For the multitude of fans of this site, you will notice the blog posted last week has been removed. Here’s why:
In that post I was critical of comments posted on a certain website regarding the upcoming House of Bishops meeting in New Orleans. My post was an emotional response to the tone of SOME of the comments that were quite critical and even mean-spirited to the HoB. The emotional response was directly related to my current situation – Rector of a church recovering from Katrina. I am thrilled the Bishops will spend some of their time together helping relief crews and attending worship services on the coast of Mississippi and in New Orleans. This is a good thing – we need them to see and hear what life is like for us, and take that message home with them so volunteers keep coming.
However…..in writing those thoughts I fell into a trap that I am often very critical of in others. I called the commenters “mean people”, and said the “mean people” live at that particular web site. Naturally, those folks took offense – and they should have.
You see, one of the biggest problems in this whole Anglican mess is the way people, on all sides of each “issue”, tend to glom people together. We stereotype, we make assumptions about theology and beliefs, we lump people into convenient groups, and we do all this WITHOUT taking the effort to get to KNOW people. I hate that, I hate it when people, and they did this in DROVES on “that site” after my blog post was reported on there, make assumptions about me, my beliefs, my theology, when they really have no clue about me.
And yet, I did the exact same thing. I labeled posters / commenters of “that site” into one convenient category of “mean people”. That was wrong, very wrong.
Damage was done. I am sorry for that. In blasting my post, the owner of “that site” made some assumptions of his own that are also unfounded. He has since apologized for his tone as well, but the assumptions he made drove much of the comments on my post. Somehow people took my words to mean I was not understanding, not recognizing, not being grateful for, Katrina relief efforts done by people of all sides of the issues in our church. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I didn’t ever say that, although I can sorta see how you could get that impression from my post. That’s the main reason I took it down – not just because I spoke wrongly, which I did in my own stereotyping, but also that anyone could misunderstand my point in that way would be terrible.
People have responded on the coast by the tens of thousands, pouring untold hours and millions of dollars into our recovery. I am eternally thankful for each and every one who has done so. As I said in my post, when you are doing this work you don’t first ask folks where they stand on any issues, and in that light this recovery effort has been one example of how our divided church can be united.
I am still glad the HoB will be joining us in that effort. And I have learned a valuable lesson. I hope those offended will accept my apology.
OH AND ONE MORE THING – one commenter on “that site” kept abusing me for the “pea green soup” background of my blog. LOL! He was right – it was awful. Hence, the new blue blog!

105 heat index in early June is NOT a good sign for things to come. Please pray the tropics behave like they did last year! PLEASE
We are moving along with our property closing, site master plan, and decisions about our first building. We should close within 30 days! WOOHOO! We will throw a PARTY! You are all invited.
Our site master plan looks good – click here for our church website and you can see some pics and info. We are holding discussion groups for the various components of the multi-purpose building – kitchen, nursery, worship, education, etc. Preliminary estimates have us about one million short to build it. I will be hitting the road for some more fund raising – so if you are in a church that wants to help and can help, let me know, I’d love to visit and share our story.
It looks like we will make Camp Coast Care our home until we are in the new building (probably late 2008). The new building there is much better, air conditioned baby! We are also taking over a classroom trailer that the school no longer needs, and will move our office trailer next to it this summer. So all our St Pats stuff will be in one area – that will be nice. The classroom trailer will serve as a Sunday morning nursery, meeting area, chapel space, etc. It will be real nice to have one thing to call ours! I hate spending money moving the office trailer, but it really needs to be done, plus we need the bathroom in it for the nursery (the trailers will be adjacent).
Church tonight, then speaking to the group from the Beatitudes Society that is spending a week on the Coast. Check them out – it’s an amazing group.

