Brian McLaren has some nice words for United Methodists, and lists some of those in the denomination whose work he admires, including Adam Hamilton, Elaine Heath, Mike Slaughter, and Bishop Grant Hagiya. Click here.
Nine African-American scholars and clergy from the United Methodist Church have today released a statement in support of the 36 UMC retired bishops who called on an end to the denomination's ban on ordaining "self-avowed practicing homosexuals."
The statement concludes: "We urgently appeal to other racial/ethic caucuses, as well as other caucuses, and individuals representative of the rich diversity of the United Methodist Church to join us in our support to end this discrimination."
The Rev. Pamela Lightsey, associate vice president of student affairs for Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, said more scholars and clergy will be signing. Here's the statement, followed by a list of the signatories, including Dr. Lightsey:
An Endorsement Against Church Bigotry and The Injustice of ¶ 304.3
On January 31, 2011 thirty-six retired bishops of the United Methodist Church released A Statement of Counsel to the Church calling for the removal of ¶ 304.3 from The Book of Discipline (2008). Their statement is particularly directed at this paragraph because it serves as part of current UMC polity that prohibits ordination, certification as candidates, or appointments to serve in ministry of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.”
On February 25, 2011 at its 44th Annual Meeting, Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) voted to endorse our retired bishops’ statement.
As committed citizens of God’s beloved kingdom, we, the undersigned Black clergy and scholars of the United Methodist Church also endorse the bishops’ statement and applaud the action taken by our colleagues of BMCR. The action is an expression of the original intent of BMCR to be a renewing agent within and beyond the United Methodist Church, not just on matters of race, but on justice issues beyond race. The current critical discussion within our church on matters related to sexual identity is the issue beyond race that BMCR should, and is now addressing in a manner consistent with its historic advocacy for civil rights in the midst of unrestrained horrific discrimination.
As Black people we are uncomfortably familiar with discrimination. We have borne the weight of building up our nation and our United Methodist Church even under the harsh strokes of racism justified by theological convictions and human arrogance. Imperfect humans draped in an august array of Christian doctrines uttering an allegiance to “scriptural authority” and “natural law” are not new scenes on the landscape of Church history. Amazingly we who oppose such bigotry find ourselves in a strange and disturbing place: too many fellow progeny of Black slaves have now joined ranks with those who spew bigotry and, to our dismay, are wielding doctrine and scripture as their tools just as was done during slavery and the Jim Crow era. As before, segments within our church polity are the bulwark of this discriminatory logic.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made this prophetic comment about the church in his 1965 eulogy of civil rights activist, Rev. James Reeb: “He was murdered by the irrelevancy of a church that will stand amid social evil and serve as a taillight rather than a headlight, an echo rather than a voice.” As persons of African descent, we have seen the Church be a taillight regarding colonialism, slavery, segregation, and the rights of women. Since 1972, in its language and legislation the UMC has been a taillight on the rights of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) persons in our denomination and to the world.
Now, forty-six years later, facing the civil rights issue of this epoch, rather than silence, we Black clergy, leaders and scholars with bold voice and through this document say, “No more!” Too many are being murdered. Too many are being bullied. Too many have committed suicide.
Sadly, the season in which the United Methodist Church might have been a headlight for justice in the affirmation of the God-given rights of same gender loving persons has passed. Actions of secular courts and legislatures as they have responded to the equality provisions of our Constitution have affirmed the human and civil rights of same gender loving persons in ways our denomination has not. We trust that the delegates to the 2012 General Conference will rescind language and legislation that denies those rights.
Howard Thurman in “Jesus and the Disinherited,” described God as very present with those who are relegated to places outside the gate. BMCR embraced this belief in their support of the statement by our retired Bishops. We join them because we know that the Jesus who is "the center of our joy," is also the Jesus who has stood with Black Methodists both within society and Methodism, as we challenged those who restrict and restrain us. We will not stand on the sidelines as our church through its legislation denies LGBTQ persons, access to ordination as United Methodist clergy.
We therefore emphatically support the right to ordination of LGBTQ persons. We urgently appeal to other racial/ethic caucuses, as well as other caucuses, and individuals representative of the rich diversity of the United Methodist Church to join us in our support to end this discrimination.
