St. Michaels Seminary Students Forum

The Father Loves Whom He Chastens

2010-08-14T16:46:00.002-05:00

Clement of Rome, mentioned in Philippians 4:3, in his epistle to the Corinthian Church, calls the church to accountability by admonishing one another in love...

Chapter LVI.—

"Let us admonish and correct one another. Let us then also pray for those who have fallen into any sin, that meekness and humility may be given to them, so that they may submit, not unto us, but to the will of God. For in this way they shall secure a fruitful and perfect remembrance from us, with sympathy for them, both in our prayers to God, and our mention of them to the saints. Let us receive correction, beloved, on account of which no one should feel displeased. Those exhortations by which we admonish one another are both good and highly profitable, for they tend to unite us to the will of God. For thus saith the holy Word: “The Lord hath severely chastened me, yet hath not given me over to death."; "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” “The righteous,” saith it, “shall chasten me in mercy, and reprove me; but let not the oil of sinners make fat my head.” And again he saith, “Blessed is the man whom the Lord reproveth, and reject not thou the warning of the Almighty. For He causes sorrow, and again restores to gladness; He woundeth, and His hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea, in the seventh no evil shall touch thee. In famine He shall rescue thee from death, and in war He shall free thee from the power of the sword. From the scourge of the tongue will He hide thee, and thou shalt not fear when evil cometh. Thou shalt laugh at the unrighteous and the wicked, and shalt not be afraid of the beasts of the field. For the wild beasts shall be at peace with thee: then shalt thou know that thy house shall be in peace, and the habitation of thy tabernacle shall not fail. Thou shall know also that thy seed shall be great, and thy children like the grass of the field. And thou shall come to the grave like ripened corn which is reaped in its season, or like a heap of the threshing-floor which is gathered together at the proper time.” Ye see, beloved, that protection is afforded to those that are chastened of the Lord; for since God is good, He corrects us, that we may be admonished by His holy chastisement."

Immigration Reform and the Christian

2010-05-23T08:20:00.004-05:00

Millions of people living in the United States are illegal immigrants. The vast majority have come from Mexico and Central America. States like Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas have all been seriously impacted by legal and illegal immigration. It has effected education, health care, crime, and even language. The majority of the illegal and legal immigrants who come to the United States come for jobs and we can see these immigrants working in the restaurants, construction, and service industry, childcare and as domestics. The majority of the immigrants have strong Christian values and are active in the Church. Statistics show that the growth in the American Roman Catholic Church is primarily a result of immigration both legal and illegal.

Recently the discussion of illegal immigration has focused on a piece of legislation that allows local law enforcement officers who have suspicion that a crime has been committed and suspect that the alleged violator is an illegal immigrant to check their citizenship or immigration status. This piece of legislation has caused a great deal of controversy. Even Christians are divided as to where they stand on the issue. Some see it as an incredible injustice and denial of basic civil rights, while others have suggested it is merely an enforcement of Federal Law and a protection of the rights of Arizona citizens.

The issue of immigration and the migration of peoples across national boarders is not merely an American issue as nations around the world are struggling with the issue. Europeans nations have been as conflicted as the United States. Countries in areas where there are civil wars and persecution are dealing with ever growing refugee camps, as people flee their homelands merely to survive.

As Christians our response must always be on the side of justice and respect for the dignity of every person. We must always remember that the immigrant, legal or illegal, is a victim of a failed system both of the country they fled and their new dwelling. Most immigrants, legal or illegal, are searching out the basic human needs of food, shelter, medical care, and education. Immigration, whether legal or illegal, is a story of hope – hope for a better future for themselves and their families. Most often immigration is about hope for the lives of children.

The governments have often failed at addressing immigration because the issues are complex. But too often they fail to respond because of underlying political realities, either seeing the immigrants as a new voting block or fearing the loss of re-election because of disenfranchising those who want to halt illegal immigration.

The entire story of Old Testament from Abraham to Moses is a story of immigration of a people seeking the promise of a better life. Our Lord Jesus was in a sense an immigrant to Egypt for a period of time. People around the world today are fleeing persecution, violence, genocide, unspeakable poverty, and oppression. All around the world are refugee camps where there are hungry, thirst and disease yet those in the camps live there because they cannot return to their own homeland for fear of death.

The best summary of the Biblical view of immigration is found in Exodus 22.21, “You shall no wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” Leviticus 19.34, reads, “the alien who resides among you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” Hebrews 13.2, says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels unawares” And, our Lord Jesus tells us in ministering to strangers we have done ministry to Him – Matthew 25.35

The charge of Scripture to the people of God was to show justice to immigrant peoples because they were once immigrants in Egypt. This could apply certainly to Americans who must remember that the vast majority of Americans come from immigrant families. The city where I live history is significantly tied to the history of immigrant people – the Irish, the Italians and now the Asians and peoples from Central America.

The history of immigration has never been an easy one. In America immigrant groups have often been met with violence and protests. Often the immigrant group is forced to live in poverty. The story of the immigrants of the early 1900’s is also the story of the lower east side of York and the poverty of tenant housing. The story of Brooklyn is a story of immigrants leaving the lower east side for a better life. Most of the members of my congregation are descendants of these immigrants – they are the grandchild and sometimes the children of the immigrant community.

The fact is that most of these immigrants came to the United States legally through places like Ellis Island in the New York Harbor. These immigrants came to become Americans and almost all of them spent years learning English so that they could pass the citizenship exam and be sworn in as American citizens.

The story of the Hebrew people in Egypt is a story of legal immigration. Joseph asks permission of Pharaoh for his family to move to Egypt (Genesis 45.16-18). When they arrived, the brothers asked Pharaoh if they could sojourn in the land (Genesis 47.1-4) and Pharaoh allotted them a section of the land of Goshen/Rameses (Genesis 47.5-7).

The story goes on that though the Hebrew people labored and prospered often to the benefit of the Pharaoh, the government began to oppress the people as slaves and eventually enforced genocide on the Hebrews.

The study would teach us that we are to show justice and equality to legal immigrants. The legal immigrants are not to be oppressed or discriminated against but rather have full access to the social networks of the country. The laws of the land were equally applied to both Israelites and legal immigrants.

Justice is a characteristic of our God. Where there is injustice the Church must speak clearly and profoundly for if injustice for one group is allowed then there is injustice everywhere. If there is a group of people without basic human rights, without a voice in government, without legal resources and protection then it places all of us at risk.

The governments of the world have the right to establish boarders, to make immigration regulations, and establish guidelines for citizenship. These boarders must be honored and the governments have the right to enforce their own requirements. It is up to the governments to insure that the regulations and enforcement are just and non-discriminatory.

The debate is how does the government respond to illegal immigration or the plight of refugees. It is not the task of the Church to establish laws. It is the task of the Church to minister to the stranger among us for the Kingdom of God knows no earthly boundaries. The Church should advocate for just humane laws and treatment of all persons. Often the Church will be called to be the voice for those who have no voice. The Church is always called to show compassion and mercy.

The Church must pray for our governments and government officials. We must obey the laws of our nation and call for a change of law when the law is unjust or immoral. It is not the responsibility of the Church to support political campaigns, draft legislation, or enforce law. Christians in democratic nations have the responsibility to vote for persons who will work to ensure that the country is secure so we can live in peace. Persons who ensure equal opportunity. Persons who will protect the rights of all people groups. Persons who will be proponents of justice. Persons who will respect the dignity of every human from conception to natural death.

As individual Christians evaluating the complexity of immigration law or the securing of national boarders we must not be tempted by political expediency, fear, or our own prejudices. We must examine the issue in light of Scriptures and the call for justice, mercy, and grace.

As the Patriarch of the Charismatic Episcopal Church my call is an international call and not an national call. I am the Patriarch of dozens of national churches each facing their own unique set of issues. Some of the nations are involved in long term civil wars, others deal daily with thousands of refugees fleeing genocide or the rape of millions of women, some struggle with the issue of sex trade, slavery, and exploitation of children through kidnapping and forced service in the military. For many of our churches their ministry is to a people who live day to day merely to survive and have a meal or clean water. As the Patriarch I will refrain from making political statements for this reason. I encourage us as Christians to remain informed on the issue of legal immigration reform and illegal immigration. In all of this I remind us to seek the heart of God who is creator and father of all and remember that citizen, immigrant (legal or illegal), or refugee is created in His image not the image of a nation.

Under His mercy,

The Most Rev. Craig W. Bates,

Patriarch, ICCEC

Nun at St. Joseph's Hospital rebuked over abortion to save woman

2010-05-16T00:06:00.003-05:00

A Catholic nun and longtime administrator of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix was reassigned in the wake of a decision to allow a pregnancy to be ended in order to save the life of a critically ill patient.

The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, head of the Phoenix Diocese, who indicated the woman was "automatically excommunicated" because of the action.

Neither the hospital nor the bishop's office would address whether the bishop had a direct role in her demotion. He does not have control of the hospital as a business but is the voice of moral authority over any Catholic institution operating in the diocese.

The actions involving the administrator, mostly taken within the past couple of weeks, followed a last-minute, life-or-death drama in late 2009. The patient had a rare and often fatal condition in which a pregnancy can cause the death of the mother.

Sister Margaret McBride, who had been vice president of mission integration at the hospital, was on call as a member of the hospital's ethics committee when the surgery took place, hospital officials said. She was part of a group of people, including the patient and doctors, who decided upon the course of action.

The patient was not identified, and details of her case cannot be revealed under federal privacy laws.

The Catholic Church forbids abortion in all circumstances and allows the termination of a pregnancy only as a secondary effect of other treatments, such as radiation of a cancerous uterus.

The hospital defended the ethics committee's decision.

In a statement, Suzanne Pfister, a hospital vice president, said that the facility adheres to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services but that the directives do not answer all questions.

"In this tragic case, the treatment necessary to save the mother's life required the termination of an 11-week pregnancy," Pfister said.

Pfister issued the four-paragraph statement on behalf of the hospital, its parent company Catholic Healthcare West, and the Sisters of Mercy, McBride's religious order.

McBride was part of the discussion about the surgery, described as urgent. It involved a serious illness, pulmonary hypertension. The condition limits the ability of the heart and lungs to function and is made worse, possibly even fatal, by pregnancy.

In a statement issued to The Republic late Friday, the diocese confirmed that Olmsted learned of the case after the surgery.

"I am gravely concerned by the fact that an abortion was performed several months ago in a Catholic hospital in this diocese," Olmsted said. "I am further concerned by the hospital's statement that the termination of a human life was necessary to treat the mother's underlying medical condition.

"An unborn child is not a disease. While medical professionals should certainly try to save a pregnant mother's life, the means by which they do it can never be by directly killing her unborn child. The end does not justify the means."

Olmsted added that if a Catholic "formally cooperates" in an abortion, he or she is automatically excommunicated.

Excommunication forbids the person from participating in church life. Remedies are available through an appeal to the Vatican or confession.

"The Catholic Church will continue to defend life and proclaim the evil of abortion without compromise, and must act to correct even her own members if they fail in this duty," the bishop said.

It is unknown whether the bishop took action against the others who were involved in the matter, and Pfister would not answer questions about the physicians involved in the surgery.

Neither Olmsted nor his spokesman at the Phoenix Diocese would answer additional questions.

Although Olmsted does not have direct control of the hospital, his authority as bishop over Catholic institutions is substantial. For one thing, religious orders work in the Valley at his invitation.

In an e-mail, Pfister said McBride has been transferred "to another position in the hospital to focus on a number of new strategic initiatives."

According to the medical directives that the hospital follows, abortion is defined as the directly intended termination of pregnancy, and it is not permitted under any circumstances - even to save the life of the mother.

On the other hand, a second directive says that "operations, treatments and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a proportionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted . . . even if they will result in the death of the unborn child."

A letter sent Monday from Catholic Healthcare West, signed by Sister Judith Carle, board chairwoman, and President and CEO Lloyd Dean, asks Olmsted to provide further clarification about the directives. Agreeing that in a healthy mother, pregnancy is "not a pathology," it says this case was different. The pregnancy, the letter says, carried a nearly certain risk of death for the mother.

"If there had been a way to save the pregnancy and still prevent the death of the mother, we would have done it," the letter says. "We are convinced there was not."

James J. Walter, professor of bioethics at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, a Catholic university, said that is a tough argument to make. He said a pregnancy may be terminated only in limited, indirect circumstances, such as uterine cancer, in which the cancer treatment takes the life of the fetus.

Catholic teaching, he said, is that a pregnancy cannot be terminated as a means to an end of saving the life of a mother who is suffering from a different condition.

Asked if the church position prefers the mother and child to die, rather than sparing the life of one of them, Walters said the hope is that both would survive.

Not all faith groups see things the same way.

The Jewish tradition, the Mormon Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are among the groups that frown on abortion on demand but permit it when the life of the mother is at stake or if the mother is impregnated by rape or incest.

McBride declined to be interviewed. She was the highest-ranking member of the Sisters of Mercy at the hospital, which the order founded in 1895.

Vatican Hall of Shame

2010-05-15T23:54:00.004-05:00

A Friend sent this to me and I found it quite humorous- Enjoy-

The scandals may be coming thick and strong from the Vatican at the moment, but the Church has always waged a losing battle with its own vice-ridden staff.

The problem was that transgressions from official policy often began at the top.

Fellow priests put one of the first popes, Sixtus III (432-40), on trial for seducing a nun. He was acquitted after quoting from Christ in his defense: “Let you who are without sin cast the first stone.”

In the centuries to follow, political skullduggery and a corrupt election process thrust one improbable candidate after another into the position as god-fearing believers looked on in impotent horror.

In fact, so many Vicars of Christ have been denounced as the “Worst Pope Ever” that we have to settle for a Top Ten list.

1. Sergius III (904-11), known by his cardinals as "the slave of every vice," came to power after murdering his predecessor.

He had a son with his teenage mistress — the prostitute Marozia, 30 years his junior — and their illegitimate son grew up to become the next pope.

With top Vatican jobs auctioned off like baubles, the papacy entered its “dark century.”

2. The 16-year-old John XII (955-64) was accused of sleeping with his two sisters and inventing a catalog of disgusting new sins.

Described by a church historian as “the very dregs,” he was killed at age 27 when the husband of one of his mistresses burst into his bedroom, discovered him in flagrante, and battered his skull in with a hammer.

3. Benedict IX, (1032-48) continually shocked even his most hardened cardinals by debauching young boys in the Lateran Palace.

Repenting of his sins, he actually abdicated to a monastery, only to change his mind and seize office again. He was “a wretch who feasted on immorality,” wrote Saint Peter Damian, “a demon from hell in the disguise of a priest.”

4. After massacring the entire population in the Italian town of Palestrina, Boniface VIII (1294-1303) indulged in ménages with a married woman and her daughter and became renowned through Rome as a shameless pedophile.

He famously declared that having sex with young boys was no more a sin than rubbing one hand against the other — which should make him the patron saint of Boston priests today.

The poet Dante reserved a place for him in the eighth circle of Hell.

5. All pretense at decorum was abandoned when the papacy moved to Avignon in southern France for 75 years. Bon vivant Clement VI (1342-52) was called “an ecclesiastical Dionysus” by the poet Petrarch for the number of mistresses and the severity of his gonorrhea.

Upon his death, 50 priests offered Mass for the repose of his soul for nine consecutive days, but French wits agreed that this was nowhere near enough.

6. Decamping back to Rome, the papacy hit its true low point in the Renaissance. (Church historian Eamon Duffy compares Rome to Nixon’s Washington, “a city of expense-account whores and political graft.”) Sixtus IV (1471-84), who funded the Sistine Chapel, had six illegitimate sons — one with his sister. He collected a Church tax on prostitutes and charged priests for keeping mistresses, but critics argued that this merely increased the prevalence of clerical homosexuality.

7. The rule of Innocent VIII (1484-92) is remembered as the Golden Age of Bastards: He acknowledged eight illegitimate sons and was known to have many more, although he found time between love affairs to start up the Inquisition. On his death bed, he ordered a comely wet nurse to supply him with milk fresh from the breast.

8. The vicious Rodrigo Borgia, who took the name Alexander VI (1492-1503), presided over more orgies than masses, wrote Edward Gibbon. A career highlight was the 1501 “Joust of the Whores,” when 50 dancers were invited to slowly strip around the pope’s table.

Alexander and his family gleefully threw chestnuts on the floor, forcing the women to grovel around their feet like swine; they then offered prizes of fine clothes and jewelry for the man who could fornicate with the most women.

Alexander’s other hobbies included watching horses copulate, which would make him “laugh fit to bust.”

After his death — quite possibly poisoned by his pathological son, Cesar Borgia — this pope’s body was expelled from the basilica of Saint Peter as too evil to be buried in sacred soil.

9. Julius II (1503-13) is remembered for commissioning Michelangelo to paint the Sistene Chapel’s ceiling. He was also the first pope to contract “the French disease,” syphilis, from Rome’s male prostitutes. On Good Friday of 1508, he was unable to allow his foot to be kissed by the faithful as it was completely covered with syphilitic sores.

10. Incurable romantic Julius III (1550-55) fell in love with a handsome young beggar boy he spotted brawling with a vendor’s monkey in the streets. The pope went on to appoint this illiterate 17-year-old urchin a cardinal, inspiring an epic poem, “In Praise of Sodomy,” probably written by a disgruntled archbishop in his honor.

Poisoned chalice? Swine flu hits church wine.

2010-05-15T23:25:00.003-05:00

The archbishops of Canterbury and York are recommending that churches stop sharing the chalice at communion over swine flu fears, the Church of England said Thursday.

The Church of England's leaders are recommending parishoners don't share the chalice.

The archbishops wrote a letter to all Church of England bishops with the recommendation. It follows government advice not to share "common vessels" for food or drink so as not to spread the virus.

In the Anglican Church, worshippers commonly drink from the same chalice during communion. The chalice is wiped before the next person drinks from it.

For churches that still wish to offer both bread and wine, the archbishops recommend the priest dip communion wafers in the chalice before handing them out to those taking communion.

"The Department of Health have recently advised us that 'in a pandemic it makes good sense to take precautions to limit the spread of disease by not sharing common vessels for food and drink,'" the archbishops write in the letter.

"In the light of this advice, we recommend those presiding at Holy Communion suspend the administration of the chalice during this wave of pandemic flu. For those who still wish to offer in both kinds, we recommend the practice whereby the presiding minister, whose hands should have been washed with the appropriate alcohol-based rub before handling the elements and the vessels, personally intincts all wafers before placing them in the hands of communicants."

The archbishops note that this practice is widely observed in Anglican churches throughout Africa. "Communicants receiving in this way need to be confident that the clergy and all assistant ministers follow the relevant guidance on hygiene," they write.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Church, the second-largest Western Christian denomination after the Roman Catholic Church.

Ash Wednesday- T.S. Elliot

2010-02-03T19:20:00.003-06:00

I

Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn
Desiring this man's gift and that man's scope
I no longer strive to strive towards such things
(Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?)
Why should I mourn
The vanished power of the usual reign?

Because I do not hope to know
The infirm glory of the positive hour
Because I do not think
Because I know I shall not know
The one veritable transitory power
Because I cannot drink
There, where trees flower, and springs flow, for there is
nothing again

Because I know that time is always time
And place is always and only place
And what is actual is actual only for one time
And only for one place
I rejoice that things are as they are and
I renounce the blessèd face
And renounce the voice
Because I cannot hope to turn again
Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something
Upon which to rejoice

And pray to God to have mercy upon us
And pray that I may forget
These matters that with myself I too much discuss
Too much explain
Because I do not hope to turn again
Let these words answer
For what is done, not to be done again
May the judgement not be too heavy upon us

Because these wings are no longer wings to fly
But merely vans to beat the air
The air which is now thoroughly small and dry
Smaller and dryer than the will
Teach us to care and not to care Teach us to sit still.

Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death
Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.

II
Lady, three white leopards sat under a juniper-tree
In the cool of the day, having fed to sateity
On my legs my heart my liver and that which had been
contained
In the hollow round of my skull. And God said
Shall these bones live? shall these
Bones live? And that which had been contained
In the bones (which were already dry) said chirping:
Because of the goodness of this Lady
And because of her loveliness, and because
She honours the Virgin in meditation,
We shine with brightness. And I who am here dissembled
Proffer my deeds to oblivion, and my love
To the posterity of the desert and the fruit of the gourd.
It is this which recovers
My guts the strings of my eyes and the indigestible portions
Which the leopards reject. The Lady is withdrawn
In a white gown, to contemplation, in a white gown.
Let the whiteness of bones atone to forgetfulness.
There is no life in them. As I am forgotten
And would be forgotten, so I would forget
Thus devoted, concentrated in purpose. And God said
Prophesy to the wind, to the wind only for only
The wind will listen. And the bones sang chirping
With the burden of the grasshopper, saying

Lady of silences
Calm and distressed
Torn and most whole
Rose of memory
Rose of forgetfulness
Exhausted and life-giving
Worried reposeful
The single Rose
Is now the Garden
Where all loves end
Terminate torment
Of love unsatisfied
The greater torment
Of love satisfied
End of the endless
Journey to no end
Conclusion of all that
Is inconclusible
Speech without word and
Word of no speech
Grace to the Mother
For the Garden
Where all love ends.

