Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Veggies, Shoes, and the Anglican (non)Communion

Yesterday my kids left me these veggies from their garden. They also left me some fresh -- as in slaughtered and butchered last week -- hamburger meat. Perfect for Chinese stir fry.

Yesterday I also bought a new pair of running shoes from my good friends at Run-N-Tri Outfitters in Wake Forest. These are the new Altra Torin 6's. I've happily run thousands of miles in the Torin 5's, but this is my first time purchasing the newer iteration. I love the new colorway. 

Altra was founded in 2011. So it's a fairly new shoe company. Altra is famous for (1) having shoes that are ZERO drop from heel to toe, and (2) having a very wide toe box that allows your toes to splay out. Some people swear by this brand. Others swear at it. Do we really need another shoe company? I say yes. Since the 1970s, shoe companies have made their shoes bigger and snazzier, with arch supports and elevated heels that give the impression that these features can improve performance and reduce injury. The fact is, a good running shoe will allow your feet to behave like feet. This means two things: freedom and flexibility. In particular, elevated heels shift the center of gravity forward and away from the site where the foot is meant to bear load. With an elevated heel, the arch is destabilized, generating an imbalance in our knees, hips, and lower back. I'm loving my Altra shoes. Zero drop shoes definitely work the calves more than regular shoes do, so you'll want to ease into them gradually. Anyhoo, I'm eager to run in these shoes tomorrow. Again, these are the Torin 6's. The new heel-cup looks great, but I'm wondering if it will negatively or positively affect the heel lock down. The price was about 15 dollars higher than the 5's, but hey, everywhere there's inflation these days. 

Finally (for now), it looks like the Anglican Church is no longer a communion. A true communion of faith has a shared doctrinal and moral basis. That's no longer true of the AC. The conservative bishops are breaking fellowship with the liberals. They will now remain in communion only with whose who are of like theological mind. In a sense, there will be still "unity" in the Anglican Church. The two factions are still "walking together." However, they may be on the same street but they are walking in different directions. The conservatives' flag is nailed firmly to the Bible. Recently, conservative Methodists took a similar step when they founded the Global Methodist Church. Other denominations can't be far behind. 

Jesus said, "Come after me." In the great drive to have more church members, we gather a multitude of professed believers but far fewer disciples. They may come to Christ but they not come after him. Quality is sacrificed to quality. It is a decadent church that heaps to itself teachers who tickle the ears. 

Thankfully, God has his remnant!