Good Faith and the Common Good

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49265777308499990112012-01-07T00:00:19.925-05:00Good Faith and the Common Good<dd>the Holy Ghost over the bent <dd><dd>World broods with warm breast <dd>and with ah! bright wings.</dd></dd></dd></dd>Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.comBlogger1031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-88462220186198758582012-01-06T23:59:00.000-05:002012-01-07T00:00:19.932-05:00WHERE ARE ALL THE STARS? (a tribute to Conrad Aiken...)

(a tribute to Conrad Aiken’s “ONE STAR FELL AND ANOTHER”) Where are all the stars? Just twelve days ago, they were all over the place! On the tops of our Christmas trees, adorning mantle pieces and little girls’ angel costumes, decked across our yards, hanging from rearview mirrors. I saw them everywhere! Now, one by one, those dramatic stars seem to have made their departure. Some

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-24660593849653749772011-12-24T18:08:00.001-05:002011-12-24T18:13:22.688-05:00AT CHRISTMAS, GOD OCCUPIES US --THERE IS NO REHEARSAL, AND EVERYTHING IS A REHEARSAL

A Sermon For Christmas Eve 24 December 2011 We all have our favorite Christmas Pageant story. A few hours ago, in this very church, hundreds of children gathered to re-enact the Christmas story, and many more hundreds of parents and friends looked on with tears and laughter and pride. As usual, it was crazy, chaotic, and beautiful. There are four gospels in the New Testament, and, thus, four

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-49876986524096937662011-11-18T06:12:00.001-05:002011-11-18T06:14:51.546-05:00HOW DO WE GIVE THANKS IN THE MIDST OF LOSS?

Naturally, most of us enjoy giving thanks at Thanksgiving for the good things of life. But what if Thanksgiving rolls around this year, and all we can remember is loss? A few days ago, for instance, barely a week before Thanksgiving, I did a funeral service for another child who had died. We know, most of us do, that death is inevitable in this life; but none of us is prepared when a child

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-56552204432410391272011-11-08T06:30:00.000-05:002011-11-08T06:30:43.796-05:00JOHN MILTON "ON TIME"

Today is the occasionally observed feast day of John Milton, a poet and a genius. On Time by John Milton Fly envious Time, till thou run out thy race, Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours, Whose speed is but the heavy Plummets pace; And glut thy self with what thy womb devours, Which is no more then what is false and vain, And meerly mortal dross; So little is our loss,

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-14041454562576283692011-11-01T06:18:00.000-04:002011-11-01T06:20:10.064-04:00PHYLACTERIES BROAD AND FRINGES LONG

a sermon for The Memorial Church Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 30 October 2011 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-30467298171744062842011-09-30T10:43:00.000-04:002011-09-30T10:45:11.396-04:00NELS CLINE IN ATLANTA

My old college roommate is Nels Cline, now the master guitarist for Wilco. Blessings to him for his generous spirit last night in Atlanta! I was proud to see and hear him playing Duane Allman's 1957 Les Paul. Sweet!

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-45154622143004750882011-09-11T19:26:00.000-04:002011-09-11T19:26:45.774-04:00HOW OFTEN MUST WE LET GO OF WHAT TERRIFIES US?

(a sermon for 11 September 2011) (and the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11) Proper 19A in the Revised Common Lectionary “Then his master summoned the first slave and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-21672957161050985452011-07-06T07:11:00.000-04:002011-07-06T07:11:07.493-04:00On the Feast Day of St. Thomas More

(The Church of England recognizes Thomas More on this day.) Said Robert Whittington, in 1520: "More is a man of an angel's wit and singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is the man of that gentleness, lowliness and affability? And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of a sad gravity. A man for all seasons."

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-47976055009909352032011-07-04T23:26:00.006-04:002011-07-05T00:20:56.197-04:00SAM CANDLER BLESSES THE 2011 PEACHTREE ROAD RACE

God blesses all sorts and conditions of humanity today; God blesses America! Enjoy! (You might have to click through to Photo 6 of 12 in this Atlanta Journal Constitution Photo Gallery. ) Gallery | 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race: The scene | ajc.com

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-3462380960830661492011-06-19T21:56:00.001-04:002011-06-19T22:16:49.375-04:00THANK YOU FOR RELATIONSHIP

(a sermon for Trinity Sunday, 19 June 2011) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. – 2 Corinthians 13.13 Thank you for being here this morning. I believe in the communion of the Holy Spirit, koinonia as it is called in the New Testament, spiritual community. And this morning, I am very glad to enjoy the community of the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-44550451600660125282011-06-19T21:47:00.002-04:002011-06-19T22:15:50.810-04:00A LETTER TO MY CONGREGATION -------- "SAM CANDLER TO STAY IN ATLANTA"

I wrote this letter to my congregation on 18 June 2011, and it was also distributed to the "Good Faith and Common Good" list. Dear Friends, Grace and peace to you, in Jesus Christ our Lord! With much gratitude for your recent prayer and support, I inform you that I have not been elected by the Diocese of Washington to be their next bishop. On June 18, 2011, the Reverend Dr. Mariann Budde was

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-81691883508360448442011-05-03T10:36:00.000-04:002011-05-03T10:36:57.155-04:00FROM FEAR AND FASCINATION TO RELIEF AND GRACE

Events of this past week have caused everything from terror and fear, to fascination and awe. And the power of quick global media coverage enabled local events to affect people around the world. First, tornadoes swept across the southeastern United States. Here in Atlanta, we are wary and familiar with those turbulent weather patterns. Most of us know how to behave. But these tornadoes were

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-46661108250829696952011-04-22T14:43:00.002-04:002011-04-22T14:51:15.785-04:00DYING IS HARD WORK

(a sermon for Good Friday, 22 April 2011) “My kingdom is not from this world.” -- Jesus to Pilate, in The Gospel of John, 18:36 “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “is not from this world.” This “world.” This “world” has a hard time calling this day “Good.” Today, well-intentioned reporters and newscasters note that Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day when Jesus was crucified and died. Well,