African American Scholars and Clergy of The United Methodist Church
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Rev. Pamela R. Lightsey, PhD Northern Illinois Annual Conference Assoc. VP of Student Affairs Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Evanston, Illinois
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Rev. Traci C. West, PhD New York Annual Conference Professor of Ethics and African American Studies Drew Theological School Madison, New Jersey
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Rev. Donald Francis Guest Pastor, Glide Memorial United Methodist Church San Francisco, California |
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Rev. Linda E. Thomas, PhD New York Annual Conference Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Professor of Theology and Anthropology Chicago, Illinois |
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Rev. Cheryl B. Anderson, PhD Evanston, Illinois
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Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell Rocky Mountain Annual Conference Retired Clergy Asbury Park, New Jersey |
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Rev. Phil Lawson California-Nevada Annual Conference Retired Elder San Francisco, California |
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Rev. Theodore L. Lockhart New England Annual Conference Retired Clergy St. Petersburg, Florida
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Rev. Gennifer Benjamin Brooks, PhD New York Annual Conference Associate Professor of Homiletics Styberg Preaching Institute Director Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Evanston, Illinois
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A recent episode of Fox TV’s Glee, a musical comedy-drama series about a high school show choir’s struggle to “fit in,” boldly pulled teenage spirituality into the spotlight, and churches are (or should be) talking about it.
Religion rarely surfaces in the plotline of young America’s most beloved TV shows, nor is it usually the topic of lunch-table discussion at the local high school... but that may now be changing.
The episode—“Grilled Cheesus”—focuses on what God means to each glee club member. Some students think God is a magical genie who grants wishes (or in Finn’s case, a prayer-answering sandwich). Others consider Him the faithful supplier of peace, comfort and healing, and some do not believe in God at all.
““Grilled Cheesus” may turn out to be a provocative discussion starter for churches (with teenagers and adults), launching conversations about faith, prayer, and how to be Christian in a pluralistic culture,” writes Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean on her blog.
She has also posted five points where “Grilled Cheesus” rings true and a few discussion questions (for teens, pastors and parents) that she and some other youth pastors cooked up. It’s good stuff. Check it out.
On Duke Divinity’s “Call & Response” blog, the Rev. Amy Thompson Sevimli, the assistant to the Bishop in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, encourages pastors (especially those who are disregarding the Glee episode because of its lack theological substance) to not miss the opportunity to interact and connect with young people who are most comfortable with the pop culture representation of religion.
The issues the high school students in Glee face each week are by no means fictional. The way the characters talk about race, sexuality, popularity, family and religion mirror the conversations of “real life” high school students.
Instead of writing the show off as child’s play or defamatory or incorrect, maybe parents, pastors and youth leaders should ride the coattails of “Grilled Cheesus” into a substantial, theologically sound conversation with young people about faith.
Has “Grilled Cheesus” made its way to your dinner table yet?
The Council of Bishops has released a statement today (below) in regards to September 11. Let us all remember to keep the day as one of prayer and peace.
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Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster
President, Council of Bishops
Bishop Neil L. Irons
Executive Secretary, Council of Bishops
**Full statement and list of attendees available at:http://www.isna.net/articles/News/Beyond-Park-51-Religious-Leaders-Denounce-Anti-Muslim-Bigotry-and-Call-for-Respect.aspx
Regardless if you are a Coke or Pepsi person, you've got to be in favor of feeding 9 million hungry Americans, and starting Wednesday, Sept.1, you can vote to make that happen.
Each month Pepsi grants 1.3 million dollars to fund ideas that will help refresh the world, and the Society of St. Andrew, a grassroots, faith-based hunger relief organization, will be competing for $250,000 in the food and shelter category. It's simple--the idea with the most votes gets the money.
The Society of St. Andrew relies on support from donors, volunteers and farmers as they glean nutritious excess produce from farmers' fields and orchards after harvest and deliver it to people in need across the United States. They figure with a quarter of a million dollars, they can provide 9 million servings of food to hungry Americans. All they need is your vote.
When Pepsi decided to forego advertising in last year's monumental Super Bowl and donate $20 million dollars to social causes instead, competitors thought they were crazy. But I can think of at least 9 million Americans who don't think that was such a crazy idea.
