Father Jake is having a discussion about "open communion" on his site. The comments are growing fast.
He's responding to a new book by Sara Miles, a deacon [corrected] who found her way to baptism through the sacrament of the altar (hmm...someone gave a sermon along those lines not to long ago...).
As much as I support and love our open table, I sometimes worry that the "orthodox" will misunderstand what we are doing. I have seen posts on blogs by conservatives to the effect of "well...maybe I'll accept gays in church if I have to...but those "open communion" folks just simply have to go!!" Sad thing is, I see many progressives follow suit and use it as a way of finding common ground with conservatives.
...which puts us in an odd place. I do think we need to hold the open table--but I think we need to be prepared to defend it from the grounds of scripture, reason, and tradition. I think we can. But, I do think we need to be careful not to frame it in a way that portrays it as "unorthodox." I think we're solidly in tradition. We don't, after all, call it "open communion." It's the open table--baptism (or at least its seed) is in there somewhere, I think. More importantly, I think we need to call attention to the table-to-font narratives of people like Sara Miles.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Say Goodbye to Holbrook!
Hi everyone,
I received this e-mail, and it looks like if anyone would like to go to the student organization farewell reception for Karen Holbrook (OSU's current president), they should RSVP the person below. Let me know (sodowsky.1@osu.edu) if anyone plans on attending. Here's the e-mail:
Hello,
We would like to invite you to a Farewell Reception for President Holbrook on Monday, June 4th from 3:30-4:30pm in the Faculty Club's Main Dining Room. The purpose of this reception is for all student organizations to come together and show our thanks and appreciation for the President and her dedication to Ohio State. A variety of student organization and student government representatives will talk during the ceremony and there will be time to mingle and give your personal thanks to Dr. Holbrook. Food and drinks will be provided. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Robbie at Beaulieu.6@osu.edu by Wednesday, May 30th. Also, feel free to email this invitation out to your organization. Thank you.In the Spirit of Ohio State,Robbie Beaulieu
President
Ohio Staters, Inc.
I received this e-mail, and it looks like if anyone would like to go to the student organization farewell reception for Karen Holbrook (OSU's current president), they should RSVP the person below. Let me know (sodowsky.1@osu.edu) if anyone plans on attending. Here's the e-mail:
Hello,
We would like to invite you to a Farewell Reception for President Holbrook on Monday, June 4th from 3:30-4:30pm in the Faculty Club's Main Dining Room. The purpose of this reception is for all student organizations to come together and show our thanks and appreciation for the President and her dedication to Ohio State. A variety of student organization and student government representatives will talk during the ceremony and there will be time to mingle and give your personal thanks to Dr. Holbrook. Food and drinks will be provided. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Robbie at Beaulieu.6@osu.edu by Wednesday, May 30th. Also, feel free to email this invitation out to your organization. Thank you.In the Spirit of Ohio State,Robbie Beaulieu
President
Ohio Staters, Inc.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
AAV Spring Concert
Hi everyone! I got this e-mail invitation for the group today, and thought I would post it here, if anyone is interested.
Hello to my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
You & your involved campus Ministry are invited to experience the Ministry of The African American Voices Gospel choir and Alumni members at The Ohio State University as we celebrate 16 years of Ministry through Song, Dance, Mime, and Instrument. "This is an experience that you do not want to miss! Come ready to Praise and Worship! Come with expectation!Mark your Calendars!THIS Saturday, May 19, 2007 @5pmWhere: Hitchcock Hall AuditoriumThis is the Anticipated Concert of the Year!So tell one, tell all..... be on time because Like last year seats fill up fast! " This event is FREE and open to the public!!! God Bless You All and we pray to see you at our annual Spring Concert this year.For more information visit our website at www.aavgc.org*We are The African American Voices Gospel Choir at The Ohio State University
Hello to my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
You & your involved campus Ministry are invited to experience the Ministry of The African American Voices Gospel choir and Alumni members at The Ohio State University as we celebrate 16 years of Ministry through Song, Dance, Mime, and Instrument. "This is an experience that you do not want to miss! Come ready to Praise and Worship! Come with expectation!Mark your Calendars!THIS Saturday, May 19, 2007 @5pmWhere: Hitchcock Hall AuditoriumThis is the Anticipated Concert of the Year!So tell one, tell all..... be on time because Like last year seats fill up fast! " This event is FREE and open to the public!!! God Bless You All and we pray to see you at our annual Spring Concert this year.For more information visit our website at www.aavgc.org*We are The African American Voices Gospel Choir at The Ohio State University
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Jerry Falwell is dead
Well, Jerry Falwell passed away today. If you don't know who he was, or need a refresher:
"I believe that homosexuality is moral perversion," Falwell told NPR in 1996. "I think it is a violation of the laws of nature, as well as the laws of God. I do not think that that gives me permission to be unkind or ungracious to a person who may be living a homosexual lifestyle."
