GRACE TRUMPS!

All Saints Church has been captivated this weekend by the witness of Dr. Serene Jones -- President of Union Seminary and nationally known preacher, teacher and feminist theologian. "Grace Trumps" is the theme of the series of presentations which began on Sunday, March 21st with the sermon, Rector's Forum and an evening teaching. The program concludes Monday, March 22nd with a final presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the Forum on Dr. Jones' central thesis:

God loves this world and desires that suffering be met by words of hope, that love and grace overwhelm, and that something new happens. Serene offers presents an investigation of the myriad ways both individual and collective violence affect one's capacity to remember, to act, and to love, and how those various circumstances potentially challenge theological understanding of how grace is experienced, and even how the traumatic experience of Jesus' death is remembered.

Don't miss the chance to experience for yourself the profoundly moving and grace-filled witness of this important and powerful voice!

• "Grace Trumps: A Sermon for the 5th Sunday in Lent" -- sermon on March 21, 2010
• "Rising Up from the depths" -- presentation in the March 21st Rector's Forum
• Sunday evening presentation in the All Saints Forum

WE HAVE AN ELECTION! Mary Glasspool receives necessary consents to election as Bishop Suffragan

Just received via email from the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs:

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop’s office notifies
Diocese of Los Angeles of successful canonical consent process

Bishop-Elect Glasspool ordination and consecration on May 15

[March 17, 2010] The Office of Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has notified the Diocese of Los Angeles that the canonical consent process for Bishop-Elect Mary Douglas Glasspool has been successfully completed.

As outlined under Canon III.11.4 (a), the Presiding Bishop confirmed the receipt of consents from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction, and has also reviewed the evidence of consents from a majority of standing committees of the Church sent to her by the diocesan standing committee.

In Canon III.11.4 (b), Standing Committees, in consenting to the ordination and consecration, attest they are "fully sensible of how important it is that the Sacred Order and Office of a Bishop should not be unworthily conferred, and firmly persuaded that it is our duty to bear testimony on this solemn occasion without partiality, do, in the presence of Almighty God, testify that we know of no impediment on account of which the Reverend A.B. ought not to be ordained to that Holy Office. We do, moreover, jointly and severally declare that we believe the Reverend A.B. to have been duly and lawfully elected and to be of such sufficiency in learning, of such soundness in the Faith, and of such godly character as to be able to exercise the Office of a Bishop to the honor of God and the edifying of the Church, and to be a wholesome example to the flock of Christ."

Glasspool was elected Bishop Suffragan on December 5, 2009. Her ordination and consecration is slated for May 15; Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will officiate.

A recap of the process

Upon election, the successful candidate is a bishop-elect. Following some procedural matters including physical and psychological examinations, formal notices are then sent by the Presiding Bishop’s office to bishops with jurisdiction (diocesan bishops only) with separate notices from the electing diocese to the standing committees of each of the dioceses in The Episcopal Church. These notices require their own actions and signatures.

In order for a bishop-elect to become a bishop, Canon III.11.4 (a) of The Episcopal Church mandates that a majority of diocesan bishops AND a majority of diocesan standing committees must consent to the bishop-elect’s ordination and consecration as bishop. These actions – done separately - must be completed within 120 days from the day notice of the election was sent to the proper parties.

If the bishop-elect receives a majority (at least 50% plus 1) of consents from the diocesan bishops as well as a majority from the standing committees, the bishop-elect is one step closer.

Following a successful consent process, ordination and celebration are in order.

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Therefore: LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!

Ed Bacon on Glenn Beck, The Prodigal Son and why "Our Destiny is a Party"

From the sermon preached March 14, 2010 @ All Saints Church, Pasadena

Albert Einstein famously said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."

Fox News commentator -- Glen Beck -- famously said that if your preacher mentions the terms “social action" or “economic justice” in sermons or teaching, flee from that church or synagogue and boycott that congregation – these are really code words for communism and socialism. And then he advised you should report that congregation to the authorities ...

The authorities already know about us here at All Saints Church. The IRS knows that we preach the good news that citizens have the responsibility to transform their institutions and governmental policies when those policies dehumanize, degrade and kill those who are the least of these. The central mandate of our scriptures involves making peace and transforming economic structures that actually are manufacturing this morning poverty, hunger, sickness, homelessness and discrimination.

Watch the sermon video here ... and may God bless all who preach peace, work for justice and strive to live lives of compassion.
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