To learn more about the Pepsi Refresh Project and vote for your favorite refreshing ideas click here.
It's official, summer is almost over. School supplies and uniforms line every windowfront, camps are winding down and kids are getting anxious. Growing up, my family lived by the school calendar. The first day of school was equivalent to the first day of a new year. We made resolutions and ate black-eyed peas--the whole shebang.
It may seem ridiculous, but (minus the party hats) a "new start" is not such a bad idea. The Barna Group, out of Ventura, Cali., recently released a report on the changing priorities of Americans. Take a look:
Of course, experts credit these changes to the weakened economy. How has the economy changed your priorities? Better yet, how has the recent state of the economy affected your faith? Should it?
It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and in a little over two weeks, my son will be a college student. For me, this brings a whole mix of emotions: happiness, pride, anxiety and quite a bit of sadness. It is hard for me to grasp that raising my little boy to be independent and resourceful has reached the point where I now need to let go.
When my son and I attended campus orientation earlier this month, the union was lined with tables set up for every interest and activity on campus. There were tables about eating plans, housing options, transportation, recycling, sports team tickets and student organizations. It was crowded and very overwhelming. As we are getting ready to leave, my son made a beeline to the campus ministries table. I have to admit, I was proud that my 18 year old son would think to continue his faith journey on his own.
Mallory’s story on college campus ministries had me look into the school's Wesley Foundation and we now have contacts and information. I also signed up to be a part of Pray40 to pray for college students. It's comforting to know that others will be including my son in their prayers.
As I am preparing for this reality of moving my son to college, the feelings are similar to helping him to learn to walk or how to ride his bicycle. I know these events in his life have been preparing us both for this next step of him becoming a man. Just like learning to ride his bike, I’ll be here to brush off the scrapes and bruises and I’ll extend my hand to help him off the ground. I’ll give him a hug and offer encouragement and help him try again. That will never change.
And when I am praying for the college students during Pray40, I am going to add a prayer for the moms of these students as well. I know I miss those simple days of taking first steps and training wheels. And I know that I am not alone, as a mom, who could use the prayers for comfort and reassurance as I watch my son, a young man now, peddle down the road without me.
Over the weekend a friend pointed me to Kevin Watson's recent blog post. Kevin and I have corresponded before, and the Reporter recently printed a commentary of his. In this post, he shares links to a blog series by Craig Groeschel, founder of the wildly successful LifeChurch.tv and a former United Methodist.
Craig has written half a dozen blog posts to offer suggestions for the United Methodist Church. And really, they are worth the read. So are the comments -- some from United Methodists, some not. A word of caution when you get to post number 6, though: Remember the lens Craig uses to view the UMC. Craig left the United Methodist Church, and he seems to see a clear divide where many current United Methodists would not. A few UMC folks posted comments saying that his categorization of liberal and evangelical is a false dichotomy. Of course, other commenters, both UM and not, agree with him and do see the division as cut-and-dry. Reminds me of a phone survey I participated in a month or two ago. The person conducting the survey asked me, "Would you consider yourself evangelical or born again?" to which I answered, "Yes." The questioner then informed me that it wasn't a yes-or-no question; I had to choose whether I was one or the other. "You mean they are mutually exclusive?" I asked. "I think someone should take a closer look at your survey questions."
So, in summary: Go read the series. Learn from it. Maybe even ask some hard questions of our leadership because of it. But think a little harder about Part 6. I, for one, believe the perceived division is a lot more nuanced than Craig Groeschel does.
In the Reporter's September 4 cover story, Mary Jacobs tackled the subject of tithing in hard times. Listening to her interviews over the cubicle wall and proofing the story before it went to print actually primed the pump for something I was preparing to do: mention the T word in front of my fellow church members.
Yesterday my husband and I talked about stewardship at both of our congregation's worship services. Even though we started thinking last month about what to say, and began a written draft of it early last week, we still didn't finish writing until 11:30 the night before (felt kind of like college... I'm thankful it wasn't an all-nighter).
Read on for the script, which is very similar to the words we spoke.
