reyes-chow :: FAITH

presbyMEME 5

Some DORK actually developed a meme specifically for Presbyterian Church (USA) folks.  So, only to not crush his geeky little ego, I guess I'll participate.

The rules are pretty basic

• in about 25 words each, answer the following five questions;
• tag five presbyterian bloggers and send them a note to let them know they were tagged;
• be sure to link or send a trackback to this post;

presbyMEME 5

1. What is your earliest memory of being distinctly Presbyterian?
   It was in college during an ecumenical worship service where we celebrated communion.  This was back in the day when we were the designated "sit and be served" crowd.  Everyone one else moved towards the cup and we sat.
2. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend LESS energy and time?
   I think we should spend less time blaming and demonizing the "other side" for the struggles of the denomination.  I think it distracts us from the real deal.
3. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend MORE energy and time?
   We have largely ignored the impact and opportunities that the greater culture shifts present for the PC(USA).  If we can be self reflective and understand how much we must change the way we do and are church, hope and optimism might break out everywhere!
4. If you could have the PC(USA) focus on one passage of scripture for a entire year, what would it be?
   1 Corinthians 9:19-23    ¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
5. If the PC(USA) were an animal what would it be and why?
   Bull in a china shop - Well-meaning, but sometimes a little clumsy.

Extra Credit: Jesus shows up at General Assembly this year, what does he say to the Presbyterian Church (USA)?
Waddup?  Come and follow Mii!

Is it really fair that I tag the MBCC Staff? - They can always tell be to bug off.  As usual.  Leslie, Abby and Tiffany.  Nick, you are welcome to drop the DOC for a moment and play if you wish ;-) and number five will be past intern, Derrick.

Real People, Real Lives, Real Spirituality

[h/t: Presbymergent]

Always a willing participant in the viral nature of community building, let me pass along this note from Susan Baller-Shepard, from the www.spiritualbookclub.com.

I am a Presbyterian minister, social worker, and writer, and I’ve facilitated www.spiritualbookclub.com for nearly ten years now. I am a parish associate pastor at First Pres-Normal, IL. We also have a local spirituality book club group that meets in Barnes & Noble once a month, makes meals for the homeless, collects items for women in prison, etc. We now have a new blog www.spiritualbookclubblog.blogspot.com which I think would be of interest to the Presbymergent crowd.

We’re collecting interviews to highlight the spiritual lives of real people on this blog. If you’d like to be highlighted, please email me your responses to the below questions and a photo, and we’ll post them. Enjoy reading what’s already posted. We hope to get diversity both of opinion and geography, and so far we have responses from friends in India, England, Australia, etc.

Peace,
Susan Baller-Shepard

Real People, Real Lives, Real Spirituality…

Your Name (you can choose, you can put your full name or just first name):
Where you live (vague as you wanna be):
What you do as a vocation or avocation?
Your two favorite books:
Your two favorite CDs:
Why you are interested in spirituality?
Your favorite quote:
Your favorite web sites:
Your hero?
A spiritual lesson you hope to learn?
A place in the world where you feel spiritually “connected?”
Please include a photo of yourself, or something that represents you, so we can upload it to the blog.

123 Book Meme

UPDATED 02.17.08 - Tagged by Adam.

Imagine my surprise when this AM I was tagged, not once, but thrice with the same meme. For those of you  new to the whole Meme thing, here is a good post on the Blog Meme from the Quixtar Blog.  Duly honored to be in the tag crew from ms. leslie, mr bouma and mr. coons.

Here are the rules.

1) Grab the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
2) Open it to page 123.
3) Find the first 5 sentences and write them down.
4) Invite five friends to do the same.

Here is goes . . . from a book I JUST started reading, It's Not the Big That Eat the Small...It's the Fast That Eat the Slow: How to Use Speed as a Competitive Tool in Business by Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton.  Page 123 is the first page of the chapter titled, "Launch a Crusade."

The fastest companies in the world - those that get to market fastest - don't waste time sitting around a conference table processing visions with the creative types from HR. 

They don't need to. 

They share something bigger and stronger. 

Each has a cause that they use to launch crusades.

Whether it is a restaurant with 15 employees or a software firm with 10,000, most companies are filled with people who have no clue of the big picture - what the organization is really trying to accomplish - and because they don't feel that they or their contributions are important, they do their job . . . and nothing more.

Yummy.

Tagged: Monte M, Vox ex Machina, Kristen, Sarah, The Introverted One