All Saints' Church...announces new Rector at Beverly Hills house of prayer!

Who knows!

(I may be featured in this choir photo)

The Vestry has announced that the Reverend Canon Stephen Huber (National Cathedral in Washington) has accepted the unanimous call to be the 7th Rector of All Saints' Church in Beverly Hills.


A couple of years ago, I was fortunate to realize a dream to sing in a choir, when I attended service at All Saints'.

During that time frame, Carol Anderson was in service to the Episcopal Church in the role that Huber has stepped into.

The Reverend grew up in a large Catholic family in Ohio and attended Catholic schools from first grade all the way through graduate school at Loyola University in New Orleans.

The dedicated Church-goer spent ten years teaching theology and working in development at private schools before transitioning into inspiring full-time development work as an A.I.D.S. fundraiser for such organizations as the Fenway Community Health Center (Boston) and the Human Rights Campaign Fund in Washington (D.C.).

Huber attended seminary at Yale University and obtained his Master of Divinity (!) in 1998.

For a short duration Steve filled the role of Development & Communications Director at Yale's Berkley Divinity School.

There were many other career developments under the auspices of the fold in the years that followed.

But, it was a post at the Washington National Cathedral (to build a Cathedral Congregation) that was probably the most challenging and rewarding for the Priest.

Using his impressive leadership skills, Huber proceeded to focus on education, pastoral care, stewardship, communications, and hospitality ministries for the congregation which now numbers 700.

Church officials describe Huber as a "spirit-filled" preacher and loving pastor with an open heart and wonderful manner who is  ready to lead All Saints' Church in the work of the Kingdom of God.

In an essay he wrote in respect to his calling, Rev. Huber eloquently wrote:

"I understand my primary vocation as inviting people into a new or deepened relationship with Jesus Christ."

"All Saints' Church is a model to the whole Church of an intellectually coherent expansive Christian faith that is unabashedly grounded in discipleship of Jesus Christ. I find that enormously exciting."

In accepting the post he closed an open letter to the parish by quoting mystic Meister Eckhart:

"If the only prayer you say in your whole life is thank you, that would suffice."

Amen!

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Barack Obama...condemns controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright. No Lamb of God!

Rev. Jeremiah Wright...no prophet!

In response to a loud outcry from voters around the nation, Presidential hopeful - Barack Obama - has distanced himself from his Church Pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright for uttering outrageous hateful remarks in recent days.

"I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject matter of this controversy," the Senator wrote in a column published online at Huffington Post.

On occasion the mouthy voice piece has focused attacks on Hillary Clinton direct from the pulpit.

For instance, Wright stridently remarked in a Christmas sermon,

"Hillary Clinton was not a black boy raised in a single-parent home - but Barack Obama was."

He raged on, much to the dismay of a startled congregation,

"Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary! Hillary can never know that. Hillary ain't ever been called a nigger! Hillary has never had her people defined as a non-person."

In another sermon he referred to the United States as,

"The U.S. of K.K.K.A."

Some jump to the pastor's defense by alleging that although Wright's sermons may appear to be too provocative for Sunday morning service, they actually reflect a proud history of what Walter Earl Fluker of Morehouse College in Atlanta would call "prophetic preaching - which is the trademark of the Black Church tradition - in which Jeremiah Wright is one of the most illustrious exemplars."

Peter Paris, Professor Emeritus of Christian Social ethics at Princeton Theological Society, added that prophets are basically reformers and not revolutionaries.

"There's a fine line beyond which one is no longer prophetic but revolutionary. He's not there, but the language may appear from time to time to be there."

Hogwash!

There's nothing prophetic about his inflammatory remarks. Without doubt, Wright crossed the line for a man of God.

In the House of the Lord sermons should focus on the "word" and the salient points of their spiritual essence wisely set forth in the Holy Bible for all to peruse in a moment of reflection.

Moreover, whenever an orator stands before a congregation, he should endeavour to couch the language of the sermon in a manner that engenders widespread universal appeal.

For example, instead of name-calling or pointing an accusing finger at this great country or labelling the nation the - "U.S. of KKK" - the Reverend should find a way to address the issues of racism, discrimination, and prejudice in a more eloquent far-reaching capacity so that the sermon is inspiring, not denigrating.

But, to be fair, Rev. Wright is not alone in his efforts to manipulate the faithful.

For example, during a service at the "Good Shepherd" last fall, one of the Priests took it upon himself to suggest that when Peter referred to a personal dilemma that "upset" him, he may have been referring to the fact he was "gay".

It was so preposterous a notion that I laughed out loud in Church!

Needless to say, the priest retreated. Then, went off on another tangent.

On another occasion I was also hopping mad when a female rector (taking up residence at "All Saint's Church" in Beverly Hills) chose - on the occasion of her first sermon - to address the issue of women and their function in the Church.

In a bold-faced effort to validate her right to "preach" the word of God - which remains in conflict with the dictates of the scriptures - she proceeded to twist and distort the verses to suit her agenda.

Maybe now Rev. Wright can fathom what the "whore" of Babylon truly represents.

No wonder people are turning away from Sunday morning service.

As the Easter season approaches, I urge our men of the cloth to just focus on the Holy Bible, please.

Unless, they want to be crucified, of course!