I was Googling for a set of 1939 orders of service from the Universalist National Memorial Church — where I was once minister and now, after a long break, am now a member — and found Sixteenth Street Architecture, a fine architectural survey of Washington, D.C. “avenue of churches” from just north of the White… Continue reading The architecture of Universalist National Memorial Church, in detail
Category: Debt
A pastor without a car?
A similar post, like Wednesday’s. Musing on a reality that “might ought could” (as we say in the South) be examined, even challenged. Is it practically possible, say, in a larger city or even a large college town, to pastor a church without a car? I’m not sure it is. It assumes your home, church… Continue reading A pastor without a car?
Justice for interns, generally
“Why Won’t Obama Pay His Interns?” by Evan McMorris-Santoro (Buzzfeed) (Yes, there’s implied criticism of the Unitarian Universalist ministerial internship system.)
The new national weight loss plan
Over the years, I’ve tried to lose weight and am fully aware of what works for me (eating high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian food; counting and recording calories) and what doesn’t (everything else). My reasons for trying to lose weight, however, have changed. The vain reasons of youth have become the health-preservation demands of middle age. Why,… Continue reading The new national weight loss plan
Having banks on the brain
A person I respect — wise, patient and politically savvy — asked me credit unions today. It seems the excesses of the large, national banks, epitomized by their recent collective fee increases, led him to consider a credit union in place of the large national bank that he uses. I mention this, not to suggest… Continue reading Having banks on the brain
John and Eliza Murray were one serious illness from bankruptcy
It’s well known now that a medical crisis is more likely to push you — let’s limit this to the United States — into bankruptcy than any other single cause. This was true, too, for Universalist church founder and inspirer John Murray and his first wife, Eliza around 1768. The text follows, but first to… Continue reading John and Eliza Murray were one serious illness from bankruptcy
The lesson of the Esperantists’ conferences
Spend any time with Esperantists and you discover how important conferences — kongresoj — are. I think it’s because the community is so small that it helps to have intentional times together. That, and since one of the language’s selling points is your ability to speak with people from other countries through a non-national auxillary… Continue reading The lesson of the Esperantists’ conferences
Plain thoughts about alternatives to college
Minister and blogger (and friend) Adam Tierney-Eliot looked at his family’s finances and so addressed one of the great taboos of the educated middle class: that there may be an alternative to college for his children, that blithely opting into college surely come with a mountain of debt, and that the alternatives might be demonstrably better. The… Continue reading Plain thoughts about alternatives to college
The non-sense of austerity policy
Andrew Brown, Unitarian minister and blogger (Caute) wrote: Readers of this blog may be interested this short video presentation which is, I think, worth five minutes of anyone’s time. I agree, for several reasons, not the least of which is warning about misleading civil preachments of virtue. Do watch this.
Patience while I review the numbers
So now I’m curious what the total congregational expenditures and membership numbers tell us. How much church “do you get” for the money? This goes right to the question of church development. These are fair, but rarely asked questions when the promoted culture is “give, baby, give.” Must you have $2,000 to spare per head… Continue reading Patience while I review the numbers