Full disclosure: I'm a member of a congregation that is chronologically old enough to be a senior in high school, if it studied hard. We've struggled with a membership plateau and are grateful and excited to have been selected to participate in our Conference's new Congregational Transformation initiative. For me, that work can't begin soon enough.
Sometimes when I come face to face with one of our problems, I picture our congregation as an awkward teenager. With acne and braces and glasses and a bad haircut. For some reason, that helps.
And sometimes I come across a piece of writing that lets me know we aren't alone in that awkward phase. This week it has been, once again, from Dan Dick, whose writing has occasionally appeared in the Reporter print edition. But what really drove it home this time was a blog entry from David Camphouse, pastor of St. Andrew UMC in Ojai, California, in which he linked to a post of Dan's. So read what David has to say, then click on through to Dan.
Also, in a more recent post, Dan reveals that he is an old fart. By his definition, so am I.
As I sit in on one of the workshop sessions here at UMR's annual Communicators Conference, I'm struck by how much dedication, talent, and desire to serve lies within this group of folks whose ministry is communicating with and among God's people. These folks face so many constraints (time and finances chief among them), yet they keep at it.
Our theme for this year is "More Than Enough: Discovering Abundance Through Connection." Conference attendee and UMR Board member the Rev. Art McClanahan offered this morning's devotional, and had us spend a few minutes talking with people near us about questions like, "What does discovery feel like to you?" " Where do you recognize abundance?" and "How do you experience connection?"
It's tempting not to even try to discover abundance in an economy like this one, and in a time of upheaval in methods of communication. But it's there. We just have to be open to looking for it. As I see this group of people seeking new paths, I also see them connecting and making discoveries. Thanks be to God.
Half an hour from now, Ken and I will be preparing to lead a Twitter and Facebook practicum. Because of the continually evolving nature of social media, we're fully expecting to learn as much as we teach in this session. We're living in an amazing time of transition. It's exciting to be able to give the church a push out into new territory.
I'm mulling over a possible companion piece to an upcoming report on how United Methodist churches are helping job seekers.
Here's what I'm wondering: How does Wesleyan theology help assuage the ever-increasing anxiety over the economy's bad news?
A recent open letter to United Methodists from church leaders reminded us of ministry goals (keep reaching out to the poor, etc.), but seemed to lack pastoral comfort for today's emotional anxiety.
Keeping on doing good is all good, of course, but I suspect some United Methodists are having trouble sleeping at night.
So here's the real devil's advocate/overly simplistic question: Seems to me that Calvinists may be in better shape, trusting in God's complete sovereignty even in hard times. What sayeth ye Arminianists?
What practical difference does being a Methodist make in times like this?
I'm very, very Methodist. Very, very United Methodist, actually. Born, baptized, bred and bound-and-determined to stay within this particular expression of the Christian faith. Even if it kills me (she says with tongue-only-partially-in-cheek).
So why did I recommend a non-United Methodist church to a fellow United Methodist yesterday?
In a denomination that stands against war except as a last measure, isn't it a bit strange for some United Methodists to call their teen outreach program the UM Army?
I'm told it's mostly an East Texas thang, and I do recall writing about this back in Longview.
But no matter what they call it, the kids do good work.
The faith outreach project (God Not Guns) of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says Christians should consider the apostle Paul's words about being "a stumbling block to the weak" when taking advantage of their constitutional liberty to own guns.
Here's part of the post, written by the Rev. Rachel Smith, founder of the project:
"I think we can apply Paul’s advice to our contemporary conflict between the right of gun ownership vs. the right to live free from the threat of gun violence. I think Paul might say to us, “Guns will not commend us to God…Take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to another…If guns are the cause of my brother’s falling, I will not carry a gun lest I cause my brother to fall.”
The entire post can be viewed here.
Back in March, I sat in on a two-day class about mainline church renewal at Perkins School of Theology's School for the Laity. The teacher was author Diana Butler Bass, recognized as an expert on the topic since her book Christianity for the Rest of Us appeared in 2006.
It's easy to see why Dr. Butler Bass is a popular speaker these days: She offers hope that mainline churches (the UMC included) can reverse years of decline by embracing their roots. For Methodists, she says, that means studying Scripture; fostering community in small groups, and rededicating ourselves to social justice.
