Dear SCOTUS ( Read more... )

Pesach has been going well. Tonight/tomorrow is the last day, which is a holiday like the first day was. Yesterday Rabbi Symons led a beit midrash on the "pour out your wrath" part of the haggadah; more about that later, but it led me to a new-to-me haggadah that so far I'm liking a lot. (I borrowed a copy ( Read more... )

Why, oh why, is tulip season so short? It feels like they just showed up not long ago, and now they're fading. Oh well... on to something else, I guess! (I think the lilac bush is next to bloom, but I'm not sure.)
This weekend Dani and I joined some friends for a last-minute gaming ( Read more... )

This article on mega-church worship style in synagogues discusses some happenings at the just-ended URJ biennial convention. If this is a new trend in Jewish worship, I can't say I'm impressed.
The mega-church influence was felt as well during Friday night prayers ( Read more... )

dmnsqrl linked to this sermon from a UU minister about what theists and atheists can learn from each other. I found it an interesting read.

Excerpt:

Last year I heard this riddle: Why do so many UU’s go to divinity school? Because they can’t talk about God in church ( Read more... )

osewalrus posted an excellent essay on conflicts between religion and one's profession. He and I agree: you are completely free to practice your religion, but if doing so causes complications in your life, you -- not the rest of society -- need to deal with that.

The Underwater Railroad is up and running. (Ok, it's been up for a while, but updates are easier and thus more timely now.) Please pass this URL around to places where you think it'll do some good.
Martin Luther, Diet Coke, and Canned Soup is just one example of why I enjoy reading Real Live Preacher (preachermanfeed).
How to cook an ( Read more... )

A random observation while leaving Pennsic: many drivers appear ( Read more... )

siderea is right; anyone interested in group dynamics and/or religious communities should read Why Strict Churches Are Strong. As I become more involved in synagogue leadership these are certainly issues to pay attention to.

And it could apply just as well to other organizations, too -- I've heard siderea and others say many of the same things in SCA contexts ( Read more... )

A moving essay of faith and death and clerical calling: Nunc Dimittis. Thanks to Real Live Preacher (preachermanfeed) for pointing it out.
On a lighter note... Zomick's egg challah is way better than anything I've found in stores here. estherchaya gave me ( Read more... )