tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141860942011-10-11T05:22:58.597-07:00The thoughts and sermons of a recently ordained Anglican priest beginning a new ministry in a parish of the Diocese of Rupert's Land, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.comBlogger2391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-77959955358350962072010-03-19T12:49:00.000-07:002010-03-19T12:51:58.951-07:00

You have seen them and so have I: bright, enthusiastic young people leading worship, heading out on short term mission trips, collecting food for the food bank. And we think, “Ah, the future of the church is in good hands.”But what happens to those young people in the years that follow? Do they fulfill their potential for church leadership. If so, why? And if not, why not?Check out the rest of

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-11946503923323924952010-03-05T15:05:00.000-08:002010-03-05T15:11:19.861-08:00

Part 1 begins here, and part 2 (on Clement of Rome) continues here. Part 3 (on Flannery O'Connor) can be found here. Part 4, on Sufjan Stevens, can be found here.The Wrestler When the Christianity Today movie blog reviewed Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, commenter Roland gave the film one star, and wrote the following: My one star comes from if I would recommend this for Christians. Im not

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1754673536153483902010-03-05T14:17:00.000-08:002010-03-05T15:12:09.742-08:00

Part 1 begins here, and part 2 (on Clement of Rome) continues here. Part 3 (on Flannery O'Connor) can be found here.Sufjan StevensSufjan Stevens, an American Episcopalian and song-writer, offers another theological perspective on violence, this time from pop culture of a more recent vintage. In 2005 Stevens released a song on the album, Illinoise, about serial killer and rapist "John Wayne Gacy

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-78285657683797946822010-03-05T12:20:00.000-08:002010-03-05T14:15:49.863-08:00

I find myself in a relatively unique place in my church, and among my peers. Or maybe more accurately, because I find myself in this church, I also find myself in a unique place among my peers. Because so many of my peers, who both grew up within and without the church, no longer find themselves within the church, I find myself relatively alone. Since my vocation is within the church, I spend

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-64089604829751251012010-01-08T10:27:00.001-08:002010-01-08T10:28:10.957-08:00

I found these while preparing the Anglican preaching component of my Anglicanism class: every volume of Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae, for free download.Internet Archive Search: horae homileticaeEnjoy!

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-15657947555613850212009-12-11T14:33:00.000-08:002010-03-05T14:30:39.909-08:00

Part 1 begins here, and part 2 (on Clement of Rome) continues here.Flannery O'Connor When novelist and short story writer Flannery O'Connor spoke to Eastern Lansing High School in 1956, she "said that modern writers must often tell perverse stories to shock a morally blind world. Later, when she addressed Notre Dame that same year, "O'Connor insisted that her own use of the grotesque was meant

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-66053764632166533662009-11-13T15:04:00.000-08:002010-03-05T14:28:56.640-08:00

Part 1 begins here.Around the time that the gospels were being written out, and a generation after the Apostle Paul had written to them, another letter was sent to the Corinthians, this time from Rome. There had been a leadership change at Corinth, and Clement* was not happy about it. So Clement wrote to Corinth in order to urge the usurping leaders to desist, to repent from their pride, to

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-89707630535860436702009-11-13T11:18:00.000-08:002010-03-05T14:27:45.508-08:00

I had the opportunity to present a keynote address to the Canadian Institute for the Study of Pop Culture and Religion in September. As I prepare my manuscript for publication, I will be posting the sections here. Enjoy!A number of years ago, as I listened to Johnny Cash's American Recordings for the first time, I was taken aback. The first track on that album was a re-recording of Cash's

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-80935322378991044492009-10-06T16:27:00.000-07:002009-10-06T16:36:35.871-07:00

Seeing as I wouldn't want to rain on any Franciscan parade, I thought I would post this post-feast. It was upon hearing this story that I knew, for certain, that I am not a Franciscan:. . . they had already gone more than two miles, and Brother Leo, full of surprise, said to him: "Father, I pray you in God's name tell me in what consists the perfect joy."And St. Francis replied: "When we arrive

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-19181171491094364842009-09-29T16:19:00.000-07:002009-09-29T16:24:57.686-07:00

From The Anglican Planet RSS feed:Once again the Archbishop of Sudan has issued an urgent appeal in the wake of rampant violence. On Aug. 29, in Wernyol, a town in Southern Sudan, at least 40 men, women and children were killed, including the Ven Joseph Mabior Garang who was shot at the altar during Morning Prayer. Many more were wounded. Garang was Archdeacon of Wernyol and the Archbishop's

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-52510696368069909362009-09-21T11:55:00.000-07:002009-09-21T12:06:55.352-07:00

Compare:I love rotten tomatoes. Not the produce—the website. RottenTomatoes.com is a movie ranking website that aggregates reviews from hundreds of journalists and movie reviewers, and then charts how “fresh” a film is based on the percentage of positive reviews. If a film only racks up 18 percent on the “Tomatometer,” I know it’s probably not worth my time or $20.The collective wisdom of the

