Tag Archives: church

Tony's Posts

The Parish Webmaster

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Working on the church website has been a fun exercise in learning new stuff. I am hoping it tells the story of St. Peter’s Episcopal. When they say content is king they aren’t kidding. When you are doing such a thing you have to pull information from various places and ministries of the parish. We are using a system from Digital Faith which has provided a good CMS among other tools. It is almost like a portal too. I am not a stranger to this sort of thing because it’s the third church I have done websites for. This is a task that is being done with a team of others who are making a great contribution as well. Check it out at http://stpeters.org

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Tony's Posts

Honoring Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta

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Today at the Vatican, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa of Calcutta as the newest Saint of the Catholic Church. Her charitable works have been noted in history and she made her community and the world a better place. Her life was focused on helping the poor and needy which has inspired many to do the same.

At church this morning my Sunday school class said this prayer that is attributed to her.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough.
Give the best you’ve got anyway.

You see,
in the final analysis it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.

 

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Rambling About Catholics

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Whenever someone says that Catholics aren’t Christians it saddens me. If it were not for the Catholic church Christianity today wouldn’t exist. Catholics represent over a billion believers in Jesus Christ and did all the heavy lifting in the early church. They worship Jesus, not Mary as some would believe. Many protestants are ill-informed about what Catholics are all about due to what they have been taught by their clergy who seem to ignore Church history. Scripture is not the only guide in the lives of believers. The church existed long before The Bible and much of faith was transmitted by oral tradition and customs passed down from one believer to another.

Think about how many colleges, schools, orphanages and hospitals have been founded by those people of Catholic faith who follow the examples of grace, peace, piety and most importantly love. Mother Teresa and many of the saints of the church who have written creeds, prayers and more have been Catholics.

I am an Episcopalian and by faith I am closely related spiritually to my Catholic brothers and sisters who I can tell you are more Christian than some you see on TV. Catholic also means Universal which there is a church Universal which includes all of Christianity. I don’t even have a problem with the role of The Pope.

Yes Catholics have had some serious issues over the years which lead to the Protestant Reformation and the split of people of the United Kingdom from the church during the reign of King Henry the VIII. In modern times documented issues of abuse have damaged their reputation but there are probably just as many protestant churches who have skeletons in their closets.

For a protestant to say that Catholics are not Christians is coming from a place of willful ignornance and disrespect.

I don’t agree with their stand on women in the priesthood and they have a way to go in other gender and sexuality issues but good things take time to change. The Eucharist I believe can be open in their tradition while maintaining their spiritual views on the bread and wine. Many of my Catholic friends are progressively minded and they will be a part of the changes of the Church in the future.

Tony's Posts

Chattanooga Area Pastor’s new book shines light on bullying in the church | Times Free Press

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Bullying is a form of intimidation often identified with school rooms, locker rooms and internet chat rooms. But the church? The refuge where we are admonished to love one another as Jesus loves us?

Source: Soddy pastor’s new book shines light on bullying in the church | Times Free Press

I have been in the church for the vast majority of my life and the church is supposed to be a haven and a sanctuary for people. Places of worship are to be places of love, understanding and safety. From my own experiences its not always the case.

Bullying is a thing people deal with in the world and even the church. There are a lot of reasons why it happens. None of us is perfect so that is why we turn to a higher power to help us be the best we can be. I, myself have been bullied in church and even in the church related college I graduated from.

This article from my hometown newspaper tells the story of why bullying happens. Its more complex than just someone picking a fight. Houses of worship can be wonderful places of community and connection but in many places there is dysfunction just like an any family.

Tony's Posts

Rambling About Food

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In the food world terms like organic, free range, farm to table, locally sourced and the like are buzz words that seem to be what many people want these days. Then there are others who struggle to put food on their tables and they have to get it where they can at a price they can afford. So many people in the world go hungry and do what they have to do to put food on their table.

This morning at church my Sunday school/small group were talking about that today after watching a video that discussed about how in many areas there are two food communities where you have people who have it and those who struggle. In many places of faith they offer a food pantry to those who are in need. Some people are limited to what they can have because of how much they make. Before you share your faith some folks need to have basic needs taken care of and food is one of them.

Food is a spiritual thing. In the Christian faith bread and wine are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. Spiritual food does much to keep us sustained through the times of famine and struggle. Communion is about connecting with Jesus and others.

Many other faith traditions embrace food as a way to bring people together. It’s something that they use to observe their faith. For example the Seder at Passover and eating after fasting during Ramadan. Wine is also used to bring couples together during wedding ceremonies. Food is important to begin the building of community at a potluck dinner.

The key thing about food is that everyone needs it to sustain their lives. It’s also a spiritual connection to one’s higher power and to others in your faith tradition. No one should ever go hungry and the creator made not only us but the food to keep us alive, kicking and praying.

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A Faithful Ramble

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I find it sad when Atheists, Agnostics, people of other faiths and people in corporate America start reflecting the love of Christ more than people who profess to call him their Lord and Savior. Many people have been run off from the church because of fundamentalism and legalism. Some religious people just need to shut up and sit down. Old time American religion leaves a horrible taste in my mouth.

I am a follower of Christ in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition. Our faith and practice is ancient but also relevant. We seek a 3rd way that balances scripture, reason and tradition. I am glad to be a part of a community that believes with our hearts and heads and our lives.