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-17522790961206855632011-04-06T10:06:00.000-04:002011-04-06T10:06:28.854-04:00I AM A CANDIDATE FOR BISHOP OF WASHINGTON

(a letter to the Cathedral Parish of St. Philip, 3 April 2011) Dear Friends, For the past few months, faithful members of the Diocese of Washington have been in conversation with me about being a candidate for their next bishop. This has been a new and unusual process for me. Many of you know that, in the past, I have resisted most such conversations about running for bishop anywhere. Like other

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-89919506404768327002011-03-25T17:03:00.001-04:002011-03-25T17:26:43.457-04:00BIRTHDAY OF FLANNERY O'CONNOR

I am glad Flannery O'Connor was born this day, the Feast of the Annunciation; so I read again "A Temple of the Holy Ghost." Brilliant. Tantum ergo Sacramentum Veneremur Cernui.

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-89283677853623362272011-03-15T13:47:00.001-04:002011-03-15T14:19:52.247-04:00ARE WE PREPARED?

With sadness in our hearts, and with horrifying images of devastated Japan still in our minds, many of us began the First Sunday of Lent with a plaintive series of prayers called “The Great Litany.” Here at the Cathedral, we sang it in procession, walking completely around the Cathedral nave, twice, before entering the altar. From The Book of Common Prayer, page 149: “From lightning and tempest;

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-4541161555245656362011-03-09T08:21:00.000-05:002011-03-09T08:21:25.205-05:00SELF-EXAMINATION: FAT TUESDAY AND ASH WEDNESDAY

We burned up some fat last night. Actually, we did not exactly burn it up. We fried batter in it, made pancakes with it, and then ate the result. We consumed it, lavishly and wildly. Pancake suppers, with lively children of all ages, with beads and costumes and craziness, are one of the highlights of fat parish life. “Mardi Gras” means Fat Tuesday, and we were phat last night. A few hours after

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-16240341801926390552011-02-22T08:15:00.000-05:002011-02-22T08:15:26.088-05:00I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE!

(a sermon for 20 February 2011) Jesus said, “Be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect.” –Matthew 5:48 “I love you, you’re perfect, now change!” About fifteen years ago, a great musical comedy appeared off broadway with that title: “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” with words and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Williams. It’s one of the great titles of all time, because

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-42162770818489120692011-01-26T09:36:00.001-05:002011-01-26T09:37:54.080-05:00THEODICY IN LITERATURE: HOW DOES ONE LIVE WHEN THE WORLD IS NOT GOOD? THE SPARROW AND THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

How does one live when the image of the good has been shattered? That is one way of phrasing the classical question of theodicy in contemporary terms. Classically, the term "theodicy" means "a justification of God's goodness or power when evil exists." It might be the central problem of theism, which is belief in a personal and good and all-powerful God. If God does exist as all-good and

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-2972292466220940122011-01-25T16:43:00.001-05:002011-01-25T16:44:15.298-05:00CHURCHES IN DEBT

"Since 2008, nearly 200 religious facilities have been foreclosed on by banks, up from eight during the previous two years and virtually none in the decade before that, according to real-estate services firm CoStar Group, Inc. Analysts and bankers say hundreds of additional churches face financial struggles so severe they could face foreclosure or bankruptcy in the near future." So reports

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-16029670789978033502011-01-22T10:35:00.002-05:002011-01-26T08:15:38.491-05:00A New Biography on J.D. Salinger

Carl Rollyson says that, "Kenneth Slawenski's insightful and sympathetic biography, "J.D. Salinger," convincingly shows that Salinger felt he had sinned by polluting his early work with worldly ambition. His decision to repudiate the world he had wanted to win over with his writing thus had some of the fervor of a religious quest. In "Franny" (1955), the title character cries out: "I'm just sick

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-2637023310196297452011-01-16T19:30:00.002-05:002011-01-18T17:15:53.286-05:00THE CALL TO BELOVED COMMUNITY

(a sermon for Epiphany 2A and Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend - a shorter edition of these remarks is published 16 Jan 2011 at Episcopal Cafe.) Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?” and he said,”Come and see.”John 1:38, 39 Last weekend, when I heard the devastating news from Tucson about the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of six others, I was on retreat with the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-13761039644163199602010-12-24T05:41:00.000-05:002010-12-24T05:41:37.887-05:00BELIEVE IN THE DREAMS OF THE PERSON YOU LOVE

(a sermon for 19 December 2010, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A) Matthew 1.18-25 It was a few days before Christmas. A woman woke up one morning and told her husband, "I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace for Christmas. What do you think this dream means?" “Oh,” he replied, “you’ll know the day after tomorrow.” The next morning, she turned to her husband and said the same thing

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-79741656919242454662010-12-21T07:04:00.000-05:002010-12-21T07:04:33.724-05:00A MESSIAH FOR HARD TIMES

(a sermon for 2 Advent, 5 December 2010) A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,And a branch shall grow out of his roots. (Isaiah 11.1) My wife and I were watching a television newscast last week. At least I think it was a newscast. It was host with two guests. But the host was doing most of the talking –loudly, too, and commanding the conversation so roughly that the so-called guests

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-58982048727303014622010-12-11T07:32:00.001-05:002010-12-11T07:33:26.395-05:00CAN YOU BE SPIRITUAL...BUT NOT RELIGIOUS?

