as the book says. That's all there is to it. Spirit in Greek means breath. It's the same thing.

...

While being discounted as "fiction," traditionalists acknowledge that all storytelling in a traditional format and method is done to illustrate the underlying principles that are eternal and divine. In this light it is an amazing development to see that an Evangelical Protestant author has successfully published, and marketed through Evangelical Christian book distributors, this book that brings some of the feminine tradition back to the mythos-telling while not destroying or deracinating the theological and cosmological principles to a "new age" level (granted, the Evangelical Christians themselves are products of post-industrial America, a relatively modern -- and highly anti-traditional -- phenomenon; yet they are nonetheless products of a pre-Eclipse, pre-1965 era unless one is looking for the Calvary Chapel, Jesus People and all the newer Charismatic movements formed thereafter.).

SDCM web address has changed

2008-04-20T22:48:00.001-07:00

http://thecdh.googlepages.com/sdcm

Announcing the formation of the Society of the Divine Heart of the Lady Mary (SDCM)

2008-04-20T22:33:00.001-07:00

The primary mission of the Society of the Divine Heart of the Lady
Mary (SDCM) is to expand the sovereign reign of St. Mary, Queen of
Heaven, through prayer, service, study and mission. It is an integral
part of this mission of this order to endeavour to bring the glory due
to Our Lady in her many devotional aspects and through the recovery of
pre-modern Marian traditions within the Christian Church and beyond.

La misión fundamental de la Sociedad del Divino Corazón de la Señora
María(SDCM) es ampliar el reinado soberano de Santa María, la Reina
del Cielo, a través de la oración, el servicio, el estudio y la
misión. Es una parte integral de nuestra misión de este fin de tratar
de lograr la gloria debida a la Virgen en sus múltiples aspectos y de
devoción a través de la recuperación de los tradiciones cristianas
pre-modernos de Nuestra Señora, y fuera de la Iglesia Cristiana.

La première mission de la Société du Divin Cœur de la Dame Marie
(SDCM) est d'étendre le règne du souverain Sainte-Marie, Reine du
Ciel, à travers la prière, de service, d'étude et de la mission. Elle
fait partie intégrante de la mission de cet ordre de s'efforcer
d'amener la gloire due à la Madone dans ses multiples aspects et de
dévotion à travers le recouvrement des traditions Marianites
pré-moderne de l'église chrétienne et au-delà.

http://thecdh.googlepages.com/societyofthedivineheartoftheladymary

SDCM continues one aspect of the works begun by the legacy Church of
the Divine Heart.

St. Mary, Star of Evangelization

2008-04-20T20:48:00.001-07:00

The icon: http://www.mtangel.edu/ikons/pages/Mary%20Star%20of%20Evangelization.htm
Explanations: http://www.archdpdx.org/icon/explanation.html

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland houses this unique icon
written by a Benedictine monk Br. Claude Lane, OSB, of Mt. Angel
Abbey, St. Benedict, Oregon.

The icon was specially commissioned by the Most Rev. ++John George
Vlazny in 2003.

This unusual icon depicts the Lady Mary without near-obligatory baby
Jesus, but instead she is seen standing atop a rocky hill in front of
a six-pointed star of Bethlehem and an almond shaped 'mandola'. While
the iconographer chose these symbols for both New Testament journeys
Mary took, as well as for her apparition to Juan Diego as Our Lady of
Guadalupe, these three symbols and the depiction of the Lady Mary
herself are rooted in the primordial metaphysical tradition.

Metaphor versus simile

2008-04-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

Dr. David F. Wells, of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (a school closely related to the National Association of Evangelicals), points out in his lecture for its Dimensions of Faith theology course that the feminine language for God is merely a metaphor (in other words there is no occurrence of feminine simile in relation to the Bible's description of God) while masculine imagery is used as a simile. Dr. Wells opposes the use of not only a feminine descriptor for God but also a "gender-neutral" or "inclusive" one.

To his credit, Dr. Wells lists these verses that use feminine imagery of God:

Biblical passages using female imagery and language for God:
Deuteronomy 32:11
Isaiah 31:5
Isaiah 42:14
Isaiah 45:10
Isaiah 49:15
Isaiah 66:13
Matthew 23:37

Needless to say, this means "God is like a mother" while "God is father." One of the easiest ways to distinguish a simile from a metaphor in the English language is the presence of the operative word, "like."

The same argument is made by the Rev. Alvin+ F. Kimel, Jr., in the publication Episcopalians United, volume 2. The Rev. Kimel writes, "The word of God cannot be divorced from the language and imagery of the Scriptures. By the direction of the spirit, God chooses the names and metaphors by which he will be known and addressed. They are authoritatively communicated in the Bible and enjoy a normative, paradigmatic status in the life of the Church. baptized into Christ, they are made a constituent part of the divine revelation. Through them we are granted to apprehend the Triune Deity." Hence, he believes that God as father, king, etc. is indeed how God ought to be addressed according to the divine will.

The Rev. Alvin+ continues:

Yet it is also the case that our God has chosen to reveal himself predominantly in masculine terms. Throughout the Scriptures, the Deity is manifestly described in masculine imagery and titles. God is Husband, King, Lord, Shepherd, Judge, Master, Father. The references to God as a father occur over 250 times in both Testaments, mostly in the New where God is definitively named the Father of Jesus. Masculine pronouns are always used. Even the Spirit, grammatically either feminine (Hebrew) or neuter (Greek), is ascribed masculine pronouns in the Gospel of John. The biblical identification of God as masculine -- but not sexually male -- is overwhelming and normative.
It is true that God is, in a handful of instances, spoken of in maternal and feminine terms in the Bible; but it is always in the form of simile and not metaphor. God is compared to a mother, but is never named Mother. This distinction is fundamental. In simile, two things are compared and said to be alike in some specific and self-limiting way. A resemblance is stated within the ordinary meanings of the terms. simile clarifies the subject but does not identify. Thus, for example, in Isaiah 42:13 Yahweh is compared to a mighty warrior, but is, significantly, not named as one.
Metaphor, on the other hand, predicates and names. Two things are identified.

There is one serious flaw to this argument by both the Rev. Kimel and Dr. Wells: The original scriptures were never written in English, and that the literary and rhetorical methods of the ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek languages are not the same as that of the modern English. This is yet another example of how the biblical literalists tend to interpret the Bible literally--through the tinted eyeglasses of the 20th-21st century English-speaking Americans.

