Bože! A Grace Catholic Project
Theology of the Laity
The Incarnation & Active Christianity
“Don’t you think that Jesus is the solution to the problems in the Middle East – that it is only through him that peace will come to the region?” This is a question posed to me by a door-to-door evangelist a few years ago. It is a question that irritated me at the time, and [...]
No Pain No Gain
“Liberal” churches may be sabotaging themselves by reducing the commitment of their members – so suggests a recent report in New Scientist. The persecution of early Christians may have had a dramatic effect on the spread of Christianity because the sacrifices of martyrs and confessors instilled in others the idea of sincerity: “few would willingly [...]
Flux & Stability
Stability within our communities is and has always been a challenge, created in part by small group dynamics. The vast majority of OC/IC projects have 20 people or less. This means that unless a higher proportion of the assembly is “committed” to the project – any minor fluctuation in say membership or even attendance can [...]
This Is How We Practice – But How Do We Talk About It?
Making my morning rounds recently I’ve been struck by the number of essays, news items, and “other” that in one way or another touch on the idea of why religion matters to us, to the world around us. This morning, for example I read a discussion guide of Krista Tippet’s book Speaking of Faith: Why [...]
Unravelling the Meaning . . .
“. . . I will not reveal your mysteries to your enemies, nor give you a kiss as did Judas . . .” We had a rather interesting conversation about this line in the prayer before communion this morning at breakfast. It is a reminder that Christianity is a “mystery cult” and begs the question [...]
The Collar – Distinctiveness & Extremism
Two weeks ago we started a discussion on the security and symbolism of “the collar” this lead to some interesting discussion on not only the use of the collar but also the use (in our movement) of inflated clerical titles (see the great posts on this over at John’s, Tim’s and David Kling’s). The emphasis [...]
And What of the Laity . . . .
Last week we started a great conversation (which continues) on the symbols, and ministry of ordained OC/IC service. In the course of that conversation, naturally, we also started to talk about the symbols and charism of the laity. I think, especially given our community’s pre-disposition toward ordaining more or less everything, that that conversation deserves [...]