Go right now and read this.
“Don’t Report Sexual Harassment” (Speaking Truth to Power)
Comment there or here.
Solidarity forever and ever, amen
The Rev. Andii Bowsher (Nouslife) — one of my favorite bloggers, he even uses Ubuntu Linux — writes about unionized clergy. (A subject I follow.)
Seems some Church of Scotland ministers or staff have representation, which was news to me and that Amicus, the main UK union with clergy, has merged with a transport union (Teamsters-like?) to formed Unite.
Universalist prayerbook PeaceBang mentioned
The Rev. Victoria Weinstein (PeaceBang) wrote today about a funeral she performed yesterday and the risks for not having your liturgical elements prepared. She did not have her copy of the 1894 Universalist prayerbook at hand and discovered the canonical text of Psalm 90 isn’t the same used in the funeral service. Both her anecdote and the way the Universalists edited the text were about pastoral preparation, including the way she recovered. But more about that another time.
Continue reading “Universalist prayerbook PeaceBang mentioned”
The ministers' consipiracy
I think Ms. Kitty (Ms. Kitty’s Saloon and Road Show) is wrong about criticizing ministerial colleagues, as I demonstrate here. Public, civil criticism is usually the prelude to meaningful debate, redress of harm and change. As a ministerial college, we’ve gone too long without decent public dispute and that’s allowed some vicious habits to take its place.
NYT: Questions for couples
The Gray Lady has a list of questions members of a couple should ask each other before marriage. It reminds me of the list I use with couples I marry . . . but this one is better.
“Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying” (New York Times 17 December 2006)
Accidential clericalism
There’s a curious Unitarian Universalist practice where a good number of ministers use the writings of other Unitarian Universalist ministers “as a reading” for the pulpit, elevating to the defacto level of scripture. Much of what follows also applies to the endless references to popular writers and poets I heard used in Unitarian Universalist sermons.
I know the intent is to bring fresh ideas to the pulpit. I can appreciate that, if not adopt the practice. It seems to drastically compress the process by which ideas are tested as being normative for a group. Next, it allows preachers to cherry-pick agreeable ideas, leading to insularity. Last — and perhaps most pressing — it establishes the insider’s view and rewards prestige and power.
A funny conundrum, that. I’ll stick to the Bible.