Decades ago, the Rev. Elder Ken Martin, now the Region 1 overseer of the Metropolitan Community Churches, compiled a list of feminine and masculine descriptors for God in the Bible. He found that while there are more occurrences of masculine terms of God (father, king, etc.) there are more variations of feminine terms of God. This is an interesting thing to ponder upon.

However, ultimately one should never forget that the Bible is a product of an increasingly patriarchalized culture in the warring Near East and the Mediterranean world.

H.H. Dalai Lama XIV and the Most Rev. ++Desmond Tutu speak at Seattle University

2008-04-15T10:32:00.001-07:00

http://www.kgw.com/video/?nvid=57406&live=yes&shu=1

Golden thread, silver branches: on Aristasian religious practices

2008-04-13T07:40:00.001-07:00

As Miss Alice Trent says, human souls can be best restored from the
Pit in a world with a complete image-sphere. To this end,
Aristasian-rite faith is superior as it provides a total alternative
world for who cannot stand the Pit, especially its patriarchy. My work
cannot rival or supplant this, as the goals differ from the
Aristasians; rather, it is the aim of mine to reracinate the Western
church while building alternatives to Pit-feminist-paganism and
violent American folk-religion alike.

The liturgical project to continue

2008-04-12T08:08:00.001-07:00

The feminine-language liturgical project now continues through St. Anne's Liturgical & Theological Institute (SALT) as the Church of the Divine Heart was dissolved upon my resignation as its general superintendent. Any future information about the project will be posted at http://thecdh.googlepages.com/salt . There is also a new discussion forum at http://saltsmmc.netfreehost.com/ .

From Sarah: Sharing a few matters of discernment

2008-04-08T23:34:00.001-07:00

Dear esteemed Friends,

Please excuse this rather abrupt and disorganized letter that I am
sending to whom I believe to be of wisdom and learnt experiences.

As I look back, the Providence seems to have brought me to a place and
a circumstance that are very different from where I was two years ago,
or even one year ago. Last year around this time, many things appeared
to be "on track", on a fast track! -- and on the surface I appeared to
be achieving many goals. When I entered priesthood in March 2005,
just over three years ago, I had many dreams and wishes to fulfill,
many of them highly idealistic and "revolutionary." Since then I have
experienced two major conflicts with denominations which I was part,
many plans were derailed, and in all honesty, very little has yet been
accomplished.

In retrospect, my brief appointment as the Vicar Episcopal for Oregon
and as a member of the Episcopal Synod of the Reformed Catholic Church
of America last year was a distraction, however exciting it was at the
time and although I seemed to be a "rising star" of the RCCA then. It
was short-lived and was nothing more than putting myself into an ugly
ecclesiastical politics of a struggling denomination.

From the beginning, I had sensed that a conventional parish ministry
was never what I was called to do. My primary interest while pursuing
ordination was specialized mission, with a possible goal of new
congregation development. While I lacked the kind of denominational
support most missionaries would receive, I was blessed with the use of
office spaces and assembly halls in the past, in exchange for nominal
work. Yet, the largest obstacle for me was not money or place, but was
simply my inability to recruit people or find any person who seem to
be sympathetic to my rather eccentric and too-specialized focus of
mission. The reality has been, and still is, after three years I am
yet to have an active congregation with any committed core membership.
I have already moved past feeling frustrated or feeling as though I
am a colossal failure. In recent months I am beginning to see the
problem for what it is, and I have decided to enter a period of
discernment over the direction of my ministry and calling.

About 10 months ago, I felt a need for pursuing my interest in art
after 12 years of hiatus. So far, in a relatively short time I have
become a small success story, with appearances in local art festivals,
a gallery exhibit, and a number of commissioned commercial art
projects. To me, this is not a so-called "secular" work but is yet
another way of expressing and practicing my spirituality. What I may
not be good in preaching or writing, I am doing it visually in forms
of paintings that are rich in spiritual symbolism.

After some introspection, I feel that this emphasis on art ought to
continue and develop. As an "artist" I have found it much easier to
gain access to many venues (especially established, larger churches)
than as a "member of clergy." The art, therefore, appears to be a more
expedient vehicle for the message that I am entrusted to deliver to
this world.

Additionally, many of my close friends readily point out that I do not
"perform" really well in a group setting but I do rather well in a
"one-to-one" setting. This makes a better confessor, spiritual
director, or tutor, but not necessarily a community organizer or a
pastor. I feel that while my interpersonal skills have improved over
the past two to three years, I still have a great need for training
myself in this area.

I also feel that I would like to study more and gain further training
and education, not only in the fields of theology but also in the
areas of practical ministry. While my financial means are very
limited at the moment, I plan on taking several lectures and courses
from seminary or university extensions as well as from a number of
churches in the area. This means that I will be devoting some
considerable number of hours each month to further my education and
training.

And this also brings a re-alignment of my ministry and my relations to
the Church. Although I do not believe that my work is "done" -- it has
hardly started -- I am increasingly confident that the time has come
to resign as the ecclesiastical authority for the Church of the Divine
Heart. Though I was seeking a successor, I am yet to find any
suitable candidate whom I can trust sufficiently. I am instead
thinking of formally dissolving the church, although I will retain the
official title of the bishop titular of Oregon City for the
foreseeable future and conduct sacramental celebrations and perform
ceremonial functions as necessary from time to time, this way I would
no longer be burdened by the failed church plant. In the place of the
Church of the Divine Heart, perhaps what is left of the church --
specifically the liturgical project and those who are interested in
this work -- can be reorganized as a theological association with the
sole focus of continuing the liturgical project and with a worldwide
membership. This is neither a "retirement" or a "sabbatical" -- yet it
is kind of both -- but I am trusting the Divine Providence to direct
me to where I am needed the most in a manner that is appropriate.

This does not mean I will no longer be celebrating or officiating an
eucharist; rather, I will be doing so in a less "formal" way without
any expectation that it would turn into an organized congregation. If
those who find the eucharist meaningful decide to gather regularly and
become more or less like a church, then it would be entirely up to
them. I will support such spontaneous developments, but I will no
longer force it to happen.