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-20371671366676664792009-09-09T15:12:00.000-07:002009-09-09T15:20:46.525-07:00

I have the opportunity to speak on September 26th, at a symposium on pop culture and religion. My address is called “The Power of God Has Broken Our Complacency Like A Bullet in the Side: Notes of Grace and Violence in Popular Culture”, and will range from First Clement, to Flannery O'Connor, Sufjan Stevens, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, The Wrestler, and even a bit on Joss Whedon.Come out and join us

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-78349959252226233702009-06-25T12:18:00.000-07:002009-06-25T12:39:05.110-07:00

We may be prepared to grant that the resurrection of Jesus has opened a new era in world history. Even this, however, takes some doing. [The] anti-Christian rhetoric of the last two hundred years in the Western world has done its best to deny such a thing. Most of us have a Pavlovian reaction to the claim about the present kingdom that the New Testament makes. We instantly want to talk about the

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-29387949006342820982009-05-23T18:04:00.001-07:002009-05-23T18:08:03.549-07:00

The classic Christian doctrine, therefore, is actually far more powerful and revolutionary than the Platonic one. It was people who believed robustly in the resurrection, not people who compromised and went in for mere spiritualized survival, who stood up against Caesar in the first centuries of the Christian era. A piety that sees death as the moment of "going home at last," the time when we

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-24465581686899028312009-05-02T12:46:00.000-07:002009-05-02T13:03:13.864-07:00

From The Anglican Planet RSS feeds:On April 12, Bishop Don Harvey, moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada, informally welcomed St John’s Sudanese Anglican Church into the year-old organization. With 5,000 Sudanese in the Greater Vancouver area, many with an orthodox Anglican background, there seemed to be a clear need to plant a Sudanese Anglican church.One wonders if this will be a pattern

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-35516466111010609232009-04-30T13:54:00.001-07:002009-04-30T14:39:21.533-07:00

I preach regularly here at St. Mary Magdalene that God is working in the hearts of the people in our neighborhood, training their hopes and desires, and that by grace he may well lead these strangers to us. I also pray regularly for the same: that God would be at work in the people of St. Vital, drawing them unto Himself, and that if it might be pleasing to Him that He would send them our

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-74551296745472869442009-04-14T13:44:00.001-07:002009-04-14T13:51:43.395-07:00

Flowering the CrossThe Procession of the Flowered CrossPhotos by John Chan, 2009

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-48532543107601997052009-04-14T13:42:00.001-07:002009-04-14T13:44:40.370-07:00

Photo by Preston Parsons, Good Friday, 2009

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-20272763007083506632009-04-07T13:42:00.000-07:002009-04-07T13:47:57.100-07:00

Photo by Preston Parsons. Bavarian Crucifix, 12th century, detail. Louvre, Paris.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-8369098411969107652009-04-06T13:00:00.000-07:002009-04-06T13:01:59.554-07:00

A lot can be made, and a lot has been made, about the precise words of the centurion at the foot of the cross. The rub seems to be that there is no definite article in the greek, leading the NRSV to translate the centurion's saying as "truly this man was God's Son." Being Greek, the centurion probably didn't mean to say that "truly this is the Son of God," a phrase we might hear more

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-38797848726646511162009-04-03T15:19:00.000-07:002009-04-03T15:26:40.137-07:00

Holy Week is nearly upon us, a time when we join together and mark the most significant of celebrations in the whole liturgical calendar.We begin this Sunday morning at 10:30am with Passion Sunday. We will hear the passion of Jesus according to Mark, but we will begin with the Liturgy of the Palms, celebrating the triumphant entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem with palm branches and a procession

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-91661202936891063552009-04-03T12:49:00.000-07:002009-04-03T13:44:59.788-07:00

Collis Machoko is a Zimbabwean Anglican priest currently serving in Rupert's Land. He spoke at St. Mary Magdalene not long ago - this course will be fascinating and worth your time.I have a call into the Department of Religious Studies to see about auditing as I will be unable to attend all the sessions. If you're interested, get in touch with the department here.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-90902472318318940282009-03-06T11:46:00.000-08:002009-03-06T12:10:35.554-08:00

Those who neglect good works may fail to grasp just how much the good work of God has benefited them. Hence they are less capable of praying fittingly so as to receive good things from God. And even as they receive them, they will likely be unaware of what has been given them. And even if they enjoy them, they will not enjoy worthily what they have not understood. For from their lack of knowledge

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-82150579433165288632009-02-24T13:17:00.000-08:002009-02-24T13:20:03.326-08:00

I've been struck, for the last two Sundays, that both RCL passages from Mark end with the notion of secrecy. There have been a number of theories about this secrecy, some bordering on the conspiratorial. I think the answer is much simpler than that, and they have to do, at least in the past two weeks, with the completion of the good and the beautiful.When Jesus cleanses the leper, healing him

