FUNNIEST PICTURE I'VE SEEN TODAY

Thanks to Bishop Alan on Facebook.

BISHOP CLUMBER SAYS...

...You know, I'm just an old dog, but it occurs to my canine brain to ask the question which was in Marcus Borg's latest book someplace... "What business is the church in?" My myopic contention is that we are, or at least should think of ourselves, in the communication business.

In an era in which our lives seem completely enveloped in communication, how can the church not take advantage of all the vehicles to do that? The only question is what content should be flowing out... bishop's blogs, youtube videos, audio and video of sermons, Facebook and G+? And I would think the right answer is that we should be trying to use all of them, or at least as many as are practical. And you Facebook users have a responsibility to re-preach the message of the church by "Sharing" good posts to all your friends, whether part of your church or not.

And yet... you can name the blogging bishops on one paw (1 or 2, not sure), you see diocese websites that are boring, boring, boring, that have no messages of the mission of the church, ways to engage in ministry, the excitement that SHOULD be part and parcel of being a Christian alive today...

Churches too often fail this as well, being fairly static and trading on the traditions and ancient ritual of the faith, rather than the here and now life and ministry... Father Moretz sort of got it right, but have you seen videos of his sermons? Where are the people?

Anyway, gotta go get my afternoon nap... you bipeds be good...

From the comments to this post. I thought the canine bishop's words were too good to remain hidden away.

And here's another excellent video from the Episcopal Café created by the Diocese of Texas.



Bravo!

UPDATE: So far as I can discover, the quote 'Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.' is from D. T. Niles in his book That They May Have Life, rather than Robert Munger. As my correspondent on Facebook, Tim Chesterton, told me, 'Niles was a Sri Lankan evangelist and ecumenical leader who deserves to be much more widely known than he is.'

THE MISSION AND MINISTRY OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Mark Harris at Preludium says:

All of which is to say I think we bloggers in Episcopal / Anglican land need to do more videos, even rough and ready ones, with the goal to witness to who we are and what we are about as Episcopalians.

I agree. All too often, we hide our light under a bushel basket. The video below by TECtube (The Church Center Communications folk) is a fine example of what can be done.



Mark posted several other videos worth viewing, some of which are 'rough and ready'. Check them out.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

If you're not on Facebook (Twitter, Google+, etc.), do you even exist?

THE NEW BARACK OBAMA

I like him. I hope he stays around and continues to call the Republicans out on their hypocrisy.

H/T to Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin.

STORY OF THE DAY - VALE OF TEARS

collecting little mementos to prove her
theory that this is a vale of tears & my
advice is you damn well better stay out
of her way

From StoryPeople.

True today, I'm afraid. Family stuff - not catastrophic, but worrisome - and, since I took Ciprofloxacin several weeks ago, I seem to have developed colitis which strikes off and on. Last night it was on, interrupted by only about 3 hours of restless sleep, so a prayer or two would be welcome.

My maternal grandmother, who took a rather gloomy view of the world, often said life was a vale of tears.

UPDATE: Collect for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

H/T to Penny at One Cannot Have Too Large a Party, who posts lovely pictures and prayers which often give me peace,

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

City Greenmarket vendors banned from cutting the cheese outside

From the New York Daily News:

The state has a message for city Greenmarket vendors: Don't cut the cheese!

If you can't cut the cheese outside....

Image from Wikipedia.

WHERE DID THEY GO?

Last night, I lost all of my blogs on my Google Reader, except those that use the TypePad format. What's going on? I had to reload them one by one, which is a PITA. I'm still not done. Grrr.

My first quarrel with Google Reader was that it seemed impossible to delete blogs from the reader if the blogger changed names or addresses or went silent. I'd unsubscribe, and they'd be gone so long as I was online, but when I signed off, they'd be back on the list when I went back online.

UPDATE: Well!!! All the blogs are back on my reader now, including those that I have unsubscribed numerous times. A blessing, surely, but a decidedly mixed blessing, since I had already done most of the hard work, and the unsubscribed blogs are back on the list.

JUST DO IT!

Thanks to Joan P and many others on Facebook.

PLEASE PRAY...

...for whiteycat:

Mimi, will you post a prayer request for me? I would be very grateful. I am under incredible stress right now and need all the prayers I can get!

I am in the midst of a serious household crisis that directly involves the cats and our entire home. We are desperately in need of prayers from the OCICBW community. I know this group has worked some miracles. Do I ever need one now!

Thank you so much.

Dot aka Whiteycat

...and for requests from David@Montreal:

L’Shanah Tova beloved Giants of prayer & practice

Wonderful news of Ann Bailey in California, her mother Isabel tells me Ann has one more chemotherapy treatment but is already back at work part time. Ann is the creator/director of www.startingarts.com a wonderful art education programme.

Prayers for Montreal Rabbi Ronnie Cahana who is praying/working/fighting his way out of ‘locked-in syndrome’ after suffering a very serious stroke. Incredibly, even when unable to speak the Rabbi was dictating his sermons by facial gestures, blinks and sounds-communicating in four languages. http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Montreal+rabbi+blinks+sermons+from+hospital/5473142/story.html

Prayers for your fellow giant Joel, who on top of all his other health issues is healing from a broken back which had gone undiagnosed for some days.

Prayers please for our dear Margaret as she and Joel live their way through discernment.

Prayers for our Barbi’s Mom who undergoes surgery October 4, at 11 a.m. (central time) for what is believed to be a malignant spot on her left lung.

Prayers also for our Barbi and her beloved Deb on the employment front. Within the past week they’ve both had interviews for really exciting jobs and await the outcome.

Prayers for Jacques’ ongoing recovery, though I hesitated to use that word. As you know Jacques has liver cancer and more than once in the last two years has been close to the point of death but you wouldn’t know it to look at him right now. Back to the home he and Marion share on the Gaspé coast, he’s working part time in construction again while continuing treatment

Prayers for a cherished brother who has less than four months to go before stepping down from an important and challenging responsibility.

Prayer please for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian Christian pastor who had three times already be hauled before a tribunal to renounce his Christian faith and who is threatened with the death penalty for his refusal to do so.

Prayers for the people of the middle east please: that the carnage will stop, that the tyrants be confounded: that the people of Syria, Dubai, Lybia, Saudi, Bahrain be given real cause for their praise of the living God and a brighter future to live into.
Thank-you beloved Giants
David@Montreal