Virtual-Doug

Transforming Church - We're Gonna Use Sunday Plus! (Gulp)

Way back in November, I told the world I'd had a conversation with my priest at St. Peter & St. Paul's church and would look into the possibility of using multimedia in some of our worship services. In a wonderful exchange of comments with Stephen of the blog GreenFlame, I think I substantiated the fact I was not trying to use multimedia merely because "everyone else is."

So - - I went out and bought Sunday Plus! Great software, folks.

Viet Nam Today - A Belated Happy New Year!

My apologies to my friends in Viet Nam. I remembered to send a snail mail card for Tet - - but forgot to post a Happy New Year to you on this blog.

I hope you had a great Tet celebration with your families. Mr. Dzung - I hope you enjoyed the fireworks over the river in Hoi An.

Christianity – The Only Problem We Have is That We Have No Problems

During a recent conversation with a friend, he opined that people living in destitute conditions often exhibit a closer relationship to God than those of us living in solid middle-class American comfort.

I agree. Its probably the same phenomenon Karl Marx saw. My friend saw poor people dependent on God as a good thing, while Karl Marx described religion as the opiate of the masses. Same observation – different conclusion.

Americans find so many silly things to worry about. We kvetch about our kid’s soccer team not winning, or we write treatises to the local newspaper’s op-ed page about the need for speed bumps on Maple Street. We put warning labels on products that don’t need warnings. (Did you hear about the fish hooks labeled with the admonition that the hooks are harmful if swallowed?) We argue about whether SUVs are good or bad while many homes are now sold with three car garages. We worry about these things because we have nothing important to worry about – our families are fed, health care is available, and there are no soldiers searching our houses. Gas is cheap, we take vacations, and we find time to argue over which college football team is the best.

Miscellaneous Ramblings - The Ski Trip is Over

Damn! I hate the trip being over! We got a good dump of eight inches of snow a couple of says ago, more trails are open and groomed - and I gotta leave!

As my sister says - "This is why we go to those sucky jobs!"

Today was bright, clear, and cold - - perfect ski weather. But tomorrow its up and at 'em early for the drive to the Albuquerque airport to drop off family, then we drive on home to Texas.

But the drive will be good. C and I know we are at a transitional point in our lives, so we have much to talk about while locked inside a car for two days.

Miscellaneous Ramblings - Ski Vacation in New Mexico

Okay - I leave 85 degree weather in San Juan, Puerto Rico and go on vacation in Angel Fire, New Mexico - and it is 20 degrees outside.

The snow gods have frowned on New Mexico this year - easily the worst conditions I have seen since coming here 15 years ago. There just is no snow.

But - this is a family trip. My sister and one of her grandchildren, my brother and his wife - all here, and we're having a blast.

Its also given me a chance to do some writing and thinking. I'm enjoying!

Miscellaneous Ramblings - I'm in Puerto Rico

Okay okay - - I'm in San Juan at a business meeting. Go ahead. Say things like "Tooooooo bad!", or "What a terrible business trip to make." Make your comments dripping with sarcasm.

I live in deep south Texas. There are lots of palm trees, we live near the ocean, its warm in the winter, and there are a lot of people who speak Spanish.

Kinda like Puerto Rico.

In other words, as nice as Puerto Rico is, it ain't no big deal.

Christianity - Culture, Authenticity, and Worship

One of the members of my men's small group is the music minister at our local church. He has an evangelical background, and we are a liturgical church. He is a man of considerable gifts as a keyboardist and singer. As a new congregation, our little store-front church is trying to break free of "doing church", while retaining the richness of liturgical worship. Its a tough balancing act as we try to establish our DNA.

The culture differences show. On occassion, the musician he has been resentful when required to play the old hymns, while some of the cradle Episcopalians have objected to his remarks said while playing - evangelical utterances such as "Isn't God good all the time?" or "Lets stand and sing the chorus again." This is not a group of people used to raising their hands and yelling "Praise God" when the Spirit moves them.

These differences show sometimes.

Christianity - For the New year

Every now and then you read something and think "I wish I'd written that!" This is one of those somethings. Thanx for sending it to me, Jeff.

Were you able to accomplish all that you had planned to do this past year? Even the best intentions have a way of geting sidetracked by unexpected circumstances. If you're anything like me, the previous 12 months have been a mix of experiences that have brought either great joy or deep grief. We've celebrated birthdays and graduations, as well as mourned the loss of those we love. Laughter and tears, success and failure, pleasure and pain-they are all part of life day by day and year by year. The unforseen twists and turns of life can discourage us, or they can cause us to draw closer to our Lord and depend more on Him. The right kind of planning, acording to the apostle James, recognizes the unpredictability of life and the need to include God at the center of our planning. James wrote," Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say,' If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that'" (James 4:13-15). So let us enter this new year by submitting all of our plans to the Lord and depending on Him to help us accomplish all that He wants us to do.

Christianity - Do Bishops and Critics Matter?

Here's an interesting link sent to me by a friend.

Funny thing - I never use the word "Episcopalian" to describe myself. Disciple of Jesus, husband, father, job title, amateur historian, adrenalin junkie - even blogger - but seldom "Episcopalian." Why?

Because the institution is not important to me. Neither is the article

Articles like this are important only to professional church people. Bishop Chane, of course, enjoys seeing his name in print, and he may even think he speaks for all Episcopalians. It is important to Dr. Mohler as he gets his name in print, and tries to make a case for change in the Episcopal church though he is Southern Baptist.

Both people speak only to those who are already religionists - people who are either professionals in religious institutions, or lay people who are already within the church fold. Neither Chane's no Mohler's comments matter to people outside the fold. No seeker, nor a person who is unconnected to God, is going to listen to the sermon, nor read the article.