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-81051531740159689822009-02-05T14:49:00.000-08:002009-02-05T14:54:32.345-08:00

I'm happy to announce my Lenten series for 2009:On Thursday evenings at 7:30pm during Lent, the Rev'd Preston Parsons will lead a series called Crazy Monks and Holy Bishops: The Story of the Seven Great Synods, where we will listen to the people and explore the circumstances that led to the essentials of Christian reflection on God, Mary, and worship (among other important things). We will end

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-21921906839374350592009-01-14T09:15:00.000-08:002009-01-14T09:17:33.387-08:00

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-53223873209983356092008-07-26T13:36:00.000-07:002008-07-26T13:48:50.359-07:00

homeless man's towel in the front door

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-7471361050351109002008-07-24T20:49:00.000-07:002008-07-24T21:01:21.929-07:00

Karen and I have been working on our living situation for two years. It began as an episode in househunting, became an epic after we bought a house to renovate, only to sell it. Now we're calling it a saga, and the third installment of the series will be the last one (so help us God).We're building new in Sage Creek, a development in the south part of Winnipeg, where St. Mary Magdalene is part

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-32047590417361976852008-07-23T18:59:00.000-07:002008-07-26T13:49:30.161-07:00

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-86946118528903945252008-06-28T14:13:00.000-07:002008-06-28T14:21:55.612-07:00

Though we are probably not the right people for him, to our own detriment. I wish we listened more closely to his notions of the church:In its essence, “the life of the local congregation is founded on something received, not discovered or invented” he said, for local churches come into being as “part of a continuous stream of life being shared” in Christ.The local church can therefore not lay

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-61643093074027875022008-06-28T13:42:00.000-07:002008-06-28T13:51:38.278-07:00

"But if the good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep, has raised up so many martyrs for Himself out of the very sheep, how much more ought those to contend to death for the truth, and even to blood against sin, who are entrusted by Him with the feeding, that is, with the teaching and the governing of these very sheep? And on this account, along with the preceding example of His own

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-78745168237904646892008-06-22T21:29:00.000-07:002008-07-26T13:50:04.611-07:00

Reliquaries

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-46195262055574846002008-06-18T13:38:00.000-07:002008-06-18T13:39:27.739-07:00

But I hadn't even a lonely hint.Words coined by Shakespeare:AccusedAddictionAdvertisingAmazementArouseAssassinationBanditBedroomBeachedBlanketBumpCaterChampionCountlessEpilepticFixtureFlawedGenerousHintLonelyMimicNegotiateObscenePremeditatedRantSummitTortureVariedWorthlessZanyFrom a new blog, from the St. Mary Magdalene Sunday School set, no less. Check it out.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-53489621815577663402008-06-12T20:19:00.001-07:002008-07-23T19:02:59.098-07:00

Upper Chapel, Sainte-Chapelle

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-37934627436398280922008-05-13T14:55:00.000-07:002008-05-13T15:18:53.326-07:00

I know I can be ornery. Sometimes, though, it is for good reason.I recently preached at a conference, and looking at a book catalogue from that Alban Institute, and coming across this idea again, I'm motivated to post a portion of my sermon. (Much of the sermon was weak enough that I'm not feeling all that compelled to post the whole thing; suffice to say that tag "lex orandi, lex credendi" is

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-43431837559225743652008-05-03T14:18:00.000-07:002008-05-03T14:21:21.906-07:00

Karen (my far better half) is on the road, blogging, and thinking about the liturgy:For some reason I have had the following part of the Anglican Eucharistic Liturgy in my head all day:Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to Him from generation to generation, in the church, and in Christ Jesus, forevermore, Amen.I have always loved the

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-21581394267206560642008-04-26T11:23:00.000-07:002008-04-26T11:33:07.076-07:00

Elliot pointed me to a new blog, Winnipeg Love and Hate. The photography is tremendous, and he captures something particular about my hometown, Winnipeg, a city that is as often getting under my skin as it is warming my heart:She's a virgin; she's a whore. She's a sinner; she's a saint. Explore the most beautiful, most repulsive city in the world . . .He posted this yesterday, capturing the

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-44042326040297642752008-04-24T13:18:00.000-07:002008-04-24T13:23:26.089-07:00

Just found this free, on-line e-book: facebook for Pastors.A good apology for the rector checking facebook from his study, perhaps?In all truth, facebook has been an excellent way to connect with all sorts of people I wouldn't have had the chance to connect with otherwise. Until the next big social networking site comes along, I guess.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-91857379063524630542008-04-24T11:10:00.000-07:002008-04-24T13:23:53.817-07:00

I sure have.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-67285878520188912552008-03-24T17:25:00.000-07:002008-03-24T17:38:15.347-07:00

The story of my vestments has made the Anglican Journal website. Here's the article:A priest from the diocese of Rupert’s Land who uses a wheelchair is now finding it easier to move around in robes custom-made for him by a concerned parishioner. Gail Forrest, a member of the altar guild of St. Mary Magdalene parish, created special vestments for her parish rector, Rev. Preston Parsons, after