Just after September 11th, 2001, this article was written:
The Rev. Jerry Falwell said late Thursday he did not mean to blame feminists, gays or lesbians for bringing on the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington this week, in remarks on a television program earlier in the day.
His original quote was:
"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"
"I believe that homosexuality is moral perversion," Falwell told NPR in 1996. "I think it is a violation of the laws of nature, as well as the laws of God. I do not think that that gives me permission to be unkind or ungracious to a person who may be living a homosexual lifestyle."
Just after September 11th, 2001, this article was written:
The Rev. Jerry Falwell said late Thursday he did not mean to blame feminists, gays or lesbians for bringing on the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington this week, in remarks on a television program earlier in the day.
His original quote was:
"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"
Friday, May 4, 2007
Entangled States post on campus ministry
There's an interesting post on a survey a U Arizona professor (and Episcopal Deacon) gave his Science and Theology students, which asked them to describe what kind of religion they would create:
http://www.entangledstates.org/2007/05/what_young_peop.html
Their response sounds very familiar...(though I'd be curious what your thoughts on the "non-supernatural, theistic G-d" bit is).
Oh--and check out Entangled States. It's a smart blog by a priest who has interests in communication technology and quantum physics (he was a physicist before he became a priest).
http://www.entangledstates.org/2007/05/what_young_peop.html
Their response sounds very familiar...(though I'd be curious what your thoughts on the "non-supernatural, theistic G-d" bit is).
Oh--and check out Entangled States. It's a smart blog by a priest who has interests in communication technology and quantum physics (he was a physicist before he became a priest).
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Help B.R.E.A.D. Rise!
As members of the group Building Responsibility, Equality, and Dignity (a/k/a B.R.E.A.D.) are fond of saying, "B.R.E.A.D. ... Rises!" And as B.R.E.A.D. prepares for its biggest action of the year, as it speaks with one voice (using the voices of many, many people) to tell local legislators about what issues are important to our Columbus community, we're hoping you can come help and support us.
Will you rise to the challenge?
Here's the deal: Next Monday, May 7, at 7 p.m. (with registration starting at 6:15 p.m., and the meeting itself lasting an hour and a half), B.R.E.A.D. will be holding its annual Nehemiah Action Meeting at Temple Israel on East Broad Street. The sole point of this meeting is to get as many people as possible assembled representing all of the B.R.E.A.D. congregations to show the legislators that attend the meeting how much people-power and strength there is behind the message and issues B.R.E.A.D. is lobbying for. The goal for each congregation is to get their average Sunday (or other main worship day) attendance to attend this meeting.
For those who don't know much about the B.R.E.A.D. organization, it is an interfaith, multi-denominational group of 50 Jewish, Christian, and Unitarian congregations based in Central Ohio, which seeks to address core public issues pertaining to crime, safety, jobs, poverty, and education. George is currently one of the co-presidents of B.R.E.A.D.
Each year B.R.E.A.D. decides which issues it wants to pursue for that year to make a positive change in the lives of Central Ohioans. At this year's annual assembly meeting which took place last December, the congregations chose to work on an issue relating to poverty and the working poor. (Last year's issue focused on truancy in the Columbus Public Schools; the year before that on affordable health care.) At the Expanded Board Meeting in March, the congregations voted to focus on two specific issues relating to poverty and the working poor: 1) the regulation/limitation of payday lenders and 2) the promotion of IDA (individual development account) programs.
1) Payday lending often arise in poorer cities and towns as a means for the poor to get quick cash loans by signing over their next paycheck. The problem with payday lenders is that some charge an over 390% interest rate on these loans, and at this rate it can take an individual a long time to pay off the original loan, often needing to sign over future paychecks to pay off the interest from the first lending (such that an original $500 loan can only be retired by a payment of $3000). B.R.E.A.D. is hoping to work with legislators to create legislation to greatly limit the interest rate that payday lenders can charge (to something more reasonable that won't exceed 36%) and create regulations that would bring payday lending institutions into line with accepted banking and lending rules. In many ways these predatory payday lenders are modern-day usurers or legal loan sharks. Unfortunately, because they charge so much money, they make a lot of money and have many more resources at their disposal to discourage legislators from changing the status quo. So we really need to do our part to convince legislators to make a change.
