Sinden.org

The 75^th General Convention of the Episcopal Church meets in Columbus, Ohio this week, and while there's no Gene Robinson-type issue this year, there are some pieces of legislation that Sinden.org is following with interest.

First up, the approval of the existing provisional commemorations. They were published in the 2003 edition of Lesser Feasts and Fasts, so we've been using them for a while.

Resolution A059 Approve Liturgical Calendar Commemorations
Resolved, the House of _____concurring, That the commemorations of Florence Li Tim-Oi, Janani Luwum, Philander Chase, William Temple and Clive Staples Lewis, proposed by the 74th General Convention (2003 Journal, p. 446, 447ff and 488) and approved for trial use, be now finally approved and entered in the Calendar of the Church Year (BCP, p. 15-30) and in future revisions of Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

If approved, we can look forward to the first legitimate evensong for the Feast of Philander Chase on Friday, September 22.

I'm not sure about this next one. I have to wonder if the February 1, 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster has anything to do with this. Perhaps no one had the presence of mind to draft this resolution for the 74^th GenCon three years ago?

Resolution A062 Approve a Common for Space Exploration
Resolved, the House of _____concurring, That the 75th General Convention authorize, for trial use until the 76th General Convention, a Common for Space Exploration, as follows:

Creator of the universe, whose dominion extends through the immensity of space: guide and guard those who seek to fathom its mysteries especially N.N]. Save us from arrogance lest we forget that our achievements are grounded in thee, and, by the grace of thy Holy Spirit, protect our travels beyond the reaches of earth, that we may glory ever more in the wonder of thy creation: through Jesus Christ, thy Word, by whom all things came to be, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Creator of the universe, your dominion extends through the immensity of space: guide and guard those who seek to fathom its mysteries [especially N.N.]. Save us from arrogance lest we forget that our achievements are grounded in you, and, by the grace of your Holy Spirit, protect our travels beyond the reaches of earth, that we may glory ever more in the wonder of your creation: through Jesus Christ, your Word, by whom all things came to be, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm
19:1-6 or Canticle 12

Lessons
Job 38: 4-12, 16-18
Revelation 1:7-8, 12-16

Gospel
John 15:5-9

Preface of God the Father or the Epiphany

The Episcopal Women's project has proposed five commemorations for inclusion in Lesser Feasts and Fasts. Interestingly they have not proposed any men. somebody else proposed Oscar Romero, I guess. All of these commemorations span a period of about 70 years, with the most recent being 26 years ago.

Resolution A063 Additional Calendar Commemorations
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention propose additional commemorations in the Calendar of the Church Year and authorize trial use thereof for the triennium 2007–2009, as follows: January 8, Harriet Bedell, Deaconess and Missionary, 1969
February 28, Anna Julia Heyward Cooper, Educator, 1964
March 13 (or November 8), James Theodore Holly, Bishop of Haiti, 1911
March 24, Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, 1980, and The Martyrs of El Salvador
April 7, Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia, Confessor and Ecumenist, 1925
October 10, Vida Dutton Scudder, Educator and Witness for Peace, 1954
December 30, Frances Joseph-Gaudet, Educator and Prison Reformer, 1934

I wonder about some of these commemorations. I might propose that we use Wikipedia as a test for inclusion. I can find Tikhon, and Oscar, but not the others.

Update 14 June 2006: Resolution C016 has just come to our attention. Thurgood Marshall has been proposed for the calendar by the Diocese of Washington.