The Episcopalians Go From Smashmouth to Mealymouth

That's one way of looking at Sarah Hey's assessment of TEC's new Presiding Bishop: 2) Presiding Bishop-elect Curry has a lovely speaking voice and will continue to offer nice sermons. This will serve, no doubt, to assuage some of the embarrassment that moderates and not a few liberal Episcopalians felt when they heard Katherine Jefferts …

An Important Way Church Needs to Be a Safe Space

Anyone who works in a university environment these days--especially in a public university whose state support continually evaporates--has heard about the concept of "safe space".  It's an idea promoted by LGBT advocates where parts of the campus are designated as safe for such people to be without fear of opposition.  The problem with that is …

Some Advice to Evangelicals on Major Division from Anglican/Episcopal Experience

Well, we're up against it: we're starting to see Evangelicals, generally thought reliable adherents to Scriptural Christianity, defect to the other side over the LGBT business.  For people raised in the system, this is a shock they are not mentally prepared for.  For those of us who came out of liberal churches of long ago, …

The Assault on Christians Wasn't Supposed to Happen This Fast

Back in 2006, before the accession of the current Occupant, I began to write a little novel entitled The Ten Weeks.  It describes, among other things, the result of a democratically elected left-wing government and how it, using the sexual revolution as one of its weapons (and mob action as another), took progressive power in …

What You're Supposed to Sing on Easter Sunday

Nothing Baptistic on this blog: (Don't ask me why, they don't allow embedding on this video, but you can click to go to it on YouTube anyway). The lyrics are very old, going back to the end of the Western Roman Empire.  The tune is by Ralph Vaughan Williams. One of the advantages of this …

Rachel Held Evans Becomes an Episcopalian

It's official:  I felt drawn to the Episcopal church because it offered some practices I felt were missing in my evangelical experience, like space for silence and reflection, a focus on Christ’s presence at the communion table as the climax and center of every worship service, opportunities for women in leadership, and the inclusion of …

Sewanee, N.T. Wright, and Those Strange Biblical Scholars

It's hard to be surprised these days at anything, but I must admit that I was surprised at the posting by one Paul A. Holloway, Professor of New Testament at the School of Theology at The University of the South, Sewanee, TN.  He is evidently upset that a) his institution gave N.T. Wright an honourary doctorate, without …

Women Bishops in the Church of England: The Chickens Are In the Roost

Matt Kennedy at Stand Firm finds Archbishop John Sentamu's response about the propriety of women bishops disconcerting: His appeal is to the supreme authority of scripture. How does the Archbishop of York answer? Setamu calmly continued with the service, stating that the appointment of a female bishop was now “part of the law of the …

Why I Support the Idea of Believers' Baptism

My church's news site recently noted a gathering down in Jamaica which was a consultation on believers' baptism.  There were a couple of ministers from my church there, along with representatives of the World Council of Churches. I'm always nervous when our ministers get involved with WCC people and events.  They are like young Siegfried, …

The Comeback of Stained Glass

Who would have thunk it? "However, there are new discussions that stained glass is seen more favorably by younger generations." DeGroot cited recent research conducted by the Barna Group, which found that Millennials preferred more traditional looking sanctuaries instead of so-called trendy buildings. Stained glass windows are one of the fonder memories of the church …

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