St. James United, Montreal
#FensterFreitag #WindowFriday #montreal #church #architecture #photography
church
A little piece about God, His Oneness, and how He uniquely relates to us. I owe a huge debt to the Rev. Dr. Katherine Sonderegger and her Systematic Theology series (and also having her as a professor) for this.
#God #Jesus #Theology #Episcopal #Anglican #Church #Christianity
I truly believe that Tradition is a balm for our broken world and us as individuals.
#Tradition #Episcopal #Anglican #Church #Christian #Spirituality
We’re among the many who appreciate First Presbyterian Church of Monterey as a peaceful rest stop https://bikemonterey.org/rest-stop-tip-jay-bartow-memorial-garden-monterey.html (and more).
Last Sunday, an unhoused man was found resting in the church courtyard during Sunday service. Read about the response of the congregation. As Pastor Mark Peake wrote in the church newsletter, "It was the gospel lived in real time.”
#MontereyCounty #church #PresbyterianChurchUSA #Christian #WhatWouldJesusDo #homeless #stranger
![Excerpt from First Presbyterian Church of Monterey's 18 Nov 2025 newsletter reads as follows. Names have been redacted.
"In the middle of all the normal rhythms of worship & coffee hour, we discovered a homeless gentleman asleep in our courtyard. He was cold, unwell & clearly in need….Before I could even finish assessing the situation, [a member] stepped forward without a moment of hesitation. He cleaned the space around the man & treated him with the dignity that reflects the heart of Christ. Right behind him was [another member], who quietly gathered food & whatever comfort he could offer. He helped the man get settled in Fellowship Hall so he could rest safely & regain a bit of strength out of the rain.
[Two more members] offered to drive to a motel & secure a room for the night. They did so with calm kindness, making sure everything was arranged so this man would not be left uncared for. And while all of this was happening, many of you [gave what money] you could. The total came to just over $600, enough to cover his motel stay & immediate needs. Anything left over will replenish our Deacons' benevolence fund, so the next person in crisis will not be turned away.
I stood there watching all of this unfold & felt my eyes well up. Not because it was dramatic or planned, but because it was simple, instinctive compassion. It was the gospel lived in real time. No fanfare, no spotlight, just quiet love offered to a stranger because that is what we believe God asks of us."](/proxy/post_attachment/178001/d67f18a191.jpg "Excerpt from First Presbyterian Church of Monterey's 18 Nov 2025 newsletter reads as follows. Names have been redacted.
\"In the middle of all the normal rhythms of worship & coffee hour, we discovered a homeless gentleman asleep in our courtyard. He was cold, unwell & clearly in need….Before I could even finish assessing the situation, [a member] stepped forward without a moment of hesitation. He cleaned the space around the man & treated him with the dignity that reflects the heart of Christ. Right behind him was [another member], who quietly gathered food & whatever comfort he could offer. He helped the man get settled in Fellowship Hall so he could rest safely & regain a bit of strength out of the rain.
[Two more members] offered to drive to a motel & secure a room for the night. They did so with calm kindness, making sure everything was arranged so this man would not be left uncared for. And while all of this was happening, many of you [gave what money] you could. The total came to just over $600, enough to cover his motel stay & immediate needs. Anything left over will replenish our Deacons' benevolence fund, so the next person in crisis will not be turned away.
I stood there watching all of this unfold & felt my eyes well up. Not because it was dramatic or planned, but because it was simple, instinctive compassion. It was the gospel lived in real time. No fanfare, no spotlight, just quiet love offered to a stranger because that is what we believe God asks of us.\"")
God wants us to be #human. Nothing less. And nothing more.
#theology #Christian #Episcopalian #Anglican #Church #Bible #DavidBazan
After reading about a Georgia Christian high school expelling a young woman for bring a trans boy to prom AND learning that that school uses the language of "neighborliness" for its values, I felt compelled to write a little bit about the so-called "Good Samaritan" parable.
#Christianity #Episcopal #Church #theology #Bible #trans #LGBTQ
https://catecheticconverter.com/being-a-neighbor-or-why-good-or-samaritan-dont-need-to-factor-in
The Movement to Redirect Billions of Taxpayer Dollars to Private Religious Schools
—
Private letters reveal the strategy behind the decadeslong quest — successful in 12 states and counting — by politicians, church officials and activists to make taxpayer-funded school vouchers available not just to the poor but to the wealthy.
Young Girls Were Sexually Abused by a Church Member. They Were Told to Forgive and Forget.
