Civil Religion
Pentecost and Memorial Day offer moments to remember
Pentecost marked the fiftieth day following the Passover, and was a part of the Jewish festival Shavuot. Christians mark the day as the creation of the church as recorded in Acts 2.
May 25, 2012 | 12:02 pm
| (
Prying on college roommates is not a rite of passage
An eavesdrop used to be a small hole near the front door that allowed residents to listen to the conversation of the people outside, and discern their intentions.
May 25, 2012 | 11:31 am
| (
Praying like a mom, or like Jesus
A mom helps her young son prepare for his bone marrow transplant by drawing on her own experience of cancer. It reminds me of the way Jesus prepares a place for us, and prays us there.
May 21, 2012 | 2:00 pm
| (
A new center to help congregations practice care for creation
One of the joys of working in an academic institution is the opportunity to encounter people who are thinking deeply about important issues. On a seminary campus, there is the added joy of encountering people thinking theologically about those same issues.
May 17, 2012 | 4:20 pm
| (
What a friend we have in Zuckerberg
Facebook has led the way in rewiring our social networks. It has led to new ways of interacting, which for better or worse are part of our daily lives. Yet one wonders if Facebook will flatten our experience of friendship.
May 16, 2012 | 11:36 pm
| (
Mammogram van visiting area church this Saturday
The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd (my parish) is hosting a Mercy Digital Mobile Mammography Van this Saturday, May 19, from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. We are located in Town and Country, near the corner of Clayton and Mason, not far from Highway 40.
May 16, 2012 | 1:30 am
| (
Things adults can learn from kids in church: or how I learned to stop worrying and love glitter glue
I’ve never really considered myself a “kid person.” My preference is to hang out with people who listen to NPR and read The New Yorker, people who like restaurants that don’t serve chicken fingers and who can appreciate 1980s popular culture without referring to is as “the Olden Days.”
May 11, 2012 | 11:05 am
| (
A mother beyond the home
For Christians (as well as those of other faiths) motherhood has been long enshrined as a special status of honor.
May 11, 2012 | 10:41 am
| (
Faith and doubt evolve for both atheists and believers
Atheism draws a lot of attention these days. Ironically, some of its more militant strains tend to resemble religious fundamentalism.
May 10, 2012 | 3:38 pm
| (
Free screening of 'The Lazarus Effect' on May 9
"The Lazarus Effect," though, is not about hate. It is not about fear or pity or guilt, either. It is about hope; as one promo puts it, it is about "an epidemic of life" sweeping through Africa.
May 07, 2012 | 10:00 am
| (
Church can be like dancing - once you join in, you're in
I want church to be a place populated by friendly, welcoming people who aren’t worried about getting it right, but rather about being in joyful communion with one another.
May 03, 2012 | 4:38 pm
| (
Fun, uplifting concert this Sunday at Good Shepherd in Town and Country
I have a tendency to get a little earnest. Every story has to have a lesson; every activity has to be for a good reason. Sometimes I need reminders to do stuff just for kicks. And it's not only since I've become a priest. I remember being in grade school and thinking how wonderful it would to get…
Apr 27, 2012 | 3:14 pm
| (
Hijab is a sign of modesty, not a security risk
Though it is used mostly as a head scarf, hijab refers to the modesty and morality in our daily garb and also interactions with opposite gender.
Apr 26, 2012 | 5:42 pm
| (
Skipping church offers lessons in preaching
I skipped church last week. Instead of getting up early, rushing through a shower, grabbing a quick breakfast and making last minute edits to a sermon, I slept late and ate scrambled eggs and toast with my family.
Apr 25, 2012 | 4:05 pm
| (
Faith and US President
Recently on “Meet the Press” Muslims heard few words which were heartwarming. Republican Rep. Raul Labrador said "it wouldn't matter" if President Obama were a Muslim. I presume most of the citizens do not realize how much American Muslims agree with these words. The first time I saw Senator Obam…
Apr 20, 2012 | 10:27 am
| (
The problem with the church is me
A look at the widening gap between churched Christians and unchurched Christians.
Apr 18, 2012 | 8:53 am
| (
Letting the church be the church
Sipping my Easter Monday coffee and reading Travis Scholl's prose I suddenly realized the connection between Fiddler on the Roof, Easter, and the state of the church.
Apr 13, 2012 | 11:13 am
| (
Life is fragile, but spirit endures
I received some disturbing news yesterday afternoon after leaving the Palm Sunday brunch at my church (this year Orthodox Easter falls one week later than Western Easter).
Apr 09, 2012 | 11:54 am
| (
Do we really need church?
Since unforeseeable circumstances kept me from church on Easter, I'm asking the same question Andrew Sullivan is asking.
Apr 08, 2012 | 11:45 am
| (
Happy Easter and Passover to our friends in America and all over the world
I would like to wish
Apr 06, 2012 | 6:17 am
| (
The Great Proclamation
Due to a different calculation Orthodox Christians this year will celebrate Easter a week later.
Apr 05, 2012 | 7:41 pm
| (
The Passover Seder: déjà vu all over again
How to leave Egyptian slavery in the here and now.
Apr 04, 2012 | 2:03 pm
| (
Holy Week makes demands on believers
Because of the push and pull of life, many abandon keeping track of these days. We touch base with Jesus on Palm Sunday, and are filled with more joy on Easter. But what meaning can the resurrection have on us if we have ignored the passion?
Apr 04, 2012 | 12:28 pm
| (
Holy Week, the blood libel, and repentance
I didn’t like feeling responsible for Christ’s death, even by proxy. It made me sad and anxious—and eager for an explanation that would put the burden somewhere else.
Apr 04, 2012 | 9:38 am
| (
Love the world or hate it? What's a Christian to do?
We are created in the image of God, and everything that God created is good. We are sinful, weak, and in dire need of conversion. My heart leans one way, but my experience tells me that both are true.
Mar 30, 2012 | 9:45 am
| (
About this blog
Conversations about faith can get heated quickly. On this blog, we hope to keep the discussion provocative, but thoughtful. With that in mind, we've recruited a dozen members of our community -- from across the spectrum of faiths, ideologies, ages, races and professions -- who are thoughtful about their own beliefs, and we asked them to share those thoughts on Civil Religion.