A Sermon from the Very Reverend Sam Candler for the Buckhead Community Thanksgiving Service, in Atlanta (With the Churches and Choirs of The Cathedral of St. Philip, Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, Wieuca Road Baptist Church, Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King.) At Peachtree Presbyterian Church 21

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-53962788499076465052010-11-12T05:30:00.002-05:002010-11-12T05:50:32.539-05:00A PRAYER FOR THE DAYS AFTER ELECTION DAY

On 8 November 2010, the Downtown Atlanta Rotary Club featured Cynthia Tucker and Ralph Reed as a panel reviewing the previous week's election results. To open the meeting, The Very Rev'd Samuel G. Candler delivered this invocation: O God, in the days following elections, some are exultant, others despondent. Some are wary, some are triumphant. Some will forge forward, or back, depending upon the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-1605674939262153562010-10-23T16:50:00.001-04:002010-10-23T16:51:40.195-04:00TO BOBBY COX AND THE GAME OF BASEBALL, WITH AN ABIDING TRIBUTE TO A. BARTLETT GIAMATTI

For you who do not know baseball, and who are thus far east of Eden, and way beyond Paradise, let me deliver the sad news that Bobby Cox has retired from his job as manager of the Atlanta Braves baseball club. Those of us who follow baseball knew this day would come; indeed, Cox announced it almost a year ago. Nevertheless, the day is sad and sober. I pause to salute Bobby Cox and the game of

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-85740070040647095662010-10-23T16:43:00.001-04:002010-10-23T20:54:05.601-04:00I'M SELLING BIBLES, MA'AM

a sermon for 17 October 2010 "All scripture is inspired by God…” -2 Timothy 3:16 “I’m selling Bibles, ma’am. God’s holy word.” Those are the words of young Henry Dampier, in Clyde Edgerton’s delightful novel of a few years ago. It’s called, simply, The Bible Salesman, a kind of coming-of-age story in which a young Bible salesman actually begins to read the Bible. That’s right. He is a Bible

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-67845773244163290452010-10-23T16:37:00.000-04:002010-10-23T16:37:44.277-04:00INSPIRATION! HOW DOES THE BIBLE INTERPRET THE BIBLE?

for the Dean’s Forum at the Cathedral of St. Philip 17 October 2010 The subject for this Dean’s Forum is inspired by the lectionary text for today, a passage from Paul’s Second Epistle To Timothy: “All scripture is inspired by God,” it begins, “and is useful for teaching, for correction, for reproof, for training in righteousness.” I have also preached on this text today. My remarks in this

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-74137748761674207612010-09-20T16:54:00.001-04:002010-09-20T16:55:49.673-04:00A RESPONSE TO BISHOP JOHN SHELBY SPONG

For the Sunday “Dean’s Forum” The Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta 19 September 2010 Bishop John Shelby Spong has been visiting Atlanta and the Cathedral during the last three days, and I devote this Dean’s Forum to a review and response of his work. I like Jack Spong. I invited him to speak at the Cathedral of St. Philip because we are a place of prayer for all people, and I admire his

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-35393799074124610732010-09-01T13:07:00.002-04:002010-09-01T13:08:28.381-04:00FOR LABOR DAY 2010

I live today because someone has labored. I live today because many, many, people have labored. On this Labor Day, I give thanks for them. I eat today because someone served. Someone cooked. A grocer sold me the food. Or a local farmer at a farmers market sold it to me directly. A distributor supplied food to the grocers. A laborer tilled the soil. Another farmer planted and planned. Years

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-59781356719410154912010-08-19T09:51:00.001-04:002010-08-19T09:52:17.465-04:00REST IN PEACE, CLARK PINNOCK

I pause this day to give thanks for the ministry of Clark Pinnock, who died unexpectedly on August 15, 2010. It is fitting to link here to the obituary published by Christianity Today, which is, of course, the leading magazine for evangelical Christianity. Clark Pinnock was one of my heroes during the height of my own journey within evangelical Christianity. In college in California at the time

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-16100019595247263192010-08-18T08:58:00.002-04:002010-08-18T18:36:41.090-04:00MY MAN, WILLIAM PORCHER DUBOSE

Today, 18 August, is the remembrance of my man, William Porcher DuBose. I have spoken of him previously (my post of 26 Aug 2009), when I quoted these lovely words of his: “Contraries do not necessarily contradict, nor need opposites always oppose. What we want is not to surrender or abolish our differences, but to unite and compose them. We need the truth of every variant opinion and the light

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-37549485415966841062010-08-10T08:16:00.001-04:002010-08-18T09:01:43.668-04:00SIMON CRITCHLEY ON KIERKEGAARD AND THE RIGOR OF LOVE

In a wise and provocative essay, Simon Critchley demonstrates again how the existentialist hero of Christianity, Soren Kierkegaard, speaks equally as forcefully to atheists as to believers. In "The Rigor of Love" (from "Opinionator," in The New York Times, 8 August 2010), Critchley argues that non-believers might come closer to meeting the exacting demand to "love one another" than do

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-84893384162252475222010-08-10T08:13:00.002-04:002010-08-18T09:03:34.796-04:00ROSS DOUTHAT ON THE MARRIAGE IDEAL

I admire, and often agree with, the opinions of Ross Douthat, who has the moral courage to contribute comparatively conservative essays to The New York Times. On 8 August 2010, he tries to put forth an argument for the distinctive and preferential nature of lifelong heterosexual marriages (in "The Marriage Ideal," New York Times, 8 August 2010). He wisely refuses to accept the more common

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-2622698022275499772010-08-03T05:25:00.005-04:002010-08-03T05:31:23.501-04:00A CHASING AFTER WIND

(a sermon for St. George’s Anglican Church, Magnetawan, Ontario, Canada, 1 August 2010) “The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-59288787852836054582010-07-21T05:51:00.001-04:002010-07-21T05:53:09.521-04:00RIGHT RELATIONSHIP and THREE DAY ROAD

“‘Bearing Witness’ is the Quaker term for living life in a way that reflects fundamental truths. Bearing witness is about getting relationships right.” So begins a powerful book on sustainable economy, written by Peter Brown and others, called Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy. They note that modern science has moved away from reductionism, and they claim that “physical

