Just in time for the March General Board meetings... Click here to get your Brethren buzzword bingo card.
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Saturday, February 15, 2003
Hammers Versus Bricks
Almost weekly, the Dunker Journal has pointed out the listing of pulpit vacancies. This just in... an invitation on the VOS listserver for candidates to take a look at Michigan pastorates. Is there a finder's fee for pastors? Tell them the Gospel Messenger sent you.
Almost weekly, the Dunker Journal has pointed out the listing of pulpit vacancies. This just in... an invitation on the VOS listserver for candidates to take a look at Michigan pastorates. Is there a finder's fee for pastors? Tell them the Gospel Messenger sent you.
The Wisdom of Solomon
We're not sure why Glenn Timmons has been replacing spruce seeds with kernels of wheat. But it apparently has to do with a bible verse that Congregational Life Ministries will be sending to congregations throughout the denomination along with the repackaged wheat. We hope that the verse is from the Song of Solomon.
We're not sure why Glenn Timmons has been replacing spruce seeds with kernels of wheat. But it apparently has to do with a bible verse that Congregational Life Ministries will be sending to congregations throughout the denomination along with the repackaged wheat. We hope that the verse is from the Song of Solomon.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
If It Quacks Like a Duck...
In a move which may be perceived as a win for the Brethren liberals, the South/Central Indiana District's Ministry Interview Team has conceded that they will not inquire as to whether a minister or ministry candidate is a practicing homosexual. Conservatives, however, are quick to point out the team's other guidelines which include the testing of candidates' buoyancy.
In a move which may be perceived as a win for the Brethren liberals, the South/Central Indiana District's Ministry Interview Team has conceded that they will not inquire as to whether a minister or ministry candidate is a practicing homosexual. Conservatives, however, are quick to point out the team's other guidelines which include the testing of candidates' buoyancy.
Thursday, January 30, 2003
Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Threat
As it turns out, there are problems with sending a package of rice to the White House as a protest to the administration's stance on Iraq. At best, your rice is going to the dead letter office or in a worst case scenario you're going to get a call from the Secret Service wondering about the suspicious package you've sent. In spite of the problematic logistics many Brethren throughout the denomination are seeking avenues of protest. Well, we here at the Gospel Messenger have a couple of suggestions. Members of Voice of an Open Spirit (VOS) and other communists are encouraged to send packages of tofu (firm - to symbolize your resolve) to the Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) as a way to protest their stance. Meanwhile, members of the BRF are being encouraged to send good old fashioned New Windsor canned beef (in a pinch, a package of Scrapple will do) to the VOS camp as a way of demonstrating the traditional way that Brethren have helped other for countless years. Finally, mothers throughout the denomination are being asked to write to the BRF and VOS, asking that any food received along with any rice which has not yet been sent be delivered to a convenient food pantry or soup kitchen. As any mom can tell you, there are starving children in China, and in the US, and in Afghanistan, and in Iraq... So clean your plates and be sure to grab a jar of salsa before you leave.
Monday, January 20, 2003
Bird Watching
It seems that our sister blog site, featuring those wacky posts by brother Myers, has finally discovered it’s older sibling. Our “Speak Peas” dove is featured in the January 19th posts. All in all, however, we take any endorsement by the BRF with tongue firmly in cheek, since they also have an endorsement of an inflatable church several days earlier.
It seems that our sister blog site, featuring those wacky posts by brother Myers, has finally discovered it’s older sibling. Our “Speak Peas” dove is featured in the January 19th posts. All in all, however, we take any endorsement by the BRF with tongue firmly in cheek, since they also have an endorsement of an inflatable church several days earlier.
Friday, January 17, 2003
Insight Insight
Attendees of this summer's Annual Conference can look forward to the Insight Sessions which are currently being planned to highlight the various and sundry programs of the five agencies reportable/accountable to the Annual Conference. One such session which will highlight volunteerism throughout the denomination is looking to be particularly exciting. Fruit will be brought in from the Oregon-Washington District and, depending on the availability of an orchestra, the Rossini may be a live performance. And to top it off, Tyler Benner of the Chiques Church of the Brethren, Manheim, Pa., has volunteered to demonstrate his talent. This is one session that's determined to be right on target.