How did we lose touch with those traditions? Dr. Butler Bass, an Episcopalian, blames 20th-century modernism for turning mainline Protestants into introverts who adhered to the gospel but kept quiet about it. She believes more conservative movements grew by talking openly about faith and calling people to hands-on ministry.
Religious journalist Mark Pinsky looks at mainline renewal, too, in an article posted this week by USA Today. It's worth noting, however, that his explanation for why we lost ground in the first place is quite different:
Some conservatives seem a bit worried that progressive evangelicals might be getting all the good press lately.
An Internet campaign was launched today to get a million conservative evangelicals to sign a statement that proclaims, hey, we're jiggy with environmental causes, too.
Among the signers at www.WeGetIt.org are Focus on the Family's James Dobson, singer Pat Boone (does it get any edgier?), Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, WORLD magazine publisher Joel Belz, and the good, old Institute for Religion and Democracy.
The Vatican recently ruled that anyone who was baptized "in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier" didn't really get baptized.
An interesting editorial in Christianity Today suggests that swapping out the traditional "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" is akin to heresy.
After all, in the Gospels, Jesus refers to the Father and to himself as the Son. "Yes, he also employs other metaphors for the Godhead, but never so consistently and starkly," the CT editorial writer points out.
Yet mainstream Protestant denominations, says the writer, try to avoid "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" in favor of more gender-neutral language for the Trinity because they "see liberation from patriarchy as a hallmark of the gospel."
I understand the reasoning behind using gender neutral language, but it seems to create some pretty awkward phrasing, such as calling the Holy Spirit an "it" to avoid "he," (even though we refer to three PERSONS, not things, in the Trinity).
Or repeating the word God, as in "God's love for God's own."
What's an enlightened lover of words to do?
I knew Todd-Paul Taulbee long before he got his highfalutin' degree from Duke Divinity and became an ordained Elder. So, in my life, he's a friend first, and his role as pastor to other people falls in down the line somewhere. But some words in one of his e-mails from a couple of months ago couldn't have been more pastoral:
"I continue to maintain the serious theological view that dogs give the closest thing to God's unconditional grace that we will receive this side of the veil. Those of us who properly love our dogs in return hurt ever so badly when they hurt. Saying goodbye to them is ridiculously difficult."
Today I'm working from home. My girl Cub is on the floor next to me, snoozing off the pharmaceutical effects of her stay at the emergency vet last night. She had the worst cluster of seizures my husband and I have witnessed in our 6 years of managing her epilepsy.
John and I choose to view our dogs as on loan from God. When God demands God's dog back, we must surrender. Cub is my first dog, so I haven't had to say goodbye to one of my own yet. I know the day will come, and it may be soon. She's been dealing with multiple maladies for years now.
At a news staff lunch one day this week, talk drifted to anonymous bloggers, and how some of us fear for their continued anonymity and professional safety -- especially if they are clergy.
Then I discovered that an anonymous blogger to whom I had linked has taken her blog down. Not just the post I referenced; the entire blog. Gone.
The post got picked up by Methoblog and received a lot of attention... too much, apparently. I feel terrible about my part in this development.
Ordained ministry is a strange profession. Pastors have to deal with stress somehow, and the advent of blogging has allowed more of that stress to show up in public -- literally out there for the world to see. By and large, I think it's been a good thing; it's helping people let pastors come down off of an unnecessarily high pedestal. Gordon Atkinson, who did start out as an anonymous blogger, is a prime example.
But sometimes it doesn't work out so well.
I've been noticing for a while now that bloggers I follow (read: mostly Methobloggers) tend to have a good amount of fun with each other on lighthearted posts, a great deal of discussion on controversial posts, but very little dialogue on overtly spiritual posts. I've seen some really nasty debate over doctrinal nonessentials in one online community in particular. Yet, when somebody gets serious about matters of faith, comment boxes stay empty, or close to it. Andrew Conard has done a series of thoughtful posts on the Trinity this week, and has received a total of three comments.