On a related note, I am also stepping down as the organizer for the
Alliance of Anglican-Rite Free Churches effective immediately. This
has been a duplicate of efforts and there are many similar
organizations already. Also, in deferrence to my friends at the
Episcopal Church, any future development of a congregation should drop
the word "Anglican" from the prominent part of its official name -- my
suggestion is to use the phrase "Holy Catholic Church" or its variant,
which would be consistent with the "translation" of "Anglican Church"
in Japan, Korea and China ("Sei Ko Kai/Seong Gong Hoi/Sheng Kung
Hui"). This way the historic connection to the Anglican rites and
successions is obvious but without the impression that we are somehow
hostile to the Church of England or the Episcopal Church.

This reshaping of my work also is in part because of the economic
necessity. Being independent from the RCCA or any other church body, I
no longer receive any financial or in-kind support from a denomination
or a mission board; and with the kind of theological controversies I
seem to generate occasionally, it is unlikely that any church would
risk itself into a firestorm by supporting my work overtly (again this
is where I find it easier to navigate as an "artist"; supporting an
artist is usually far less controversial).

I shall not bother you much further with this parade of run-on
sentences and not-so-well organized thoughts. I do not presume to have
all the answers, but the level of my frustration and continuing
spiritual crisis have prompted me recently to consider trimming off
extraneous branches while allowing thriving branches to grow better.
In the Gospels there is an analogy of a grape vine. I feel that the
best result is obtained through a focused growth.

Sincerely,

+ Sarah.

AMI: Why stay in Christian church?

2008-04-06T21:53:00.001-07:00

A seeker questions why I feel a need for remaining within a Christian environment.

Dear Miss Iris: I was raised in church all my life, got married young, had two kids who are now both in college, and recently divorced my ex-husband who was very abusive to me and my kids. Now I (would like to think I) am free to pursue my dreams, I want a new spiritual path that would be more appropriate for my needs at this juncture of life. I am exploring a feminist or at least a non-sexist traditions, perhaps Wicca or Buddhism. I then came across one of your articles, read about you and it kept me wondering why you even bother with staying Christian... it is apparent to me your heart and beliefs are really not in there... and you might as well as a Pagan and be happy, and no longer be stuck inside the structure of what I see as a rigid, conservative Christianity of the Catholics and Episcopalians? -- Amber, Corvallis, Oregon.

Dear Miss Amber: First, let me begin my reply with a paragraph from René Guénon's book, The Crisis of the Modern World: "Moreover, we think that if a Western tradition could be rebuilt it would be bound to take on a religious form in the strictest sense of this word, and that this form, could only be Christian; for on the one hand the other possible forms have been too long foreign to the Western mentality, and on the other it is only in Christianity--and we can say still more definitely in Catholicism--that such remnants of a traditional spirit as still exist in the West are to be found. Every 'traditionalist' venture that ignores this fact is without foundation and therefore inevitably doomed to failure; it is self-evident that one can build only upon something that has a real existence, and that where there is lack of continuity, any reconstruction must be artificial and cannot endure. If it be objected that Christianity itself, in our time, is no longer understood in its profound meaning, we should reply that it has at least kept in its very form all that is needed to provide the foundation of which we have been speaking." (Guenon 26-27.)

Read the rest of my answer: http://askmissiris.livejournal.com/876.html

Ask away

2008-03-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

The new Ask Miss Iris advice column is now online at http://www.livejournal.com/~askmissiris. To send your questions simply write to "askmissiris" at G Mail.

A good introduction to spiritual practices, and unusual sight

2008-03-26T22:00:00.001-07:00

Last week on the eve of Easter I attended a vigil at a certain Anglican parish in Clackamas County, Oregon, and saw a baptism by immersion (a member of 53 years told me it was the first time ever at this parish). As if such stereotype-defying acts were not enough, I just saw at a bookstore a new book published by Zondervan (an evangelical publisher, though now a subsidiary of HarperCollins) on monastic spiritual practices more characteristic of Catholics and Anglicans. It's The Sacred Way by
Tony Jones. The book is an excellent starter for anyone (such as evangelical Protestants) who are not at all familiar with the contemplative and liturgical approaches to Christianity.

Two recommended readings about Mary

2008-03-26T21:34:00.001-07:00

* Spretnak, Charlene. Missing Mary. New York: Palgrave Macmillan,
2004. Preview on http://books.google.com and
http://www.missingmary.com - chapters 1, 3, 5 and 6 are especially
recommended.

* Greeley, Andrew M. The Mary Myth: On the Femininity of God. New
York: Seabury Press, 1977. - http://shorl.com/guhepadififre [many
university libraries have access to full text.]

They are back!

2008-03-26T08:41:00.001-07:00

They are back online: http://www.mother-god.com and http://www.amazon-intel.com

Emergencies such as this can happen. It is a good idea to archive articles frequently.

Bad news

2008-03-25T18:25:00.001-07:00

If anyone is wondering both www.mother-god.com and
www.amazon-intel.com (hosted on the same server at sitesell.com) are
gone. It is unfortunate to lose two of the finest resources online.
They may possibly resurface at the new aristasia-central.com or the
archive site, www.bluecamellia.org soon.

A lovely holy card from long ago

2008-03-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

SAINTE-MARIE IMMACULÉE MONTREZ-VOUS NOTRE MÈRE!

Tous nos coeurs à Vous.

Et tous ce qui est à nous vous appartient.

This holy card appears to be from France, Belgium or Québec, printed circa 1900-1910 (in other words would be in public domain).

Holy Mary Immaculate show yourself to us, our Mother!

All our hearts to you. And what is ours is yours.

How to make your own rosaries

2008-03-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

A step-by-step instruction:
http://aristasia-central.com/fora/viewtopic.php?t=67
This tutorial may be adapted if you prefer a contemporary Anglican style rosary. There are even smaller, shorter rosaries:

Anglican pocket rosary (seven beads): http://www.arosaryforall.com/Pocket1.htm
Latin finger rosary (10 beads): http://www.holyfamilycatalog.com/detail.aspx?ID=7

The Philomarianites: tradition of Mary

2008-03-23T21:19:00.001-07:00

The Philomarianites existed through the history of the Christian Church. This article explores their tradition through folklore and church art.

Read more at http://shorl.com/nimebafrivido

Did you know...

