As part of their worship, congregations rightly recognize all the ways people serve Christ’s church in the congregation. They may install church boards, publicly thank the choir, and pray for Sunday school teachers, but congregations are often less intentional and explicit about publicly recognizing and honoring daily work as service to God.
In the wake of the bullying-related suicides of recent weeks, it is time for Episcopalians to make it clear that they are not surrendering to the prevailing culture, but attempting to transform it through the love of Jesus Christ. We are small in numbers, and our example may not posses the power we would like, still–if judged by the expensive ferocity of the resistance it has encountered–it counts for something.
Religion and Ethics Newsweekly is the latest mainstream media outlet to take an interest in the clergy stress story that has already been featured in The New York Times and on National Public Radio. If we are not mistaken, this particular piece is set at a CREDO conference, although, disappointingly, CREDO isn’t mentioned.
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa is one vote away from ratifying the Anglican Covenant. That vote will take place at its next general synod in three years. If the Episcopal Church is to accept the covenant, a similar process seems wise.
I continue to be of two minds about the wisdom of the proposed Anglican Covenant. On the one hand it could be helpful, ecumenically, and otherwise, to have a fairly accessible summary of “the Anglican ethos” and what binds us together as members of this Communion. I don’t think there is a real threat here of us becoming a “confessional Church” in the ways Anglicans have not been in the past.
Since we’re only a few hours from the commemoration of Francis of Assisi, here’s a gentle and furry reminder to stop and give thanks.
Buckingham’s bishop and frequent blogger Alan Wilson continues his Guardian series on the Book of Common Prayer with a few thoughts on the historical power of communion to invite and incorporate the other.
“An article on Tuesday about a poll in which Americans fared poorly in answering questions about religion misspelled the name of a beatified Roman Catholic nun and Nobel Peace Prize winner. She was Mother Teresa, not Theresa.”
Giving a “form of legitimacy” to Druidry, Britain has recognized the practice as worthy of charitable status – meaning it has met the tests for what constitutes a religion.
Welcome again to Sunday Social Hour, where we tune into our social media communities on Facebook and Twitter to see what you all are talking about–and mostly, the chatter is about blessings of the animals. But here are some other, more sobering highlights from the week.