You Got the Look
Posted: February 1, 2010 Filed under: Blogging 6 Comments
“New Year, New You.” That’s the usual post-New Year’s health club enticement. The staff at Clergy Family Confidential has been working out (minimal steroid use was involved) and we now have a new look for our blog.
I’ve been hearing grumblings that the previous format was a bit hard on the eyes. Or perhaps I have a middle-aged readership that’s transitioning to bifocals. In any case the new “theme” should help with that. The font size is larger and the contrast is better. Unfortunately the content itself will remain about the same.
I nearly went with a hip black background. Bryna vetoed it and anyway I think it said you had to have a goatee and/or tattoo to select it. The next one I almost used was black and orange. I thought what better way to honor my last place Orioles than through blog colors? Ben nixed that one.
The theme I chose is called Quentin. It’s pretty simple and it reminds me of “Pulp Fiction” for some reason. I’m all for feedback on this. If you like it or hate it let me know. I try to always be responsive to my readers. Like Dear Abby but in a cyber-don’t-tell-ME-your-problems kind of way.
Thank you for your continued patronage. I’m making a lot of money off this site (you can tell by all the ads that clutter it up). Excuse me while I go give out large staff bonuses.
More Blogging Priests?
Posted: January 25, 2010 Filed under: Blogging, Technology 2 Comments
As you may have heard, the pope recently encouraged Roman Catholic priests to start blogging. Start? What have they been waiting for? If social media is all about building community, this is precisely what “communities” of faith should have been doing all along.
Sure, Benedict himself still writes out his speeches and sermons by hand in German. Probably on those yellow legal pads. But he’s now encouraging younger clergy to get out into this new-fangled thing called the World Wide Web. It’s unclear how this was communicated from the Vatican hierarchy: snail mail, fax, carrier pigeon, or message in a bottle.
His message, released on the Catholic Church’s World Day of Communications (who knew they had one?), has gotten a lot of press. Here’s the article from MSNBC titled “Pope to priests: For God’s sake, blog!” My friend, fellow blogger, author, and communications expert Meredith Gould (herself a Roman Catholic) grieves “the too-pervasive lack of awareness and understanding about the power and value of digital communications” by the Catholic leadership. Check out her recent post on the subject here.
I’m hardly an expert blogger. At least on the technology side: I’ve been blogging for a year and a half and I can’t even figure out how to add a Twitter widget! But I do look at this as part of my ministry; an extension of the pulpit. Though of course I can have a bit more fun with such an informal medium and I cherish the back and forth with those of you willing to leave comments.
Meredith concludes her post by expressing pride in the Catholic clerics who have embraced digital media. “But does the Pope and his advisers truly think average parish priests have either the time or talent to blog on a regular basis? Will they have the freedom?” It’s a good question — I’m interested in seeing ( and reading) the answer.
Number 100
Posted: June 23, 2008 Filed under: Blogging Leave a commentThis is my 100th blog post. To celebrate this momentous occasion I’m treating myself to a cup of coffee. Since this blog, like much of my life, is fueled by caffeine I thought it would be most appropriate.
I started “Clergy Family Confidential” in late November of 2007 with the caveat that if it became either a burden or no longer fun, I’d stop. So far so good. I’m having fun with it and my readership has reached five million hits per day. Okay that’s a slight exaggeration. It’s closer to ten million.
The best part about blogging is that if you don’t like someone’s blog you don’t have to read it. No one puts a virtual gun to anyone’s head. No one is compelled to read it and perhaps there are days when no one does. Fine. I’ll keep blogging and you can keep reading and commenting. Or not.
But to my loyal and even occasional readers, “thank you.” I’m glad we can share the journey together, even if it’s just a few moments a couple of times a week.
Seven Whole Days
Posted: February 21, 2008 Filed under: Blogging 4 CommentsYou may have noticed a new blog on my Blogroll (want duck sauce with that?). Seven Whole Days http://www.sevenwholedays.org/ is the new blog from the mind of Scott Gunn — priest of the Diocese of Rhode Island and my colleague on the Board of Governors of Episcopal Life. Scott’s a self-avowed “technophile” — how many priests do you know with their own Facebook page? — and has a great take on the goings on in the Anglican Communion.
If you’re curious about the title of Scott’s blog, it comes from a George Herbert poem (the great 17th century Anglican priest and poet). It’s familiar to Episcopalians as a line from the hymn, King of Glory, King of Peace: “Seven whole days, not one in seven, will I praise thee.” http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/k/k008.html As Scott puts it, “I think it captures our purpose as Christians — to praise God without ceasing. The Christian life is not an exercise for Sundays, it is rather something in which we seek to immerse ourselves at all times, and in all places.”
I feel a special kinship to George Herbert since my own church, All Saints’ in Briarcliff Manor, New York was built (by the renowned architecht Richard Upjohn) as a replica of Herbert’s parish church in Bemerton, England. There’s a reason it looks and feels like an English country parish. You can read the history of All Saints’ here: http://www.allsaintsbriarcliff.org/id16.html
And make sure to check out Scott’s blog!
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