Tensegrities

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Wow, these are interesting, and at least to me, counter-intuitive.

“A new study finds that only 1 percent (my emphasis) of U.S. religious congregations go out of existence each year, “which is among the lowest mortality rates ever observed for any type of organization,” according to an article to be published in the June issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.”

“A “surprising fact” is that mainline churches tend to have lower closure rates than evangelical churches do. He sees an inverse correlation: the fewer churches that close, the more the denomination declines; the more churches that close, the more the denomination grows.”

Here’s a moment of U2 bliss.

A reprise of numbers from a recent Pew report notes that nearly all teens access the Internet. There are differences by race, class, and so on.

Yesterday I preached in chapel at Luther. I am still amazed that I am offered this opportunity, which of course is NEVER offered to me in my own Roman Catholic community. But I am also newly aware of how daunting an opportunity it is. In this case I was deeply grateful for the talented musicians who helped shape the liturgy, and the assisting minister (Dan Ruth), who offered such eloquent prayers.

TheCorner comments on Clay Shirky and the notion of “cognitive surplus” by way of explaining the massive growth of creative activity. How are we attending to this surge in faith communities? (are we?)

I have always loved the Mac vs. PC commercials that Apple runs. It turns out there are a set of such commercials specifically for the British audience. Who knew? And what fun!

Ok, I admit it: it’s hard not to be feeling some degree of fatigue, if not even despair (Sullivan’s word) at the current state of the political process. So here’s two things to lift your spirits: go and listen to Yes, We Can again, and read Sullivan’s notes about what the Obama campaign has already accomplished.

I should probably comment on Jeremiah Wright, as well, since while I was deeply moved by his Bill Moyers appearance, I’ve been pretty much turned off by his extemporaneous comments at the Press Club. He’s starting to sound like an angry old guy who’s pissed off that he’s not leading the change that a much younger visionary IS leading (that is, Obama). I grieve that it’s come to this, and resonate with TheCorner’s sadness.

Here’s a fun way to spend a few minutes. It’s a site where you can contribute links to places/moments you’ve encountered God. Try clicking on the “Nourish me” bubble, and see where it takes you.

A friend asked me for some statistics today about the number of Catholics who attend weekly mass, and several other indicators. It took me a few minutes to find the CARA site, so I wanted to blog it here for the next time I need it. One interesting statistic from that chart is that more millenials say they attend mass weekly, than do the next generation before them.