Grace Cathedral in Topeka had a traditional, sparsely attended Fourth of July service for years. And then their new Organist and Choirmaster arrived. A few changes, and now the service draws people from all over the state.
Ruth Gledhill, who staffs the religion desk at the The Times has long been a source of news about the Anglican Communion and the Church
Earlier this week Pope Benedict used Twitter for the first time. On behalf of the rest of us who’ve been tweeting away for long while
Fought with an all-volunteer force (and private contractors!), our current wars have not ignited a political firestorm of opposition as the Vietnam War did. Few Episcopalians serve in the U.S. military, as, similarly, do few children of politicians and few graduates of elite colleges and universities.
We now have four different generations and a major cultural divide between those people above versus below the age of approximately 45. While many of us understand that there are some differences in worldview, beliefs, and values, we don’t understand how deep they are and cannot really articulate the differences that affect church participation and membership.
What changes our mind is our heart, not argument. The experience of knowing people changes our mind.
Becky Clifford and her wife, Terri Clifford, of Liverpool, were married last year in Connecticut. They already have all the rights and protections of marriage in New York, but they plan to renew their vows in a ceremony on their first anniversary at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Liverpool.
What carried the day were two of the most powerful principles in U.S. society: equality under the law and religious freedom. Americans, including New York legislators, find it difficult to resist a claim to the same rights as other citizens. At the same time, we are far more ready than, say, Europeans, to carve out exemptions on religious grounds.
While participation in digital social networks does not cause participation in religious groups, digital social engagement parallels local religious engagement. Where these two paths intersect would seem to be a particularly fruitful locale for socio-spiritual encounter.
Wasn’t I the one who had just spent three years at a prestigious theological institution where I learned not only theology and biblical studies but also all manner of practical concepts? Wasn’t I the one who had been ordained to work as the program director for a world-recognized interfaith organization? Wasn’t I the expert?