SCP Conference!

Registration is open for the upcoming Society of Catholic Priests meeting. This year, it’ll be taking place near CDSP in Glendale, California from October 10th through the 13th.

The SCP has graciously asked me back this year as a presenter. Here’s the official schpeil I wrote up for my talk:

Attentiveness: Liturgical and Scriptural Formation and the Anglo-Catholic Social Tradition
Dr. Derek Olsen, Theologian-in-Residence at Church of the Advent in Baltimore, MD

How does social consciousness relate to a movement best known for elaborate liturgy and ceremonial? What is the role of liturgical prayer in solving the ills of the world outside our naves? Drawing on Scripture and the Anglo-Catholic tradition of liturgical prayer, Dr. Olsen will discuss how a vibrant liturgical spirituality draws us into–rather than away from–engagement with and advocacy for justice and reconciliation in the political and social orders.

Writing is well under way, and I think we’ll be going in some interesting directions!

I feel quite strongly that the SCP is an important organization for the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada right now. Our churches need a group that will speak clearly about Anglican doctrine, liturgy, and spirituality grounded in the richness of our catholic heritage. I still feel that a lay group is needed and have been doing some writing and networking around this (on and offline) that has yet to bear concrete fruit. However, along this line, I want to bring to your attention a change in policy for the upcoming SCP meeting:

 For the first time in its existence, the SCP has decided to open up a limited number of guest registrations to lay people who may be interested in and contribute to our common life. BEFORE YOU REGISTER HERE, please send an e-mail to thescpinnorthamerica@gmail.com with information regarding why you would like to attend the Conference. The SCP Council will consider each registration on a case-by-case basis. Once approved, you can register your place here.

Now, I know there are some folks out there who really ought to be at the meeting but who are not among the ranks of the ordained. Please consider this prayerfully, and get in touch with these folks if you’re able to attend.

If you are a clergy person and read this blog, and haven’t considered the Society and what it does, please do.

The registration page for the conference with more details and info on the other speakers is here.

8 thoughts on “SCP Conference!

  1. bls

    It’s great news that they are making room for guest registrations; that could be the perfect first step towards creating an affiliated lay group.

    And that would be terrific. To me, it doesn’t make sense to have clergy organizations without parallel lay groups. Sure priests have their own issues, and need each other for support – but if there is going to be a renewal, you’ve just got to get laypeople involved; there’s no way to do it otherwise. It would be very nice for clergy & layfolks to work together in this effort, and a Catholic perspective makes this more likely anyway, from my point of view.

    Good news! Would love to go myself, but not rich enough this year. I’ll wait for next year, and maybe something closer and less expensive. Sure would love to hear your presentation, though – that should be great!

  2. Joe Rawls

    I would love to go for a day to hear your talk and participate in some good high liturgy, so I’ll check it out. By the way, Glendale is actually a long ways from CDSP, unless there’s a branch campus there I haven’t heard about.

  3. Derek Olsen

    Ah–good to know… Perhaps when I was told that it was “near” that was in relative terms–I have a lousy grasp of California geography.

  4. Joe Rawls

    Typical Easterner. We’re actually a few hours’ drive west of the Hudson. I will admit that CDSP is in one of the better parts of California.

  5. Joe Rawls

    Derek, I just checked the SCP site and it does not seem to say exactly when you will be speaking. I am tentatively planning a day-trip from Santa Barbara to take in that day’s session. Thanks for any info you can provide.

  6. Christopher

    Yeah, Glendale is a good 6 hour drive, but a hop away by plane to Burbank…I fly down there twice a year to advise affiliated candidates. I’ll see if my calendar is open and if so, I will apply.

  7. Harold Stassen

    Should present trends continue (the ones from the past 40 years) you’ll have one clergy person for every lay member by the year 2054. You have way too many people who are Fundiegelical refugees or ex-Catholics (gay and tired of lying or divorced and don’t feel that they want to lie and say it never happened) and trying to get a second career out of telling people what to do while wearing strange silk clothes. You need another model besides “I’m ordained validly (how the heck would you know, anyway? God send you an e-mail or something?) and you have to listen to my “Prophetic Ministries”. And I want tax breaks while denouncing Caesar, too. Damn the inconsistency-this is Anglican Fudge!

  8. Kevin Montgomery

    Definitely with you there on the lay society, as you well know. ;-)
    Maybe starting with something simple and fairly focused is a good way to start.

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