Shaking the Sistrum

The Office of Women's Ministries has gotten its act together and issued a strong rebuttal to Christianity Today's assertion that the Episcopal Church support idol worship:

Office of Women's Ministries Official Response to Christianity Today's "Weblog: Episcopal Church Officially Promotes Idol Worship"


We have been astounded and grateful for the number of people who have taken an interest in The Office of Women's Ministries of the Episcopal Church through Christianity Today's recent weblog, "Episcopal Church Officially Promotes Idol Worship," as posted by Ted Olsen on October 26, 2004.

The material questioned in Olsen's article, "A Women's Eucharist: A Celebration of the Divine Feminine" was sent to us in good faith in response to our recent call for resources. We regret we did not realize that the material was copyright protected. Proper notifications were not included by mistake and so the page has been withdrawn from our website.

We profoundly regret that Christianity Today did not contact us before making claims such as, "?leaders of the Episcopal Church USA are promoting pagan rites to pagan deities." The resources listed on our website are not approved liturgics of the Episcopal Church. These liturgics are intended to spark dialogue, study, conversation and pondering around women and our liturgical tradition. There is quite a difference in presenting resources for people?s interest and enlightenment and promoting resources as official claims of the Episcopal Church. Only General Convention has this authority.

The current liturgy project ? A Call for Resources: The Women's Liturgy Project ? and the Women's Worship Resources section on our website is a grassroots, organic, interactive process. It is an offering to open the awareness of the many voices and needs that exist among people in the church as we all strive to find expressions of our life, love and faith in God.


I'm so relieved. I was terribly worried about the copyright violation issue, weren't you? (If you were worried about the copyright , you'll be relieved to hear that there isn't one. Apparently the "druidess" who wrote the piece is also the Episcopal Priest who submitted it. Let us rejoice that her seminary training was not in vain: she does have the pagan rites described in the Old Testament down to a "T." )

How incredibly sad that the Office of Women's Ministry cares more for legalism and copyrights than for Christ! Clearly, they depise and reject He whom their souls should love.