Under a juniper-tree the bones sang, scattered and shining
We are glad to be scattered, we did little good to each
other,
Under a tree in the cool of day, with the blessing of sand,
Forgetting themselves and each other, united
In the quiet of the desert. This is the land which ye
Shall divide by lot. And neither division nor unity
Matters. This is the land. We have our inheritance.

III

At the first turning of the second stair
I turned and saw below
The same shape twisted on the banister
Under the vapour in the fetid air
Struggling with the devil of the stairs who wears
The deceitul face of hope and of despair.

At the second turning of the second stair
I left them twisting, turning below;
There were no more faces and the stair was dark,
Damp, jaggèd, like an old man's mouth drivelling, beyond
repair,
Or the toothed gullet of an agèd shark.

At the first turning of the third stair
Was a slotted window bellied like the figs's fruit
And beyond the hawthorn blossom and a pasture scene
The broadbacked figure drest in blue and green
Enchanted the maytime with an antique flute.
Blown hair is sweet, brown hair over the mouth blown,
Lilac and brown hair;
Distraction, music of the flute, stops and steps of the mind
over the third stair,
Fading, fading; strength beyond hope and despair
Climbing the third stair.

Lord, I am not worthy
Lord, I am not worthy

but speak the word only.

IV
Who walked between the violet and the violet
Whe walked between
The various ranks of varied green
Going in white and blue, in Mary's colour,
Talking of trivial things
In ignorance and knowledge of eternal dolour
Who moved among the others as they walked,
Who then made strong the fountains and made fresh the springs

Made cool the dry rock and made firm the sand
In blue of larkspur, blue of Mary's colour,
Sovegna vos

Here are the years that walk between, bearing
Away the fiddles and the flutes, restoring
One who moves in the time between sleep and waking, wearing

White light folded, sheathing about her, folded.
The new years walk, restoring
Through a bright cloud of tears, the years, restoring
With a new verse the ancient rhyme. Redeem
The time. Redeem
The unread vision in the higher dream
While jewelled unicorns draw by the gilded hearse.

The silent sister veiled in white and blue
Between the yews, behind the garden god,
Whose flute is breathless, bent her head and signed but spoke
no word

But the fountain sprang up and the bird sang down
Redeem the time, redeem the dream
The token of the word unheard, unspoken

Till the wind shake a thousand whispers from the yew

And after this our exile

V
If the lost word is lost, if the spent word is spent
If the unheard, unspoken
Word is unspoken, unheard;
Still is the unspoken word, the Word unheard,
The Word without a word, the Word within
The world and for the world;
And the light shone in darkness and
Against the Word the unstilled world still whirled
About the centre of the silent Word.

O my people, what have I done unto thee.

Where shall the word be found, where will the word
Resound? Not here, there is not enough silence
Not on the sea or on the islands, not
On the mainland, in the desert or the rain land,
For those who walk in darkness
Both in the day time and in the night time
The right time and the right place are not here
No place of grace for those who avoid the face
No time to rejoice for those who walk among noise and deny
the voice

Will the veiled sister pray for
Those who walk in darkness, who chose thee and oppose thee,
Those who are torn on the horn between season and season,
time and time, between
Hour and hour, word and word, power and power, those who wait
In darkness? Will the veiled sister pray
For children at the gate
Who will not go away and cannot pray:
Pray for those who chose and oppose

O my people, what have I done unto thee.

Will the veiled sister between the slender
Yew trees pray for those who offend her
And are terrified and cannot surrender
And affirm before the world and deny between the rocks
In the last desert before the last blue rocks
The desert in the garden the garden in the desert
Of drouth, spitting from the mouth the withered apple-seed.

O my people.

VI
Although I do not hope to turn again
Although I do not hope
Although I do not hope to turn

Wavering between the profit and the loss
In this brief transit where the dreams cross
The dreamcrossed twilight between birth and dying
(Bless me father) though I do not wish to wish these things
From the wide window towards the granite shore
The white sails still fly seaward, seaward flying
Unbroken wings

And the lost heart stiffens and rejoices
In the lost lilac and the lost sea voices
And the weak spirit quickens to rebel
For the bent golden-rod and the lost sea smell
Quickens to recover
The cry of quail and the whirling plover
And the blind eye creates
The empty forms between the ivory gates
And smell renews the salt savour of the sandy earth

This is the time of tension between dying and birth
The place of solitude where three dreams cross
Between blue rocks
But when the voices shaken from the yew-tree drift away
Let the other yew be shaken and reply.

Blessèd sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit
of the garden,
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks,
Our peace in His will
And even among these rocks
Sister, mother
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,
Suffer me not to be separated

And let my cry come unto Thee.

http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/ashwed.php

Dante's Inferno

2010-01-09T17:21:00.003-06:00

Minos Judging the damned with his tail

I know this is a little early and the Lenten season is weeks away; but I found an e-book of Dante's Inferno, on project Gutenberg's website, with the illustrations by Gustave Dore... enjoy this as we walk the life of Christ this Year...

The Divine Commedy

THE VISION OF HELL, Complete
By Dante Alighieri,
Illustrated by Gustave Dore

The Magi-

2010-01-02T10:10:00.003-06:00

"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

There is some speculation surrounding the "Three Wise Men" or Magi of Matthew 2;

Who were they...?
Where were they from...?
And when did they come to see the new born Christ...?

The Bible states that the Magi were from Midian and Sheba

A multitude of camels will cover you,
The young camels of Midian and Ephah;
All those from Sheba will come;
They will bring gold and frankincense,
And will bear good news of the praises of the LORD.
-Isiaih 60:6

Also the Magi came from Tarshish

Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
-Psalm 72:10

Midian and Ephah were tribes that resided in northwest Arabia on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. Ephah being a sub-tribe of Midian. Archeological evidence also indicates that the tribes may have extended from the eastern shores of the Sinai peninsula to the deserts east of the Gulf of Aqabah into Edom and Moab.

Sheba is slightly harder to nail down; the actual location of the historical kingdom is disputed, with modern evidence tending toward Yemen in southern Arabia, but other scholars argue for a location in either present-day Eritrea or Ethiopia. Seba was uncle to Sheba as seen in Genesis 10:7

The Ethiopian Orthodox Christians (Copts) claim that they are decendants of the tribes of Sheba. The Biblical tradition of the "Queen of Sheba" in 1 Kings 10, describes her as travelling to Jerusalem to behold the fame of King Solomon. Owing to the connection with the Queen of Sheba, the location has thus become closely linked with national prestige, as various royal houses have claimed descentcy from the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. The most vigorous claimant has been Ethiopia and Eritrea, where Sheba was traditionally linked with the ancient Axumite Kingdom.

In the Bible Solomon setup a trade with Tarshish and received ivory, apes, and peacocks from Tarshish which are all native to the jungles in India. (2 Chronicles 9:21, 1 Kings 10:22) The Bible also indicates that Jonah also attempted to sail to Tarshish. His rebellion against the LORD led to his being tossed overboard by sailors, swallowed by a large fish, and vomitted out onto dry land by God's command. He then made his way to Ninevah, now known as Mosul, in Iraq.

We must look at the Biblical record and to the stars to see when the Magi came...

in Numbers 24:17 it states that a star shall come forth

I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob

The Star of Bethlehem is a fulfillment of the prophecy from Numbers 24:17 of a "Star out of Jacob". Several people over time give their explanations for the Star of Bethlehem. In the 14th century Albert Magnus noted that the constellation Virgo rose above the horizon at midnight on December 24th at the reputed time of Christ's birth.

In 1606 the German astronomer Johann Kepler suggested that the "star" was the conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn on May 22nd, October 6th and December 1st, 7 B.C. Jupiter & Saturn would have been separated by a relative distance of two diameters of the moon — so they could have appeared as a single star. Jupiter & Venus actually overlapped on June 17th, 2 B.C., but this would have been after the estimated 4 B.C. death of King Herod.

A supernova explosion occurred in the constellation Capricorn in 5 B.C. and Halley's comet was visible in 11-12 B.C. Also Chinese astronomers of the Han Dynasty recorded a comet visible for seventy days in 5 B.C.

Natural explanations cannot account for a star being directly above a 20-meter radius on the surface of the earth so that it could be followed to a specific location, unless the star was not very high above the earth: "... and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was." (Matthew 2:9).

It was the 6th century monk Dionysius Exiguus who created the B.C./A.D. system of dating based on the birthdate of Christ. Dionysius had Christ born on December 25, 1 B.C., seven days before January 1, 1 A.D. (no year zero). Luke 3:23 says that Christ was age 30 in the 15th year (about 27 A.D.) of the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius (Luke 3:1). Modern scholars now date Christ's birth between 7 BC and 4 BC. The census for taxation described in Luke 2:1-5, can be used as a guide to the date of Christ's birth. Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar had a census in 28 B.C., 8 B.C. and 14 A.D. There is also a record of a census in Judea in 6 A.D.

Matthew 2:11 describes the wise men as entering a house rather than a stable, and finding a child rather than an infant.

In Luke 2:21-22 the Bible states that Jesus was circumcised, and that Mary waited for her purification days to be complete, 30 days according to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:1-8) and then the Holy Family went to Nazareth

So there's the facts...

We know from Matthew 2 that the Magi came to Jesus as a child, but it must have been before he was 38 days old because that is when Jesus was presented in the temple because they moved back to Nazareth after that.

So Is it safe to say that Mary and Josheph found a home "in the mean time" and then the Magi came...?

I mean really are you gonna have a Briss in a stable. They just got to Bethlehem and they still have to do all if their paper work for the census and who knows what kind of nightmare that was; standing in line holding a baby for hours, everybody having to get something to eat and then having to find a nice place to stay... possibly getting on a list at the local inn to see if someone gets bumped... then finding a house... that takes some time, if you have ever had to move in a hurry you will see how everything takes too much time and never works out like you planned...

It would have been nice if the inns in Bethlehem took reservations.

We know from scripture that the Magi visited the Christ child, now what time of year this occurred, and in what year this occurred, we will have to leave that up to the theologians and their hypotheses...

In the Bleak Mid-Winter...

2009-12-19T17:25:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine turned me on to this ole' Christmas hymn... Here it is for your listening enjoyment...

In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

The Twelve Days of Christmas-

2009-12-16T20:52:00.002-06:00

During the English Reformation, Roman Catholics in England were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law in public or private.

It is said that the delightful nonsense rhyme, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written as one of the catechism songs to help young Catholics learn the tenets of the faith - as to be caught with anything in writing indicating even remote adherence to the Catholic faith would warrant serious punishment.

The gifts in the song are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song does not refer to any earthly suitor, but to God Himself.

The "me" who receives the presents refer to every baptised person.

The symbols in the song mean the following:

A Partridge in a Pear Tree = Christ as the partridge, the cross as the pear tree

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments

3 French Hens = The three gifts of the Magi, Faith, Hope, and Charity (the theological virtues), or the three Persons of the Trinity

4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels/Evangelists

5 Golden Rings = The Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament)

6 Geese A-laying = The six days of creation

7 Swans A-swimming = The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit or the seven sacraments

8 Maids A -milking = The eight beatitudes

9 Ladies Dancing = The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit

10 Lords A-leaping = The Ten Commandments

11 Pipers Piping = The eleven faithful Apostles

12 Drummers Drumming = The twelve articles in the Apostles' Creed

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the festive days beginning on Christmas Day; this period is also known as Christmastide, and ending on the day before the Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) on January 6.

Christ's Mass

2009-12-16T06:24:00.003-06:00

The Church celebrates several feasts throughout the year which contain the -mas suffix, such as Candlemas (Presentation of Our Lord), Michaelmas (the feast of St Michael the Archangel) and the little-known Lammas (Loaf-mass Day, or the first wheat harvest of the year).

The word "Christmas" is a contraction of the phrase "Christ's Mass", derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, which refers to what is properly known as the (Mass of the) Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord.

So, for this Christmas, do not stop at remembering Christ; remember the liturgy, the great gift the Church has given to us for celebration of the Eucharist!

+Agnus Dei+

2009-09-21T22:20:00.003-05:00

I don't usually make postings like this; but this is very powerful to me and I thought I needed to share it with you...

Choral version of Agnus Dei sung to the theme of Samuel Barbers Adagio for strings.Performed by The Choir of Trinity College,Cambridge,UK.Directed by Richard Marlow.

John 1:29

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata, miserere nobis.

British Christian nurse ordered to remove cross from her neck

2009-09-21T19:25:00.001-05:00

In another strange case from the UK, a Christian nurse from Exeter, in the west of England, with nearly 30 years of service, and just eight months to go to her retirement, is being threatened with disciplinary action after refusing to remove a necklace bearing a Cross — a symbol of her deeply felt Christian faith.

“NHS (National Health Service) bosses insist that the Cross must be removed from sight,” said a spokesperson for the UK-based Christian Legal Centre (CLC).

Shirley Chaplin, aged 54, has worked in the NHS all her life. Ever since studying to be a nurse she has worn this necklace and Cross with her uniform. But now NHS bosses have ordered her to remove the personal item, deeming it a breach of uniform policy and a health risk to her and to patients.

“Mrs. Chaplin, informed managers at The Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Trust Hospital that she had never had an accident injuring herself, or another patient, in three decades of nursing, and would happily sign a disclaimer absolving the Trust from any liability if she were injured by the one inch silver object,” the Christian Legal Centre spokesperson went on to say.

“The Trust refused her ‘Risk Assessment’ evidence, despite the fact that there is not one recorded accident of injury to a nurse or patient via the wearing of a necklace/cross anywhere in the NHS. The Trust insists that the Cross should not be visible.”

Mrs. Chaplin claims the demand to remove her Cross has nothing to do with Health and Safety, but is an infringement of her Human Rights, and that of being able to express her faith, which has been her foundation and strength for nearly 30 years of serving members of the public through nursing. Mrs. Chaplin said:

“I asked if I could wear the Cross pinned to my lapel, but they would only allow the cross to be pinned inside my pocket. However they said Security ID badges were permitted as the security benefit was greater than the risk,” she said.

“Necklaces are worn by other members of staff and the Trust has promoted the hospital with photographs of staff wearing necklaces. They said that other staff wearing chains including those wearing medialert chains and scarves had complied with their health and safety policy.

“The Trust also failed to explain why members of staff that were photographed wearing chains in the hospital newsletters were exempted from the health and risk policy. This smacks of double standards and appears to discriminate against Christians. This blatant piece of political correctness amounts to the marginalising of employees’ personal human rights, a blanket ‘secularising and neutralising’ of the NHS intended to stop Christians from expressing their faith in the public services of the NHS.”

Mrs. Chaplin, is supported in her ordeal by her minister, the Rev. John Eustice, of Christ Church, Exeter who has accompanied Mrs. Chaplin when she has met with Personnel and Line managers.

Mrs. Chaplin, a mother of two children, and a grandmother, said: “Everyone I have ever worked with has clearly known I am a Christian: it is what motivates me to care for others. For about 30 years I have worked in the NHS and nursed patients day and night and on no occasion has my Cross caused me or anyone else, any injury – and to my knowledge, no patient has ever complained about me wearing it. The Trust even refused to test the ‘breaking strain’ on the necklace.

Mrs. Chaplin has sought advice from the Christian Legal Centre, who have instructed leading Human Right’s Barrister Paul Diamond, who advised Caroline Petrie, the nurse who was suspended for offering to pray for a patient and then reinstated.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, barrister and founder of CLC said: “I think members of the public, including Shirley’s thousands of former patients over the years will be astonished at the request from her employer to remove a personal item which clearly expresses something of the love and care she has for people which first led her into the nursing profession.

“You cannot separate a person’s faith and motivation from other areas of their life, including what they do with the majority of their time: work".

“Unfortunately an aggressive, secularist, politically correct agenda is being driven in the NHS and other public sectors at present. Those wanting to promote the agenda say that it is ‘neutral’ but manifestly it is not. This agenda is leading to case after case of discrimination against Christians and real suffering. We will be assisting Shirley to hold out for her Human Rights – and expect the public en masse to do so as well.”

Fragment of world's oldest bible discovered in Egypt

2009-09-04T19:27:00.003-05:00

A fragment of the world's oldest Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, has been uncovered hidden underneath the binding of an 18th century book in an Egyptian monastery, news reports said.

British based Greek academic, Nikolas Sarris, spotted a previously unseen section of the Codex Sinaiticus, which dates from about AD350, as he was trawling through photographs of a series of book bindings from the 18th century in the library of St Catherine's Monastery in Egypt, UK's The Independent and the Telegraph reported.

Over the centuries, antique parchment was often re-used by St Catherine's monks in book bindings because of its strength and the relative difficulty of finding fresh parchment in such a remote corner of the world.

The 30 year old student conservator, who has been involved in the British library's project to digitise the Codex, said he almost instantly noticed the distinct Greek lettering visible in a section of a book binding, The Independent said.

"Although it is not my area of expertise, I had helped with the online project so the Codex had been heavily imprinted in my memory," Mr Sarris said. "I began checking the height of the letters and the columns and quickly realised we were looking at an unseen part of the Codex."

He then emailed Father Justin, the monastery's librarian, to suggest a closer look.

"Even if there is a one in a million possibility that it could be a Sinaiticus fragment that has escaped our attention, I thought it would be best to say it rather than dismiss it," he told The Independent.

Speaking to The Art Newspaper, Father Justin said the monastery would use scanners to look more closely at how much of the fragment existed under the newer book binding.

"Modern technology should allow us to examine the binding in a non-invasive manner," he said.

Along with the Codex Vaticanus, the Codex Sinaiticus is considered the oldest known Bible in the world.

Presiding Bishop castigates critics of her heresy comments

2009-09-04T19:14:00.002-05:00

(Note: as studens of Theology this issue is very clear; but as we find out from Schori's skewed comments "A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough." Gal. 5:9)

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has castigated critiques of her July 7 heresy sermon, saying her claim that it was heretical to believe that individual believers can find salvation through Jesus Christ, had been misconstrued.

Salvation “depends on love of God and our relationship with Jesus,” and is made manifest by right conduct, the presiding bishop said last week in defense of her views.

However, evangelical critics of the presiding bishop note her explanations fall short, as “we are not justified by love, but rather justified by faith,” the Rev Mark Thompson, Head of Theology at Moore College in Sydney tells Religious Intelligence.

In her opening remarks to the Episcopal Church’s triennial synod, the Presiding Bishop stated the “crises” facing the church arose from the “great Western heresy that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God.”

This belief was “caricatured in some quarters by insisting that salvation depends on reciting a specific verbal formula about Jesus,” Bishop Jefferts Schori said. This “individualist focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my words in the place that only God can occupy, at the center of existence, as the ground of all being.”

Critics dismissed the Presiding Bishop’s remarks as theologically ill-informed and as a mean spirited attack on conservative evangelicals. On Aug 27 the presiding bishop responded to these charges in an essay published by the church’s in-house media arm, Episcopal Life.

Bishop Jefferts Schori stated there had been “varied reactions from people who weren't there, who heard or read an isolated comment without the context. Apparently I wasn't clear!”

Individualism, she argued, was “basically unbiblical and unchristian” as the “spiritual journey” according to “the Judeo-Christian tradition” was about “holy living in community.”

“If salvation is understood only as ‘getting right with God’ without considering ‘getting right with (all) our neighbors,’ then we've got a heresy (an unorthodox belief) on our hands,” she argued, adding that “salvation depends on love of God and our relationship with Jesus, and we give evidence of our relationship with God in how we treat our neighbors.”

“Salvation cannot be complete, in an eternal and eschatological sense, until the whole of creation is restored to right relationship,” Bishop Jefferts Schori concluded.

While the Presiding Bishop’s explanation of her July remarks “does properly emphasize some fundamental truths that Christians affirm,” her argument was incomplete, the Rev Ephraim Radner, Professor of Historical Theology at Wycliffe College in Toronto told Religious Intelligence.

Dr Radner noted that presiding bishop did not address her claim that it was “heresy” to claim “we can be saved as individuals”.

“God does save us as ‘individuals’, as particular beings; and he creates us as such. We are created with and resurrected with particular bodies and beings and souls. This is a bedrock Christian conviction,” he said.

