I decided to do a photo essay on three worship services on April 5-7, 2012, at Church of the Redeemer, Kenmore, Washington. This essay was added to my new Pinterest site in a collection called Triduum.
Triduum
Posted 8 April 2012 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Photography, Pinterest | Categories: Social Media | Leave a Comment
Do you believe in miracles?
Posted 24 December 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: fable, Faith, Miracles, Myth, Science | Categories: Christianity | Leave a Comment
Recently on Facebook, I posted a link to a video about Hanukkah with the comment, “Happy Holidays! Do you believe in miracles?” A friend matter-of-factly replied, “No, not really.” That statement was an opening for a discussion. However, the problem with Facebook is that nuanced answers given in postings are almost impossible. Here is an attempt to answer “yes, but” in a meaningful way.
Expectant
Posted 11 December 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: ambiguity, language | Categories: Spirituality | Leave a Comment
The English language is an imprecise language. As a person involved in technical communications, I have reminders of this every day I work. How does using an imprecise language like English for worship change the approach of the faithful to God?
Occupy Effectiveness
Posted 19 November 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Hooverville, Occupy, Protest | Categories: Politics | Leave a Comment
What does the Occupy movement want to accomplish? The Occupy movement gained the floor but lacked a clear agenda. Without a clear agenda, you never have a finish line to cross. It is not as if there are not urban encampments of the unemployed in US cities already.
I’ll not drink to that
Posted 24 October 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Alcohol, Initiative 1183, Liquor Control Board, Sales, Washington | Categories: Politics | Leave a Comment
Initiative Measure 1183 seeks to turn liquor sales in Washington State over to the private market. It is the second time in two years we have voted on this. Initiative 1183 has several problems from my point of view without giving any advantages. Why give up what works well?
Creating Snohomish County Council districts that comply with state law
Posted 6 August 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Democrats, Redistricting, Republicans, Snohomish County | Categories: Politics | Leave a Comment
I am one of five members of the Snohomish County Districting Committee. On Tuesday, August 9, 2011, there will be a public meeting where we will receive public comment on two different plans. Here are my views on both of the plans.
Lo, he comes
Posted 20 May 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: | Categories: Christianity | Leave a Comment
Harold Camping is not the first person to long for the end of time. What is unfortunate is that Camping is not the first to set a time certain for adjournment. Don’t we all want to escape the problems of this world?
Mission Accomplished—Not
Posted 2 May 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Bin Ladden, Marshall Plan, Recovery, War | Categories: Death | Leave a Comment
Osama Bin Laden is dead. This does not even things up or settles anything. The real battle is still ahead. That is, if we want peace and prosperity.
Public service
Posted 5 April 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: | Categories: Politics | Leave a Comment
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. This is a lesson understood on the Snohomish County Council. Why isn’t it understood elsewhere?
40 years
Posted 30 March 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Gay Rights, Stonewall Riots | Categories: Civil Rights | Leave a Comment
There is an show about the Stonewall Riots in New York in 1969 scheduled for showing in April 2011. Would I have stood up for my rights if I had been living in Greenwich Village in 1969? My guess is that it would depend on what my options were and what I understood to be at stake. Still, it is easier to man the barricades when you are running out of other options.
How to get young people in church
Posted 12 March 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Evangelism, Honesty | Categories: Christianity | Leave a Comment
There are many statements made as aphorisms about the subject of getting young people or young adults to come to church. Most have to do with the need to do things that show the church is “with it.” There is someone with experience as a college chaplain that has a list which includes none of the standard items.
A half-baked absolution for a half-baked confession
Posted 10 March 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Book of Common Prayer, Confession, Contrition | Categories: Christianity | Leave a Comment
The way the 1928 Book of Common Prayer words things still abides with me. Most of the time, the wording provides a memorable, clever, and poetic way to say things. One time, though, the 1928 Book of Common Prayer wording is simply half-baked. And, it was carried into the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.
Ash Wednesday in the streets
Posted 10 March 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Ash Wednesday, Processions | Categories: Christianity | Leave a Comment
What happens when two people wearing black cassocks walk towards you? One person had a smoking thurible (incense burner). The other person had a baby food jar with black ashes in it.
I think I can answer this question from experience.
Lent and Advent have the best music
Posted 9 March 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Bach, Hymns, Lent | Categories: Christianity, Spirituality | 1 Comment
Life is more than happiness. Music needs to be more than happiness to be real and meaningful to life. Here are some Lenten suggestions for you that go beyond “happy, happy, joy, joy.”
Engage the culture, change the world on your own dime
Posted 12 February 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Human Sexuality | Categories: Civil Rights | 2 Comments
Seattle Pacific University can do whatever it wants to do. It can support or condemn what it wants to. That is this institution’s right. It is my right not to support SPU when it goes against my beliefs.
It is not the end of the world as we know it
Posted 11 February 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: American Public Media, CPB, Moveon.org, NPR, PBS, Public Radio International, Republican Party, Tea Party | Categories: Media | Leave a Comment
We have the Republican Party trying to zero out CPB funding, again. Moveon.org is trying to get people to sign petitions to save NPR and PBS. Apparently, the Left knows as much about CPB funding as the Right. Let your representative and senator know your opinion. And, do not panic.
God is not real. God is complex.
Posted 6 February 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Athanasian Creed, God is real, Nicene Creed | Categories: Christianity | Leave a Comment
The Rev. Canon John Fergueson is giving three questions for people to think about during the Creed during Ephiphany 2011. They are (1) God is real, (2) God can transform, and (3) I love Jesus. I wish to disagree with statement number 1.
Follow Ronald Reagan’s actions about tax increases
Posted 4 February 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Deficit, Ronald Reagan, Taxes | Categories: Politics | 2 Comments
In his campaign rhetoric, Ronald Reagan said we needed to reduce taxes and the size of government. Personally, I think it is time to do something closer to what Reagan actually did as governor of California and president of the United States.
The cloud went away
Posted 1 February 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Cloud Computing | Categories: Technology | Leave a Comment
Cloud computing has been the on the ascension for a while now. While hosting your applications this way has advantages, I have had concerns about an over reliance on the cloud. Flickr deleting 4000 pictures on a paid account demonstrates why.
The Not-so-great Communicator
Posted 28 January 2011 by Bob ChapmanTagged As: Budget, Communication, Politics, State of the Union | Categories: Politics | Leave a Comment
On January 25, 2011, President Barack Obama fulfilled his obligation by giving the State of the Union Address. If a President where always to get what they want out of their own political party, we would have a public (government) option in the health care reform bill. As a co-equal branch of government, Congress does what Congress wants to do. Because the State of the Union is a wish list only, the President has to sell the agenda in it. Today Mr. Obama seems to be at a rhetorical disadvantage to sell his agenda. What should be done about it?