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-20512154927728984672010-07-14T10:12:00.000-04:002010-07-14T10:12:14.652-04:00THE BIRTHDAY OF WOODY GUTHRIE

On the Fourth of July, I always sing our official national anthem, written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, as he watched the bombing of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. I am a fan of Baltimore, and a fan of Francis Scott Key (a graduate of St. John's College, Annapolis, where my son also graduated). However, on the Fourth of July every year, I also sing what I consider to be our nation's

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-85579767374294118242010-07-03T12:58:00.001-04:002010-07-03T12:59:16.162-04:00BLESS THE PEACHTREE ROAD RACERS and GIVE THANKS FOR OUR COUNTRY

If you are running in the Peachtree Road Race this Fourth of July, swerve by the Cathedral of St. Philip for your holy water blessing! (Last year's video is on YouTube here. My remarks, "Why I Bless the Peachtree Road Race" are here.) If you are not running, come to the Cathedral of St. Philip for praise and thanksgiving, using prayers for Independence Day, at 9:30 am (on the Front Lawn) and at

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-74022991938057783452010-07-03T12:22:00.001-04:002010-07-03T12:24:26.309-04:00AN ARGUMENT FOR MODEST TRANSITION IN THE GAY MARRIAGE DEBATE

Jonathan Rauch is certainly on the progressive side of advocating for gay marriage (see his book, “Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights and Good for America.”); but his comments in The New York Times on 3 July 2010 ("A 'Kagan Doctrine' on Gay Marriage,") contain a modest argument for a transitional arrangement on the matter. Essentially, he recognizes that majority preference

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-66183220998613216402010-07-02T07:58:00.001-04:002010-07-02T07:59:57.334-04:00ON STIEG LARSSON

I read Stieg Larsson's first two books last year. I ordered his third last Winter from the United Kingdom, because it was not due to be released here in the United States until this past Spring. Suffice it to say, then, I am a fan. I am struck by an underlying moral code that drives both the main characters, when they, and much of their surrounding culture, live so easily in a liberal, rootless

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-64896743755430274602010-05-25T06:16:00.001-04:002010-05-25T06:24:33.963-04:00MARTIN GARDNER HAS DIED

Martin Gardner was my guide as I wrote my Easter sermon of 2010, "Easter in 3-D! (Or, Believing Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast)" What a delightful man and delightful vocation! He has now died, and I remember him gratefully. Through the mercy of God, may his soul rest in peace. Douglas Martin's obituary, in the New York Times, begins this way: Martin Gardner, who teased brains with math

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-11982288471550717912010-04-19T22:46:00.000-04:002010-04-19T22:46:16.705-04:00TO FEED, TO DANCE, TO SING!

TO FEED, TO DANCE, TO SING! A Sermon Preached at the National Cathedral, Washington, DC (video here) 18 April 2010 The Third Sunday of Easter – Year C “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Grace to you, and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord! I bring you grace, especially, from the people of my home parish, the Cathedral of St. Philip, in Atlanta, Georgia. And I especially welcome the grace represented

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-25939989840287792282010-04-04T19:35:00.005-04:002010-04-05T15:51:46.026-04:00EASTER IN 3-D !! (or BELIEVING SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST)

EASTER IN 3-D !! (or BELIEVING SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST Why do you look for the living among the dead? –Luke 24:5 (a sermon for Easter, 2010. This sermon works better when the preacher wears 3-D movie glasses during the first paragraph!) Welcome to Easter in 3-D! Yes, this has been a year in which three dimensional movies are making a comeback. Today some of us come back to

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-88105267638362874362010-04-03T19:17:00.001-04:002010-04-03T19:18:03.741-04:00Deep Thanks on Holy Saturday

Deep Thanks to beautiful church workers across the world today! Many have spent Holy Saturday setting up altars, arranging flowers, polishing, cleaning, washing, cutting grass, rehearsing music, yes-and even writing sermons, preparing for so many others to enjoy Easter tomorrow. Blessings to all of you! Practically speaking, Holy Saturday is actually a marvelously holy day of preparation in the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-63507330200053269382010-03-17T05:48:00.002-04:002010-03-17T08:08:55.834-04:00BURNING BUSHES

On the Saturday before the Third Sunday in Lent, I stood around helping my brother burn off some of the woods. My father was there, too. My brother-in-law, my mother, my wife were there. A family afternoon. Burning the woods is a regular affair on the farm where I grew up. I was glad to turn aside that day. My brother had a nifty device filled with two-thirds diesel and one-third regular

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-12340400549148388852010-03-15T07:37:00.007-04:002010-03-15T21:39:47.374-04:00THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL AND THE LOST

Many people have admired Rembrandt's portrayal of the Return of the Prodigal Son. Fewer people have noticed another Rembrandt perspective, of The Prodigal in the Tavern. Centuries ago, the masterpiece "Parable of the Prodigal Son" --with its various scenes of sin and grace-- afforded proper artists a chance to paint rather risque scenes. Rembrandt is said to have inserted his own image as the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-12772888929839267662010-03-06T10:12:00.002-05:002010-03-06T10:18:06.017-05:00THE SEARCH FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS

Who is the real Jesus? I am having great fun reviewing The Historical Jesus search on Sunday mornings at the Cathedral of St. Philip !! (The podcast is at http://www.stphilipscathedral.org/sermons_Candler.html)

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-16034893323156819612010-03-06T07:38:00.004-05:002010-03-06T07:50:08.486-05:00ARTISTS NEED ENCOURAGEMENT -- AND WE ALL DO!

