• Blogs Wot I Read - Books - Episcopal

    Episcopal Cafe: Dobson Rejects Potter, Nyah

    The Lead The Christian Post has news that Dr. James Dobson, of Focus on the Family has officially renounced Harry Potter and all the associated “Harry Potter products.” “‘In a story about Christians’ views on the Harry Potter books and films, reporter Jacqueline Salmon wrote that ‘Christian parenting guru James Dobson has praised the Potter books,’’ the statement read. ‘This is the exact opposite of Dr. Dobson’s opinion – in fact, he said a few years ago on his daily radio broadcast that ‘We have spoken out strongly against all of the Harry Potter products…’’ Your humble news editor-of-the-day, having…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Clan: McTiVo - Episcopal - Parish: Holy Moly (ECUSA)

    The Kwik-E-Mart Model To Grow The Church

    AKMA’s Random Thoughts Now, let’s ask the embarrassing question. which is your church more like: the office funny guy repeating something that someone once thought was amusing, or the brilliantly subtle, detailed creation of a physical-world Kwik-E-Mart? Much of the time, my rants about attention to detail and communicating carefully and responsibly and deliberately, are drowned out by a culture of casualness, spontaneity, free-wheelin’ yada yada yada. Hey, spontaneity and relaxation and freedom are good things, I approve of them. But attention to detail — by people who know what they’re doing — makes a difference, and viewers, visitors, congregants…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Clan: McTiVo - Episcopal - Parish: Holy Moly (ECUSA)

    The Kwik-E-Mart Model To Grow The Church

    AKMA’s Random Thoughts Now, let’s ask the embarrassing question. which is your church more like: the office funny guy repeating something that someone once thought was amusing, or the brilliantly subtle, detailed creation of a physical-world Kwik-E-Mart? Much of the time, my rants about attention to detail and communicating carefully and responsibly and deliberately, are drowned out by a culture of casualness, spontaneity, free-wheelin’ yada yada yada. Hey, spontaneity and relaxation and freedom are good things, I approve of them. But attention to detail — by people who know what they’re doing — makes a difference, and viewers, visitors, congregants…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Only in Utah... - Parish: Holy Moly (ECUSA) - Uncategorical Weirdness

    Tagged: 8 Random Facts about Me (Oh Noes! A Meme!)

    Dang it! I got tapped to be chairperson of one of the two ministry teams I joined at Holy Moly today. Actually, I was nominated in a pre-meeting email, and hadn’t responded, thinking “I’ve never been good at this leadership stuff. I’m too disorganized. I don’t want to fail miserably. I’m forever making promises I don’t keep, but people are too kind to say anything.” And then the readings today…all of them… seemed to be about hearing the call, being a good disciple to a master that passes on the call, and not being wishy-washy. So what could I do?…

  • Episcopal - Mini-Posts

    The Straight Story?

    Issue Number 989 | Akinola’s power play | Advocate.com An anonymous source asserts that certain African bishops in the current unpleasantness are little more than mercenaries, brought in to fight the battles that their backers can’t or won’t fight themselves. Another source hints darkly about money in envelopes changing hands, but where’s the facts?

  • Mini-Posts - Religion

    SU: The War On Science

    Vidipedia – The web’s first video encyclopedia – War on Science Link to a BBC show called Horizon for an episode called “The War on Science” that covers the Dover School Board’s creationism/intelligent design court case.

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Episcopal - Uncategorical Weirdness

    Letters from Lambeth

    The Lead The Episcopal Cafe blogged recently about a letter that Ruth Gledhill received from Lambeth Palace hinting that Bishop Gene Robinson may be invited to the big decennial Lambeth Conference next year after all, perhaps in “some other status” than as Bishop of New Hamphire. The weird thing is that I saw the very same, or nearly identical letter with my own eyes last night at a team meeting at Holy Moly, because one of our Senior Wardens received it in response to a letter that he wrote as a member of Integrity. He had I had chuckled over…

  • Episcopal - Parish: Holy Moly (ECUSA)

    In The Zone. En La Zona.

    Today at church, it was just… cool. I can’t really describe it, except to say we were in the groove, dialed in, in the zone. Remember, I’ve been away for a week. 2 weeks ago, we had the first instance of “10am music practice” led by our choirmistress/organist. I like Mary very much, but She Must Be Obeyed in some things. So I was a little dismayed when 2 weeks ago, the music practice portion of the service went on and on and on – it was more than a little distracting. I could tell we had “lost” the congregation…

  • Episcopal - Parish: Holy Moly (ECUSA)

    In The Zone. En La Zona.

    Today at church, it was just… cool. I can’t really describe it, except to say we were in the groove, dialed in, in the zone. Remember, I’ve been away for a week. 2 weeks ago, we had the first instance of “10am music practice” led by our choirmistress/organist. I like Mary very much, but She Must Be Obeyed in some things. So I was a little dismayed when 2 weeks ago, the music practice portion of the service went on and on and on – it was more than a little distracting. I could tell we had “lost” the congregation…

  • Funnies - Religion

    The Power and the Glory Takes Out An Advert

    Thanks to the good offices of Father Jake, we now know that God placed an ad in the British newspaper The Independent, trying to get someone’s attention at the time of the G8 meetings: Father Jake Stops the World: God Places Ad in British Paper In our area we occasionally get roadside billboards from the Almighty, such as “Don’t make me come down there – God” in times of national stupidity. But this is pretty classy. I hope God got a good deal for the full-pager and shows some return on His advertising pound.