As part of its Forum series, the Washington National Cathedral last weekend hosted Thomas Long, author of Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian, for a conversation about, well, conversation, and the role it plays in faith. More evangelistic models are better at “witnessing,” but mainline folks should see testimony just as central to their faith as worship is.
This has been an interesting year for the faith-and-politics conversation, as Democrats are getting more comfortable talking about faith and Republicans no longer seem to be beholden to a particular faith agenda. But what’s interesting about that, notes the Washington Post, is that while faith is still important to the candidates, clergy have become liabilities.
“Earworms” sounds like a fairly nasty parasitic infection, but in actuality the term refers to music that gets stuck in a person’s head. Alda Balthrop-Lewis, a production intern at Speaking of Faith, made a contribution to the SOF Observed blog last week in which she discussed how she actually gets Bible stories stuck in her head. And professor James J. Kellaris (also known as “Dr. Earworm”) notes that some people believe earworms are messages from God.
Colbert I. King, an op-ed columnist for the Washington Post, writes today about what he considers a remarkable week, imagining how mid-19th century Episcopal priest Alexander Crummell might view Obama’s nomination. But that’s perhaps the most visible development that would please Crummell, who, as an African American, founded two Episcopal parishes in the District of Columbia in the 19th century that continue to this day, nearly 150 years later.
Archbishops Rowan Williams and John Sentamu have released the text of a proposed resolution on the consecration of female bishops in the Church of England.
A few short statements summed up the intellectual struggle that ended in a decision to offer myself to the ministry. One found in a Forward Movement publication was the idea that although I can’t do everything, I’m not going to let that get in the way of things I can do. Another was that life has a real meaning if all things that religion claims are true; if not true, life has no real meaning.
A brother said to a hermit, “How does the fear of God come into the soul?” He said, “If there is humility and poverty, and no judgment of others, the fear of God will be present there.”