Attendees of this summer's Annual Conference can look forward to the Insight Sessions which are currently being planned to highlight the various and sundry programs of the five agencies reportable/accountable to the Annual Conference. One such session which will highlight volunteerism throughout the denomination is looking to be particularly exciting. Fruit will be brought in from the Oregon-Washington District and, depending on the availability of an orchestra, the Rossini may be a live performance. And to top it off, Tyler Benner of the Chiques Church of the Brethren, Manheim, Pa., has volunteered to demonstrate his talent. This is one session that's determined to be right on target.
Happy Birthday James
"I am your father, Luke." his powerful, resonant voice has filled movie theatres with the chilling words of Darth Vader and the endearing guidance of Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King. He began his career on the New York Stage, and he first earned notoriety for his work in "The Great White Hope." After tackling such challenging roles as Shakespeare's Othello and King Lear, he segued to the silver screen for the 1977 phenomenon, Star Wars. His larger than life persona was a perfect fit on the big screen, and he has given stellar performances in features including Conan the Barbarian (1982), Soul Man (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and Summer's End in 1999. Never abandoning his theatrical roots, he garnered a Tony Award in 1985 for his performance in "Fences." And best of all, James Earl Jones in practically nearly almost Brethren. Check out the January/February 2003 issue of Messenger. Page 12; the page with the Budweiser ad. Today's his 72nd birthday!
"I am your father, Luke." his powerful, resonant voice has filled movie theatres with the chilling words of Darth Vader and the endearing guidance of Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King. He began his career on the New York Stage, and he first earned notoriety for his work in "The Great White Hope." After tackling such challenging roles as Shakespeare's Othello and King Lear, he segued to the silver screen for the 1977 phenomenon, Star Wars. His larger than life persona was a perfect fit on the big screen, and he has given stellar performances in features including Conan the Barbarian (1982), Soul Man (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and Summer's End in 1999. Never abandoning his theatrical roots, he garnered a Tony Award in 1985 for his performance in "Fences." And best of all, James Earl Jones in practically nearly almost Brethren. Check out the January/February 2003 issue of Messenger. Page 12; the page with the Budweiser ad. Today's his 72nd birthday!
Sunday, January 05, 2003
Saturday, December 28, 2002
We Are Not A Cult
Church of the Brethren officials again have stated that the denomination is not a cult. Steve Van Houten, former cult hero, stated that no human cloning happened on his watch at last summer's National Youth Conference. "We are not The Brethren, nor do we have any connection to the Raelians," said one COB spokesperson. "You can't even begin to play the name game with 'Boisselier'," he continued. "We do not endorse cloning; in fact, at least sixty percent of us are not that progressive. Stick around, later on we're going to go out and bust up some looms."
Church of the Brethren officials again have stated that the denomination is not a cult. Steve Van Houten, former cult hero, stated that no human cloning happened on his watch at last summer's National Youth Conference. "We are not The Brethren, nor do we have any connection to the Raelians," said one COB spokesperson. "You can't even begin to play the name game with 'Boisselier'," he continued. "We do not endorse cloning; in fact, at least sixty percent of us are not that progressive. Stick around, later on we're going to go out and bust up some looms."
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Modern Day Prophet
Or maybe proof of psychic powers... On Friday, December 13th at 12:49am, Craig Alan Myers posted a rebuttle to James Lehman's "large assumptions", which were not posted until 2:32am later that same morning. (Hum the Twilight Zone theme song here.)
Another possibility is that this is a conspiracy to stir up both political/theological sides of the spectrum within the church by posting orchestracted and almost carefully coordinated arguments and counter arguments on the web and thus foment dialog.
Censorship?
Readers will not be able to purchase issues of the refurbished Rawhide Kid from Brethren Press when it becomes more widely available early next year. BRF leaders have expressed their support for this decision while those in support of VOS have expressed concern over the exclusion of fictional characters in the life of the church.
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
OMA Mourns Loss
Participants of the "Degradation and Recovery: Backpacking to an Abandoned Mine Site" trip which was co-sponsored by Outdoor Ministries Association and the Brethren Witness office in 1998 are today mourning the loss of one of their own. Well, practically one of their own.