Bishop Jefferts Schori’s claim that salvation “depends” on our doing certain things, such as loving God or treating others justly are “clearly false according to Christian teaching, Dr Radner added, for “salvation ‘depends’ on only one thing, the grace of God in Christ Jesus.”

While Dr Radner noted the presiding bishop does concede this point in the close of her letter, that salvation is “ultimately the gift of a good and gracious God, not the product of our incessant striving,” her demonization of evangelicals was unwise. “It would have been helpful in her “clarification” if she had tried a little harder to exhibit some appreciation of the theological traditions that have in fact sought to maintain a clear sense of divine grace, having earlier and unjustly vilified them,” he said.

Dr. Thompson told us the presiding bishop “still does not seem to get the point that the Bible is concerned about both personal salvation and the relationships in which we operate as Christians, with each other and with the world. It is always wrong to pit one against the other, from either direction.”

Bishop Jefferts Schori “continues to caricature evangelical teaching. There is no one that I know of or have read who claims that reciting a simple formula about Jesus guarantees one’s salvation,” Dr Thompson said. Faith was not a mantra of repeated words, but the “wholehearted trust in the person of the Son of God who gave himself for our sins and this trust binds us in relationship with others God has called to himself.

He added that the presiding bishop’s “continued theological confusion is evident when she says that ‘salvation depends on love of God and our relationship with Jesus’. More care with the Bible and more intimate knowledge of the theological tradition would have enabled her to see this as a seriously flawed statement.”

“Our salvation depends on what Jesus had done in his death and resurrection,” Dr Thompson said, as “our appropriate response is to trust him and that trust flows out into our relationships with one another as love.”

It was “perfectly reasonable to complain when others deliberately twist what you are saying,” he said. However, in the presiding bishop’s case “the confusion has been caused by her own failure to confess the teaching of Scripture with clarity and her own ignorance of Christian theology.”

Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity- October 20

2009-08-30T13:20:00.003-05:00

Since January 22, 1973 over 50,000,000 babies have had their voices silenced through surgical abortion in this nation alone.

Over 4,000 children have their lives taken each day in the name of choice.

Over 4,000 women are emotionally damaged every day.

On October 20, 2009 people from all over this nation will give up their voices for a day in solidarity for these children. Red arm bands and duct tape will identify them as taking part in the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. They will carry fliers explaining why they are silent and educate others about the plight of the innocent children we are losing every day.

Are you willing to give up your voice for a day for those who will never have a voice?

Be sure and go to silentday.org and register for the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity.

Street Preacher Arrested in UK

2009-08-26T18:43:00.002-05:00

A 29-year-old street preacher has been released on bail following an arrest in Maidstone, Kent
The arrest came after an initial warning by Manchester Police at the end of July. Miguel Hayworth was approached by Police Officers in St Anne's square, Manchester, where he was threatened with an arrest and a warning that reading portions of scripture in public could be classed as an offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act.
The Police issued the warning when they received a complaint about his conduct being offensive and inciting racial and religious hatred.
Onn Sein Kon, Mr Hayworth's case worker from the Christian Legal Centre said: "The police did not pursue this line when they issued the warning, so an investigation is being made into the nature of the offence."
Mr Miguel read from Romans 1 to 6, which deals with sexual orientation. Mr Kon said this case is similar to that of Pastor Harry Hammond, who held anti-homosexuality placards in Bournemouth Square whilst reciting from the book of Revelation, and was later issued with a public order offence.
Mr Hayworth was arrested on Monday morning for preaching from the same part of the Bible. "Romans 1 to 6 is his normal modus operandi,” said Mr Kon, "but under the Human Rights Act, why should this be an offence at all?"
Andy Banton, General Secretary of the Open Air Mission, said: "We got legal advice on this two years ago so preachers know their responsibilities before the law and their rights and as far as that is concerned, we're free to preach the Christian message. The difficulty is that the legislation is very grey and open to interpretation, which invites mischief-makers.
“In the past, people have run with false accusations against street preachers because of disagreements with what they have to say. For some, the Bible is incompatible with their modern lifestyle. A person who goes into a court of law swears an oath on the Bible, so for people to be arrested for quoting it seems ludicrous.”
In an extract from a letter stipulating the rights of Preachers, Ormerods Solicitors note that freedom of speech "includes not only the inoffensive but the irritating, the contentious, the eccentric, the heretical, the unwelcome and the provocative, provided it does not tend to provoke violence.
“Freedom only to speak inoffensively is not worth having."
Mr Banton added: "So few people are attending church, under 10 per cent a week, so 90 per cent aren't hearing the most important message in the world. We're braving the fear and going into the public place."

British woman with connection to Amnesty International leaves over abortion

2009-08-23T17:30:00.001-05:00

The British woman Fiorella Nash owes the release of her father from prison in Malta in the 1970s to Amnesty International.

For Nash, supporting the organization over the years was a given, but recently she decided to suspend her support because of group's pro-abortion agenda.
According to the website Religion Confidencial, “Fiorella Nash owes her father’s life to Amnesty International. For many years she worked with the NGO until she became aware of its pro-abortion slant.”

Since its founding by Catholic British lawyer Peter Benenson, Amnesty has been one of the human rights groups that was most supported by Catholic and Protestant believers in the United Kingdom.

When August 2007 rolled around, Amnesty raised the ire of some of its strongest supporters by revealing its intention to campaign for access to abortion.

The decision to move from not having a position on abortion to campaigning for it led bishops and lay people around the world to withdraw their membership from the organization, calling the abortion agenda a betrayal of the group's founding principles.

“Amnesty has focused its most recent campaign on the government of Nicaragua, accusing it of being responsible for the deaths of pregnant adult and teen women because of its laws against abortion,” the website reported.

According to Nash, who works at the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, she cannot support Amnesty because of its pro-abortion agenda. “Its conferences on the issue only include pro-abortion speakers, there is no open debate on the issue,” she said.

Nash was pregnant when Amnesty publicly revealed its pro-abortion slant. “I was pregnant with my first son and I thought, ‘When my father was in a defenseless situation I helped him. What am I doing now to help the equally defenseless unborn?’”

Socionomics

2009-08-18T04:13:00.003-05:00

Here is the direct link: YouTube.com

Socionomics postulates that social mood drives financial, macroeconomic and political behavior, in contrast to the conventional notion that such events drive the social mood. The counter-intuitive premise of the socionomic hypothesis—that in contexts of uncertainty, endogenous processes (not exogenous causes) create patterns of social behavior—has gained attention in academic journals, books, the popular press, at academic conferences and in research...

Married deacons within three years

2009-08-16T08:50:00.001-05:00

Irish parishes will see married men baptising babies and performing weddings within three years as a new training programme for deacons gets underway.

Just short of twenty men, many of them married, from the Archdiocese of Dublin and the Diocese of Elphin will commence their 3-year studies for the permanent diaconate starting early next month.

Once ordained the deacons can serve a number of functions in a parish including performing baptisms and officiating at weddings and funerals.

The ministry of permanent deacons, while popular in the early Church had fallen into disuse by the Middle Ages, and was only reintroduced by Vatican II (1962-65).

Irish Church leaders received permission from the Vatican in 2001 to proceed with the restoration of the permanent diaconate and in 2005 the Holy See approved a specific National Directory and Norms for Ireland which provides for the training of deacons.

Initially eleven of the 26 dioceses in Ireland ARE introducing permanent deacons into their parishes; Dublin and Elphin are at the most advanced stage having had potential candidates preparing to commence formal studies for the past twelve months.

Deacons combine their ministry with their career and normally serve the Church in a part-time capacity. To facilitate the fact that candidates have to combine their studies with holding down a job the three-year programme is delivered through a variety of evening and weekend courses.

In a similar fashion to priestly training, formation consists of the four areas of pastoral formation, spiritual formation, human formation and academic formation.

A married man must have reached the age of 35 before he can be ordained to the permanent diaconate. He must also have the formal consent of his wife.

Unmarried candidates must have reached the age of 25 before they can be ordained as permanent deacons.

In keeping with the tradition of the Church, those who are ordained as single men make a solemn promise of celibacy.

Spain's Justice Minister says doctors not allowed to object to abortion

2009-08-16T08:37:00.002-05:00

The Collegial Medical Organization and various pro-life groups in Spain have strongly rejected statements by the country’s Minister of Justice, Francisco Caamano, who said Thursday that “there is no room for conscientious objection” when it comes to abortion.

The president of the Collegial Medical Organization, Dr. Juan Jose Rodriguez Sendin, said, “The right doctors have in Spain to conscientious objection is going to be respected, whether they like it or not, and it is better this is accepted on good rather than on bad terms.”

Conscientious objection is universally recognized in the medical profession, he insisted, noting that the commitment not to kill, not to abort, not to take part in torture, not to betray patients has been part of medical practice for more than 40 centuries.

“It should not seem strange to any normal person that doctors do not want to perform abortions, what ought to seem strange is the opposite,” he added. “Because it is not an ideological problem, it is simply a question of freedom. For this reason, we are going to defend the right of doctors to conscientious objection,” Rodriguez said.

The Association for the Defense of Conscientious Objection issued a press release calling the statements by the Minister of Justice “sectarian, imprudent and revealing of a manifest scorn for constitutional law, which considers conscientious objection to abortion a right of doctors and other health care professionals.”

“For the vast majority of doctors, the rejection of abortion is not based on moral principles but on the conviction that it presupposes ending human life,” the association warned.

It also noted that conscientious objection is the last resort for a citizen “when an obligation imposed by law causes rejection or a grave moral conflict.” “We are certain that the Minister would not want to ‘taste his own medicine’ if he found himself in other circumstances,” the group said.

“We deplore the ‘crusade’ that has been launched in recent days against freedom of conscience,” the association said, calling on the Minister of Justice to publicly clarify “whether his respect for freedom of conscience is sincere or is subject to political interests.”

Right to Life spokesperson, Gador Joya, warned Caamano that no minister and no government “can force a doctor to end a human life and harm the health of his patients. No matter what Mr. Caamano says, we doctors protect life and care for our patients. The vast majority does not practice abortion nor will we,” she stressed.

Property Dispute Indicates Widening Church Gap

2009-08-10T17:36:00.002-05:00

A local Episcopal parish that is defending its property against a claim from the Episcopal Church is filing a brief in a similar California case.

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont filed an amicus brief in a case against St. James Anglican Church Newport Beach, where the local Episcopal diocese is claiming St. James' property because the church withdrew from communion with the Episcopal Church.

The amicus, or friend of the court filing, outlines Good Shepherd's side of the Montgomery County dispute for the court's benefit. St. James has appealed a previous ruling of the California Supreme Court to the Supreme Court of the U.S.

"We see our amicus brief for St. James, Newport Beach as an act of witness to our parish motto – non ministrari, sed ministrare – not to be ministered unto, but to minister," said Bishop David Moyer, the rector at Good Shepherd. Bishop Moyer added that the brief was filed out of "thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received from near and far in our struggles for the Gospel and the Catholic religion."

Earlier this year, the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania filed an action in the Montgomery County Orphan's Court to claim Good Shepherd’s real estate. The diocese asserts that the property “is held in trust for the Episcopal Church and the Diocese,” and accuses Bishop Moyer and the Good Shepherd Vestry of acting outside the discipline of the church. The case against Good Shepherd is unprecedented, since in other property disputes with the Episcopal Church around the country, the parish in question has left the church, but continued to hold the property. Good Shepherd has never left the Episcopal Church, the foundation for the diocese's argument in the property case.

"I think probably the first thing to recognize here is that in many of these cases around the country these cases are dealing with a parish or diocese that has withdrawn from the Episcopal Church," said Paul Danello, a lawyer with Baker and Daniels, a law firm in Washington that is defending Good Shepherd.

Mr. Danello said that much of the Episcopal Church's argument rests on canons that were unilaterally imposed on the parishes.

The Church of the Good Shepherd was founded in 1869 in Wayne, Pennsylvania. The parish was incorporated and admitted to the Diocese of Pennsylvania shortly thereafter. At first services were held in community halls and public school buildings as the search for a suitable location proceeded. In 1872 land was bought on the north side of Lancaster Avenue in Villanova, and a church was built. The current church building was built in 1894 in Rosemont.

Good Shepherd was founded under the influence of the Oxford Movement, a 19th Century movement in Anglicanism that placed emphasis on the sacraments, holiness of life, and outreach and service to those less fortunate.

There has been no ruling in the Good Shepherd case, and both Mr. Danello and a spokesperson for the Diocese of Pennsylvania said they are waiting for word from the court. However, leaders at Good Shepherd said that the current disputes over property are signs of much more important issues at play in the Anglican Communion.

In recent years, the Episcopal Church has acted as a lightning rod surrounding the understanding and interpretation of religion. An uproar arose in the Communion over the 2004 ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson, as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire and the first openly gay Episcopal bishop.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has led an Anglican Communion increasingly split between a push for legitimizing homosexuality and strict interpretation of biblical prohibitions of it. The Episcopal Church ignored Archbishop Williams' pleas for restraint, instead opting to accept gay bishops and adopt a ritual to bless gay unions. Less than two weeks later, several openly gay candidates had been nominated to serve as bishops in dioceses around the country.

A group of bishops boycotted the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference last summer, opting to hold a rival conference instead. The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) endorsed the traditional religion, including the primacy of scripture and the Apostle's Creed. Since GAFCON, a number of parishes have split from the Episcopal Church and joined a rival communion, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). ACNA is hoping for communion with Canterbury.

"You have this huge chasm that exists in the Anglican Communion right now," said Bishop Moyer. "The Anglican Communion really doesn't exist anymore as a communion because there is not common faith and common order. The whole thing is imploded. It's like people are going in opposite directions at a faster rate than ever before. Conservative Anglicans have bound themselves together for strength, and other Anglicans are looking outside the Anglican world. ACNA has said 'we will preserve Anglicanism as we understand it.' And others are saying that Anglicanism must be in communion with something much bigger and much larger."

In the middle of the rising tide in the Episcopal Church, Good Shepherd's leaders are feeling the brunt of pressure from the Episcopal Church concerned with keeping its property amidst growing defection by conservatives. At first blush, the Episcopal Church's arguments are simply that of a diocese trying to oust ineligible leadership at an innocent parish. But Mr. Danello said that the interior issues of the church have now inappropriately found their way into a civil court.

"What we have here is a civil case that could potentially end up in Pennsylvania Supreme Court," said Mr. Danello. "Who's entitled to hold office, priestly and Episcopal ordination, these are the kinds of issues that most people look at and say [that] this isn't for a civil court to decide. To present these issues under the camouflage of a property dispute seems to us to be an abuse of the civil court system."

The most prominent point of contention for the diocese appears to be Bishop Moyer, who ran afoul of Bishop Charles Bennison about six years ago, leading to his deposition amid accusations that he abandoned the church. Bishop Moyer was immediately received into the province of central Africa and transferred to the Diocese of Pittsburgh. In anticipation of the deposition, both the present and past Archbishops of Canterbury said Bishop Moyer would be accepted into the Church of England as a priest in good standing.

"[The diocesan dispute] is a theological issue," said Bishop Moyer. "The Episcopal Church holds a revisionist system concerning doctrinal matters. We uphold what the church has taught for centuries. These doctrinal issues are ones where there is a broad sweep of the Anglican Communion [to be considered]. The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania has taken on to itself to be the sole arbiter of these issues. We're not doing anything wrong. We're loyal, faithful sons and daughters. We're just trying to be a church. The Diocese of Pennsylvania says they don't like the way we're being a church."

Bishop Moyer said that people in the pews are being alienated because of the way the diocese is pursuing its case, and seemed saddened at the prospect of the parish being forced from its church.

"The people here are the Anglo-Catholic parish on the main line," he said. "We have a unique history and heritage. People are drawn here for that reason. If this church was removed from this building, I don't think they'd be successful in founding another Episcopal parish here, because there are already many Episcopal parishes on the main line."

In 1989, the parish affiliated with the Episcopal Synod of America, now called Forward in Faith North America, and is now one of several parishes in the Diocese of Pennsylvania that are so affiliated.

"Good Shepherd belongs in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of worship, teaching, mission, and has remained steadfast in Christian orthodoxy since its founding," reads the parish's website. "Two basic pillars of parish life have been Catholic worship and Christian outreach."

Homeless NYC Holocaust survivor leaves $100,000 gift

2009-08-10T17:29:00.002-05:00

JERUSALEM (AP) —Hebrew University has received a surprise donation of more than $100,000 from an unexpected benefactor — a woman who survived the Nazi Holocaust and appeared to be destitute, a university official said Sunday.

Upon her death two years ago, a homeless Holocaust survivor living on the streets of New York City willed the gift to the university. The Jewish woman lived out of a shopping cart in Manhattan and had no known relatives, said Yefet Ozery, Hebrew University's director of development and public relations.

"She lived as a very poor woman. And when she died at the age of 92, it was discovered she had accumulated close to $300,000," Ozery said.

The university first learned about the gift three months ago but did not receive the money until this week. It will be used to fund scholarships for medical research students, according to the woman's wishes, Ozery said, refusing to disclose her name. The story was first reported by The Jerusalem Post daily.

Not much is known about the woman, who had no known connection to the university. She left the other half of her savings to various causes and beneficiaries, though Ozery said it is unknown how she amassed the small fortune.

"No one knows where she got it from. But she probably lived penny to penny. She probably saved it to do good for the world and for the Jewish people," Ozery said.

The woman's last known employer was a Jewish man in New York, who hired her to move his car to avoid parking tickets in exchange for a hot meal and a room, Ozery said. The woman also left that employer a portion of her savings.

Student invents solar-powered fridge for developing countries

2009-08-02T09:47:00.003-05:00

Proving once again that the best ideas are often the simplest, 21-year-old student/inventor/entrepreneur Emily Cummins has designed a brilliant portable solar-powered refrigerator that works based upon the principle of evaporation. Employing a combination of conduction and convection, the refrigerator requires no electricity and can be made from commonly available materials like cardboard, sand, and recycled metal.

Simply place perishable foods or temperature-sensitive medications in the solar refrigerator’s interior metal chamber and seal it. In-between the inner and outer chamber, organic material like sand, wool or soil is then saturated with water. As the sun warms the organic material, water evaporates, reducing the temperature of the inner chamber to a cool, 6 ºC [43 ºF] for days at a time!

After winning £5,000 from York Merchant Adventurers for her idea, Emily delayed going to college for a year to take her refrigerator to Africa for further development. She made six versions during the initial phase of production and helped make more than 50 during the trip where locals in Namibia nicknamed her “The Fridge Lady“. The refrigerator has since rolled out in Zambia, Namibia and South Africa and Emily believes thousands more may be in use as the design passes from community to community through word-of-mouth.

Emily explained: “I set about looking at how I could make a sustainable version after asking people what luxury they couldn’t live without and one of the answers that kept coming up was ‘fridge’…I wanted to keep it really simple and so I set about researching how we cooled things years ago. The simplest method of cooling something could be seen when you look at how we cool biologically—through sweating or evaporation. That idea led me to the design and the fridge was born.”

Emily has been inventing from an early age - she received her first hammer at the tender age of four from her grandfather who was an engineer, and she soon set to work making toys and rabbit hutches. At 16 Emily won a regional Young Engineer for Britain Award for creating a toothpaste squeezer for people with arthritis, and the next year went on to win a Sustainable Design Award for a water-carrier made from wood and rubber tubing. In 2007 Emily was named the British Female Innovator of the Year, and last year was short-listed for Cosmopolitan’s 2008 Ultimate Women of the Year Competition.

“I do want to use my skills to make a difference,” Emily says. “I’m not interested in making a bigger TV or greater sound system. I want to create change for the better.” Well said. We know we’ll hear much more from Emily in the future.

(note: although this technology is not new it is exciting to see it's sucessfull implementation... see also the Pot-in-Pot Refigerator)

I remember Tiananmen Square...

2009-06-06T15:19:00.005-05:00

Book of Common Prayer Celebrates 460th Birthday

2009-06-01T20:58:00.002-05:00

This last Whitsunday/Pentecost marked the 460th birthday of the Book of Common Prayer; first penned in 1549 by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Traditional Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian prayer books have borrowed from the Book of Common Prayer, and the marriage and burial rites have found their way into those of other denominations and into the English language. Like the Authorized King James Bible and the works of Shakespeare, many words and phrases from the Book of Common Prayer have entered popular culture.

Five hundred years before the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s called for Catholic Mass to be said in the native language of its faithful, Thomas Cranmer translated the Bible and Holy Communion celebration so that the educated and uneducated alike could comprehend God's words.

