What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
as quoted on God's Politics
as quoted on God's Politics
Wrong extension!
A man joined a big Multi National Company as a trainee.
On his first day, he dialed the kitchen and shouted into the phone: "Get me a cup of coffee, quickly!"
The voice from the other side responded: "You fool, you've dialed the wrong extension! Do you know whom you're talking to?"
"No" replied the trainee.
"It's the Managing Director of the company, you idiot!"
The trainee shouted back: "And do you know whom YOU are talking to, you IDIOT?"
"No!" replied the Managing Director angrily.
"Thank God....!!" replied the trainee and put down the phone.
On his first day, he dialed the kitchen and shouted into the phone: "Get me a cup of coffee, quickly!"
The voice from the other side responded: "You fool, you've dialed the wrong extension! Do you know whom you're talking to?"
"No" replied the trainee.
"It's the Managing Director of the company, you idiot!"
The trainee shouted back: "And do you know whom YOU are talking to, you IDIOT?"
"No!" replied the Managing Director angrily.
"Thank God....!!" replied the trainee and put down the phone.
Thanks to MadPriest!
Vicar elect
The diocesan chapter today decided to appoint me vicar of the Swedish parish of Lovisa, where I have been working as vicar pro tem since January. I will become vicar proper starting December; the rest of November I might be called vicar elect.
I thank the Lord for the possibility to serve as vicar. Just a few years ago I was convinced that I’d never have a chance to do so because of my controversial opinions on a certain subject, but the situation has changed more rapidly than I had thought possible.
Lovisa is a small town east of Porvoo/Borgå where I live. It is situated about 90 km east of the Finnish capital Helsinki, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland (an arm of the Baltic Sea). My parish, consisting of the Swedish-speaking members of the ELCF in the centre of Lovisa, had 2.661 members as of the end of last year.
On the Sunday after Epiphany, January 13, 2013, I will be officially and ceremoniously installed in my new office by Bishop Björn Vikström. The festivities start at noon in the church and continue in the Högstadiet school, as the parish’s own buildings probably would be too crowded. Welcome to attend!
I thank the Lord for the possibility to serve as vicar. Just a few years ago I was convinced that I’d never have a chance to do so because of my controversial opinions on a certain subject, but the situation has changed more rapidly than I had thought possible.
Lovisa is a small town east of Porvoo/Borgå where I live. It is situated about 90 km east of the Finnish capital Helsinki, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland (an arm of the Baltic Sea). My parish, consisting of the Swedish-speaking members of the ELCF in the centre of Lovisa, had 2.661 members as of the end of last year.
On the Sunday after Epiphany, January 13, 2013, I will be officially and ceremoniously installed in my new office by Bishop Björn Vikström. The festivities start at noon in the church and continue in the Högstadiet school, as the parish’s own buildings probably would be too crowded. Welcome to attend!
Merton on the comforts of the Bible
There is, in a word, nothing comfortable about the Bible - until we manage to get so used to it that we make it comfortable for ourselves. But then we are perhaps too used to it and too at home in it. Let us not be too sure we know the Bible ... just because we have learned not to have problems with it. Have we perhaps learned ... not to really pay attention to it? Have we ceased to question the book and be questioned by it?
The makem and the geordie
A makem (man from Sunderland) applied for a job at a factory in his home town. A geordie (man from Newcastle) applied for the same job and since both applicants had similar qualifications, the manager asked them to take a test. When the results were in, both men had scored 19 out of 20.
The manager went to the makem and said, "Thank you for coming to the interview, but we’ve decided to give the geordie the job."
The makem said, "Why? We both got 19 questions correct. This being Sunderland and me being from Sunderland surely I should get the job."
The manager replied, "We have made our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you got wrong."
The makem said, "And just how would one incorrect answer be better than another?"
The manager said, "Simple. On question number 7 the geordie wrote down, 'I don’t know.' You put down, 'Neither do I.'"
The manager went to the makem and said, "Thank you for coming to the interview, but we’ve decided to give the geordie the job."
The makem said, "Why? We both got 19 questions correct. This being Sunderland and me being from Sunderland surely I should get the job."
The manager replied, "We have made our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you got wrong."
The makem said, "And just how would one incorrect answer be better than another?"
The manager said, "Simple. On question number 7 the geordie wrote down, 'I don’t know.' You put down, 'Neither do I.'"
From MadPriest. Who else?
Mozart on eloquence
To talk well and eloquently is a very great art, but that an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
as quoted on Facebook
as quoted on Facebook
Better to love badly
I find that it is better to love badly and faultily than not to try and love at all. God does not have to have perfect instruments, and the Holy One can use our feeble and faltering attempts at love and transform them. My task is to keep on trying to love, to be faithful in my continuing attempt, not necessarily to be successful. The quality of my love may well be the most important element of my spiritual guidance.
Finnish for foreigners
järki = reason, sense, intelligence
järjestää = organize
järjestelmä = organization
järjestelmällinen = organized
järjestelmällistyttää = organizationalize
epäjärjestelmällistyttää = unorganizationalize
epäjärjestelmällistyttämätön = antiunorganizationalized
epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyys = antiunorganizationalization
epäjärjestelmällistyttämättomyydellä = with antiunorganizationalization
epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydellään = with his antiunorganizationalization
epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydelläänkö = is it with his antiunorganizationalization?
epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydelläänköhän = I wonder if it is possible, with his antiunorganizationalization?
epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydelläänköhänkään? = I wonder if it is possible, even with his antiunorganizationalization?
Seventeen syllables in one word - how about that? You just have to love that language!
MadPriest and the other cheek
Turning the other cheek because of personal cowardice is not what Jesus was on about.
