Most Episcopalians open their hands and receive the “body of Christ, the bread of heaven” on a weekly basis. But not many of us know much about the actual bread pressed into our palm. It turns out, the for congregations that purchase their wafers rather than make them, the majority of the wafers say something interesting about the Church as a business.
There’s no question the worldview of most younger Christians already differs from previous generations regarding social justice, cultural engagement and politics. The next issue of probable divergence? The conflict in Israel and Palestine.
44% told the 2011 Baylor University Religion Survey they spend no time seeking “eternal wisdom,” and 19% said “it’s useless to search for meaning.” 46% told a 2011 survey by Nashville-based evangelical research agency, LifeWay Research, they never wonder whether they will go to heaven.
Amy Sullivan, writing in Time Magazine, points out that there are reasons beyond the obvious and frequently cited ones of personal security and disruption of the worship service. By simply attending a congregation, for instance, it may be understood by some that a President in endorsing a position he or she doesn’t intend to endorse.
Researchers urge us to give meaningfully, thoughtfully, rather than in large quantities.
I plan to be with the marchers on Saturday not because I don’t like and respect the Rector, the staff, and all the work of this historic parish. I believe they are making a profoundly wrong decision in this matter. Certainly they could record what they think is a trespass on the property with a note to the Occupiers but then have the grace to look the other way.
An article online this weekend contains a quote from an expert on cremation practices that claims the rise in cremation rate among Americans reflects a fundamental shift in American religious belief.
In an article on the Smithsonian website on Washington DC monuments that were designed, but never built, you can see that original plan was very different than what we have now.
Diana Butler Bass points out that the luxury of conscious minimalism is really an upper class problem. She asks us to look at just who it is standing in line on Black Friday. It’s not the wealthy or the well off. It’s the working class and the poor. The same people who tend to attend Church week in and week out.