[Magdalen] Please pray for Ascension, Chicago

[Jon Egger]

Stories like this remind me how much I dislike parish politics.  When our
PiC showed up maybe two years ago, I took him to our wall of dead rectors
and wall of dead bishops.  I told him "to be careful and that wall may get
his ass someday."  Saturday the PiC had a stroke and I hope he's doing ok.
I'll have to call and see which Episcopal Horsepistol he's in.

On Mon, Aug 31, 2015 at 12:28 PM, Roger Stokes <
roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com> wrote:

> On 31/08/2015 16:22, Scott Knitter wrote:
>
>> On Mon, Aug 31, 2015 at 9:42 AM, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I will surely add Ascension to my prayers, and am sorry for the turmoil
>>> this causes, especially for you.  I'll admit, I'm ambivalent about them
>>> publishing this "special notice."  On the one hand, I think the
>>> transparency is good; on the other, it seems like dragging the entire
>>> parish through what seems like an internal "political" battle.
>>>
>> The Special Notice was published on the Facebook site and then I was
>> asked to copy it over to the website's front page. One reason for this
>> is so that the general public could get this news as easily as they've
>> been getting the opposing side's views via a Save Ascension weekly
>> e-newsletter and Facebook page.
>>
>
> I think that was a sensible move. There is no point in pretending that all
> is sweetness and light when it isn't - in fact that is being hypocritical.
> Bring the dispute into the open so it can be addressed openly.  The Recor
> was called because he was thought to be the best fit for what the parish
> said it wanted.  He is the spiritual leader of the parish.  If some other
> leader feels they cannot work with him then the Bible says we should seek
> reconciliation.
>
> Did the Junior Warden do that?  Is the "Save Ascewnsion" group prepared to
> engage in meaningful discussions?  I just hope that, bearing in mind the
> shennanigans surrounding the diocese's involvement in the early stages of
> the search for a Rector, the bishop and his staff are not being brought
> into play by the malcontents.  I have experience of that, and iut is not
> nice.
>
> Prayers for cool heads and a Christian approach from all parties. As the
> Curate wrote for your website a few weeks ago
>
> "God's way is not always easy, and may often seem counter-intuitive. It
> may be difficult, and it may feel like a slap in the face.
> "But we have to remember that God chose the way of the cross. And we also
> have to remember that the story didn't end there."
>
> Roger
>