Religion

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    altmuslim

  • Women's rights: Arab women on the move

    editor@altmuslim.com
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    Women in the Middle East are on the move, but in decidedly different directions, depending on where you look. In less than 40 years, Cairo has gone from a city of Western fashion to a city in which the majority of women wear the hijab, or headscarf, and even niqab, an outfit that covers the female body, face and hands. Many attribute this trend to mounting Islamic radicalism, influenced by the brand of Salafism imported from Saudi Arabia. Yet, in Saudi Arabia King Abdullah has just inaugurated a new university in which women will study alongside their male counterparts without being forced to…

  • Tunku Varadarajan's "Going Muslim": Normalizing hate speech

    editor@altmuslim.com
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am
    Let’s begin with this disconcerting premise: that we live in a world where anti-Islamic sentiments are becoming increasingly less recognizable as hate speech: that is, as speech that attempts to injure through essentializations produced as ‘facts’. The most recent example of this ‘phenomena,’ emerges in “Going Muslim,” the article written for Forbes Magazine by NYU Stern Professor of Business and Hoover Institute Fellow, Tunku Varadarajan. In search of answers for why and how this widening space of acceptability is being produced, let’s turn to the rhetorical form and content…

  • Race, class, and religion: Remembering Imam Luqman Abdullah

    editor@altmuslim.com
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am
    On Wednesday, October 28, 2009, Imam Luqman Abdullah, a humble servant of America’s underclass, was killed by a fusillade of bullets fired by government agents, some of whom had played an integral role in helping to stage the crimes he was accused of committing. His story, like that of all humans is a complicated one. Unfortunately, most people in this country will never learn of Imam Luqman Abdullah, the complicated man. The complexity of his life will be drowned out by the simplistic images of the homegrown Muslim extremist – a caricature. The nuances of his story, his dedication to…

  • Diplomacy: A monumental task for American Muslims

    editor@altmuslim.com
    13 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    As a Muslim, I condemn the horrific tragedy that occurred at Fort Hood last Thursday. My heart goes out to the families of American service members who were killed and wounded in the shooting. I am afraid that this incident will disrupt the collective interests of all human beings due to a new wave of distrust and cynicism. Islam does not condone such killings. The Qur'an clearly states that deliberate killing of an innocent human being constitutes crimes against humanity. Incidents like this can shatter the composure of hundreds of millions of Muslims who want peace and work every day for…

  • Journalism: When does a gunman become a terrorist?

    editor@altmuslim.com
    11 Nov 2009 | 8:30 am
    Hours after a gunman killed 13 and wounded 30 at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday, reporters and news anchors were still piecing together information about what appeared to be a mass murder. But as journalists got word of the identity of the suspected shooter, Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, terrorism became a topic of discussion. With little more confirmed than the suspect's name and Muslim faith, broadcasters and reporters explained that it was not clear whether the event was an act of terrorism. As more details emerged, journalists confirmed that there were stronger links…
 
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    American Buddhist Net

  • Berkeley: Cops bust in as negotiations break down

    ABN
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:10 am
    By Rachel Sadon Negotiations between students barricaded inside Wheeler Hall and campus police and administrators just broke down, as police sawed the hinges off the door and entered the room where the students are hold up. Reports from the Berkeley campus describe students trying to arrange negotiations, and police moving in to break down barricades and make arrests. LINK TO ORIGINAL

  • A Peruvian Black Market in Human Fat?

    ABN
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:08 am
    Medical Experts Dispute Lima Police Claims That Gang Murdered Victims, Drained Fat From Bodies to Sell to Cosmetic Makers LINK TO ORIGINAL

  • Whaling season a diplomatic headache for Japan

    ABN
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:16 am
    JAPANESE whalers set sail today on their annual mission to kill hundreds of the marine creatures for alleged scientific purposes, causing diplomatic problems for their government. LINK TO ORIGINAL

  • Somalia to join child rights pact, only U.S. outside

    ABN
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:14 am
    GENEVA (Reuters) - Somalia has announced it plans to ratify a global treaty aimed at protecting children, leaving the United States as the only country outside the pact, UNICEF said Friday. LINK TO ORIGINAL Convention on the Rights of the Child: Unofficial Summary of Main Provisions of the Convention

  • The Philosophy of Kissing

    ABN
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am
    Dear Doctor Rude, I think I understand what a "platonic kiss" is, but could you explain to me the difference between the following kisses? 1. Aristotelian kiss 2. Hegelian kiss 3. Wittgensteinian kiss 4. Godelian kiss Signed, Flummoxed in Florida Dear Flummoxed, That's a very good question; nowadays most sex education courses focus on secondary and tertiary sources, so much so that few people really get exposed to the classics in this field any more. I'll try to make a brief but clear summary of some of these important types of kisses: LINK TO ORIGINAL
 
 
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    Catholic Exchange

  • Living Faith Out Loud: Capturing Authentic Christians on Film in The Blind Side

    Marc T. Newman, Ph.D.
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:03 pm
    Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy told me that they did not have script approval, and therefore had no control over how they were portrayed on screen in The Blind Side. The film is the story of how the Tuohys brought a troubled, homeless black teen, who could barely read, into their family. They gave him a bed, food, and love, and watched him mature into a dean’s list scholar at Ole Miss, and the finest collegiate left tackle in the nation. The young man was Michael Oher, who is currently playing his rookie season for the Baltimore Ravens. That the Tuohys were unconcerned about their portrayal…

  • The Vatican and the Lefebvrists: Not a Negotiation

    George Weigel
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:02 pm
    Prior to the opening of formal conversations between officials of the Holy See and leaders of the Lefebvrist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), which began on Oct. 26, the mainstream media frequently misrepresented these discussions as a negotiation aimed at achieving a compromise that both sides can live with. That was to be expected from reporters and commentators for whom everything is politics and everything is thus negotiable. Alas, similar misrepresentations came from “Vatican insiders” who suggested that the teaching of the Second Vatican Council was under joint review by the Holy See…

  • Cowardly Relativism, Kingly Truth

    Fr. Paul Scalia
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    Pontius Pilate would feel very much at home in our culture. His cynical question — “What is truth?” (Jn 18:38) — captures the prevailing mindset of our day. It provides a three-word summary of relativism — the view that objective truth does not exist, that there is not objective “right” or “wrong” about human behavior. Relativism refuses to limit or define human behavior. All is relative and depends on the situation, the culture, the person, etc. Although often depicted as a courageous rebellion against forces of intolerance and persecution, relativism is really cowardice.

  • Gay Activists Bully D.C. Priests

    Catholic League
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Catholic League president Bill Donohue addresses a serious issue involving gay activists in the District of Columbia: A new homosexual website, ChurchOuting.org, is intent on publicly disclosing who the gay priests are in the Archdiocese of Washington. The goal of this outing is to intimidate gay priests, as well as heterosexual priests who may be “romantically involved,” into voicing objections to the Catholic Church’s opposition to gay marriage. This initiative is the work of Phil Attey, self-described as “Liberal-Gay-Ardent Obama Supporter”; he was active in the Obama Pride…

  • Rejection of Washington DC Marriage Referendum Challenged With Legal Suit

    LifeSite News
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    On Wednesday attorneys representing Christian Bishop Harry Jackson and seven other D.C. voters filed a suit against a decision by the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics, which ruled that the Marriage Initiative of 2009, a referendum that would have allowed D.C. voters to vote on whether marriage would be recognized solely between one man and one woman, could not be permitted because it violated the D.C. Human Rights Act. “The people of D.C. have a right to vote on the definition of marriage,” said Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund, a…
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    About Catholicism

  • Forum Friday: How Do You Find Your Way to the Forum?

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    The About.com Catholicism GuideSite is more than this blog, and more even than the thousands of pages of content that you can find by clicking on the tabs at the top of the page, the "Must Reads," and the links in the "Browse Topic" section. One integral part of the site is the Catholicism Forum, and over the last year I have worked hard to draw your attention to interesting and thoughtful threads in the forum. Last week's Forum Friday, however, resulted in not a single post to the thread I highlighted. A number of readers left comments on the Forum Friday blog post itself, but few seem to…

  • Reader Question: Are There Married Catholic Priests?

    18 Nov 2009 | 11:58 pm
    Reader Preston Bolinger has asked an interesting question through our Questions About Catholicism form: I got into an argument with a friend of mine about Catholic priests. I told her my brother is a Catholic priest and is married, but she said that was impossible. I need some kind of proof to let her know that she is wrong. This is a question that is likely to be asked more often in the near future. Those who have followed Pope Benedict's overtures to disaffected Anglicans know that married Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism will be allowed to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders,…

  • Wordless Wednesday: Saint Philip, Apostle

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    (Photo © Scott P. Richert) We've got not one but two contests this Wordless Wednesday. For regular readers of the Catholicism GuideSite, the first one should be easy: Since Saint Philip shares a May 3 feast day with Saint James the Lesser in the Roman calendar, why did I post this stained-glass window of Saint Philip today? The second contest this week will be familiar: Identify as many traditional symbols of Saint Philip as you can in this stained-glass window, and then briefly explain the reason why each is identified with Saint Philip. In next week's Wordless Wednesday post, I'll…

  • Drowning in a Sea of Change

    17 Nov 2009 | 3:24 am
    Ross Douthat, the conservative columnist for the New York Times, rose to fame for his blogging on the website of The Atlantic. After six months away from blogging, Douthat now has a new blog, "Evaluations," on NYTimes.com. In one of his first entries, "Pro-Lifers and the Patriarchy," the Catholic Douthat makes some observations that are undoubtedly correct: Conservative Christians’ attitudes toward women in the workplace, in particular, have evolved dramatically across the last two decades, even as their pro-life convictions have remained essentially constant. . . . During the ‘08…

  • Novena of the Week: Prayer for Government

    16 Nov 2009 | 11:12 pm
    On November 10, 1791, the first bishop of the United States, John Carroll, wrote a beautiful prayer to be recited in parishes throughout his diocese. A cousin of Charles Carroll, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Archbishop Carroll understood the necessary role that religion plays in guaranteeing political order, and that is expressed in the very structure of his Prayer for Government. The prayer begins with an acknowledgment of the central role of the Church before asking God to guide our political leaders and our fellow citizens. It ends with a prayer for the repose of…
 
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    The Change Revolution

  • Download "The Last TV Evangelist" FREE until Midnight Tonight!

    Phil
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:55 pm
    Download a FREE copy of my book "The Last TV Evangelist" from Conversant Life Publishing - only good until midnight tonight. Spread the word to anyone you know who's interested in understanding the media revolution and how it will impact the faith community.

  • The American Family Association Versus Gap: Why Boycotts are So Often a Bad Idea

    Phil
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:08 pm
    The American Family Association has embarrassed themselves again over another boycott - this one against Gap. The Mississippi-based ministry last week issued a boycott against Gap Inc. -- the retailing giant whose brands include Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic. They've called for a "two-month boycott over the company's failure to use the word 'Christmas' in its advertising to Christmas shoppers." As the ministry says, Gap "does not use the word 'Christmas' to avoid offending those who don't embrace its meaning," writes Buddy Smith, executive assistant to the president of the AFA. "I…

  • Live Webcast on Church Marketing with Me and Brad Abare Thursday

    Phil
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:15 pm
    Join Brad Abare and myself Thursday, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT), as Conversant Life does a live interview with us. We'll be talking church marketing and religious media and taking questions from the online audience. I've joined the board of Brad's Center for Church Communication, the nonprofit parent of Church Marketing Sucks. Brad Abare is an entrepreneur at heart and currently serves as the director of communications for the Foursquare Church. Get online and we've love to answer your questions.

  • Turning Your Wound into Something of Value

    Phil
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:42 am
    I was reminded recently that a pearl actually comes from an oyster's wound. Pearls are formed inside an oyster's shell as a defense mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite. When the injury happens, the pearl is produced to actually seal off the irritation. The result is something rare and of great value. I began to wonder how often we could be turning our wounds into something of value? And yet we rarely do. Most of us allow hurts and pain to continue irritating us for the rest of our lives. I have a friend who was cheated in business, and he never ceases to talk…

  • I'm Presenting the 2010 NRB Reach Keynote Address

    Phil
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:30 pm
    On Saturday, February 27 at NRB 2010's Reach Keynote Session I'll be presenting a new topic: "From Disruption to Destiny: Turning Crisis into Opportunity." It will be focused on how to transcend this very difficult period of cultural chaos that we're in the middle of right now. I've been working on a new book on how to survive and grow during radical periods of change, and I believe some insights that I've learned will have a dramatic impact on your life and the life of your organization. I'd love to see you at the National Religious Broadcasters Conference next February.
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    Christ and Pop Culture

  • The 7th Circle of Hell is a Viral Marketing Agency

    Richard Clark
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:24 pm
    Church Simulator ‘Mass: We Pray’ Revealed To Be ‘Dante’s Inferno’ Publicity Stunt – For the record, this game is not going to be good. Posts like this one:‘Mass: We Pray’ Dante’s Inferno: God of War meets Dead Space… IN HELL!!! And you thought Grand Theft Auto was bad.

  • Imagination At Church

    David Dunham
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:57 am
    Imagination at church? Posts like this one:Podcast #26: Speaking of Narnia… What are your thoughts on drama and movie clips in church services? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library Why Should The Church Care About Your Art?

  • The CaPC Water Cooler: “The kid is an incredible moron.”

    CAPC Writers
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:52 am
    Read what came before or after this. Ben writes, Heh… I disagree, but that was one of your best arguments ever. No question the moment with Finn’s mom was terrific. Not only was the acting good, but I thought the written dialogue was fabulous. “Were you singing to a sonogram?” “Um, yeah.” pause. “Is Quinn pregnant?” Fabulous example of not overwriting. Mercedes and Puck did not work at all, for two key reasons. First, I say Puck DOES have reason to be angry and frustrated. It’s his darn kid too! But more importantly, Mercedes reaction was…

  • The CaPC Water Cooler: “”Ok, BTW… Glee was dumb.”

    CAPC Writers
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:44 am
    Read what came before or after this. Ben writes, Ok, BTW… Glee was dumb.  Actually, I thought the crush on the teacher storyline was fun, if a bit silly.  But the portrayal of Quinn’s family was incredibly idiotic, and the part with Mercedes and Puck was one of the worst TV moments I think I’ve ever seen.  Also, a gay guy falling in love with a big idiotic jock and trying to sorta talk him out of liking girls was stupid in the extreme.  And singing about a girl having his baby? I think the only part of the whole show I liked was when his mom figured out that Quinn was…

  • The CaPC Water Cooler: Glee, Episode 10 – Ballad

    Richard Clark
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:44 am
    Watch the episode here. A lot of people have a lot of different opinons about Fox’s new smash hit, Glee. One thing, though, everyone agrees on: Glee is unique. Glee delivers comedy, drama, satire, social commentary, and musical numbers week after week, and then releases albums that sell in huge numbers. It has become a cultural force faster than anyone anticipated, and it’s destined to influence those we know. And even more fascinating, it has its viewers often feeling alternately frustrated and overjoyed, distraught and touched. More than anything: Glee is intellectually,…
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    Christian Newswire: All Releases

  • Senate Poised to Advance Majority Leader Reid's Anti-Life Bill

    21 Nov 2009 | 9:54 am
    AUL Action Campaign: Vote NO on Cloture "This bill provides for unprecedented expansion of federally-funded abortion. Real health care respects life, not ends it." -- Charmaine Yoest Contact: Source: Heather Smith, Americans United for Life Action, 202-270-9962, Heather.Smith@aulaction.org; www.realhealthcarerespectslife.com WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 /Christian Newswire/ -- At 8:00 p.m. tonight, the Senate is expected to vote on cloture on the Motion to Proceed to debate on Senate Majori Source: Americans United for Life Action

  • Exciting New Christian Television Show: 'Faith and the Law'

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pm
    Contact: Tim Rowe, 317-340-7441, trowelaw@aol.com; www.faithandthelaw.com MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 21 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Faith and the Law" is the exciting new television show that discusses legal issues from a Christian perspective. Attorney Tim Rowe is the host and this show provides a helping hand to all people who are burdened down with legal problems and need some guidance. "Faith and the Law" airs over most of the state of Indiana every Wednesday from 12 noon to 12.30pm. It i Source: Faith and the Law TV Show

  • U.S. Government Grants Guo Feixiong's Family Political Asylum

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:11 pm
    Contact: Annee Kahler, Media Coordinator, 267-210-8278, Annee@ChinaAid.org; Jenny McCloy, Directory of Advocacy (Washington, DC), 202-213-0506, Jenny@ChinaAid.org; both with ChinaAid; www.ChinaAid.org, www.MonitorChina.org   MIDLAND, Texas, Nov. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- On November 10, 2009, the U.S. government confirmed political asylum status for the wife and two children of Chinese legal advocate Guo Feixiong. The law firm handling the case was notified on November 19, and they share Source: China Aid Association, Inc.

