Just got my little care package from Father Peter Kennedy’s true faith church on the Internet. I thought maybe they forgot me and were not sending out anymore care packages into the big ugly world anymore. I thought that this Christian church had failed in the face of opposition and pressure from the big organized RC Institution. Actually, the message ended up in my spam queue and I had not checked there lately.
If this was the early Christian Church and I was someone who could read and write I would be standing on my doorstep reading parts of a letter, a letter from Father Kennedy. Later I just might be giving a synopsis of the letter as a story with the letter itself and with the accumulated stories in general of true Apostles of Jesus such as Fathers Kennedy and Fitzpatrick preaching the Good News in Brisbane, Oz.
Sorry I can’t You Tube a few minutes of the Father Kennedy’s sermon. The text of the sermons are usually a few weeks behind in transcription. Father Kennedy was talking about the Theology of Anxiety as described by some author. The gist of the message was that the Big Organized Church is an Institution of Compromise – one where the fear of the devil exceeds the Love of God. This conforms with my minimalist view that fundamentalism and the big ritual institutions – love the Book – Love the Rule Book – more than they love God or God’s creation man and woman.
St Mary's Catholic Community in EXILE
I invite you if you have ten to fifteen minutes to listen and watch a video of his sermon on their site. Have to confess that I don’t always watch every minute of the service. I am not a member in good standing of that far away community. ((sorry, video no longer available - 24 nov 2011))
Father Kennedy’s sermon led into a baptism of a little girl Jesse conducted by Father Terry. I was most impressed with the casualness and the informality of it all as evidenced by lay participation. I was impressed that the child had three godmothers ( one can never have enough godmothers ) and a godfather who managed to miss the service.
The words of baptism are the Politically Incorrect Words that got Father Kennedy and his parish in trouble. The child of God Jesse Thomas was baptized in the name of God the Creator, Liberator, and Sustainer of Life (for centuries referred to as Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
Along with many healthy shoots taking root in the soil of life everywhere redefining the original and blessed message of Jesus, Saint Mary’s in Exile is still alive, well and thriving six months into a journey full of grace.
Enjoyed reading your post. Not sure I understood it all, but... :-)
ReplyDeleteI have been following Father Kennedy’s struggle for over a year now.
ReplyDeleteI identify with Peter Kennedy’s Irish Catholic background. Know a little of from where he speaks. Of course he is an Aussie which does not change the formula much.
He wants to do what Vatican II said it wanted to do but had no intention of doing – to be inclusive. I am a minimalist in my message of Jesus end of Christianity and I hate the Temple crowd like Jesus (the organized religion part of it all).
By changing a few words into modern context, Kennedy and his crew has declared war on all the bureaucrats in the RC church. I also identify with the underdog in most matters.
How in the world did Vatican 2 make it into the light of day? Was it a product of the times or was there serious thought behind it? Did the Pope ram it thru despite the backlash to come? I think the RC's had something and it faded into thin air in nothing flat. Ahead of the times but now might be right..inter faith inclusion is the only way we'll save the world from destroying itself.
ReplyDeleteAll good and fine, but what Kennedy teaches and practices is not Catholicism, he is simply teaching and living an altogether different religion. Why is he some kind of hero/underdog? He essentially started his own religion, yet thinks he should get to practice it and label it as Catholicism? It seems intellectually dishonest at best.
ReplyDeleteI'm no Vatican bureaucrat, but only wish to see the nations baptized as Christ himself revealed and commanded, "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit". If someone wants to do otherwise, fine, but don't call yourself a Christian. Of course, "changing a few words" is all it takes to change anything, really.