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-61892520565325743992008-03-22T14:01:00.001-07:002008-03-22T14:01:51.425-07:00

ITHACA, NY—After weeks of being sleepy all the time and never finishing his din-din at night, area daddy Howard Lewis was put in a bye-bye box early Monday morning so that he could go on a vacation with the birds and clouds in the sky.Daddy, who was tall and strong and liked going to the hospital to play with their fun machines, was put in the bye-bye box at a big, white house where everyone had

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-17169246389703453422008-03-12T12:55:00.000-07:002008-03-12T14:01:50.353-07:00

I still feel pretty green when it comes to being a priest, but at least one part of this vocation has settled a little. I've blogged about wearing clericals before, and about how unsure I've been about when to wear them and when not to wear them. At this point I'm pretty settled in a routine of wearing clericals whenever I am formally in persona ecclesiae - whenever I am personally representing

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-85201772910529205312008-03-12T12:48:00.000-07:002008-03-12T14:18:44.523-07:00

There's something poignant, and very true, about these altered comic strips:Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-37795435733133911872008-03-05T10:56:00.000-08:002008-03-05T11:00:03.399-08:00

I just got a piece of mail today from Petro-Canada, addressed to me, Preston Parsons, Religious Leader.If I join their SuperPass program, they will enter me in a draw for a free trip to Las Vegas."Buy our gas, dear Religious Leader, and we'll send you to Sin City. Sincerely, Petro-Canada."I wish I could make this stuff up.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-91193467998588288112008-03-03T11:32:00.000-08:002008-03-03T11:46:35.818-08:00

I'm back from Toronto, and an excellent conference.The three best quotes from three great days:"There was a woman who fell down a well and became a Christian. But that hardly makes a good strategy for evangelism." - George Lings in conversation “I think people are fed up with consumer approaches, even though they’re addicted to them. But if we cast the evangel in terms of benefits, we’re setting

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-4780866666098769402008-02-21T21:39:00.000-08:002008-02-21T21:43:51.878-08:00

This is great. Out of Ur has a post on Canadian sermon types:The Hockey Fight: Staggers unsteadily, swinging wildly, but lands a punch or two.The Igloo: Goes 'round and 'round until a final capstone is dropped in.The Curling: Kind of incomprehensible, but everybody seems to have a good time.The Maple Syrup: Boils source material down to about 1/50th its starting volume.The Mountie: When it's

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-76460482819079254942008-02-21T15:16:00.001-08:002008-02-21T15:25:13.498-08:00

I just booked flights and accommodation in Toronto for a conference on church planting. St. Mary Magdalene, along with one other Anglican and two other Lutheran parishes, are in the process of planting a daughter church in Sage Creek - a development that is just beginning to break ground in the south of Winnipeg. (Sage Creek is also where Karen and I are building a new house. I think we'll

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-79496387734844575192008-02-20T10:40:00.000-08:002008-02-20T11:07:06.068-08:00

We received a worship resource here at the parish called "Enough for All", an ecumenical service on the theme of caring for creation. It comes out of The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund and two other ecumenical partners. All good and well. There's some good stuff in there, and we will probably use some of it for our intercessions on an upcoming Sunday.However, one particular prayer

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-20265347323703703222008-02-02T13:37:00.000-08:002008-02-02T13:52:32.189-08:00

I'm preparing to preach on the transfiguration tomorrow, and in so doing, I took a look at an old post. That looking back has created a certain amount of angst.The post is good - I like it a lot, and my thoughts haven't strayed too far from what I wrote then. But can hardly imagine saying anything quite like this tomorrow. But why not? Am I not giving the parish enough credit? Why am I

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-19395575753704555162008-01-17T14:33:00.000-08:002008-01-17T14:45:03.667-08:00

April 20th to 22nd there will be a conference here in Winnipeg that promises to be very worthwhile, under the title Human Sexuality and the Nuptial Mystery. Oliver O'Donovan will be here, as will Ephraim Radner, two of the finer minds writing in the Anglican theological tradition. Papers will be presented by local theologians and biblical scholars, such as Chris Holmes, Roy Jeal, Gary Thorne,

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-39568805716945896042007-12-18T16:29:00.000-08:002007-12-18T16:44:21.121-08:00

By the time I knew I would be ordained to sacramental ministry, I knew that most vestments did not fit me well. They got caught in my wheels, dragged on the floor, and slipped all over the place. My great hope was that if I was called to minister in a parish, that someone there would be willing to make vestments that fit me. I though it would be a hope in vain.That hope has been fulfilled,

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-59898874846158117562007-12-10T19:15:00.000-08:002007-12-10T19:23:05.277-08:00

