Were you there when he rose from the dead? 📸 Allan Rohan Crite, Boston, 1944 🕯️

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tomb. The Sun of Righteousness is gloriously risen, giving light to those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Christ is risen! Happy Easter from Saint John's, your friends in Montreal since 1861. 🕯️ 📸 Janet Best

I beheld water which proceeded out of the temple, on the right side thereof, alleluia! And all they to whom that water came were healed, every one, alleluia! O give thanks unto the Lord for he is gracious: and his mercy endureth forever! Christ is risen! 🕯️

A strange popular misconception is that an AI system is inherently “only capable of regurgitating its training data”. This has never been true. To the extent that a model does regurgitate its training data this is known as “overfitting” and is classically understood as a problem to avoid.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 📸 Allan Rohan Crite, Boston, 1948 ⚓

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I would have fed them also with the finest wheat-flour; and with honey out of the stony rock would I have satisfied thee. 📸 Allan Rohan Crite, Boston, 1948

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me. 📸 Allan Rohan Crite, Boston, 1948

Deacons, if you need to practice, we are here for you at Episcopal Chant: episcopalchant.com/seasonal/hol... ⚓

This is the brand new church building at St. David of Wales, Denton, TX. They need to add another service, because they’re growing rapidly. East-facing Rite I. Turns out that growth and “trendy” are not connected.

I'm still a sucker for a changed frontal. Hope everyone has an edifying Holy Week. ⚓

New for @livingchurch.bsky.social, for those interested in how the ACNA might find out what happened in the Ruch case:

Spicy suggestion for musicians on Palm Sunday: consider reharmonizing the end of All Glory, Laud, and Honor according to the Bach setting of the tune, which should really hammer in the tonal whiplash. youtu.be/xXeiVp4408U?...

It begins.

Partially through a refactor of a chant pointer (stay tuned!) and have to report that some of the automated tools widely available these days are absolutely the right tool for me to execute (part of) the job. Craftsman ethos, still central, can recognize and assimilate this easily.

🕯️ CUTHBERT, MISSIONARY, BISHOP OF LINDISFARNE, 687 🕯️ The Lord made with him a covenant of peace, and made him the chief of his people: that he should have the dignity of the priesthood for ever. Lord remember David: and all his trouble.

My home parish in Montreal gets on Bluesky! St. John's is a very special place, unique and with much heart, and deeply formative to me. Visit them if you are ever in town and say I sent you! ⚓

This podcast on AI in and out of the church was thought-provoking and a lot of fun to participate in! I'm glad the church is engaging the subject, hot as it is, and hope you all will give it a listen.

For all Narthex folk interested in liturgical chant, especially as Holy Week approaches (looking at you, Exsultet deacons): ⚓

It is springtime and we have exciting new things on Episcopal Chant! @rpryor03.bsky.social and I have been hard at work improving this liturgical chant database that aims to make it easy for anyone to get up and chanting. Here's a thread of new stuff: 🧵 ⚓

Narthex friends: if around, would love to say hi! ⚓

EPN!

Very happy to show this to you all with my project partner in crime @rpryor03.bsky.social and with the Association of Anglican Musicians! For you liturgical chant enthusiasts everywhere:

By @arliecoles.bsky.social "Observers who spoke to @livingchurch.bsky.social described the online backlash to the advertisement as immediate and widely critical of perceived feminism in the church." ⚓ livingchurch.org/news/cancell...

Hell is in shambles, heaven rejoices, another marked as Christ's own for ever! O death, where is thy sting! O grave, where is thy victory!

My friend whom I will present will be baptized this morning. Prayers appreciated! ⚓

tech. “AI is not only not replacing (radiologists), but it’s actually increasing the amount of work they can do and increasing demand for their services,” www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/art... @ctvnews-mirror.bsky.social

Teaching a session of a confirmation class tomorrow. Please pray for the confirmands and for me! ⚓

This is severely muddied by the fact that we make them emit text in the first person as though there’s a guy there and decided the best interface for them is a chat bot. This didn’t have to be the case and I believe it severely warps our understanding of what this technology is.

I think many people see LLMs as a step along a teleological path to the kind of “powerful AI” that’s been foretold in fiction for decades, and the empirical evidence if you scrutinize it carefully suggests something different and very unintuitive.

Watch this space for new announcements of new stuff coming on Episcopal Chant somewhat soon. Not sure how much we've plugged here, but for those gearing up for any sort of chant planning: episcopalchant.com ⚓

I am sponsoring a friend for baptism in two weeks. In your charity, pray for the baptizand, and for me! ⚓

Tomorrow! See you there!

Hi Narthex - I am giving an EPN webinar on Thursday for the AI subcommittee of the Task Force for AI & IP. It will be a plain-language introduction to how modern AI works, aiming to equip you to apply appropriate skepticism & tell good ideas from bad. I know the topic is hot for many. Do come! ⚓

We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless, but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us,

I said to @dljohnston.bsky.social before recording that if at any time I sounded like one of those crazy yarn-wall conspiracy people while explaining, just stop me! Very thankful to get to talk with him on All Things Necessary. Maybe of interest for all who want to know about modern TEC history! ⚓

Help me make good on desire to post here more! I have been writing aggressively but do not wish to deluge the feed...

27th December is the feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist who is depicted here with his symbol. #StJohn BL Egerton 608; the Four Gospels; 11th century; Echternach; f.133v

Early New Year's resolution to post here more?? I am very bad at keeping up with more than one spot, but miss you all!

Just to follow up here since I know people are interested in the topic: the meeting was extraordinarily fruitful, and I look forward to getting things from the committee to you all and to GC over the next year. Thanks to all for your prayers! ⚓

Where should the church say, “Thus far and no further”? Few are truly equipped to assess the deadlock, but as a speech and language AI researcher and a churchwoman, I will attempt the task. @arliecoles.bsky.social www.plough.com/en/topics/li...

Episcopalians: your Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property is meeting in person this week! Keep us in your prayers. ⚓

New for @livingchurch.bsky.social: ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood is accused of making sexual advances toward a staff member at his South Carolina church, as well as financial impropriety, plagiarism, and bullying. livingchurch.org/news/news-an...

Ecclesiastical and other news getting rough? Do you need a laugh? You do? I know you do. Give the cautionary tale of poor Canon Babbit a read at @earthandaltarmag.com and then make solid and dutiful plans to say your office! ⚓ earthandaltarmag.com/posts/hbkwnd...

New for @livingchurch.bsky.social : Bishop Derek Jones’ lawyers describe the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces & Chaplaincy as a business offering chaplaincy endorsements and allege the ACNA owes millions for trademark infringement and unfair competition. livingchurch.org/news/inhibit...

New for @livingchurch.bsky.social: The ACNA's Special Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy has attempted to secede from that church as its bishop, the Rt. Rev Derek Jones, faces allegations of misconduct. livingchurch.org/news/acna-in...

This book is now out! If you are a cleric or love a cleric, and you need a laugh (and it's clear we all do), and you'd like to support Canadian ecclesiastical art, then consider picking it up! ⚓

Shameless plug for an upcoming book from St. Lazarus Press! Coming August 26: CAUTIONARY TALES FOR CAREFUL CLERICS, a new volume of humorous poetry that warns of clerical errors and their often lethal, always hilarious consequences. If you like Mascall & Belloc, you'll like this. ⚓

New for @livingchurch.bsky.social : Troubled by an accusation of procedural misconduct, ACNA Bp. Stewart Ruch's closed trial has had three chief prosecutors in as many weeks. ⚓ livingchurch.org/news/news-an...