  • Stay in Touch with The 'Text Generation'

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:16 pm
    Contact: Riz Marsella, SacredVerse.com, 415-260-8809 MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- Wishing to stay in touch with her daughter away at college and taking her cue from Pope Benedict XVI's call to use modern technologies to spread the Gospel, Riz Marsella founded SacredVerse.com, a communications tool now available on the internet for the "Text Generation." The inspiration for SacredVerse.com came to Marsella when she noticed that text messaging was the best way to communic Source: SacredVerse.com

  • YouthWorks!, Inc. to Acquire Youth Specialties from Zondervan

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Contact: Louise Ward, YouthWorks!, Inc.®, 612-746-6412, Louisew@YouthWorks.com MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Nov. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- YouthWorks!, Inc.® (YW)--a multi-denominational family of ministries that plans and implements life-changing, Christ-centered missions trips and ministry experiences--has signed a definitive agreement with Christian communications and publishing company Zondervan to acquire Youth Specialties--the international leader in training and equipping youth pastors and yo Source: Robin Tracy Public Relations
 
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    CrossFeed Religious News

  • New Lutheran body to form after gay pastor vote

    pastordale
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:10 am
    The split over gay clergy within the country's largest Lutheran denomination has prompted a conservative faction to begin forming a new Lutheran church body separate from the Evangelical Lutheran Chur  read more »

  • Humanist Chaplains

    pastorjim
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am
    Only Harvard University, Rutgers University, and Adelphi University retain humanist chaplains, according to Harvard’s Greg Epstein.

  • China blocks unregistered church service again

    pastorjim
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:33 am
    Followers of an unapproved church in Beijing were again forced by the government to find a new place to worship Sunday.

  • Argentine Gay Couple Granted Marriage License

    pastorjim
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:32 am
    Two men who were granted a marriage license in Buenos Aires on Monday are planning what may be the first legal same-sex wedding in Latin America.

  • California gay marriage campaign kicks off

    pastorjim
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:31 am
    Gay marriage advocates on Monday launched a campaign to try to overturn California's same-sex marriage ban.
 
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    RELIGION

  • Three cantors featured at Temple Emanu-El Chanukah concert

    Sam Hodges/Reporter
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pm
    Cantors Richard Cohn, Roslyn Barak and Morris Glazman will give a Chanukah concert at Dallas' Temple Emanu-El on Dec. 13, at 7:15 p.m. There's a wine and appetizer reception at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5; families of four or more get in for $18. Click here for more information.

  • United Methodists consider effect of EXPLORATION on call to ministry

    Sam Hodges/Reporter
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:28 am
    A recent United Methodist Church gathering in Dallas, on the theme of discerning the call to ministry, prompted this piece by Vicki Brown of the UMC's Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Study Will Determine EXPLORATION's Effect, Fine Tune Future Events By Vicki Brown* The Rev. Calvin Rich said the 1996 EXPLORATION in Dallas, Tex., was his first big step out of his local church and helped him see young adult leadership as a viable part of The United Methodist Church - a key piece of accepting God's call to ordained ministry. Rich, a provisional elder…

  • Should the poor (and uninsured) get preference with H1N1 vaccinations?

    Wayne Slater/Reporter
    17 Nov 2009 | 6:59 am
    Caring for the poor, tending to the least among us and embracing the outcast are ethical ideals promoted by most major religions. And many people of faith practice them in quiet ways. But how do those tenets apply in the real world. Late last month, Dallas County public health officials finally got some swine flu vaccine doses and set up a clinic where people without insurance could come get a shot. With H1N1 vaccines in short supply because of manufacturing delays, there have been long lines at clinics and doctors' offices where patients have been turned away. The shortage means decisions…

  • Tufts students ask for `humanist chaplain'

    Sam Hodges/Reporter
    16 Nov 2009 | 2:23 pm
    Inside Higher Ed has an interesting feature on students at Tufts University requesting a humanist chaplain.

  • `Lewis, Tolkien, and the Culture War'

    Sam Hodges/Reporter
    11 Nov 2009 | 10:19 am
    That's the title of an evening with scholar/author Peter Kreeft at Highland Park Presbyterian Church on Nov. 21. Details below: "LEWIS, TOLKIEN, AND THE CULTURE WAR"-- A RARE EVENING WITH PETER KREEFT Saturday, Nov. 21, Elliott Hall in Highland Park Presbyterian Church www.CSTM.edu DALLAS--Sept. 24, 2009--Saturday evening, Nov. 21, 2009, lovers of two of the most popular writers of all time--C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, known popularly for the Narnia series and Lord of the Rings--may spend an evening with Peter Kreeft of Boston. The dinner opens at 6:30 p.m. in Elliott Hall at Highland Park…
 
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    Frederica Here and Now

  • An Orthodox Chaplain in Afghanistan

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:28 pm
    Frederica interviews Kh. Tamera Pelikan, whose husband is the only Orthodox chaplain in Afghanistan.

  • A Visit from St. Seraphim

    12 Nov 2009 | 3:18 pm
    Frederica interviews an anonymous parishioner from St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado, about his experiences with St. Seraphim of Sarov.

  • War and Brother-Keeping

    4 Nov 2009 | 3:21 pm
    Frederica examines the concept of non-violent resistance. Should we refuse to exercise any earthly power?

  • St. Nectarios Education Fund

    28 Oct 2009 | 1:59 pm
    Frederica interviews Fr. Evan Armatas, priest at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado, about the St. Nectarios Education Fund.

  • Science and the Orthodox Church

    21 Oct 2009 | 4:47 pm
    Frederica interviews Daniel Buxhoeveden, an Orthodox scientist who just recently received a Templeton grant to establish an Institute for Science and the Orthodox Church. Please note that Frederica experienced technical difficulties while recording this episode. We apologize in advance for its poor audio quality.
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    World news: Religion | guardian.co.uk

  • There can be no 'banning of sharia law' | Bananabrain

    Bananabrain
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    Besides being unworkable, a 'ban' on sharia law would pose a serious challenge to all our civil libertiesI do not support the aims of the "One Law for All" campaign and today's rally. Nor do I support that which they oppose, namely the use of sharia as a vehicle by Islamist groups to assist their nefarious goals. Obviously, as an observant Jew, the campaign's success would also severely inconvenience me by outlawing Jewish halakhah (religious law), not to mention the Church of England, but there are several reasons why the non-religious should also be wary. These concern one's individual…

  • We'll defend freedom in Harrow | Shaaz Mahboob

    Shaaz Mahboob
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    If a demonstration against 'the Islamisation of Europe' takes place next month, our peaceful protest will be there to meet itEver since our successful demonstration against al-Muhajiroun (under the name of Islam4UK) on the 31 October which turned into a celebration of democracy and freedom, we have been inundated with calls and emails from Muslims and non-Muslims alike who have expressed their appreciation at our efforts to uphold democratic values and those of freedom and liberty in the face of extremism and bigotry. These are the values which are supposed to underpin our society and foster…

  • Face to faith: The real challenge to the biblical literalism held dear by creationists is in the Bible itself, says Judith Maltby

    Judith Maltby
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pm
    The real challenge to the biblical literalism held dear by creationists is in the Bible itselfAn academic conference in Louisville, Kentucky, provided me with an opportunity to visit the Creation Museum in nearby Petersburg with a friend who is also an Anglican priest. Opened in 2007, this $25m museum's mission is not only to prove the veracity of a literal reading of Genesis but also to present Darwinism as one the most dangerous and corrupting ideologies yet known to humankind.The museum is not for woolly-minded creationists. The six days of creation are six 24-hour days (no fudge there)…

  • Senior Catholic warns off Anglican church's women priest opponents

    Riazat Butt, John Hooper
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am
    Converts to Rome cannot pick and choose, says Vincent Nichols, as Rowan Williams and pope prepare to meetAnglicans should not become Catholic to protest against female clergy or sexual ethics, the archbishop of Westminster said today, as he warned traditionalists against adopting a "pick and choose" approach to the religion.The Most Rev Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic in England and Wales, was speaking ahead of tomorrow's meeting in Rome between Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, and Pope Benedict XVI. The pair will discuss the recent initiative by the Vatican to allow…

  • A show of unity at too high a price | Savitri Hensman

    Savitri Hensman
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:45 am
    The Anglican church should no longer put the virtue of uniformity above the need to challenge prejudice and suffering"United we stand, divided we fall" is a common saying. Likewise there is a Japanese proverb "A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle."To stay united (or appear to be), members of families, religious groups, social movements and political parties may play down doubts and disagreements. On minor matters, this may be sensible or at least harmless. However, when this involves upholding injustice and cruelty, it can damage not only those on the receiving end but…
 
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    Iconia

  • Tobi Kahn at New York’s Museum of Biblical Art

    Menachem Wecker
    14 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pm
    My review appears in The Jewish Press here.

  • My recent interviews on social media

    Menachem Wecker
    7 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pm
    After getting some very generous coverage from the Washington Post and NBC for my (and my colleagues’) social media use at GW, there has been a good deal more momentum. I am involved in the new Association for Social Media and Higher Education, which is hosting an event on Nov. 12 about Twitter use and the U.S. military. RSVP information here. I am also interviewed about Twitter on the SimpsonScarborough newsletter under the title “To Tweet or Not to Tweet.” Finally, I was interviewed by American University students Charly Arnolt and Tom Heijne. The videos appear below:

  • Vatican art, digital Koran, Jewish pop art

    Menachem Wecker
    7 Nov 2009 | 8:12 pm
    Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, on the church and art: “We are a bit like estranged relatives; there has been a divorce.” Haitham Eid (see here, here) writes that he has some paintings on exhibit on Nov. 11 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the JW Marriott Lobby on 614 Canal St. in New Orleans. If you would like more information, leave a comment or send me an email. I’d love to hear how the event was if any readers are able to make it. A 900-year old Indian Koran, which is taking two years to digitize at the Walters Art Museum. Is the…

  • Leo Frank Trending

    Menachem Wecker
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:01 am
    A bit surprised to see that Leo Frank is trending on Google. Don’t know who he is? Wiki. And here’s where you can find info on Jason Robert Brown’s great album for Parade.

  • Hyman Bloom’s Unreal Rabbis

    Menachem Wecker
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:10 am
    My column appears in The Jewish Press.
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    ILLUMINED HEART

  • Desert Wisdom In The City

    10 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pm
    Listen in on this sublime encore conversation between renowned spiritual elder Father Zacharias (Zakarou), spiritual child of Elder Sophrony, and Kevin's guest host Father Josiah Trenham, senior pastor of St Andrew Orthodox Church, Riverside, California. This is one you won't want to miss!

  • Living in the Ruins of Christendom - Part 2

    2 Nov 2009 | 9:19 am
    Dr. H. Tristram Engelehardt, Jr. concludes his fascinating interview about life in a “neo-pagan” culture with “competing moral alternatives”.

  • Living in the Ruins of Christendom - Part 1

    26 Oct 2009 | 11:23 am
    Medical doctor (M.D.) and doctor of Philosophy (PhD.), author and university professor, Dr (Herman) Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. explains why our culture is post-Christian and post-metaphysical, how it got that way, and what the implications and challenges are for the Orthodox family.

  • Church Scandals And The Canons

    16 Oct 2009 | 9:01 am
    Fr. Alexander Rentel, Orthodox canonist and Assistant Professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies at St Vladamir's Orthodox Theological seminary, speaks with Illumined Heart host Kevin Allen about scandals in church history, the role the canons play, and what laity can do about their resolution.

  • Turn, Turn, Turn

    9 Oct 2009 | 5:34 am
    Chris Hillman, Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and original member of the legendary sixties band The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and The Desert Rose Band, reminisces with Illumined Heart host Kevin Allen about his 40 years in the music business and the spiritual journey that led him to the Greek Orthodox Church.
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    Irshad Manji blog and official website

  • Afghanistan: What Obama is doing right

    irshad
    18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    President Obama faces one helluva decision as he returns from China, a decision made even more wrenching by the Fort Hood shooting and  the U.S. justice department’s move to put suspected terrorist mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed on trial in a transparent, civilian court near 9/11’s epicenter.  Under such circumstances, the specter of bungling national security has to haunt any president — all the more so when we grasp what’s actually going down in Afghanistan. Recently, I spent a few days in Europe at a human rights gathering. As we discussed, debated and plotted…

  • On “Morning Joe,” Irshad pillories political correctness in Ft Hood story

    irshad
    11 Nov 2009 | 9:13 pm
    Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

  • “Hardball” on MSNBC engages Irshad about Ft Hood shooting

    irshad
    11 Nov 2009 | 6:10 pm
    Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

  • Fort Hood: Analyze it, don’t sanitize it

    irshad
    10 Nov 2009 | 6:23 am
    Editorial cartoon by Anthony Jenkins, Globe & Mail In my latest column for the Toronto Globe & Mail, I argue that we shouldn’t whitewash the words “Islam” and “Muslim” when publicly discussing the Fort Hood shooting. Here’s an extract: Let’s be clear: If an alleged criminal merely happens to be a Muslim, then religion may well be immaterial. But if his crime is committed in the name of Islam, then religion serves to motivate. In that case, the suspect’s Muslim identity absolutely matters. Words, gestures and images should be analyzed –…

  • A Catholic and his conscience

    irshad
    29 Oct 2009 | 11:52 am
    Jon O’Brien of Catholics for Choice Friends and foes: What do you do when you’re knee-deep in book-writing deadlines, you want to keep your blog fresh and dynamic, and you believe that new voices deserve to be heard on the very themes for which your audience turns to you in the first place? Hell, you share your platform with guest boggers! With that in mind, let me intro you to Janice Formichella.  An activist for Afghan women, among others, Janice stood out the moment I came to know of her. Propelled by struggles with her own religion, she read of my book, The Trouble with Islam…
 
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    L.A. Times - Religious News

  • Lawmaker apologizes after 'savage religion' remark

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) says his remark about terrorism suspects did not refer to Islam generally. Also, the Senate avoids an effort to block spending for U.S. housing of Guantanamo inmates. An Illinois congressman who opposes the idea of moving terrorism suspects to a prison in his district issued a qualified apology Tuesday after a comment that critics viewed as insulting to Islam.

  • Gap's Christmas cheer makes a boycott backfire

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The American Family Assn. attacked Gap for not using the word 'Christmas' in its advertising -- but in fact it does, and in a big way too. The Mississippi-based American Family Assn. last week issued a fatwa against Gap Inc. -- the retailing giant whose brands include Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic -- calling for a "two-month boycott over the company's failure to use the word 'Christmas' in its advertising to Christmas shoppers."

  • Catholic bishops' influence on healthcare bill

    16 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The church's support of Democratic healthcare efforts gave it a seat at the table during last week's healthcare vote -- and helped it add a controversial antiabortion amendment. For weeks, the Catholic Church has asked its U.S. parishioners to work toward ensuring that tough language restricting federal funding of abortion is included in healthcare overhaul legislation.

  • Service members bridge gap between mosque and military

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    It's never been easy for Muslims in the military, but as their ranks grow, the armed forces become more accommodating and families more accepting. Lt. Col. Shareda Hosein, who lives dual lives in Army fatigues and an Islamic head covering, sometimes encounters what she calls "Islam anxiety" among her fellow soldiers, saying they pepper her with direct questions about jihad and Islamic law.