I play piano on occasion, and I love it. People who hear me play, or watch me play, realize soon enough that I love it. What people may not understand, however, is the anxiety I carry with me whenever I play piano in public. At one time, I intended to play jazz piano in life, or to compose, or to do both. That anxiety, still present today, is probably the reason I decided, long ago, that I would

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-12597215788986651122010-03-05T06:25:00.006-05:002010-03-06T07:56:43.345-05:00I Salute "Beach Attitudes" by Robert Dana

(Robert Dana died a few weeks ago. Blessed be he, and blessed be his poetry.) BEACH ATTITUDES by Robert Dana Blessed is the beach, survivor of tides. And blessed the litter of crown conchs and pen shells, the dead blue crab in all its electric raiment. Blessed the nunneries of skimmers, scuttering and rising, wheeling and falling and settling, ruffling their red and black-and-white

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-61301004087736231992010-02-28T18:28:00.001-05:002010-02-28T18:29:39.669-05:00Sam Candler Plays Austin, Texas

Sam Plays Austin, Texas: My thanks to Bill Sachs (and my new friend Taylor Mundy) who talked me into playing, and bribed the regular pianists into letting me, at "Pete's Dueling Piano Bar" in Austin, Texas. My daughter, who just played at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, Georgia was impressed. I feel cool again!

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-4116945156008201242010-02-17T08:25:00.002-05:002010-02-17T10:10:56.238-05:00Ash Wednesday Haiku

To church for ashes Today, signs of earth, dust, signs We are down to earth. (May God bless us today In a down to earth way) Sam Candler

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-39357847111190427462010-02-16T08:38:00.002-05:002010-03-06T08:01:08.991-05:00LUX ET VERITAS

Lisa Miller continues to write truly informed pieces about religion in Newsweek magazine. I salute her essay this week (Newsweek, Feb. 11, 2010 ), wherein she investigates the internal professorial disputes at Harvard University and whether their revision of curriculum might include a course called "Reason and Faith." She notes that Harvard University includes no "Department of Religion." At one

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-50928629434375292882010-02-05T08:34:00.001-05:002010-02-05T08:35:27.682-05:00Honest Communication can Strengthen Bonds of Affection

The speed of modern communication has contributed both to the strengthening of bonds of affection, and to the frazzling of such bonds, among Anglican Christians. So it is that others in the Anglican Communion of Churches have taken increased notice of recent General Conventions of The Episcopal Church. In turn, we in The Episcopal Church can also follow the proceedings of the General Synod of the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-41543413696701029172010-01-29T06:56:00.001-05:002010-01-29T10:12:38.582-05:00ON FRANNY AND ZOOEY: HERE'S TO J.D. SALINGER

J. D. Salinger has died, and I must mark the moment by praising one of the finest books I have ever read. It is not The Catcher in the Rye, easily the most notorious of Salinger's slight body of work. It is the small volume, Franny and Zooey (see here for a helpful summary). Speaking of "small volume," note the very opening words, in the overly modest front inscription: As nearly as possible in

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-14006333011502532572010-01-20T07:11:00.001-05:002010-01-20T07:12:29.747-05:00LANNY DAVIS ON BLAMING THE FAR LEFT FOR MASSACHUSETTS RESULTS

Lanny Davis, a loyal Democrat, has written some clear reflections on why Massachusetts voters supported an independent-minded Republican over the Democrat (who, a month ago, was the presumed winner). (see The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, 20 January, 2010.) "Somehow, in the last 12 months, we allowed the party of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to morph into the party of George McGovern (or more

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-73969559322842130712010-01-18T17:29:00.003-05:002010-01-19T06:39:18.283-05:00MEDIA CHARACTERIZATIONS OF ANGLICANISM ARE MISLEADING

An Associated Press story of 16 January 2010, used by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, unfortunately repeats a misleading and simplistic historical claim, that “Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused marriage annulment.” I appreciate any true news story, but it is an error to supply a simplistic historical background to an issue that is religiously complex.

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-67679552069452455772010-01-17T14:54:00.003-05:002010-01-17T17:15:21.229-05:00ARE WE PAT ROBERTSON OR DANNY GLOVER? OR ARE WE A SIGN OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD?

THE FIRST OF THE SIGNS OF JESUS (a sermon for 17 January 2010) According to the Gospel of John (John 2:1-11), Jesus performed the first of his miracles at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It was called the first of his “signs,” where he revealed his glory. But listen closely this morning, because I want to start this sermon by referring to a different gospel than the one we have just heard. In

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-76385528884644843752010-01-15T09:25:00.004-05:002010-01-17T18:05:35.998-05:00On Mary Daly and Catholic Progressive Theology

Charlotte Allen has written a useful summary of the heroes of "Catholic dissent," and I applaud the Wall Street Journal for publishing it (15 January 2010). It is titled, "As the Flame of Catholic Dissent Dies Out." Essentially, Allen laments that there has been no "second generation of brilliant progressive Catholic theologians." She cites Hans Kung, Charles Curran, Edward Schillebeeckx, along

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-50491576244046071132010-01-12T18:03:00.002-05:002010-01-15T17:23:05.204-05:00WHAT ARE THE FIFTY MOST IMPORTANT RELIGION FILMS?

A group called Film Snobbery has released its list of the fifty most important religion films of all time. (Thanks to Christianity Today for referring me.) For me, almost any film can become a religious experience, just as music --almost any type-- can become a religious experience for people. I wrote last Spring, for example, about the religious power of Clint Eastwood's character in the movie,

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-39224241547379461332010-01-11T20:34:00.002-05:002010-01-15T17:23:30.662-05:00RELIGION IS WORTH DEBATING!