2008-03-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the earliest possible day for Easter. Next time we have an Easter this early in the year will be 2228 C.E. (3548).

Announcement: Church of the Divine Heart planning monthly divine liturgy service

2008-03-23T07:09:00.001-07:00

The Church of the Divine Heart is now planning on holding a service of the divine liturgy, initially every four weeks, in Portland. Potential locations are all in or near the city centre. It is estimated that the cost of holding such a service would be about $50 to $70 each time. The service would utilize the experimental liturgical texts for the Book of Divine Service 2008, which largely is based on Scottish and American Anglican use. Volunteers are much needed to make this happen.
http://www.besplendid.tk/

Easter blessings

2008-03-23T06:52:00.001-07:00

This morning the Western Church celebrates Easter. In liturgical traditions it is marked by acts symbolizing death-to-life, darkness-to-light. While there may be always sceptics who doubt the
"historicity" of the resurrection, the spiritual value of the holy mythos behind Easter is eternal (beyond any confines of time or space) and is thus salvific possessing a transforming possibility in our lives. In every Easter one participates in this grand theme; I pray today that you may find life and light!
+ SM

New year blessings

2008-03-21T07:16:00.001-07:00

About a minute ago the first sunrise of this new year of 3328 in the Cairen calendar was seen. This is a year of Venus (Sushuri) and today is 1 Culverine 3328 (3328-1-1). I wish all of you many blessings for this year.

An end-of-year break

2008-03-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

In gratitude for all the blessings during the year that is now ending as of today -- the Year 3327 in the Aristasian calendar -- and in observance of the days-out-of-time (which, for this year, coincide with the Holy Wednesday and Maundy Thursday rather appropriately) there will be no posts on this weblog until the first day of the new year, which will be at 7:11 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, March 21 in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington (data according to the U.S. Naval Observatory).

This has been a wonderful year of new challenges, transformations, learning and experiences.

I thank you all also for visiting this weblog, which has so far gathered interests of people from all over the world!

Universal names of Dea and Her Daughter

2008-03-16T22:25:00.001-07:00

Esteemed Miss Sushuri writes (emphases mine):

On the Name Inanna, I should say that Aristasians do not regard this as a Sumerian or Mesopotamian name, but regard Anna/Inanna is the Universal Name of the daughter, just as Mari/Marya is the Universal Name of the Mother. "Ma" names are found everywhere, in almost all cultures, for Dea; and "An" names are very universal too.

In Christianity it seems that the names are "reversed" with Mary as Daughter and St Anne as Mother. This is because of the fact that Mary is an Iconographic rather than a Thealogical depiction of Dea. She is depicted as Mother in many contexts and Daughter in many others but since Her primary form is as Mother, She has the Mother's name.

Quite some time ago I made a list of names that are variations of Ana/An/Anna:
http://www.bluecamellia.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=351

The list was derived from the book Goddesses in the World Mythology by Ann Martha and Dorothy Myers Imel (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1993; ISBN10 0-87436-715-8).

Nana, primordial creator. Also known as Nanan. Nigeria (Yoruba).
An(-alai-Khotun), creator goddess {sic}, Siberia (Yakut).
Nan, creator of life. Slavic.
Anta, "Lady of Heaven" possibly cognate with Anat or Anaitis. Also called Anthat. Egyptian.
Isis -- whose aliases are Amit, Anael. Egyptian.
Anaea -- alias for Anaitis, creator of life. Greek.
Anna Perenna -- giver of life; symbolizes eternity. Possibly derived from Etruscan. Cognate with Anu. Greek.
Amma, protector and creator. India (Dravidian).

Ana, mother, cognate with Anu and Ana. India (Sanskrit).
Annapurna, possibly cognate with Greek Anna Perenna. India.
Aima, great mother. Near East.

Ana, spirit of heaven. Also known as Anan, Anat and Anu. Babylonian.
Anael, ruler of astral light. Similar to Ceres, Persephone and Isis. She is called the Celestial Virgin and Sophia-Achamoth. Babylonian.
Anath, creator and destroyer of life. Mesopotamia, Ugarit, Canaan, Phoenicia, Israel (early Hebrew religion treated her as the "wife of Yahweh.")
Anatu, ruler of earth and heavens, queen of the sky. Mesopotamia (Sumerian), Armenia, Anatolia.
Iahu Anat, possibly predecessor of Yahweh. Palaeo-Hebrew. (n.b.: Iahu in Sumerian is equivalent for Isis.)
Inanna, queen of heaven. Mesopotamia (Sumerian). Also called Ininni, Ishtar, Innin, Nini, Ninni, Ama Usum Gal Ana.
Anunit, the Assyrian for Ishtar, creator.
Nana, the Sumerian for Ishtar, lit. "queen."
Nanai, the Armenian for Ishtar or Nana (see above).
Nammu, the primordial being, creator of life. Sumerian.
Nanne, mistress of heaven. Armenian.
Anua, creator of life. Tahiti (Polynesian).
Atea, mother of gods. Maori.
Atua'anna, God-mother, creator of life. Easter Island (Polynesian).
Hina, creator, mother goddess {sic}. Polynesian.
Na Ina, creator of life. Ifugao language in the Philippines.
Aima, great mother. Spain.
Aine. Irish.
Anna Livia Plurabelle, creator, lady of water. Irish.
Annis, possibly equivalent of Anu or Inanna. Celtic.
Anu, creator. Also called Dana, Ana, Danu and Black Annis. Irish.

The similar argument is being made by author Kathy Jones in her books The Ancient British Goddess and Goddess in Glastonbury (though readers should exercise caution and discernment when reading these books, which are written by a neo-pagan "feminist" who with no doubt sees all this as some kind of "collective subconsciousness".)

It is a curious fact that the Christian Church reversed Mary and Anne.