The Thomas Cranmer explained why in the Book of Common Prayer's preface:

"And moreover, whereas s. Paule (St. Paul) would have suche language spoken to the people in the churche, as they mighte understande and have profite by hearyng the same; the service in this Churche of England (these many yeares) hath been read in Latin to the people, whiche they understoode not; so that they have heard with theyr eares onely; and their hartes, spirite, and minde, have not been edified thereby."

The Book of Common Prayer became one of the most influential works ever written in English, preceeding the King James Bible and the works of Shakespeare by six decades.

Apostolic Bible (Polyglot)

2009-05-25T20:26:00.005-05:00

The Apostolic Bible Polyglot is to the Internet what the Gutenberg Bible was to printing.

The text of The Apostolic Bible Polyglot includes:

a 13 page Introduction,

a 1232 page numerically coded interlinear Greek-English Old Testament (LXX),

a numerically coded 372 page interlinear Greek-English New Testament,

an 88 page numerically coded English-Greek Index of The Apostolic Bible Polyglot,

and a 366 page numerically coded Lexical Concordance of The Apostolic Bible Polyglot.

Totaling 2112 pages. The numerical coding is called the ”AB-Strong Numbering System.” The AB-Strong numbering system follows the numbering system developed by James Strong in the 19th century and it has been adapted to The Apostolic Bible Polyglot Greek Old Testament (LXX) by the translator...

Free Downloads of the Apostolic Bible Polyglot...

Old Testament (LXX)

New Testament

English Derivatives of the Greek New Testament

Lexical Concordance of The Apostolic Bible

English-Greek Index (Introduction)

Analytical Lexicon

Grammar of the Analytical Lexicon

Video Seminars for each book (verse by verse, chapter by chapter-with the translator; Charles Van Der Pool)

Council of Nicea turns 1684 years old...

2009-05-19T22:33:00.004-05:00

The first Council of Nicea convened in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I on May the 20th, 1684 years ago...

The Council was historically significant as the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom.

Historically significant as the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom, the Council was the first occasion for the development of technical Christology. Through it a precedent was set for subsequent general councils to adopt creeds and canons. This council is generally considered the beginning of the period of the First seven Ecumenical Councils in the History of Christianity.

The agenda of the synod were:

1)The Arian question regarding the relationship between God the Father and Jesus; i.e. are the Father and Son one in purpose only or also one in being;

2)The date of celebration of the Paschal/Easter observation

3)The Meletian schism;

4)The validity of baptism by heretics;

5)The status of the lapsed in the persecution under Licinius.

Finally, the council promulgated twenty new church laws, called canons, (though the exact number is subject to debate), that is, unchanging rules of discipline. The twenty as listed in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers are as follows:

1. prohibition of self-castration; (see Origen)

2. establishment of a minimum term for catechumen;

3. prohibition of the presence in the house of a cleric of a younger woman who might bring him under suspicion;

4. ordination of a bishop in the presence of at least three provincial bishops and confirmation by the metropolitan;

5. provision for two provincial synods to be held annually;

6. exceptional authority acknowledged for the patriarchs of Alexandria and Rome, for their respective regions;

7. recognition of the honorary rights of the see of Jerusalem;

8. provision for agreement with the Novatianists;

9–14. provision for mild procedure against the lapsed during the persecution under Licinius;

15–16. prohibition of the removal of priests;

17. prohibition of usury among the clergy;

18. precedence of bishops and presbyters before deacons in receiving Holy Communion, the Eucharist;

19. declaration of the invalidity of baptism by Paulian heretics;

20. prohibition of kneeling during the liturgy, on Sundays and in the fifty days of Eastertide ("the pentecost"). Standing was the normative posture for prayer at this time, as it still is among the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics. (In time, Western Christianity adopted the term Pentecost to refer to the last Sunday of Eastertide, the fiftieth day.)

On July 25, 325, in conclusion, the fathers of the council celebrated the emperor's twentieth anniversary. In his valedictory address, Constantine again informed his hearers how averse he was to dogmatic controversy; he wanted the Church to live in harmony and peace. In a circular letter, he announced the accomplished unity of practice by the whole Church in the date of the celebration of Christian Passover (now called Easter).

The long-term effects of the Council of Nicaea were significant. For the first time, representatives of many of the bishops of the Church convened to agree on a doctrinal statement. Also for the first time, the Emperor played a role, by calling together the bishops under his authority, and using the power of the state to give the Council's orders effect.

In the short-term, however, the council did not completely solve the problems it was convened to discuss and a period of conflict and upheaval continued for some time. Constantine himself was succeeded by two Arian Emperors in the Eastern Empire: his son, Constantine II and Valens. Valens could not resolve the outstanding ecclesiastical issues, and unsuccessfully confronted St. Basil over the Nicene Creed.

Pagan powers within the Empire sought to maintain and at times re-establish Paganism into the seat of Emperor (see Arbogast and Julian the Apostate). Arians and the Meletians soon regained nearly all of the rights they had lost, and consequently, Arianism continued to spread and to cause division in the Church during the remainder of the fourth century. Almost immediately, Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian bishop and cousin to Constantine I, used his influence at court to sway Constantine's favor from the orthodox Nicene bishops to the Arians. Eustathius of Antioch was deposed and exiled in 330. Athanasius, who had succeeded Alexander as Bishop of Alexandria, was deposed by the First Synod of Tyre in 335 and Marcellus of Ancyra followed him in 336. Arius himself returned to Constantinople to be readmitted into the Church, but died shortly before he could be received. Constantine died the next year, after finally receiving baptism from Arian Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, and "with his passing the first round in the battle after the Council of Nicaea was ended."

Consecrated Phrases: A Latin Theological Dictionary : Latin Expressions Commonly Found in Theological Writings

2009-05-19T19:22:00.006-05:00

Google Books is offering a limited preview of "Consecrated Phrases: A Latin Theological Dictionary : Latin Expressions Commonly Found in Theological Writings" by James T. Bretzke or more commonly know as 'Dictionary of Theological Latin'. They (google books) offer the first 49 pages or A-G on their site; great read for the cerebral minds or nerds alike...

Read this great resource HERE...

Orthodoxy comes to SMS by surprise...

2009-04-18T20:32:00.006-05:00

This Saturday, the second session of the "Life in the Spirit" course, instead of the planned discussion of Pentecostal and Charismatic theology, during first two hours of our class, Lorraine instructed us regarding Orthodox spirituality. It was very informative and detailed. I'm sure she did not intend to run so long but by the time we had our first break it was already time for lunch... Awesome!

Here are some of the highlights...

Theology is steeped into the lives of all those in the Orthodox faith from the time they are born. Babies are not flawed, but one day they will indeed die, thru Baptism the child enters into death and then enters into it's new life with Christ, the child is given a new family (the Body of believers) and it is given a vocation.

Through fasting we are reminded that God sustains us not food. As humans we are controlled by our passions, our bodily means dominate our lives, thru fasting Christ helps us to be holy so that the Holy Spirit may work greater in our lives, for without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14) Fasting isn't a contest.

The 5 annual Fasts are:
Great Lent
(some start 2 weeks prior to Great Lent in the tradition of the monastics)
Holy Week Fast
Fast of the Apostles
Fast of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Fast of the Nativity

In Bible study God is speaking to us Jesus Himself is the Divine Word, we must listen with obediance and our studies should be Christ centered -looking for Christ on every page- Bible study is Christ speaking to me and I respond, as the "stories" of the the Bible include me. In prayer we enter our "inner room" (the heart) and by faith pray to God with intention, with tears, repentance and denial. Prayer should be a regular time, a special place and the hardest part -just get started-

The Jesus Prayer

"Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, Υιέ του Θεού, ελέησόν με τον αμαρτωλόν."

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Most High God, Have Mercy on me a sinner"

The Jesus Prayer is one of the most profound and mystical prayers and it is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice. The goal of the disciplines is to share in the transfiguration of Christ so that we may see Christ just as the Apostles did

We were also treated by Cn. Thelogian Fr. Glenn Davis presentation of his address for the CEC Theological Summit to be held next week in Orlando, Florida.

Question to be answered for next session:
-What is the difference between personal prophecy and divination?-

The First Book of Common Prayer- 1549

2009-03-16T19:51:00.003-05:00

The First Book of Common Prayer- 1549

Links on this website will lead you to all parts of

-The First Book of Common Prayer-

Enjoy!

(the table of contents picture is a clickable index)

God With Us: The Meaning of the Tabernacle by Frank Weston, D.D.

2009-03-16T19:32:00.003-05:00

Our relation with the Christ as He is in all His members is not direct, but mediate, through the Holy Spirit who fills His manhood. And every attempt to over-emphasize the dwelling of Christas man within us is mistaken. He is not in us that we may perceive His manhood as it is His own; but that we may apprehend it as the temple and treasure-house in which the Spirit takes what is His to give to us, as the Spirit's instrument of ministry, as God's own means of dwelling in us.

That this should prove to be the case is what any one might expect who meditates on the nature of humanity. It is conceivable that Christ's manhood is within me since God is in me, and where the Word is, there also is His manhood. It is not conceivable that His manhood is in me qua manhood; since qua manhood it is in heaven, at God's right hand.

This does not mean that intimate communion with Christ within us is not to be encouraged. Nor does it mean that He is not personally in us. Nor does it conflict with the doctrine that Christ comes to us in communion, sacramentally, and abides in us independently of the sacramental elements. It does, however, mean that His presence within us is not primarily for this purpose of personal meeting in respect of His manhood. Primarily He is in us that the Blessed Trinity may be in us. S. Paul says, "Christ liveth in me." And the Christ says, "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Thus we "sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," and are, increasingly, being "filled with all the fulness of God."

Frank Weston D.D.

Excerpts from A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE LORD'S SUPPER by THOMAS WILSON, D.D.

2009-03-16T19:15:00.002-05:00

SECTION II
The end and Institution of the Lord's Supper.

ST. PAUL concludes his first Epistle to the Corinthians with this remarkable direction; "If any man love not the Lord Jesus, let him be Anathema, Maranatha:" that is, Let him be separated from your communion, as one under the displeasure of God, and, without a timely repentance, in no possibility of being saved: nothing being more grievous in the sight of God, than for a sinner to slight the greatest instance of His mercy that was ever offered to man, as well as the only means of his salvation.

To prevent this, and to hinder sinners from forgetting (which they are but too apt to do) this token of God's infinite love, and to fix the love of Jesus Christ more surely in our hearts and memory, He Himself hath taken care, that His [346] love and mercy should throughout all generations be remembered: He did therefore ordain this Sacrament as a memorial of our redemption, and of His love for us, as a pledge to assure us of it, and as an outward means and sign of testifying, as well as increasing, our love to Him.

The holy Apostles of Christ, who were present when He first administered this Sacrament, give us the following account of its institution:

They signify to us in the first place, that this Sacrament was ordained by Christ the same night in which He was betrayed; and after they had observed the Passover, which had been ordained to preserve the memory of their great deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and which did prefigure, and was a prophecy of a much greater deliverance, which Jesus Christ was to be the Author of, not only for them, but for all mankind: and which prophecy was surprisingly fulfilled by that people, without knowing what they were doing [d], when they crucified Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, the very same month, the very same day of the month, and the very same hour of the day, that the Paschal Lamb was first ordained to be sacrificed.

Now, after the Paschal Supper, as the Apostles relate it, "Jesus Christ took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, eat: this is My Body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. He took also the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this; for this is My Blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins: this do, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as oft as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till He come."

In obedience therefore to this command of Jesus Christ, who has delivered us from a much greater bondage then that of Egypt, the Christian Church keeps up the memory of His love, His sacrifice, and His sufferings, and death, after this solemn manner:

First, as an acknowledgement that our lives, and all that we eat or drink to preserve them, are owing to the bounty of God, we present upon His table, by the hands of His own [347] Minister, a portion of His creatures, the best we have for the support and comfort of our natural life, namely, bread and wine. After this the bread and wine are consecrated, the bread is broken, and the wine poured out, to represent the death of Christ, whose body was broken, and whose blood was shed for us.

The Minister of God, as the steward of Christ's household, applies these blessings to every person who receives this Sacrament, in this devout prayer; "The Body and Blood of Christ, which were given and shed for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life."

And we may be assured of it, that this Sacrament will be to every worthy communicant, what the tree of life would have been unto Adam and Eve in Paradise; and that as they, had they continued obedient, would have been in no danger of temporal death; even so we, while we feed on this bread, now endued with a life-giving Spirit, and live as we ought to do, are in no danger of death eternal.

These being pledges to assure us, that as certainly as bread and wine do nourish our bodies, so do these seal to us all the benefits which Jesus Christ hath purchased for us by His sacrifice and death.

And when any Christian does wilfully, and for want of faith, deprive himself of this spiritual food, he falls, as our first parents did, into a state purely natural, and destitute of the means of grave and salvation.

For the happiness of the world, and of every soul in it, depends upon the sacrifice of Christ; of which we are bound to keep up the remembrance after this solemn manner: That, whenever we pray for any favour or blessing, we may remember to do it in His name: That, whenever we are so unhappy as to have done any thing which may displease God, we may remember to pray to be forgiven for Christ's sake.

For God grants whatever we ask, and which He sees to be for our good, when we ask in faith, that is, in His Son's name; and therefore the Church concludes all her prayers in these most prevailing words; for Jesus Christ's sake.

In one word; we do by this Sacrament keep up a continual correspondence with our Lord in Heaven; and hold communion with Him, and with all the members of His [348] Body, which receive nourishment and growth from Him, as the branches of the tree in which they are grafted, and from which when they are separated, they can bear no fruit, and are only fit to be burned.

And as every Christian is obliged, at the peril of his soul, to observe it, so the duty must be such, as every one, even the most unlearned, may understand, if it be not his own fault. And so indeed it is: for as an Israelite, under the Law (Levit. i. 4), being obliged to lay his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, confessing his sins, and laying them, as it were, upon that creature,--as he did easily understand that this was to shew him that death was the due reward of sin; that this ought to humble him before God, and to give him the greatest abhorrence of sin, which could not be pardoned but by the loss of the life of an innocent creature:--

As this was plain to the meanest Israelite, even so the most unlearned Christian, when he considers that our Lord Jesus Christ became a sacrifice for us, and that on Him all our sins were laid,--on Him who knew no sin;--he will easily understand how sad our condition was, which required such a sacrifice: that this therefore ought to humble us, to lead us to repentance, to make us fearful of offending God, and to abhor those sins which cost Jesus Christ His life, before God could be prevailed with to pardon them.

He will also easily understand, that the love of Christ, and the remembrance of His death, ought to be very dear to us; and that the oftener we remember it in the manner He ordained, the more graces we shall receive from God, the firmer will be our faith, the surer our pardon, and the more comfortable our hopes of meeting Him, not as an enemy but as a friend, at whose table we have been so often entertained.

from Project Cantebury

Free Audiobook of the Month -

2009-03-02T20:52:00.003-06:00

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney

Donald Whitney's study, The Spiritual Disciplines in the Christian Life is also highly regarded by Evangelicals and Charismatics. This month only, christianaudio.com is offering an audio download of Whitney's book for free. You can download to your computer and listen on your mp3 device at no charge. Please take advantage of this excellent offer.

St. John's Bible Exhibit at the Mobile Museum of Art

2009-03-02T20:36:00.004-06:00

Hey Guys!

I had the privilege to see the St. John's Bible Exhibit at the Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile, Alabama, yesterday. It was SPECTACULAR!

The Saint John's Bible is an ongoing project, commisssioned by Benedictine Monks in Minnesota, to hand write (calligraphy) the whole Bible in the style of the monks of the Middle Ages and prior. It is "authenitic" in the sense of being done on calf-skin pages (vellum) with the hand-mixed ink and paints, and hand-made goose quill pens, etc., according to the traditional techniques. It is being done, as inspired by the beginning of the 3rd Christian Millenium, by an artist group in Wales, GB.

This is the website that will tell more about it: saintjohnsbible.org

This is far more than just hand-written text. The Biblical Art-Work that is married into the text is absolutely astounding ! with (mostly) more comtemporary style paintings in multiple colors and Gold Leaf.

One MAIN POINT is the rare privilege to have an exhibition of this nature in the area !

Exhibiting these pages is rare in itself, and there are only two other concurrent exhbitions for this year in the country (other parts of the Bible that have been completed)--as you can note on the website. It is a RARE opportunity to see Christian Masterpiece in the making, in my humble opinion!

Museum admission is $10 per head (for all of the exhibits), and the St.John's Bible exhibit ends on April 12th.

If you can get to Mobile before the 12th to see it, I think you will find it to be well worth the effort!

Respectfully, Clay

(submitted by Clay Rowe)

Book List for PS-501: 'Life in the Spirit: Spiritual Formation and Direction'

2009-02-22T13:05:00.010-06:00

REQUIRED TEXTS

The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements- Stanley M. Burgess

Celebration of Discipline- Richard Foster

Prophets and Personal Prophecy- Bill Hamon

Agape Road- Bob Mumford

Restoring the Christian Soul- Leanne Payne

Christian Healing- Rev. Cn. Mark Pearson

The Spirit of the Disciplines- Dallas Willard

RECOMMENDED TEXTS (For your Library)

Wild at Heart- John Eldridge
Unto Full Stature- Devern Fromke
Beginning Spiritual Direction- David E. Rosage
The Pursuit of God- A.W. Tozer

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers- Benedicta Ward
Bill Hamon’s books
Leanne Payne’s books
Eugene H. Peterson’s books

The purpose of this course is to equip the student with the resources to strengthen their life in the Spirit, to comprehend the Charismatic tradition within the Church catholic, and to explore the spiritual disciplines that will aid in their maturity in Christ. The personal and corporate aspects of life in the Spirit will be emphasized.

(I found that most of these books and most of these authors are found on Google Books; and can be read/downloaded for free)

Deacon John's Homiletics Session Two Notes

2009-01-25T17:15:00.003-06:00

Deacon John's notes for our Homiletics class can be accessed at this link...

LS- 550 Homiletics Session Two notes

(you must sign in to Google to view the documents)

St. Michaels Seminary hosts instructed Divine Liturgy

2009-01-23T19:40:00.002-06:00

The Maryland campus of St. Michael’s Seminary hosted an instructed Divine Liturgy conducted by Fr. Michael Clancy of the Orthodox Anglican Church. Fr. Michael, formerly of the Patriarchate of Moscow, celebrated the Eastern Orthodox Eucharist and answered questions for the students. This event was part of the Charismatic Episcopal Church seminary course Ancient Ecumenical Traditions, Orthodox, Roman and Anglican/Celtic. Fr. Michael’s presentation, which he normally conducts for his own church’s seminary, was a wonderful and practical conclusion to the Fall semester. It tied together a great deal of what the seminarians had been learning and allowed them to see and participate in this beautiful celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Fr. Michael also anointed the people with holy oil mingled with the tears of a weeping icon of the Madonna. Fr. Michael is a friend of the CEC and sometimes attends The Church of the Good Shepherd, CEC in Ellicott City, MD. Fr. Michael is a chaplain with the Maryland National Guard and serves with Fr. Martin Eppard (the course instructor) as a police chaplain. All of the seminarians were greatly blessed by this event. The lecture and questions and answer time was extremely informative, but the most wonderful part of the evening was the celebration of the sacrament in this unique way.

from CECHOME.com

Archbishop Vigneron calls for opposition to Obama abortion stand.

2009-01-23T19:01:00.002-06:00

Archbishop Vigneron, the next Archbishop of Detroit, has expressed disappointment with Obama’s position on abortion and has called for forceful opposition and coalition-building to counter it.

Archbishop Vigneron, speaking in an interview with the Detroit News, said he shares other bishops’ concerns that the Obama administration has given indications that the president is going to rescind some protections for the unborn.

“And I am very disappointed in that,” he told the Detroit News. “We are going to have to represent our opposition as forcefully as we can and try to build coalitions to dissuade the administration from moving to that.”

The archbishop declined to answer whether he would deny Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, calling it a “hypothetical question.”

“I simply want to affirm that part of being a Catholic is having a conviction that on these moral matters, the church speaks the mind of Christ. And I want to help Catholics, especially Catholics in responsible positions, to maintain the integrity of their professions,” he told the Detroit News.

Archbishop Vigneron also voiced concern about the economy of Michigan and its impact on people and families.

Other plans for his new flock include reinvigorating the priesthood by encouraging vocations and focusing on pastoral care for students at Catholic colleges and universities.

The archbishop added that he will immerse himself in the archdiocese’s “Together in Faith” reorganization program which is closing or consolidating dozens of parishes.

from Clerical Whispers

Obama Grants Funding for Abortions

2009-01-23T18:13:00.003-06:00

Our new president has just signed an executive order, rolling back a previous ban by Pres. G.W. Bush, to allow taxpayer dollars to be used to fund abortions abroad...

