www.youtube.com/live/VI-wTY8...

ok wait I'm just catching up on that whole "reading the whole bible" thing and it took them a whole week? When we did it at sewanee (with apocrypha!) we managed in 72 hours. Why are they slacking??

No, I'm serving a low church parish.

Yeah, for sure.

Today’s sermon woes - how to talk faithfully about the paradox of incarnation without, like, digressing for 45 minutes to try to explain a whole semester’s worth of systematics. 😫

(I do know a priest who rented his Seattle apartment while at Sewanee, if it would be any interest to talk to someone who has experience with those specific logistics.)

But I know not everyone can do that, so again….discern.

I will say, all else being equal, I cannot overstate the gift that residential seminary was for me. I’m continually discovering new ways that I got so much “side experience” - not even just the classes, but how much other stuff is coming to the front as ministry experience to use.

But ultimately I’m glad I chose to stay in the US and learn *our* unique tradition; I’m not sure being trained in ACoC or ACNZ would have helped me become the priest I am now. But I had to explore it to understand that.

There was a point where I was convinced that I wanted to go to a non-US seminary - Vancouver has a great indigenous ministry program and is way closer than Sewanee. NZ has the three tikanga model. The Philippines would just be super cool.

This is a really good thing. Even if it doesn’t pan out the way you imagine, a big part of discernment is allowing God to paint the picture and seeing how and where you fit in it. And honestly the only way to do that is to really go through the whole range of possibility.

That’s….whew boy.

Maybe it’s like some secret commentary about the fallibility of humans? Haha

I have a friend whose ordination certificate has whiteout bc the calligrapher screwed up their name…adding this to the list of “if I could magically make important documents better, I would”

CORRECT! It’s not good for my waistline OR budget.

Yes! I especially love little neighborhoods with a variety of different ethnic foods. Korean, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Moroccan….loving when you can sort of, follow the spices haha

Yeah I ended up using Mtr. @mthrjo.bsky.social ‘s suggestion of “none” there.

(my actual factual opinion on AI is going to remain: you don't get to steal other people's work and then charge for it, you skeezy ass motherfuckers.

since I don't have time to deep dive every single model to see if they trained it ethically, I opt out until we've resolved this situation.)

Honestly even the old Google of “recipes that use 3/4 c. of cream cheese and broccoli” is a better idea. It’s still kinda AI adjacent but at least you’re doing the work.

Right? I'll admit I'm definitely leaning into my catholic tendencies with the Duruflé In Paradisum as the procession of the body, but then the Widor toccata as the postlude because OF COURSE.

I just spent the greater part of yesterday and today mocking up a hypothetical bulletin for my own funeral, which is basically because I am weirdly picky about a lot of tiny stuff. But also to like, traditional-language-ify some EOW prayers and stuff because why not. Anyway it was fun!

Which is partly to say, Jesus answers prayers, but not always in the way one expects. Rather than having a set model for what "answered prayers" looks like, it's important to work together with God's agency to discern what the actual reality is.

Black for me too! The sadness is the point. Yes, funerals are resurrection liturgies but you gotta live into that deep, dark pit for a bit.

Yes. Also, a couple is a family. A single and her dog is a family. A single mom with 3 kids is a family. We shouldn’t pretend that we know what “family” looks like.

But also yes as a childless couple a lot of “young people” initiatives are a miss for me.

It’s so good and not as widely used as it should be! What a wonderful way to welcome your daughter into the church family :)

We’re talking about changing the pronouns ;)

It’s definitely one with a lot of potential! And I’m continued to be shocked nobody is trying for it. (Anecdotally my mom is in this category and is totally unchurched. I often wonder if she’ll stumble upon a church that actually reaches out to her needs.)

Ugh yeah I can definitely see that. I’ve felt similarly as a late 30s het-appearing couple with no kids or intention for kids. It seems like once we rounded the corner on 35 the expectations dropped off a little bit but still.

Yes, definitely!

I never stop preaching the gospel of Pizza Night haha