Ray Wallace (1918 - 2002) was rugged rogue with a big laugh and generous heart. Born in Clarksdale, Mo., Mr. Wallace came West as a boy. He spent much of his adult life taming the country. He built part of Highway 1 in coastal California, he cut trees when they were so big that trucks carried one-log loads, and he made hiking attractive to Church of the Brethren members.
Mr. Wallace was preceded in death by son Gary, who died in a logging accident. Besides his wife and son Michael, Mr. Wallace is survived by sons, Larry, of Winlock, and Richard, of Toledo; 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Remembrances may be donated to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle
Participants of the "Degradation and Recovery: Backpacking to an Abandoned Mine Site" trip which was co-sponsored by Outdoor Ministries Association and the Brethren Witness office in 1998 are today mourning the loss of one of their own. Well, practically one of their own.
Ray Wallace (1918 - 2002) was rugged rogue with a big laugh and generous heart. Born in Clarksdale, Mo., Mr. Wallace came West as a boy. He spent much of his adult life taming the country. He built part of Highway 1 in coastal California, he cut trees when they were so big that trucks carried one-log loads, and he made hiking attractive to Church of the Brethren members.
Mr. Wallace was preceded in death by son Gary, who died in a logging accident. Besides his wife and son Michael, Mr. Wallace is survived by sons, Larry, of Winlock, and Richard, of Toledo; 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Remembrances may be donated to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle
Friday, November 29, 2002
Dear Gospel Messenger:
Why did the Mutual Kumquat break up? --Kevin
Brace yourselves, friends--this may well be the first discussion of the Mutual Kumquat's break-up that doesn't include a cheap Yoko Ono joke. Really, the answer is simple. They broke up for the same reason they were successful--they were all extremely talented musicians interested in trying new things. We can argue about whether that describes Seth or not, but I think in general it's true. The breakup really began in 2002 at National Youth Conference. After National Youth Conference, Chris Good tried to step into that role and act as group leader. Unfortunately, Chris's first decision was to involve the group in the Chris Brown film Magical Mystery Tofu. While the associated album did well, the film was a disaster financially and artistically. Liz mocked Chris for the failure, and while Chris still ostensibly led the group, none of the others paid much attention to him. Meanwhile, the members of the group began moving in different directions. Eric Stalter became more interested in the avant-garde art scene. At an exhibit in London, he met artist "Yoko Ono" (name has been changed to protect the identify of the daughter of a famous Brethren individual). They fell in love and planned art projects together. In the beginning, Eric tried to get the other Kumquats to join in, but they had little enthusiasm for these projects, and eventually Eric worked with Yoko on their artwork without them.
At the same time, Rob Seward was chafing at his role within the group. He felt that he was as competent a song writer as either Eric or Chris, but the fact that he was only allowed two songs per record--and no tracks on any of the singles--relegated him to a supporting role. In retaliation, Rob began working on solo projects--including the album Wonderwall, released in August and arguably the first solo record of any Kumquat--and playing guitar with other recording artists such as Jackie Lomax and Jack Bruce.
Things really began to go downhill after the formation of Kumquat Corporation. Kumquat was, in essence, a tax dodge--if the Mutual Kumquats didn't spend a large portion of their income on "significant ventures," the government would hit them up for more taxes. It acted as a kind of hippie venture capitalist group, offering money to poets and songwriters and fashion designers. Unfortunately, poets, songwriters and fashion designers don't often give as good a return on investment as, say, General Electric. While Kumquat Corp managed to discover some new talent such as James Taylor and Badfinger, it bled money.
Running Kumquat Corp was a nightmare--none of the Mutaul Kumquats were businessmen, and they preferred to use Kumquat Corp to further their own goals, whether it was Kyle sending acorns to be planted as "peace trees," Drue sending some Hell's Angels over to sort out the mess in Czechoslovakia, Chris hiring brass bands, etc. Word got out that nearly anyone could show up and, with a plausible enough story, get handed a check; without a plausible story, you could just pick something up and walk away. The Kumquat Boutique lost 50 pounds a week in petty theft. Items stolen from Kumquat Headquarters, according to Andrew Male, included "four television sets plus numerous CD players, electric typewriters, adding machines, cases of wine, wage packets, movie cameras, speakers and fan heaters plus an electric skillet from the kitchen and all the lead off the roof." Accusations of wasted money and incompetence were rife. Seth and Michael nearly got into a fistfight after Michael publicly stated that the company would be broke in six months.
