I discovered Anne Kennedy on Substack in May when I was looking for Christian content on social media that I was not finding elsewhere.
The leadership of my “county seat Methodist church” had deliberately stymied any discussion of opposing views about whether to disaffiliate or remain a member of the UMC brought on by the institutional church’s embrace of the LGBTQ’s secular progressive liberal ideology.
After the General Conference in Charlotte, it was clear the direction the denomination was headed in and that did not match up to my traditional reading of the Holy Scripture.
Interestingly, in Anne’s post today, she pointed out how Episcopalians are now condoning adultery within their clergy after a recent Conference and the UMC delegates in Charlotte passed similar doctrinal changes at their General Conference.
The audacity of trying to spin what one of the Ten Commandments means is breathtaking!
My wife and I decided to walk away from the congregation we had members of for decades.
We have visited several churches in our area and hope to settle on one soon.
You are a breath of fresh air, Anne, and I look forward to either reading or listening to your posts on Substack.
Also, I am beginning to think I may be an orthodox Christian, too.
You have written many perfects sentences about the Truths of life (but sorry, this is my first ever comment), but this takes the cake: "For, the mark of a true man is if the voice of a woman sounds like the waves of an ocean in his ears." It is perfection, and true I think, and I will never be able to repress a smile when I think of it.
Also. While I don’t have answers to raising boys in regards to “masculinity,” I generally look to poems like this one that the Irish poetSeamus Heaney wrote for his sons as compass points:
First of all, polyamory sounds so utterly exhausting that it’s hard to understand its appeal. Second, it also comes across as so completely unserious, in that it’s utterly juvenile in its scope and antithetical taking on actual responsibilities and actually being accountable for one’s actions or commitments. But isn’t this the trend, for all of us to pretend to that halcyon time between 18-24 when we were just bumbling around trying to figure it out, and instead of realizing that it was an awkward and excruciating moment in life to celebrate it as some sort of ideal. I must admit, when I read these excepts on polyamory the first thing that comes to mind is “grow up.” Take responsibility for your commitments. Isn’t the point of commitment such that it allows us the opportunity to focus and build something actual and real and true (as in enduring), so that we can then provide structure and care to the people around us? Polyamory seems like such a cheap trade of covenantal relationships for negotiated relationships.
Regarding #2: Rasmussen says that Trump is up 7 points over Harris nationally and up 24 points with independent voters. To win the presidency, Harris will need to win with independents. Somehow, I doubt this video is going to help!
Regarding #3: So much of what ails us is really just selfishness. It's because we focus on what we want rather than what God wants. Selfishness leads to pain and unhappiness. Learn to focus on what God wants rather than what you want, and much of your anguish will disappear.
In fairness to the Episcopal Church, I must say that the answer to The Living Churches' question, "Is there room for polyamory in the Episcopal Church" seems to be "No." In that sense, the title of the article was a little sensationalistic, since it suggested that polyamory has more of a toehold in the Episcopal Church than seems to be the case, at least based on the text of the article. Probably the most important word in the article, besides "polyamory" is "former", as in "former Episcopal priests." At least two of the three priests involved in polyamorous relations were under the jurisdiction of liberal bishops, yet apparently met with official episcopal disapproval of their "alternative lifestyles". Although Father Kinman may endorse these arrangements, at least in principle. there is no indication that his viewpoint has any substantial following in the wider Church.
Back in the days immediately following L'Affaire Robinson, Louie Crew was asked whether polyamory was the next step after same-sex blessings. Eschewing intersectionality (I don't think we used that phrase in those dayd, at least not with its current meaning), Brother Crew said that polyamory was not of interest to him, and was a battle that would need to be borne by others, if at all.
My reaction after first reading the article was, "There is less here than meets the eye." The Episcopal Church has plenty of problems, but the condonation of polyamory does not seem to be the top of the list.
I discovered Anne Kennedy on Substack in May when I was looking for Christian content on social media that I was not finding elsewhere.
The leadership of my “county seat Methodist church” had deliberately stymied any discussion of opposing views about whether to disaffiliate or remain a member of the UMC brought on by the institutional church’s embrace of the LGBTQ’s secular progressive liberal ideology.
