Clericerictag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-2494252012-01-23T12:43:04-06:00occasional thoughts and ramblings
of a cleric. named eric. enjoyTypePadGreetings to my reader friendstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20168e5f6c56a970c2012-01-23T12:43:04-06:002012-01-23T12:43:04-06:00Greetings Fayette friends. You may already know the Pastor's Book Club is beginning anew this week. We will introduce a new book at 6pm this Wednesday at Fayette First UMC in the Fellowship Classroom. Leap Over A Wall: Earthy Spirituality...clericericEpiphanytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2016760145869970b2012-01-06T11:21:02-06:002012-01-06T11:21:02-06:00Today is Epiphany. In Hispanic and Latin culture it is known as Three Kings’ Day. The word epiphany means "to show", "to make known" or "to reveal." On this day we remember the coming of the wise men bringing gifts...clericericWe are using MailChimptag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e8c24e755970d2011-10-09T22:43:05-05:002011-10-09T22:43:05-05:00Hey friends. We are now using MailChimp for mass emails from Fayette First UMC. Newsletters and announcements will come out through this service. (If you have been getting the Extravagant Generosity devotions this month you are already registered.) Check your...clericericBlue Like Jazz for the Pastor's Book Clubtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20154358f2559970c2011-09-19T18:54:01-05:002011-09-19T18:54:01-05:00This Wednesday (September 21) evening we will begin "the Pastor's Book Club." I've never done a class exactly like this, and I'm kind of excited to see how it will go. Everyone is invited! I'm hoping some church folks will...clericericA good ridetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e8b7dfa0a970d2011-09-13T07:53:59-05:002011-09-13T07:53:59-05:00Hello everybody. I hope you all - three or four readers who still check for updates after so long - are doing well. Today is a quick shout-out. Life is good. I'm loving work and our staff at FFUMC. It's...clericericTwo Quotestag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e201543434b219970c2011-08-02T16:36:42-05:002011-08-02T16:57:57-05:00I read two fantastic quotes today on Susan Phillips' facebook page. "To show compassion for an individual without showing concern for the structures of society that make him an object of compassion is to be sentimental rather than loving." ~...clericericMoth on the screentag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e8a319f12970d2011-07-28T17:19:45-05:002011-07-28T17:19:45-05:00The past six weeks have been somewhat chaotic as we packed the house, moved and I changed jobs. Chaos is to be expected at such times. We chose to make it more so. N & I decided to keep Em...clericericTo post, or not to post...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e8961ac6b970d2011-07-02T13:52:01-05:002011-07-02T13:55:09-05:00Hello reader(s). It has been long enough since my last update that there may only be one of you left (mom or wife?). Things have been pretty busy, but that’s not a great excuse. Blog posts are best when life...clericericEven Amid the Devestation; Christ is Risen!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e201543205b793970c2011-04-29T09:37:20-05:002011-04-29T09:41:04-05:00From Bishop Willimon's weekly message: The Second Week of Eastertide will long be remembered by us as the time of terribly deadly storms that ravaged Alabama. We have lost over a dozen of our churches, a number of parsonages, the...clericeric100 Miles of Nowhere, 4th ed.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20147e3f0d475970b2011-04-11T15:29:45-05:002011-04-21T14:46:26-05:00The Fat Cyclist is a hoot. Anybody who would nickname himself "fatty" (when he's absolutely not) is going to be an interesting character. I mention Fatty because he has organized the 4th Annual 100 Miles of Nowhere. It is a...clericericWho cares about what?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e874129e1970d2011-04-05T10:15:12-05:002011-04-05T10:15:12-05:00"Republicans look after the money and Democrats look after the people," I read yesterday. It's a simplistic way to look at things, but works pretty well if you are speaking in generalities. And it is a shame. The polemic conversation...clericericHate speechtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e8730f654970d2011-04-02T14:32:38-05:002011-04-02T17:40:11-05:00Terry Jones is an idiot. That is all. Thank you. (See the last paragraph) No, that is not all. Jones is the Florida "pastor" who threatened to burn a copy of the Quran last September. The Secretary of Defense (!)...clericericQuaking Earth and Swirling Watertag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e86e51efc970d2011-03-22T13:25:53-05:002011-03-22T13:25:53-05:00Quaking earth and swirling water Highways turned to waterfalls Sweeping people, houses seaward God of mercy help us all! Walls of water rushing eastward Leaving havoc in their wake Sirens sounding, children crying God of mercy help us all! When...clericericA holy Lenttag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e2014e5fc230a5970c2011-03-09T21:49:43-06:002011-03-09T21:52:07-06:00Sunday's palms are Wednesday's ashes as another Lent begins; thus we kneel before our Maker in contrition for our sins. We have marred baptismal pledges, in rebellion gone astray; now, returning, seek forgiveness; grant us pardon, God, this day! We...clericericWhy worry? With accompaniment.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20147e2d8b6b3970b2011-02-26T13:29:36-06:002011-02-26T13:29:36-06:00I have been wrestling with Jesus' words about worry. He says I shouldn't. Great. Here is another near impossible challenge for me. I worry about problems. If I'm not worrying over the problem then I'm usually to be found procrastinating...clericericWhat is righteousness to you?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20148c87e3147970c2011-02-09T14:46:41-06:002011-02-09T14:49:12-06:00Last week I was listening to the Jan. 30th podcast from Central Methodist Mission in Cape Town, South Africa. Rev. Alan Storey asked and answered the question "what is righteousness?". He gave a compelling answer that has been rolling around...clericericThe Key to Bluesrocktag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20147e22daa04970b2011-01-31T22:36:08-06:002011-01-31T22:36:08-06:00May I take just a brief moment to say that The Black Keys totally rock!!! Maybe I'm late to the party and everybody already knew about this groovy bluesrock band... but hey, somebody shoulda' told me! A few of their...clericericCivilitytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20148c7d237f1970c2011-01-20T14:54:27-06:002011-01-20T14:54:27-06:00"So let us begin anew -- remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate. Let...clericericGinsberg quotetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20147e1b79930970b2011-01-18T16:21:12-06:002011-01-18T17:17:24-06:00I love this... ...except that someone just let me know that Ginsberg is dead... "This week we saw a white, Catholic, Republican judge murdered on his way to greet a Jewish, Democratic congresswoman, who was his friend. Her life was...clericericXmas & xetctag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83455ad7169e20148c6eb66e2970c2010-12-20T16:15:59-06:002010-12-20T16:15:59-06:00Yesterday I briefly alluded to the controversial practice of writing "Xmas" instead of "Christmas." My friend Steve has a nice take on the question, and I just stumbled accross an article on the UMC's General Board of Discipleship website penned...clericeric