miscellanies (3 May 2025)
not so random reads from the interwebs
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun 1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items 2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
In the midst of this busy week, the things that stuck with me have to do with worship, culture, and reflections on the world around me as I grow older. These articles give us a little bit of history/education that guides our worship, a caution against labels, and a list of things that make life a little bit better (at least in the opinion of one man). Happy reading!
The Gloria Patri. We sing the Gloria Patri every Sunday in worship as the close of our Introit, but do you know where it came from and why it is important? This article provides a great explanation of this small-but-mighty confession of faith that ties together our worship with at least 1,600 years of Christian worship through the ages. It is a fascinating bit of history!
Germany's Evangelical Church Pushes Woke Agenda as Congregations Vanish. I've cautioned us before about labels. This article about the insanity present in the Evangelical Church in Germany demonstrates that there is very little “Evangelical” belief or teaching left there. “With some 1,500 scheduled events, the gathering reads more like an activist festival than a spiritual retreat—featuring workshops on 'queer animals on the Ark,' 'feminist parenting,' and critical whiteness.'” It sounds like folks in the UMC would fit right in or those from the equally-misnamed Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (that is no longer “Evangelical” nor “Lutheran” in belief or practice).
Preferences of a Curmudgeon. And now for something different...here is one man's list of preferences. In the quite literal sense of esteeming or judging some things above others, I think this is a marvelous list of things we should enjoy and encourage.