With disaster looming, the Mutual Kumquat agreed that they needed to hire a real manager. Unfortunately, they didn't agree on who that manager should be. Liz, Eric, Justin, Rob, Kyle, Drue, Ben, and Nate wanted Allan Klein. Chris, Michael, and Seth didn't trust Klein and wanted to hire his father-in-law Lee Eastman. Chris was outvoted, and Klein was set to two Herculean tasks: fixing Kumquat Corp and turning the Mutual Kumquat' latest recording project--several tapes of them belittling each other--into a record. The recording sessions for what would become Let It Ripen had been a disaster--nearly every member of the group fought with every other member over which songs to include, how to arrange the songs, etc. When Eric brought Yoko in to work on songs and insisted that she be treated as an equal, the others resisted the idea, and Eric and Yoko got the cold shoulder for the rest of the sessions.
As time went on, it became obvious that even new manager Klein couldn't stop the fighting. Chris was incensed that Klein had hired Phil Spector to work on the tapes and accused Spector of ruining his songs. Eric was furious that his song "Cold Kumquat" had been dropped from the Manchester Road album, and recorded it on his own as a protest, crediting the writing to "Stalter," and not "Stalter/Good," the first such song in thirteen months. Eric's insistence on working with Yoko--and the rest of the band's insistence on not working with her at all--drove a wedge between Eric and the others. Rob was furious that Kumquat Corp was falling apart, and that he still wasn't going to be allowed more than two songs per album.
On October 31st, 2002, Chris Good sued the other ten Mutual Kumquats for a dissolution of the partnership, and talk of another Mutual Kumquat album ended--except, of course, among the group's fans, who hoped for days for a reunion that never came.
The good news is that you can get the complete works of Mutual Kumquat by getting their one and only CD "Feel the Vibe". You can try contacting them at mutualkumquat@hotmail.com. Will you like this CD? Mutual Kumquat is a St. Elmo Fire like ensemble of talented musicians having fun and you should have fun listening to this CD as well. You are bound to find something on this CD you like as it jumps from one musical style to the next. From Hip-hop, Emo, Indie, and Doowop to Instrumentals. The CD starts with "Funk Interlude" which reminds me of another band with ten members Poi Dog Pondering. With ten musicans in the band, you have to expect some layers of sound. "Listen to the Beat", a tasty hip-hop treat or is it something more Puff the Magic Dragonish? - you have to listen and decide for yourself. You can hear a surreal peace studies influence on the neo-psychodelic "#54". "Didn't Really Know" switches gears once more for a Retro-Swing sound of Squirrel Nut Zippers. One of the best songs on the CD is "My Life My Love" a cross between Doowop and Tracy Chapman.
So my recommendation is have some fun and get yourself a copy of "Feel the Vibe" by Mutual Kumquat, because I've got blisters on my Kumquat.
1. Funk Interlude
2. Listen to the Beat
3. #54
4. Summer Rain
5. In My Eyes
6. Never Quite Knowing
7. Didn't Really Know
8. Fingerpaint and Ice Cream
9. My Life My Love
10. Fairy Tale
11. One World
12. Feel the Vibe
Why did the Mutual Kumquat break up? --Kevin
Brace yourselves, friends--this may well be the first discussion of the Mutual Kumquat's break-up that doesn't include a cheap Yoko Ono joke. Really, the answer is simple. They broke up for the same reason they were successful--they were all extremely talented musicians interested in trying new things. We can argue about whether that describes Seth or not, but I think in general it's true. The breakup really began in 2002 at National Youth Conference. After National Youth Conference, Chris Good tried to step into that role and act as group leader. Unfortunately, Chris's first decision was to involve the group in the Chris Brown film Magical Mystery Tofu. While the associated album did well, the film was a disaster financially and artistically. Liz mocked Chris for the failure, and while Chris still ostensibly led the group, none of the others paid much attention to him. Meanwhile, the members of the group began moving in different directions. Eric Stalter became more interested in the avant-garde art scene. At an exhibit in London, he met artist "Yoko Ono" (name has been changed to protect the identify of the daughter of a famous Brethren individual). They fell in love and planned art projects together. In the beginning, Eric tried to get the other Kumquats to join in, but they had little enthusiasm for these projects, and eventually Eric worked with Yoko on their artwork without them.
