on rightly ordering ordination

19Jan09

Three years ago my mother was ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene.  The service took place in an off-the-beaten-path Tabernacle (an old converted airplane hanger) on the district campgrounds in Southern Illinois.  This was a much anticipated ordination service for our family–not simply for the novelty of a woman being ordained, [...]

Filed under: Communion of Saints, Ecclesiology, Homosexuality, On Being/Becoming Baptist   |  2 Comments

starting the year off right: reflections on epiphany

12Jan09

The calendar year opens with the Christian feast of Epiphany: oft celebrated as the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles–a commemoration of the Magi’s recognition (and therefore worship) of the child as Divine. Beyond belting out strains of “We Three Kings” at Christmas, as a child Epiphany served as a form of ‘shock and awe’ [...]

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the ‘blessed’ poor

12Jan09

My uncle is in the process of becoming a Cistercian monk.  It is a lengthy journey, full of long periods of silence and contemplation over a period of years.  During this time, the vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty are considered.  In his final days of the process, he met with the Abbott and made [...]

Filed under: Poverty, Preferential Option for the Poor   |  Leave a Comment

why I love the city…

11Jan09

I had an early (7:30 am) dental appointment yesterday morning. The dentist is about 8 blocks away from my building, and there was a significant snow storm blowing in. The walk there wasn’t bad, but the walk home was different: the snow was wet, the dentist had been late, I was cross, half my face [...]

Filed under: Poverty, Preferential Option for the Poor   |  1 Comment