Worship near Electric Avenue

Off to London, and one of the niceties is being able to worship from amid the congregation. A Little Bird suggested the Brixton Unitarian Church, since the Bethnel Green church is closed on second Sundays of the month. You’ll recall that’s an area with a substantial West Indian community (perhaps a roti after services?) and… Continue reading Worship near Electric Avenue

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Schade on the Pledge of Allegiance

Tom Schade (Prophet Motive) has just posted an excellent reflection on Unitarian Universalist counter-culturalism as respects the Pledge of Allegiance.

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New reading list

Now what’s up on the reading list. All but the last are re-reads, for refreshment. The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter. Something I go back to every couple of years; hardly new but wiser than its seventeenth-century subheadings might suggest. [Online] Pia Desideria by Philip Jacob Spener Preaching by Fred Craddock Walking Together: Polity and… Continue reading New reading list

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On my reading list

I’ve been catching up today on my church reading, which, I’m afraid to say, I’ve let go for a while. I was within a single push of finishing two books, now done, and I can recommend both: God for Us: the Trinity and Christian Life by Catherine Mowry LaCugna. (1991, HarperSanFrancisco) Transforming Congregational Culture by… Continue reading On my reading list

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Polity quandries and the UUA Bylaws

Disclosure #1: In my hypothetical church planting exercises, I believe that UUA membership would be desirable, but not essential, to the welfare of the church. Disclosure #2: Rules — in this case the UUA bylaws — are not made to be broken, but imagination must be applied to them, so as the negative parts of… Continue reading Polity quandries and the UUA Bylaws

Church newsletter column

I’ve put up the first of two (next installment, next month) newsletter columns on worship at the church website. Enjoy: How We Worship, part one

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“Universalist Sundays”

Richard Hurst one of UNMC’s deacons and liturgists has this blog recording the items he prepares as liturgist. He’s quite talented, and I’m glad he’s done this. (You can also get an idea of what some of our services look like, in part.) See all at Universalist Sundays. [2009. Long gone.]

Hurricane day

I can tell the hurricane is coming. I tried to turn off the window fan in the kitchen; it wasn’t on, but the wind was blowing cold air in from outside. My sinuses are throbbing; the barometer is obviously dropping. Call this entry my hurricane day journal until if-and-when the power goes out. I am… Continue reading Hurricane day

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Good book to get

Facilitating Paradox mentions his current inspiration in Justo Gonzalez’s The Story of Christianity (vol. 1). (Hear that Jim?) I know “the Gonzalez” (as we always called it) is a classic textbook, and that it serves a particular function, but for my money and shelf space, I’m more partial to Linwood Urban’s A Short History of… Continue reading Good book to get

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