Reflecting on Church Disunity and Communion.

With the conflict between Bishop Murphy of the AMiA and the Synod of Rwanda being in the news, I find myself more focused on the Church Visible than I usually am. Please forgive me for a post more about church politics than the substance of faith. Early in Monty Python’s Life of Brian is a scene which hits me with a mixture of sadness and laughter every time I watch it. To join it in media res:

Reg: Listen. The only people we hate more than the Romans are the fucking Judean People's Front.

(Others): Yeah

Judith: Splitters.

Francis: And the Judean Popular People’s Front.

(Others): Oh yeah. Splitters.

Loretta: And the People’s Front of Judea.

(Others): Splitters.

Reg: What?

Loretta: The People’s Front of Judea. Splitters.

Reg: We're the People's Front of Judea.

Loretta: Oh. I thought we were the Popular Front.

Reg: People’s Front.

Francis: Whatever happened to the Popular Front, Reg?

Reg: He's over there.

When East Belittles West

In general, I often enjoy reading the spiritual writings of members of Eastern Orthodox (That is, Orthodox Catholic Church) congregations. I often find their views on theological issues engaging and their perspectives on the history and condition of the Western branches of Christianity informative. From time to time, I do run into ideas that trouble me, or that I find myself strongly disagreeing with. It is one such idea I want to take just a few moments today to speak about; the relationship of God and Creation.

Better Christianity through Chemistry

I am a follower of Christ. I have been baptized to become a Christian. I have a community of fellow believers I openly discuss religion with. I am presently in the process of joining a congregation. I regularly attend 2-3 services a week at two separate churches. Both of these churches belong to the same denomination. I find myself pondering on all of this, and wondering what these facts mean to my identity as a servant of Christ. As is often my wont, I am now going to take a sharp turn into a more scientific field, in this case chemistry, and then return to this question.

(Non) Denominational Identity.

This is just a brief post, a thought I have had while working on another idea. I wonder if somehow the very word denomination has picked up a negative meaning in modern American culture. I’ve been looking at some small churches lately, and have noticed an odd grey area in which a sizeable number of non-denominational churches have more locations and members than some denominations claim in total.

Selling God Short

I have nearly finished reading a book which is as interesting as it is terrible. Shopping for God by James B. Twitchell is an interesting peak behind the curtain at what the Church would be without God. Reporting from the perspective of the jaded atheist (while putting on the mantle of “apathiest,” one who does not care about his own or others' faith, so as to be less jarring), our narrator weaves us a tale of the Church as a free market enterprise, and writes the narrative of faith as a commodity to be sold, with churches as brands in competition. I do still have a chapter to go, so I may be surprised by a late twist, but overall the book has left me often shaking my head, feeling sorry for the narrator so blind he will not see, and yearning to give comfort to the confused and lost masses which he counts no more than shoppers at market day.