After the General Conference in Charlotte, it was clear the direction the denomination was headed in and that did not match up to my traditional reading of the Holy Scripture.
Interestingly, in Anne’s post today, she pointed out how Episcopalians are now condoning adultery within their clergy after a recent Conference and the UMC delegates in Charlotte passed similar doctrinal changes at their General Conference.
The audacity of trying to spin what one of the Ten Commandments means is breathtaking!
My wife and I decided to walk away from the congregation we had members of for decades.
We have visited several churches in our area and hope to settle on one soon.
You are a breath of fresh air, Anne, and I look forward to either reading or listening to your posts on Substack.
Also, I am beginning to think I may be an orthodox Christian, too.
You have written many perfects sentences about the Truths of life (but sorry, this is my first ever comment), but this takes the cake: "For, the mark of a true man is if the voice of a woman sounds like the waves of an ocean in his ears." It is perfection, and true I think, and I will never be able to repress a smile when I think of it.
Also. While I don’t have answers to raising boys in regards to “masculinity,” I generally look to poems like this one that the Irish poetSeamus Heaney wrote for his sons as compass points:
A Kite
for Michael and Christopher
All through that Sunday afternoon
a kite flew above Sunday,
a tightened drumhead, an armful of blown chaff.
I'd seen it grey and slippy in the making,
I'd tapped it when it dried out white and stiff,
I'd tied the bows of newspaper
along its six-foot tail.
But now it was far up like a small black lark
and now it dragged as if the bellied string
were a wet rope hauled upon
to lift a shoal.
My friend says that the human soul
is about the weight of a snipe,
yet the soul at anchor there,
the string that sags and ascends,
weigh like a furrow assumed into the heavens.
Before the kite plunges down into the wood
and this line goes useless
take in your two hands, boys, and feel
the strumming, rooted, long-tailed pull of grief.
You were born fit for it.
Stand in here in front of me
and take the strain.
First of all, polyamory sounds so utterly exhausting that it’s hard to understand its appeal. Second, it also comes across as so completely unserious, in that it’s utterly juvenile in its scope and antithetical taking on actual responsibilities and actually being accountable for one’s actions or commitments. But isn’t this the trend, for all of us to pretend to that halcyon time between 18-24 when we were just bumbling around trying to figure it out, and instead of realizing that it was an awkward and excruciating moment in life to celebrate it as some sort of ideal. I must admit, when I read these excepts on polyamory the first thing that comes to mind is “grow up.” Take responsibility for your commitments. Isn’t the point of commitment such that it allows us the opportunity to focus and build something actual and real and true (as in enduring), so that we can then provide structure and care to the people around us? Polyamory seems like such a cheap trade of covenantal relationships for negotiated relationships.
Regarding #2: Rasmussen says that Trump is up 7 points over Harris nationally and up 24 points with independent voters. To win the presidency, Harris will need to win with independents. Somehow, I doubt this video is going to help!
Regarding #3: So much of what ails us is really just selfishness. It's because we focus on what we want rather than what God wants. Selfishness leads to pain and unhappiness. Learn to focus on what God wants rather than what you want, and much of your anguish will disappear.
In fairness to the Episcopal Church, I must say that the answer to The Living Churches' question, "Is there room for polyamory in the Episcopal Church" seems to be "No." In that sense, the title of the article was a little sensationalistic, since it suggested that polyamory has more of a toehold in the Episcopal Church than seems to be the case, at least based on the text of the article. Probably the most important word in the article, besides "polyamory" is "former", as in "former Episcopal priests." At least two of the three priests involved in polyamorous relations were under the jurisdiction of liberal bishops, yet apparently met with official episcopal disapproval of their "alternative lifestyles". Although Father Kinman may endorse these arrangements, at least in principle. there is no indication that his viewpoint has any substantial following in the wider Church.
Back in the days immediately following L'Affaire Robinson, Louie Crew was asked whether polyamory was the next step after same-sex blessings. Eschewing intersectionality (I don't think we used that phrase in those dayd, at least not with its current meaning), Brother Crew said that polyamory was not of interest to him, and was a battle that would need to be borne by others, if at all.
My reaction after first reading the article was, "There is less here than meets the eye." The Episcopal Church has plenty of problems, but the condonation of polyamory does not seem to be the top of the list.