May has been another month with much travel in it. I spent the 1st 7 days at CREDO – which, for you clergy folks checking in, if you get an invite – GO.
CREDO is sponsored by the Church Pension Fund, with a focus on clergy wellness in 4 areas – health, spirituality, vocation, and finances. I found the time to be very well spent and found help in all 4 areas. You end up with a “CREDO plan”, with 3 objectives and perhaps a BHAG too. I have already made some positive changes in all 4 of the above areas and anticipate continuing to do so.
Last week I spent 3 days in Detroit at a Gathering of Leaders, a very exciting time. Retired Bishop Claude Payne of Texas had the vision for this group, and along with my Bishop, Duncan Gray, and others, put together these semi-annual meetings of folks who are fired up about mission. All attendees need to have at least 15 years of ministry left before retirement. It was a thrill to be with a group of Priests who are focused on the mission of the Gospel, and not over anxious or overly redirected to dealing with the “issues” of the day. Make the main thing the main thing, folks. The networking part is the real vital part of GoL, and I look forward to continuing in this group.
I spent one day back home, then drove to Atlanta for a family thing, back the next day for church. Our architects presented the final master site plan to us on Sunday, and it looks awesome. I need to find another million bucks somewhere, so pray for us, if you don’t mind. We hope to close on the property soon!
Next week – another trip, but a fun one as I will accompany my wife for HER job to NYC. We have built in several fun days, a mini vacation for the two of us. Can’t wait!

As I travel this country, trying to raise both money for our rebuilding, and awareness of the continued struggle we endure, I am often asked about the government’s response to Katrina. I try to stay out of that debate, focusing instead on the amazing work the church in America, and even globally, has done to respond.
However, the editorial below in our local paper, the Sun Herald, speaks to an incredibly poor decision by FEMA. It is my understanding that there are sufficient funds to continue Project Recovery, which has provided much, much needed mental health services since the storm. As I reported in my last post, PTSS is an ongoing and increasing problem. Pulling Project Recovery now is a severe blow to an area in desperate need for INCREASED mental health assistance.
The editorial is below, from the Sun Herald…

Editorial

Posted on Tue, Apr. 24, 2007

Project Recovery deserves a reprieve

We wholeheartedly endorse the sentiments of Dr. Robert Titzler, medical director of Bethel Free Medical Clinic in Biloxi, as expressed in a letter published on Friday:

“April 27 will be a sad and disappointing day for hundreds of residents of South Mississippi. On that day FEMA will defund Project Recovery, and this valuable and effective program will be forced to shut down. Project Recovery has been helping people find ways to cope with the stress caused by Katrina. It has done so in an effective and efficient manner by providing free crisis counseling services… at sites other than the mental health clinics.

“For the past year, I have been working at the free medical clinic located in the Bethel Lutheran Church … . Over 80 percent of the persons who seek help here are suffering the effects of profound personal losses, sleeplessness, homelessness, anxiety about what the future holds for them, and domestic strife. While these are common issues in all communities and families, they are not usually complicated and exacerbated by the worst natural disaster in American history and in the face of a serious deficiency of readily available help in coping. Our coastal communities are, in my view, facing an epidemic of post-traumatic stress syndrome, the dimensions of which are only now, 19 months after Katrina’s visit, beginning to be appreciated. In no way is this aspect of the ‘crisis’ over. The federal government, through FEMA, appears to have decided that it is over, and that Project Recovery is no longer necessary or effective. I want to bear witness and testimony to the contrary.”

Project Recovery should be granted a reprieve.

Here on the Coast PTSS is a real, live, ongoing issue. It impacts young and old, rich and poor, slabbed or not. Last summer when Tropical Storm Ernesto popped up many many many miles away, folks around here got very anxious. Being spared any hurricanes last year was life saving in more than one way, and I mean that with all seriousness.
This Wednesday night at our healing service in the “new” quarters at Camp Coast Care, we talked about the Virginia Tech tragedy, and looking for God in these difficult events. I tried to show the BIG difference between and act of nature (Katrina) and an act of evil (Cho). Surely this man was ill and very dark, and I did not feel it my place to judge him or the system or gun control or whatever the secular world needs to discuss around this horrible event. Instead I looked at a group of people who were, literally, scared and confused and very, very anxious.
Their world has been upside down for 20 months now. This news just confirms it for them.
We talked about Jesus emptying himself, becoming a slave, going forward to death, even death on a cross for us. That God knows suffering and it is in that place we can find our own Lord.
Mostly, though, just talking about our fears and anxieties seemed somewhat cathartic for some. As I’ve said before, the mental health issues down here are enormous, please keep the prayers coming.