"But there is a proper kind of humility which, even as we proclaim our conviction of truth, even as we Christians proclaim that all human beings are called to union with God the Father in Jesus Christ by the gift and power of the Spirit, obliges us to acknowledge with respect the depth and richness of another’s devotion to and obedience to what they have received as truth. As we learn that kind

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-40550080495833498232007-11-16T19:57:00.000-08:002007-11-16T20:09:55.321-08:00

We should have no doubt that our mortal flesh also will rise again at the end of the world . . . This is the Christian faith. This is the Catholic faith. This is the apostolic faith. Believe Christ when he says, "Not a hair of your head shall perish." Putting aside all unbelief, consider how valuable you are. How can our Redeemer despise any person when he cannot despise a hair of that

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-68261691128697308452007-11-15T15:48:00.000-08:002007-11-15T17:46:07.236-08:00

I've been preparing to teach a course on liturgy and worship here at St. John's College, so I was filling in some blanks in my library. I just got:At first I was a little disappointed to find some underlining in its pages. Until I turned to the inside of the front cover to find this:"James F. White, South Bend, 1982". Yep, this guy.So I guess I'm not minding the markings so much anymore.Update

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-85574236027535099122007-10-30T15:47:00.000-07:002007-10-30T15:48:18.315-07:00

. . . sickness and health go together. This is not abnormal. Sickness and pain are a law of the fallen world. A person who happens to experience fallenness in this special way is an image of the One who bore our sickness and was so afflicted that people hid their faces from him (Isaiah 53). If Jesus came among the sick, that signifies that he bore the law of this world and fulfilled it. "He

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-42107745816983760672007-08-09T09:50:00.000-07:002007-08-09T09:55:28.559-07:00

What's new at the parsonage?Karen started a new commute to Otterburne yesterday because . . .We have a new baby professor!

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-62075718009593259142007-06-21T22:04:00.000-07:002007-06-21T22:23:15.607-07:00

I made it over to General Synod this evening, in time to hear the Windsor Report Response Group motion get passed, without an amendment strengthening the language. The strengthening amendment debate was probably misplaced by the Communion conservatives, though I applaud the effort - this voice is one probably best preserved for the bigger Saturday motions.One thing brilliantly executed, though,

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-24498373499920743292007-06-18T20:40:00.000-07:002007-06-18T22:35:24.423-07:00

I'm not sure how much of Synod I'll get to. I'm neither a delegate nor a volunteer, and parish life does go on. But I will get to some of it. I'll report a little of what I see when I see it.Tonight I heard Andrew Goddard, of Wycliffe Hall, present a lecture called "Walking Together." It was a helpful overview of the documents speaking to our two presenting issues: Communion and Same-Sex

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-13747126852848264532007-06-18T09:35:00.000-07:002007-06-18T21:21:01.420-07:00

Registration begins for General Synod today, right here in Winnipeg. Anglicans from all over Canada will come togther for the next week, and, well, hopefully try to get a long.If you read much news about Anglicans, you'll probably hear one of two opinions - 1. We're obsessed with sex, or 2. we're prudish about sex. Neither of these are quite true, but I can understand why it might look like

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-79148983062234750082007-06-16T21:19:00.001-07:002007-06-18T21:21:43.362-07:00

St. Mary Magdalene has put up a website - it's looking pretty good, I'd say. You can find sermons, announcements, and our newsletter.Check it out here. If you refresh the homepage you'll get a few different images, many of a trip to the Diocese of Central Buganda that some parishioners (and my dad and my sister) participated in.Check it out!

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-90282269491058936662007-06-13T19:53:00.000-07:002007-06-16T10:52:06.191-07:00

I know some of you are curious about where we are at in the Ferndale Saga - that is, what the niggle is on our house.The plans are long complete, contractors have seen the plans, and they've made their bids. Not only that - Workplace Safety (those who are paying for the renovation) has chosen the contractor. And - this is the best part - construction (beginning with a little demolition) is

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-18542658932772386242007-05-19T14:36:00.000-07:002007-05-19T15:21:24.145-07:00

Dearly beloved, through all this time between the resurrection of the Lord and his ascension, the providence of God thought of this, taught this and penetrated [the disciples'] eyes and heart. He wanted them to recognise the Lord Jesus Christ as truly risen, who was truly born, truly suffered and truly died. The manifest truth strengthened the blessed apostles and all the disciples who were

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-43050424036585204662007-05-07T19:02:00.000-07:002007-05-07T19:25:09.732-07:00

This Parsons would be me, and I catch a flight tomorrow.There are two things that happen when I get worn out: I stop reading, and I stop writing. As I enjoy doing both those things, getting worn out takes a lot of the fun out of my life. I've stopped reading and writing. It feels a lot like how I felt a year ago at this time, during my year of chaplaincy. This time, however, I left the parish

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-29960260061686692802007-05-05T23:14:00.000-07:002007-05-05T23:19:27.643-07:00