  • Catholic archdiocese gives ultimatum to D.C.

    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Church officials say that unless the city alters a proposed same-sex marriage law, the archdiocese will discontinue its social service programs. The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it would be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District of Columbia if the city refused to change a proposed same-sex marriage law.
 
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    LDS News/Around the Church

  • The 2010 Liahona: New Approach, Same Goal

    19 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    In January 2010, readers will say tot ziens (Dutch), au revoir (French), and tofa (Samoan)---good-bye---to the old Liahona and welcome to the new. 

  • Polynesian Cultural Center's "Ha: Breath of Life" a Collection of Many Stories

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    A play within a play, the story behind the show—what an audience sees on the stage of live theater has long been acknowledged as only a sampling of many stories that had to converge before the house lights dimmed and the spots lit up. The night show at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii is no exception, and it is likely the collecting point for scenarios not found at most live theaters.

  • President Uchtdorf Visits Fiji and Tonga

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, met with Fijian Church members in Suva last week. His visit was part of a tour of five Pacific nations—American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, and Tahiti.

  • Army of Mormon Volunteers Cleans Up Island

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    More than 200 BYU-Hawaii students donned standard beach garb—T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops—on October 24 while undertaking a large-scale service activity. Despite the casual attire, there was nothing nonchalant about the service rendered by students. The small army of volunteers spread over 13 separate service sites ranging from a cemetery to the grounds of the Laie Hawaii Temple.

  • BYU-Idaho's Musical Performance: "God's Everlasting Love"

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm
    Audience members were uplifted and edified as they listened to BYU-Idaho's music groups perform original compositions in the Tabernacle on Temple Square November 14. The BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra, Collegiate Singers, Men's Choir, and Women's Choir traveled icy roads Saturday morning from Rexburg, Idaho, to perform to a full audience in the historic building.
 
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    NPR Topics: Religion

  • State Department Office Reaches Out To Muslims

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    A new division opened in the State Department this year: the office of the Special Representative to Muslim Communities. Farah Pandith's mission is to reach out to the world's 1.2 billion Muslims. She tells Steve Inskeep the office will influence how Muslims perceive the United States.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Woman Says She Left $40K At Shrine For Safekeeping

    18 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm
    A groundskeeper at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes near Emmitsburg, Md., found two plastic freezer bags filled with gold and silver coins while he was raking leaves. A woman said she wanted the Virgin Mary to watch over the money while she was out of town.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Boxer Yuri Foreman: Training With The Torah

    14 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm
    Yuri Foreman enters the boxing ring Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to fight for the WBA welterweight championship. But boxing is only one of Foreman's passions. When he moved to New York, to train and fight, he discovered a spiritual path. Foreman talks with Guy Raz about how his encounter with an orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn, and how that led to his decision to become rabbi.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Catholic Bishops' Lobby A Force On The Hill

    13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm
    Democrats recently came to terms with a lobbying force of unexpected influence in the health care debate: the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Though the group has nary a lobbyist on its payroll, it successfully pushed for an anti-abortion amendment to be added to the House health overhaul bill.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Catholic Church Wants Health Care Overhaul To Ban Abortions

    13 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am
    Bishops representing the Catholic Church are aggressively lobbying on Capitol Hill. They hope to persuade lawmakers to ban coverage for abortion procedures from any public insurance plan included resulting from legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system. Blogger Michael Sean Winters, who writes for the Catholic Weekly magazine America, explains the church’s concern.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us
 
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    proverbs31-woman.com

  • Looking forward…

    proverbs31
    28 Oct 2009 | 2:30 pm
    Proverbs 31:31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. My husband and I have been house hunting for most of this year.  We wanted to buy a place in the country with some land – not too much but not too little. We didn’t want to be close up against neighbours and wanted some peace and quiet.  Our children have left the nest and we are empty-nesters now, enjoying our pre-retirement stage.  We’re free to do what we want in the evenings and weekends and just do nothing if that suits us. Not that either of us are the type to…

  • Permission for time out

    proverbs31
    7 Sep 2009 | 3:44 pm
    This year has been very different to the past years of our lives.  We’ve gone through tremendous upheaval and change which began almost 12 months ago when we lost our darling Miriam. If anyone had told us at the beginning of September last year that nearly every member of our immediate family would be moving house this year and that we would be missing a member of our family too, we just would not have believed them. It’s been a long slow year – one where I’ve been anxious to get back to some sort of normality and yet when opportunities arise, particularly through my…

  • Growth and Healing

    proverbs31
    9 Jul 2009 | 11:53 pm
    I manage a forum for women interested in being Proverbs 31 women and I had shared with them there about the loss of our daughter some months ago.  One of the women had commented she didn’t know how she’d cope with something like that. My response to her astounded me even – it was like God was speaking to us through my fingers.  I hope what I share below will help you too. It hasn’t been easy by any means and we’re only 9 months down the track.  Two weeks ago (almost) my cousin lost his son in a car accident.  My cousin is not a Christian and now I feel that…

  • Mothers and the Proverbs 31 Woman

    proverbs31
    30 Apr 2009 | 12:48 am
    The Proverbs 31 woman was a wife, mother and business woman. It’s important to remember those three aspects – all knitted into one. Today women struggle to manage all their various roles and the many hats they wear, daughter, sister, auntie, wife, mother, friend, lover, worker, nurse, house duties and so on. Just where do we become ‘me’? I believe as we grow older we begin to learn more about ourselves but in our younger adult years while coping with a family and work, and being a good wife we can often feel lost from who we really are. Don’t despair, others have…

  • Showing Love is not subservient

    proverbs31
    4 Apr 2009 | 7:18 pm
    I hope you’ve seen my Proverbs 31 Woman presentation set to music?  I have it linked on the site here or you can see it at youtube. I had an interesting comment placed at youtube which basically said the writer felt that the Proverbs 31 verses were not positive but saying that women were servants. This morning I got up before my husband because I was going out on a photoshoot (my latest passion and favourite hobby) and I set about getting ready, switched on the urn for a cuppa and made myself breakfast. Once the urn heated I asked my husband would he like a coffee and then made it for…
 
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    Reasoning with the Critics

  • Comical Relief – Writer’s do have a sick sense of humor

    Timothy Berman
    12 Nov 2009 | 12:46 pm
    Recently, I had started a thread over at www.writingforums.com. This thread is discussing how we all came up with our particular online monikers. Mine is SeattleGhostWriter. Well, being a bit tired and in one of those weird moods, I had decided to post something of a confession regarding a particular nickname that was held for [...]

  • Importance of Writing and Editing – A musing

    Timothy Berman
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:45 pm
    ednesday night and it is Scout night for an 11 year old stepson. Rushing around to get things together, nature calling at the most inconvenient time, switching out the laundry from dryer to basket, from washer to dryer, changing out of clothes into fresh clean clothes, putting the last of the dishes away before heading [...]

  • FAIR’s Blog – This week’s blog review

    Timothy Berman
    8 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pm
    FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of LDS doctrine, belief and practice. The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) was formed in late 1997 by a group of LDS defenders of the faith who frequented the America Online Mormonism message boards. In defending the Church against detractors there, this [...]

  • “No One Owes you Anything”

    Timothy Berman
    8 Nov 2009 | 6:24 pm
    Sometimes, when someone speaks words of truth, one naturally will take offense to them and what they have to say. Yet, if someone never steps up to the plate and speaks the honest truth, then where would that leave you? What type of person would you truly become if your life is spent going through [...]

  • Inspiring General Conference Talks

    Timothy Berman
    7 Nov 2009 | 11:44 pm
    This years General Conference was held on October 3-4, 2009. These talks appear in the Ensign Magazine (Known as the General Conference Issue). These talks are very inspirational, thought provoking, revelatory, and provide sound advice in living a healthy, stable life. Many times, many different people find particular answers to specific doctrinal questions, or receive [...]
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    Religion News Blog

  • Scientology’s feet held to the fire in Australia: Struggle between a church and the state

    Religion News Blog
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:15 am
    'Scientology is evil; its techniques evil; its practice a serious threat to the community, medically, morally and socially; and its adherents sadly deluded and often mentally ill.''The above statement was not made by Nick Xenophon under the privilege of the Senate this week, but by a Victorian barrister, Kevin Anderson, QC, who had led a two-year government inquiry into the Church of Scientology in the 1960s. Then, as now, former Scientologists alleged that ''mind control'', physical and emotional abuse, and financial deception were standard practices, not exceptions, and integral to the…

  • Guyana’s Jonestown suicide site gets plaque

    Religion News Blog
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    It has taken more than 30 years, but the government of Guyana has erected a memorial plaque at the site of the Jonestown cult massacre, a dark episode the South American country had long sought to downplay.A simple, white stone plaque was unveiled with little fanfare Wednesday at the jungle clearing where more than 900 members of the cult led by the American preacher Jim Jones died in a night of mass murder and suicide on Nov. 18, 1978.

  • Scientology practices ‘putting people at risk’

    Religion News Blog
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:10 am
    Dangerous dismissal of psychiatry and mental health problems must be part of a Senate inquiry into the Church of Scientology, a Melbourne cult-counsellor said yesterdayCult Counselling Australia director Raphael Aron said Scientologists put vulnerable people at risk by taking them off psychiatric drugs and treatment, instead treating them with vitamins and E-meter readings.

  • Appeals court upholds removal of children from cult leader’s compound

    Religion News Blog
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:41 am
    Among other things, the rulings said the children faced danger of beatings and forced fasts ordered by 75-year-old evangelist Tony Alamo convicted earlier this year of transporting underage girls across state lines for sex and sentenced this month to 175 years in prison. In one of the appeals court rulings today, Judge Robert J. Gladwin wrote that the evidence “presented a clear picture of the danger to children in the ministry compound at Fouke.”

  • Recession: Muslim schools in UK under threat of closure

    Religion News Blog
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:13 am
    Many independent Muslim schools in England are under threat of closure, according to the Association of Muslim Schools (AMS). The organisation, which represents almost 100 independent Islamic institutions, said many could not afford to stay open.
 
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    Irtiqa

  • Obama's science envoys for the Muslim world

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:58 am
    A few months ago, President Obama announced an outreach effort to bolster science & technology in the Muslim world. Three science envoys have now been appointed and they will travel to different Muslim countries to forge collaborations and to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the Muslim world. This is an ambitious undertaking and can have a significant positive impact. At

  • Accept the mystery - go see "A Serious Man"

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:53 pm
    I know some people cannot stand films by Coen brothers and others absolutely adore them. I have to confess that I fall in the latter category. Their latest, A Serious Man, is again a fantastically crafted film with a story that centers on uncertainty and death, and also on the rational and the mystical. The protagonist, Larry Gopnik, is a Jewish physics professor whose life has started to unravel

  • A wind farm vs sacred rituals

    18 Nov 2009 | 5:44 pm
    Here is a messy case of an effort to develop a wind farm on Cape Cod (the picture on the right is of a Danish wind farm) and how it affects the rituals of the tribe, Wampanoag. As usual, here is a mixture of politics, science, business, environmental issues and Native property rights:The Wampanoag — the tribe that welcomed the Pilgrims in the 17th century and known as "The People of the First

  • Darwin conference in Alexandria - some pics

    17 Nov 2009 | 8:32 am
    The conference was wonderful but then we have the usual pleasures of travel. I left Alexandria for Cairo at 4am and and now I'm sitting at London, Heathrow, as I missed the connection to Boston. Oh well. In any case, here are some pictures from the conference below, and check out the first and second day reports of the conference by Riazat Butt in the Guardian. And another interesting one on

  • Darwin in Alexandria - I

    15 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm
    Two days have passed and the verdict is in. The quality of speakers (excluding some crazies) and food (excluding coffee) is phenomenal at Darwin's Living Legacy conference in Alexandria. Some quick thoughts: There have been some anti-evolutionary comments made in the sessions that dealt with religion and evolution - but overall, the reception seems to have been quite positive - both in Egyptian
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    Small Group Help Blog

  • Strategic Small Group Ministry Training

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm
    December 10 & 11, 2009Ebenezers Coffeehouse (National Community Church)Washington, DCLeading a single small group is a challenge, but running "point" on a church full of small groups can expose a whole new set of obstacles and opportunities. Discipleship, spiritual formation, missional outreach, and Biblical literacy happen best in small groups, and small groups happen best where organic growth is supported by strategic vision and purpose. If you are responsible for leadin [...]

  • Five Reasons To Be In A Small Group For Life

    25 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pm
    At the Group Life Conference this year Andy Stanley shared five reasons that he will be in a small group for life. Here they are: 1. It’s the easiest place to invite un-churched people to, especially if they are not ready for the whole Sunday morning experience. 2. It’s often one of the only contexts for pastors or church staff to enga [...]

  • Group Life - Heather Zempel - Messy Small Groups

    23 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Small groups are great until the people show up! Community is messyMesses of Biblical proportionsGod createsAdam and eve mess things upCain and Abel kill and messNoah drunk and naked messIsaac and JacobJacob and Joseph and BrothersMosesDavidThe list goes on and onThe church at Corintho Egoso Law suitso Incesto DrunkennessDespite all the mess, the gospel is a gospel of hope and redemption for the messy community we create in our churches.Pig Farms STINKHow do you stop [...]

  • Group Life Conference - Henry Cloud - Saftey In Small Groups

    23 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pm
    The Uptight Church RequirementsYou have to be spiritualIf you show your flaws you've lost your walkIn this group you look good but your get worse over timeRecovery Group RequirementsYou have to be screwed upIf you show your flaws you're in denialIn this group you look a mess but heal over timeWays people grow in small groups1. By sufferinga. 1Peter 4 protect yourself by sufferingb. A safe group is not a comfortable group.2. By getting to the drivers underneath our li [...]

  • Group Life Conference - David Johnson

    22 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pm
     Environments of Grace = Life TransformationThis is HUGE for our churches.  Especially for churches that want to reach people that are far from god.  We will often use this phrase in our church: NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED.We even had it on a sign at the front door for a couple of years.  When people know they are accepted for who they [...]
 
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    The Christian Post RSS Feed

  • Clashes Erupt After Murder of Christian Man in Egypt

    25 Oct 2009 | 9:26 am
    Clashes broke out in a southern Egyptian village Saturday after Muslim youth began throwing stones at Coptic Christian churches and homes in the area in response to the extended detention four Muslim murder suspects.

  • Kenya Still Urgently in Need Despite Return of Rains

    25 Oct 2009 | 8:44 am
    Though weather officials in Kenya expect this season’s rainfall not to fail as it has the past three years, those working to provide relief in the country are reminding the global community that millions of hungry people still need food aid. Furthermore, the heavier rainfall may actually do more harm than good.

  • Orthodox Group: We Can Keep Anglicans Together

    24 Oct 2009 | 3:51 pm
    The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans believes it could be the key to preventing a split in the Church of England. FCA Chairman the Rt. Rev. Paul Perkin said the organization could be the "glue" needed to hold the Church together.

  • Christian Women Challenged to Contend for New Level of Faith

    24 Oct 2009 | 3:36 pm
    Thousands of women from around the world were challenged to upgrade their faith as they face battles and see the world shaken.

  • Church Registration in Vietnam Inches Along

    24 Oct 2009 | 1:47 pm
    The operating license is the first one granted since five were granted two years ago. The last of those five churches, the Christian Fellowship Church, was finally allowed to hold its organizing assembly in late September.
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    The Christian Pulse

  • Don’t Forget To Back Up!

    Kathy Carlton Willis
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    By Kathy Willis I’m not good at backing up my van. Okay, I admit it! I try to use my mirrors, and I move my head around to visualize things, but I’m still awkward at maneuvering the car in reverse. There are some parking lots and parking garages that do not allow enough wiggle room, let [...]

  • Delayed Gratification

    Cami Checketts
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    By Cami Checketts “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now.” Zig Ziglar We live in a society of instant gratification. Need a question answered? Minutes on the internet and you’ll have more information than you could possibly use. Hungry? Wendy’s will have your dinner ready in [...]