At the same time, Rob Seward was chafing at his role within the group. He felt that he was as competent a song writer as either Eric or Chris, but the fact that he was only allowed two songs per record--and no tracks on any of the singles--relegated him to a supporting role. In retaliation, Rob began working on solo projects--including the album Wonderwall, released in August and arguably the first solo record of any Kumquat--and playing guitar with other recording artists such as Jackie Lomax and Jack Bruce.
Things really began to go downhill after the formation of Kumquat Corporation. Kumquat was, in essence, a tax dodge--if the Mutual Kumquats didn't spend a large portion of their income on "significant ventures," the government would hit them up for more taxes. It acted as a kind of hippie venture capitalist group, offering money to poets and songwriters and fashion designers. Unfortunately, poets, songwriters and fashion designers don't often give as good a return on investment as, say, General Electric. While Kumquat Corp managed to discover some new talent such as James Taylor and Badfinger, it bled money.
Running Kumquat Corp was a nightmare--none of the Mutaul Kumquats were businessmen, and they preferred to use Kumquat Corp to further their own goals, whether it was Kyle sending acorns to be planted as "peace trees," Drue sending some Hell's Angels over to sort out the mess in Czechoslovakia, Chris hiring brass bands, etc. Word got out that nearly anyone could show up and, with a plausible enough story, get handed a check; without a plausible story, you could just pick something up and walk away. The Kumquat Boutique lost 50 pounds a week in petty theft. Items stolen from Kumquat Headquarters, according to Andrew Male, included "four television sets plus numerous CD players, electric typewriters, adding machines, cases of wine, wage packets, movie cameras, speakers and fan heaters plus an electric skillet from the kitchen and all the lead off the roof." Accusations of wasted money and incompetence were rife. Seth and Michael nearly got into a fistfight after Michael publicly stated that the company would be broke in six months.
With disaster looming, the Mutual Kumquat agreed that they needed to hire a real manager. Unfortunately, they didn't agree on who that manager should be. Liz, Eric, Justin, Rob, Kyle, Drue, Ben, and Nate wanted Allan Klein. Chris, Michael, and Seth didn't trust Klein and wanted to hire his father-in-law Lee Eastman. Chris was outvoted, and Klein was set to two Herculean tasks: fixing Kumquat Corp and turning the Mutual Kumquat' latest recording project--several tapes of them belittling each other--into a record. The recording sessions for what would become Let It Ripen had been a disaster--nearly every member of the group fought with every other member over which songs to include, how to arrange the songs, etc. When Eric brought Yoko in to work on songs and insisted that she be treated as an equal, the others resisted the idea, and Eric and Yoko got the cold shoulder for the rest of the sessions.
As time went on, it became obvious that even new manager Klein couldn't stop the fighting. Chris was incensed that Klein had hired Phil Spector to work on the tapes and accused Spector of ruining his songs. Eric was furious that his song "Cold Kumquat" had been dropped from the Manchester Road album, and recorded it on his own as a protest, crediting the writing to "Stalter," and not "Stalter/Good," the first such song in thirteen months. Eric's insistence on working with Yoko--and the rest of the band's insistence on not working with her at all--drove a wedge between Eric and the others. Rob was furious that Kumquat Corp was falling apart, and that he still wasn't going to be allowed more than two songs per album.
On October 31st, 2002, Chris Good sued the other ten Mutual Kumquats for a dissolution of the partnership, and talk of another Mutual Kumquat album ended--except, of course, among the group's fans, who hoped for days for a reunion that never came.
