Wesley Evans

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!

Hmm. Thought - Many early monastics were connected to cathedrals. Perhaps the cathedral has room to create a monastic center? Just need a few bedrooms, bath, kitchen, and common area to start.

Like the olden days just need to find a few very wealthy people feeling guilty in their elder years to create an endowment of land and resources to start another one!

I really would love to see an Episcopal monastery in this Diocese!

This is the way.

We burn ours at the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper after a little liturgy for it. Not anything complex, just a collective shriving of sorts and make the ash.

One reason I prefer many older liturgies is because they don’t shy away from blessing actual things. The objects themselves directly and not just prayers for the people who use them.

In preparation for Candlemas today, this past Sunday I blessed candles for people to take home.

Happy Candlemas! ⚓️

a man in a white chef 's jacket is standing with his hands on his hips in front of a refrigerator . ALT: a man in a white chef 's jacket is standing with his hands on his hips in front of a refrigerator .

That deserves at least one Gordon is Displeased

St. Mary's Live: The Tower of Babel - a blessing and not a curse? YouTube video by St. Mary's Lakewood

A little video on my possibly unique take of the Babel story ⚓️

I showed Alicia this and we both think it’s really cool what you’re up to now!

I think it’s easier to just accept the reality of the stuff that doesn’t work like it should if we can fully embrace a very real future literal return of Jesus to redeem creation and remake our cosmos. And with that, a physical resurrection with glorification of our material bodies. 2/2 ⚓️

When I was very young I lost massive hearing in one ear, was supposed to use a hearing aid in high school. I have high prescription contacts (-13.5!!) and retinal degeneration in one eye.

My body has broken parts and that’s ok to say. My hope is their repair in the future physical resurrection.1/2⚓️

Technically yes. Though I admit I really don’t like moving things. In my personal prayers I’ll still do a nod to Annunciation when it falls, but if I were offering a public service then yes after the Octave of Easter.

Fair enough. So bottom line question: if a church has those EMT analogies only is it accurate or misleading to say “we have a social justice ministry”? My leaning was to say misleading and be honest that we only have charity or generic “outreach”.

…In a way, with that, only a government can actually *do* SJ, right? At most a church could put pressure on a government to change policy or law, but we literally don’t have the power to do Social Justice b/c in my mind it’s an issue of laws and civic governance focused on equality. I think?

And to me that’s a civic and government concept. I’ve not wanted to call our food drives, utility assistance, or other things “Social Justice” b/c it seems to not fit what in think it means…

See, this is what I thought. I was excluding from the definition food drives, housing assistance, or other good helpful ministries. I’ve used a narrow definition closer to that, so have not described what we do (yet?) as SJ b/c to me that would be misleading. But I wondered if I was wrong here.

That’s about the definition I was working from when I wondered if it was too narrow. I’ve been confused by churches talking about SJ ministry which to me seem more like charity. As if SJ = charity to marginalized. But I’ve understood the term closer to a civil idea of policy and law.

That’s a good principal! Fueling ethics or ideology, no matter how good, with hatred ends up destroying everyone involved.

Ahhh. That’s promising. I wasn’t the target in my group (because I stayed quiet) but that seemed to be the goal directed at a few others. I ended with deeply negative opinions of CPE. Wrote a letter to the head there at the end listing it all like the 95 thesis!

Loved just visiting people though.

What’s your working definition of “social justice”? And what’s the difference between it and “charity” for you?

I see churches with SJ ministries that to me seem like standard charity. Are donations to a food bank SJ? Utility assistance? Does it need to involve directly addressing civic policy?⚓️

Thank you for that. That’s helpful! I had a lackluster experience in CPE as an ordination requirement for a variety of reasons, so that’s a good perspective.

What? In both places? Where did this come from and who passed it around?

Keeping the feast day per rubric option! ⚓️