Holy Huggables

Two stories from today's Church Times which really tickled my fancy!

Yesterday I reported on the state of play in ECUSA on women priests and bishops:

Bishop Wolf to become Mrs Bair
by Rachel Harden
THE BISHOP of Rhode Island in the Episcopal Church in the United States (ECUSA), the Rt Revd Geralyn Wolf, is to marry in April, it was announced at the weekend.
Her husband-to-be is Thomas Charles Bair Jr, whom she met last summer during an episcopal visit to St John’s, Newport.
Mr Bair told the paper: “When I heard the bishop addressing the congregation that morning, I just found her to be very loving and very interesting to listen to, so I was attracted.”
Bishop Wolf told The Providence Journal that Mr Bair had invited her out for lunch.
The couple will need permission to marry from the Bishop of New York, as Mr Bair is divorced. They have already “spoken at length” of their plans with the former presiding Bishop of ECUSA, the Rt Revd Frank Griswold, and with the new presiding Bishop, the Rt Revd Katherine Jefferts-Schori.
The wedding is planned for 21 April in Providence Cathedral.

Oops! I thought the name was Blair not Bair.....

We have a chairman of residents in our retirement home complex. She is called Esther:

Putting the squeeze on Jesus
by Rachel Harden
GETTING Jesus, Moses, or Esther to talk has proved so popular in the United States that a range of squashy, talking dolls for all ages has sold out.
If you squeeze Jesus — a brown-haired soft doll complete with brown tunic and sandals — you can hear seven different Bible verses: three from the Old Testament and four from the New.

Esther, dressed in a yellow crown and queen’s coat, speaks six verses from her own book of the Bible. Moses, with grey hair, beard, and tablets of kapok, says the Ten Commandments.

The Holy Huggables collection is the inspiration of Cliff and Laureen Rockwood. They said that they had been looking for a doll that would teach their daughter “basic values from the Bible”. They came across a collection of non-talking Bible dolls, and thought they could go one better.
Mr Rockwood said last week that the company had produced “tens of thousands of dolls last year, and sold them all.
“We are ordering more, and expect to double our sales in 2007. We also hope to introduce three more biblical characters, which are currently through the prototype stage of production.”
The dolls cost $9.99; a non-talking plush version sells for $6.99. There are wholesale discounts for churches wanting to make a large order.
www.holyhuggables.com