In the Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets (by Barbara G. Walker, New York: Harper Collins, 1983; ISBN10 0-06-250925-X), page 584, the article under entry "Mari" lists various occurrences of Mary/Mari/Mara throughout the ancient world. The author writes of Mari, "the basic name of the Goddess known to the Chaldeans as Marratu, to the Jews as Marah, to the Persians as Mariham, to the Christians as Mary; as well as Marian, Miriam, Mariamne, Myrrhine, Myrtea, Myrrha, Maria and Marina. Her blue robe and pearl necklace were classic symbols of the sea, edged with pearly foam." (Walker 584)

The article also mentions the Semitic worship of Mari-El, and Syrian worship of Mari or Meri, Slavs' Marianna or Marzanna, and Nestorian saint St. Mari the Apostle, St. Mari the Bishop (!), and St. Maura/Moera (Walker 585). In Spain she was worshiped as a "Mistress who lived in a magic cave and rode through the night sky as a ball of fire." In Scotland, there was a ruined temple on Innis Maree dedicated to "St. Mouree."

The author of the article lists even more interesting facts about Mary/Mari in the page margins.

Also there is a well-written article on the Lady Mary on Mother-God.com at www.mother-god.com/blessed-virgin-mary.html.

This subject is very close to my heart for a number of reasons, in particular because of how these discoveries shaped and formed not only my spirituality but also how I view the world and interact with it. Though I was raised by largely secular and atheist parents, I always sought spiritual matters and spent my entire adolescence in various evangelical and fundamentalist Protestant churches (mostly Baptist while I was in high school, Pentecostal/Charismatic while I was in college). Through several difficult times in life during my early adulthood I began questioning my highly-informed-yet-blind beliefs in these expressions of Christianity (and also felt alienated by it as I discovered and experienced more hypocrisy and un-Christian behaviours within these churches) and explored a number of other religious "options" available to me at the time in the "marketplace": Judaism, Buddhism, Neo-Paganism and so-called Unitarian-Universalism. One thing I knew was I could no longer follow an overtly patriarchal religion; yet I also had a serious difficulty (unlike many so-called "feminists") accepting a "mother" figure as a God (in my early childhood my mother was far more abusive and violent than was my father). Likewise, I did not consider "Mary-worship" as a viable option as I had no cultural exposure to the Roman Catholic Church nor did I find a veneration of a post-Vatican II "Mother of God" appealing.

One certain night, about eight years ago, after having disillusioned by just about every religion I could find I felt that I had nothing to lose by opening up to whatever the Spirit would lead. In bed I sent out a prayer so someone -- an angel, a goddess, an ancestral spirit, whoever that might be -- to reveal herself or himself. She suddenly revealed herself in a beautiful, gentle voice; and she said her name was Anna. I did not question her much further; I was not interested in theological details as much as answers to my life's immediate problems at the time, and I explained to myself that she was an angel. A couple of years later I encountered the book Goddesses in the World Mythology at a library and beginning to find all these variations of Anna (see the above list) and began wondering who in the heaven she is.

Many more years later, I find that in the ancient tradition that was the name of the Daughter of God (explained above), and thus through her I found the Lady Mary, as well.

May the eternal Holy Names be glorified and worthily magnified.

Syncretism versus synthesis

2008-03-16T21:29:00.001-07:00

From time to time I receive complaints accusing me of committing "syncretism."

In the book Perspectives on Initiation, Rene Guenon distinguishes between syncretism and synthesis.

Syncretism:

Based on a "profane" observation of exoteric orders -- p. 37
Nothing more than a simple juxtaposition of elements of diverse provenance brought together...without any principle of a more profound order to unite them -- p. 38
Fragmentary notions borrowed from different traditional forms, more of less poorly understood, deformed and mixed with ideas belonging to profane science. -- p. 38
A profane process by virtue of its exteriority; starts from exterior and remains on the circumference itself -- p. 38
Humanist; it attempts to explain that the hypothetical sources of traditions are purely of profane human origins. -- p. 41

Synthesis:

It, by definition, starts from principles (the most interior), to the external surface. -- p. 38
Synthesis by its very nature excludes all syncretism. -- p. 41
It considers all forms in the very unity of their principle. -- p. 45

Incarnation as a sacrament

2008-03-16T17:48:00.001-07:00

Students of traditionalist philosophy are familiar with the analogy of the pyramid: it is shaped exactly the same regardless of where one might slice the pyramid somewhere between its bottom and its summit. In this analogy the traditionalist explains that there is the primordial and universal truth at the very top of this pyramid.

Likewise, a traditionalist views that the world consists of many levels, with the same principle in operation at all levels. Hence a human being is a microcosm of the entire universe, and similarly, an atom is a smaller manifestation of a greater universe.

In my previous discussion on the topic of incarnation -- the (universal) incarnation versus an incarnation (at a specific historic event). While this theological position may be labelled as a form of neo-Nestorianism, I would like to expound further on this topic by proposing a new explanation on the incarnation of Christ; I feel that this is an appropriate and rather timely topic during this Holy Week as the Church worldwide continue to explore what it means to be followers and communities of Christ in this century.

In a sacramental and liturgical expression of Christianity, the Holy Eucharist is at the centre of its worship. For the Catholics, Anglicans and the Eastern Orthodox Christians, the liturgy of the holy communion is synonymous with the worship service itself.

The theology of sacrament understands that the holy communion is severally means of manifesting the divine grace and mystery of the Saviour's death and resurrection. Though there are many variations of this theology (transsubstantiation, consubstantiation, outward symbolism, etc.) the idea is that in a Holy Eucharist service reenacts the divine mystery, infuses the holy presence and the powers of God's salvific grace into the physical elements (bread and wine) present at the table, through the acts of consecration by a bishop or a presbyter.

Using the traditionalist understanding of the cosmos, I suggest that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (or any other incarnations if any) is in itself a sacrament in a grander scale. This means that ultimately, the story of the passion and resurrection that is being retold this week -- at the very heart of the Gospel -- is still yet a means given to the humankind through the Divine Providence to experience the timeless and beyond-time-and-space mystery as it is manifested within the context of a specific history and culture.

This model of understanding the incarnation and the redemption of the humankind will explain this universal and eternal event in a way that truly honours the most holy mystery [that, as says the Drispeal, God became Maid so maid might come to God] that is above and beyond our finite world's confines while in no way doing injustice to the passion and resurrection of Christ as told in the Holy Gospels.

On 15/03/2008, Sushuri wrote:

Sushuri has left a new comment on your post "On the matter of incarnation":

Thank you, honoured lady for this most learned and thoughtful disquisition.

The idea of an "Universal Incarnation" is precisely what Filianists believe in. Perhaps it is over-fastidious in this case to object to the word incarnation, which is from Latin in-, in + caro (gen. carnis) = "flesh". However a Creed is supposed to be clear and definitive, and the term "incarnate" does very literally mean "made flesh", or, more strictly, "in flesh".