  • Trading Places

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
     By Susan Dollyhigh     The call came from New Hanover Hospital’s emergency room after the crisis with my three-year-old granddaughter had passed. “Mom, Katelyn’s okay, but we just spent four hours in the ER with her,” I heard my daughter, Emily, say on the other end of the phone line. Even as relief flooded my mind with the [...]

  • Out of the Depths of Sexual Sin

    Donald James Parker
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    Written By Steve Gallagher Reviewed By Donald James Parker In 2006 I heard the small still voice tell me to “go after the sexual revolution.” I was not quite sure how to do that, so I went searching for knowledge and wisdom on the subject. My pastor suggested that Steve Gallagher was the guy with the knowledge. [...]

  • A Box of Chocolate & A Bubble Bath

    admin
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    By Jodi Whisenhunt This fall, my oldest child, Kyle, started 9th grade. As a homeschooler, I’m a bit anxious about it. Ok, I’m a lot anxious about it! “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way,” according to 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NIV). Paul’s referring to regulations for speaking in tongues. (By the look on [...]
 
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    Global Sikh News

  • Anti Sikh Preacher Gurbachan singh Thailandwala

    A Kaur
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:48 pm
    Victoria, Canada: Recently, Ragi Darshan Singh passed blasphemic comments against Guru Gobind Singh ji by fabricationg his own stories. Akal takhat  took notice of that and called him to appear before Akal Takhat on December 5, 2009. Sikhs all over the world expressed happiness that Ragi will be brought to justice. But this was not [...]

  • Federation Workers Burning Effigies Of Prof Darshan Singh

    A Kaur
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:54 pm
    Ludhiana, Punjab: Sikh students federation burned effigies of former Akal Takhat Jathedar Prof Darshan Singh today throughout Punjab. They did that to express protest over Darshan Singh’s derogatory comments about tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind singh while speaking at a Gurudwara in USA. Main spokesman of federation Bhai Major Singh told that they had held protests [...]

  • Sikh Gurdwara judicial panel slaps contempt notice on SGPC

    A Kaur
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:38 pm
    Amritsar, Punjab: In what has come has come as a blow to the SGPC management, the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission (SGJC) has slapped a contempt notice on SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and secretary Dalmegh Singh for allegedly violating the commission directions in respect of commissioning of a private firm for the audit of the [...]

  • Chandigarh to host global Sikh meeting

    A Kaur
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pm
    Chandigarh, Punjab: When eminent Sikh scholars, academicians, doctors, retired defence officers, bureaucrats, lawyers and businessmen owing allegiance to the International Sikh Confederation assemble here next Sunday, important issues facing the Sikh community are expected to come up for discussion. The confederation’s general house meeting would review all major activities besides deliberating upon important and sensitive issues [...]

  • Sikh Student Federation to Burn Effigies of Darshan Singh in Punjab

    A Kaur
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:58 pm
    Ludhiana, Punjab: Taking serious view of Ragi darshan singh’s blasphemic pronouncements for tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Sikh students Federation (Mehta) has decided to burn effigies of Darshan Singh tomorrow throughout Punjab. Parmajit Singh, president of the federation and Amarjit Singh Chawla patron of Sikh Students Federation have appealed to Singh Sahibans to [...]
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    Wash Post Religion

  • In Baltimore, U.S. bishops assert their authority

    Daniel Burke
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    BALTIMORE -- At a time of fractious debate within the Catholic Church in the United States, the head of the national bishops group said this week that Catholic universities, media outlets and other affiliated organizations that insist on independence from the church hierarchy are "less than full...

  • Conservative Christian leaders tell followers not to comply with laws

    Michelle Boorstein and Hamil R. Harris
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Conservative Christian leaders unveiled a declaration Friday calling on Christians not to comply with rules and laws forcing them to accept abortion, same-sex marriage and other ideals that go against their religious doctrines.

  • Rebel conflict heightens humanitarian crisis in Yemen

    Sudarsan Raghavan
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    MAZRAQ, YEMEN -- From his tent made of blankets, Ali al-Majeshri stared at the tarpaulin tents in the refugee camp across the road. Five days before, he and his family had arrived at this wretched patch in a failing nation, driven here by a civil war that overnight had become a regional conflict....

  • In Fort Hood aftermath, Pentagon opens two reviews

    Ann Scott Tyson and Ben Pershing
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    The Pentagon is launching an urgent review of whether military procedures hinder the identification of service members who pose a threat to their fellow troops.

  • Eugene Robinson on the necessity of a civilian trial for Khalid Sheik Mohammed

    Eugene Robinson
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    The concept of justice is a key battlefield and a way to show we practice what we preach.
 
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    WorldWide Religious News

  • Catholic, Evangelical leaders team up to fight abortion, same-sex marriage

    Michelle Boorstein ("Washington Post," November 20, 2009) Washington, USA - A highly influential group of conservative Christian leaders are releasing a document today that they have been working on for more than a year, an attempt to unify disparate religious conservatives.

  • The end of the church of Oprah?

    Elizabeth Tenety ("Washington Post," November 20, 2009) Chicago, USA - The queen is abdicating her throne. The little Baptist girl from Mississippi who became one of the most influential people in America will announce today that her talk show will come to an end in 2011, after 25 years on the air.

  • Evolution and history compulsory

    ("BBC," November 19, 2009) Primary school children in England will have to learn about evolution and British history under a shake-up of the national curriculum. Schools Minister Vernon Coaker says the subjects will be compulsory elements of a new primary school curriculum being introduced in 2011. Scientists and humanists had lobbied ministers for the inclusion of evolution in the theme-based timetable.

  • Muslim schools' 'risk of closure'

    Divya Talwar ("BBC," November 19, 2009) Many independent Muslim schools in England are under threat of closure, according to the Association of Muslim Schools (AMS). The organisation, which represents almost 100 independent Islamic institutions, said many could not afford to stay open. Most schools use fees and donations to cover costs and need about £2000 per pupil per year to stay afloat.

  • 52% Americans think Islamic extremism rising

    ("Indo-Asian News Service," November 20, 2009) New York: More than half of Americans fear the rise of Islamic extremism, says a survey taken after the shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas earlier this month. In the worst-ever shooting at any US Army base, Major Nidal Malik Hassan, an Army psychiatrist, allegedly mowed down 12 fellow soldiers and a civilian when he fired on his comrades to protest his upcoming posting to the war zone.
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    Yahoo! News: Religion News

  • Pope and Anglican leader agree on closer relations (AP)

    21 Nov 2009 | 10:24 am
    AP - After offering a home in his church to disaffected Anglicans, Pope Benedict XVI assured the archbishop of Canterbury on Saturday that he is still committed to seeking closer relations between Catholics and Anglicans.

  • Russian Orthodox priest shot dead in Moscow church (AP)

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:24 am
    AP - A gunman killed a Russian Orthodox priest in his Moscow church and seriously wounded the reverend's assistant, officials said Friday.

  • AP Exclusive: Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban (AP)

    19 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm
    AP - Four years after cartoons of the prophet Muhammad set off violent protests across the Muslim world, Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery — essentially a ban on blasphemy that would put them on a collision course with free speech laws in the West.

  • Afghan official said to take bribe for copper deal (AP)

    18 Nov 2009 | 8:06 pm
    AP - A senior Afghan official allegedly took a $20 million bribe to steer a copper mining project to a Chinese company, a glaring example of the claims of corruption clouding the Obama administration's deliberations over expanding the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan.

  • Bishops discuss authority over Catholic colleges (AP)

    18 Nov 2009 | 10:07 am
    AP - Fallout continues from the summer controversy over the University of Notre Dame awarding an honorary degree to President Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights.
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    Unique Muslimah

  • 30 Days of Gratitude: Day 10

    Unique Muslimah
    12 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pm
    30 Days of Gratitude: Day 10, originally uploaded by Unique-Muslimah. I’m grateful for the time I had with my father today. In this increasingly fast-paced life it is sometimes hard to have some quality time with your loved ones. But today among the hustle and bustle of people in the city rushing here and there we [...]

  • 30 Days of Gratitude: Day 9

    Unique Muslimah
    12 Nov 2009 | 3:24 pm
    30 Days of Gratitude: Day 9, originally uploaded by Unique-Muslimah. Today I’m grateful for my “don’t give up” attitude. The last time I made cupcakes, some of them had caved in, although I was not sure why. I was adamant to get a perfect tray of cupcakes, so I tried again today and all is well [...]
 
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    The Christian Pulse

  • Don’t Forget To Back Up!

    Kathy Carlton Willis
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    By Kathy Willis I’m not good at backing up my van. Okay, I admit it! I try to use my mirrors, and I move my head around to visualize things, but I’m still awkward at maneuvering the car in reverse. There are some parking lots and parking garages that do not allow enough wiggle room, let [...]

  • Delayed Gratification

    Cami Checketts
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    By Cami Checketts “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now.” Zig Ziglar We live in a society of instant gratification. Need a question answered? Minutes on the internet and you’ll have more information than you could possibly use. Hungry? Wendy’s will have your dinner ready in [...]

  • Trading Places

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
     By Susan Dollyhigh     The call came from New Hanover Hospital’s emergency room after the crisis with my three-year-old granddaughter had passed. “Mom, Katelyn’s okay, but we just spent four hours in the ER with her,” I heard my daughter, Emily, say on the other end of the phone line. Even as relief flooded my mind with the [...]

  • Out of the Depths of Sexual Sin

    Donald James Parker
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    Written By Steve Gallagher Reviewed By Donald James Parker In 2006 I heard the small still voice tell me to “go after the sexual revolution.” I was not quite sure how to do that, so I went searching for knowledge and wisdom on the subject. My pastor suggested that Steve Gallagher was the guy with the knowledge. [...]

  • A Box of Chocolate & A Bubble Bath

    admin
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    By Jodi Whisenhunt This fall, my oldest child, Kyle, started 9th grade. As a homeschooler, I’m a bit anxious about it. Ok, I’m a lot anxious about it! “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way,” according to 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NIV). Paul’s referring to regulations for speaking in tongues. (By the look on [...]
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    Faith Central - Times Online - WBLG

  • Love rivals and religion

    Bess Twiston-Davies
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:23 am
    Bess writes: Make of this what you will. According to a new poll, having a rival in love is likely to make you feel… more religious. That, at least, is the result of a survey of 269 college students shown the dating profiles of good-looking men and women. Having seen the profiles, each volunteer was asked to grade on a scale to 1-10 how much they agreed with statements including “I believe in God’” and “We’d be better off if religion played a bigger role in people’s lives.” When confronted with attractive members of their own sex, their tendency to agree with such statements…

  • "May his days be few..." The Bible verse condemning Obama

    Bess Twiston-Davies
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:53 am
      Bess writes:  MataH reports on Psalm 109:8, the Biblical verse  topping the google trends charts. It is appearing across America on bumper stickers and t-shirts accompanied by the words: Pray for Obama.The verse reads: "May his days be few, may another take his office." Well, you might argue, so what? MataH is, justifiably disturbed by the lines which follow: “May his children be fatherlessand his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars;may they be driven from their ruined homes.” Bloggers, as you might imagine, are having…

  • More crucifixes please, say Italian mayors

    Bess Twiston-Davies
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:14 am
    Bess writes: You may remember that about 10 days ago Italy said, as our Rome correspondent Richard Owen reported, that it would challenge a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights about the right of Italian state schools to display Crucifixes in the classroom. It was brought to Strasbourg by Soile Lautsi, a Finn married to an Italian. She's against the presence of the Crucifix in the school her two children attend, saying it violates the separation in Italy of Church and State. The court gave her  €5,000 (£4,473) in damages and agreed. Italy’s Education Minister declared…

  • Tony Blair on Mitzvah Day

    Bess Twiston-Davies
    13 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    Tony Blair's Mitzvah Day Message

  • E.T calls the Pope?

    Bess Twiston-Davies
    10 Nov 2009 | 3:57 am
    Bess writes: Can you believe in God and in aliens? That is a question brought up the astrobiologist Marc Kaufman in this intriguing piece on the first major congress on astrobiology, the science that “seeks to find life elsewhere in the Cosmos”. It’s being held this week at the Vatican.   Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, says the possibility of “brother extraterrestrials” is no problem for Catholic theology. “As multiplicity of creatures exists on Earth, so there could be other beings, also intelligent, created by God,” he says. “This does not…
 
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    www.markdroberts.com

  • Photos from the Capitol

    Mark D. Roberts
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:06 am
    Yesterday, my family and I visited the Texas Capitol, the center of the state government in Austin, the capital. We were there for my daughter to be reconized for getting second place in the National History Day competition last summer. (She was second in the Junior Division, Individual Performance.) So, yesterday, the State Board of Education honored Kara and others from Texas who did well in the competition. I thought I’d share a couple of photos. First, Kara and her fellow winners. Next to Kara in the blue jacket is her 8th grade history teacher, Mr. Bryan Degner. “Coach”…

  • Three Top Website Recommendations

    Mark D. Roberts
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Today, I want to recommend three great websites. I have been visiting these websites for several years with great appreciation. I have recommended them before, but they’re worth another shout out. Holy Land Photos This website offers thousands of photos of biblical sites. You name it, they’ll have it, and much, much more. But here’s the best part. For use in ministry or teaching contexts, you can use these fantastic photos for free. (Commercial uses require special permission, as do some website uses.) Holy Land Photos is the brainchild of Dr. Carl Rasmussen, who is…

  • Laity Lodge on Worship Team Training

    Mark D. Roberts
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am
    Worship Team Training is a ministry that provides inspiration, training, and resources for worship leaders, especially but not only those who lead in contemporary contexts. Worship Team Training offers a whole-person approach to the training of worship leaders, focusing on skill development, leadership growth, and spiritual renewal. Worship Team Training was begun by Branon Dempsey, a mature, visionary worship leader whom I met when teaching in the Southern California Worship Institute some years ago. Branon had enrolled in the Institute to develop his talent as a worship leader, especially…

  • Fall in the Texas Hill Country, Part 2

    Mark D. Roberts
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Here are a couple more photos, taken at Laity Lodge last weekend. Enjoy! ShareThis

  • A Great Thanksgiving Tradition

    Mark D. Roberts
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    In this post I want to tell you about a great Thanksgiving tradition. Yes, yes, I know Thanksgiving Day comes a week from Thursday. But I’m putting up this post in the hopes that there still might be time for some of you to act on what I’m about to recommend. I’ll admit to a not-so-hidden agenda. I want to commend this the tradition I describe in this post to you as something you might wish to add to your yearly Thanksgiving repertoire. I guarantee that it will pay rich dividends in delight and expanded gratitude. I can boast about this tradition without hesitation because…
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    Real Live Preacher

  • Turtles All The Way Down for Sale!!

    rlp
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm
    Turtles all the Way Down, my latest collection of essays, is at the printer right now and will ship in early December. You can buy a copy of that along with my selection of Christmas books at GracefullThings.com. NOTE: It will ship in time to arrive before Christmas. A Christmas Story You've Never Heard (book and audio) and The Shepherd's Story (audio)

  • Mysterious Paper Crane

    rlp
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am
    I received a letter last summer. It arrived at the church, having been mailed from Corpus Christi on August 10th. There was no return address on the envelope. My name and address were carefully written with a calligraphy pen. There were faint guidelines, erased but still visible, which the person used to keep his or her handwriting straight. “Whoever sent this was being very careful and deliberate about it,” I thought. I opened the envelope and an origami crane fell out. A letter included with it told the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima, who died ten years after the…

  • Our life with Shelby - part two

    rlp
    12 Nov 2009 | 6:25 am
    Part two in a series. Click here to read part one. Shelby’s time in the psychiatric hospital was very hard on all of us. She was frightened to be there and wanted to come home badly. But Jeanene and I both felt strongly that she needed to finish her time of evaluation. She was there about 10 days. At the end of that time the psychiatric team gave us a diagnosis and a new medication, one that was carefully chosen to address specific issues. Before this she had been on a variety of anti-depressants and ADD medications. The standard procedure is to try things and see what happens. The doctors…

  • Turtles all the Way Down now for sale!

    rlp
    11 Nov 2009 | 7:55 pm
      It's official. Well, it's as close to official as it can be. I have the first draft of the galley proofs in my hands. The cover is done. The editors and I are going over things one last time and then it's off to the printer. Turtles all the Way Down will be ready for shipping on or about December 1st. In plenty of time for Christmas. I'm so grateful to the Consafo publication team for this project. Over 200 people bought close to 400 advance copies of the book. They had the opportunity to vote on the content and write the blurbs for the back cover. In addition, 15 members of the team…

  • Our life with Shelby

    rlp
    5 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pm
    My daughter Shelby turns 17 this month. We have been through some hard times with her over the last few years. Shelby has read this and is fine with me telling you about what has happened. The name of her second grade teacher has been changed in this account. My wife says that our middle daughter Shelby came into this world anxious and has been anxious ever since. She was a colicky baby who cried constantly. As a small child she was fearful of many things and hesitant to try anything new. She was most comfortable when she was alone and often played by herself. She spent hours in her room…
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    Hindu Press International » Hindu Press International

  • Hindu Spiritual Leaders Will Gather at the Parliament of the World’s Religions

    Satyanatha
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:03 pm
    Source: www.parliamentofreligions.orgMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, November 20, 2009: Australia will host the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions. The event take place December 3 through December 9, and is expected to bring together 8,000 to 12,000 people.The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions suggests that the Melbourne Parliament will “educate participants for global peace and justice” through exploring religious conflict and globalization, creating community and cross-cultural networks.A special feature of the Melbourne Parliament will be an assembly of…

  • Second Festival of India In Buenos Aires A Grand Success

    Satyanatha
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pm
    Source: www.indembarg.org.arBUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, November 17, 2009: The second edition of the Buenos Aires India Festival, held from the 5th to the 15th of November, was successful and colorful, attracting thousands of Argentines. The Festival activities included handicrafts, Indian classical and folk dances, seminars, films, a photo exhibition, food and a literary contest. Scaled down versions of the Festival (with food, dance and films) are also occurring in Montevideo and Asuncion, the capitals of Argentina’s northern neighbors Uruguay and Paraguay.