It got my attention this morning, in particular, because of a post by one of my favorite yarn-spinners, UMPortal featured blogger Questing Parson. His story today involves an in-person gathering where the same thing happens -- obviously, it's not unique to the blogosphere. Do matters of the soul, of relationships laid bare, just plain scare us?
What is it about important stuff that keeps us quiet, noncommittal? We know better... don't we? Is it that we don't know how to respond, that we don't care to respond, a little bit of both? Or something else entirely?
While browsing through the latest Baptist Standard, I came across a boxed item with that title on it.
In six steps, the article tells a reader how to become a Christian using what's known as the "Romans Road to Salvation." It's not exactly Wesleyan, but it is snappy and easy to remember:
1. Romans 3:23-realize you are lost;
2. Romans 6:23-understand that God sent his only son to reconcile us to God;
3. Romans 5:8-know that the sacrifice of Jesus bridges the gap between God and us;
4. Romans 10:9-need to repent, turn from sin and accept Christ's sacrifice;
5. Romans 10:13-know that anyone who accepts Christ will be saved.
And the Baptist tagline: A person who accepts Christ as Savior should by baptized by immersion and join a church.
And I wondered if a United Methodist were asked, "How do I become a Christian?" what would be the response?
A colleague here in the newsroom only half-jokingly commented: "Perhaps that's why we have problems with evangelism."
Any fresh responses out there beyond: "Um, come to church with me?"
It seems odd, at least to me, that many articles published in the Reporter and on this site receive little or no feedback from readers. Not that every topic needs to get people fired up, but writers like to know they've connected with someone out there.
Of course, no word sometimes hurts less than harsh words. I grew a thick skin a few months ago, when a lead piece about a suburban congregation's zoning dispute with its neighbors drew fire from the pastor for being "a New York Times-style hit piece." My great sin: I'd spent time talking not only to the church but also to the neighbors -- and made sure their side wasn't ignored. Nothing a journalist shouldn't do.
But now and then, our staff is blessed with sincere appreciation from people who say an issue was well-served in our pages.
Tuesday night I received a heads-up that anyone phoning from Conquest Communications to survey me as a General Conference delegate had not been asked to do so by the United Methodist Church. We were told that a press release would be forthcoming for clarification.
Wednesday, the Reporter office received the press release. Not a whole lot of information--it didn't list the survey organization's name--but enough facts to let delegates know that something odd was afoot.
Thursday, we received the transmission of Rich Peck's UMNS story. And then, over at the Methoblog, Jay Voorhees confirmed that I wasn't the only one thinking that it might be a push poll (scroll down to "Political push polls" at that link to read a famous example). I'd already shot my mouth off to that effect, but wasn't sure anyone else thought it was plausible.
Nobody's saying who initiated this exercise, but regardless of who's behind it, the very idea of the UMC getting this politicized is disgusting.
Tomorrow I'm going to an event focusing on Holy Conferencing. I pray it'll get the bad taste out of my mouth, at least for a while.
So we're a day away from December and that holiday dread is creeping in. I push it back, ignore it, try to think about other things. But my stomach flips over every time I remember that still-to-do Christmas shopping list.
It's not that I'm a Scrooge. Seeing kids open a few gifts on Christmas Eve is one of the joys of life.
But swapping gift certificates with siblings and others when we can all pretty much afford to buy whatever we want whenever we want is another thing.
And I'm weary of it. Can we just quit?
It's a bit ironic to use a blog to rant on blogging, but here goes.
A colleague here sent me a column written by Dick Feagler of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on the critical difference between bloggers and journalists.
I don't agree with everything he says, but he's right on target about the lack of credibility regarding the blogosphere.
After all, it's pretty simple to Google various news sites and then give your opinion. But that doesn't make you a "newspaperman," as Feagler writes:
"Bloggers. Have they ridden with a candidate in the middle of the
night? Have they covered the murder of a young girl lying dead in the
grass but looking as if she's sleeping? Have they covered anything?
"Or do they merely spew opinions and Google? Once, you had to pay dues
in this business. Give me one good reason why we should let the
bloggers off the hook."
Frankly, it has always rankled me to see online "news" sites -- even in Methodism -- where someone slaps a byline on information culled from other sources. That's a quick and easy way of passing along news, but it's really just taking the credit for the work done by others.
