The Archive

Year: 2008

Another look at the appendix of the Covenant

June 9, 2008 4 Comments

If the issue that presents itself to the Archbishop of Canterbury and his team of Assessors is serious enough to require action, it seems obvious to me that the issue will require careful and deliberative thought, inviting participation from as many members of the Communion and all orders of ministry as possible. Such a process is going to take a great deal of time. Given that, are the suggested deadlines of the Appendix realistic? If not, why then should they be specified?

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The singularity: rapture of the geeks

June 8, 2008 No Comments

Many of them fervently believe that in the next several decades we’ll have computers into which you’ll be able to upload your consciousness—the mysterious thing that makes you you. Then, with your consciousness able to go from mechanical body to mechanical body, or virtual paradise to virtual paradise, you’ll never need to face death, illness, bad food, or poor cellphone reception. Now you know why the singularity has also been called the rapture of the geeks.

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Leaving church is hard to do

June 8, 2008 No Comments

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee spoke of the anguish of leaving his church family, where the Rev. Jeremiah Wright had given incendiary and racially charged sermons.

Peg and Bob Green of St. Petersburg are empathetic, even though they’re Republicans.

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Obama, McCain and religion

June 8, 2008 No Comments

Few Democrats have seemed more comfortable talking about God than Barack Obama has. And yet few, if any, have had more problems with God at the ballot box—from rumours that he is a Muslim to doubts among Catholic and Jewish voters to repeated “pastor eruptions”. The good news for Mr Obama in all of this is that he is up against a Republican candidate in John McCain who has plenty of God problems of his own.

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Into the circle of God’s love

June 8, 2008 1 Comment

One of the things that will become increasingly obvious when we study the apostles is that Jesus did not wait for people to be perfect in order to call them into the circle of God’s love. It is important theologically where you place perfection in the great saga of our experience. If perfection were something we had to have before God would accept and help us, then there would be no hope for any of us.

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Witnessing in the postmodern world

June 7, 2008 No Comments

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.

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Closer to faith, but staying away from clergy

June 7, 2008 No Comments

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.

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Earworms of faith

June 7, 2008 3 Comments

“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.

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