Brick by Brick
Life
Pavlovian Pop-Worship versus Traditional Liturgies: On (just) going through the motions at church
A common reaction that I get from fellow twenty-somethings when I say I go to an Anglican church is a mixture of confusion and contempt. I regularly get befuddled, exasperated, and even concerned queries of Why? when I express my appreciation for ancient, liturgical forms of worship. Now, I certainly don’t expect it to be obvious to … Continue reading
Pensée #3: Henri Nouwen on Broken Ministry
Whether we try to enter into a dislocated world, relate to a convulsive generation, or speak to a dying person, our service will not be perceived as authentic unless it comes from a heart wounded by the suffering about which we speak. ~Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer, p.4
Pensée #2: Wendell Berry on Supply and Demand
Rats and roaches live by competition under the law of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy. ~Wendell Berry, “Economy and Pleasure,” in What are People For?, p. 135
Palingenesia: Genesis Anew
The Stoics believed that the whole world was destined to go down in flames in a great cosmic conflagration, only then to be remade and to start all over again. Of course, for them history was (viciously?) cyclical–this process of universal dissolution and reconstitution would go on forever and ever. Whether or not that’s true … Continue reading
How’s the Water?: David Foster Wallace, boredom, and worship in day-to-day living
In 2005 David Foster Wallace (1962-2008) delivered a profound and utterly unique commencement address to the graduating class of Kenyon College. Here is the link. Read it. Wrestle with it. Be changed by it. There’s a lot that could be said about the address. It is an achingly honest meditation on the real challenges of … Continue reading
5 Myths About Why Young Adults Drop Out of Church
The Barna group recently shared some of their findings from five years of research into the real reasons why young adults are dropping out of the church. The article is well worth a read for anyone but especially for parents, pastors, youth ministers, and campus ministers. Barna identifies 5 common myths about why young people … Continue reading
Better well hanged than ill wed
We sometimes lie to children and tell them that there are no bad questions. But there are, as a matter of fact, some very bad questions. For instance, asking just any woman who happens to be carrying some weight around the midsection, “Oh, when is your baby due?,” is generally bad policy. So, too, is it frequently … Continue reading
Au revoir, 2011
I know it’s a little late to post reflections on the end of last year and the beginning of this year, but I’m doing it anyway. 2011 was a tough year, to say the least, but I’d have to say that in the final analysis it was a good one. A new town. A new … Continue reading
The Situation in the Anglican Churches in America and the Primate Crisis
As many of you know, I have trotted down the Canterbury trail into the Anglican fold since my time at Westminster. By and large, that move had more to do with my own theology and spirituality than with anything else. But there is a tincture of irony in my departure from the conflict-ridden narrow (not … Continue reading
Chris Hendricks’ “Affliction”
Last night some friends and I ventured out to the Pour House to catch some live music. It was a great time. The first band, Saints Apollo, had a good sound and were a lot of fun. But the show, I think, was stolen by the next performer, Chris Hendricks. I had never heard of … Continue reading
Hi! I'm David, the campus minister for InterVarsity's graduate and faculty ministries at NC State and Meredith College. I hope you'll join me as I learn to "practice resurrection" in the City of Oaks, in her universities, and in the wider world. You can contact me at dmwilliams83@gmail.com