Hardly the same as doing the work of reporting yourself, as those of us who have plodded through countless and diverse assignments on deadline at daily newspapers well know. Yet it happens all the time.
And I've often wondered, when dead-tree versions of the news are gone, where will bloggers get their information?
Read on for Dick Feagle's old-school wisdom.
Once again over at the Methoblog: John the Methodist has shared his friend Jeff the Baptist's thoughts on our ordination process. Interesting to hear it from someone "on the outside."
And, speaking of being on the outside, Will Deuel suggests over at his blog that we use Refrigerator Cleaning Method #2 on the ordination process. Sounds like a plan to me.
In honor of yesterday's Feast Day of St. Francis, I went back and had a look at two pieces Mary Jacobs wrote just a little more than a year ago.
She spoke with Deborah K. Farrington for a Q&A, and reviewed Farrington's book All God's Creatures: The Blessing of Animal Companions. Two enjoyable reads (actually, three if you decide to buy the book); check 'em out.
I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention one more thing: Some readers of this blog knew me first through my dog-centric non-work blog, which I started just for fun. It has grown into quite the hobby, but having the dogs around is far more enjoyable than any piece of technology I may use to share them with the world.
That said, I'm sharing them with you anyway.
Our dogs are gifts from God, and they enrich our lives in ways I couldn't have told you before they came to live with us.
Here's an animal blessing if you are so inclined and can't get to one of the increasingly popular celebrations held at churches all over the place this weekend.
I've had cause to wonder, lately, whether I'm helping or hurting the body of Christ. And I'm still not sure I've found an answer.
The Reporter's Sept. 21 lead story -- about testy relations between St. Mark's UMC in El Paso and its neighbors -- was based on interviews with several people involved in the conflict. I hoped, as any journalist would, that they'd all feel they were treated fairly.
No such luck.
Lots of folks would agree that good mime is hard to find. (Perhaps even more people -- especially those who have seen "Shakes the Clown" -- would argue that "good mime" is a contradiction in terms). Well, it's even harder to find one now.
I admit to having had many laughs over bad mimes, and I fully expect to have more in the future. But today I mourn the passing of THE good mime, Marcel Marceau.
My first year of college, an assignment required that I attend Mr. Marceau's one-night-only performance on our campus, and write a review that would comprise a not-insignificant portion of my grade for that term. I sat in the packed house that night expecting to watch some kind of goofball try to act his way out of an invisible box.
That's not what I saw. Instead, I saw touching, amazing, genuine artistry. I made a good grade on the review I wrote, but sitting here fifteen years later, the performance is difficult to describe. I vividly remember watching his assistants, who often did little more than elegantly display a banner bearing the title of the next sketch, and realizing that my years of dance training had not qualified me to even hold a sign for this man.
Mr. Marceau was more than an entertainer. During the Holocaust, as his own father died in Auschwitz, he joined the French Resistance and worked to protect Jewish children. An AP story included his own reflection on that mission: "Among those kids was maybe an Einstein, a Mozart, somebody who (would have) found a cancer drug. That is why we have a great responsibility. Let us love one another."
Let us love one another.
Though he never was a Boy Scout, my husband has always liked their motto, Be prepared. He over-packs for hiking trips. He keeps extra tools and a windbreaker neatly tucked around his spare tire. On a bike ride this spring, he sent supplies home with me when I met him at the overnight stop -- turns out the ride organizers were well-prepared themselves, so he didn't need all he'd brought. And, in the less-practical-but-still-prepared department, one of his favorite books is The Zombie Survival Guide, something our friend John the Methodist is sure to appreciate.
Recently he bought a book in a new category for him: Mini Farming for Self Sufficiency.
Why? Among other reasons, he wants to know he can walk outside and get something to eat. He thinks we're missing out by not growing any of our own food, and I think he has a point. So, on our one-fifth of an acre on a pleasant suburban side street, we're preparing to dedicate a small area to growing produce. Learning new things -- or, in this case, old things -- keeps us prepared. And it's part of caring for God's creation in a way our parents have done, but we've never tried. We don't want that element of life to be lost to us.
God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food." (Genesis 1:29)
