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Monday, January 30, 2012

We Are Who We Are
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 49 Views :: 1 Comments :: Sister Carol Perry

I love to give my Sunday Bible classes a "homework" assignment. It is usually something related to our text for that day to reflect on or to practice during the week. Last Sunday, inspired by the almost contagious quality of early Christian faith in the Book of Acts, I playfully suggested they go out and "sparkle".

I had no idea I was going to do that homework as I left work on Monday. It was an evening of pouring rain, so by the time I reached the 28th Street subway and wrestled my umbrella shut, I had few expectations of anything. I was simply soggy.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

WWJD?
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 64 Views :: 0 Comments :: Dr. Michael Brown

WWJD? Those letters have become somewhat campy, perhaps clichéd, from such frequent use. They show up on ball caps, bumper stickers, and rock singers’ tattoos. Our response to them has been diminished, mostly now falling somewhere between apathy and a dismissive rolling of the eyes. And yet, as people who operate within the theological and philosophical framework of Christianity, the question represented by those four letters is central: What Would Jesus Do?

Monday, January 23, 2012

Daniel Radcliffe Started It
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 100 Views :: 1 Comments :: Sister Carol Perry

I never cease to be amazed at the remarks people make about their expectations of religion. I wasn't reading a theology tome, just a throwaway insert that came with the Sunday paper. In adding to tidbits about the "stars", two new recipes for pasta and an interview with the chief character of a minor network sitcom, there was a longer profile about Daniel Radcliffe.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Nothing to Undo
By webmaster @ 1:53 PM :: 128 Views :: 1 Comments :: Elise Hanley

Every once in a while, I hit the wrong button or part of the screen on my iPhone, and a dialogue box pops up that says “Nothing to Undo.” While it’s probably silly to admit, I’ve found this reassuring. Comforting, even.

It usually would pop up after I’d sent an email or text message that I was unsure of sending. Maybe I had to say something difficult, or give in, or ask for forgiveness, or make some other sort of painful concession. As I’d be second guessing myself, the message would suddenly appear. I couldn’t help but hope it was God’s little winking way of reassuring me: “It’s ok. You’ve done what you were supposed to do. There is nothing to undo.”

Monday, January 16, 2012

It is About Words
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 120 Views :: 0 Comments :: Sister Carol Perry

One of the blessings of legal holidays is that they have the possibility of stirring thoughts of what we celebrate and why we do it. At least, the possibility is there, although I confess it sometimes gets lost in the commercial shopping frenzy that is aroused by each national pause. Have you noticed that SALES is attached to most holidays?

This year, it seems most fitting to me that we reflect on the gift Dr. King left us, the gift of seeing with clearer eyes, or rather, of hearing with new ears the power of the spoken word.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Kudos to the Kid
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 146 Views :: 2 Comments :: Dr. Michael Brown

Okay, I admit it. I like Tim Tebow. He seems authentic to me. Perhaps he expresses his faith a bit more enthusiastically than some, and many of us who are not fundamentalists can find that a bit uncomfortable. But from what I hear, he’s sincere. And, I much prefer someone who is sincerely faith-filled (even if a bit over the top) than sincerely cynical.

Monday, January 09, 2012

A Thought for January
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 107 Views :: 0 Comments :: Sister Carol Perry

January has a flavor all its own, and I confess to rather liking the possibility of shaping it.

The 12 days of Christmas are not quite complete as well all emerge from December, a bit groggy from the holiday festivities. By now, we have deep sixed the old calendars, stowed the Christmas decor for another year, regretfully tossed the last of the Christmas cards, and are now ready for -- what?

Monday, January 02, 2012

That Calendar
By webmaster @ 12:01 AM :: 124 Views :: 0 Comments :: Sister Carol Perry

By today most of us have found our new calendars and mounted them wherever we keep such reminders of time's passing.

That official calendar is a fun thing to research as people over the centuries have endeavored to accommodate solar and lunar cycles, honor the appropriate deities and wrestle with months of uneven lengths. I was glad I wasn't alive in 1582 when ten days had to be suppressed to equalize things on a badly warped calendar. Imagine going to bed on October 5 and awakening to October 15! It must have had a bit of an Alice in Wonderland feeling.