Now those of you who know me understand that I am against all forms of murder, the death penalty and especially abortion; but I have to say "I told you so!"

Our current leadership has defined the parameters for acceptable argument on abortion; which they so lovingly call "Family Planning" (how very Orwellian), and will reserve a special place on the chopping block for all voices of dissent. The "liberal" (which is more centrist than true liberalism) government that we have put in power, in our infinite wisdom, has manufactured the consent of Americans to support murder and abortion; through its strangle hold on public opinion, media, and pulpit. This should come as no surprise to some as this is the way that our mob-rules-elitist-government protects it's interests.

Well as you can tell this stuff gets my dander up, and it is said that "There is no such thing as bad press" so in a push to be more placable and still maintain an air of smugness; I will forthwith cease from using the Christian and Surname of our Commander in Cheif and will forever call him by his new cognomen Socialist Maximus

"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." - Thomas Paine

President Obama uses Lincoln Bible at Inauguration

2009-01-20T19:15:00.006-06:00

President Obama used the Lincoln Bible at his inauguration; the first president to do so in 147 years.

Barack Obama has chosen to be sworn in on the Holy Bible, and he will invoke God. He is not obliged to do either; he has chosen to. And (unlike Bishop Gene Robinson) he apparently does not care about those he may offend by doing so.

It is heartening to see politicians fearlessly treading where clerics have ceased to.

The US Constitution does not require a Bible, but it has become tradition.

There have been a few lawsuits attempting to oblige the Chief Justice – who will administer the Oath of Office– from adding ‘so help me God’ to the constitutionally prescribed presidential oath (Art. II, Sec. 1). They have also sought to declare unconstitutional the use of clergy to deliver an invocation and benediction.

But all this is trivia and tittle-tattle.

Barack Obama is not being sworn in on just any old Bible, like most of his predecessors. He is to use the very tome used by Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration of 1861. He will be the first incoming president in 147 years to use the Lincoln Bible, and he has chosen to do so because he intends pursuing Lincoln’s themes of national unity, arguing that the US Constitution was created ‘to form a more perfect Union’.

Bizarrely, Mr Obama will travel to his inauguration via the same route that Lincoln took, and will also eat lunch off replicas of the Lincolns' White House china.

The spirit of Lincoln will be as immanent as the Spirit of God.

Most presidents have sworn the Oath of Office upon a Bible which had personal or political significance – usually the family Bible. Theodore Roosevelt exceptionally swore on nothing, and John Quincy Adams, although a Christian, took his presidential oath upon a "Volume of Laws", declaring that he was elected to preserve, protect and defend the US Constitution.

Adams’ choice of ‘unholy’ writ was unique, since those who were not sworn in on the Bible (however hastily) all laid their hands on something which they considered ‘holy’. Lyndon B. Johnson took his oath aboard Air Force 1 upon a Missal – the Roman Catholic liturgical book – because it was all that was found in President Kennedy’s airplane bedroom.

Harding was sworn in on the Bible used by George Washington in 1789. Eisenhower, Carter and Bush Snr all doubled up, using the Washington Bible along with their family bibles. Clinton used his grandmother’s Bible, and Coolidge, Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan all used bibles from the maternal sides of their families.

The Bible has now become intrinsic to the inauguration ceremony, so much so that more questions would be asked about a presidential candidate who purposely eschewed it than would ever be asked of a candidate who deploys it. History still notes that Franklin Pierce broke with precedent in 1853 when he chose not to kiss the Bible.

1 Timothy Chapter 2

First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that outwardly we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life and inwardly a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. For such praying is good and right, and it is pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior, who wishes all men to be saved and increasingly to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the divine Truth. For there is only one God, and only one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people, a fact that was attested to at the right and proper time. And of this matter I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (special messenger)--I am speaking the truth in Christ, I do not falsify when I say this--a teacher of the Gentiles in the realm of faith and truth.

Supreme Court authorizes euthanasia for Italian 'Terri Schiavo'

2008-11-15T10:54:00.002-06:00

After a prolonged legal battle, the Supreme Court of Italy has ruled food and hydration can be removed from Eluana Englaro, a 37 year-old woman who has been in a coma since 1992 after a car accident, in a similar case to that of Terri Schiavo, who died after 13 days of agony without food or water.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Attorney General of Milan, who was appealing a lower court ruling that granted permission to euthanize the woman last July.

The request to suspend food and hydration was requested by Eluana’s father, Beppino Englaro.

The director of the Athenian Center for Bioethics of the Catholic University, Adriano Pessina, warned last July that a legal ruling of this type “does not consider the principle of the non-disposableness of human life and of the duty, of all civil society as well, not to legitimize the abandoning of therapeutic care and assistance for those citizens who are incapable of providing it for themselves.”

He told the SIR news agency the ruling gives guardians “true life or death power over the person that has been entrusted to them, contravening the meaning of guardianship itself. It is inconceivable that the best thing for somebody is death, something that never constitutes a good that should be protected.”

Pessina said “the interruption of food and water will constitute a slow agony for Eluana, who is guilty of only wanting to stay alive.”

The brother of Terri Schiavo, Bobby Schindler, also commented on the ruling, saying that it “seems to indicate that American ‘medical ethics’ are spreading like a virus among the international community, threatening countless numbers of elderly, ailing and disabled persons in an increasing and alarming way.”

“Our heart goes out to this family as we know very well the profound affect that these types of injuries can have on loved ones. However, we must remember that we have a grave obligation to do all we can to protect those with disabilities, recognizing that a person with a brain injury is a human being with an inherent dignity and a right to life. This young girl needs only food and water and her family’s love to survive. At the very least this should be provided to her.”

From "Clerical Whispers"-

Spanish abortion supporters call for church burnings

2008-10-21T23:58:00.002-05:00

From the sea like pirates they came, a hundred or so Dutch women from "Women on Waves", a floating abortion mill, to the yacht harbor of Valencia. The locals came out in droves to protest the "Ship of Death", while the abortionist passed out matches with the message “The only church that brings light is the one that burns. Join us!” and images of burning churches. It was the largest pro-life rally in the city's history. The flotilla's purpose is to ferry impressionable women out to international waters to perform their heinous acts of death and dismemberment on the defenceless youths. On October 19, the feminists met again to distribute matches but decided to disband after they were overwhelmed by the large number of pro-life protesters who gathered at the port where the abortion ship was docked.

Pray with me that this plan of the adversary is thwarted...

Statement from the Meeting of St. Michael’s Seminary Curriculum Committee of the American Church

2008-10-21T23:21:00.001-05:00

The Curriculum Committee of St. Michael’s Seminary, USA met in Olathe, Kansas October 16-17, 2008. Those in attendance were the Patriarch, Bishops Doug Kessler and Mike Davidson, Archdeacon Bill McLoughlin, Canons Mark Finley, David Almond, Robert Wills, Fr. Terry Hedrick, and Deacons John Garrett and Steve Phelps. Canon Mark Pearson was unable to attend the meeting because he is recovering from surgery.

On the first day, the Patriarch addressed the members of the committee. He commended the committee for the excellent work they have done in setting curriculum and in teaching and mentoring men around the United States and Canada. There is always need for improvement because our culture is slowly entering a post-Christian era. Our men need to be educated and prepared for the days that face us.

After discussion of the Patriarch’s comments, the committee continued with their work. At the conclusion of the two days of meeting they prepared several recommendations to the United States House of Bishops.

The are recommending that St. Michael’s be the official seminary of the Charismatic Episcopal Church in the United States and that every Diocese use the seminary for preparing men for ordination.

There was a lengthy discussion of the spiritual and moral formation of seminarians and clergy. They are recommending to the Bishops of the U.S. Church that all clergy be mandated to be involved in continuing education and spiritual direction. They are reminding the Bishops and the seminarians that St. Michael’s Seminary is contextual education and involves spiritual/moral formation, practical ministry, and academics. The committee also recommended that there be programs developed for the wives and families of clergy and those seeking ordination.

Finally the Committee recommended to the Patriarch, who is also the Primate of the United States, that the Seminary seek accreditation and that he appoint a group to research the possibility. The Patriarch responded by appointing a group to work on this process.

The Primate reappointed Bishop Doug Kessler as the Dean of the Seminary and Dn. Steve Phelps who serves at the Cathedral in Kansas City will assist him in administrative matters.

From http://www.cechome.com/?p=549

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

2008-10-07T07:08:00.004-05:00

Churches around the world will join in prayer for the millions of Christians worldwide who continue to be persecuted for their faith.
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on 9 November is an initiative of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Commission in collaboration with ministries that support the persecuted church, including Voice of Martyrs, Open Doors and Gospel for Asia.

Global IDOP coordinator, the Rev Johan Candelin said the day of prayer said it could be the “biggest prayer group in the world”. The theme will be “Refined in Fire”.

“When the Lord's children go into the refining fire of persecution, they come out purer with deeper faith and greater strength, more Christ-focused and more unified,” said the Rev Candelin, who is also the Executive Director of the WEA’s Religious Liberty Commission.

“Those who are being persecuted can therefore be encouraged to look with hope at how they are being sanctified. And those who pray for them can be reminded to place sanctification on a higher pedestal than prosperity.”

More Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all previous centuries combined, and persecution continues unabated into the twenty-first century. In India’s Orissa state, scores of Christians have been killed and thousands left homeless in a wave of attacks by Hindu mobs since the end of August.

“More than 200 million Christians do not have full religious freedom today,” added Candelin. “The least we can do is the most we can do: Pray.”

Specific prayer requests concerning 36 nations and 46 national leaders plus other resources for targeted praying, are available from the global IDOP website.

“IDOP is an important opportunity for the church around the world to stand in solidarity with brothers and sisters from across the globe, who are suffering as they seek to follow Christ,” said Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, the International Director of WEA.

“I urge all churches to participate in IDOP. It will be life-changing.”

On the web: www.idop.org

Blog Action Day 2008 - Poverty

2008-10-07T07:03:00.001-05:00

Timothy Keller- "Preaching in a post-modern city", Parts 1 & 2

2008-09-23T09:00:00.002-05:00

If you have a Google Account, you can view "Preaching in a Post-Modern City" parts one and two by Timothy Keller; by clicking on one of the following Links:

PREACHING IN A POST-MODERN CITY PART I

PREACHING IN A POST-MODERN CITY PART II

(thanks to Cn. Glenn for providing these for us, I have posted them to my 'Google Docs' account)

Pro-Life protesters Strip Searched

2008-09-13T13:31:00.002-05:00

Alliance Defence Fund and allied attorneys filed a lawsuit last week against Harford County, the town of Bel Air, and seven police officials on behalf of three young, pro-life women.

At least a dozen police officers arrived in more than seven marked vehicles and then arrested, jailed, shackled, and/or strip searched 18 pro-life advocates, including the three women, after they held signs and shared their message along a public street.

"The state shouldn't persecute Christians for expressing their beliefs on important social issues, nor deny them their constitutional rights," said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot.

"This incident paints an ugly picture of the state of religious freedom and free speech in America today."

"The truth of the matter is that our clients were heckled, arrested, imprisoned, shackled, and strip searched twice for exercising their First Amendment rights," said ADF-allied attorney Daniel Cox, who is serving as local counsel.

"No excuse exists for how our young clients were treated."

At least 12 police officers handcuffed 18 peaceful participants in Defend Life's "Face the Truth" Pro-life Tour on August 1 of this year and denied them a reason for their arrests. They had relocated to Bel Air after being told by officers to move from another location for not having a permit to engage in free speech activities. Three young female participants - including teenagers - were subjected to two rounds of strip searches.

The first search took place in the police station parking lot in front of other males. A female officer pulled out the young ladies' shirt collars to inspect their breasts before reaching down their pants to feel around their waistlines. The Harford County Detention Center administered the second strip search after the women were transferred there. A female officer took the women one by one into a bathroom and ordered them to lift up their shirts and brassieres.

Officials cast the pro-life participants in leg irons, denied them permission to call parents until after midnight, and did not release any of them until the following day. None were informed that attorneys Steve Peroutka and Scott Whiteman had been prohibited from having any contact with them after arriving at the station earlier that night to assist them.

On August 12, the state decided not to pursue the charges against them, which included loitering, disorderly conduct, and failure to obey a lawful order. They were never charged for a permit offence.

The complaint was filed with the US District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division. The case is styled Swagler v. Harford County.

The Thomas More Society of Chicago and the American Catholic Lawyers Association represent some of the other pro-life participants.

'Creationism in schools' call...

2008-09-13T12:37:00.001-05:00

A leading biologist and education expert called for creationism to be included in science lessons.

The Rev Professor Michael Reiss, director of education at the Royal Society, believes banning creationism from the classroom is likely to backfire with children who hold sincere beliefs.

He wants teachers to be open to discussing creationist ideas. Some creationists reject the concept of evolution and suggest that the Earth is only 10,000 years old.

At the same time they should endeavour to explain scientific theories such as natural selection and the Big Bang.

Prof Reiss admitted he used to be "evangelical" about spreading the word of evolution when he taught biology in schools.

But he added: "I realised that simply banging on about evolution and natural selection didn't lead some pupils to change their minds at all. Now I would be more content simply for them to understand it as one way of understanding the universe."

Speaking at the British Association Festival of Science at the University of Liverpool, he said it was better for science teachers not to see creationism as a "misconception" but as a "world view".

Around 10% of British schoolchildren come from families with sincere creationist beliefs, said Prof Reiss, an ordained Church of England minister. In the US, the proportion of creationist schoolchildren was 40%.

Many of these children came from Muslim backgrounds or families with fundamental Christian views. Teachers in science lessons ought to be willing to talk about creationism if students brought the subject up, said Prof Reiss.

At the same time as making clear creationism is not accepted by the scientific community, they should convey a message of respect that does not "denigrate or ridicule" the children's beliefs

Judge rules ban on teacher’s classroom ‘God Bless America’ banners violates free speech.

2008-09-11T18:17:00.003-05:00

A federal judge ruled on Friday that a San Diego high school teacher has a free speech right to display patriotic banners in his classroom with messages such as “God Bless America,” “In God We Trust,” and “One Nation Under God.” School officials had ordered the banners removed on the grounds they promoted a “Judeo-Christian” viewpoint.

Brad Johnson, a high school math teacher, had displayed such red, white and blue banners in his Poway Unified School District high school for twenty-five years before they were ordered removed. The school district allowed classroom displays by other teachers that included posters of Buddhist and Islamic messages, Tibetan prayer flags, and other displays.

The Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center filed a federal lawsuit against the school district on Johnson’s behalf, arguing that the school district’s actions amounted to government hostility toward a specific religion. The lawsuit also alleged that the school district violated Johnson’s free speech rights by imposing a viewpoint-based restriction upon him, according to a Tuesday press release from the Thomas More Law Center.

The Poway Unified School District responded to the lawsuit with a motion seeking to dismiss the case for failure to state a claim.

Federal District Judge Robert T. Benitez ruled that the lawsuit may proceed, stating in his decision:

“Whether described as speech from a religious perspective or speech about American history and culture, through display of his classroom banners, Johnson was simply exercising his free speech rights on subjects that were otherwise permitted in the limited public forum created by Defendants and in a manner that did not cause substantial disorder in the classroom. Thus, Johnson has made out a clear claim for relief for an ongoing violation of his First Amendment free speech rights.”

Robert Muise, the Thomas More Law Center lawyer handling the case, praised the decision by saying the judge’s “strongly worded” opinion “sends a clear message to school districts across the country that hostility toward our nation’s religious heritage is contrary to our constitution.”

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel for the Law Center, added his own comments, saying “Many public schools exhibit a knee-jerk hostility towards Christianity and seek to cleanse our nation’s classrooms of our religious heritage while promoting atheism or other religions under the guise of cultural diversity.”

If the lawsuit is successful, the speech restriction will be overturned and Johnson will be allowed to display his banners.

Prayers by the Lake, by St. Nikolai of Ochrid and Zica, Prayer XXX

2008-08-01T10:34:00.003-05:00

XXX

Blot out, O Lord, all my memories- except one. For memories make me old and feeble. Memories ruin the present day. They weigh down the present day with the past and weaken my hope in the future, for in legions they whisper in my ear: "There will only be what has already been."

But I do not wish for there to be only what has been. I do not wish and You do not wish, O Lord, for the future to be the past repeated. Let things happen that have never appeared before. The sun would not be worth much, if it only watched repetitions.

Worn paths mislead a wayfarer. Earth has walked over the earth a long time. Earthly walkways have become boring, for they have been traveled again and again from generation to generation throughout all time. Blot out, O Lord, all my memories except one.

Just one memory do I ask You not to blot out, but to strengthen in me. Do not blot out but strengthen in my consciousness the memory of the glory that I had when I was entirely with You and entirely in You, before time and temporal illusions.

When I, too, was a harmonious trinity in holy unity, just as You are from eternity to eternity.

When the soul within me was also in friendship with consciousness and life.

When my soul also was a virginal womb, and my consciousness was wisdom in virginity, and my life was spiritual power and holiness.

When I, too, was all light, and when there was no darkness within me.

When I, too, was bliss and peace, and when there were no torments of imbalance within me.

When I also knew You, even as You know me, and when I was not mingled with darkness.

When I, too, had no boundaries, no neighbors, no partitions between "me" and "you."

Do not blot out this memory, my Father, but strengthen it. Even if it reveals to me the abyss along which I am journeying in humbleness and nothingness.

Even if it separates me from friends and pleasantries, and demolishes all the barriers between Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.1

Even if it leads me outside of myself, and makes me seem mad in the eyes of my fellow wayfarers.

In truth, no companionship pleases me except Yours, and no memory pleases me except the memory of You.

O my Merciful Father, blot out all my memories except one alone.

Translated and Annotated by: Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Todor Mika, S.T.M. and Very Rev. Dr. Stevan Scott

Our Current Times...

2008-07-15T11:49:00.003-05:00

As I was reading the news this morning I was suddenly struck with the feeling; "Will this ever get better?" I found myself despairing for the state of our world. It struck my heart and moved me to fear. Upon this I was awoken out of my sorrow to a deep comfort that warmed body, I had been cold to the touch for the past three days or so and had not realized it till now. For several moments I could not figure out where this warmth came from; then recognized it as the Peace of God.

I felt impressed to share this with you; Christ is our comforter.

In this world that is constantly being filled with foul deeds; (since the dawn of time) which is nothing new, it has just arrived to us in different packages different from the wrappings and mailing addresses of the past.

The thing that has been--it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 AMP

-Our focus must be on Calvary, at the Cross of Christ we will find peace in a tumultuous world. Some times it is hard to tune out the corruption of the world, because we are also warned to be watchmen and to stay informed;

"Be very watchful of yourselves, therefore, to love the Lord your God." Joshua 23:11-AMP,

"And as to ourselves indeed, in under- taking this work of abridging, we have taken in hand no easy task, yea rather a business full of watching and sweat." 2 Maccabees 2:27 DRA

"He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them, to perfection." Sirach 38:31 DRA

"I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved." Habakkuk 2:1 KJV

"Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming." Matthew 24:4 MSG

And of course we all know the following

"vigilate ergo quia nescitis qua hora Dominus vester venturus sit"

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Matthew 24:42 KJV

This is not to say we should pull our hair out worrying about the state of the world but to watch or keep watch of current events and with Gods help to defend our faith (watching where we draw the line), recognizing that the God who created this world is most Sovereign Lord and will keep you in your stead.

We live in a country that has become (in the past 60 years) a bully and justified it's actions in the name of freedom and national defence; and are very likely to invade yet another sovereign country, namely Iran, under the guise of terrorism. The Russian government has vowed to "Neutralize" any missile defence by the USA placed in the Ukraine or Czech Republic. Tuberculosis and Malaria are the worlds top killers and are preventable. A new form of Dengue Fever has been found in Italy. AIDS. There are revolutions or conflicts in Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Chad & Sudan are facing off, Lebanon fights Hezbollah, Zimbabwe, Turkey and the PKK, Columbia and FARC.....

As I was reading all of these events I was overwhelmed but soon realized that God is in control and that these things may be new developments to us but it is really just a replay...