---
In Minnesota, leaders of an Old Apostolic Lutheran Church community enabled a child abuser by telling his victims that once the sins were “washed away in the blood of reconciliation,” they could never speak of them again.
https://www.propublica.org/article/sexual-abuse-old-apostolic-lutheran-church-minnesota?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Church leaders held meetings where children were told to forgive the man who sexually abused them and forget the abuse. An internal church document also suggests that, when appropriate, both parties be brought together for a discussion.
https://www.propublica.org/article/minnesota-old-apostolic-lutheran-church-investigation-takeaways?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #Minnesota #Duluth #Abuse #Church #Religion #Law #Crime #Epstein
Let’s get a little weird for the weekend! This is my first longer blog post and I’ve been doing a fair bit of reflection on #Theology and #Technology these days…
#Jesus #Christian #Church #Linux #Episcopal #Weird #Spirituality
On this tenth anniversary of the #Obergefell decision, and given the renewed debates around same-sex marriage coming from certain Christian sectors, it seemed right to share this:
#LGBTQ #Church #Marriage #Episcopal #Anglican #Christian #Bible #theology
A Police Recording Reveals How a Minnesota Old Apostolic Lutheran Church Enabled an Abuser
---
ProPublica reporter Jessica Lussenhop received a roughly 40-minute recorded conversation between sheriff’s detectives and two preachers at a Minnesota church. The recording reveals how repeated sexual abuse can continue as an open secret.
https://www.propublica.org/article/minnesota-old-apostolic-lutheran-church-sexual-abuse-police-recording?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
#News #Minnesota #Police #Abuse #Church #Religion #Law #Journalism
Was at the #HandsOff demonstrations today in #Honolulu. Was handed this #Trans pride flag, which inspired this little entry:
Been a few weeks, but here's a new post on the ol' blog (and not the one I accidentally deleted last night!), wherein I use a deeply nerdy Godzilla discussion as a launchpad for a discussion on narrative theology.
A second reflection I wrote after being at the Hands Off demonstrations yesterday, this time an exploration of what it means to be "blessed"--even when an angry Trump supporter yells at you from his car window.
https://catecheticconverter.com/a-blessed-insult
#Theology #Bible #Jesus #Episcopal #Church #Politics #HandsOff #Hawaii
In these dark times I figured it was worthwhile to write something a little more light and hopeful. I love corny earnestness in #Christianity and so I wanted to share with you all a bit about my favorite examples of Retrofuturism enshrined in the liturgy of the Episcopal Church
https://catecheticconverter.com/space-age-prayer
#Episcopal #Church #Jesus #Retrofuturism #liturgy #worship #space #SpaceTravel #NASA
Pope Francis called a Catholic church in Gaza every day during the past 18 months to ask about their safety. Now, with the pope dead, they feel they have lost a friend. Read more from @BBCNews
https://flip.it/bIADnv
#PopeFrancis #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Catholic #Church
The IRS Says Churches Can Now Endorse Candidates. That Could Give Texas Pastors More Power Than Ever.
While the IRS move applies across the country, Texas — with more than 200 megachurches — will be the epicenter for pastors and congregations to test out their new influence, one expert said.
https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-churches-endorse-candidates-texas?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
New piece on the blog! This one offering a theological commentary on Christianity and technology (and how it might be rooted in an eschatological heresy!)
#Christianity #Church #Episcopal #Anglican #Evangelical #technology #AI #AISlop
https://catecheticconverter.com/christians-are-supposed-to-be-left-behind
A Minnesota senator wants to strengthen the state’s mandatory reporting laws, after a Minnesota Star Tribune-ProPublica investigation found that the leaders of a Duluth church failed to report a child sex predator for years.
https://www.propublica.org/article/minnesota-mandated-reporting-law-old-apostolic-lutheran-church?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
For the days between Christmas and New Years (the Fest of the Holy Name), I'm challenging myself to write a reflection on each of the commemorations. Today kicks this off with the Feast of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr. Hopefully these will be of aid in the days to come and reminding us that Christmas has only just begun.
On the third day of #Christmas my true love gave to me... an essay commemorating the Feast of Saint John the Evangelist. Hopefully something as good as three french hens (or three dried squid, if you're local kine).
https://catecheticconverter.com/on-saint-john-the-evangelist
On the fifth day of #Christmas my true love gave to me... the commemoration of a man who should probably be the patron saint of England: Saint Thomas of Canterbury.
https://catecheticconverter.com/on-saint-thomas-of-canterbury
#Church #England #Episcopal #Anglican #Christian #Theology #History
So my piece on the Holy Innocents a few weeks or so back garnered a little bit of discussion. So I figured it was worthwhile to follow that up with a longer essay on the nature of Truth in scripture that, I hope, will help enrich folks' appreciation of the Bible.
https://catecheticconverter.com/deeper-than-fact-on-fiction-and-truth-in-scripture
#Bible #Episcopal #Anglican #Church #Christianity #Theology #Spirituality #ImABelieverInTheIdeaThatFactOrFictionWasSomethingRikerDidOnTheHolodeckForFun