The Archive

Year: 2007

Striking a balance

August 11, 2007 No Comments

Today, the New York Times has a feature on Pastor Dan, the UCC minister who writes on faith and politics for Daily Kos at a community blog called Street Prophets. The article notes Pastor Dan’s primary challenge: living out a “strikingly unlikely double-life, one part as the small-town preacher in a socially conservative spot of the Midwest, the other as an abrasive and confrontational voice of the religious left in the blogosphere.”

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Church and customer service

August 11, 2007 No Comments

The Rev. Tom Ehrich, writer for On a Journey, suggests that churches declare August customer service month in his most recent column for the Indy Star. The reason? Churches are competing for “business” in much the same way that banks and hardware stores. It’s not that salvation is a commodity, he notes, but he was inspired by customer service agents poised to meet his needs from the moment he walked in to his new bank.

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Helping the Holy Land

August 11, 2007 No Comments

George Ghanem, a Fulbright Scholar at George Washington University, is an Arab Christian. He speaks plaintively and honestly about life as a Christian in the Holy Land, and about how all the violence there has affected Palestinian Christians. The Centreville, Va., resident volunteers with the Holy Land Christian Solidarity Cooperative, appearing at churches in D.C., Maryland and Virginia with nativity scenes, crosses, and other items, all handcarved from olivewood.

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More on Va. ruling

August 11, 2007 No Comments

From ENS: Virginia’s Fairfax Circuit Court ruled August 10 in favor of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia in denying the claims of 11 separated congregations that the court should not consider the Church’s Constitution and Canons in deciding property disputes.

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Religious investments

August 11, 2007 No Comments

Faith-based investment products that speak to people’s moral and spiritual conscience are following in the footsteps of “socially responsible” investing, which was making headlines some

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Biblical storytellers

August 11, 2007 3 Comments

Studies show in fact that story-telling is the most effective way of communicating a complex of ideas – about truth, about culture, about expectation, about social norms, about values – to any person or group of people. Anybody who has heard a good sermon, seen a good play, or heard a great ballad understands this.

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Clare of Assisi

August 11, 2007 No Comments

Although Francis’ life and writings are a primary source for Franciscan spirituality, it is now widely recognized that Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) was not merely a dependent figure but a significant personality in her own right in the origins of the Franciscan tradition. Inspired by Francis’ preaching, Clare dedicated herself to a gospel life in 1212 and became the first woman member of the Order.

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Court issues initial ruling in VA church cases

August 10, 2007 2 Comments

From an online report “After extensive argument over the plea of statutory immunity, the court was prepared to rule but suggested that the parties work out an agreement. After recess, the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church agreed to dismiss all of the vestry members and rectors as defendants without prejudice and the individuals agreed to honor any determination of the court regarding the plaintiffs’ property claims, subject to their rights of appeal of any adverse ruling.”

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Lutherans defer debate

August 10, 2007 No Comments

The Lutheran Assembly, meeting presently in Chicago has voted to defer any decision on the blessing of same-sex unions until its next meeting in 2009. The Assembly will however continue to discuss the issue of mandatory celibacy for clergy in such unions during the remaining two days of the present meeting.

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Bishops meet with Iranian president

August 10, 2007 No Comments

Anglican bishops have met with the former president of Iran. The meeting with the new Bishop of Iran was a chance for him and other bishops from the Communion to speak of ways in which the Church and the Islamic government can work respectfully with each other in spite of their differences.

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