Wedsnestival: Cold Edition

THE LOCAL SCENE
It is snowing here! Not very much and not enough to stick, but pretty cold for us. Temp is 31, feels like 23 (according to Yahoo! weather). How's the weather out your ways?

Indoors, meanwhile, your faithful editor has been cleaning her desk. I was inspired by Tripp's post about this. You can read about my cleaning efforts and see a before picture here, and after pictures here.

CATCHING UP
Before I post ANYTHING ELSE I want to include two nominations from last week. They appeared briefly in the Wednestival post, but Blogger was being EXCESSIVELY OPRESSIVE, so eventually I removed them.

RevMaria wrote a wonderful sermon, hard-wrought, about a request submitted by a member of her congregation. It speaks to us all.

And Sunday's Child recommends an excellent sexual-abuse prevention program she is getting involved in.

OTHER NEWS AROUND THE RING

Julie is learning about churches as corporations. She wonders what sorts of structures your churches have? Go weigh in at her place, and let her know whether you will be attending APCE this year. A meetup in the making!

RevLaura is a new RevGal, an Independent Catholic priest. She writes here about the wonderful experience of being invited to celebrate a small, private mass in the college chapel where her vocation was born.

Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church, will speak at St. John's Episcopal Church in Lodi, California on February 10, and YOU are invited! Go see Kristin (Barefoot and Laughing) for details.

BLOG LIFE
Hasn't the New Blogger switcheroo been fun? Not!

Reverend Mommy is variously engaged in re-doing blogs (including this one!! woohoo!), catching up on her photos for Project 365, counting down the days until graduation, and eating tomato soup. She has also received a beaucoup of BOOKS for her classes from Amazon! (Oh, I'm so jealous...sort of. I love the beginnings of semesters, new books, new notebooks...finishing the papers, not so much.)

Search the Sea (Gannet Girl) has a new header design, with thanks to Quotidian Grace, who inspired it. And she is writing about church.

Now, Christine at Sacred Art of Living has a gorgeous new blog home....and it looks to have been effortless! I bet that's not true. Go see her at Abbey of the Arts. Connected to that, she is starting a new webring for blogs that explore the arts (whether visual, poetry, writing, song, gardening, cooking) from a faith perspective. Go here for more information and the invitiation if you wish to participate!

Hey, remember the article about the RevGals Ring in the Christian Century? There was apparently some concern at that venerable mag that the bloggy subject was a little "out there," but guess what: The Christian Century now has a blog of its own! Do you think we had just a little influence? Maybe? (I personally subscribed to CC for the first time EVER, because they featured the RevGals and I figured they had to be cool!) Anyway, PolarBear presents this little review.

FUN STUFF
Lorna shares her not-so-secret addictions and asks about yours. (It's a safe, supportive environment...don't worry.) Her family went to beautiful Ekenäs and she shares here some wonderful photos and thoughts about meeting God in the snow. Daughter finally got to use that Christmas gift snowboard!

Clever Title Teri is featured in her local paper! And not, as she says, for something bad! (Love it!) Go see the great article about her call to the church, stemming from her ministry in Egypt, and a great photo too.

UM, LENT IS COMING RIGHT UP...
And Gord is planning Lenten worship already! Go Gord!

Rachel at The Big Dunk writes wonderfully about why she LOVES Lent and asks what we are considering for our Lenten practice or discipline. As another non-clergy I must confess that this is the earliest I have ever thought about this, but I am darn glad she posed the question.


WHO ARE WE?
Sally has a great post about being a woman in ministry and made in God's image. Also some
thoughts on worshipping in spirit and in truth. And one about a wonderfully healing moment.

Here's a profile of Pam BG.

Pam also has a great post titled 'For Women Only,' but of course the men need to read it, too. It concerns the firing of a Bible professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Why? BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN.

Melissa is a woman who knows how to change a tire!

TOUGH QUESTIONS
Kievas is working on reconciling Biblical accounts of violence against non-believers with the Commandments.

AND ALL GOD'S CREATURES...
Leah is celebrating Barbaro, the Kentucky-Derby winner.

If I missed you, or if you have something to share, please indicate it in the comments! Stay warm, folks!