  • The Blue God of Judaism

    Satyanatha
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pm
    Source: HPIUSA, November 19, 2009: The God that Jews worship is as blue as the Hindu God Shiva, the supreme being in Shaivism, the oldest sect within Hinduism, says Rabbi Robert dos Santos Teixeira, LMSW.In some ways, the ancient Hebrews were more similar to modern-day Hindus than Jews. They acknowledged the existence of deities other than YHWH (Yahweh) and, like their neighbors, looked to a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses to satisfy their individual and collective needs; their principal God, however, became and remained YHWH, the fierce warrior who freed them from slavery in Egypt. He once…

  • Daily Inspiration

    Satyanatha
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    Source: www.hinduismtoday.comIf one wants to abide in the thought-free state, a struggle is inevitable. One must fight one’s way through before regaining one’s original primal state. If one succeeds in the fight and reaches the goal, the enemy, namely the thoughts, will all subside in the Self and disappear entirely.    Ramana Maharishi

  • Is the Spirit of Competition in the Soul of Yoga?

    Satyanatha
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:04 pm
    Source: www.nytimes.comNEW YORK, USA, November 19, 2009: The competitors stood nervously on stage, awaiting the judges’ decisions. As each name was called the crowd cheered, and the winner stepped forward to claim a prize, bowing his or her head to accept a medal at the New York Regional Yoga Championship. Yoga championship?Yoga enthusiasts like to talk about the many benefits of their practice — good health, inner peace, killer abs — but seldom do they brag about the thrill of victory. Yoga as a competitive sport has been almost unknown in this country, largely because the…
 
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    Velveteen Rabbi

  • This week's portion: a Torah journey with Rebecca

    Rachel Barenblat
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:24 am
    This fall I'm taking a class called "Torah Journeys" with Rabbi Shefa Gold. Reb Shefa is teaching us her method of intensely personal exegesis, as appears in her excellent collection of parshaniyut, Torah Journeys. We've each been asked to engage in a "Torah journey" of our own around a Torah text of our choosing; I chose this week's portion, Toldot. At the very beginning of this parsha, we learn that Rebecca is childless. Yitzchak pleads with God on her behalf and she conceives. She feels the tumult of the twins within her, and goes to inquire of YHVH, אם…

  • Psalm 20: a psalm for childbirth

    Rachel Barenblat
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:19 am
    As I mentioned a while back, my final project for my psalms tutorial is an exploration of two psalms which have classically been associated with childbirth, one of which is psalm 20, which begins "May God answer you in your day of trouble." In one interpretation,  Midrash Tehillim draws an analogy between the God-Israel relationship and the relationship of a mother and daughter who, though they have quarreled, are still so deeply connected that when the daughter cries out in labor, her mother -- even if her mother is in heaven, e.g. the world to come -- cries out along with her.

  • This week's portion: birthings

    Rachel Barenblat
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:06 am
    BIRTHINGS (TOLDOT) Eleh tol'dot Yitzchak these are Isaac's generations this is the history but generations shares a root with birthings seems to me this portion ought to begin these are the birthings of Rivka, tales of pregnancy and uncertainty a belly slowly swelling twins jostling for space in the family they share someone reframed it so that Isaac comes first but Rivka's tale persists she asks her own questions I do too This week we're in parashat Toldot, which begins וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק / v'eleh tol'dot Yitzchak, usually…

  • Paradigm shifting and Hasidut

    Rachel Barenblat
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm
    Part 3 of a series of blog posts arising out of final reflections on the class Moadim l'Simcha, "Seasons of Our Rejoicing," which I recently completed. Part 1 can be found here and part 2 can be found here. Paradigm shifting: How might we/you draw on these sources for our own spiritual path? For the world of Jewish Renewal? What teachings/practices might be adapted/surrendered to? What might be creatively recast? Are there elements that can’t be (easily) absorbed? What do we learn from these "unassimilable" elements (or roughage)? Why study them nonetheless?

  • Morning

    Rachel Barenblat
    17 Nov 2009 | 5:44 am
    I wake on my own time, when my pregnant bladder demands. I doze some more. I decide to rise. I check blood pressure, shower, take my morning meds, and putter my way down to the kitchen, pausing to retrieve the two Boppy slipcovers from the dryer and to place one on the pillow which waits in the silent nursery. I go into the garage, which is deliciously cold, and retrieve a Honeycrisp apple from the old wooden box which serves as our root cellar. Diced, it goes into a little pot with oats and raisins and a dash of cinnamon. Once I'm fed, I put on tallit and tefillin and spend a little bit…
 
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    Jade Mountains - Practice Within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives

  • Flooding

    Rev. Mugo
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:25 pm
    Spare a thought for all who are caught up in the flooding in Cumbria, as well as in South West Scotland. My laptop failed me earlier in the week. As you see, it is back in business again. Thankfully.

  • From My First Wall?

    Rev. Mugo
    14 Nov 2009 | 1:57 pm
    I remember very clearly everything about the first wall I sat still in front of. Stones painted off-white. I remember very clearly what came into my mind it went something like... Oh NO! This is REALLY important! I like to think that perhaps one of these stones, now part of the outside of the meditation hall, is one of those off-white stones. The lay ministers are here for the weekend, including Andrew and his wife Julie, so I'm fully occupied until late on Monday with this retreat.

  • Dog(s) Of The Blog?

    Rev. Mugo
    12 Nov 2009 | 1:57 pm
    Running neck and neck are Kipling (AKA Pumpkin) and Dottie (snappy dresser). But Trog will take a lot to beat I'd say. Uh! and I forgot about Jazzy in Edmonton. I do hope Jade has not entered the silly season. Newspapers in Britain, at one time years ago, would lead with photographs of people in deck chairs on Brighten beach with headlines like Phew! What a Scorcher!. It was called the silly season and generally lasted as long as Parliament was on holiday. Jade can have silly season any time of the year. Anyway, it is great to see Dottie in her new coat made by Adrienne - who couldn't resist…

  • FIRE!

    Rev. Mugo
    11 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pm
    The noise I heard coming from inside the chimney flu was almost immediate. A quick and panicked scratching. There was something in there. And it was alive. I wondered how I could put the fire out, but the newspaper was burning fast, already catching the kindling. It must have been the fastest burning fire I’ve ever built. I suppose my father taught me well. Then suddenly, there it was. A starling had popped down from the chimney into the firebox, and it was pecking against the glass. It was jumping and twisting, trying to get out, trying to avoid the quickly growing flames. Instinctively, I…

  • Under The Ground In A Box - Suddenly

    Rev. Mugo
    9 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pm
    I know a dad who went to wake his teenage son only to find him dead in his bed. The son had suffered a fatal asthma attack. There was nothing that could be done. We hear of such events and non can know the anguish save those who have known it too. The innocent questioning of a small boy about why dead people are buried under the ground in a box had his dad pondering...on his owns sons death. O the anguish! See this posting in Views From the Bike Shed blog for an interesting posting and a poem by John Latham who suffered his sons death from an asthma attack. Thanks to Julius, once again, for…
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    On Faith

  • Bishops, abortion and health-care reform

    Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham
    U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking?...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

  • Religion in the military

    Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham
    The Fort Hood shootings have raised questions again about how the military should handle the personal religious beliefs of its soldiers, whether they are evangelical Christians, Muslims, Wiccans, and so on. What is the proper role of religion -- and personal religious belief -- in the U.S. armed forces? Should a particular religious affiliation disqualify someone from active military service? How far should the military go to accommodate personal religious beliefs and practices?...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

  • Islam and the Fort Hood shootings

    Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham
    What effect will the Fort Hood shootings have on the American public's perception of Islam?...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

  • End-of-life care

    Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham
    Proposed health-care reform legislation includes a provision that allows Medicare to pay for "end-of-life" counseling for seniors and their families who request it. The provision -- which Sarah Palin erroneously described as "death panels" for seniors -- nearly derailed President Obama's health-care initiative. Some Republicans still argue that the provision would ration health care for the elderly. Does end-of-life care prolong life or does it prolong suffering? Should it be a part of health-care reform?...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

  • Good without God?

    David Waters
    Is there good without God? Can people be good without God? How can people be good, in the moral and ethical sense, without being grounded in some sort of belief in a being which is greater than they are? Where do concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, come from if not from religion? From where do you get your sense of good and evil, right and wrong?...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.
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    Sufi News and Sufism World Report

  • A Voice In Government

    Marina Montanaro
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    By Martin Bright, *Whitehall in turmoil over Muslim advisers* - The Jewish Chronicle - London, UKThursday, November 12, 2009An ideological battle has broken out in Whitehall [*] over the advice given to ministers on Islamic radicalism.A series of recent changes of personnel and promotions at key departments has led to concerns that the government is moving away from a policy of dialogue with moderates towards a policy of engagement with more radical groups.The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirmed that Azhar Ali, one of Hazel Blears’s advisers and an influential…

  • “I Am Not Mine / I Am Not Mine”

    Marina Montanaro
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    By Robyn Creswell, *Mourning Tongues* - The National - Abu Dhabi, UAEThursday, November 12, 2009After his death at age 67, the late poems of Mahmoud Darwish have found new life in translationA little more than a year after his death it seems fair to say that Mahmoud Darwish, one of the past century’s signal poets, has finally arrived in English. Six substantial collections of his work have been translated in the past three years and several others are on the way, a level of attention publishers usually reserve for Nobel Prize winners. With a little luck, Darwish might one day join that…

  • Inspired By Mowlavi

    Marina Montanaro
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    By TE/HGH, *Shajarian to perform at Mowlavi's tomb* - Press TV - Tehran, IranMonday, November 9, 2009Iran's legendary vocalist Mohammad-Reza Shajarian is planning to hold a concert to commemorate Sufi poet Mowlavi in Konya, Turkey.Shajarian will hold the concert accompanied by the Shahnaz ensemble and upon an invitation by the International Rumi Foundation. The 69-year-old vocalist will perform traditional Persian music pieces inspired by Mowlavi's poems.The five-day concert will be held from Dec. 12 to 16, 2009 at Mowlavi's eternal resting place in Konya.The poet, mystic and theologian is…

  • All-round Appreciation

    Marina Montanaro
    17 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    By Vijay Kumar, *Thousands participated in Sufi Festival in Kashmir,concludes successfully* - Ground Report - IndiaSunday, November 8, 2009Srinagar: First of its kind, 3-days Sufi Festival festival exclusively dedicated itself to project the good deeds and high moral thought projected by great saints and Aulia-e-Kirams of the valley during last seven centuries.This Festival where great and revered Aulia-e-Kirams particularly Hazreth Bulbul Shah (RA), Hazreth Amir Kabir (RA), Hazreth Maqdoom Sahib (RA), Hazreth Peer Dastgeer Sahib (RA) and Hazreth Khawaja Naqshband Sahib (RA) were remembered…

  • A Smile Stretched Eternally

    Marina Montanaro
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    By Ali Eteraz, *Sufism: Faith's smiling face* - The Washington Post - Washington, DC, USAMonday, November 9, 2009Were Islam a buffet, I'd be the guy that shows up in the morning and stays late, picking and tasting every item, simultaneously stuffed and starving, simultaneously gluttonous and bulimic.From madrassas in rural Pakistan to traditional elders in the country's urban bungalows; from cramped immigrant mosques in Brooklyn to the technocratic Islam at elite East Coast universities; from someone veiling his spiritual malaise with romanticized visions of Islamic supremacism to someone who…
 
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    Inspirations and Creative Thoughts

  • you've seen the beauty of individuality, now see the beauty of its disappearance

    21 Nov 2009 | 9:55 am
    1.You have to disappear. The world has to be left behind, the body has to be left behind, the mind has to be left behind; And then you have only one thing to lose -- yourself. You have enjoyed everything. You have enjoyed the purity of individuality; now you have to enjoy the disappearing of individuality. You have seen the beauty of individuality; now you have to see the disappearance and its

  • On attainment of nearness of God | Discourse from Futuh ul-Ghayb

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:21 am
    Bismillah1.When you are united with God, you attain to His nearness by His attraction and help; and the meaning of union with God is your going out of the creation and desire and purpose and becoming established in His action and His purpose without there being any movement in you or through you, in His creation unless it be with His order and action and command. This is the state of fana (

  • Jodi Morome Lukaye Robay | Song of Atulprasad

    18 Nov 2009 | 7:36 am
    Jodi Morome lukaye robay,hridoye shukaye jabaykeno praano vora aasha dile go?Tobo chorono shorno toreeto bekulota vorekeno thai jodi nahi mile go?If You're to remain.. ever elusive within.. the innermost heart chamber,.... if You're to wither away.... from the heart sanctuary,.............. - why then You've given such................ soul-saturating longing for You?Remembrance of Your blessed

  • Heart of Compassion | Way of the Bodhisattvas

    16 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pm
    1.~ Nama Lokeshvaraya ~Praise be to Lord (Eeshvara) of the Worlds (Lok)First of all I should make an effortTo meditate upon the equality between self and others:I should protect all beings as I do myselfBecause we are all equal in wanting pleasure and not wanting pain.Although there are many different parts and aspects such as the hands; As a body that is to be protected they are one, likewise

  • Charter for Compassion Unveiled | Affirming from a Muslim's Perspective

    13 Nov 2009 | 12:21 am
    1.Ethical AlchemyReligion isn’t about believing things.It’s about what you do.It’s ethical alchemy.It’s about behaving in a way that changes you,that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness.~ Karen Armstrong2.Background12th November 2009 will be marked in history as a red letter day for this generation and generations to come, for today the Charter for Compassion was unveiled. Charter
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    La Shawn Barber's Corner

  • Blogging Six Years!