The good news is that you can get the complete works of Mutual Kumquat by getting their one and only CD "Feel the Vibe". You can try contacting them at mutualkumquat@hotmail.com. Will you like this CD? Mutual Kumquat is a St. Elmo Fire like ensemble of talented musicians having fun and you should have fun listening to this CD as well. You are bound to find something on this CD you like as it jumps from one musical style to the next. From Hip-hop, Emo, Indie, and Doowop to Instrumentals. The CD starts with "Funk Interlude" which reminds me of another band with ten members Poi Dog Pondering. With ten musicans in the band, you have to expect some layers of sound. "Listen to the Beat", a tasty hip-hop treat or is it something more Puff the Magic Dragonish? - you have to listen and decide for yourself. You can hear a surreal peace studies influence on the neo-psychodelic "#54". "Didn't Really Know" switches gears once more for a Retro-Swing sound of Squirrel Nut Zippers. One of the best songs on the CD is "My Life My Love" a cross between Doowop and Tracy Chapman.
So my recommendation is have some fun and get yourself a copy of "Feel the Vibe" by Mutual Kumquat, because I've got blisters on my Kumquat.
1. Funk Interlude
2. Listen to the Beat
3. #54
4. Summer Rain
5. In My Eyes
6. Never Quite Knowing
7. Didn't Really Know
8. Fingerpaint and Ice Cream
9. My Life My Love
10. Fairy Tale
11. One World
12. Feel the Vibe
Saturday, November 23, 2002
What's Everyone Complaining About?
What's everyone biggest complaint about Annual Conference year after year? If it's not the liberals' agenda or the conservatives' unhappiness with change, it's definitely the walking. Oh so much walking. And with the campus location for the Brethren in Boise, we think we've found a solution.
What's everyone biggest complaint about Annual Conference year after year? If it's not the liberals' agenda or the conservatives' unhappiness with change, it's definitely the walking. Oh so much walking. And with the campus location for the Brethren in Boise, we think we've found a solution.
Saturday, November 16, 2002
Search for General Secretary Hits Major League Snag
Kirk Stiffney has confirmed reports that a leading candidate for the head position of the Church of the Brethren General Offices has withdrawn from negotiations. "We were just unable to reach an agreement over the salary," said Stiffney, "and our prime candidate accepted an offer from another organization... the General Board was unwilling to meet his demands."
Kirk Stiffney has confirmed reports that a leading candidate for the head position of the Church of the Brethren General Offices has withdrawn from negotiations. "We were just unable to reach an agreement over the salary," said Stiffney, "and our prime candidate accepted an offer from another organization... the General Board was unwilling to meet his demands."
Investment Opportunity
Contact the Messenger subscription department now to order your special edition copy of the November 2002 issue. Printed on archival quality paper and hermetically sealed in moisture resistant packaging, this commemorative "Issue issue" will only increase in value over the years. This edition historically recognizes the officially unrecognized first ordination of an openly gay minister into the Church of the Brethren clergy. Beware of imitations (there are reports of copies with an asterisk in the listing).
Contact the Messenger subscription department now to order your special edition copy of the November 2002 issue. Printed on archival quality paper and hermetically sealed in moisture resistant packaging, this commemorative "Issue issue" will only increase in value over the years. This edition historically recognizes the officially unrecognized first ordination of an openly gay minister into the Church of the Brethren clergy. Beware of imitations (there are reports of copies with an asterisk in the listing).
Wednesday, November 06, 2002
Fundamentalist Farmers Begin Testing Sheep
In an attempt to stem the homosexualization of their own households, Brethren farmers have been called on to examine the brain structures of their sheep to search for signs of same-sex attraction. "We have encouraged our members to identify and separate their queer sheep," said Jerry St. Kilda, spokesman for the Brethren Congress of Orthodox Sheep Farmers (BCOSF). "It is important to confront this threat quickly before entire flocks are lost." A gay detection kit, complete with a four-color brochure on the hypothalamus, will be included in the next BCOSF Source Packet.
In an attempt to stem the homosexualization of their own households, Brethren farmers have been called on to examine the brain structures of their sheep to search for signs of same-sex attraction. "We have encouraged our members to identify and separate their queer sheep," said Jerry St. Kilda, spokesman for the Brethren Congress of Orthodox Sheep Farmers (BCOSF). "It is important to confront this threat quickly before entire flocks are lost." A gay detection kit, complete with a four-color brochure on the hypothalamus, will be included in the next BCOSF Source Packet.
Monday, November 04, 2002
What is "Any Publicity is Good Publicity?"
