28 February 2010

Sam Candler Plays Austin, Texas

Sam Plays Austin, Texas:


My thanks to Bill Sachs (and my new friend Taylor Mundy) who talked me into playing, and bribed the regular pianists into letting me, at "Pete's Dueling Piano Bar" in Austin, Texas. My daughter, who just played at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, Georgia was impressed. I feel cool again!

17 February 2010

Ash Wednesday Haiku

To church for ashes
Today, signs of earth, dust, signs
We are down to earth.



(May God bless us today
In a down to earth way)
Sam Candler

16 February 2010

LUX ET VERITAS

Lisa Miller continues to write truly informed pieces about religion in Newsweek magazine. I salute her essay this week (Newsweek, Feb. 11, 2010 ), wherein she investigates the internal professorial disputes at Harvard University and whether their revision of curriculum might include a course called "Reason and Faith." She notes that Harvard University includes no "Department of Religion."

At one point, she notes that "Harvard's distaste for engaging with religion as an academic subject is particularly ironic, given that it was founded in 1636 as a training ground for Christian ministers. According to the office of the president, Veritas was only officially adopted as its motto in 1843..."

Thus, I am proud to be a graduate of the divinity school at Yale University, whose motto is not simply "Veritas," but "Lux et Veritas." Light and Truth! There is a truth deeper even than rational truth. At its best, that deeper truth does not contradict rational truth; in fact, that deeper truth --Light!-- leads and inspires all good critique and all good rationality.

05 February 2010

Honest Communication can Strengthen Bonds of Affection

The speed of modern communication has contributed both to the strengthening of bonds of affection, and to the frazzling of such bonds, among Anglican Christians. So it is that others in the Anglican Communion of Churches have taken increased notice of recent General Conventions of The Episcopal Church. In turn, we in The Episcopal Church can also follow the proceedings of the General Synod of the Church of England. Unfortunately, we often monitor each other only by reading broadsides and blogs; the crude generalities there have often been damaging.

As The General Synod of the Church of England proceeds this week, one particular motion for consideration urges the Church of England to develop a relationship with the "Anglican Church of North America." That group, of course, consists mostly of dis-affected former members of The Episcopal Church. The paper seems to make inaccurate claims about The Episcopal Church.

However, I salute the work of Simon Sarmiento in the Church of England, who has written a careful refutation of those claims. His paper can be found here, at his blog, Thinking Anglicans.  I also salute Tobias Haller, who seems to have assisted Sarmiento, and who has written his own note to General Synod of the Church of England on his blog, here.

It takes effort to maintain bonds of affection, and part of that effort involves speaking truthfully, communicating honestly. It means being present with our brothers and sisters, no matter what the issue is. I understand and appreciate disagreement. But I appreciate even more those who take the time to set the record straight. Let us pray that our bonds of affection will enable us to speak the truth in love, more and more.