I agree with Ross Douthat, who, in the New York times yesterday, reminds us that the United States allows the free discussion of religion and theology. Just because someone criticizes my religion is no reason to whine that I am a "victim." He notes that "these believers are colluding in their own marginalization. If you treat your faith like a hothouse flower, too vulnerable to survive in the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-62249980405197680162010-01-11T19:21:00.002-05:002010-01-15T17:23:52.542-05:00THE CONSERVATIVE CASE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

Ted Olson argues here, in this week's edition of Newsweek magazine, the conservative case for gay marriage. This should be a welcome statement for Episcopalians who count themselves on the conservative side of the liberal/conservative split. Several conservatives have complained to me that the Episcopal Church simply mimics whatever the political left is saying. Following Olson's arguments,

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-4134398230257261562009-12-23T16:32:00.001-05:002009-12-23T16:33:27.448-05:00ALL THE WORLD SHOULD BE REGISTERED

(A Sermon for Christmas Eve 2009) In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ..All went to their own towns to be registered. (Luke 2:1-3) Where are you registered tonight? Wherever you are on this Christmas evening, here in a glorious church of joy and wonder, or at home, warm and cozy, ready for rest and bed, wherever you are on this

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-61238855004855713502009-12-19T03:36:00.001-05:002009-12-19T03:37:49.815-05:00THE END IS ALWAYS NEAR, AND SO IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD

( Sermon from 29 November 2009, the First Sunday of Advent) Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world.” Luke 21:25-26 If Jesus were speaking today, he might add to these words about the end times. He

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-34654991526004552902009-11-28T12:25:00.001-05:002009-11-28T12:34:58.196-05:00Auguries of Innocence --Today is the Birthday of William Blake

(Today is the Birthday of William Blake) 356. Auguries of Innocence William Blake (1757–1827) TO see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour. A robin redbreast in a cage 5 Puts all heaven in a rage. A dove-house fill’d with doves and pigeons Shudders hell thro’ all its regions. A dog starv

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-74035423049631866252009-11-24T15:46:00.002-05:002009-11-24T15:48:29.107-05:00THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR !

When we are asked to think of memorable Thanksgiving dinners, I know we are supposed to recall huge tables of turkey and dressing, laughing kinfolk, general merriment and good cheer all around. When pressed, we can probably remember the ones we are actually trying to forget, too – the ones when the food was awful, the tempers turned bad, and when we finally gave up. But I actually remember

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-25027403172157248652009-11-23T06:20:00.003-05:002009-11-28T14:08:13.389-05:00THE SANDHILL CRANES !

The day had already been satisfying and successful. I had led a men’s retreat on a beautiful piece of property about an hour and a half south of Atlanta, Georgia. The crisp November air had nourished a new sparkle in the oak and poplar leaves. Some of us went fishing; some of us shot guns. The trailing wind and rainy remnants of a distant hurricane had came through and opened up the night sky,

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-80759343602098032192009-11-22T06:46:00.003-05:002009-11-28T14:07:30.992-05:00The Ad for The Episcopal Church in USA Today

Here is the Episcopal Church ad that appeared in the "USA Today" newspaper last week: (click on it to see it more clearly and legibly) Some have criticized the ad for being too wordy, for trying to say too many things, or for not being visual enough. I, however, did not mind it. It seems to me that this ad uses brief summaries of our doctrines and policies precisely because those

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-88447904960795678352009-11-03T10:20:00.000-05:002009-11-03T10:20:45.181-05:00RING THE BELLS THAT STILL CAN RING: BLESSINGS AND ANGLES

If we have the ears for it, blessing comes from all sorts of angles in this world; and what amazing blessings these last two weeks have brought to me. The blessings began when I was honored to accompany good friends to the latest Leonard Cohen concert in Atlanta. I realize he is too somber (and worse!) for some people. But, strangely, I have always found Leonard Cohen’s deep and dark poems to

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-14636821794237630442009-11-02T07:23:00.003-05:002009-11-02T14:36:34.183-05:00WHAT IS A SAINT? THE WORD ALWAYS BECOMES FLESH

“Behold, the home of God is among mortals.” Revelation 21.3 (a sermon for All Saints Day) On All Saints Day, it is appropriate to ask the question, “What is a saint?” But I want to start the sermon this morning by talking about ideas. Have you had any good ideas lately? Here at the Cathedral, whenever we have a staff planning meeting, or a strategy meeting, the staff is accustomed to hearing me

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-11666215175006232542009-10-20T08:54:00.005-04:002009-10-22T11:24:02.665-04:00I SALUTE THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF A PLAN TO ACCEPT ANGLICANS

I welcome the news of Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican to make provision for the conversion of certain Anglican Christians to the Roman Catholic Church.In the past ten years, I have noticed many of my disenchanted Episcopal and Anglican friends drifting toward Roman Catholic structures. They have been arguing for more ecclesiastical order and authority. It has long been my prediction that our

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-35986758990194267222009-10-19T14:20:00.006-04:002009-11-02T07:33:58.960-05:00WHAT IS THE WISE WAY TO DEAL WITH DEATH?

The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” --Job 38.1 Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant.” --Mark 10:43 (a sermon from 18 October 2009) Recently, there was a church Bible study group discussing the tragic possibility of sudden death. The leader said, "You know, we will all die some day; and

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-53385994437910357142009-09-15T06:16:00.011-04:002009-10-21T09:50:55.993-04:00THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

(a sermon from 13 September 2009 -- Proper 19B of the Revised Common Lectionary)The heavens declare the glory of God,And the firmament shows his handiwork.One day tells its tale to another,And one night imparts knowledge to another.Although they have no words or language,And their voices are not heard,Their sound has gone out into all lands,And their message to the ends of the world.-Psalm 19:1-

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-32960879512707827512009-08-26T15:30:00.005-04:002009-10-21T09:52:11.108-04:00SOUTHERNERS AND THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

I can remember when I first grew defensive about being Southerner. I had not realized the common perception of Southerners as dim-witted recalcitrants, obsessed with racism and the Civil War, until I went to college in California. I was young, my friends were young; and it seemed to me that they had never met a Southerner in their lives. At my first dinner in the cafeteria, my new colleagues

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-78087910348759245372009-08-22T14:50:00.005-04:002009-10-21T09:52:33.452-04:00The Courthouse Ring: Atticus Finch and the Limits of Southern Liberalism (from The New Yorker magazine)

On first reading, I am disturbed by this reading of "To Kill A Mockingbird," an intepretation in which Malcom Gladwell likens Atticus Finch with "the limits of Southern liberalism" and with certain failings in the politics of Alabama governor Jim Folsom.Gladwell writes in the August 10, 2009 volume of The New Yorker in a piece titled, "The Courthouse Ring: Atticus Finch and the Failings of

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-14490729204547962282009-08-22T14:15:00.007-04:002009-10-21T09:52:49.302-04:00The Splendor and the Scandal: The Story of St. Peter's Basilica...

