The Rev. Laurie Brock
Welcome to Celebrity Blogger Week here at Lent Madness! It's kind of like (the over-hyped) Shark Week but instead of sharp teeth you get the biting commentary of some of the nation's best Episcopal bloggers.
Every day this week, we'll introduce you to one of our amazing Celebrity Bloggers -- the folks who will be illuminating the lives of the saints for us throughout Lent.
In addition to their "official" bio we've asked them a few questions and also requested an informal or goofy picture. Enjoy getting to know these wonderful, faithful, and sometimes madcap Christians!
The Rev. Laurie Brock serves as the rector of St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Church in Lexington, Kentucky and is delighted to serve in a diocese and parish where she can cheer for the Alabama Crimson Tide in football and the Kentucky Wildcats in basketball. She blogs at Dirty Sexy Ministry and is the co-author of Where God Hides Holiness: Thoughts on Grief, Joy and the Search for Fabulous Heels (Church Publishing). She frequently shares her quirky, snarky views on faith and popular culture on Twitter at @drtysxyministry, but don't follow unless you can laugh at yourself and your religion. Otherwise, you'll just be offended. When she's not doing priest things, she is riding horses or texting other fabulous women priests about which True Blood character would be the perfect clergy spouse.
What possessed you to answer the (high) calling to participate in Lent Madness as a Celebrity Blogger?
I'm one of the Celebrity Blogger Lent Madness Snark-a-ratti, which is probably how I got this gig in the first place. The crazy Hobbit shire to hospital room with big creepy dolls in the Olympic opening ceremony this past summer was just too rich not to tweet copious amounts of snark. Thankfully, my fellow Celebrity Bloggers were there, ready to offer their own wit and humor. Apparently, when one makes certain observations about dancing puppets in an Olympic stadium, it gets you on the radar for Lent Madness. And I have a blog, DirtySexyMinistry. Clearly, the maestros of Lent Madness thought that would be scandalous enough to add to the fun. Forward Movement is known for its combination of snark, scandal, and spirituality.
What are you most looking forward to about Lent Madness 2013?
I'm looking forward to finding out more about the saints than I did for Church History finals. Our saints of the church are certainly not neat and tidy holier-than-thou people. They were extremists for love and inclusivity. They annoyed people in power. Some were mentally ill, and God was still present and speaking through their lives and actions. The saints of our church were glorious sinners who believed God loved them in a radical way. I can't wait to bring their lives full-flesh, dirty sexy ministry, to Lent Madness.
What should the the Lent Madness faithful know about you? (quirks, interests, hobbies, etc.)
When I arrived in the Diocese of Lexington, I made a snarky remark at a gathering (shocking, I know) which led the then-bishop and canon to nickname me Miss Alabama. It stuck. I was, indeed, born in the great state of Alabama, where we play football like no one else. Fellow Celebrity Blogger David Sibley and I are the resident college football experts among the Episcopal clergy. I also suggested (via Twitter) that a nifty way to select the new Archbishop of Canterbury would be a Survivor-like contest. Time Online picked up the quote, but the Church of England didn't run with the idea. Oh well. I love good barbecue (the classy picture is evidence of that). My fur family includes my dog Sophie and my horse Nina. I always knew I loved dogs. I didn't know how much I loved horses until I moved to Kentucky. I'm a writer, priest, and Southern woman who loves dogs, horses, good wine, and God. And I hope skinny jeans will go the way of the dinosaur.
6 comments on “Celebrity Blogger Week: The Rev. Laurie Brock”
I shall likely spend many hours between now and Ash Wednesday trying to visualize a dinosaur in skinny jeans. T-rex no way, maybe on a velociraptor.
I'm in a panic because I can't find you on twitter. When I type in the twitter account mentioned in this article, it comes back with NOTHING!!! Help.
my twitter account is @drtysxyministry. The powers that be left out the "y."
So then is what the Supreme Executive Committee does called "Dirty SEC-sy Ministry"?
Also, points for "biting commentary". LOL.
Request: a Lent Madness vote box at the end of this article so we could take action, unite, and maybe vote skinny jeans out of existence. (I'm a Northerner and it's minus 20 today. My favourite winter jeans have built-in insulation and a flannel lining. "Skinny"? By no means...)
Okay, I added the "y." To my undying credit, at least the link worked. And Jennifer, I assume you're familiar with the Rod Stewart song "Do ya think I'm SEC-y." Scott and I were moved when this came out -- of course we were also about seven.
Laurie,having recently moved to the South from Ohio there are a few things that I would like to bring to your attention.
You are right about the barbecue, the South has it perfected and the North just tries to copy it.
As an alumnus of the University of Louisville I have told others, including a dentist holding sharp instruments in my mouth who graduated from UK, that those who root for the University of Kentucky are always rooting for the second best basketball team in Kentucky.
Living in the Diocese of Lexington folks can also share my passion for my beloved Tennessee Vols.
All of this barbecue and sports talk makes me look forward to the start of Lent Madness 2013.
You are right about skinny jeans, where is the ballot box to vote them out.