    La Shawn
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:12 am
    I forgot to note my blogiversary. Again. I forgot last year, too. I started blogging on November 5, 2003, and received 4,960,172 visits since then. I briefly tasted big blog success, and it was good. Mostly. Thank you, readers! It still amazes me. Will I resurrect past glory? Maybe. Perhaps, one day. Such things used to mean a lot more to me than they do now. Blogging is no longer rebellious or novel. It just…is. My whole life I’ve tried to be different from the crowd. It’s a compulsion. However, a blog is still a wonderful medium, and I encourage anyone to give it try. When…

  • Christian Thinking Bad Thoughts II

    La Shawn
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:44 am
    “…I saw that baby trying to get away from the probe that the doctor was using…I just wanted to make it stop…I could see it twisting and just saw it crumble…I will never do this again.” Christians, pray that the Spirit of God convicts more Planned Parenthood workers and infuses them with the courage to expose the abortion mill’s practices. Related post: Christian Thinking Bad Thoughts

  • Photo of Nidal Malik Hasan

    La Shawn
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm
    11/6/09: Let’s see. He’s a Muslim, and he shouted “Allahu Akbar!” before the slaughter. I wonder what that’s about. ————————————————————————————– Update: Thought I was being gutsy posting an unconfirmed photo of the killer, but MSNBC’s just published it. Later…CBS will have a live-feed of the press conference at Fort Hood, which hasn’t started yet (7:31 p.m. ET). News people…

  • Shedding of Innocent Blood

    La Shawn
    5 Nov 2009 | 6:46 am
    Some pro-lifers oppose publishing photos of aborted babies. I’m not too wild about it, myself. But… I think people who believe women have a right to kill their unborn babies, and pregnant women considering it, should know what it looks like. They should fully understand that this is no ordinary “medical” procedure. A tiny, developing human being is violently torn from the mother’s womb. All in the name of convenience. Does he feel pain? Does he cry? Graphic image warning: Here’s the blood.

  • Stuck in London, Need Cash

    La Shawn
    5 Nov 2009 | 4:52 am
    You’ve probably heard about this phishing scam on the news, or you may have fallen for it. A scammer sends an innocuous looking e-mail. You open it, click on a link, and the scammer steals your password. No attachment downloading required. The scammer pretends to be you and sends an e-mail to your contacts. You’re in a foreign country, and you’ve lost your wallet and need cash fast. Someone hacked into an LBC reader’s e-mail account and sent this to his contacts: “My Predicament!! Thursday, November 5, 2009 7:32 AM From: This sender is DomainKeys verified…
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    www.markdroberts.com

  • Photos from the Capitol

    Mark D. Roberts
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:06 am
    Yesterday, my family and I visited the Texas Capitol, the center of the state government in Austin, the capital. We were there for my daughter to be reconized for getting second place in the National History Day competition last summer. (She was second in the Junior Division, Individual Performance.) So, yesterday, the State Board of Education honored Kara and others from Texas who did well in the competition. I thought I’d share a couple of photos. First, Kara and her fellow winners. Next to Kara in the blue jacket is her 8th grade history teacher, Mr. Bryan Degner. “Coach”…

  • Three Top Website Recommendations

    Mark D. Roberts
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Today, I want to recommend three great websites. I have been visiting these websites for several years with great appreciation. I have recommended them before, but they’re worth another shout out. Holy Land Photos This website offers thousands of photos of biblical sites. You name it, they’ll have it, and much, much more. But here’s the best part. For use in ministry or teaching contexts, you can use these fantastic photos for free. (Commercial uses require special permission, as do some website uses.) Holy Land Photos is the brainchild of Dr. Carl Rasmussen, who is…

  • Laity Lodge on Worship Team Training

    Mark D. Roberts
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am
    Worship Team Training is a ministry that provides inspiration, training, and resources for worship leaders, especially but not only those who lead in contemporary contexts. Worship Team Training offers a whole-person approach to the training of worship leaders, focusing on skill development, leadership growth, and spiritual renewal. Worship Team Training was begun by Branon Dempsey, a mature, visionary worship leader whom I met when teaching in the Southern California Worship Institute some years ago. Branon had enrolled in the Institute to develop his talent as a worship leader, especially…

  • Fall in the Texas Hill Country, Part 2

    Mark D. Roberts
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Here are a couple more photos, taken at Laity Lodge last weekend. Enjoy! ShareThis

  • A Great Thanksgiving Tradition

    Mark D. Roberts
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    In this post I want to tell you about a great Thanksgiving tradition. Yes, yes, I know Thanksgiving Day comes a week from Thursday. But I’m putting up this post in the hopes that there still might be time for some of you to act on what I’m about to recommend. I’ll admit to a not-so-hidden agenda. I want to commend this the tradition I describe in this post to you as something you might wish to add to your yearly Thanksgiving repertoire. I guarantee that it will pay rich dividends in delight and expanded gratitude. I can boast about this tradition without hesitation because…
 
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    bendaniel.org

  • Pray for Obama

    Ben
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:15 pm
    Here’s a new rule: you may not criticize radical Muslims if you will not also call out crazy, violent Christians. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

  • David Brooks, Nidal Hasan, and the Separation of Religion and Violence

    Ben
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    We are on dangerous ground. In an op/ed piece published in The New York Times on November 11, 2009, David Brooks takes the American media to task for their initial reticence to portray Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan as a radical Muslim terrorist. Maj. Hasan, in case you haven’t been following the news, is the man who murdered thirteen of his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas last week. According to witnesses, he shouted “God is great” in Arabic before pulling out his pistol and killing people. Naturally, folks want to know about this murderous madman, and the first details to emerge painted a…

  • Book Review: “Patience with God: Faith for Those who Don’t like Religion (or Atheism)” by Frank Schaeffer.

    Ben
    19 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm
    I should begin my review of Frank Schaeffer’s latest book, Patience With God: Faith for People Who Don’t Like Religion (or Atheism)(Da Capo Press, $25.00, hardcover), with a disclaimer: I have an indirect financial interest in Mr. Schaeffer’s success as a writer. Frank Schaeffer wrote a beautifully-crafted, thoughtful, and gracious foreword for my forthcoming, yet-to-be-named book on American Christianity’s response to undocumented (or “illegal”) immigration. His name will appear next to mine on the cover of my book because my publisher, Westminster John Knox Press, hopes Frank…

  • Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize. How Should We Respond?

    Ben
    9 Oct 2009 | 10:29 pm
    For those who seem so distraught over the fact that Barack Obama is now a Nobel Laureate I have an history lesson. When, on December 10, 1964, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, he began his speech with the following words: I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when 22 million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award on behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom…

  • Blog Returning Soon; My Name Dropped on Maddow; GObama!

    Ben
    9 Oct 2009 | 4:03 pm
    I’ve finished my book (which doesn’t yet have a title), and I’ll be back on my blog soon. Meanwhile, check out this clip from a recent Rachel Maddow Show on which my named is dropped (it’s about 5:45 into the clip): Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Thanks to Jeff Sharlet for the name drop! By the way, his book is excellent. Go buy it. And congratulations to President Obama for winning the Peace Prize. Regardless of political persuasion and regardless of how much we think he may or may not deserve the prize, now is a time to…
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    Evolving Beings

  • Following the Blissful Brick Road

    Evita
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm
    Each day we make choices. Choices that either empower our state of being or disempower it. Choices that lead to growth, joy and happiness or choices that lead to various states of unhappiness. What do you choose each day?...

  • 5 Evolving Bloggers Who Have Touched My Life - 2

    Evita
    15 Nov 2009 | 9:09 pm
    Last year at this time, as I was coming closer and closer to the one year anniversary of Evolving Beings, I took some time to reflect on some of the wonderful people that I have been able to connect with...

  • Interview With Mike Nickerson: Sustainable Living, Money, Happiness and the Environment

    Evita
    11 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am
    Today I have a special guest here on Evolving Beings - author, speaker, researcher and environmentalist - Mike Nickerson. Mike is from Canada, but his message of sustainable living is universal and so timely in our society today.  Mike has...

  • The Web of Ideas and the Future of the World

    Guest Author
    5 Nov 2009 | 9:38 pm
    This article is written for Evolving Beings by guest author Gilbert Ross of Soul Hiker. The power of ideas that change the world around us is increasing and the rate at which they are influencing us is...

  • Evolving Being In Action: Marcomé

    Evita
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:38 am
    A new month is upon us and I am delighted to share with you and introduce you to November’s Evolving Being in Action. This month the spotlight goes to Marcomé. I learned about Marcomé when I first came across her...
 
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    Episcopal Cafe

  • Saturday collection 11/21/09

    Jim Naughton
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:07 am
    Our weekly look at just some of the good work being done in the Episcopal Church. The Boston Globe has a story about a priest with a saucy second vocation:When Charles Waite Maclin planted six apple trees on his property in Cushing, Maine, hoping for a bountiful harvest, someone must have heard his prayers. Not only were the trees fruitful, they also helped the Episcopal priest and psychotherapist launch Pastor Chuck Orchards. The business, recently named Food Producer of the Year by the Maine Grocers Association, sells organic applesauce ($6 for a 23-ounce jar) and other products made with…

  • LA suffragan candidates live on the Web today

    Jim Naughton
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:20 am
    Susan Russell informs us that there is a live Web cast of a question and answer session with candidates for the two bishop suffragan openings in the Diocese of Los Angeles today at 12:30 eastern time. The election is December 4-5.

  • Outside a world of wealth stands the reality of hunger

    Jim Naughton
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:36 am
    From The New York Times, which visited the church of occasional Cafe contributor the Rev. Bonnie Perry: You can drive past the lovely North Side house of Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, and smack into Chicago’s invisible poor. One block, two blocks, three blocks and there, at the corner of Wilson and Hermitage, is the Tuesday night line of the beleaguered and unlucky, seemingly bending to the horizon. Whatever the weather, they await the opening of a food pantry run by All Saints Episcopal Church, right across the street from a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom, 6,000-square-foot…

  • In praise of music

    Vicki K. Black
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Daily Reading for November 21 • William Byrd, 1623, John Merbecke, 1585, and Thomas Tallis, 1585, Musicians To an age like ours, fascinated with alienation and marginalization, Byrd presents an intriguing dilemma. Revered by his contemporaries and honored by his chief employer, Queen Elizabeth, he appears in some lights as the perfect royal musician, writing on order for the newly established Church of England as well as clothing courtiers’ ditties in substantial if often rather sober musical garb. The other, darker side of his life is represented by his stubbornly persistent Roman…

  • A Lutheran church for every stripe

    Andrew Gerns
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:30 pm
    A group of Lutherans are so angry over the ELCA's decision to allow for the inclusion of partnered gay clergy into their ranks under certain limited conditions that they want to form their own denomination. But these breakaway Lutherans don't want to join up with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod nor the Wisconsin Synod, because they do not allow for the ordination of women and take the Bible too literally for their tastes. So this would be a not-so-conservative, women-ordaining but gay unfriendly church. The Washington Post reports: At a September convention, Lutheran CORE members voted to…
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    Emergent Village

  • Luthermergent Gathering Recap [1]

    Editor
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm
    By Tim Snyder: In October, about 30 folks (some in and out) gathered in Edina, Minnesota, as part of Christianity21. The time was filled with conversation, new friends, old friends, hard questions, prayer and trying to figure out if we should even have a Luthermergent “network.” Thursday we gathered together leaders of communities to talk about their contexts and about what they’re learning. We asked that difficult and often elusive question, “so why Lutheran?” and noticed how many of our Luthermergent communities are led by folks who are adult converts to Lutheranism. Weird, right?

  • Save the House of Mercy Podcast

    Editor
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:30 pm
    “What happened to the podcast?” We get emails asking this pretty regularly, along with comments like, “I found the House of Mercy sermon podcast at a time when I really needed to hear something new, thank you, thank you, thank you.” “Since discovering the sermon audio files on the House of Mercy website, I’ve been getting some church right here at home. Not every day, but, I confess, sometimes as much as three times a day.” Each weekly HoM podcast, gets an average of about 500 listens in a 12-month period, that’s like 26,000 a year. But, as may podcast listeners know, the…

  • Follow the Moltmann Conversation Online [3]

    Editor
    9 Sep 2009 | 1:19 am
    The 2009 Emergent Village Theological Conversation with Jurgen Moltmann begins today in Chicago, Illinois. The conference runs September 9-11, and you can follow updates from the event using the Twitter feed below (#moltmann): #moltmann

  • Moving Forward: Hopes for the Future of Emergent Village [17]

    Editor
    8 Sep 2009 | 8:43 am
    Continue reading a special letter about the future of Emergent Village »

  • A Special Letter About the Future of Emergent Village [16]

    Editor
    8 Sep 2009 | 8:41 am
    Greetings! You may remember back in April that a number of people invested in Emergent Village gathered in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future of this conversation. In May that group of 24 shared our stories from the weekend and expressed our hopes for what is to come. With the previous EV leadership ready to step down, this was a prime opportunity to take stock of where Emergent Village has been over the past decade. Over the past few months those of us who gathered in D.C. have been discerning carefully and thoroughly where God is calling us together. Though we are by no means finished…
 
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    Search the Scriptures

  • Leviticus - Part Four

    10 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pm
    Dr. Constantinou continues her discussion of the Temple at Jerusalem.

  • Leviticus - Part Three

    1 Nov 2009 | 5:01 pm
    Dr. Constantinou continues her discussion of Leviticus, touching a bit on the forthcoming Temple.

  • Leviticus - Part Two

    25 Oct 2009 | 9:21 pm
    Dr. Constantinou continues her brief discussion of the Old Testament book of Leviticus.

  • Leviticus - Part One

    18 Oct 2009 | 3:10 pm
    Dr. Constantinou continues her introduction to the Bible with her first lesson on the book of Leviticus.

  • Exodus - Part Twelve

    10 Oct 2009 | 5:18 pm
    Dr. Constantinou concludes her series on Exodus by discussing the unique aspects of the application of the Law of Moses.
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    Speaking the Truth in Love

  • The Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pm
    Fr. Tom teaches on this significant feast at the beginning of the Nativity season.

  • On Sadness and Grief in Human Life

    15 Nov 2009 | 8:03 am
    God grieves, we grieve, and life is often permeated with sadness. What does this mean when we also contemplate the "joy" of the Christian life?

  • The Nativity Fast

    14 Nov 2009 | 10:22 am
    As we are in the beginning days of the Nativity fast, Fr. Tom takes us on a journey from the Presentation of Mary in the Temple to Theophany. Fr. Tom referenced a couple of resources: Winter Pascha by Fr. Tom Hopko Putting Christmas Back into Christ-CD series by Fr. Tom Hopko

  • Angels and Demons

    9 Nov 2009 | 4:25 am
    Having just celebrated the Feast of the Angels, Fr. Tom asks - Who are the angels and the demons? Were the demons created evil? Can they repent? Get the answer to these questions and much more in this episode.

  • Anger and Wrath in Human Life

    4 Nov 2009 | 7:47 am
    Following his two part series on the Wrath of God, Fr. Tom turns his attention to our own anger and wrath and how that differs from God's.
 
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    Priests in Crisis

  • Support Your Priest With These Resources

    admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm
    A couple of days ago, I received this wonderful prayer kit from Pray for a Priest: These Chalice of Strength Booklets from Opus Sanctorum Angelorum are popular for prayer groups and other parish groups: Finally, please revisit this post regarding Christmas Gifts for Priests Help Priests in Crisis by sharing this post: Related posts Opus Sanctorum Angelorum Crusade for Priests: [...]

  • A Special Request from Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

    admin
    27 Oct 2009 | 1:48 pm
    WDTPRSers UNITE! Pray for the souls of priests. First, remember that you can gain indulgences on All Souls and the days following. Second, 5 November is a first Thursday.  You can gain a plenary indulgence during this year for Priests. Third, would it not be a good idea in this Year for Priests, during the week after All Souls, [...]

  • Priest in Fashion Crisis

    admin
    15 Oct 2009 | 5:50 pm
    Dear Priests in Crisis readers, Please help Father Cory Sticha get a decent biretta and vestments to go along with it.  To restore a sense of the sacred in his neck of the woods (Montana), please consider helping Father buy a chalice and other altar ware worthy of Our Lord.  If we all pitch in, we [...]

