Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Why George Herbert Must Die
Someone pointed out this article from the Guardian, on how the church needs to move beyond the vision of a parish priest as a "kindly, smiling presence." I can see his point, certainly. But what is left unanswered is: what should the role of the parish priest be?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Beliefnet.com
The only problem with beliefnet is digging through it to find what you like. Today alone, I came across articles on raising caring kids and living within your means. There are also prayers for a variety of occasions, including Lenten prayers for strength. So click on over and see what you can find...Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sorting It Out
Check out this great Lenten toolbox with daily prayers, poems, and psalm selections, meant to "adjust your focus and support your soul."
Enjoy!
Image from explorefaith.org.
Enjoy!
Image from explorefaith.org.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Lenten Reflections
Our director of Christian formation and education used the following video for an EYC (youth) Eucharist last Sunday:
***
We won't forgive the people who we hire to teach us about forgiveness.
A St. Paul's parishioner said this to me the other day, and I can't get it out of my head. When I asked her to elaborate, she said people expect more from clergy than anyone else and can't forgive them (us) if those expectations aren't met and if big mistakes are made. I wish it wasn't true. I think she might be right, though.
What's beyond forgivable?
***
We won't forgive the people who we hire to teach us about forgiveness.
A St. Paul's parishioner said this to me the other day, and I can't get it out of my head. When I asked her to elaborate, she said people expect more from clergy than anyone else and can't forgive them (us) if those expectations aren't met and if big mistakes are made. I wish it wasn't true. I think she might be right, though.
What's beyond forgivable?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thinking about September 11, 2001
How could I not blog on 9-11?
This year, I've read The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World, a book by Yale (and Episcopalian) theologian Miroslav Volf. Volf, while recognizing some of the merits of remembering wrongs, also explores the darker side of remembering wrongs committed. Remembering "rightly," he argues (or this is my take on what he said), doesn't necessarily mean forgetting. It does mean, as a Christian, not allowing the wrongs committed against us to become the center of our being and our identity. Otherwise, that whole "forgiveness" thing that Jesus not only offers to each of us but also asks that we forgive others as well (remember the Lord's Prayer?) is just a whole bunch of talk.
Now, I don't think that the United States is a Christian nation. I do think there are a lot of people who are Christians in policy making positions who perhaps are, in fact, allowing the events of 9-11 to shape our collective identity.
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was actually in NYC at a conference at Trinity Wall Street on 9-11, wrote a relatively short but powerful work called Writing in the Dust that I recommend. He argues that the instinct to retaliate, to feel that release that comes from striking back may be human (see: the Psalms) and may make us feel better initially. However, that, he says, is not enough to justify doing so. He asks not only the more abstract theological questions about whether or not responding violently is the Christian thing to do; I don't think I would like the book if he left it there, honestly. Williams also asks the imminently practical questions, the things such as, "Will this action, whatever it is, lead us in the direction of fulfilling his goals?"
Today I am for praying, for those who have died, for those whose lives are changed forever, and for our enemies.
This year, I've read The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World, a book by Yale (and Episcopalian) theologian Miroslav Volf. Volf, while recognizing some of the merits of remembering wrongs, also explores the darker side of remembering wrongs committed. Remembering "rightly," he argues (or this is my take on what he said), doesn't necessarily mean forgetting. It does mean, as a Christian, not allowing the wrongs committed against us to become the center of our being and our identity. Otherwise, that whole "forgiveness" thing that Jesus not only offers to each of us but also asks that we forgive others as well (remember the Lord's Prayer?) is just a whole bunch of talk.
Now, I don't think that the United States is a Christian nation. I do think there are a lot of people who are Christians in policy making positions who perhaps are, in fact, allowing the events of 9-11 to shape our collective identity.
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was actually in NYC at a conference at Trinity Wall Street on 9-11, wrote a relatively short but powerful work called Writing in the Dust that I recommend. He argues that the instinct to retaliate, to feel that release that comes from striking back may be human (see: the Psalms) and may make us feel better initially. However, that, he says, is not enough to justify doing so. He asks not only the more abstract theological questions about whether or not responding violently is the Christian thing to do; I don't think I would like the book if he left it there, honestly. Williams also asks the imminently practical questions, the things such as, "Will this action, whatever it is, lead us in the direction of fulfilling his goals?"
Today I am for praying, for those who have died, for those whose lives are changed forever, and for our enemies.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Kingdom of Heaven is Like...
I'm preaching on several of Jesus' parables from Matthew this week. It's got me thinking of what Jesus might say if he were alive today.
I think a modern day mustard seed parable might go something like this:
The kingdom of heaven is like buying stock in some small, random, no-name company, forgetting about it, and then decades later realizing it’s made you a millionaireIt works because emphasizes something small becoming something big, but it loses something because the mustard plant was not a particularly desirable plant.
A contemporary yeast parable might be something this:
The kingdom of heaven is like a cell phone that doesn’t run out of batteries for days, no matter how long you talk or how much you text or how many pictures you take or receive.Again, this loses something because Jesus using a woman as the protagonist was a bit shocking.These aren't that great. What do you think? The kingdom of heaven is like...
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