I have long said that you 'piskies hide your light under a bushel.
Go read this brilliant post, ORiginal Spin at Elizabeth Kaeton's blog.
And then, either here or there, propose your strategy for getting the truth out there about what you have to offer--not by bashing anyone else, but by providing a positive, affirming message.
Maybe someone will hear you!
3 comments:
I'll be watching this closely. Already, the folks at 815 have taken notice of the posts and have promised a change in the website by June. Progress.
That being said, I think it takes a "climate change" to shift to getting the word out about who we say we are based on what we know about Jesus.
I'm up for the challenge of removing the toxins of negativity that have been pollutants in the Episcopal environment.
What are your ideas?
Well, start with a who-are-you and what-do-you-believe.
In my conversations round and about, I find that most people are not aware of how very catholic, Trinitarian, and sacramental TEC is.
Another thing people don't get is the unique polity of TEC that gives people a voice, rather than an authoritarian top-down structure. That's one thing that makes the RC laity nervous--in recent years, they've lost their sense that their own conscience is a player, and doubt themselves.
Explaining that Rowan Williams isn't A Pope (yet, anyway ;-) is also something that needs to be considered.
Related to that, is the fact that you don't check your brains at the door. You can, and do, disagree with one another, and engage in a very active way in your faith. There's a richness in the discussions that isn't driven by adherence to a rule book and pronouncements from above. And you don't deny science, medicine, and modern advances.
The mainstream news has been dominated by tales of schism and declining numbers. I think that needs to be countered by evidence of joy, vibrancy, and hope, evidence of inclusivity not just of LGBT but of conservatives, of young and old -- and evidence of how TEC is making a difference in the community.
That's what I have for starters.
I'll send you a couple of links.
I have done some work helping congregations develop web sites. When looking for resources, I found a great page explaining what the Episcopal Church was all about, what we believe, etc. It was developed not by 815, not by any of our excellent seminaries or learned priests, but by a bunch of students at MIT.
The main TEC web site has promised us a lot and delivered nothing. They have been through a number of expensive redesigns without actually accomplishing anything. I think we have some serious work to do.
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