  • Fr Joe Jenkins Could Use Your Prayers

    admin
    13 Oct 2009 | 2:58 pm
    I thought you'd like to know that Priest blogger, Fr Joe Jenkins of Father Joe's Blog received some bad news about his cardiac C-T scan. Please go over to his site and leave a word of support and encouragement:

  • RIP Fr. Dennis Rocheford

    admin
    12 Sep 2009 | 2:32 pm
    Priest jumps off bridge in Rhode Island In our grief, it is comforting to think that a loved one’s soul is automatically in heaven.  That judgment is God’s alone.  Let’s do Father Rocheford the long-term favor of continuing to pray for his soul and ours. Video of Father’s Funeral Mass Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory Father’s [...]
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    Jewish Treats

  • Exploration

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am
    Explore a community with which you are unfamiliar. (New Square and Tash are both renowned for their hospitality.)

  • North American Shtetl

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am
    The word shtetl, invokes images of the pre-Holocaust Eastern European Jewish community. It might come as a surprise, therefore, that there actually are shtetlach in North America! Here are two:New Square, New York - When Rabbi Jacob Joseph Twersky, z”l, the third Skverer Rebbe (the leader of the Skverer Chasiddim, originally from the town of Skver, Ukraine), arrived in America in 1948, he and his followers settled in Brooklyn, NY, but dreamed of a home away from the urban atmosphere. In 1954, the community purchased land in Rockland County, and so began the community of New Square (a…

  • The Population Question

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:50 am
    The Malthusian theory of overpopulation is a popular doomsday prediction. Thomas Malthus (1766 -1834) proposed that population increases due to improved standards of living would lead to overpopulation, famine, disease and terrifying death rates. Yet, many countries that achieve the status of “developed nation” have falling birthrates–sometimes less than necessary to “replace” the parents, which could, in the future, create a very different population problem. The first commandment found in the Torah is “p’ru u’rvu, be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). The Gemara…

  • The Blessings of the Amidah: Livelihood

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:49 am
    The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The ninth blessing is a request for sustenance and economic success. Ba’raych a’lay’nu Ah’doh’nai Eh'loh'aynu et ha’shana hazoat v’et kol me’nay t’voo’atah l’tova, (said in winter: v’tain tal u’matar liv’racha) (said in other seasons: v’tain b’racha)ahl pnay ha’ah’dama v’sabaynu me’too’vah, oo’varaych sh’nah’taynu ka’sha’nim ha’tovot. Ba’ruch Ah’tah Ah’doh’nai m’varaych ha’shanim. Bless this year for us, Lord our God, and all its types of…

  • The Funniest Questions

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:49 am
    For a fresh perspective on life, ask a child you know (your own, a niece/nephew, grandchild, friend's child, etc) about their opinion on life, God, Judaism, etc...The answers may surprise you.
 
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    Missionary Confidential

  • Reverse Furlough, Part 2: The Not-So-Great Stuff

    C. Holland
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:35 am
    Reverse Furlough, Part 2: The Not-So-Great StuffNew Post from: Missionary Confidential “Reverse Furlough, Part 1: The Good Stuff” is available here. Yet, like all things, there are some not-so-great things to consider about the Reverse Furlough: Adapting to Different Expectations Some sponsors just wanted a “look-see” and really didn’t need much in-depth information.  Others wanted all the info, background and history we could provide.  One group was more motivated to do repair work on our building than anything else.  The difficult part of adapting was that it was almost…

  • Reverse Furlough, Part 1: The Good Stuff

    C. Holland
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:16 am
    Reverse Furlough, Part 1: The Good StuffNew Post from: Missionary Confidential A few weeks ago another set of our supporters visited us for a week, making them the fifth group to visit us this year alone.  Because they’ve somehow stacked within a few weeks of each other, most of this has happened over just a few months and has made for a lot of repetition in explaining what we do here.  I’ve honestly forgotten who hadn’t heard which ministry story before—and who graciously heard it again for the second (or third) time. I like to think of these as “Reverse Furloughs”.  As…

  • Glad to Be Back

    C. Holland
    9 Nov 2009 | 4:35 am
    Glad to Be BackNew Post from: Missionary Confidential Regular posting at Missionary Confidential had been delayed slightly due to more supporters staying with us to inspect our ministry.  Add to that what might have been the Swine Flu (though I can’t be certain), and it makes for quite the interruption to daily life.  Thankfully things are falling back to whatever passes for normal in this missionary’s life, so more posts are forthcoming including: “Reverse Furlough”: my thoughts on the pros and cons of supporters visiting your ministry in the field…

  • Missionary Etiquette 101

    C. Holland
    7 Nov 2009 | 2:28 am
    Missionary Etiquette 101New Post from: Missionary Confidential Kevin over at the “Life.Outpoured” blog talks about the importance of missionaries adapting (yet staying within God’s law) to the culture in which they minister, and it goes beyond clothing and acting.  He gives some great points to consider in “(Missionary) Etiquette 101″.  My favourite: “Begin to think like a citizen of heaven, not of a particular country.” If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Related posts:“I Can’t Call You a…

  • MKs and “Fitting In”

    C. Holland
    3 Nov 2009 | 4:25 am
    MKs and “Fitting In”New Post from: Missionary Confidential Childhood is hard enough when you have your original culture to contend with, but MKs (missionary kids) have an additional culture to adapt to, yet try to maintain friendships and relationships back “home”.  I can’t imagine the struggle at such a young age, but the blog “The Other Side of Missions” gives a good perspective on this struggle: “My Peculiar MKs” If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Related posts:A Blog Written From the MK PerspectiveThe…
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    Mormanity - A Mormon Blog (But Not Just for Mormons)

  • Blessing the Lives of War-Torn Children with Music: The Shropshire Music Foundation

    Mormanity
    15 Nov 2009 | 6:32 am
    One of the best services for on-demand television comes from BYU, where BYU.tv offers an elegant system to watch either live broadcasts or previously played programming. This morning I watched the BYU-Hawaii devotional under live programming for Saturday, Nov. 14 at 3:00 a.m. The speaker is Dr. Susan Shropshire, the amazing LDS woman whose compassion for the victims of war in Kosovo expanded from a short vacation trip meant to help a few people with a little physical help, into a massive effort over the past decade to bless thousands of lives by bringing music into the lives of displaced…

  • Laban's Sword of Precious Steel: Increasingly Plausible

    Mormanity
    14 Nov 2009 | 9:45 am
    I've had a number of people complain about the steel sword that Laban had in 600 B.C., allegedly long before steel would be invented. It's a topic I address in my LDSFAQ page on metals and the Book of Mormon. Today I found one more interesting tidbit in a scholarly book an ancient iron and steel. At Google Books, you can preview Iron and Steel in Ancient Times by Vagn Fabritius Buchwald (Volume 29 of Historisk-filosofiske Skrifter, Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005) to find interesting information on ancient steel. For example, on page 72, I found this:In…

  • Off Topic: Reviewers Needed

    Mormanity
    14 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am
    Warning: uninspiring secular content! Reader discretion advised.I know at least some of you are interested in the area of business growth, innovation, new product development, and entrepreneurship, because you've called me or emailed me for tips and advice, or in some cases have brought very interesting opportunities to my attention. I'm hoping some of you might do me a favor now. With the recent release of Conquering Innovation Fatigue, the book I've been working on for the past 3 years, one of our needs is to get further reviews posted at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you'd like to review…

  • Do Big Tragedies Negate Small Miracles?

    Mormanity
    9 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    In a previous post (currently on hold while I consult with the source on what details I should share), I referred to the many small miracles that have blessed people I know and love. In one recent example, a mother I know was staying at a friend's home when she heard a voice say "Run!" That helped her recognize her bold little toddler was not at her side but in danger, and she ran to find a stairway door had been opened by someone else and her wobbly little son, a boy with no respect for gravity, was standing at the top, toes over the edge, ready to plunge forward toward bare wooden stairs…

  • The Miracle of the Pamphlet

    Mormanity
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pm
    My missionary son and his companion recently experienced one of the many tiny miracles that occur when we seek to share the Gospel with others. Here's a condensed version of his story from a while ago, minus some identifying information:A few weeks ago, the elders in a neighboring area . . . contacted a girl. They set up a time for her to come to the chapel and start meeting with them. After they parted ways, [she] decided she'd probably just forget about them and stand them up.A day or so later, [my companion] and I went out in the afternoon to go contacting while holding a big sign we made…
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    About.com: Alternative Religions

  • Old Religions; New Approaches

    16 Nov 2009 | 1:58 pm
    CNN reports about a growing number of cyber-churches, where services are broadcast and parishioners view it and even take part in it from the comfort of their homes. Some insist that things will be lost, that one cannot simply "grab grape juice and a cracker from the fridge and watch a computer screen, thinking they are truly participating in a gathering of the faithful." Why not? While many might not find meaning in such a scenario, they can attend traditional services. But if it is meaningful to someone, who is anyone to argue? People gripe about lowering attendances at traditional services…

  • Defining "Religion": The Power of Words

    15 Nov 2009 | 7:35 pm
    In the wake of Ft. Hood shootings, conservative preacher Pat Robertson has stated, "Islam is a violent -- I was going to say religion, but it's not a religion. It's a political system. It's a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world and world domination." It's a powerful statement, but the power isn't in the accusation it makes. Rather, the power is in the attempt of redefining Islam as not a religion. Religions have particular rights in Western countries. Talk of not calling Islam a religion is tantamount to suggesting those rights are not deserved by…

  • Baha'is Celebrate the Birth of Baha'ullah

    11 Nov 2009 | 4:34 pm
    November 12 is celebrated by Baha'is as the birthday of Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i Faith. Official holidays of the Baha'i Faith, including the birthday of Baha'u'llah, are expected to be marked with the suspension of work or school. Beyond that, however, celebrations widely vary. They might involve a communal meal and scripture readings, and they are generally open to the public.Baha'is Celebrate the Birth of Baha'ullah originally appeared on About.com Alternative Religions on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 00:34:47.Permalink | Comment | Email this

  • "I believe" Licence Plates Unconstitutional

    11 Nov 2009 | 4:19 pm
    A judge in South Carolina has ruled that legal license plates bearing a cross and the words "I believe" on them are unconstitutional. He also accused legislators, who unanimously approved the plates of "unnecessarily draw[ing] the state into an expensive lawsuit." I can't even begin to comprehend how these people thought such a move would be legal, especially when some lawmakers were against offering similar plates for other faiths. This shouldn't have needed to go to court. The problem with the plates should have been obvious. Separation of Church and State, folks. It's very cut and dry on…

  • 2012: Can the End be Near?

    8 Nov 2009 | 8:32 pm
    For all of you tired of the 2012 hysteria, try pointing the next panicked individual in the direction of this National Geographic article, which addresses several of the common claims involved in this mad rumor. The article doesn't address the issue of Nostradamus predicting 2012, nor does it touch upon claims of Biblical prophecy. For these, I challenge people to actually find a quote from either source that actually mentions 2012. (You can also read more on the ludicrousness of Nostradamus theories over at Paranormal Phenomena.)2012: Can the End be Near? originally appeared on About.com…
 
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    Daily Word of God

  • Daily Word for Sat 11/21/2009 "Are You Stingy with Your Love?"

    Pastor Jeff
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:04 am
    Today's Message:"God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land."  Psalm 68:6It's all about love. That's the sum total of the human experience. Of course we define love in many different ways, but when it comes down to it, we are all looking for the same thing -- a love that passes understanding -- one that is pure and satisfying beyond description. It's beyond the physical, though that is were many stop in their search. The physical is simply a shallow imitation if what we all…

  • Links for 2009-11-20 [del.icio.us]

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Bible Study - How to Pray - Some Miscellaneous Principles Related to Prayer - Prayer Bible Study Bible Study "How to Pray" New Lesson every Monday Thru Friday. Prayer DBS POP #015 Some Miscellaneous Principles Related to Prayer Today's Lesson: Some Miscellaneous Principles Related to Prayer 1- An agenda for private prayer. A- Confession if necessary. B- Worship and thanksgiving, Phil 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 1 Th 5:18, "give thanks in all circumstances, for…

  • Links for 2009-11-19 [del.icio.us]

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Bible Study - Life of Christ - The Pharisees - Bible Study Life of Christ Life of Christ Bible Study New Lesson every Monday Thru Friday. Life of Christ Bible Study DBS LoC #004 The Pharisees Today's Lesson: The Pharisees The word "Pharisee" is the Greek translation from the Aramaic, and it means to be separated. To the Pharisee, this meant a separation from the influences of the Gentiles on their religion and culture. We have a very similar thing occurring in our nation today. The False Religion influences in our society are waging war against the marvelous culture and vital…

  • Links for 2009-11-18 [del.icio.us]

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Bible Study - Book of Daniel - Daniel 4:28-33 - Bible Study Book of Daniel Book of Daniel Bible Study New Lessons Monday through Friday. Book of Daniel DBS BoD #043 Daniel 4:28-33 Today's Lesson: Daniel 4:28-33 "All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it…

  • Links for 2009-11-17 [del.icio.us]

    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Bible Study - Life of Christ - Herod the Great - Bible Study Life of Christ Life of Christ Bible Study New Lesson every Monday Thru Friday. Life of Christ Bible Study DBS LoC #002 Herod the Great Today's Lesson: Herod the Great Herod in many ways personifies the trouble in Israel at the time of Christ. For a long time, hundreds of years, the Jews had lived under the control of one nation or another, and they longed to be truly autonomous. It seemed like whatever empire had the upper hand in history would rule them. If it wasn't the Babylonians, then it was the Persians, when the…
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    Blogging Theologically

  • The Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent: Consequences

    Aaron Armstrong
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Genesis 3:15 — “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” [ESV] Naked of God… And what are the consequences of their disobedience? Are their eyes opened? Yes, their eyes are opened; but, alas! It is only to see their own nakedness. For we are told (verse 7) that, “the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” Naked of God, naked of every thing that was holy and good, and destitute of the divine image, which they before enjoyed. They might rightly now…

  • Friday Funnies: Ted Kluck’s Day-long Rock Bender

    Aaron Armstrong
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Ted Kluck, author or The Reason for Sports: A Christian Fanifesto and coauthor of Why We’re Not Emergent & Why We Love the Church, is working on a new book! This time, Kluck is delving into the seedy underbelly of Christian music with To Hell With the Devil: 365 Days of Christian Music, from Al Denson to Alice Cooper.  “The idea is that I’ll listen to nothing but Christian music (concerts, CD’s, videos) for a whole year.  This will be especially challenging for me since I haven’t listened to Christian music since 1991, when I was 15,” he wrote back in June when…

  • Friday Funnies: The Ultimate Christian Novel

    Aaron Armstrong
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Yesterday, Tim Challies’ writing career took a dramatic turn as he shared his idea for the ultimate Christian novel: Cassidy: Amish Vampiress of the Tribulation No, your eyes do not deceive you. It’s an Amish Vampire Romance novel set in the end-times. “It’s an Amish novel; it’s a vampire novel; it’s an end-times novel. It’s the best of all worlds,” wrote Challies. Here’s Tim’s back cover text: He is handsome. He is romantic. He is Amish. Twenty-three year old Cassidy lives a simple life in the Amish countryside of Lancaster County. Simple, that is,…

  • What do you appreciate about your pastor?

