Letters from 10
to 16 December 2007
Like all letters
to the editor everywhere, these letters are the opinions of the writers
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Jam on podcasts?
You write
of the prospect of an Anglican children's periodical:
"it's probably best for it to be the sort of thing modern-day children could
fold, roll, carry and smudge with jam"
You think it would fare better than do the weekly children's bulletin inserts
and the weekly Sunday School leaflets which many parishes spend considerable
money on, but which largely end up on the floor of the nave or the parish
hall? :-)
Seriously, are
you at all familiar with the multitude of published Christian formation
materials (electronic and paper) that are in use in our parishes, which
may not be 'periodicals' but which do attempt to help form and educate
children in our tradition? It would be interesting to know what, if
any,'secular' paper periodicals children read these days. It would also
be interesting to know what the state of children's religious education
was in 1853, how and where it happened, facilitated by whom, and what printed
matter supported it. What other recreational materials and activities were
available to children in those days — and which of them were permitted on
the Sabbath? In other words, how much 'competition' did The Standard
Bearer have for children's time and interest?
While the essentials
of the Anglican faith may not have changed much from 1853 to 2008 ( contra the
now-schismatic Bishop of San Joaquin) I think the way children spend
their time and interact with the Church has. Any publication, in any format,
seeking to reach them needs to take that into account. And nowadays
even children are accustomed to being content creators as well as content
consumers. For older youth and adults, at least in middle class America,
podcasts seem to be one of the most popular formats for periodic commentary
pieces, along with blogs.
Gillian Barr
St Paul's Cathedral, San Diego
Del Mar, California, USA
10 December 2007
Avatars instead
of Augustine?
Loved your article
on Second Life. I agree with the premise that in the modern age, new
means of reaching people and propagating the Gospel should be tried,
but virtual communities? One might as well have written letters to the
unconverted tribes in the nineteenth century instead of sending out
missionaries.
We all know John
3 v 16, but are we all familiar with 1st John 3 v 16, which says we
should be ready to give our lives for fellow believers as Jesus gave
His for us. How can you give your life for someone you have not even
seen?
Obi Udeariry
St. Andrews Church, Aladinma, Owerri
Owerri, Imo State, NIGERIA
netwalker55@yahoo.es
11 December 2007
Earlier letters
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