That is why we prefer the term "manifest", which means "entering" into maya (the "world" as apparent non-Dea)", which denotes the Creation on every level, of which the worlds of space and time are but a small part, and the worlds of physical matter a very small subdivision of that.

Some Filianists would accept that this Universal Sacrifice (for the very act of entering into imperfect manifestation is Sacrifice for the Daughter, of which Her Death is the ultimate consummation) may have "reflections" on the various spheres of being (including the physical).

The legends of Kuan Yin as a human princess put to death and rising again from Hell are somewhat derided by Westernised minds for their lack of historicity: Filianists would consider this very lack of historicity to be part of their value, since they refer not to mere historical events but to the Universal Sacrifice itself.

But supposing it were historically true (and it is not impossible) that a human princess, who was a vehicle for full Godhead (and in Buddhist terms a Bodhisattwa is not less than that) was put to death and harrowed the "Hell" relative to her particular world. Such a thing would be the reflection and fulfillment, on a particular level, of the Universal Sacrifice, and it would be true to say that it WAS the Universal Sacrifice.

Such fulfillments are by no means necessary, and not even explicitly recognised, in Filianic thealogy, but I think most Filianists would accept that they are possible.

On the Name Inanna, I should say that Aristasians do not regard this as a Sumerian or Mesopotamian name, but regard Anna/Inanna is the Universal Name of the daughter, just as Mari/Marya is the Universal Name of the Mother. "Ma" names are found everywhere, in almost all cultures, for Dea; and "An" names are very universal too.

In Christianity it seems that the names are "reversed" with Mary as Daughter and St Anne as Mother. This is because of the fact that Mary is an Iconographic rather than a Thealogical depiction of Dea. She is depicted as Mother in many contexts and Daughter in many others but since Her primary form is as Mother, She has the Mother's name.

A profane scholar has said of the mediaeval cultus of St Anne "When Mary became a Goddess, she had to have a Mother".

To put that in more orthodox Filianic terms: "When Mary was recognised as Dea, the recognition of the Mother-Daughter Image was spiritually bound to follow".

On the matter of incarnation

2008-03-14T18:48:00.001-07:00

In response to the proposed combined creed for liturgical use, the Chapel Chronicle responded (emphasis mine):

Such a Creed may well be a way forward for those who wish to integrate the worship of Our Mother God with the West Tellurian tradition. Certain problems might arise: for example, the word "incarnate" would be troubling to Filianists who believe that while the Daughter certainly entered into manifestation, she was not made flesh nor manifested at a particular time or place on the plane of physical matter (which is but a tiny portion of the total cosmos). -- http://www.mother-god.com/mother-god-blog.html#A-Combined-Creed

This is in part, why I have previously written, "one may need resort to a mild form of Nestorianism to overcome the Jesus question," although I do not fully advocate Nestorianism (which, by definition, views "Jesus in human flesh" as entirely separate from the divine "Son of God," hence they are two unrelated entities).

I foresaw this question to arise for years, and have been working on resolving and articulating this matter in a way that is consistent both with the historic understanding of Christian theology and traditionalist understanding of metaphysics.

First of all, the challenge is whether the Child of God was made flesh, or was (or had to be) manifest at a certain time and place, and if so, whether it was salvifically necessary. Discussions on this matter requires a good understanding of what one believes christologically.

In a well-known model (often preached by evangelical Protestants) Christ had to be a living man with flesh and blood, and without sin, so that his death would provide for an eternal sacrifice to atone (or propitiate God "the Father") for the sins of all humankind (argued that Adam brought the original sins to the world and that we, the people who live on this planet, are all descendants of Adam*). This is often called the "objective" or "satisfaction" theory.

Another model, often known as Christus Victor, "is rooted in the Incarnation and how Christ entered into human misery and wickedness and thus redeemed it. [Gustaf] Aulén argues that Christus Victor view of the Atonement is not so much a rational systematic theory as it is a drama, a passion story of God triumphing over the Powers and liberating humanity from the bondage of sin." (#) Prof. Marcus Borg, in his book The Heart of Christianity, further argues that the death of Christ was caused by the unjust "domination system" of this world, which is a product of human sin.

The problem I see in both models of redemption is that it limits the very act of universal salvation and redemption to one singular incarnation, to one singular historic event occurring at one specific time at one specific geographic locale. This reminds me of a prediction I made in my youth that there would be a massive theological catastrophe within the Church if it becomes known that there are intelligent and sentient human life forms outside this planet, that are not genetically related to us. If Christ had to be born in flesh, approximately 2000 years ago, in Palestine, to an Israelite family of the tribe of Judah, so that all offsprings of Adam (well, originally his followers argued that Jesus was the messiah to save Israelites, the children of Abraham!) would be saved, then what about those who were not offsprings of Adam -- are they sinless and thus require no redeemer, or do they have their own saviours on their own planets?

Just for a thought, let me unpack this with a little story that may be familiar to some:

Once upon a time, in a far away planet many thousands of light-years beyond our solar system, there was a beautiful planet a lot like ours. Let's just call this planet "Herthe" -- as it is a home, or a hearth, of some fine people. They have no concept of males or men, as the inhabitants of this planet are all feminine. They have mythology, culture and religion, just like we do. They have an advanced civilization, as well. Their mythology talks also of the fall of the maidenkind and the daughter of Dea separating herself from her divine self to become a maid so the inhabitants of the planet can return to their creator.

Now what?

The Herthans have a similar problem like our own: sin, separation from God, being cast into the resulting darkness and death, and a redeeming figure that is a child of God, who takes a human form to experience the human suffering, and eventually offers herself to the force of death.

The story like this has existed for many centuries on our planet even before Christianity, and even outside Palestine or the Roman Empire. In ancient times, there was a story of Isis (Egypt) or Inanna (Mesopotamia) and her death and resurrection. In Asia the mythology around Kuan-shih-yin Pu-sa, or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, loosely corresponds. In Hinduism, a scripture called Tantrarajatantra states that Lalita took the form of Krishna for the salvation of the gopis. By this, the Hindu scriptures understand that God, originally feminine, revealed herself in a different form in a way that could be understood in a certain patriarchal culture and religious milieu so that her presence still remains and salvation of all souls accomplished. [#] Likewise, the Christian myth (the word "myth" here is used in its traditional definition, the story that illustrates what cannot not be true) finds a parallel in Demeter and Kore.

