Do they really use them? In Dallas it seemed like the website was ignored entirely. Most clergy I know seem to find calls by other means and OTM becomes perfunctory on top of not really used by the search committee.
And yeah - I hope to stay at my current place another 20 at this point!
That’s wild. Why?! At that point I’d skip any position that required it under the principle that their leadership has bad time management and unrealistic expectations, haha.
The new OTM website isn’t compatible with Linux because it needs a passkey which Linux doesn’t have support for natively. Would have to use something third party. Still not going back to Windows. Besides, has anyone really gotten a new position through OTM? Most places seem to bypass it. ⚓️
Finally, Easter Sunday sermon doesn’t need to be overly clever or complicated. Don’t give an erudite exposition on the profundity of the Paschal Mystery. Tell people Jesus is the God of creation who walked out of the tomb to defeat sin and death for them for grace. God’s action. Keep it simple! 3/3⚓️
2) don’t make it harder than it needs to be and keep quality over quantity focused on the real people there. Ie, if your ASA is < 150 then prob no reason to have services every day or a noon and evening GF. Palm Sun, Maundy, 1 GF service, and Easter Sun are enough. Just do those well. 2/3⚓️
Two unconventional clergy advice for Holy Week now after more than a decade of being a priest -
1) go to the gym each day. Physical activity helps energy level overall. It really does help give you the energy needed to get a workout or yoga or something in after your prayers at home 1/3⚓️
I love the Vigil, I do, but it’s ok to also not do it. The liturgy was made for the Christian, not the Christian for the liturgy; and what was culturally relevant in the early church may not be so now.
For most places Easter morning will be the main worship service, and ought be the focus there.⚓️
So my point was that too often liturgical theology acts as if there’s some ideal Ur liturgy that’s objectively true and most things are wrong which deviate. Vs liturgy as I see it is more like an art of cooking or crafting with a lot of subjective experience as valid in it reflecting diff pieties
(One had someone question my belief in the resurrection b/c I veil the chalice after communion again)
But also only if we allow too that different people may mean different things by the same actions, and like other symbols there’s not much in terms objective meaning
I was thinking on this. I think I’d nuance it a bit and get what you’re getting at - but coming from a different angle.
I’d agree that often how we do things reflects ideas. Though not always in ways that people think - it’s fraught to evaluate someone’s full theology based on liturgical details
But the article about putting all the resources on the Vigil and telling people to not show up in the morning for Easter Day is such a fast track to close a church it’s one of the worst ideas I can think of, and places theoretical ideals over on the ground reality to the extreme. That’s wild to me.
But we don’t do the Vigil here and I honestly don’t think it’s worth the energy to do at every place for a variety of reasons. For us the morning is the main service of Easter because that’s how it’s experienced. Cathedrals or a few places, sure…
“Is”? For some places perhaps, but it’s hard to say a liturgical “is”, I think, unless it means “experienced as”. Not sure about a metaphysical oughtness. Besides, his whole article seems to be about baptism and not the Vigil per se. Baptism on Easter morning would fulfill this connection too.
Happy Lady Day! (Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary!) ⚓️
For those into such things. A little liturgy for the start of Spring. I like the idea of doing a toast with mead on these days so this is what my wife and I use. Praying in the new season! ⚓️
I love liturgy itself and the art of it, but the older I get the more I think liturgical “theology” is mostly pseudo profound nonsense as a veneer for “I just like it this way” - and modern liturgical theology needs to deal with it’s irrational aversion to the Medieval Era ⚓️
How does that work? Ownership of all businesses are public, with the public being the vested in the Crown?
But of course!
One of the oddest things about being Episcopalian is that it seems the majority of my clergy friends are either Monarchists (or adjacent) or Marxist (or adjacent). ⚓️
“Not left the Anglican Communion” but also electing a leader to be “traditionally” what the ABC is. This is “I’m not resigning, just not coming in and taking a job elsewhere”. Are they daring her to kick them out so they can play the victim?
Evangelism is Outreach, participating in a community event is Outreach, being directly involved with another org but with our promotion material available is “Outreach”. “Outreach” ought never be the same as charity grants. Many parishes have an odd def of “Outreach” I think. ⚓️
Dallas was always “Father/Mother”. Here seems mostly first names. I go with the local culture (all things to all people, etc). But cards say “Fr.” And sometimes I use “The Rev’d” to be extra formal. I think the consternation over “Rev” is pedantic. I’ve accepted “pastor” or “preacher” before too.
Let me know if you end up dropping by here!
“Previously independent “
Why is it seemingly independents who turn out to be closet fascist scum, and rarely are they more liberal types that just don’t like their dominant liberal party?
I’m all for “dialogue” with other religions, but “inter religious worship” services will likely be a forever hard line for me to not cross. Different religions really are different!
That explains my disconnect when I’ve talked to Buddhist monks who very clearly have s system of beliefs on one hand, and this suburban view on the other that they’re mostly just meditation techniques.
Why are so many mainliner Christians fascinated by Buddhism? Of all other religions they have about the least appeal to me and I have no desire to become nothing. Why not “interfaith dialogue” with Neopagans? I find them vastly more interesting! That could be an intriguing discussion! ⚓️
Also could fit perfectly with the vision the Cathedral has. I know different Orders are different, but except for the most contemplative and locked away, having a monastic community present provides a lot of community support for all the homeless ministry they want to do. Maybe talk to the Bp?
Wait! Aren’t they doing some residential development project? A low cost apartment complex out something? Argh! Missed opportunity to include a monastic area in that! Alas!