EV- 500 Apologetics- Notes

2008-07-02T09:30:00.002-05:00

EV-500 Apologetics

-5 views on apologetics-

1) Classical Method
Builds from Creation, natural revelation, to prove Theism. Uses historical evidence to build a case for Christ/refute other regions or views- It is usually argued that the order of the two phases in classical apologetics is essential. That is, before one can meaningfully discuss historical evidences, one has to have established God's existence because one's worldview is a framework through which miracles, historical facts, and other empirical data are interpreted. Without a theistic context, no historical event could ever be shown to be a divine miracle. The flipside of this claim is that one cannot appeal to alleged miracles in order to prove God's existence.- RC Sproul

2) Evidential Method
Same as above but includes Miracles, The Supernatural, and Focuses on the Resurrection- an approach to Christian apologetics emphasizing the use of evidence to demonstrate that God probably exists. The evidence is supposed to be, evidence both the believer and nonbeliever share, that is to say you need not presuppose God's existence- Evidentialism as an apologetic method may be characterized as the ''one-step'' approach. Miracles do not presuppose God's existence (as most contemporary classical apologists assert) but can serve as one sort of evidence for God. This method is fairly eclectic in its use of various positive evidences and negative critiques, utilizing both philosophical and historical arguments. Yet it tends to focus chiefly on the legitimacy of accumulating various historical and other inductive arguments for the truth of Christianity. Josh McDowell

3) Cumulative Method or the Cumulative Case Method
Builds an overwhelming case like a lawyer, uses massive amounts of factual data to overwhelm subject with the evidence for Christ- It is an informed argument that pieces together several lines or types of data into a sort of hypothesis or theory that comprehensively explains that data. The data that the cumulative case seeks to explain include the existence and nature of the cosmos, the reality of religious experience, the objectivity of morality, and certain other historical facts, such as the resurrection of Jesus.- Basil Mitchell, C.S. Lewis and C. Stephen Evans.

4) Presuppositional Method
The mind is fallen, “The Noetic Effects of Sin” - is a school of Christian apologetics, a field of Christian theology that aims to (1) present a rational basis for the Christian faith, (2) defend the faith against objections, and (3) expose the perceived flaws of other worldviews. Due to the Noetic effects of sin, presuppositionalists usually hold that there is not enough common ground between believers and unbelievers that would allow followers of the prior three methods to accomplish their goals. The apologist must simply presuppose the truth of Christianity as the proper starting point in apologetics. Here the Christian revelation in the Scriptures is the framework through which all experience is interpreted and all truth is known. Various evidences and arguments can be advanced for the truth of Christianity, but these at least implicitly presuppose premises that can be true only if Christianity is true. Presuppositionalist attempt, then, to argue transcendentally. That is, they argue that all meaning and thought - indeed, every fact - logically presupposes the God of the Scriptures.- Francis Shaffer

5) Reformed Epistemology
People come to Christ without logic or reason- the focus will tend to be on negative or defensive apologetics as challenges to one's theistic belief are encountered. To encourage unbelievers to put themselves in situations where people are typically taken with belief in God attempting to awaken in them their latent sense of the divine. It is perfectly reasonable for a person to believe many things without evidence. Most strikingly, they argue that belief in God does not require the support of evidence or argument in order for it to be rational. The Reformed epistemology apologist will not necessarily eschew making positive arguments in defense of Christianity, but will argue that such arguments are not necessary for rational faith. If Calvin is right that human beings are born with an innate sensus divinitatis, then people may rightly and rationally come to have a belief in God immediately without the aid of evidence.

1st Peter 3:15-
vs. 15- Christ is in control, see if our hearts are right- why are you living the life you are? Treat others with respect when responding to the question. Give an intellectual reason why you follow Christ-

…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;…NASB

2nd Corinthians 10:1-
vs 1- Paul being sarcastic
vs 2- states that you may think I am timid but I will confront you
vs 3- we are two in hearts yet different in the world
vs 4- our weapons are prayer, fasting, kindness, compassion
vs 5- this Stronghold is anything that keeps us from coming to Christ, we come against the arrogance/pretention of this world and we take captive ALL thought (false views) to the obedience of Christ.

…Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

Is it arrogant to say that Christ is the only way?

-Modern concepts-

1) Relativism-
All points of truth are and all truth is relative to the individual.
No absolute truth exists. (when you make such a claim you are also making an absolute claim that everything is relative)
It is self contradictory.
Whatever you feel is right to you- just follow your heart.
You cannot say that there is no god then make moral claims…
If Stalin felt is was right to purge Russia then it was right for him to do so, he just followed his heart.

1) Pluralism-
Sees all religions or faiths as legitimate and valid within their cultural background and tradition.
All religions say the same thing.

Differences in the major world religions/faiths-

Hinduism- god is everywhere and in everything.- Sects: Vaishnavas, Shaivites, Shaktism, Smartism, Ganapatya, Saura, Arya Samaj,The Tantric traditions. Tenets: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha, Karma, Samsara, Yoga, Bhakti, Maya, Puja, Mandir.- Writings: Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Purana.

Buddhism- there is no god.- Sects: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna (Early and Pre-sectarian). Tenets: Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami, Arahant.- Writings: Pali Canon, Mahayana Sutras, Tibetan Canon.

Islam- monotheistic.- Sects: Suni, Shia, and other mystic diversions. Tenets: five pillars (Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Hajj)- Writings: Qur'an, Sunnah, Hadith, Fiqh, Sharia, Kalam, Tasawwuf.

Judaism- monotheistic.- Sects: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Haredi, Hasidic, Modern Orthodox, Reconstroctionist, Renewal, Rabbinic, Humanistic, Karaite, Samaritanism.- Tenets: Brit-Milah, Shabbat, Torah, Temple, Feasts, Kashrut.- Writings: Torah, Tanakh, Mesorah, Targum, Midrash, Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, Mishneh, Tur, Kabbalah, Siddur, Piyyut.

Christianity- Trinitarian.- Sects: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant (this sect has thousands of local and cultural diversions) Tenets: Ressurection, Forgiveness, Rebirth Grace. Writings: The Bible, Apocrypha, Gnostic writings.

3) Tolerance-
Behavior- Peacfully co-exsist with people who maintain other “worldviews”.
Belief- All “worldviews” and religions are equally valid or true.
There is no tolerance for prostylization; it is viewed as an infringement on others rights to believe as they wish if you were to prostylitize another to your set of beliefs or views.

(Worldview-was coined by the Third Reich, it came to designate the instinctive understanding of complex geo-political problems by the Nazis, which allowed them to openly begin invasions, twist facts or violate human rights, in the name of a higher ideal and in accordance to their theory of the world)

How do we respond to this world?

1) as a friend thru our behavior
2) as a servant in our lifestyle
3) to proclaim by persuasion not intimidation- sharing with words.

-How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent?-Romans 10

Prayer for the Beginning of the Day

2008-06-23T10:49:00.001-05:00

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace, help me in all things to rely upon your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by you. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray. And you, yourself, pray in me. Amen.

- St. Philaret of Moscow

Try this morning prayer for a week or two......

Matt Cuthbertson

When God Says No... Contributed by Fanny Robicheaux

2008-06-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

God Said NO!!

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away,
but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole,
his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No
I give you blessings;
Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares,
and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life,
so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh,
finally you have the idea.

'To the world you might be one person,
But to one person you just might be the world'

thanks to Fanny Robicheaux for this very apt and insightfull look at life and prayer

Male priests marry in Anglican church's first gay 'wedding'.

2008-06-19T11:39:00.004-05:00

An Anglican church has held a homosexual "wedding" for the first time in a move that will deepen the rift between liberals and traditionalists.
Two male priests exchanged vows and rings in a ceremony that was conducted using one of the church's most traditional wedding rites – a decision seen as blasphemous by conservatives.

The ceremony broke Church of England guidelines and was carried out last month in defiance of the Bishop of London, in whose diocese it took place. News of the "wedding" emerged days before a crucial summit of the Anglican Church's conservative bishops and archbishops, who are threatening to split the worldwide Church over the issue of homosexual clergy.

Although some liberal clergy have carried out "blessing ceremonies" for homosexual couples in the past, this is the first time a vicar has performed a "wedding ceremony", using a traditional marriage liturgy, with readings, hymns and a Eucharist.

Both the conservative and liberal wings of the Anglican communion expressed shock last night.

The Most Rev Henry Orombi, the Archbishop of Uganda, said that the ceremony was "blasphemous."

He called on Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to take decisive action if the Anglican Church were not to "disintegrate".

Archbishop Orombi added: "What really shocks me is that this is happening in the Church of England that first brought the Gospel to us.

"The leadership tried to deny that this would happen, but now the truth is out. Our respect for the Church of England will erode unless we see a return to traditional teaching."

The Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester – a powerful conservative figure – said that the service represented a wedding "in all but name". He said: "Strictly speaking it is not a marriage, but the language is clearly modelled on the marriage service and the occasion is modelled on the marriage service. This clearly flouts Church guidelines and will exacerbate divisions within the Anglican Communion."

The bishop said that it was up to the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, to act, adding that it would become a high-profile test case of Church authority.

"Can we stand for the clear teaching of the Church of England or are we powerless in the face of these actions, which I regret enormously have taken place," he said.

The service was held at St Bartholomew the Great in London – one of England's oldest churches, which featured in Four Weddings and a Funeral – and was conducted by the parish rector, the Rev Martin Dudley.

The couple, the Rev Peter Cowell, who is a cleric at one of the Queen's churches, and the Rev Dr David Lord, had registered their civil partnership before the ceremony.

Mr Dudley opened the service by saying: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join these men in a holy covenant of love and fidelity. Such a covenant shows us the mystery of the union between God and God's people and between Christ and the Church." In the vows, Mr Cowell and Dr Lord pledged to "hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part".

Mr Dudley blessed the union with the words: "As David and Jonathan's souls were knit together, so these men may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made."

Leading church figures expressed astonishment at the language and grandeur of the service, claiming that it was a highly provocative act. Although, the use of such a traditional ceremony does not constitute a marriage in the eyes of the law, Church figures on all sides said the event went further than any gay blessing ceremonies that had gone before.

The "marriage" will revive the war over homosexual clergy that has engulfed the Church since 2003 when Gene Robinson was made Bishop of New Hampshire and Jeffrey John, another gay cleric, who was about to become Bishop of Reading, was made to step down.

It is likely to embolden liberal clergy who have been reluctant to offer a full "wedding service" and will open the floodgates to other homosexuals who want a traditional ceremony.

Mr Dudley agreed to conduct the service despite Bishop Chartres warning that Church guidelines – drawn up when the Civil Partnerships Act was introduced – do not allow formal blessings of gay relationships. He argued that it was not a wedding but a blessing and that he was not "offering" blessing services, but responding to personal requests from friends. "I believe that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, but I see nothing wrong with blessing a couple who want to make a life-long commitment to one another."

A Church of England spokesman said: "Where clergy are approached by people asking for prayer in relation to entering into a civil partnership they should respond pastorally and sensitively in the light of the circumstances. But the House of Bishops affirmed that clergy should not provide services of blessing for those who register a civil partnership."

By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent for the Telegraph.co.uk

The Penal Theory of Atonement

2008-06-13T11:09:00.002-05:00

Here is an article that originally appeared in the "Christian Activist" that I thought of after reading Clay's post. I hope you enjoy it. I will try and work on an article discussing the subject viewed in terms of sickness and health (medical model), rather than justice and punishment (legal or juridical model). 'Till then, enjoy!

The Penal Theory of Atonement

The enduring influence of Augustine, Calvin and Luther on modern culture in general, and on Christianity in particular, continues to this day. Although Augustinianism's influence on Christianity waned in the 19th century with the burgeoning of Enlightenment thought and the establishment of the democratic idea (i.e., Thomas Jefferson and the early Deist views on the intrinsic goodness of man), the emerging forms of evangelical Christianity in the West incorporated some Augustinian elements through Calvinism and Lutheranism.

Although the sacrificial theory of atonement was first articulated only in the 11th century, by Anselm of Canterbury, and reformulated in the 19th century by the Evangelical Christian Charles Hodge, Anselm's explanation for the atonement was based on a traditional Augustinian concept of God. This concept of salvation was yet another example of Augustine's corrupting influence on Christianity. Since sin is an offense to the "honor" of God, God has to punish people or have them offer "satisfaction" to make amends for the offenses committed. In order to satisfy God's justice, Christ agreed to die on the cross in substitute for sinful human beings. Christ's death is an act of obedience that outweighs humanity's sinful acts and therefore merited God's reward. Since Christ did not need God's reward, He passed it on to humanity, thus allowing God to forgive us for our sins.₆₆ In Hodge's version God is a prosecutor or a judge who is satisfied only when the punishment rightly deserved by mankind has been discharged.

Clark Pinnock and Robert Brow argue that this theory has been a major obstacle to the understanding of Christianity: "It demotes the resurrection from its central place and changes the cross from scandal to abstract theory. It makes things sound as if God wanted Jesus to die...Surely not! Jesus is God's beloved Son, the Father and the Son are not divided or in opposition...Before the cross happened, God loved sinners and wanted to save them. The cross did not purchase love for sinners. It is we, not God, who need to be changed in attitude."₆₇The penal theory is not without deep biblical resonances in the Old Testament's depiction of God's wrath, but it is certainly inconsistent with the essential message of Christ's gospel, that God's offer of salvation was extended to all. As Clark Pinnock puts it, "The decisive element in Jesus' teaching and acting was communication of the boundlessness of God's grace to sinners."₆₈ As Jesus stated, "I tell you...there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (Luke 15:7) Or in Michael Winter's words, "In Jesus' own dealings with sinners and in His teaching about forgiveness, compensation is never required as a prior condition for being received back into the love of God. This is true of the parables of forgiveness, the narratives of conversion or reconciliation of individuals or in the plain teachings of Christ. Satisfaction is never required as a condition of their being reconciled with God the Father."₆₉

In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), the son is accepted by his father even though he does not repay him the money he squandered. In Matthew 8:21-22, Peter asks Jesus how often he should forgive his brother ("Should it be up to seven times?"), and Jesus replies, "Until seventy times seven." He makes no mention of prior compensation. Even on the cross, as sinners drive nails through His hands, Jesus says, "Father, forgive them." The goal of the Father is a reconciled human community—the new covenant of Christ. The means to this goal is forgiveness and repentance, not retribution and compensation. What God asks of human beings is certainly not less than He is willing to give Himself. In Matthew 6:14, after reciting the Lord's Prayer, Christ explicitly states, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you."

Advocates of penal atonement sometimes insist that because God is just He must grant justice and punish transgression. But as Christos Yannaras, the Greek Orthodox theologian, asks:

“But from what do they derive this "must" to which they subordinate even God? Does there exist, then, some necessity that limits the love of God, limits His freedom? If there is, then God is not God or at least He is not the God that the Church knows. A "just" God, a heavenly police constable who oversees the keeping of the laws of an obligatory - even for Him - justice is just a figment of the imagination of fallen humanity, a projection of its need for a supernatural individual security within the reciprocal treachery of collective coexistence..."As a grain of sand cannot counterbalance a great quantity of gold, so in comparison God's use of justice cannot counterbalance His mercy," says St. Isaac the Syrian.”₇₀

I am not of course denying that Christ's death was a voluntary sacrifice undergone for the salvation of humanity. On this fact the biblical witness is unequivocal. But the point is that the Western, Roman Catholic--Evangelical Protestant penal satisfaction theory of atonement is an inadequate explanation for the efficacy of Christ's mission, death, and resurrection. It exaggerates the gulf that exists between humanity and God by depicting the human being as Sinner and God as the Judge, and it violates the biblical witness to God as the Father who desires the restoration of communion with and among His sons and daughters. It reflects an Augustinian preoccupation with guilt and ontological deficiency,

and it assumes that the whole purpose of Christ's work was merely to secure individuals' legal acquittal in the heavenly tribunal, thus partially mitigating their ontological deficiency and sparing them from the torments of eternal Hell. This is an impoverished conception of redemption that eschews its social, political, and cosmic implications.

A corollary to the penal atonement theory is a conception of faith that is entirely unbiblical. Justification is reduced to a private transaction between the individual and God. Faith is defined as a passive acceptance of the fact that one is a sinner and Christ is one's savior. On the basis of this passive acceptance one is declared legally righteous by God. "Christ's righteousness is imputed to the sinner in a forensic or legal sense, even though one does not yet display righteousness or holiness of character."₇₁ This view is in conflict with the biblical concept of faith, justification, and righteousness, all of which are means not simply to expiate the individual's guilt but to create and sustain a community that conforms to a "new social-spiritual order of human relationships under the authority of God,"₇₂ and a community that lives in communion with God.

Faith is understood by Paul not as the passive acceptance that one is a sinner saved by Christ, but as an attitude that is instrumental in bringing about the reconciliation of humanity and God: "For Paul, Abraham is the classic example of faith. In Romans 4 (cf. Hebrews 11:8-19), Abraham's faith is described as a continuing attitude of trust in the face of seemingly insurmountable difficulties and temptation to despair...So like the Old Testament concept of (emunah) [faith], Abraham's faith was a matter of attitude and conduct."₇₃

It is beyond the scope of this article to examine the various theories of atonement. (Such a "fully-orbed Biblical perspective" is provided by Driver, who takes into account all of the dimensions of the atonement, e.g., expiation, sacrifice, intercession, etc.) The point here is merely to show how certain Augustinian deformations of Christianity (1) conflict with scriptural witness and (2) lead to an acceptance of the status quo, and a capitulation to the powers of this world, and thus prevent us from understanding the Church as a force for transformation in a world in bondage to sin and death.

Although Augustinianism is associated with an epoch that the modern world is believed to have long transcended, it will be shown (below) that the Augustinian narrative, along with its root metaphor of the irreparably damaged soul, retained its hold upon the collective imagination-it merely clothed itself in secular garb suited to the fashion of modern times. The philosophies of the Enlightenment were generally optimistic and thus presented a stumbling block to Augustinianism, with its bleak vision of human possibility. However, Augustinianism had sunk its roots deep into the collective imagination of Western humanity, and it was not destined to fade away.

St. Gregory of Nyssa

The solution to the debacle of civilization requires the recovery of an anthropology that is both Christian and humanistic. The antithesis posited by Augustinianism between God and humanity must be overcome in theory and in practice if Christianity is to be a force for cultural transformation. The Russian Orthodox philosopher S. L. Frank wrote approximately fifty years ago that "Christianity is the religion of worshipping God not as opposed but as deeply akin to man."₉₀ A Christian humanist anthropology could provide the philosophical foundation needed for the development of the capacity for love.₉₁ Eastern Christian theology, Orthodoxy, has not been marred by the misanthropic premises that have been characteristic of Western Christian theology, Roman Catholic and Protestant, for centuries. From the early Greek fathers to modern Orthodox theologians, one dominant theme has been sounded again and again: the purpose of the Incarnation was to make it possible for human beings to be reunited with God, to become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). As St. Athanasius put it, "He (the Son of God) became man that we might become God (divine)."₉₂

Western Christianity would have taken an entirely different course had it assimilated the teachings of the early Greek Fathers instead of taking its lead primarily from Augustine. For instance, we can only imagine the impact on Western Christianity of St. Gregory of Nyssa, whom Hans Urs von Balthasar described as "the most profound Greek philosopher of the Christian era, an incomparable mystic and poet,"93 would have had if he, and not Augustine, was the major influence of Western Christendom.

In contrast to Augustine, St. Gregory denied (1) that human nature is sinful, (2) that all human beings are equally sinful, and (3) that humanity can do nothing but sin. St. Gregory said human nature cannot be sinful, for nature is what is created by God, and it was not created evil or sinful. What is constitutive of our nature is that it is created in the image of God. Christ is the image of God, and man the image of Christ; man is the image of the Image. Gregory's definition of God was succinct: "God by His nature is goodness itself. Or rather, God transcends in goodness everything that man can conceive or comprehend. Consequently He made human life from no other impulse than because He is good...Man was made in God's image. For this is like saying God made human nature a communicant of everything good." By saying that man was made in the image of God, it is implied that it is man's destiny, as Lossky put it, to participate "in the plenitude of the Divine Being, in the abundance of Divine Goodness."₉₄

The source of evil lies in the freedom of man. Sin is not in the nature of humanity but is entirely an act of the will. Sin is sin because it is voluntary. Otherwise God would not condemn us for it.

