You scored as Sacrament model. Your model of the church is Sacrament. The church is the effective sign of the revelation that is the person of Jesus Christ. Christians are transformed by Christ and then become a beacon of Christ wherever they go. This model has a remarkable capacity for integrating other models of the church. Mystical Communion Model 95% Sacrament model 95% Herald Model 78% Servant Model 67% Institutional Model 17% What is your model of the church? [Dulles] created with QuizFarm.com

I've been reading, A Serious Person, by Orlando Outland, and have found a number of very useful insights into my own world-view; for example:

From the very first page, regarding social events:

How is that everybody sees a party as a joyous occasion and a job interview as a thing to dread? They feel the same to me.

Regarding networking and the memory of the MAN (page 3):

Especially in the great churning cauldron of New York Media, every important person is constantly being introduced to fresh new faces eager for exposure. Stop reimprinting your face on Anna Wintour's memory and the new boys and girls will move into her head, remove your nameplate from the door to her memory of you, and put theirs up in its stead. I guess that's what I hate about these things -- some people look as this kind of event and see excitement, glamour, fun. Me, I just see warfare.

On the Sayings of the Scripture

Isaiah 55:10-11

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Matthew 13:18-23

'Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.'

I will be very interested to see how Sparky handles these readings today. The long version of the Gospel includes a very uncomfortable passage, partially quoted above, which reminds us that our grasp of the Gospel may be tenuous at best.

As a latent Universalist this passage reminds me that universalism may not have been the position of Jesus or the earliest followers of the Way. The passage from Isaiah suggests that what God starts God finishes, according to his design. Can it be his design that his word should fall on rocky, weedy ground and die?

Ok! Well the evening Mass wasn't taken by Sparky, but by our new Priest, a new priest, Charlie Donohough -- I'll check on the spelling later.

He made a truely valient effort with the Gospel. He chose the short form. He spent his homily answering the disciples question of Jesus, Say what?

He spoke of soils, and the sort of things that grow naturally in those soils, and the good for others that those things are.

He tried to underply the GOOD of the good soil. Not to reaffirm the almost immediate good soil bad soil dichotomy that even 7th graders are swift to discern.

Charlie asked, if God's grace is like the seed, which He scatters everywhere and not just where He knows it will grow, what do we need from Him, ourselves, and eachother, to become the sort of soil where his grace will flourish.

I said it was a valiant effort!

God scatters His grace everywhere. Where will it flourish?

The Gospel is meant to challenge us as well as to support us, and I am challenged.

A Word from the Queen

The Queen speaks of a reinforced sense of community during a visit to the Royal London Hospital to meet casualties and medical workers following terrorist bomb blasts in central London, 8 July 2005

Yesterday's bombings in London have deeply affected us all. I know I speak for everyone in expressing my sympathy to those who have been caught up in these events and above all to the relatives and friends of those who have lost their lives. My thoughts are also with the injured some of whom I have been able to see and talk to today.

I also want to thank you and all members of the emergency services and Transport for London who are working with such care, professionalism and sensitivity often in very difficult circumstances. You have the respect of all of us as you go about your business.

Finally I want to express my admiration for the people of our capital city who in the aftermath of yesterday's bombings are calmly determined to resume their normal lives.

That is the answer to this outrage. Sadly we in Britain have been all too familiar with acts of terror and members of my generation, especially at this end of London, know that we have been here before. But those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life.

Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community, our humanity, and our trust in the rule of law. That is the clear message from us all.