2) IDAs, or individual development accounts, are special savings accounts designed to assist low income individuals on their path toward asset ownership through matched savings and financial education. Similar to an employer match for 401(k) contributions, organizations that operate IDA programs match an individual's savings through a variety of government and private sector sources. In addition, these organizations often incorporate financial literacy education, training to purchase assets, and case management. In this way, an individual using an IDA not only is able to save money toward an asset but also better able to manage their savings and the purchasing/managing of their asset.
If you would like more information on the specifics of what B.R.E.A.D. is lobbying legislators to do regarding these two issues, please feel free to talk with me, Pam, or George.
If you are interested in these issues and in helping B.R.E.A.D. gather en masse to lobby the current legislature to limit/regulate payday lenders and promote IDAs, I encourage you to join us for the B.R.E.A.D. Nehemiah Action Meeting on Monday. I will be organizing carpooling for those who would like to come but have no way to get to/from the meeting. We will be meeting at St. Stephen's at 5:30 p.m. on Monday night to carpool to Temple Israel (we should get back to St. Stephen's by 9 p.m.). I am sure that it will be an amazing meeting and provide a very tangible way to experience the lobbying process and be a part of the legislative process of our representative democracy. And it will also be a way to live out the charge of Micah 6:8 which reminds us to "Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God."
Will you rise to the challenge?
Here's the deal: Next Monday, May 7, at 7 p.m. (with registration starting at 6:15 p.m., and the meeting itself lasting an hour and a half), B.R.E.A.D. will be holding its annual Nehemiah Action Meeting at Temple Israel on East Broad Street. The sole point of this meeting is to get as many people as possible assembled representing all of the B.R.E.A.D. congregations to show the legislators that attend the meeting how much people-power and strength there is behind the message and issues B.R.E.A.D. is lobbying for. The goal for each congregation is to get their average Sunday (or other main worship day) attendance to attend this meeting.
For those who don't know much about the B.R.E.A.D. organization, it is an interfaith, multi-denominational group of 50 Jewish, Christian, and Unitarian congregations based in Central Ohio, which seeks to address core public issues pertaining to crime, safety, jobs, poverty, and education. George is currently one of the co-presidents of B.R.E.A.D.
Each year B.R.E.A.D. decides which issues it wants to pursue for that year to make a positive change in the lives of Central Ohioans. At this year's annual assembly meeting which took place last December, the congregations chose to work on an issue relating to poverty and the working poor. (Last year's issue focused on truancy in the Columbus Public Schools; the year before that on affordable health care.) At the Expanded Board Meeting in March, the congregations voted to focus on two specific issues relating to poverty and the working poor: 1) the regulation/limitation of payday lenders and 2) the promotion of IDA (individual development account) programs.
1) Payday lending often arise in poorer cities and towns as a means for the poor to get quick cash loans by signing over their next paycheck. The problem with payday lenders is that some charge an over 390% interest rate on these loans, and at this rate it can take an individual a long time to pay off the original loan, often needing to sign over future paychecks to pay off the interest from the first lending (such that an original $500 loan can only be retired by a payment of $3000). B.R.E.A.D. is hoping to work with legislators to create legislation to greatly limit the interest rate that payday lenders can charge (to something more reasonable that won't exceed 36%) and create regulations that would bring payday lending institutions into line with accepted banking and lending rules. In many ways these predatory payday lenders are modern-day usurers or legal loan sharks. Unfortunately, because they charge so much money, they make a lot of money and have many more resources at their disposal to discourage legislators from changing the status quo. So we really need to do our part to convince legislators to make a change.
2) IDAs, or individual development accounts, are special savings accounts designed to assist low income individuals on their path toward asset ownership through matched savings and financial education. Similar to an employer match for 401(k) contributions, organizations that operate IDA programs match an individual's savings through a variety of government and private sector sources. In addition, these organizations often incorporate financial literacy education, training to purchase assets, and case management. In this way, an individual using an IDA not only is able to save money toward an asset but also better able to manage their savings and the purchasing/managing of their asset.
If you would like more information on the specifics of what B.R.E.A.D. is lobbying legislators to do regarding these two issues, please feel free to talk with me, Pam, or George.
If you are interested in these issues and in helping B.R.E.A.D. gather en masse to lobby the current legislature to limit/regulate payday lenders and promote IDAs, I encourage you to join us for the B.R.E.A.D. Nehemiah Action Meeting on Monday. I will be organizing carpooling for those who would like to come but have no way to get to/from the meeting. We will be meeting at St. Stephen's at 5:30 p.m. on Monday night to carpool to Temple Israel (we should get back to St. Stephen's by 9 p.m.). I am sure that it will be an amazing meeting and provide a very tangible way to experience the lobbying process and be a part of the legislative process of our representative democracy. And it will also be a way to live out the charge of Micah 6:8 which reminds us to "Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God."