Before the Fall, man existed in communion with God in a state of immortality. Then, death was not, disease was absent, "mine and thine"—these bad words—were far from the life of the First Man. For as the Sun is common to all and so is the air, and before, all the grace of God and His blessing was common to all, so also in equal measure was participation in all good according to capacity open to all, the sickness of greed was unknown, the hatred of the superiors towards inferiors was not. (In fact there was no such thing at all as superiors.) And a thousand such other things which no one will ever be able to enumerate exhaustibly in words, and which man possessed in his greatness, I mean equality and honor to the angels, boldness of access into the presence of God, the vision of the super-cosmic good, and all the ineffable beauty of the Blessed Nature could then be seen in us also, manifesting the divine image in

themselves, in the prime of the soul when it was still shining.₉₅

Once the commandment was broken by Adam and Eve, man was destined to die because he had abandoned God. "For sin is estrangement from God, who is the True and Only Life."₉₆ The Fall "shattered man's union with the angels"₉₇ and subjected humanity to an endless cycle of birth and death. This life, which most people today assume is natural, Gregory called a "life in death."₉₈ Death now casts its shadow over all existence, transforming the original state of ecstatic life into a "chilled life"₉₉ characterized by "sexual union, conception, birth, pollution, the nipple, food, excretion, gradual growth to full stature, adult life, sickness, death."₁₀₀

Human nature is not evil in its essence, for it is God's creation. As St. Gregory puts it, "Human nature is still free to choose between good and evil, and that is the basis on which the call to repentance can be addressed to man."₁₀₁ For St. Gregory, needless to say, there is no division of humanity into an elect predestined to salvation and the larger mass predestined to damnation. Even the greatest sinners are summoned to return to God.

For He said: "Return, oh sons of men." What is the teaching here? The word refers to the nature, and implies the healing from evil. For since being changeable you fell away from the good, you need again to be changing for the good...Thus it is in the choice of men to conduct themselves to that which they wish, either to the good or to the evil...For him who returns again to the good from his turning away, even if his life is spotted with myriad faults, the multitude of evils appearing together as a thousand years, when he turns to God it all becomes nothing..."₁₀₂

Gregory does not accept the idea of irresistible grace. He writes, "virtue compelled is not virtue."₁₀₃ In his theology and the teaching of the Orthodox Fathers, human effort complements the grace of God.

Although the image of God in man has been obscured by sin, it has not been destroyed or irreparably damaged. It is understandable, given the existence of evil, that some have come to this conclusion. St. Gregory notes, "Through those who have rightly ordered their lives, we can see the divine image in man. For someone who is carnal and a slave of passion makes it unbelievable that man was originally adorned with divine beauty, other persons who practice noble virtue and keep themselves pure from pollution should confirm you in the better conception of human nature."₁₀₄

St. Gregory writes that since the fall "the Godlike beauty of the soul which came into being as imitation of the archetype has been discolored like some iron implement by the rust of evil." And he urges his readers to wash this image by a pure way of life as if "with water" so that "the beauty of the soul stands revealed once more."₁₀₅

In the Orthodox Church, through the initiative of the Holy Spirit and the response of human beings, an eschatological process is taking place that will culminate in the gradual process Gregory refers to as "passing through the fire of purification." Eventually there will be a universal restoration: "Participation in bliss awaits everyone...After many ages evil will disappear and nothing will remain except good. This will be the completion of the return of all intellectual creatures to the original state in which they were first created, when there was as yet no evil...The beauty of our similarity to God, in which we were formed at the beginning, will again shine forth.₁₀₆

Contemporary Orthodox theologians agree with St. Gregory that salvation is a product of divine and human action, that the image of God has not been destroyed by the Fall; and they decisively reject the doctrine of double predestination, affirming with scripture that God desires the salvation of all. St. Gregory of Nyssa and the Orthodox tradition are at one with western Christianity in their belief in a tragic fall. Where the traditions diverge radically is in their conception of the anthropological consequences of the Fall. Whereas Western theologians typically state that the Fall has partially or totally destroyed the image of God in man, Eastern theologians state that the image of God in man has been obscured by the Fall. The eschatological implications are obviously profoundly different. The doctrine of the destruction of the image of God coheres with the Augustinian idea of the bondage of the human will, and the utter dependence of human beings upon the “predetermining” decrees of God only for salvation. But if the image of God in man is merely obscured, then it lies within the power of those who become aware of the existence of the image—in however latent a state, to make it manifest once again and to summon others to the same task.

Twentieth century Orthodox theologian Father Georges Florovsky emphatically affirmed the indestructibility of the image of God in man. "Without doubt even in the demonic depths the creature remains the work of God and the traits of divine design are never effaced. The image of God, obscured by the infidelity of sin, is nevertheless preserved intact, and that is why there is always, even in the abyss, an ontological receptacle for divine appeal, for the grace of God."₁₀₇

This is also why humanity retains the freedom and the responsibility to work—with the assistance of the grace of God—for the liberation of all humanity and for the reunion of all of creation with its divine Creator. "Our Lord left to us His own work to carry on and to accomplish. We have to enter into the very spirit of His redeeming work. And we are given power to do this. We are given power to be the sons of God."₁₀₈

Theories of Atonement: Christus Victor vs. Penal Substitution

2008-06-12T20:46:00.004-05:00

In reading recently, I came across what I thought was an excellent description of the difference between the Christus Victor and the Penal Substitution views of atonement. @@@ I think this gets down to the ROOT of the difference between the two views.@@@ It has certainly helped me understand it more.

My selected quotes were written by Gregory A. Boyd, a Christus Victor advocate, in response to a Penal Substitution treatise (written by Thomas R. Schreiner) in a book that is like a debate among advocates for four of the theories of atonement: The Nature of Atonement: Four Views edited by James Beilby and Paul R. Eddy (InterVarsity Press Academic, 2006. ISBN-10: 0-8308-2570-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-8308-2570-7.)

Boyd is using the atonement as shown in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to help make his point, and the "deep magic" refers to God's "self-sacrificial love" [Nature of Atonement, Page 102] in Lewis' book.

"Because law and love are both equally deep magic for Schreiner [Penal Substitution advocate], the ultimate problem the atonement resolves is a legal conflict within the godhead. In contrast, for Lewis [Christus Victor advocate], God expresses holy rage, but 'God is love' (I Jn 4:8)." [Page 102]

What this says is that Love and Law are inherent parts of God's essence in Penal Substitution. With Christus Victor, Love is the inherent part of God's essence, and the Law (holy rage) is expressed by Him, but not an inherent part of His essence.

Furthermore, in the next quote, "a kill" refers to the demand that there be a death (at all) in order to bring atonement to mankind in his sin. (We are accustomed to knowing that a death was required for atonement, but this is from an academic perspective that God's forgiveness might not necessarily require a death.)

"Who demanded that the deep magic of the law be satisfied with 'a kill'? For Schreiner [Penal Substitution advocate], it is God. For Lewis (and most advocates of the Christus Victor view) it is the devil." [Page 103]

This quote may be a little more clear. Penal Substitution says that God the Father requires a death for forgiveness to be given. Christus Victor says that the demand for an atonement death does not come from the Father, but from the accuser, the devil. "God does not hold our feet to the fire of the law: satan, the 'accuser'...does (Rev 12:10; cf. Job 1-2; Zech 3:1)." [Page 103]

I hope this is not too confusing. I didn't realize the complexity of the context that these quotes would require. Anyway, I progressed much in my understanding and grasp of these two main views of atonement by seeing their root differences from this section, and I thought that I would share it (or at least try to!).

Respectfully, Clay

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY By Watchman Nee (contributed by Matt Cuthbertson)

2008-06-06T11:18:00.001-05:00

PART ONE

AUTHORITY AND SUBJECTION

Obedience to God’s Will – the Greatest Demand of the Bible

Why did Samuel say that “obedience is better than sacrifice”? Because even in sacrifice there can be the element of self-will. Obedience alone is absolutely honoring to God, for it alone takes God’s will as its center.

Obedience Must Be Recovered

Everyone thinks he is able to distinguish good from evil and to judge what is right or wrong. He seems to know better than God. This is the folly of the fall.

Obedience is a foundational principle. If this matter of authority remains unsolved, nothing can be solved.

Some Lessons on Obedience

1. Have a spirit of obedience.

2. Practice obedience.

3. Learn to exercise delegated authority.

Authority Is God’s Choice, Not Man’s Attainment

Spiritual authority is not something one attains to by effort. It is given by God to whomever He chooses. How very different is the spiritual from the natural.

The Lord Initiates Obedience

God exalts whoever humbles himself. This is a divine principle.

The Riches of Christ Is Authority

We often misunderstand authority as something which oppresses us, hurts us, and troubles us. God does not have such a concept. He uses authority to replenish our lack.

The way God grants His grace to us is twofold: sometimes, though rarely, He grants grace to us directly; mostly He gives His riches to us indirectly – that is, God puts above you the brothers and sisters in the church who are more advanced spiritually so that you may accept their judgment as your judgment. This will then enable you to possess their wealth without you yourself having to go through their painful experiences.

The Manifestations of Man’s Rebellion

In what particular areas is man’s rebellion most obviously manifest? In words, in reasons, and in thoughts. Unless there are practical dealings in these areas, the hope of deliverance from rebellion is very dim.

Ham Broadcast His Father’s Failure

Let us see what Ham did when he saw his father’s nakedness. He went out to tell it to his brothers, Shem and Japheth. He who is insubordinate in heart always expects the authority to fall. Thus Ham got his chance to reveal his father’s fault. His doing so fully proved that he was not at all in subjection to his father’s authority. Ordinarily he outwardly submitted to his father, but it was only half-hearted. Now, though, he had discovered his father’s weakness, so he seized the opportunity to broadcast it to his brothers. Today many brethren, due to a lack of love, enjoy criticizing people and take great delight in disclosing others’ faults. Ham had neither love nor subjection. He is a manifestation of rebellion.

Rebellion Is Linked with Fleshly Indulgence

Christians today lose their power no less through mouth than through act; nay, they lose even more power through mouth. All rebellious ones have trouble with their mouths. Those who cannot control their words cannot control themselves.

Slander Comes from Reason

People of this world live in reason. Wherein, then, are we any different from worldly people if we too live in that realm?

Recapturing the Captive Mind

Whether or not a brother has met authority may be readily discerned by observing:

1. whether he has any rebellious words,

2. whether he reasons before God, and

3. whether he still offers many opinions.

Life and Authority

Difficulties within the church are rarely found in matters of outward disobedience; mostly they are related to a lack of inward submission. But the governing principle of our life ought to be submission, just as that of birds is to fly and that of fish is to swim.

Saints may possess different opinions and yet there still be no insubordination, for even with differing opinions we can nonetheless submit to one another. Thus are we one in the faith. The life we have received is not only for dealing with sin – the negative side – but more is it for obeying – the vital and positive side. If all the local churches walk in this way of obedience, the glorious fact of the unity of the faith will verily appear before our eyes.

PART TWO

DELEGATED AUTHORITIES

Three Requirements for a Delegated Authority

He must know that all authority comes from God.

We ourselves have not the slightest authority in the home, the world, or the church. All we can do is execute God’s authority; we cannot create authority for ourselves. The policeman and the judge execute authority and enforce the law, but they should not write the law themselves. Likewise, those who are placed in authority in the church merely represent God’s authority. Their authority is due to their being in a representative capacity, not because they in themselves have any merit more excellent than the rest.

For one to be in authority does not depend on his having ideas and thoughts; rather does it hinge on knowing the will of God. The measure of one’s knowledge of God’s will is the measure of his delegated authority. God establishes a person to be His delegated authority entirely on the basis of that person’s knowledge of God’s will. It has nothing at all to do with having many ideas, strong opinions, or noble thoughts. Indeed, such persons who are strong in themselves are greatly to be feared in the church.

Only God’s acknowledged judgment is authoritative; whatever comes from man is wholly void of authority, for it can only represent himself.

Do not think that because one is older he can suppress the younger, because one is a brother he can oppress the sisters, or because one is quick-tempered he can subdue the slow in temper.

He must deny himself.

He must constantly keep in fellowship with the Lord.

Those who are God’s delegated authority need to maintain close fellowship with God. There must be not only communication but also communion.

May I speak frankly, that the difficulty today is that many of God’s servants are either too bold or too strict or too overbearing. They dare speak what they have not heard from God!

Never Try to Establish One’s Own Authority

Authority is established by God; therefore no delegated authority need try to secure his authority. Do not insist that others listen to you. If they err, let them err; if they do not submit, let them be insubordinate; if they insist on going their own way, let them go.

Make No Self Defense

Vindication or defense or whatever reaction there may be should come from God, not from man. He who vindicates himself does not know God. No one on earth could ever be more authoritative than Christ, yet He never defended Himself. Authority and self-defense are incompatible.

Resurrection Life Is Basis of Authority

Sprouting of the Dried Rod Keeps Men Humble

Only the foolish can be proud. Those who are favored will prostrate themselves before God, saying, “This has been done by God; there is nothing of which man can boast.”

Touchstone of Ministry Is Resurrection

Men are chosen to exercise spiritual authority not because they are different from the rest but on the basis of grace, election, and resurrection.

What Is Resurrection?

Resurrection is that which I cannot, but which God can; what I am not, but what God is.

Authorities Must Be Both God’s Choice and Church’s Choice

After Saul’s death David inquired of God as to what city he should go to. Humanly speaking, David with his army should quickly descend on Jerusalem, for there was the palace. This was a chance not to be missed. Yet he asked God and God told him to go to Hebron. Hebron was only a small and insignificant city. David’s going there proved that he was not trying to snatch authority on his own initiative. He waited to be anointed by the people of God. Samuel had first anointed him because he was chosen by God. Now Judah anointed him, because he was the people’s choice. This action typifies the church making its choices. David could neither oppose nor refuse the people from anointing him; he could not say, “Since I already have the anointing of God upon me, I do not need your anointing.” To be anointed by God is one thing; to be anointed by His people is another thing. There must be both the church’s choices and God’s choice. No one can force himself upon others.

All those who know God can wait. If one’s condition is right he will be recognized not only by the Lord as His representative but also by the church as God’s representative.

Maintaining Authority

No one should ever permit another person’s authority to be damaged in order to establish his own.

To Be Great, One Must Be a Servant

God has never used a proud soul. God only uses the useless.

To Be in Authority Often Means Loneliness

Loneliness is the mark of authority. It is not due to pride but for the sake of representing God’s authority.

Authority Is Based on Sanctification

He who is in authority does not grasp authority; he serves God, is willing to pay the price. To be in authority requires one to climb high, to not fear loneliness, and to be sanctified.

-many thanks to Matt Cuthbertson from Aniheim California for making this book abstract available to the students of SMS-

The Power of Nightmares

2008-06-01T12:34:00.004-05:00

The following is from the documentary by Adam Curtis-

"In the past, politicians promised to create a better world. They had different ways of achieving this. But their power and authority came from the optimistic visions they offered to their people. Those dreams failed. And today, people have lost faith in ideologies. Increasingly, politicians are seen simply as managers of public life. But now, they have discovered a new role that restores their power and authority. Instead of delivering dreams, politicians now promise to protect us from nightmares. They say that they will rescue us from dreadful dangers that we cannot see and do not understand. And the greatest danger of all is international terrorism. A powerful and sinister network, with sleeper cells in countries across the world. A threat that needs to be fought by a war on terror. But much of this threat is a fantasy, which has been exaggerated and distorted by politicians. It’s a dark illusion that has spread unquestioned through governments around the world, the security services, and the international media.

(In a series of films by Adam Curtis he shows)...how and why that fantasy was created, and who it benefits. At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives, and the radical Islamists. Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. And both had a very similar explanation for what caused that failure. These two groups have changed the world, but not in the way that either intended. Together, they created today’s nightmare vision of a secret, organized evil that threatens the world. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. And those with the darkest fears became the most powerful."

The story begins in the summer of 1949…

"This dramatic battle between good and evil was precisely the kind of myth that... ...would be necessary to rescue the country from moral decay. It might not be true, but it was necessary, to re-engage the public in a grand vision of America’s destiny, that would give meaning and purpose to their lives. The neo-conservatives were succeeding in creating a simplistic fiction—a vision of the Soviet Union as the center of all evil in the world, and America as the only country that could rescue the world. And this nightmarish vision was beginning to give the neoconservatives great power and influence.

...(it) started to create a worldview which is a fiction. The world is not divided into good and evil. The battle in which we are engaged is not a battle between good and evil. The United States, as anyone who observes understands, has done some good and some bad things. It’s like any great power. This is the way history is. But they wanted to create a world of moral certainties, so therefore they invent mythologies—fairytales—describing any force in the world that obstructs the United States as somehow Satanic, or associated with evil."

Read the transcript here

From Amazon here

View the Documentary here

"The paradox of our time"

2008-05-30T16:30:00.003-05:00

This was sent to me by a friend; I cannot vouch for it's authorship so I'll just post the body of the text here...

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but
less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We've added years to life not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space.
We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait.
We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,
because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

EV-500 Evangelism, Church Growth, and World Missions. session one notes

2008-05-26T12:31:00.006-05:00

-Goal of this course-

1) Learn the Biblical/Patristic Gospel message.
2) To reaffirm in your heart the vision of the ICCEC.
3) To develop Evangelism skills.

We live in a ‘post-Christian society’ where Christianity no longer affects every person in their daily lives, it no longer fully permeates our society, our language is unaffected by Christian theology. The average person in our society does not understand even the basic tenets of our faith, they assume how Christianity should be from outside Christian sources, terms such as Eucharist, Nicene Creed, Constantine, and are lost on today’s western populace. Society is steadily disenchanted with Christianity-

Yet a ‘Post-Christian Society’ is more like the early church-

Commonalities between Rome and Today’s society are:

Negative:
Pluralism,
Intolerance for a ’set way’ of belief,
Intellectualism,
In Rome was the practice of Deity Worship; this would be Authoritarianism today; many, many people look to the governments of the world for their salvation, rescue, and provender.
We ‘amuse ourselves to death’ with instant gratification, sporting events, and war.

Positive:
Commonality of language,
Ease of travel- no or few restrictions on travel.
Pax Romana and the relative world peace that exists today thru might or right.

3 reasons that people are converted thru the Gospel message.

1)Rational Questions-
Are the gospels reliable?
Why is Jesus (Yashua) the only way?

2) Emotional Issues-Need to develop relationships
Suffering/hurt
Angry at God (YHWH)
-More than ever people are coming to Christ thru relationships as ‘Paul Planted, Apollos watered’.
Depression is prevalent and is medicated instead of dealt with.

3) Spiritual Need-
‘a hole in our hearts that is God shaped’- St. Augustine
We long for:
to be healed,
intimacy,
loved,
appreciated,
companionship,

Biblical Soteriology:

Evangelism: Is the Good News of Christ, He came to earth to pay the debt of my sin and pay the price of my sin; freeing me from my sin.
To tell the story of Jesus’ (Yashua) life death and resurrection.
It is my job as a Christian to tell the message and the job of the Holy Spirit to call them to come to Him.

Church Growth: God (YHWH) does not concern Himself with numbers; He concerns himself with the character of the person’s heart.

The concept of “Church Growth” was first bridged by Donald McGavin in his books ‘Bridge of God’-1955 and ‘Understanding Church Growth’ Where he divers cash flow to the places where growth is the most. Defined as people movement, or homogenous unit principle, target audience.

A positive definition might be- insight from the Holy Spirit concerning the health, expansion, of the church catholic in fulfilling the Great Commission(an evaluation process)
There is no formula for church growth it is dependant upon the Holy Spirit.

World Missions: Taking the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit to those who have never been reached before. We must adapt the Gospel to their culture; and not adapt their culture to our perception of civilization. (the Argentinean model used by Fr. Pierre-Jean De Smet)

‘Silence’- Shusaku Endo on the persecution of the early church in Japan.

The “10-40 window” is the largest unreached area in the world where the Gospel has not been spread.

There are two church approaches to seeking the lost.

Seeker Sensitive
Prefer less symbols
Less relgious talk
Focus on the visual arts
Anonymous
Non-confrontational
Small groups
Intimacy
No theological sermons
Preach to felt needs
Heart for the lost

We will fill your needs. Changing message to a changing culture.

Anchiet Future, Anchient Evangelical, Catholic, Anchient faith church
Goal to develop mature belivers
Commitment
Passion
Attitude
People hungry for stability
The need for a foundation in the truth of 200 years
Architecture designed to point to Christ
Service is based around Christ and the Cross
The Table
Theological Content

Seeker does not know what he wants (that is why he is here) they are lost so through the power of the Holy Spirit we will provide the need. Unchanging message to a changing culture.

Anglican Church in Australia appoints woman bishop.

2008-05-23T10:13:00.007-05:00

Australia's Anglican Church has consecrated the country's first female bishop in a ceremony attended by hundreds but opposed by at least one prominent church leader.

Archdeacon Kay Goldsworthy became The Most Rev Kay Goldsworthy, an assistant bishop in Western Australian state, in the evening ceremony at St. George's Cathedral in the west coast city of Perth.

Twenty-one Anglican bishops from Australia and New Zealand were among a congregation of more than 800 who showed their support for the controversial appointment.

Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, Australia's Anglican prelate, conducted the ceremony.

Among those who did not attend was The Most Rev. Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney, and the Bishop of Northwest Australia, David Mulready, who oppose the ordination of female ministers. Sydney is Australia's largest diocese.