Away from the luxuries of compressed suction, air drills and running water, Dr. Eric Parsons and his daughter Naila travelled to the rural areas surrounding Kampala, Uganda in February. They were part of a charity movement extended through the Diocese of Rupertsland Anglican Church. Make-shift clinics were set up in homes, churches and halls where people would line up and wait their turn to see

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-62455691136473927072007-04-11T09:58:00.000-07:002007-04-11T10:32:45.413-07:00

I slowly recover from my first Holy Week as the rector at St. Mary Magdalene.It was an eventful few days. On Maundy Thursday, during the washing of the feet, Karen and I had a rare opportunity to sing together during worship. We sang a duet, "Softly and Tenderly". The words are below.Karen and I became godparents for the first time on Saturday evening. We gave our two new godgirls bath toys

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-18457632131320538502007-04-06T10:36:00.000-07:002007-04-06T10:52:16.745-07:00

We just prayed this at our Good Friday service here at St. Mary Magdalene, and it had a particular poingancy for me:O God of unchangeable power and eternal light,look favourably on your whole Church,that wonderful and sacred mystery.By the effectual working of your providence,carry out in tranquillity the plan of salvation.Let the whole world see and knowthat things which were cast down are being

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-31433324789417356842007-04-03T18:33:00.000-07:002007-04-03T18:46:55.325-07:00

She's in California, that mythic land of Mickey Mouse and beaches. But wait: she's in Davis, in California's central valley, where the myth dies in the heat and the dust. But still, it looks awfully nice to me:Here's the same as above, for the metrically deprived (or, alternately, the imperially inclined):Karen returns tomorrow, and when she steps back out onto the icy parking lot, all I can

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-24274190224889311602007-03-30T11:14:00.000-07:002007-03-30T11:28:20.676-07:00

Jane Barter Moulaison, a theologian on faculty at the University of Winnipeg Faculty of Theology and parishioner at St. Mary Magdalene, preached this Sunday:And I think this passage has something to teach us today about beauty and goodness. If our efforts to do the right thing with our resources do not praise God, if they are not characterized by Beauty, then they fail to be truly Good. It is

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-47902267007290540302007-03-29T16:32:00.000-07:002007-03-29T20:29:46.611-07:00

Here's the list so far, check here for updates:Tap and Grill: Well lit, big tables, good food. A little more expensive than most pubs. I usually get the Warthog on tap - which comes in a frosted glass. Watch out for classical musicians, who've been known to haunt the place after concerts. Don't watch out for them after the concert, but rather after they've had one too many crantinis. 137

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-280888165521414762007-03-29T16:07:00.000-07:002007-03-29T21:23:31.151-07:00

To heap honour upon honour is but to humble a man.In seminary we had a regular meeting after our community night - for reasons shrouded in the mists of history, we called it staff meeting, and we met at the local pub for a glass of beer, soda, or some other frothy beverage. (They would even blow the dust off a box of wine for the most faithful staffer on faculty, John Kater.) I had the great

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-45161904758504209252007-03-29T15:42:00.000-07:002007-04-04T14:05:18.685-07:00

After my recent bout of crankiness, I've settled down a little bit.I've settled into a saddened disapoinment. Why give up on common theological reflection now? We were doing what the Episcopal Church has yet to do - reflect on issues of sexuality as a church, through the Primate's Theological Commission, which operates within the structures of our ecclesial institution. This is to be lauded!

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-48881651354947487062007-03-21T11:40:00.000-07:002007-03-30T10:06:15.706-07:00

(If you are looking for the full list of pubs for General Synod, click here)To my kind, dear lord, Lady Catherine von Bora, Mrs. Doctor Luther, at Wittenberg. . .Yesterday I drank something which did not agree with me, so that I had to sing: If I don’t drink well I have to suffer, and [yet] I do like to do it. I said to myself what good wine and beer I have at home, and also [what] a pretty lady

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-87711159492510848272007-03-14T16:43:00.000-07:002007-03-14T17:03:14.953-07:00

I'm so tired of the rhetoric of the brink. I've heard far too many times, "If this happens, the church is going to fall apart," only to find that after the fact nothing really happens. At least nothing more than the continued erosion of things like trust.But it's usually conservatives who are the brinksmen*. But what, to my surprise, do I read yesterday?: liberal primate ++Andrew Hutchison

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-28185415269795738592007-03-14T16:28:00.000-07:002007-03-14T16:42:36.481-07:00

My wife tells me that I can be opaque, and she's right. So, a little more clearly:My previous post is very much conditioned by my frustration with my primate, ++Andrew Hutchsion, who recently said concerning the blessing of same sex unions, that “we are dealing with a matter of doctrine except that all we do as Anglicans is related to doctrine; this is a matter of pastoral discipline.”It seems

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-2690677707743968712007-03-14T15:14:00.000-07:002007-03-14T15:58:23.644-07:00