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
A belated thank you
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped out with the Youth Overnight and Consecration this past weekend. Josh, Matthew, Brian, myself, and George were there on Friday night with about 100 or more youth, rectors, and chaperones.
And yes, I do believe it was the first lock-in that I was a part of where the kids had cell phones. I don't know how to feel.
If you were at the Consecration on Saturday, thank you as well. Some of us were too tired, after being up until 4 AM the previous night. To top it off, I had to function until 11 PM or so on Saturday night AND had to function most of Sunday (I have no idea how I did so.)
But thanks to everyone that showed up for one or both of the events. History was made in Columbus this past weekend, and YOU were a part of it!
...Don't forget about Thursday, either.
And yes, I do believe it was the first lock-in that I was a part of where the kids had cell phones. I don't know how to feel.
If you were at the Consecration on Saturday, thank you as well. Some of us were too tired, after being up until 4 AM the previous night. To top it off, I had to function until 11 PM or so on Saturday night AND had to function most of Sunday (I have no idea how I did so.)
But thanks to everyone that showed up for one or both of the events. History was made in Columbus this past weekend, and YOU were a part of it!
...Don't forget about Thursday, either.
Great discussion at sarahlaughed.net
There's a fantastic discussion going on over at Sarah Dylan Brewer's blog, sarahlaughed.net.
Frustrated by the tit-for-tat accusations/counter-accusations between liberals and conservatives in the blogosphere, Sarah, a writer and scholar in residence at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA, invited posters from more conservative blogs such as titusonenine and standfirm to have a discussion with her liberal colleagues about what propositions of faith we can agree on, rather than sniping at each other about the disagreements that threaten separate us.
She started with a list of things that she felt most liberals and conservatives could agree on (I won't post the list here--go see for yourself), and asked readers to respond:
What makes this conversation wonderful for me is not that there is any significant agreement on Sarah's list. It is that in discussing this list, Christians who normally might not have anything to do with each other are talking with one another about the very foundations of their faith. There are some persistent, fundamental disagreements--but as posters clarify their faith in a spirit of gracefulness and humility, writers on both sides find some fellowship and communion, if not much agreement on theology.
I find the ongoing exchange between hadjie and James Crocker particularly wonderful--hadjie is a questioning Christian (who would probably be at home at St. Stephen's) who James can't recognize as an orthodox Christian. They discuss what it means to identify oneself as Christian, and although they don't agree on much, they try very hard to come to terms with their disagreement.
I'd be interested to hear what you all think.
Frustrated by the tit-for-tat accusations/counter-accusations between liberals and conservatives in the blogosphere, Sarah, a writer and scholar in residence at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA, invited posters from more conservative blogs such as titusonenine and standfirm to have a discussion with her liberal colleagues about what propositions of faith we can agree on, rather than sniping at each other about the disagreements that threaten separate us.
She started with a list of things that she felt most liberals and conservatives could agree on (I won't post the list here--go see for yourself), and asked readers to respond:
So, what would you add that you think we both believe? Is there anything above that you couldn't sign on to? And how would you identify yourself (a reasserter? a conservative? a progressive? a liberal? a moderate? something else?)?The discussion thread that follows is wonderful--Episcopalians of all stripes respond to the list. Several folks on both sides feel that they can assent to the list. Many, though, are skeptical: several folks who identify themselves as liberals feel that they can't assent to some propositions (such as the virgin birth or a literal resurrection), while others identifying themselves as conservatives doubt that they could agree with liberals on the meaning of certain propositions (what does "Jesus is Lord" actually mean?).
What makes this conversation wonderful for me is not that there is any significant agreement on Sarah's list. It is that in discussing this list, Christians who normally might not have anything to do with each other are talking with one another about the very foundations of their faith. There are some persistent, fundamental disagreements--but as posters clarify their faith in a spirit of gracefulness and humility, writers on both sides find some fellowship and communion, if not much agreement on theology.
I find the ongoing exchange between hadjie and James Crocker particularly wonderful--hadjie is a questioning Christian (who would probably be at home at St. Stephen's) who James can't recognize as an orthodox Christian. They discuss what it means to identify oneself as Christian, and although they don't agree on much, they try very hard to come to terms with their disagreement.
I'd be interested to hear what you all think.
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