    Aaron Armstrong
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    Recently, I’ve been thinking about how undervalued pastors can be. Pastors have a hard job. A packed schedule of family obligations, weddings, funerals, couseling and all the other things that come with shepherding the flock God has entrusted to them. On top of that, they have to deal with a disheartening number of books & speakers who suggest the office of elder/pastor is unbiblical. People taking offense to something they say (perhaps because it points out their sin or it’s a legitimately poor choice of words) and trash them, and on and on it goes… It’s easy…

  • Kindle comes to Canada

    Aaron Armstrong
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    more about “Kindle comes to Canada“, posted with vodpod   So there was some exciting news today: The Kindle is coming to Canada. But there’s a catch: It doesn’t have the full capabilities. No browser. No blogs. And it may not even have access to the full library of books available. I’ve been curious about the Kindle and e-book readers for some time, but have never really had an opportunity to see what one is capable of. Sony’s e-reader is interesting, and I’m really curious about the much rumored Apple iTablet or Mac Tablet (or whatever it may…
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    Pastor Jeff Flowers | CincyMissionary.com

  • Just a friendly reminder…

    Jeff Flowers
    9 Nov 2009 | 7:42 pm
    I am currently reading through the book of Acts again.  And I was reminded the mission of the church to the world. Jesus said in Acts 1:7-8: He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” I think we, as Christian believers, take way too much time worrying about the times and season of our lives, I know I do. We need to spend more time seeking the power of the…

  • On Tentmaking…

    Jeff Flowers
    5 Nov 2009 | 2:32 pm
    This Saturday I start training for my new job at Apple, Inc.  I’ll be working part-time as a specialist in the Apple Store at Kenwood Mall in Cincinnati. I’m excited about it for several reasons. First, we’ve been praying about a part-time job to help make ends meet while we’re establishing a church plant. I’ve had a couple of opportunities come my way, but Apple was the best fit. The pay is great, the hours are flexible and quite honestly, Apple is a cool place to work. Second, I’m really looking at it as a “tentmaking” opportunity.  In Acts…

  • Improvement

    Jeff Flowers
    28 Oct 2009 | 9:37 pm
    Today, I had a really enjoyable conversation with my friend, Shawn, from Texas today. We talked about a lot of things; ministry, life, following Jesus… Then, he asked me a question that is still ringing in my ear. He was curious to know why so many Christians think that church is just about self-improvement. “Where did we ever get that idea?” There is a scene in Luke 18 where a self-improvement junkie comes to Jesus seeking approval.  Of course, Jesus sees right through the young man and tells him that he’s still lacking — something a self-improvement junkie…

  • The Bridge :: Connecting the City to Christ

    Jeff Flowers
    28 Oct 2009 | 8:19 pm
    I’d like to give you an update on how things are going at The Bridge and what’s coming up soon. We have been working hard over the past few weeks to forge a simple, straightforward strategic plan for 2010.  We really feel like we have a solid plan to plant 2 more churches in Cincinnati by the fall of 2010 and now working hard to secure partnerships and funding.  One of the most important things we’ve done is that we’ve discovered a church-planting model that really encapsulates our mission and vision. We’ve adapted the City-Parish Model (see Trinity Grace…

  • The Law of Letting Go

    Jeff Flowers
    27 Oct 2009 | 8:13 am
    I have a hard time letting go of things. I have a hard time letting go of people. I have a hard time letting go of money. I have a hard time letting go of bad memories. I have a hard time letting go of bad feelings. I have a hard time letting go of fast food. I have a hard time letting go of harsh words. I have a hard time letting go of bad habits. I have a hard time letting go of the wheel of life. I have a hard time letting go of my agenda. I have a hard time letting go of my pride. I have a hard time letting go of my personal opinions. I have a hard time letting go of my sin. I have a hard…
 
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    Jesus or Squirrel?

  • Wii Pray - Play Now To Earn Grace Points

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm
    Now I know what to get my Catholic friends for Christmas.Click here to go to the Mass We Pray website.

  • No Application, No Attendance at Mel Gibson's Church

    19 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm
    Mel Gibson has a church about as weird as Tom Cruise. In order to attend you must fill out an application so that your name can appear on the invitation and security list. Most churches try to get as many people into their sanctuary as they can. But apparently Holy Family Chapel delights in keeping any unholy riffraff out.This JoS vote will go to "hype" as we think Mel is thinking just a bit too high of himself in this matter. Just because you directed Jesus in a film doesn't mean you get to call the shots as to who is in the Kingdom.Only one word for you, Mel, "FREEDOM!"[link to the…

  • Best quotes of the week from Carrie Prejean

    14 Nov 2009 | 3:14 pm
    From a conversation with Christianity Today. The Squirrel's comments follow each quote.“I have hairdressers who are gay. I live in California.”Aren't you just the tolerant one?“I know I've impacted other people, especially my generation. I think my generation is apathetic.”And most of your generation thinks you’re pathetic.“I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn't get breast implants.”The Bible apparently doesn’t say anything about sex tapes or sexting either.“If people want to judge me and say that I'm not a good person because of something I did when I…

  • The Tribulation Stats Tomorrow!

    13 Nov 2009 | 3:35 pm
    Three reasons not to click on the link to THE RAPTURE site:It will hurt your eyes.It is longer than DickensIt will destroy the brain cells God gave you.Here is a sample:8 reasons for the start of: “God’s Wrath Tribulation”;By end of FALL 2009:1. The Bible code and a number of other prophecies predict that a comet will annihilate the earth in the year 2012. In the book of Revelation the bible describes a comet hitting the earth after the 3-½ year mid point of the 7-year tribulation period. This occurs after the Antichrist enters the new rebuilt temple in Jerusalem proclaims that he is…

  • Jesus gave us the name of the Anti-Christ – Barack Obama

    13 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm
    The Squirrel just shakes his furry, little head in dismay at those people who give this kind of Bible study a second, deranged thought.
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    Leaving Religion

  • Tra la la la la…

    leavingreligion
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:34 pm
    Tis the season to give.  To have a heart.  To help others.  To give a damn.  The rest of the year… who cares… but, this season… yes, this one, right now… because Christ was born, you should get a heart and care a little and help a fellow human being out.  You know, just in time to get a tax break.  Because really, what is charity without the tax break?? You know what I saw right underneath one of these feel good ads… I’ll tell you what I saw.  I saw a man, with a battered coat, with nothing more than a blanket and a newspaper, sitting there. …

  • Comments, Trees and Celebration… It’s not just for Christians

    leavingreligion
    12 Nov 2009 | 9:03 pm
    “Curious how many of you out there have had a similar experience. Any things you would now like to claim as your own, and not as a result of God randomly choosing to make it happen for you?” I’m curious to know why you are curious about this. Are you seeking validation? Also, now that you are an atheist, are you still going to take Christmas day off this year? What about the exchanging of gifts? Are you still going to have a tree and all, or are you in boycott mode? Just curious Mark This is a comment I received, and it got me thinking about why people seem to think that having a tree…

  • When Things Come Together

    leavingreligion
    31 Oct 2009 | 1:21 pm
    I’ve been working very hard on some projects, and the months of hard work is beginning to pay off.  I’m getting some traction, getting some interest and seeing this happen makes all the late nights and hard work really pay off.  The other night, I got to thinking… when I was a Christian… everything coming together, as it is now, would have been attributed… NOT to my hard work, but to God. Because, things don’t just happen… they happen because I prayed to God about it,  asked Jesus for His hand in it.  Because, under no circumstances should it be…

  • Sunday Morning Verse – 10/25/09

    leavingreligion
    25 Oct 2009 | 10:56 am
    2 Corinthians 12:9 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. This verse brings up a point I’ve been making a lot lately when discussing Christianity with others.  Mainly that to be a good Christian, many believe they need to have lots of problems and be weak.  This somehow makes people feel that they have something for God to fix, and that by having problems, they are being tested.  Imagine the power you have over people…

  • Sunday Morning Verse – 9/27/09

    leavingreligion
    27 Sep 2009 | 10:58 am
    2 Peter 3:9 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. See… when you don’t see the Lord’s promises fulfilled in your life before you die… it’s because the Lord is slow to fulfill his promises.  It’s not because he doesn’t exist, or doesn’t care… he’s just slow.  He’s being patient towards you.
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    Killing the Buddha

  • Youth Minister Discusses Catholic “Defectors”

    Mary Valle
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:46 am
    In other words, the Mystical Body of Christ is the Hotel California @

  • I Am a Bowl of Porridge

    Jeff Sharlet
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:48 am
    I’ll be joining Military Religious Freedom Foundation founder Mikey Weinstein, a West Point scholar, and a former top Army chaplain who thinks the military needs more religion on NPR-KCRW’s “To the Point” today at 3 pm est. Mikey will warn of coup, the chaplain will carry the cross, the scholar will say, “on the one [...]

  • Christian Community Lifestyle, Eh?

    Mary Valle
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:17 am
    This new radio PSA says I should have my documents safe in case “something happens” and it kinda freaks me out @

  • Oh Mayan!

    KtBniks
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:10 pm
    We just heard from Corey Pein out in Santa Fe, who tells us about his excellent new Buddha-killing article in the Santa Fe Reporter about some of the key 2012ologists, including John Major Jenkins, who our own Andrew Marantz shadowed in Jackson Hole, as well as an anthropologist from Kansas who is studying them. Be [...]

  • Times Reports: Crazy People Believe in 2012

    Jessica Weisberg
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pm
    In the Times yesterday, Dennis Overbye had an essay telling the paper’s more apocalyptically-inclined readers to continue paying their mortgages.  We have nothing to fear, Overbye insists; 2012 will only be remembered as the title of Roland Emmerich’s movie. Overbye doesn’t demonize the 2012ologists. He shares their fascination with Doomsday. “I have been in love [...]
 
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    creativecommons.org

  • Why Biblical Marketing is Not Confined to a Department

    Mike Holmes
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am
    Paul told the young pastor Timothy, “Do the work of an evangelist.” [1]  In other words, “in addition to your leadership duties don’t forget to proclaim the Good News. Don’t forget to market.”  Now you could think to yourself, “Wait a minute!! Shouldn’t evangelism be reserved for the evangelist? I mean that’s their job!” But that’s another crucial aspect of Biblical marketing: every-one’s involved in the marketing. Regardless of our role or calling, as believers, we’re all required to proclaim Christ to the…

  • Criticism: An Essential Part to Biblical Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am
    Everyone's a critic Sometime ago Pete Wilson (of Cross Point Church) shared how an internet radio host took one of his messages and tore it apart line by line. Naturally he was upset by it–as he should be; but he shrugged it off–as he should have. It’s bound to happen. If you’re in the limelight praise AND criticism will find you. But how is criticism an essential part to Biblical marketing? Easy. God uses it to raise you up and at the same time keep you humble. Billy Graham and Criticism Paul said there are people who have a “morbid craving for…

  • The WOW Factor: an Essential Part to Biblical Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am
    The WOW factor! Nobody remembers ordinary. Ordinary is stepped over and soon becomes anonymous. According to Seth Godin “Remarkable” is a necessity in marketing today.  In other words, noticeable products have a WOW factor. Jesus WOWed People But this isn’t new. Jesus was doing this for years!! When He came on the scene He got people talking!  He didn’t just come preaching He also came with power–He went around healing the sick and raising the dead. Nobody else was doing that. Now He had the choice of using the WOW factor or being “ok.” But…

  • Jesus and Biblical Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:53 am
    We said yesterday that Biblical marketing differs from conventional marketing. Here’s how: Conventional marketing says, “Tell people how great great you are; Biblical marketing says, “Let others say how great you are.” Conventional marketing tries to find the best ways to get people; Biblical marketing finds the best ways to serve people. Conventional marketing focuses on a good products and services; Biblical marketing focuses on great products and services. And so on. So the question that comes up is: “What would Jesus do?” What Did He Do? It was simple.

  • Why Biblical Marketing Differs from Conventional Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:07 am
    I’ve learned there’s a stigma when you say the term “Biblical Marketing.” Some people can’t seem to combine the two. Although its not as bad as saying “Biblical Salesmanship.” With the latter you run the risk of dodging rocks while people are crying, “Stone him!! Stone him!!” Conventional marketing is where you swamp people with ads, tell them how great you are, and watch the orders fly in. Or so we hope. This, however, is in direct opposition to Biblical Marketing. The Bible says,  “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a…
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    Michael Sullivant & Radius

  • The Romance of Romans-Part 86

    8 Nov 2009 | 8:17 am
    Romans Chapter 12 cont'dGod has given to all of us a sphere of life and ministry in which to function for which we also have been given the corresponding necessary amount of faith. Our physical body is one and yet it has many members, each having a different function. So the body of Christ is one and we, each of us, are one of its many members. But even though we have various roles to play, we are organically joined both to him and to one another.Comments:Toward A More Healthy CommunityThe second "reformation point" of four that I am putting forward out of Romans 12 has to do with this vital…

  • The Romance of Romans-Part 85

    5 Nov 2009 | 7:06 am
    Romans Chapter 12 cont'dGod has given to all of us a sphere of life and ministry in which to function for which we also have been given the corresponding necessary amount of faith. Our physical body is one and yet it has many members, each having a different function. So the body of Christ is one and we, each of us, are one of its many members. But even though we have various roles to play, we are organically joined both to him and to one another.Comments:Toward A More Healthy CommunityIn his book, Connecting, Dr. Larry Crabb distills years of counseling experience, biblical research,…

  • The Romance of Romans-Part 84

    24 Oct 2009 | 5:32 am
    Romans Chapter 12 cont'd By the spiritual authority that God has vested in me, I challenge every person among you, not to think more highly of yourself than you should.We all need to receive "reality checks."God has given to all of us a sphere of life and ministry in which to function for which we also have been given the corresponding necessary amount of faith.Our physical body is one and yet it has many members, each having a different function. So the body of Christ is one and we, each of us, are one of its many members.But even though we have various roles to play, we are organically…

  • My Article on Prophetic Ministry from a 2004 Publication

    22 Oct 2009 | 4:58 am
    Thought you might enjoy this article from the past that is now available online:http://www.pneumafoundation.org/article.jsp?article=/MSullivant-ProphecyInTheChurchToday.xml

  • The Romance of Romans-Part 83

    3 Oct 2009 | 5:37 am
    Romans Chapter 12 cont'dIn thinking about the first "reformational" point for the western church in the 21st century, A More Holistic Spirituality, I don't think we could improve upon the way that Eugene Peterson translates these first two verses in The Message. (I have already commented extensively on these verses and this first point in my previous blogs on Chapter 12.)"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is…
 
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    creativecommons.org

  • Why Biblical Marketing is Not Confined to a Department

    Mike Holmes
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am
    Paul told the young pastor Timothy, “Do the work of an evangelist.” [1]  In other words, “in addition to your leadership duties don’t forget to proclaim the Good News. Don’t forget to market.”  Now you could think to yourself, “Wait a minute!! Shouldn’t evangelism be reserved for the evangelist? I mean that’s their job!” But that’s another crucial aspect of Biblical marketing: every-one’s involved in the marketing. Regardless of our role or calling, as believers, we’re all required to proclaim Christ to the…

  • Criticism: An Essential Part to Biblical Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am
    Everyone's a critic Sometime ago Pete Wilson (of Cross Point Church) shared how an internet radio host took one of his messages and tore it apart line by line. Naturally he was upset by it–as he should be; but he shrugged it off–as he should have. It’s bound to happen. If you’re in the limelight praise AND criticism will find you. But how is criticism an essential part to Biblical marketing? Easy. God uses it to raise you up and at the same time keep you humble. Billy Graham and Criticism Paul said there are people who have a “morbid craving for…

  • The WOW Factor: an Essential Part to Biblical Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am
    The WOW factor! Nobody remembers ordinary. Ordinary is stepped over and soon becomes anonymous. According to Seth Godin “Remarkable” is a necessity in marketing today.  In other words, noticeable products have a WOW factor. Jesus WOWed People But this isn’t new. Jesus was doing this for years!! When He came on the scene He got people talking!  He didn’t just come preaching He also came with power–He went around healing the sick and raising the dead. Nobody else was doing that. Now He had the choice of using the WOW factor or being “ok.” But…

  • Jesus and Biblical Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:53 am
    We said yesterday that Biblical marketing differs from conventional marketing. Here’s how: Conventional marketing says, “Tell people how great great you are; Biblical marketing says, “Let others say how great you are.” Conventional marketing tries to find the best ways to get people; Biblical marketing finds the best ways to serve people. Conventional marketing focuses on a good products and services; Biblical marketing focuses on great products and services. And so on. So the question that comes up is: “What would Jesus do?” What Did He Do? It was simple.

  • Why Biblical Marketing Differs from Conventional Marketing

    Mike Holmes
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:07 am
    I’ve learned there’s a stigma when you say the term “Biblical Marketing.” Some people can’t seem to combine the two. Although its not as bad as saying “Biblical Salesmanship.” With the latter you run the risk of dodging rocks while people are crying, “Stone him!! Stone him!!” Conventional marketing is where you swamp people with ads, tell them how great you are, and watch the orders fly in. Or so we hope. This, however, is in direct opposition to Biblical Marketing. The Bible says,  “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a…
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