The Church of the Brethren figured in a "Jeopardy!" question in an October broadcast of the popular TV game show. The contestant who got the question, related to the denomination's early nickname of "Dunkards," answered it correctly.
Then Again...
A reader recieved the following crank mail:
The Church of the Brethren figured in a "Jeopardy!" question in an October broadcast of the popular TV game show. The contestant who got the question, related to the denomination's early nickname of "Dunkards," answered it correctly.
Then Again...
A reader recieved the following crank mail:
From: "Mary D. Nolen"
Subject: Your religion
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 23:28:38 -0600
If this is the Church of the Brethren that I saw on one of the hour news shows on TV (ie. 20/20, 60 minutes), you were depicted as taking in young adults, especially college students, and brainwashing them, and keeping them from contact with any of their family, etc. I am a Christian washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray for you and your church. I got a horrible feeling about your organization when I watched the show and I plan to spread this bad news whenever I can. It may be until the end of the world that the truth about you is revealed. Many will come in Jesus name but Jesus will say at the last judgment, "Away from me, I never knew you." Please do not communicate with me as I think you are wolves in sheep's clothing! If you are guilty of the accusations I saw on TV, God have Mercy on your souls. You would be just another religion, and religion is man trying to reach God. Christianity is God reaching down to man. Many are called but few are chosen. It would help for you to have a study of the five points of John Calvin and read C.H. Spurgeon and Arthur Pinck's writings along with the scriptures.
--- Mary D. Nolen
--- mdnolen@earthlink.net
Controversy Follows NYC Site
In spite of the speaker's values, which we hope liberals and conservatives alike can both agree are not fitting with the Church of the Brethren's pacifist history, there have been no calls from any corners to boycott the presentation at Colorado State University's Moby Arena on November 6th.
In spite of the speaker's values, which we hope liberals and conservatives alike can both agree are not fitting with the Church of the Brethren's pacifist history, there have been no calls from any corners to boycott the presentation at Colorado State University's Moby Arena on November 6th.
Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Book Review
Long story short, I imagined the Inglenook Cookbook to be almost unobtainable; yet when I started looking, I found the 1911 version still being published, unrevised. My copy finally came today and looking through it is like trip, trip, tripping through a long, dead past. Not only does the cookbook have recipes for things that need animal feet, whole-split calf heads, something called 'prune whip', and from what I can tell, a dessert called Silver Pudding with Gold Dressing which is nothing more then beaten egg whites covered in yolk, it also has a recipe section for taking care of the sick. Need a recipe for toast soaked in hot water and strained to help settle your stomach? I got it. Need something to dab on that nasty rattlesnake bite? Got that too. The amazing part of this book is it's history as a collection of recipes from the sisters of the Church of the Brethren, a liberal offshoot of the German Baptist faith. Anyway, there might not be any cures for death by lightning in it's pages, but the book is an honest to god, real thing. The closest we have, I think, to some actual witchy juju. I'm so cooking diner this weekend.
Dunk the dead by lightning in a cold water bath for two hours and if still dead, add vinegar and soak for an hour more.
Long story short, I imagined the Inglenook Cookbook to be almost unobtainable; yet when I started looking, I found the 1911 version still being published, unrevised. My copy finally came today and looking through it is like trip, trip, tripping through a long, dead past. Not only does the cookbook have recipes for things that need animal feet, whole-split calf heads, something called 'prune whip', and from what I can tell, a dessert called Silver Pudding with Gold Dressing which is nothing more then beaten egg whites covered in yolk, it also has a recipe section for taking care of the sick. Need a recipe for toast soaked in hot water and strained to help settle your stomach? I got it. Need something to dab on that nasty rattlesnake bite? Got that too. The amazing part of this book is it's history as a collection of recipes from the sisters of the Church of the Brethren, a liberal offshoot of the German Baptist faith. Anyway, there might not be any cures for death by lightning in it's pages, but the book is an honest to god, real thing. The closest we have, I think, to some actual witchy juju. I'm so cooking diner this weekend.
Two Stars from the Left-Handed Reviewer
I saw Mutual Kumquat and Reliant K at NYC. I loved Reliant K.
I saw Mutual Kumquat and Reliant K at NYC. I loved Reliant K.
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