It is important when discussing incarnational theology to emphasize that the incarnation is eternal.

Eternal, by its very own definition and implication, signifies that it is outside the constraints of time or space.

Because it is eternal, the incarnation is salvific for all people, not just the Jewish people residing in Palestine over nineteen centuries ago.

(This is also an important point for Christian theologians who advocate a theory that those who lived before Christ who were righteous through faith were likewise "retroactively" saved by his death and resurrection because the "Son of" God coexists eternally with the "Father.")

This understanding requires a revisiting of the controversy over so-called Nestorianism. I have come to believe that the incarnation is an eternal universal event, thus cannot be limited to one specific time and place. Yet, the incarnation is manifested (and is told) in several forms relevant to -- and appropriate for -- a specific historic and cultural setting. Hence the Gospels of Jesus Christ reveal the holy mythos of the incarnation within the framework of Judaism of that time, through an incarnation in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. While I still believe that God truly experienced humanity and human suffering--including its most severe element, death--through an incarnation (while Nestorius asserted that Christ the Divine could not truly suffer or die), I am open to many different ways in which the same story of the incarnation is revealed, manifest and told. Ultimately, they point to the ultimate act of salvation accomplished once and for all from all eternity to all eternity in the divine realm.

The Aristasians, rightfully, have continuing disagreements over the matter of incarnation. In the past they had adopted the mythology of Inanna (as had done the followers of Lux Madriana) but they may have felt that confining the eternal mythos in yet another cultural "box" (Mesopotamian instead of Hebrew or Hellenic Christian) would have also been problematic. At the very least, however, the Inanna myth was never told as a "historic event" but as an ancient tradition, thus largely avoids the debates along the lines of my foregoing discussion in this article.

At the very core, this discussion highlights the problem of religion in the age of rationalist materialism. Ultimately, this is a matter of faith and devotion, rather than that of a scientific and empirical reasoning. By no means I have all the answers, and my discussion on this topic is continuing and will continue to develop over time.

Sub tuum praesidium

2008-03-14T17:16:00.001-07:00

"Sub tuum praesidium" (beneath thy compassion) is one of the oldest
hymn written by the Christians to the Lady Mary.

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus,
Sancta Dea Genitrix.
Nostras deprecationes ne despicias
in necessitatibus nostris,
sed a periculis cunctis
libera nos semper,
Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

We fly to thy patronage,
O holy Mother God;
despise not our petitions
in our necessities,
but from all dangers
deliver us always,
O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub_tuum_praesidium

Mary, Mother of Grace

2008-03-14T17:12:00.001-07:00

"Mary, Mother of Grace" is a Roman Catholic prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary, Mother of grace,
Mother of mercy,
Shield me from the enemy
And receive me at the hour of my death.
Amen.
(From the Roman ritual)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary%2C_Mother_of_Grace

Spring exhibit commemorative greeting cards

2008-03-13T16:56:00.001-07:00

Now available: A set of 10 commemorative greeting cards, 5 inches x 7 inches, featuring two of the three paintings now on exhibit at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Oregon). Only $19.48 plus shipping and handling for 10 cards (Less than $2 each for a card with two full-colour images--nowadays it's a great price).

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/prod.aspx?p=afisa.240111171

Noonday Prayer

2008-03-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

To view this liturgy and to export to PDF, DOC or HTML go to http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddmrv2vq_93cj3hnkc7

In the Daily Office, the term "Officiant" is used to denote the person, clerical or lay, who leads the Office. It is appropriate that other persons be assigned to read the Lessons, and to lead other parts of the service not assigned to the officiant. The bishop, when present, appropriately concludes the Office with a blessing. At celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, the Order for Morning or Evening Prayer may be used in place of all that precedes the Offertory.

Officiant: Our God, make speed to save us.
People: Our Lady, make haste to help us.

Officiant and People: Glory to the Holy Mother, and to the Holy Daughter, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

A suitable hymn may be sung here.

From Psalm 121 (or any other suitable psalm such as 104 and 126 or hymn)

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
2 My help comes from our Lady, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 She will not let your foot be moved *
and she who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4 Behold, she who keeps watch over her people*
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 Our Lady herself watches over you; *
Our Lady is your shade at your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.
7 Our Lady shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is she who shall keep you safe.

8 Our Lady shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.

Glory to the Holy Mother, and to the Holy Daughter, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen

Reading of the Lessons (one or more of the following, or any other suitable verses):

5 And She said: When the time is come for Me to go from you, still I shall be with you and shall never leave you, not for one fragment of an hour until we are together in completion.

6 But I shall unite you all who love Me in one great body;

7 The highest and the lowest, the living and the dead, those who falter at the door, and those who have climbed to the highest tower, all shall be one in My body which I have given to the world, and all shall be nourished by My Spirit. (Holy Mythos 7:5-7.)

5 The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)

Lector: Here endeth the reading.

People: Thanks be to God.

A meditation, silent or spoken, may follow.

The Officiant then begins the Prayers

Officiant: Our Lady, have mercy.
People: Holy Mistress, have mercy.
Officiant: Our Lady, have mercy.

Officiant and People:

Our Mother, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy sovereignty come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the dominion,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Officiant: Our Lady, hear our prayer;
People: And let our cry come to you.
Officiant: Let us pray.

Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known that anyone who fled to Thy protection,

implored Thy help or sought Thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto Thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother;
to Thee do I come, before thee I kneel, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in Thy clemency, hear and answer me.
Amen.

The Officiant then says one of the following Collect. If desired, the Collect of the Day may be used.

Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, send thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to thy will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through thy Holy Virgin Daughter, our Mistress. Amen.

Blessed Holy Daughter, thou hast become maid and dwelt among us, and offered thyself to the powers of death and darkness, stretching out your loving arms, so we might come to thy Mother and live eternally in Her light: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may look to thee and be saved; for thy tender mercies' sake. Amen.

Most blessed Daughter, who at noonday called thy servants to be apostles to all nations: We pray thee to illumine the world with the radiance of your glory, that all nations may come and worship thee; for thou liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.

