Urban Ministry

Here's a picture that helps remind me that I really am doing urban ministry....The door to the alley behind the church
It says "Jesus Freak."

It's easy to forget that we are near the heart of a huge metropolis--much of Toronto feels less "cityish" than many of the other places I've lived (like Los Angeles or even New Haven). I've heard some other people living in Toronto say the same thing--something about how spread out things seem to be.

Today I had a conversation with someone who decided to convert to the Roman Catholic church from the Anglicans. She said that the Anglicans are not "clear" enough about what we believe. She said that we tend to try to make room for everyone, and that she wants her child to grow up with a laid out and defined set of beliefs. I suppose if that's what she wants than she is not far off the mark, we Anglicans are notoriously slippery on doctrinal matters. It's one of our great strengths, actually. The focus of defining churches according to doctrinal stands is really, in my opinion, a product of the reformation. It leads to a very head-oriented kind of Christianity. Yet Jesus was no systematic theologian. His ecclesiology had more in common with the Emerging Church Movement than the mainline traditions (IMHO). Anyway, I'm a big-tent kind of Anglican--but just how big should the tent be? Whom to do we exclude? There was a famous ethicist who searched for something that everyone could agree was wrong. What he came up with was "killing babies for no reason." Indeed, I think we can all agree that's outside the Anglican tent. But what about people that don't believe that Jesus was Divine? Or that Mary was a Virgin? Etc., etc. There is no answer to this--just the observation...

I'm seriously interested in adopting a new cat--but Betsy quite reasonably thinks we should wait until after the BSC. Sometimes the best part of a project like this is the expectation....

Had a good lesson with Halley today. she's pleased with my progress. Right now I'm comfortable between A below middle C and middle C. Beyond that I tire out very quickly. So Halley worked with me on focusing on relaxing all my muscles except the ones actually involved in singing. It's hard not to scrunch up your eyebrows or frown your lips when reaching for that high note. Relaxing into it requires a lot of concentration. Reminded me of meditation.

Mom comes tomorrow. That should be a good time!

-t