'The power of the idea is transcendent, " concludes Ms. R.A. Scotti, in her article "The Splendor and the Scandal," the quick story of the building of St. Peter's Basilica, published 22 August 2009 in the Wall Street Journal. She also quotes the historian Edward Gibbon, that St. Peter's Basilica is "the most glorious structure that ever has been applied to the use of religion." It was both

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-54627423428290177672009-08-15T20:40:00.003-04:002009-08-15T21:31:01.928-04:00A DIFFERENT KIND OF MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON

I was touched by this article from Father Jonathan Morris, LC, in the Wall Street Journal today. So compassionately, he points out that miracles are not just about people surviving horrible accidents. "For in the families of the deceased, Capt. Clarke's family in particular, I have witnessed inexplicable goodness and love," he says. I would add that, ultimately, miracles are not the overturning

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-80554475475627634482009-08-14T12:53:00.005-04:002009-08-15T21:30:20.227-04:00PERSEID METEOR SHOWER and CREATIVITY

I actually read the Wall Street Journal for both financial and other kinds of news! Since my birthday always falls at the same time meteors from Perseus fall, I am especially intrigued by this article, titled "Cosmic Creative Destruction on a Cosmic Scale."

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-78306055781830026342009-07-28T16:53:00.002-04:002009-10-21T09:53:10.669-04:00THE NOTION OF "CHOICE" IN ANGLICAN COMMUNION MATTERS

THE NOTION OF “CHOICE” IN ANGLICAN COMMUNION MATTERS:A REVIEW OF “COMMUNION, COVENANT, AND OUR ANGLICAN FUTURE”The Very Reverend Sam Candler28 July 2009I appreciate both the presence of Archbishop Rowan at General Convention 2009 and the position in which he is placed in this present age. He has been given both the vocation of overseeing the Church of England and the vocation of stewarding the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-18905099033419731562009-07-28T09:22:00.008-04:002009-07-28T10:24:04.618-04:00TODAY IS THE BIRTHDAY OF GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS

Today (28 July 2009) is the birthday of Gerard Manley Hopkins, whose words grace the title bar of this blog, Good Faith and the Common Good. Enjoy!Pied Beautyby Gerard Manley HopkinsGlory be to God for dappled things--For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;Landscape plotted and pieced--fold,

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-11467460992859950152009-07-27T09:34:00.002-04:002009-07-27T09:38:12.009-04:00A REVIEW OF GENERAL CONVENTION 2009, for my parish, The Cathedral of St. Philip

GENERAL CONVENTION 2009It has been a week since the General Convention of the Episcopal Church concluded, and much of its heat –whether indicative of fire or not—has subsided. I remember a time, just thirty years ago, when most Episcopal parishioners had little idea what occurred every three years in the legislative councils of the Episcopal Church. Then, of course, in a double step forward, the

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-64554307611847366642009-07-27T09:29:00.002-04:002009-07-27T09:32:29.644-04:00THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, on COMMUNION, COVENANT, AND OUR ANGLICAN FUTURE

The Archbishop of Canterbury has written an essay titled, "Communion, Covenant, and our Anglican Future." I am sure responses will follow!

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-58507982936542683592009-07-24T06:43:00.001-04:002009-07-24T06:48:40.379-04:00ARTIFICIAL DEVICES

ARTIFICIAL DEVICESA few days ago, I was leaving Anaheim, California. The work of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church was good and important, but I was ready to depart that region. The setting –a convention center in Anaheim—seemed artificial and unseasoned, without a history or developed character. In fact, the character of the place was Disneyland; how much wisdom or character can one

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-55577455169449405652009-07-23T06:49:00.003-04:002009-07-23T06:52:53.065-04:00Sam Candler at Episcopal Cafe

The article titled Artificial Devices can be found at the Episcopal Cafe today.Enjoy!

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-48788538737573366202009-07-22T16:39:00.004-04:002009-07-22T16:53:55.107-04:00A THUNDERSTORM IN ONTARIO

A THUNDERSTORM IN ONTARIOSteel clouds slide into place,Like a welded suit of armor,Hovering over this Canadian Shield.Archean granite, the oldest on earth,Rests here year after year,Sees storm after stormGather ice and hurl hailUpon her flanks. She woundsAnd heals, wounds and heals,Until today she is a vast bodyOf pocks and gashes, sharp cracks and bowls,Molten into one great weltered heap,Until

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-66133376369768667392009-07-22T14:26:00.003-04:002009-07-22T14:30:54.343-04:00The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori Writes to the Church

Several interpretations, as always, have followed the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. The Presiding Bishop has written her evaluation here, and her actual words are worth more than those of the various media outlets!Grace and peace to all of you!

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-6205508200677054612009-07-21T18:01:00.004-04:002009-07-22T14:20:40.835-04:00The Heavens Tell of the Glory of God

At 10:31 tonight, the International Space Station will pass over my head, just after a solar eclipse occurs on the other side of the world.Enjoy!

