tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29868976.post5135720849932483998..comments2023-11-14T06:39:30.395-05:00Comments on The Ultimate Word: What Gift Can We Bring?Jon M. Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03827263102842339467noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29868976.post-2611754593714275682009-12-18T06:41:36.559-05:002009-12-18T06:41:36.559-05:00Thanks for the factual corrections, Elizabeth :) ...Thanks for the factual corrections, Elizabeth :) But the point remains - I'm humbled by your generosity and love :)Jon M. Richardsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03827263102842339467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29868976.post-10131380591227624132009-12-17T14:49:29.110-05:002009-12-17T14:49:29.110-05:00Thank YOU, Jon. You don't know it yet, but YO...Thank YOU, Jon. You don't know it yet, but YOU are the gift to the church. In my very rare moments of despair, I look to you and Meg and Michael and Jeremiah and I think, well, I've done my part to secure the future of the church.<br /><br />Just a few corrections: +Fred didn't want to ordain me because I am a woman. As a devout Anglo-Catholic of the old school, he was initially deeply opposed to the ordination of women. Voted against it and spoke openly against it in the HOB. Even organized against it. Then, he got sober and came out and experienced a conversion. The last woman he ordained was his own daughter. <br /><br />He always said of +Jack Iker: "He has three daughters. Because God has a sense of humor, one will be a 'good wife', one will be a lesbian and one will be a priest."<br /><br />It was +Ed Chalfant, his successor, who was hesitant to approve my ordination because of my sexual orientation, fearing that I would become "an embarrassment to the church". He later left office after several women ( 3? 6?) came forward to say that they had had an affair with him.<br /><br />Lesson: be very careful what you say as your words may come back to haunt you.<br /><br />Finally: what I gave you was not his diocesan pectoral cross but "one" of his pectoral crosses. It's lovely, isn't it? But, he would have chewed ground glass from his grave at the very thought of a woman wearing it, pink stones not withstanding. I'm sure he is delighted with its new 'home'. <br /><br />He was a handsome divil, eh? <br /><br />Word verification: whopers.<br /><br />You betcha.Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.com