Seattle and Integrity Puget Sound

Integrity Puget Sound met on Saturday, January 9 to discuss their mission, re-evaluate goals and start setting priorities in a post General Convention 2009 Episcopal Church.



The session was established by the chapter and skillfully facilitated Matt Haines, Province 8 Coordinator. As Vice President for local affairs, I was able to build a vist with Matt, this session, an upcoming St. Aelred’s Eucharist in Portland and our Board meeting in Pasadena into one trip.



After introductions by David Swim and Tom Weaver, Chaplain Andrew lead us into lectio divina around the Readings for Epiphany 1, the Baptism of Christ.

I did a brief introduction to public narrative and we broke into small groups to tell our stories of “me,” “us” and “now.”

The framework, provided by Matt, lead the chapter from a review of what is happening now, through a introspective look at goals and then into the beginnings of prioritizing how mission is put into action.

This chapter clearly know something about that as they can celebrate their active involvement in Lambert House, a drop in center for LGBT Youth. They fund and the meals offered during the week for 2 of the 5 days. Many spoke of this with a sense of joy in what they are doing and how it involves them in the community.

The identified specific areas of need and started the process of concrete ways in which the might be implemented. As this process continues and they develop more specifics they will share through Matt and the various structures of leadership their discernment.

Often I am asked, “What can Integrity do for us?” I left this meeting with a great sense that this group knows that they ARE Integrity and will contribute much to the enhancement of what we can do for each other.

National Lampoon Vacation Continues

Kyle spent 5 days at his mother's house with his foot elevated. A twisted ankle aggravated arthritis he did not know he had (Like a 90 year old, said the doctor) which turned into cellulitis. "This antibiotic and rest will either cure you immediately or you will go into the hospital for IV treatment."

While he was at his parents I was tending the dog at Susan and Paul's. He has taken this seriously and luckily the inflamation is gone.

Yesterday we went to meet a friend at Starbucks. Kyle was limping along a saw a lab mix tied to a sign post. He looked very cute and Kyle bemoaned the fact that he couldn't make it over to pet him... I obliged. He promptly snapped at my nose and took a bite. I know... I know....

So a few hours later and 10 stitches at the Northside ER my formerly perfect nose now look like Roman Polanski in Chinatown. It's actually more superficial but right now the effect is quite unpleasant.

I need a non-stupid story. The winner will receive a 75% off find from my Target New Year's Eve shopping spree.

It's an auspicious start to 2010. In like a lion?

Happy New Year to ya'll from Georgia.

Evolution in Georgia

Sunday I went to church in Winder at St. Anthony's Episcopal Church. A very small turn out. The homily on John's "Christmas" gospel was very nice. Seems someone in Winder thinks that perhaps Evolution and Christianity are compatible. Not a popular view, but one worth promoting to those who might be thinking that the every Christian is living in the 14th century or headed for it...

Kyle Monday Update

The patient is having visitors and watching the game at his parents' home today. Swelling is down. No pictures are allowed.... sorry.

Kyle and the Ankle

So here's the story now that I am on a network that lets me type more than 10 letters per minute.

Kyle twisted his ankle at the Spencer house in Dunwoody on Wednesday night. He struggled through Christmas eve and we went to St. Bart's for midnight mass. It was swollen but he was determined and he had some vicodin from a toothache left over.

Christmas Day it was more swollen, but we still assumed a bad sprain since he could stand on it.

By the evening after the family dinner in Winder it became apparent that we had to get help. Neither of us had our insurance cards... but with the help of David Gandell and many call to BC/BS we got a number and a location for urgent care. Saturday morning we went. It took a while but it was the day after Christmas and everyone was wonderful and patient.

He was inside for an hour and emerged... "It's not what we thought and pretty bad," he said.

Seems he has a very bad case of arthritis. There was no sprain, but the aggravation lead to nastiness that was the beginnings of cellulitis. Bottom line: Doctor said. "Lucky you got here today." He put him on Keflex and said if the swelling does not go down or gets any worse in the next 24 hours, he would be admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics. For the the full course of the antibiotics he must stay on his back with the foot elevated.

Now he's slung up it his dad's study, I am with Koda back in Dunwoody.

The swelling is going down. He's under strict orders not to get up though. We are thanking our respective deities and he will see the doctor in Rochester when we return.

Stay tuned for updates. I can be contacted via facebook and IMed at AIM: RochNYguy

Neil

Christmas 2009

It has been a blessed year for me. As I prepare for for my annual pilgrimage to St. Bart's in Atlanta for smell and bells and southern belles, male and female, I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a new year that brings you great blessings and during which which you can bless others.

Christmas has become a cliché in our modern lives. It has been turned into a commercial extravaganza, but most disturbingly of late it has become a battle cry for right wing fundamentalist to claim exclusion. They rail that "Merry Christmas" is no longer politically correct.

There are certainly many layers of discrimination to unpack that have been laid upon many for the 2,000 years since Christ's birth.

But can we not pause and recall the birth of a man who brought a very clear message that can be celebrated by people of all faiths? "Love God and your neighbor as yourself," He said. When questioned as to the most important of all the rules previously established in his own Jewish tradition, He said that through these two you can view all the laws and words of the prophets.

Regardless of your faith tradition or theology this simple reduction of our common beliefs are what unite us and through them we can forgive each other the words that have been spoken and deeds that have been done in the name faith to tear us apart.

Let us remember that, nor matter how we have been led astray, no matter how His words have been used to divide, that we were once told that it's not as complicated as we have made it.

This season of joy and throughout the new year, let us remember that which connects us all. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Pax,

Neil

For !00,000 Blessings Campaign

Two pretty lucky guys chat about their marriage and how Integrity and the Episcopal Church have blessed us... and what else needs to happen to lead our church into a place where it can live out it's called.