NOTES, 23 JULY 2021
Welcome, blog reader on Friday, July 23, 2021. It has been a week since I lasted posted a blog piece. Time to check in on the crises we have been following.
PANDEMIC. We are now in the third surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last few weeks, there has been a rise in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, particularly in our southern states. In the last two weeks, South Carolina has seen a 192% jump in new cases, 110% more hospitalizations, and 48% rise in deaths due to the coronavirus. Alabama reported a 311% jump in new cases and a 92% rise in hospitalizations. SC has a low rate of fully vaccinated people, at 40%. AL continues to have the very lowest rate of all 50 states plus DC, at 33.9%. Although most Alabamians over the age of 65 have been inoculated, the majority of people 17-65 have defiantly refused the vaccine.
With the new surge of the plague in Alabama, and the notoriety of low vaccinations, Alabama has been in the national news lately. Dr. Brytney Cobia, a physician in Birmingham, has been on the news networks with her heartbreaking experiences of treating the dying. Find an article about her here . The Governor, Kay Ivey, has also been in the national news as her temper boiled over yesterday at people who choose risk of death over vaccination. Find an article about her here . For Ivey, and for the state, the chickens are coming home to roost. From the start, the governor and legislature regarded the plague as a political and not a health issue. In one of the reddest states in the union, they played a dangerous game of politics and now they see they are losing. It was a deadly mistake. No wonder the governor is overflowing with frustration.
School will begin a few weeks in Alabama and many other states. We can expect the present third surge to get worse, much worse in the next few months.
SCHISM IN SC. To my knowledge, there has been no news from the SC Supreme Court. We have no choice but to continue waiting for the court to respond to the Episcopal Church's appeal of Judge Dickson's outrageous order. Your guess at how long this is going to go on is as good as mine.
THE ADVENT. The clergy and staff of the Episcopal Cathedral of the Advent, in Birmingham AL, are gradually implementing the Covenant made between the vestry and the bishop. The general idea is to return worship and programs to the pre-Pearson era. This primarily means returning to the liturgies in the Book of Common Prayer and restoration of financial support to the diocese. As I watch the videos of the Sunday morning services from the Advent, I am looking for several changes: the return of the reserved sacrament to the Ambry since the Sanctuary Lamp is lit (the lamp should not be lit otherwise); the return of the elements to the altar for consecration in the Eucharist (the bread and wine should not be on another table far away); and the return of the Episcopal Church flag to the nave. I expect these will happen in time. Right now, the tenor is, wisely, to go slowly on the restorations. I do not know what is going to happen to the hootenanny band.
This week, the Advent posted an FAQ about the Covenant. I found it disappointing. It is unfortunate in that it strikes the wrong chord in terms of tone and content. I do not see how this FAQ helps in the healing, unity and restoration that is the need of the moment. The attitude is still adversarial in that is mostly about the differentiation of the two and a strong defense of what has set the parish apart from the diocese all these years.
The theology in the FAQs is dubious, at least questionable. For instance, in item #3, we find "We are not born children of God but sinners." In my Bible, we are children of God. In Genesis 1:27 we read,"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." In the Genesis stories, God gave man the knowledge of good and evil and the free will to choose between the two. He also gave humans dominion over creation. Humans are are not little gods and are not born perfect and in that sense are "sinners," but they are still made in the mage of God with the ability to do good and to fight against evil in the world. The problem with evangelical Christianity is that it cannot seem to get beyond the sinner/salvation point and arrive at man as God's representatives on earth with a mission to do his work. Regrettably, the FAQs show this problem and use it to differentiate the parish from the diocese. (For more discussion of "the Image of God," see this article. )
I doubt that the FAQs matter much anyway. The important point that really does matter is that the clerical and lay leaders of the Advent have recognized the need to restore a good relationship with the wider Episcopal Church, and that is cause for great rejoicing. The interim dean, Craig Smalley, is doing an admirable job in a difficult situation. We all should pray for him and the others, and support the parish leadership as they guide this congregation in its journey of faith.
Meanwhile, summer moves along and my garden is as robust and lush as ever. We have had a great deal of rain and moderate temperatures. High summer means crepe myrtle in the south. Here is Tuscarora:
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice." Plant in a semi-shady spot where one can enjoy the sweet aroma in summer. Excellent choice for an easy to grow, medium size deciduous shrub.
The abelia family of shrubs is excellent for the home garden. This is Abelia 'Rose Creek'. It is thriving in this sunny spot.
Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly feeding on the abelia bush. I have lots of butterflies in my garden. As with the birds, I provide them with plenty of natural food and sources of water.While birds may prefer the bird bath, butterflies like water on the ground, and so I place bowls of water here and there. Of course, I put mosquito pellets in the bowls.
This Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is equally fond of abelia.
