Category: Practical theology

A change in blogging (wherein I blame the Quakers)

After seven and a half years of blogging, it’s time again to rethink “The Boy in the Bands” — if only in a limited, experimental way. Blog is short for web log; so what of logging my thoughts first on paper, and then letting them ripen a bit before transferring them to the web? (Case… Continue reading A change in blogging (wherein I blame the Quakers)

Remembrance of policy past

Ought policy statements — particularly those related to public — of the Universalist Church of America (Universalist General Convention) and the American Unitarian Association inform the policy of the Unitarian Universalist Association today? Since the UUA is the legal (and I’d add moral) successor to the UCA and AUA, I’d say yes, provided said policy… Continue reading Remembrance of policy past

Web media should be accessible, too

Piggybacking on Kim Hampton’s first-things-first approach (do read it) to ability and accessibility, let me humbly ask that all producers of online audio or video media create a text transcript to accompany it. This is a matter of access in these ways: Some people cannot see and other cannot hear. Text allows people to read,… Continue reading Web media should be accessible, too

Use your voice, less electricity to save mountains

Cranky Cindy wrote about mountaintop coal mining, and the environmental disaster is causes. Universalist fun fact: the much-reported town deluged by coal ash, Harriman, Tennessee, was the site of the church extension project of the Young People’s Christian Union, a predecessor to Unitarian Universalist young adult ministries. Not-so-fun fact: coal is not clean. It pollutes… Continue reading Use your voice, less electricity to save mountains

Praying for Barack Obama: why and how

Kim Hampton replied to my last post, writing: It’s funny that you’re writing about this today. I’ve been thinking about fear for the past week or so (especially since Barack won in Iowa). I’ve worried the whole time that Barack has been in the race that he would get shot. Yes, I’ve been harboring a… Continue reading Praying for Barack Obama: why and how

Organizing a(n) (un)conference, BarCamp style

I’ve been writing about BarCamp, Unconferences and Open Space Technology — but how do you do it? [Later. I realized I haven’t written about BarCamp or Unconferences, but intended to introduce them before publishing this. “A BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment”–… Continue reading Organizing a(n) (un)conference, BarCamp style

A calm unclouded ending, part 2: saving money for the funeral

Nobody wants to be a burden on their survivors and so the funeral insurance business prospers under the euphemism, “final expense protection.” Hubby and I are particularly drawn to the TV ad with an elderly woman dropping quarters into an expired parking meter. Time’s up! You know there has to be a terrible catch and… Continue reading A calm unclouded ending, part 2: saving money for the funeral