Words on the Word
the Church
(Life Update) I Am Pastoring Now
Exciting news: I’ve accepted a call to be pastor at a great church in a seaside community in the Greater Boston area. My first Sunday was June 2. My “About” page has been updated accordingly: In my current capacity as pastor, I seek to support, encourage, and equip the congregation, connect with people in local … Continue reading
Who is the New Pope? Bergoglio (now Francis I) of Argentina
The cardinals today selected a new pope. From the New York Times: With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and to the cheers of thousands of rain-soaked faithful, a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope from among their midst on Wednesday — choosing the cardinal from Argentina, … Continue reading
There is a New Pope
From the New York Times: With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and to the cheers of thousands of rain-soaked faithful, a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope from among their midst on Wednesday. The name of the new pope, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic … Continue reading
A Few Thoughts on Leading without Authority
Ron Heifetz, in his Leadership Without Easy Answers, says, “The scarcity of leadership from people in authority, however, makes it all the more critical to the adaptive successes of a polity that leadership be exercised by people without authority” (183). In other words, even though leaders should expect good leadership from those above them, they should … Continue reading
How shall we sing hymns?
John Wesley (1703-1791) was an Anglican minister and theologian. His ministry (and that of his brother Charles Wesley) led to the creation of the Methodist Church, as well as other traditions that have their roots in Wesley: the Wesleyan holiness movement, Pentecostalism, and the Charismatic movement. Wesley issued seven “Rules for Singing” in 1761. Here … Continue reading
“What if Worship was like an NBA Game?”
I don’t even remember now where I saw this first, but… for your viewing pleasure:
Lights withstanding the wind (Martinmas)
A guest post by my wife, Sarah K-J: For the third time, I handed my two-year-old son his homemade lantern and hoped the wind would allow a few minutes more of light. We were on our first “lantern walk.” Guided by another young family with experience in this ancient tradition honoring St. Martin of Tours, … Continue reading
10 things about the new Archbishop of Canterbury
Breaking news: the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is on Twitter. (He’s funny, too.) He comes to the Anglican Communion’s highest position from a post as Bishop in Durham, where N.T. Wright previously served. A piece on him in the New York Times is here. And the BBC has published an article with “10 … Continue reading
New Archbishop of Canterbury
The Telegraph reports that the new Archbishop of Canterbury has been named: Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham. Sources have confirmed that the Eton-educated bishop will be announced as successor to Dr Rowan Williams as early as Friday, after the Crown Nominations Commission put his name forward to Downing Street. It marks a meteoric rise for … Continue reading
Katharine Bushnell (1856-1946): “God does not curse women because of Eve”
Two days after All Saints Day, I express my admiration now for a perhaps even lesser-known “saint” than Perpetua, Moses the Black, or John Huss. Katharine Bushnell lived from 1856 to 1946. She was a doctor, a missionary, an advocate for those without other advocates, and a theologian. Her commitment to the authority of Scripture was … Continue reading
