Main MenuPopular ResourcesWho's Online NowWe have 96 guests and no members online |
A Christmas Message from Bishop Lawrence
The Promise of Christmas: “Every Lock Must Answer to a Key”“O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home; make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path of misery.” In many adventure stories and great epics, there comes a telling moment when a door or a lock must be opened or all will be lost. Such a moment takes place in J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf, Frodo, Aragorn and the others come to the The Doors of Durin. Here the key that opens the door is a spoken word, Mellon: the Elvish word for “friend.” In other stories, what the sojourners need to complete their journey is an actual key that when inserted, fits the lock, turns the tumblers, and the mysterious door or lock is opened. This is akin to the idea that lies behind the fifth verse in the ancient Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” This well-loved hymn is based upon the O Antiphons; which are seven Latin prayers that the early church composed to prepare the faithful for Christmas. Each of these prayers takes up one of the mysterious titles the Church found in the Old Testament and attributed to Jesus the Messiah. These names are rooted in prophetic passages mostly from The Book of Isaiah. The verse quoted above regarding the Key of David is illustrative of this tradition. It draws from two separate passages that reveal great human need and deep longing: “I will place on his shoulder the key to the House of David: he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut and no one shall open.” (Isaiah 22:22) “to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:7) Advent and Christmas Events Around the Diocese
Advent Wednesday Worship, Christ Church, Mt Pleasant A Joint Statement of The Bishop and Standing Committee of The Diocese of South Carolina
It is with the weight of decision but conviction of heart and mind that I write to tell you the Standing Committee, after prayerful deliberation, and with my full support, has voted unanimously to proceed with a petition for a writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court. I remind you that this long process first began with our stand for Gospel truth—holding firmly to the faith once delivered to the saints. All too soon, we were thrust us into a battle for Religious Freedom. As Justice Kitteridge has aptly stated about the State Supreme Court’s recent denial for rehearing “…to disallow a full court from considering the rehearing petitions is deeply troubling and, in my opinion, raises constitutional implications as the Court has blocked a fair and meaningful merits review of the rehearing petitions.” So we have before us our commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ to which we are unwaveringly wedded; a civil concern for religious freedom for ourselves and others; and a public duty to petition for constitutional due process to be upheld. Any of these might justify taking the next step down this legal road. Together they make a three-fold cord not easily broken. Diocese of South Carolina Denied Rehearing by South Carolina Supreme Court
Statement by the Rev. Canon Jim Lewis: “We are deeply disappointed the Court did not see fit to recuse Justice Hearn. Her personal interest in the outcome of this litigation, beyond the normal matters of law, has clearly influenced its outcome. That is unfortunate not only for the Diocese but for all the citizens of this State with concerns for a fair and impartial judiciary. We also find it disturbing that the weight of the Constitutional concerns raised was not given further opportunity to be addressed. Church property ownership in South Carolina is now gravely complicated. Amicus Brief Filed By Religious Leaders in Support of Diocese
Misapplication of neutral principles of law leads to constitutional conflicts and property rights confusion. COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 13, 2017) – Friday, a diverse group of 106 South Carolina religious leaders, representing 52 cities and many denominations, filed an amicus curiae brief in the South Carolina Supreme Court supporting the Petition for Rehearing filed by the Diocese of South Carolina (Diocese) and 29 parish churches regarding the South Carolina Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Appellate Case No. 2015-000622. Among the amici are representatives of Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, United Methodist, REC, Nazarene, Holiness and non-denominational churches, as well as the Executive Director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The amici are represented by attorneys with Winston & Strawn as well as Michael W. McConnell, who is the Richard and Frances Mallery Professor and Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. The brief addresses the Court’s misapplication of “neutral principles of law”, which presents both a serious threat to religious liberty and “leaves this state’s Church property law in disrepair and confusion.” Statement by the Rev. Canon Jim Lewis: “Friday’s brief illustrates well two essential problems with the current ruling of the Court. Because there is no legal consensus among the Justices, the ruling as it stands is, as stated in the brief, a “recipe for endless litigation.” As a consequence of misapplying neutral principles of law as intended by the U.S. Supreme Court, it violates rather than preserves, the First Amendment protections of religious liberty they are meant to ensure. Resolving these significant issues merits rehearing by the Court.” |
Latest News
Death of the Rev. John Foster, III
The Rev. John Foster, III
Congregational Reporting Begins January 1
The Congregational Reporting (a.k.a. parochial reports) process is about to begin for the churches in our diocese. The process will be [ ... ] latest news+ Full Story |
