Bill Teague’s lpc e-pistle

The Mall is a Bad Place for the Pursuit of Happiness (ask Anthony and Edith)
 
A friend recently sent the link to this story, “For Happiness, Sitting in Church Beats Shopping at the Mall.” The report tells of a new study released by researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University using University of Chicago data on the relative happiness of Americans pre- and post- the end of the blue law era when most commercial activity on Sundays was prohibited by law (16 states, 1973-1998). If you read the story, you will see that the study was specific to Christians because of our Sunday worship traditions and that it is sophisticated and nuanced, taking into account a variety of other factors that may have influenced our sense of well being. The bottom line: there is a direct correlation between church attendance and levels of happiness, and, specifically, exchanging worship for the mall leads to less happiness. Continue Reading »

Life is Not a Best of Seven Series
 
I have not yet left North Carolina where I have been on a week of study leave, but I can already sense the tension in the air. It will be the conversation among strangers waiting for our flight to Philadelphia and we are sure to see a red tinge over the city as we make our final approach to PHL.
 
Last night’s game was nothing if not exciting. And Wednesday’s game certainly the same with a less satisfying outcome. Facing elimination, the Phillies now bring the game back home. But two in a row against a team whose bats have suddenly come alive? Anxiety in the air. Continue Reading »

Pity the Poor Atheist
 
If you’re at the corner of Gillam and Bellevue this weekend, you may notice this week’s sermon title, “The 34^th Man,” posted on the signboard. The reference is to the comment made by Chilean miner Sammy Sanchez, the youngest of “Los 33.” Just one day before his rescue, Sammy wrote his sister in reference to all the talk of “Los 33.”  “There are actually 34 of us, because God has never left us down here," he said.  Continue Reading »

Tasting and Seeing the Goodness of the Lord –an interactive post!
 
Psalm 34 is a one of those Psalms of David with a short historical introduction that has been preserved in the ancient text itself. We are told that it is “Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.”
 
The reference is to 1 Samuel 21 which tells a strange story from David’s Robin Hood days when Saul was still king. David is fleeing the wrath of the insane Saul and persuades the priest Ahimelech to give the holy bread of the Presence to feed his hungry men. The priest agrees so long as David will vouch for the sexual purity of his marauders. David does so and the men are fed. Continue Reading »

On Campus: Technological Sophistication and Moral Chaos
 
You are probably familiar with the disturbing story of the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi. If you are not aware of what happened in the past two weeks just 40 miles up U.S. 1, you need to be. The story is unfolding and is couched in terms of "alleged" and "apparent," but some things are clear. Tyler Clementi was a Rutgers freshman, bright and a gifted musician. His assigned and not known until a month ago roommate was Dharun Ravi, also an 18-year old freshman, also intelligent with a promising future. Ravi is from Princeton and Clementi from Ridgewood, NJ. Continue Reading »