QotD for 26 Dec., 2007

(from a lengthy essay on Anglican polity at The Daily Episcopalian)

...the alternative to the rule of law on this side of the kingdom of heaven is not grace, but the rule of men (and I use the gender-exclusive term quite intentionally), men who equate their prejudices with God’s word, their ambitions with God’s will, and their agendas with the tradition of God’s Church. Polity and canon law are the security of God’s people against the wrongful exercise of power. --- the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Lexington

[thanks to DC at The Questioning Christian]

What Does Your Latte Say About You ?

What Your Latte Says About You

You are very decadent in all aspects of your life. You never scale back, and you always live large. You can be quite silly at times, but you know when to buckle down and be serious. You have a good deal of energy, but you pace yourself. You never burn out too fast. You're totally addicted to caffeine... but you like to pretend like you aren't! You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree. You are complex and philosophical, but you are never arrogant.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

Baby's First Mythos

Baby's First Mythos is a book that blasts your child's soul as it teaches them their ABC's and 123's by illustrating them with Lovecraft's Elder Gods.

I. 'I' is for "Iä! Iä! Cthulhu ftaghn!"

Update: An entry on the book over at Geek Parenting.

City of God Appeal Hits $5K

After only 14 days, the appeal to send funds for the work of Christ the King Anglican Church in the Cidade de Deus neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has exceeded $5,000 in donations!

Come on, folks - there's still 11 days left until Christmas, and every little bit helps. For the cost of a few lattes at Starbucks or a lunch out, you can make a real difference. See the posting below for details on how to contribute.

Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. ---Matt. 25:40 (NRSV)

The Great 2007 OCICBW Christmas Appeal

The Mad Priest over at Of Course I Could be Wrong and That Kaeton Woman have gotten together to help support a very worthy cause this Advent season.

Fellow blogger and seminarian from Rio De Janeiro, Luis Coelho, has for past year, worked on placement at Christ the King Anglican Church in the Cidade de Deus (City of God), one of the most (in)famous, impoverished, and dangerous neighborhoods in the world. Luiz writes:

We intend to be a place where all are welcome to be free, especially in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) neighborhood, where poverty, violence and hunger are so well-known. And in order to live this Gospel of liberation and reconciliation of the entire world through Christ Jesus, we also seek to integrate the Church with society, through several social projects. Our mission is bold: to say that Christ is the King is to say that love has the last word in the midst of this world of calamities. However, we are sure that, with Him, we are victorious.

Thanks to some folks at St. Paul's, Chatham, there's a way to donate funds to Christ the King with no administrative costs, other than the cost of transferring the money. Simply click on:

to make a donation via Paypal. Or send a check made payable to "The Episcopal Church of St. Paul" to:

CITY OF GOD APPEAL
c/o The Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton
The Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928

Please write "City Of God Appeal" on the memo line.

We may not be able to bring the Christ Child gifts at the manger, but we help some of the poorest kids in Rio get a decent meal from the church kitchen, or to receive just one present on Christmas Day. And all for the cost of a weekly Starbuck's habit, or a few dinners out...

UPDATE: There's a letter about this from Luiz over on Fr. Jake's. Go thou, and read.

QotD for 3 Dec., 2007

Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed.
--- Herman Melville (1819-1891), American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet.