National Day of Prayer Ruling Overturned: Alienation Is Not Injury

I caught this good piece of news over at Christianity Today (emphasis added):

National Day of Prayer Ruling Overturned

A federal appeals court today ruled 3-0 that dismisses a lawsuit against the National Day of Prayer. The decision overturns last year's ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb that ruled that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Freedom From Religion Foundation did not have standing to bring the lawsuit against President Obama. "But unless all limits on standing are to be abandoned, a feeling of alienation cannot suffice as injury in fact," the court said in its opinion opinion.

President Truman signed into law in 1952 a Congressional resolution establishing a National Day of Prayer. The Justice Department had appealed Judge Crabb's decision.

So, I guess prayer is a protected right still ... for a while.  I wonder when the next attack on religious freedom will occur.

When Christians Hate: Fighting The Black Eye We Give God

I don't believe in Mormonism, but I certainly do NOT believe in persecuting its adherents.  Hate is hate.  Check out this article from Lillian Kwon in last week's The Christian Post (emphasis added):

Christians Counter Hate, Offer Love to Mormons

Tue, Apr. 05, 2011 Posted: 11:07 AM EDT

---

Mormons who gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah, for their 181st Annual General Conference this past weekend were again met by a small group of Christians shouting "repent," among other things.

The group is a regular presence at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints conferences, often hurling insults and dragging the Book of Mormon on the ground.  [Comment: What a hideous thing to do!  We should at all times remain respectful!]

Countering the protesters this year, however, was another group of Christians who offered "free hugs" and some "Jesus style" love for the Mormons.

"Jesus didn’t scream and hold signs at the Samaritan well," said Charles Hill, pastor of One Community Church in South Jordan, Utah, in a statement. "We are called to love each other."

Hill moved to South Jordan in 2009 to start a church in a predominantly Mormon community. He has made clear that his mission is not to "defeat" the LDS Church, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, but to simply reach those who need Jesus.

Over the past two years he has built relationships with many Mormons. He often opens his house up to his neighbors, almost all of whom are part of the LDS Church. But again, he has clarified that he's not out to convert them to his Christian faith, but rather to simply love them.

So when he sees other Christians protesting at LDS conferences, he's compelled to respond.

He brought out his church to the conference on Saturday, the opening day of the two-day event, to give out some love. "HUGS not THUGS" was their marching orders. They handed out free hugs to those who needed "a boost after walking past our brothers and sisters in Jesus who just gave them an ear full. We will give them an arm full."

Meanwhile, he has a message for the protesters: "Dear Thugs: stop driving the wedge between our relationships that we seek to build that much deeper. I bet most of you aren’t even from this city. If you really knew someone who was LDS and loved them, you would never be doing this. And for those that are in our cities here…there is a reason your church is '50 soldiers in the Army of the Lord' strong every Sunday morning and has been for years."

The LDS Church continues to grow in membership in the U.S. and worldwide. According to statistics revealed at the convention on Saturday, total LDS membership at the end of 2010 was 14.1 million. The religious body also reported 272,814 converts baptized in 2010, 134 temples (with three new ones planned for this year), and 52,225 missionaries serving in 340 missions.

Additionally, LDS leaders boasted service and aid to the poor. Mormons logged in over 40,000 hours of service through more than 4,000 volunteers in Japan relief efforts, Thomas S. Monson, president of the LDS Church, reported.

Monson, whom Mormons view as a modern-day prophet, delivered a charge that likely resonated with Hill – to be good citizens and good neighbors, and examples of honesty and integrity "wherever we go and in whatever we do."

Hill acknowledges that there are fundamental theological differences between Mormons and evangelical Christians. And he would rejoice if his Mormon neighbors came to a saving knowledge of Christ.

But he disagrees with treating them as a "conversion project."

"Jesus did not say: 'Win them with scare tactics and by acting like thugs when you disagree with someone.' He said, 'They will know you by your LOVE.' Jesus said: 'LOVE your neighbor as yourself.'

"He also said, 'By this will everyone know you are my disciples when you have LOVE one for another.' All of the law and the prophets hang on the 2 commands to LOVE! Can I get a witness?"

Reminding Christians of both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, Hill encourages believers to reach out in their own context – whether it's a GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) parade, a porn convention or an atheist convention – with Jesus' love.

"Maybe we can start a revolution that shows what we are FOR [love and the gospel] rather than just the press we get on what we are AGAINST," he pondered.

I love Hill's ideas! ... Gee, kinda takin' things back to Jesus.  A novel approach to witnessing to the world, eh?

Sadly, and to our embarrassment, our press seems to only print the ugly side of Christianity ... rarely does one fine mention of the good.  We need more "HUGS" not "THUGS!"

Exchanging the Truth for A Lie

He nervously paced the floor, like an Olympian athlete engaged in visual imagery, going through the motions of the huge challenge before him. He waited outside the courtroom, his own attorney's gaze following the frenetic path of his client. Kevin occasionally reached inside his coat pocket, fingering the rosary he had bought long ago in Mexico. His mind groped for reassurance and comfort as his fingers searched for the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe that was attached to the rosary. In the other pocket nestled a scallop shell from his pilgrimage he had made along the Way of St. James in Spain -- "el Camino de Santiago de Compostela."

Kevin had brought these trinkets with him on the day he had been dreading: the day of a deposition involving an angry neighbor and his nasty lawyer. They were hell bent on intimidating Kevin with a long and drawn out deposition at the courthouse. It was an annoying and ridiculous property dispute ... a matter he tried to settle with his neighbor but to no avail. He had been dragged into court.

I have known Kevin for many years. He is a family man, married many years to the same sweet woman and the proud father of two -- a teenage son and a younger daughter with Down syndrome. His wife had battled some serious health crises herself over the years and, coupled with the extra trials a special needs child brings, Kevin's home life was filled with additional burdens and emergencies many other families do not face. But, he never showed bitterness or resentment toward the seemingly harsh and unfair chain of events that comprised his life, instead choosing to be jovial and a ball of fire in the workplace.

Over the years and through the numerous trials, crises and close calls, Kevin understandably wondered the same question any of us would: WHY?  Raised Catholic, yet having chosen to slip "the bonds" that Kevin felt Catholicism presented, he delved into various New Age philosophies and gurus to soothe his aching soul, seeking a spirituality that brought him comfort but not the "control" he believed religion forced upon its adherents.

One day at lunch, some of us were discussing religion ... the precise topic of the discussion escapes me now. But, I clearly recall Kevin interrupting the conversation, announcing to the group with pride: "I'm not religious, I'm spiritual." I asked him what he meant by "spiritual."

He talked about having a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe in his garden, a statue he had brought back with him on one of his winter trips to Cancun. He said that he found meditating before the statue in his garden brought him peace. He stated that spiritual means he does things that help him connect with the world and "a higher being" without the trappings of religion. He read books by such authors as are featured of Oprah. He said it helped him feel better and that it made him a better person.  I replied that it seemed very self-focused .... very selfish. Did his meditations lead him to reach out to his community to make the world better and not just himself?  I tried to be as kind as possible in choosing my words, but such a challenge is never welcome.

That conversation was years ago, perhaps not handled by me as best as it could have been. And now he was preparing for the dreadful deposition. His pronouncement of having his pilgrim's shell and rosary with him -- what I would deem his "good luck charms" -- only brought me sadness. He had exchanged the truth for a lie. He sought support and comfort from two small inanimate objects. They were not souvenirs from Christ-centered pilgrimages. I could understand their importance if they were accompanied by a Christ-centered faith. But, rather than using them to help bring himself closer to Christ, they were used no differently than a rabbit's foot -- mere good luck charms to help connect him to the universe. No relationship. No different from reading one's horoscope. No different from knocking on wood.

The "New Age", my friends, ain't nothin' new.  It's the same ancient paganism that's been around for millenia.  In the past two decades it has been repackaged, revamped, and been presented in a sleek Madison Fifth Avenue PR campaign.  

Ironically, in Kevin's revolt against the "control" of religion, he failed to see his own desire for control, for what is the purpose of superstition but to give us a sense of some control over our out-of-control lives -- our destiny?  If I throw a pinch of salt over my shoulder, I'll ward off evil ... that would vengefully attack me for spilling salt.  If I cower at the number 13, I believe I'm warding off misfortune, but I miss out on the full engagement in one day a month and the lovely "baker's dozen" at the bakery.  If I bury a statue of St. Joseph in my front yard in hopes that my house will sell faster, I worry that maybe I buried "him" the wrong way ... and I wind up putting my faith in a cheap trinket rather than connecting in close communion with my Lord.

Do these items drive me closer to God ... or do they serve to distract me from God, naively placing my faith in inanimate objects and rituals?  In my feeble attempts to control my life, I shut the door to the true Author of Life.  I exchange Him and His Truth for a life of cheap grace -- fruitless rituals, charms, and charlatans.

Fukushima 50: Pray for These Brave Heroes!!

Such courage is rarely seen ... please keep the Fukushima 50, Japan, and all relief workers and relief efforts in your prayers!!!!

Fukushima 50 Stay Behind to Prevent Nuclear Meltdown

They are known as the Fukushima 50, the workers who stayed behind at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in order to prevent a meltdown in Japan.

Between 50 and 70 plant engineers -- who have not been identified and are being hailed as heroes -- continue to work around the clock in dangerous conditions, as hundreds of thousands have evacuated the area, fearing a meltdown.

Two of the workers are missing after an explosion and fire at the Unit 4 reactor, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Workers have since resumed operations, Reuters reports.

"The longer they stay, the more dangerous it becomes for them," Margaret Harding of the American Nuclear Society told CBS News.

The engineers are trying to cool nuclear reactors with seawater, while trying to avoid fires and explosions.

"You are the only ones who can resolve a crisis. Retreat is unthinkable," Japanese Prime Minister Naota Kan told them, the Financial Times reported.

The workers have exposed themselves to high doses of radiation, which could cause cancer.

"These workers, in a few hours, are getting fairly high doses I would say by contemporary standards for worker protection, and that's likely to pose some risks down the line," David Richardson, a professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, told the BBC. He added that the radiation the Fukushima 50 would receive in an hour is the same amount a U.S. nuclear worker would be exposed to over an entire career.

Last Friday's magnitude 9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami have left 11,000 dead or missing.

Steve Harvey: "Don't Trip: He Ain't Through with Me Yet"

Last night I happened to catch comedian Steve Harvey and his 2009 comedy routine "Don't Trip, He Ain't Through with Me Yet."  This was a line he used throughout his routine, frequently after making some mean comment about another person.  Many of his jokes were about the Christian struggle -- his own as well as of others.  I laughed at one of his lines, so much so that I copied it down:

"I just ain't that good a Christian yet.  I been workng on them commandments, but I ain't that good at it.  There are ten of them, you know.  I'm good for about six or seven of 'em, but them other three ... I be strugglin' with a lot of them."

He would occasionally include comments to being a Christian, although struggling ... which we all can identify with.   At one point, he told the audience about how he had come from nothing ... that he had been in jail ... that he had even been shot.

At the end of his routine, he proudly announced that he had been "cuss-free" throughout the routine, which given the level of humor these days, is a pretty amazing feat!  How he ended the night, though, was the most stunning.  He talked about all the famous people he has introduced over the years at various award shows.  But, he then talked about the ultimate introduction he would love to make one day:



What an amazing and courageous thing to do in Hollywood!  The audience's reaction is equally amazing.  Go Steve Harvey!!!!

The 21st Century: The Age of Fear?

As my friend pointed out to me, we are already a decade into the 21st century.  My, how the time has flown!  I sometimes catch my mind thinking we're just barely into the 2000's, not quite "up to speed" with being in the 2010's.  As we babyboomers thought back on the 20th, we pondered the question of what that century should be called.  "The Age of Science?"  "The Age of Innovation?"  "The Age of War?"  "The Age of Medicine?"  So many labels could easily and accurately be applied to the 1900's, because so many amazing ... and horrifying ... things occurred.

But, what would one nickname this current century?  My first thought was "The Age of IT" or "Social networking."  But, I was told that many have knighted it "The Age of Fear."  The monicker brought to mind so many discussions over the past decade: how parents are hesitant to let their children play outside, instead choosing to arrange "play dates."  The 9/11 attacks still claim a heavy burden on Americans' hearts ... and the hearts of those since dragged into its wake.  Headlines besiege our minds and spirits with a daily onslaught of horrendous news: children murdered, teachers molesting kids, epidemics, asteroids or volcanoes that could destroy our planet, solar radiation, cancer, terrorism, cybercrime, life spinning at an ever increasing speed, obsession about the pitiful lives of Hollywood elite, escalating reports on crime although FBI statistics prove the trend is the other direction, economic woes ('the worst recession' since the Great Depression ... bunk!), etc., etc., etc. 

It all makes you want to hide in a foxhole somedays to ride out the storm.

Lord, teach us to pray ... especially in times such as these.  Help us to focus on whom and what truly matters in life.  And help us pray. 

I am reminded of the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter.  This synagogue leader -- a man of God -- had been struck with tragedy with the death of his daughter.  Tragedy comes to all.  No one is spared.  But, in Luke 8:50 we read: Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

We, too, must believe Jesus' promise of always being with us ... even unto the end of the Age (Matthew 28:20).  He will come to us ... and heal us.  Like Jairus' daughter, we are not dead but sleeping.  He will take us by the hand and say "My child, get up!"  

We must take His hand everyday ... and get up.

Let us love.  Let us pray.  Let us live.  Let us serve. 

 ⁴⁰And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.

   ⁴¹And there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus' feet, and began to implore Him to come to his house;

   ⁴²for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.

   ⁴³And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone,

   ⁴⁴came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.

   ⁴⁵And Jesus said, "Who is the one who touched Me?" And while they were all denying it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You."

   ⁴⁶But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me."

   ⁴⁷When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.

   ⁴⁸And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

   ⁴⁹While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of  the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore."

   ⁵⁰But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, " Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well."

   ⁵¹When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl's father and mother.

   ⁵²Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, "Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep."

   ⁵³And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died.

   ⁵⁴He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!"

   ⁵⁵And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat.

   ⁵⁶Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

[Luke 8:40-56, NASB]

"Generation Ex-Christian": Today's Atheists, Agnostics & Spiritual Seekers

There are conflicting studies about whether the Church is declining in America; however, just the question itself begs a study of why people leave the Church in the first place.  Several studies show that these individuals are former Christians.

Drew Dyck, editorial manager of The Christian Post, has published a book that studies this phenomenon.  "Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving The Church and How To Bring Them Back." In it, the journalist analyzes the results of 100 interviews Dyck conducted, breaking these "leavers" down into six categories: postmodern leavers, recoilers, modern leavers, neo-pagans, rebels, and drifters.

The Christian Post article continues (emphasis added):

While much is known about the challenges in reaching a postmodern and modern (think Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens) audience with the gospel, little if anything has been said about the other four categories in Dyck’s book.

The recoilers are not easily identifiable as a leaver category because they tend to avoid talking about their painful childhood or teenage experiences with the church that are the primary reasons they left the faith. If pressed to explain why they left the faith, many recoilers will find intellectual reasons to back up their emotional reasons, Dyck writes.

“For a child who suffers some form of ‘sanctified’ abuse, the resulting spiritual damage can haunt that person for a lifetime,” he explains in the book. “Such is the case for many recoilers – they often have experienced some form of abuse in the name of God.”

“They have become disillusioned with faith because the people they sanctified let them down. God is guilty by association.”

The author suggests finding out if a leaver is a recoiler by asking questions about their experience with the faith community, but avoiding to put them on the defensive. If someone is a recoiler, then concentrate on listening to the person’s story and empathizing with his/her pain. It is important to establish a friendship and earn trust with recoilers, Dyck writes, and to help them to reconcile with God before His people.

For neo-pagan leavers, the author spotlights Wicca, which is the fastest growing religion in the United States. Out of all the categories, Dyck reports that neo-pagan leavers have “the strongest emotional reaction to Christian faith.” Although neo-pagans are not as verbally combative as modernist leavers, if they do open up it is usually “a river of molten rage.”

Wiccans have negative feelings toward Christians because they have been repeatedly portrayed by believers as Satan-worshippers and accused of sacrificing animals and rumored to murder babies. Dyck says the first step in having a meaningful relationship with Wiccans is to defuse their negative feelings by showing familiarity with their basic beliefs and asking them what attracted them to Wicca and what problems they have with Christianity.

“Reaching neo-pagans begins with showing an appreciation for nature and a desire to protect it, all while directing them to the God of whom nature is a grand reflection,” writes Dyck.

Also, neo-pagans are attracted to spirituality so it is helpful for Christians to not be shy about talking about their own spiritual experiences.

Drifters, meanwhile, are those Christians whose faith was never that deep to begin with and it is hard to pinpoint when they actually left. These drifters, like their name suggests, just gradually drifted away without notice. They do not argue against Christianity and do not have emotional baggage from the faith. They still identify as Christians, but their life in no way reflects a commitment to Christ.

“They’re the kind who blend in, go with the flow. They were likely swept up in the faith in the first place because it was what everyone else around them was doing. Then they left for the same reason. They found themselves in a new context where Christian faith wasn’t the norm,” Dyck writes.

The author suggests challenging drifters with the hard demands of the gospel and to emphasize that church is not a social club but an “all-or-nothing proposition.” Also, it is good for drifters to form intergenerational bonds within the church instead of only being associated with the youth group.

In the interview with The Christian Post, Dyck said that he thinks the hardest leaver to bring back to Jesus Christ is the spiritual rebel. Spiritual rebels are those that have a hard time accepting the divine authority of God. They do not have an intellectual objection but a heart issue, observes Dyck. The only suggestions he has for reaching spiritual rebels is to pray a lot for them and to form relationships with them.

The other type of rebel is the one that loves to party. This type of rebel does not have an intellectual or emotional problem with the faith, but they are just unwilling to abide to Christian morality.

“A lot of young people are walking away not only from the church, but from their faith,” says Dyck. “And I don’t think that they will come back automatically. I don’t think we can count on that - some automatic return to the faith.”

The author urges older members in the church to build relationships with young people.

“Often what I found is the break from their faith came in the context of relationships, something went wrong with either a youth pastor, a parent, or some other spiritual authority. If they are going to be reconciled, come back to the church, it is going to have to happen in the context of relationships.”

Pope Calls for Christian Names

I am not a Catholic and so rarely lend an eye to proclamations made by the Pope.  (Although, I really should, especially the words of Pope John Paul, a real hero.)  I did today, however, take notice of a news story about Pope Benedict XVI calling upon parents to stop using non-Christian names and turn to those names that reflect the Faith.  This from The Telegraph: (emphasis added):

Pope Urges Parents to Stop Giving Children Non-Christian Names 

The Pope has warned parents against giving children celebrity-inspired names and urged them to turn to the Bible for inspiration instead.

While names such as Sienna and Scarlett have become fashionable in recent years, Pope Benedict XVI called for a return to tradition.

During Mass at the Sistine Chapel, he said: "Every baptised child acquires the character of the son of God, beginning with their Christian name, an unmistakable sign that the Holy Spirit causes man to be born anew in the womb of the Church." He added that a name was an "indelible seal" that set children off on a lifelong "journey of religious faith".

According to the Office for National Statistics, celebrity names such as Ashton – after the actor Ashton Kutcher – and Lily – after the singer Lily Allen – are among the most popular in England and Wales. The names celebrities give their own children can be even more exotic.

Sir Bob Geldof has daughters named Pixie and Peaches, while Victoria and David Beckham called their first son Brooklyn, after the district of New York. Katie Price, the glamour model, named her daughter Princess Tiaamii.

In Italy, the name of a child has particular significance. Children are often named after saints, who are considered a guiding force in their life.

The tradition, however, is increasingly under threat. Francesco Totti, the footballer, recently decided to call his daughter Chanel, while Flavio Briatore, the Formula One boss, named his newborn son Falso Nathan.

Cristina Odone, a former editor of The Catholic Herald who grew up in Italy, said: "There are so many of the church's traditions which we have come to ignore and which are actually meaningful and have a big spiritual significance. To deprive our children of that sense of having a protecting saint is to rob them of something very significant. Many of today's names are not just un-Christian but they are also crass and consumerist."

According to official statistics, the most popular name for newborns in Britain is Mohammed, after the Islamic prophet. A total of 7,549 newborns were given variations of the name last year. It overtook Jack, which topped the list for 14 years.

Monsignor Andrew Faley, the assistant general secretary to the Catholic Bishops' Conference, said: "The name is not just a label but it moves us into a deeper significance of what it means to be human as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

"Naming children after perfumes, bicycles and countries is putting a limit on their potential. They are not merchandise or commodities. 

"When I was a parish priest, if I didn't agree with the name I'd suggest they should give the second name of a saint."

In 2008, Italy's highest court banned a couple from naming their son Venerdi – Friday – saying it was "ridiculous" and would expose him to mockery from his classmates.

Judges from the Cassation Court in Rome ordered that the boy instead be christened Gregorio, after the saint's day on which he was born. The parents, from Genoa, had drawn inspiration from Robinson Crusoe's manservant.

Now, that is scary that a court can step in and order parents to name their child how it sees fit. (Luckily, that's in Italy and not here.)  "Venerdi" is unusual, but not as bizarre as others we've heard in the news.

Confession: Insight from the Radio

God's ways of breaking through into everyday life and permeating my being with insight is always amazing.  It can be either in a formal Bible study, watching a movie scene, a great story on the news, or, as with the other day, listening to the radio.