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-20128998115282831222009-07-17T16:38:00.002-04:002009-07-17T16:40:44.918-04:00A Letter to Archbishop Rowan Williams from The Episcopal Church Presiding Officers

The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori and Bonnie Anderson, presiding officers of The Episcopal Church, have written a letter to Archbishop Rowan Williams, explaining Resolution D025 from General Convention 2009.Its description is linked below, and it includes a link to the actual letter itself.http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_112694_ENG_HTM.htmEnjoy!Sam

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-73913254460375156452009-07-17T14:00:00.000-04:002009-07-17T14:01:00.948-04:00THE STATEMENT INTRODUCING c056

A STATEMENT INTRODUCING C056To the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention – 17 July 2009THE VERY REVEREND SAM CANDLERCHAIR OF COMMITTEE 13Whether you are a first-time observer, or a veteran, to General Convention, you know that the issue of blessing same gender commitments has been intense and controversial. For a generation, every General Convention has been considering this matter; surely we know

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-42136116232743679802009-07-17T00:30:00.000-04:002009-07-17T00:31:13.778-04:00HOLY LONGING AND CHURCH BLESSINGS

HOLY LONGING AND CHURCH BLESSINGSIt’s Thursday night, my twelfth night in Anaheim, the night before the last day of General Convention 2009. We are all tired, longing to be home; and we have faced grueling decisions. We have passed a budget with large cuts; they were necessary. We have made last second amendments and grown frustrated with parliamentary procedure. We have struggled with votes

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-61151055011542113612009-07-15T09:57:00.001-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.983-04:00THE HEADLINES SIZZLE

THE HEADLINES SIZZLEI rejoiced yesterday with many of my friends in The Episcopal Church after the passage of D025; it is an honest proclamation of full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the church and an honest proclamation of our commitment to the wider Anglican Communion. That is its beauty. I also sat with friends who were discouraged, for fear that we had taken a step apart from the wider

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-60603692613162021842009-07-14T09:08:00.002-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.983-04:00How I Spent the Summer

Click here to see a photograph and article about my usual day at General Convention.http://www.episcopalchurch.org/107152_112503_ENG_HTM.htmThe article describes the work of Committee 13 and it also links to the resolution that we are finally proposing. It was hard work, but I enjoyed the way that the bishops and the deputies worked gracefully and elegantly together.Here is the statement I

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-20587048283201088122009-07-13T19:49:00.001-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.983-04:00FLOOR SPEECH IN FAVOR OF D025

SAM CANDLERSPEAKS FOR RESOLUTION D025 (Anglican Communion: Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion)12 July 2009I speak in favor of D025, and I commend the legislative committee for its energy and work. This past Wednesday, Archbishop Rowan Williams, addressed the global economic crisis with this remedy: he urged a re-ordering of society that looked to small-scale enterprises, local

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-59783866677029700302009-07-13T10:01:00.000-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.983-04:00STARDATE LEGISLATIVE DAY SIX: TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE?

STARDATE LEGISLATIVE DAY SIX:TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE?It’s Monday, July 13, 2009, Day Whatever on the legislative calendar, and I feel like Captain Kirk, on the starship “Enterprise,” recording another stardate in his log. I do not know cerebrally what legislative day this is (it is actually Day Six), but I do know emotionally that we have turned. As of yesterday, the House of

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-32218534856501005592009-07-12T16:58:00.001-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.983-04:00THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES AND THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS: IS ONE THE SENIOR HOUSE?

THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES AND THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS:IS ONE THE SENIOR HOUSE?Some people say it to tease, and some people say it as a matter of principle; but, the General Convention of The Episcopal Church will often hear the House of Deputies referred to as “the senior house” to the House of Bishops. Because this General Convention may experience some deeper disagreements between those houses than in

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-79068439492554181332009-07-12T16:30:00.001-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.984-04:00AN ANGLICAN KINGDOM OR AN ANGLICAN COMMUNION?

AN ANGLICAN KINGDOM OR AN ANGLICAN COMMUNION?It was an honor for the General Convention of the Episcopal Church to hear Archbishop Rowan Williams speak to us on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 (and again on the following day). Archbishop Rowan spoke eloquently and incisively on Wednesday evening about economic crisis. Among his fine points was his observation that it will be small-scale enterprises,

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-65876200398022695012009-07-11T09:56:00.000-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.984-04:00BEDRAGGLED GRACE

BEDRAGGLED GRACEEvery deputy or bishop who is keeping some sort of personal account of General Convention (through posts on blogs, reports to dioceses or home parishes, or even facebook) is remarking by now how long the days are. Most of us admit some fatigue. Will Sunday be a day of rest? (Yes: we can sleep a bit later. But there is the grand UTO Ingathering on Sunday morning, followed by an

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-9519653113843080732009-07-10T01:58:00.002-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.984-04:00Daily Corrections and Daily Glories

Daily Corrections and Daily Glories (but it sure was a long day!)I wrote yesterday about the General Convention special order of business, but I was wrong. I stand corrected about being wary of the special order set for dealing with B033 resolutions. When the time came, I listened to two very short summaries of history and options; and then I turned to speak with a deputy whom I did not know. I

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-55289388549663386332009-07-09T09:26:00.001-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.984-04:00"Same-Sex Blessings and Order" Versus "Mis-Interpretation and Anxiety"

“SAME-SEX BLESSINGS AND ORDER” VERSUS ‘MISINTERPRETATION AND ANXIETY”Today, Thursday, 9 July 2009, could be quite a tangled and tense day. Hearings and/or committee conference meetings meet at their earliest time of convention, 7:00 am. Everyone is up early! Then, after another session of Misson Conversation and the mid-day Eucharist, the testimonies, and speeches, and conversations and hearings

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4926577730849999011.post-81483534137808439782009-07-08T09:51:00.002-04:002009-07-16T00:33:19.984-04:00My Forecasts of General Convention

For the past two weeks, I have been gathering my own impressions about what will occur at this year's General Convention:1. The secular media will not be as interested, on site, as they have been in the last six years. Issues of sexuality and division, always favorites of the media (and ourselves), are still present; but they have lost much of their immediacy and novelty. The Episcopal Church and

Sam Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366558046757964328noreply@blogger.com0