A meeting last month of Australian Anglican bishops that set protocols for the consecration of female bishops paved the way for Goldsworthy's appointment.

Under the protocols, parishes which do not want a female bishop would be offered a male bishop.

Goldsworthy, 51, who is married with two sons, was among the first female priests to be ordained in 1992.

The Anglican Church is the second largest religious denomination in predominantly Christian Australia after the Roman Catholic Church.

The ordination of women remains controversial among many Anglicans, although female bishops have been ordained elsewhere including in the US and Canada.

Keeping LDS from Catholic records irks genealogists.

2008-05-23T10:13:00.004-05:00

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Vatican's recent ban on Mormon microfilming and digitizing of Catholic parish records out of concern they will be used for the LDS practice of baptizing the dead may have a wide-ranging and chilling effect on the whole family history enterprise, some professional genealogists say.

"It's going to close off a great many countries and even Catholic dioceses in America whose records haven't been microfilmed," said Jim Petty, past president of Utah's chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. "This makes it difficult for genealogists of any religion."

A letter from the Vatican called LDS baptisms for the dead a "detrimental practice" and directed each Catholic diocesan bishop "not to cooperate with the erroneous practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"The problem is not about making historical records available for research," said Monsignor Terrence Fitzgerald of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. "The problem is with baptism for the dead. I wouldn't want my mom and dad who were lifelong Catholics to be baptized LDS."

The Salt Lake diocese has not allowed the LDS Church to copy its records for years, Fitzgerald said. "Here we are very much aware of the baptism issue."

The LDS Church began seeking ancestral records in the 19th century as a way to baptize posthumously, by proxy, all who have died without an LDS baptism. Mormons believe it gives their deceased relatives an opportunity to accept the faith in an afterlife. These rituals are performed in LDS temples worldwide.

To this end, the church has microfilmed millions of birth, death, christening, marriage and other related information of deceased people, from archives and registers of churches and denominations, when access is permitted.

But Kathy Kirkpatrick, another past president of Utah's professional genealogist association, said the irony is that the prohibition will be felt most by Catholics who want to pursue their family history back beyond civil records.

"Most parishes can't or don't answer letters because they are understaffed and their highest priority is the living (as it should be)," Kirkpatrick said in an e-mail.

The LDS Church declined to comment on the situation, said spokesman Rob Howell, saying it was an "internal letter sent only within the Catholic Church."

Protestant or Catholic: Anglicans must choose says Crd. Kasper.

2008-05-07T09:24:00.008-05:00

From The Times: Hard words for Anglicans from the head of the Council for Christian Unity in Rome. Cardinal Walter Kasper has told the Catholic Herald that now, with Lambeth approaching, is the time for Anglicans to decide whether they are Catholic or Protestant. 'Ultimately, it is a question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Where does it belong?' he said. 'Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -Catholic and Orthodox - or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century? The Times goes on to say: At the moment it is somewhere in between, but it must clarify its identity now and that will not be possible without certain difficult decisions.' The genius of Anglicanism has always been its ability to straddle the divide, but maybe the Cardinal is right and the Communion's present difficulties reflect the impossibility of continuing to do this. His comments coincided with the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' 'friendly' meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. This is the Pope who, as Cardinal Ratzinger, delivered a strong message of support to an early meeting of a group of conservative Anglicans in Plano. I wonder how much the Catholics understand, however, that the Anglo-Catholics who might be the ones most naturally tempted towards Catholicism are not really where the present dissent stems from. Most of those who were going to go over have already gone, over women priests. The 'orthodox' or 'traditionalists' now are from the opposite end of the spectrum, in Anglican terms. They are from Kasper's Protestant wing. The irony is that if the Anglican Communion does what Kasper is asking and decides it is in fact a 'Catholic' Church, it will emerge as a Church in the mould of the liberal Catholic provinces of TEC, Scotland and the Catholic wing in England. This would not fit at all with the present mold of conservative catholicism in Rome. If on the other hand it decides it is Protestant body, the resultant church would be more like the evangelical independents that the Catholic Church is going head-to-head with for proselytes in Latin America and parts of Africa.
But of course simply to ask the Anglicans to make a decision of this nature is to illustrate a lack of understanding of the nature of Anglicanism. George Bernard Shaw said that England and the US were two countries divided by the same language. Catholics and Anglicans are the same, two denominations divided by the same religion.

-Ruth Gledhill is The Times Religion Correspondent.

Archbishop Cranmer (cognomen)writes in his blog the following response:

"Cardinal Kasper might also like to consider that it is the contention of the Church of England that it is both Catholic and Reformed, and his dissent from this assertion does not make it not so. It is not necessary to conform to Rome’s narrow capacity for definition, for there is little latitude in its dogma. And even the Church of Rome is divided between its conservatives and liberals - there are few who would assert that The Tablet articulates the same adherence to doctrine as The Catholic Herald - but no ultimatum has been issued demanding unity of voice, for that would require a meeting of minds between His Holiness and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. And Cranmer cannot quite envisage that. Indeed, most of the Roman Catholic bishops in England appear to be pathologically antipathetic to all that Pope Benedict XVI stands for, so Cardinal Kasper may care to lecture his own house before presuming to instruct the Anglicans."

"Roman Catholicism is literally a broad church, and the gulf between its disparate factions are tolerated because they can coexist in tension, in the imperfect communion that is exemplified in the suffering of the cross. And so it is with the Church of England."-Archbishop Cranmer has been ranked #1 in the 'Top 10 Religious Blogs' in the UK

-you can find this and other related articles of intrest here

The Shack

2008-05-02T20:07:00.002-05:00

Dear Fellow Clergy:

The novel, *The Shack,* is getting tremendous amount of play nationally. The book is currently ranked number eight in sales on Amazon.com. The story is a fictionalized account of a man, Mack Phillips, who is emotionally dealing with the brutal murder of his young daughter. Mack is overwhelmed with questions about the suffering of the innocent, and as a result, has an unusual encounter with the Holy Trinity in a shack. Yes, I said a shack. In the novel, the Trinity is an African-American woman (the Father), a Middle Eastern man (the Son), and the Holy Spirit is an Asian songstress named Sarayu. The book has major theological problems: modalism, rejection of Biblical hierarchy, overemphasis on free-will to the neglect of God's sovereignty, and a misunderstanding of the concept of submission, feminism, etc. Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church Seattle, addresses these concerns here ( seven minute YouTube video) and Tim Challies, a Reformed blogger/reviewer, writes here.

If your folks have gotten fascinated by this book, I would suggest addressing these theological problems on May 18, Trinity Sunday. Get a good simple systematic theology like Wayne Grudem's. For the everyday layperson, Grudem does an excellent job of explaining the key issues surrounding the doctrine of the Trinity. Read again the church's classic understanding of the Trinity. In the simplest manner possible, explain the main points concerning the Trinity using basic scripture texts. Your congregation will not be bored. Your folks will be excited about being equipped to defend the Historic Christian faith. You do not need to mention the book, *The Shack.* However, you may want to show the cultural relevance of your sermon by pointing to the current controversy.

As Article One of The Thirty-Nine Article states:

Faith in the Holy Trinity:
There is only one living and true God, who is eternal and without body, indivisible and invulnerable. He is of infinite power, wisdom and goodness. He is the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible. Within the unity of the Godhead there are three persons who are of one substance, power and eternity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Christus Victor,
Cn. Glenn

"Doctrine is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life.It is worse than useless; it does positive harm.Something of 'the image of Christ' must be seenand observed by others in our private life, andhabits, and character, and doings." --J.C. Ryle

Orthodox Christians hail 'Holy Fire' of Easter (Pasca) in Jerusalem

2008-04-28T17:09:00.005-05:00

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Thousands of Orthodox Christians converged on Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday to witness what they believe is the miraculous appearance of "holy fire" on the eve of Orthodox Easter.
The Old City was jammed with pilgrims from the Eastern Orthodox faiths including Greeks, Copts, Russians and Assyrians, seeking to reach the church, one of Christianity's holiest sites.No police estimates were available on the number of people crammed into the narrow streets, but Hanna Anton Signora, a Christian scholar who contacted various churches, put the figure at around 150,000. Whatever the number, it was too much for everyone to be satisfied. Some of the faithful grew angry as police tried to control the crowds, pushing and shoving to get into the church or at least the plaza outside its main door. "We cannot enter the square of the church, which is full of police instead of prayers," said Hussam Sheebi, 16, who came from the northern Israeli town of Acre. A 48-year-old doctor said she travelled from Armenia "to see the light, to pray, to be here and feel the resurrection of our Jesus." She came to witness what Orthodox Christians believe is an annual miracle -- the sudden appearance of a blue-coloured flame inside an ornately decorated marble tabernacle built over what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus. The church itself is built on the site most Christians revere as the place where Jesus was crucifixed, and also where he was buried and rose again to life, the event celebrated on Easter Day. Custody of the church is shared by the Greeks, Armenians and Roman Catholics, all of whom jealously guard their responsibilities under a fragile network of agreements hammered out over the centuries. Such are the sometime rivalries that custody of the keys to the church has been entrusted for centuries to two Palestinian Muslim families. In the past, the ceremony has erupted in brawling and fisticuffs, especially between Greeks and Armenians, and even led to stampedes and deaths. Early on Saturday afternoon, in a totally darkened church, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, entered alone the small marble structure built over Jesus's tomb, or sepulchre, inside the church. It is believed that as the patriarch prays a blue, shiny light emanates from the tomb and that he then lights two candles it.

Emerging from the tomb with the lighted candles, he is greeted with the joyful cries of the assembled throng and the ringing of the church bells.The "holy fire" is eventually passed from the patriarch's candles to those held by others and then on and on, in a spreading wave of light, to even others, both inside and outside the church.
A music teacher from Ukraine started to cry as she talked about what she holds to be the miracle of the holy fire.
"Jesus sacrificed for us, for our souls and he continues to show us his miracles," said the 33-year-old woman who gave only her first name, Albina.
Hussam's mother, Suher, says "me and my family are waiting until we are able to take the holy light with us to Acre, to keep my family blessed."

Orthodox Christians who are Palestinian and live in the nearby West Bank are generally not allowed by Israel to enter the Holy City. Many of them hold similar ceremonies at churches in their own towns and villages, such as Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Christ.
But special permissions are given to them to enter Jerusalem for religious celebrations, according to the army.
From Jerusalem the sacred flame is transported by a chartered flight to Athens, where it is taken by road, air and sea to light up churches all over Greece and beyond at midnight as the faithful call out "Christ is risen."
In Orthodox tradition, as well as many Western rites, the vigil held on the night before Easter begins with a darkened church that is illuminated by new fire, which symbolises the "light of Christ" manifest in the Resurrection.

Another Christian Martyr in Iraq

2008-04-24T20:14:00.003-05:00

Every night on the news we hear updates of violence in Iraq. The war continues and commentators debate whether American soldiers should be there or not. What we do not hear about is the plight of Christian nationals in Iraq. For them a spiritual war wages.
When "Muhammad" first converted to Christianity from Islam, he kept his new faith a secret. In fact, the first person he told outside of his wife and son was a Christian named "Joseph." He knew the risks of sharing his faith with others in his homeland of Iraq but felt led to do so anyway. So he witnessed to his extended family. Following radical teachings of Islam, family members killed Muhammad.
Muhammad's widow sent Muhammad's friend "Joseph" an e-mail after the martyrdom of her husband. She wrote:
"I have bad news. Muhammad is dead. Our family killed him for sharing his new faith in Jesus Christ. I miss him dearly. Muhammad left me two important things: my son and our Bible. I'll never forget why he died. He died for Jesus. I believe Jesus will help me. Tell the people [other Christians] to pray for me."
Muhammad's widow and son are now being supported by VOM's Families of Martyrs fund. This is perhaps VOM's most important work: reaching out to families who have been victims of severe persecution and martyrdom. Each week we learn about new cases that need our support.

Three Things to Ponder: By Clay C. Rowe

2008-04-22T10:03:00.002-05:00

Three Things to Ponder:
1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments

C O W S
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

T H E C O N S T I T U T I O N
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.

T H E 1 0 C O M M A N D M E N T S
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery," and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians...It creates a hostile work environment.

TH-550 God and Government Notes (last session)

2008-04-19T18:58:00.007-05:00

Suggested reading-

Equal and Different by Michael Harper

also
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood-a response to Evangelical Feminism.

There are two predominate views on why there should or should not be a Male only Priesthood-

Egalitarianism - (Christians for Biblical Equality)

1.)No Gender distinctiveness , no role differences, either in
_the family or in the church-
_and women have the same function.
_belief in the ordination of women.
_dual leadership in the home.
_Definition of 'Equality' is that: to be equal is the ability to do
_the same thing.
_Scriptural basis of argument is Galatians 3:28- There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (NASB)

Complimentarinism - (Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood)

2.)Distinct roles for man and woman; in the family and the church.
_A mans role is given to him by God to lead and to be an authority figure. This leadership is not to be an Authoritarian but in loving service. Complimentarian is a call to service. Ephesians 5:25- Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
_Complimentarinism is the way that that the Trinity is viewed
__1Hierarchical- Equal in creation yet subordinate in role.
___Bishop, Priest (presbyter), Deacon
__2Patriacrical- Father and Son.
___This is what the priesthood should reflect.
__3Monarichal- Speaks with one voice.
___The Church should be governed with one voice,
___but by consensus. Not as a CEO or committee.
_it has practical implications in the way the world is viewed.

_Definition of 'Equality' is that: we are both made in the image of God, He loves us the same, we are created equal. Men and Women compliment each other this compliment is found in creation by Gods' design; but they serve the family and the church in different ways. God created man and woman in their essential dignity and human person-hood but different and complimentary in function with male headship in the home and church.

Headship Means: a spiritual responsibility in leadership in the home and church the Bible does not address the secular roles.

The Deaconess has a historical role in the Church; as a ministerial role in helping families, orphans, widows, the poor,etc. The Deaconess was mainly for spiritual care versus spiritual leadership.

Hermeneutics of 1st Corinthians 11

vs.2)The content is the Lords Supper as in Chapters 10 and 12
_it is 'traditions' not 'teachings'

vs.3)God the Father head of Christ head of Man head of Woman
__What does 'head' mean?- κεφάλι- kephale (Greek lexicon) the head, both of men and often of animals. Since the loss of the head destroys life, this word is used in the phrases relating to capital and extreme punishment. metaph. anything supreme, chief, prominent

A. of persons, master lord: of a husband in relation to his wife
B. of Christ: the Lord of the husband and of the Church
C. of things: the corner stone
___Spiritual Authority, also headship. There is a Hierarchical order for society family and the church. Hierarchical in the Trinity, Church, Family.

Egalitarian View interprets 'head' as "source" but this does not fit;
see Ephesians 5:23-
For the husband is the "source" of the wife, as Christ also is the "source" of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

vs.4) Social status in a Greco/Roman Corinthian Society was to wear head coverings Paul is saying that the men are acting like women by wearing these head coverings

vs.5) The cultural assumption is that if the woman has her head UNcovered she was in sin somehow- Adultery, prostitution, or acting like men

vs.6) he is directly appealing to the need to follow these cultural norms that women are to appear as women. Head coverings showed that a woman was under authority/headship of the church.

vs.7)as a man I should not cover my head and fulfill my role as a man He will honor God and a woman fulfills her role she will honor God and her husband as well.

vs.8-9)What part of creation is Paul referring to? The Creation of woman; rib taken from man. If we believe that Creation is Truth the it is clear the order of the roles of men and women. It has theological implications as an argument for order based on creation Paul is appealing to Creation on 'headship' and that is is unchanging. The root of the matter is
timeless 'Shawl Wearing' is cultural and is therefore subject to change.

vs.10)a head covering is a sacrificial sign of authority as being a part Heavenly Worship, if we are going to participate in this heavenly worship it is only proper that we should show this level of order.

It would be a possible conclusion at this point that women are inferior if we left the text here.
In Corinthian Culture women were seen as property, their witness was suspect, because of their gender-her testimony was seen as invalid. Yet the Bible is elevating the position/status of women as seen in the case of Mary Magdalene being the first to find the risen Lord... If you were going to make a believable argument for his Resurrection you would not use a woman's testimony to prove your case...

The Pater Familias (plural: patres familias) was the highest ranking family status in an Anchient Roman household, always a male position. The pater familias had vitae necisque potestas - the "power of life and death" - over his children, his wife, and his slaves, all of whom were said to be sub manu, "under his hand". The patres familias were the only full legal persons. Women were always under the control (sub manu) of a pater familias. The woman was dominated; but Paul called on men to Love their wives, a radical shift from cultural norms of the day...

vs.11)there is an interdependent relationship

vs.12)you need each other- equal in person yet different in Roles.

vs.13)rhetorical question-referring to Natural Law.

vs.14)again appealing to Natural Law.

vs.15)indication of her femininity.

vs.16)this is the Apostolic Tradition- we do this everywhere not interpreted throughthe lens of 20th/21st century values.

What is the principal that underlies the text?

Men and women have a complimentary role, Men and Women should pray and prophesy in a manner that recognises that they are under headship/authority. Equal in person different in roles.

Hermeneutics of 1st Timothy 2

Timothy was the Bishop of Ephesus where one of the 7 wonders of the world resided; the Temple of Artemis

VS.9) when a woman wears these things her dress in this culture would be deemed as seductive.

vs.10) we should worship with good deeds (chapter 5:10) and be focusing on service and not involved with impropriety directly of indirectly.

In Ephesus there was a tremendous strain on the Christians due to the Temple of Artemis and so a lot of False Teaching prevailed-

False Teaching goes hand in hand with sexual immorality-
False Teachers-
1)Sewed Distention through triviality.
2)Stressed Asceticism.
3)Denied things that scripture permits.
4)encouraged women not to follow traditional family roles.
5)encouraged women not to marry.

vs.11)women SHOULD learn... is a step in elevation in this society and should have an attitude of submission.

Submission is defined as: Voluntary yielding to the authority of Christ in another person.

vs.12)explaining vs.11- I do not permit women to be elders in the church to teach, didache Greek- The transmitting of the Faith of the Church is the role of a man, to teach official doctrinal standards. Women are not to be governing or ruling elders of the church.
The women are trying to gain authority in the church-
The only thing Paul is prohibiting is women being
teaching-ruling elders of the church.

vs.13-14)From creation this was so- it is not saying that women are more easily deceived, but that if you want a disaster to come step outside of male headship-
_be what a woman is; a mother, modest, Proverbs 31:10-31, having values, not a seductress. Paul is not saying be barefoot and pregnant, but that your value is in Christ not in your outward appearance, Gods' love is your value.

ch.3:1)overseer is ἐπισκοπῆς episcopas Gr. It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.

Joel 2:28)you are not equal in ROLE just because you are equal in receiving the spirit.

1st Corinthians 14:29-40)Paul condemns an astatic (unstable) experience. The Montanists are a good example. It is not helpful to speak in tongues if there is no interpreter. There is a discernment process that Paul is laying out. Weigh - Discern. Take turns, it won't disappear it won't fly away. When you are experiencing the Spiritual Gifts you don't have to loose control.

So what is it that women should be silent about?
vs.27 speaking in tongues without an interpreter,
vs.30 if some one is seated the other must be silent (don't interrupt),
vs.35 any questions?-go ask your husband at home.
It does not mean they cannot prophesy
The text is saying they should not weigh the prophecy- that involves spiritual authority in the mans role....

Order of worship/prophecy-
Two or three prophets should speak.
vs.30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.
The ones in authority should discern/weigh carefully what was said.
Wait to ask your husband if there are any questions/disagreements.
_you shouldn't argue during the order of worship.

Galatians 3:26-29)these verses speak to our Status in Christ
_we identify with our status through baptism.
_we are sons and heirs according to the promise-
not gender but through Faith (thank God)
Who? Jews, Greeks, Slaves, Free, Male, Female
Who? Races, Cultures, Economic, Social, Genders.
We are saved the same way as each other, in Christ through faith, has nothing to do with spiritual headship.

-equality in being different in role-

The Charismatic Episcopal Church

2008-04-04T10:25:00.011-05:00

We are men and women of faith gathered from diverse backgrounds seeking an expression of the church that is fully sacramental-liturgical, evangelical, and charismatic; a church that is submitted to the authority of scripture, as interpreted by the continuing witness of the ancient church, and governed by consensus. Our worship is biblical, liturgical and Spirit filled, ancient and contemporary, holy and joyful. We are committed to advancing God's kingdom by proclaiming the Gospel to the least, the lost, and the lonely.

The Charismatic Episcopal Church is not and has never been affiliated with the Episcopal Church USA or the Anglican Communion.