Walesa on peace and justice
In many parts of the world the people are searching for a solution which would link the two basic values: peace and justice. The two are like bread and salt for mankind.
Churchill on rebuilding the world
If the Almighty were to rebuild the world and asked me for advice, I would have English Channels round every country. And the atmosphere would be such that anything which attempted to fly would be set on fire.
- Sir Winston Churchill
as quoted on Child of Illusion
as quoted on Child of Illusion
Power and influence
If you really want to be powerful, if you really want to be influential, then just serve.
- Rev. Willie Barrow,
civil rights activist who earned the nickname "Little Warrior"
as quoted on God's Politics
civil rights activist who earned the nickname "Little Warrior"
as quoted on God's Politics
King on nonviolence
[Nonviolence] is directed against forces of evil rather than against persons who happen to be doing the evil. It is evil that the nonviolent resister seeks to defeat, not the persons victimized by evil.
No need to protect God
Never think that you need to protect God. Because anytime you think you need to protect God, you can be sure that you are worshipping an idol.
- Stanley Hauerwas
as quoted on God's Politics
as quoted on God's Politics
The elderly pick-up line
A handsome elder gentleman, about 90, sidles up to a handsome elder lady of about 85, in bar.
He inquires of her: "So ... do I come here often?"
He inquires of her: "So ... do I come here often?"
Thanks to JCF, commenting at OCICBW...!
Good news to the poor
The gospels record that Jesus preached good news to the poor, and an essential part of that good news was that they were to be poor no longer.
Hammarskjöld on what God is
God is something so simple: always to live for others, never to seek one’s own advantage.
Thought provoking or just provoking?
I read an interesting article on the net the other day. It was called Christians Who Are Against LGBT Misuse The Bible, written by Greg Carey (Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary) and published on the Huffington Post 11.8.12.
Hiding behind the Bible doesn't exempt us from responsibility for our beliefs and behaviors. The Bible is a complicated book. Using the Bible to condemn sexual minorities requires that people make a series of choices and assumptions,Carey writes, and the goes on to analyze some of those assumptions. It all comes down to your interpretation. And whenever you read something - anything - you automatically interpret it. You just can't avoid it. Saying you read something the way it is written means you close your eyes to the fact of your own interpretation. And then you will go astray more surely than if you acknowledge your interpretation and take it into account. Professor Carey writes:
There's no avoiding the problem of interpretation - or the responsibility that goes with it.Please read the whole thing - it isn't all that long. Perhaps it will provoke you - which is healthy enough - but hopefully it will also be thought provoking.
Julius Caesar said, "People believe what they want to believe." Modern psychology has confirmed his wisdom: Our moral choices tend to reflect our biases and passions more than an unbiased process of moral reflection. Let's be honest: if you're anti-gay, you're anti-gay. Just don't blame the Bible for your bigotry.
New media
An elderly gentleman was visiting his daughter and her husband when he asked if he could borrow a newspaper.
'This is the 21st century, old man,' the son-in-law said. 'We don't waste money on newspapers. Here, you can borrow my iPad.'
The bloody fly never knew what hit it.
'This is the 21st century, old man,' the son-in-law said. 'We don't waste money on newspapers. Here, you can borrow my iPad.'
The bloody fly never knew what hit it.
Thanks to MadPriest!
Securing the good
The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.
- Jane Addams
as quoted on God's Politics
as quoted on God's Politics
Good medicine for sunburns
A guy fell asleep on the beach and got a horrible sunburn, specifically to his thighs. He went to the hospital and was admitted with second-degree burns. His skin was starting to blister and he was in severe pain so the doctor prescribed continuous saline, electrolytes, a sedative, and a Viagra pill every four hours.
The nurse, who was astounded, asked, 'What good will Viagra do for him?'
The doctor replied, 'It won't do anything for his condition, but it'll keep the sheets off his legs.'
The nurse, who was astounded, asked, 'What good will Viagra do for him?'
The doctor replied, 'It won't do anything for his condition, but it'll keep the sheets off his legs.'
Thanks to MadPriest!
Iceland: First female bishop
Iceland’s first female bishop, Agnes M. Sigurðardóttir, was consecrated in Hallgrímskirkja, the cathedral of Reykjavik, on 24 June 2012. Sigurðardóttir was elected with 64.3 percent of votes in a second round of elections. She succeeds Karl Sigurbjörnsson, who retired at the end of June. The new bishop has worked with youth, as a parish pastor and as regional dean.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge has welcomed the installation of Bishop, as an affirmation of the leadership role women play in the church.
“We celebrate your ordination as a bishop in the memory of Jesus’ commissioning women disciples to become his followers and partaking in God’s mission to the world,” Junge said in a congratulatory greeting conveyed on behalf of the LWF by Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga, Lutheran Church in Great Britain, at a reception following consecration service.
One of the main goals of the new bishop will be to attract more people to The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, which has suffered losses in recent years. “We should do that with joy and interest, not just to raise the number, but because of the good message that we are entrusted with,” she said.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland has 247,245 members.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge has welcomed the installation of Bishop, as an affirmation of the leadership role women play in the church.
“We celebrate your ordination as a bishop in the memory of Jesus’ commissioning women disciples to become his followers and partaking in God’s mission to the world,” Junge said in a congratulatory greeting conveyed on behalf of the LWF by Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga, Lutheran Church in Great Britain, at a reception following consecration service.
One of the main goals of the new bishop will be to attract more people to The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, which has suffered losses in recent years. “We should do that with joy and interest, not just to raise the number, but because of the good message that we are entrusted with,” she said.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland has 247,245 members.
LWF 11.7.12
ENI 11.7.12
evl.fi 12.7.12
Two ideas of government
There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it.
- William Jennings Bryan
as quoted on Child of Illusion
as quoted on Child of Illusion
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