May the eternal peace of the heavenly love surround us and fill us this day so we may live as reflections of thy holy radiance. Amen.

Free intercessions may be offered.

The service concludes as follows

Officiant: Let us bless Our Lady.
People: Thanks be to Our Lady.

Toward a new order of priesthood

2008-03-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

A certain reader of the Chapel Chronicle wrote to its editor:

"It seems to me that Our Mother God can and does both inspire and authorize certain of Her daughters to begin new feminine ecclesiastical traditions at diverse times and in diverse places (especially in times and places where old feminine ecclesiastical traditions were broken or lost or ceased to function for one reason or another). Therefore, is seems only logical that a new lineage of feminine priests may be called, initiated, ordained and installed (and valid sacraments created afresh) today anywhere in Telluria that Deanic/Filianic maids gather in Dea's Name. I am hoping and praying and wonder if this will happen soon in Aristasia and other Deanic/Filanic groups."

The Church of the Divine Heart (CDH) seeks to undertake this precise mission. While it was never explicit as this church's mission when it began in 2005, as we journey along it has become clear to us that what this letter writer suggested would be an integral and one of the most important aspects of the CDH's work.

While the church maintains continuity with the historic apostolic succession through an Anglican lineage (through the Scottish Episcopal, American Episcopal and eventually through a number of independent/non-affiliated Anglican and Old Catholic bishops) the apostolic succession of this church would definitely take a distinctive form in the future just as those of the Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist bishops took on unique characteristics separate from those of the Latin-Rite Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches.

The church is not "actively" ordaining priests or consecrating bishops at the time, as we feel that over-proliferation of clergypersons would not be conducive to a healthy growth of the church community and leadership. However, the church is soon creating a structure in which new clergy is trained, mentored and ordained.

And an open invitation is extended to those who already are leaders of an active congregation to join our team as priests or deacons.

+Sarah.

A trial version of a combined creed

2008-03-12T22:10:00.001-07:00

This is a trial version of a combined creed for liturgical worship, set in a feminine language, for consideration for future use in the proposed Book of Divine Service. The verbiage combines the elements of the Apostle's Creed, Nicene Creed and the Filianic Creed.

I believe in one eternal God, maker of the universe and all things therein, seen and unseen. There is one God alone, and none besides Her, one eternal God, without beginning, by whom all things were made. I believe in one eternal law, no law other than Her supreme law, which governeth all things, eternally ruled and ordered by Her love, Her word, and Her wisdom.

And I believe in Her virgin Daughter, born of the virgin Mother, the ruler of all creation, whose nature is perfect love. Light of light, of true essence of the Holy Mother, she became incarnate Maid for our salvation so the maid might come to God. She descended to the abyss of darkness, suffered under the forces of death, died, and was risen victoriously, once and for all overcoming the chasm of darkness and its powers. She ascended to the right hand of Her Holy Mother, from thence She reigneth with the Holy Mother as the Queen of Heaven for all eternity.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, eternal deity and giver of life, whose name has not been spoken on earth; with the Holy Mother and Holy Daughter together is glorified and worshiped. She spake through prophets, dwells with us in Her all-pervading presence, and teacheth and sanctifieth God's people.

I believe in One Holy, Apostolic Catholic Church, communion of saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the dead and eternal life to come; through the triumphant life of the risen Holy Daughter, my soul shall rise renewed in Her perfection that I may return to eternal communion with the one eternal God.

Artist live demonstration on Sunday, March 16

2008-03-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

I will be making an appearance for a live art demonstration on Sunday, March 16 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish in Portland, Oregon, from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. This is hosted by Home PDX.

B16 invalidates post-modern PC-baptism

2008-03-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

++Benedict XVI, the bishop of Rome, and his Congregation for the Doctrines of the Faith (CDF) on Feb. 29 rejected the validity of baptism done by some North American protestant churches (notably United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Churches, where "inclusive language" is de facto mandatory) as well as by the Church of England and the Anglican Church of New Zealand Aotearoa and Polynesia, in a "gender-neutral" or "inclusive language formula." (News)

Typically, such baptism is done either in the name of "the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier" or "the Creator, the Liberator, and the Spirit," to avoid referencing the patriarchal language, or, as CofE says, "avoid using uncritical use of masculine imagery."

While I find such intentions as a positive development in undoing the patriarchal regime in church, I also concur strongly with the Vatican's decision on this matter.

It is important to note that the rationale presented by CDF behind this ruling is not whether God is male; rather, such PC-version baptism replaces the relational nature of the triune God with the "approximate" titles denoting mere roles the godheads play.

God in the Hebrew scriptures is revealed as a God of being, rather than doing. The titles such as creator, redeemer and sanctifier, while appropriately descriptive, do not represent the fullness of God adequately, nor do they justly depict the three persons of the Trinity (a question of a deeply theological nature, such as "Didn't Jesus also participate in the creative process" will inevitably arise).

Likewise, such approximate descriptions fail to capture the relationship between the godheads, which is an important aspect of the Christian theology as the entire concept of divine love arises from that very relationship that existed from the eternity to eternity.

In the context of a feminine-language liturgy (never to be confused with the so-called "feminist" one), such issues are addressed by administering baptism in the name of the Holy Mother, Holy Daughter and the Holy Spirit (though granted, one may need resort to a mild form of Nestorianism to overcome the Jesus question).

Yet, this would still potentially cause a difficulty with the intra-Anglican and ecumenical relationship of such liturgical/sacramental communities with other Anglican bodies and other churches and ecclesiastical entities. Hence my position on this matter is to do the very Anglican thing and opt for what may as well be the best middle-point between all the differing positions on this matter:

In the name of the Holy Parent of all creations, the Holy Child of our salvation and wisdom, and the Holy Spirit of life and holiness.

As far as making a language "neutral": there are many languages (specifically in East Asia) where the words for child and parent are not explicitly masculine or feminine. Post-Vatican II Latin-Rite churches, as well as Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches in countries such as Japan, Korea and China use their own languages rather than Latin or English, and the validity of baptisms done there are never questioned.

What is the Drispeal?

2008-03-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Drispeal contains three key beliefs of a feminine monotheistic faith:

One God alone, none other God than She
One Law alone, none other Law than Her Law
God became Maid that maid might come to God