I'm preparing for the second in a series of workshops on anointing and healing prayer, and tonight we are going to do some reflection on the rite as it appears in the Book of Alternative Services. I thought I would look at the Canadian Book of Common Prayer (1959), and I found this rubric:But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or forwant of warning in due time to the Curate, or

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-76538966122126723252007-03-06T18:03:00.000-08:002007-03-06T18:12:06.872-08:00

I would like to commend a particular post to all those thinking and praying for our upcoming General Synod. It is written by Rev. Dr. Stephen Andrews, a member of the Primate's Theological Committee.In answer to the question put to it by General Synod 2004, the Primate’s Theological Commission (PTC) concluded that “that the blessing of committed same-sex unions is a matter of doctrine,” but “not

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-12581325477400488282007-02-14T15:29:00.000-08:002007-02-14T16:13:16.620-08:00

Rowan Williams. Where God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another and Other Lessons from the Desert Fathers. New Seeds, 2005.God's world needs, as [Rowan Williams] points out so convincingly, a Church renewed in contemplation. It is good to know that the desert mothers and fathers said we all can be contemplatives and that we can have our deserts in the crowded places where we live and

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-69389218170455161692007-02-10T14:41:00.000-08:002007-02-10T16:54:54.057-08:00

Here at the end of the Beatitudes the question arises as to where in this world such a faith-community actually finds a place. It has become clear that there is only one place for them, namely, the place where the poorest, the most tempted, the meekest of all may be found, at the cross on Golgotha. The faith-community of the blessed is the community of the Crucified. With him they lost

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-86719697539903980532007-02-07T14:10:00.000-08:002007-02-07T17:21:34.555-08:00

One of John Ortberg's 10 Deadly Sins of Preaching:7. The temptation of pride.Having people listen to you give a monologue every week can make you prideful. The antidote? A wife.Interested in the other 9? Click here. It's worth it! (My only quibble is that temptation is not the same as sin.)

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-13041464060985300312007-02-07T11:15:00.000-08:002007-02-07T11:24:17.828-08:00

How many people get to say "Oh crap, Lord Carey is here" before they die?Cindylou did this weekend, when a former Archbishop of Canterbury showed up while she was leading Evening Prayer.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-57860703066711616042007-02-01T22:20:00.000-08:002007-02-01T22:39:45.986-08:00

You know me, Karen is to the right, then my sister Naila, then my Mum, then my Dad.Yep, I'm looking pretty stunned. This was after nearly barfing and fainting (at the same time) before preaching - I was literally holding on the chancel rail in case I fell over. Then I preached - forgetting any bodily malady. After that I nearly fell asleep from exhaustion - the sacristan had to poke me when it

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-40467811799969958152007-02-01T21:58:00.000-08:002007-02-01T22:19:35.834-08:00

There has been a number of requests for this sermon, so here it is. I preached it last week at the ordination of my very own mum to the priesthood, an honour indeed!(For those who are interested: Jaroslav Pelikan's commentary on the Book of Actslooms heavily in the background of this sermon, as does this essay by David Bentley Hart, and this discourse by John Henry Newman.)***The Feast of the

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-47817933342205647882007-01-29T15:08:00.000-08:002007-01-29T15:20:12.457-08:00

I had the honour of preaching this Thursday at an ordination (the ordination of my own mum, no less!), on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. I had to cut this piece out of the sermon, but I am so attached to it, I thought I would post it here, and not let it go completely to waste. ***Faithfulness to tradition is not as far from the story of St. Paul's conversion as we might think. St.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-14656671478800634152007-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:002007-01-20T10:47:03.402-08:00

When Jesus had read this passage, he rolled up "the scroll, gave it to the servant, and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him." Now too, if you want it, your eyes can be fixed on the Savior in this synagogue, here in this assembly. When you direct the principal power of seeing in your heart to wisdom and truth and to contemplating God's Only-Begotten, your eyes gaze

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1168717517100150602007-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:30:09.312-08:00

Bob Carlton, who blogs at The Corner, has posted some reflections on his old parish, St. Matthias. St. Matthias is breaking up with the Episcopal Church, and Bob helpfully reminds us that children are often the people who get hurt the most in a divorce.Bob writes:"One of my biggest a-has has been that it is our faith, not my faith - that following God in a Jesus way is a communal thing more than

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1168646404251171282007-01-12T15:58:00.000-08:002007-01-20T10:37:35.350-08:00

He is given vinegar to drink mingled with gall. Who? He who turned water into wine, who is the destroyer of the bitter taste, who is sweetness and altogether desire.Gregory of Nazianzus, Third Theological Oration

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1168206448579124682007-01-07T13:38:00.000-08:002007-01-07T13:49:45.320-08:00

A parishioner, and musician, shared this hymn with me after church today. It is from the Canadian hymnal, The Book of Common Praise, Revised, 1938, p. 90.I found it quite moving, and sad that there aren't more opportunities to sing Epiphany hymns.The heavenly Child in stature growsThe heavenly Child in stature grows,and, growing, learns to die;and still his early training showshis coming

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1168050634990774122007-01-05T16:54:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:29:19.876-08:00

This is probably the most vain post ever. Yes, I'm blogging about my hair. After nine years of looking like a hippie, I've crossed over. I'm now the man, man.The beard almost went too, but I decided I really don't need to look any younger. Looking young (heck, being young) can be kind of a liability in my work.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1168040595029984472007-01-05T15:40:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:26:03.695-08:00

N.T. Wright hits it right on the button, as usual:"The Gnostic conspiracy theory says that orthodoxy hushed up the really exciting thing and promoted this boring sterile thing with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And of course there's a great lie underneath that. In the second and third centuries, the people being thrown to the lions and burned at the stake and sawed in two were not the ones

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1167113821744339872006-12-24T22:10:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:31:38.945-08:00

This Christmas night bestowed peace on the whole world;So let no one threaten;This is the night of the most gentle one -Let no one be cruel;This is the night of the humble one -Let no one be proud.Now is the day of joy -Let us not revenge;Now is the day of good will -Let us not be mean.In this day of peace -Let us not be conquered by anger.Today the bountiful impoverished himself for our sake; So

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1166759757443418602006-12-21T19:49:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:32:40.506-08:00

While this may give some of you the willies, bloggers can gather a whole lot of information about the people that visit our web pages. I use statcounter.com. It's free and invisible. So get this - over at my (trial balloon) parish blog, Red Eggs For the Emperor, I'm getting more hits from Texas than Manitoba.Go figure.

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1166725151022015872006-12-21T10:13:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:26:57.969-08:00

William Willimon has a blog! And it is a very worthwhile read. He recently posted this, on consumerism:In the middle of a sermon I said, “If you bring a child into this church, say a child of four or five, that child will have a difficult time during the service. Church does not come naturally. The child will have to be trained to sing this music, to bend his life toward these stories, to pay

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1152573803136825082006-12-17T16:23:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:32:57.242-08:00

For a little holiday cheer, check this out: Porky Pig's Blue Christmas. Have fun, and merry Christmas!

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1164054514883313392006-11-20T12:13:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:33:21.717-08:00

While serving as an Associate Priest in the U.S., an Epsicopalian layperson asked me if the Episcopal Church needed the Anglican Communion. My answer was simple: if there was no Anglican Communion, I would not be able to field the question, because I could not serve at her parish. I was a priest of the Anglican Church of Canada, only licensed to serve in the Episcopal Church. No Anglican

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1163631376104243062006-11-15T14:33:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:34:08.130-08:00

Tim Perry, a theologian teaching near Winnipeg at Providence College and Seminary, has just released Mary For Evangelicals: Toward An Understanding Of The Mother Of Our Lord. Tim worships and lay-reads with the good folk over at St. Margaret's Anglican Church, in Wolseley. "With its sophisticated historical and exegetical grounding, its careful subjection of church tradition to the witness of

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1163528733601542732006-11-14T10:08:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:35:08.901-08:00

I've begun a sermon blog, mostly for parish members who would like to take a moment to read my sermons after I've preached them, but I thought readers of Baby Priest might like to read them occasionally as well. Here's part of the first sermon to be posted.I don’t think it would be too much of a stretch to draw some parallels between this passage and the wars we know and remember. The soldier,

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1163301942652206212006-11-11T18:29:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:36:11.030-08:00

"Wounded Healer, blah blah blah blah blah . . . "November 6th, 2006, during a public lecture titled "Why North Americans Are Afraid to Die." Hauerwas was making a point about the willingness of medical schools to intentionally form future doctors, and the willingness of seminaries to let their students make up their own curricula. Hauerwas says it best himself: In our time it is not unusual

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1162882242869038112006-11-08T22:29:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:36:34.866-08:00

Go see Borat!: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Yes, it is without a doubt offensive, but probably not in the way you might think.Sacha Baron Cohen plays Borat, a man from Kazahkstan. Borat is a mysogynist, racist, and anti-semite. But what will offend you in the end is not Borat and the fictional portrayal of Kazhakstanis, but the real Americans

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1162916790116274922006-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:37:12.601-08:00

Stanley Hauerwas has been here in Winnipeg for a couple of days, to preach and to give a lecture titled "Why North Americans are Afraid to Die." I went to both, but by far the highlight for me was the opportunity to sit down with him, and four other people, for perogys at a local Ukrainian restaurant.I'd been reading a fair amount of his writing in preparation for his visit, so I knew we were all

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14186094.post-1162856148849949902006-11-06T15:24:00.000-08:002007-02-06T13:37:44.281-08:00

In the next few days the blog will change a little. I have no pretense that this a highly frequented blog by any stretch, so the upcoming changes are not intended for me to cash in. I'm just not going to cash in!But I do occasionally write on theological topics, and I do quote from the books of my favourite theologians. If any of these books become of any interest because you read about them

Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06606614277818623347noreply@blogger.com1