Here is a nice example of corporal confession (i.e. recited with others, such as during a church service), written by theologian, educator and ambassador Henry Van Dyke:

Most holy and merciful Father; We acknowledge and confess in Thy Presence: Our sinful nature prone to evil and slothful in good; And all our shortcomings and offenses against Thee. Thou alone knowest how often we have sinned: In wandering from Thy ways; In wasting Thy gifts; In forgetting Thy love. But Thou, O Lord, have pity upon us; Who are ashamed and sorry for all wherein we have displeased Thee. Teach us to hate our errors; Cleanse us from our secret faults; And forgive our sins; For the sake of Thy dear Son our Saviour. And O most holy and loving Father; Send Thy purifying grace into our hearts, we beseech Thee; That we may henceforth live in Thy light and walk in Thy ways; According to the commandments of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  [source]

There is a local radio talk show I frequently listen to in the afternoons during my drive home.  It can be at times quite crude  in a middle-school playground, dirty joke way.  Other times, as the host reminisces about his childhood, I get laughing so hard, because I was that goofy and/or remember someone doing similar crazy things.  Occasionally, the host has on local theologians who take listeners' calls and address their questions, concerns, and doubts.

One of the questions was about confession.  I'm sure you can instantly harken back to confirmation class or a study you once did on this Christian tenet.  There are many jokes we've all heard or movie scenes we've seen surrounding the confession booth.  On the other hand, confession is also a hot button with many people, evoking feelings of shame and guilt.  There exist many misunderstandings of confession.

But, the radio conversation brought forth an aspect of confession I had never considered.  Like the caller, I associate confession with asking for forgiveness, but facing then the struggle of not committing the sin again.  We all lament our weakness and how quickly we "fall" again.  But the theologian, a local Catholic priest, offered a response that made a light bulb go off:

"Confession is not so that I will sin less, but that I will love more."

That one statement totally turned confession, or at least how I conceived of it, totally on its head!  'Confession is to help me love more!'   Confession is not some magical incantation I recite individually or corporally in the hopes that I won't commit the sin again.  It is to offer release from the sin ("grace"), but then to give me a greater understanding and compassion for others.  It reminds me of Rick Warren's classic opening line to his book "The Purpose-Driven Life": "It's not about you."

Yes, confession IS for me, offering grace and forgiveness and a fresh hope.  But, then I am to take it with me to others -- to love more.  To love others more and offer them compassion and hope in God's Grace  ... and to not be so judgmental of their "sins."

Another "beam of light" from an everyday source: this time, the radio.

Shoes in Church

The other day, I received the following poem / story from a friend via e-mail. It reminds one of how we often focus on the unimportant and draw conclusions too quickly before knowing the full scoop and scope of another's life.

Shoes in Church

I showered and shaved.............. I adjusted my tie.
I got there and sat.............. In a pew just in time.
Bowing my head in prayer......... As I closed my eyes..
I saw the shoe of the man next to me..... Touching my own. I sighed.
With plenty of room on either side...... I thought, 'Why must our soles touch?'
It bothered me, his shoe touching mine... But it didn't bother him much.

A prayer began: 'Our Father'............ I thought, 'This man with the shoes,  has no pride.
They're dusty, worn, and scratched. Even worse, there are holes on the side!'
'Thank You for blessings,' the prayer went on.
The shoe man said............... A quiet 'Amen.'
I tried to focus on the prayer....... But my thoughts were on his shoes again.
Aren't we supposed to look our best. When walking through that door?
'Well, this certainly isn't it,' I thought, Glancing toward the floor..

Then the prayer was ended........... And the songs of praise began.
The shoe man was certainly loud..... Sounding proud as he sang.
His voice lifted the rafters........ His hands were raised high.
The Lord could surely hear. The shoe man's voice from the sky.
It was time for the offering...... And what I threw in was steep.
I watched as the shoe man reached.... Into his pockets so deep.
I saw what was pulled out............ What the shoe man put in.
Then I heard a soft 'clink' . As when silver hits tin.
The sermon really bored me............ To tears, and that's no lie.
It was the same for the shoe man.... For tears fell from his eyes.

At the end of the service...... As is the custom here.
We must greet new visitors, And show them all good cheer.
But I felt moved somehow.............. And wanted to meet the shoe man.
So after the closing prayer........ I reached over and shook his hand.
He was old and his skin was dark.... And his hair was truly a mess.
But I thanked him for coming........ For being our guest.
He said, 'My names' Charlie........... I'm glad to meet you, my friend.'
There were tears in his eyes....... But he had a large, wide grin.

'Let me explain,' he said......... Wiping tears from his eyes.
'I've been coming here for months.... And you're the first to say 'Hi.''
'I know that my appearance...........'Is not like all the rest.
'But I really do try................'To always look my best.'
'I always clean and polish my shoes..'Before my very long walk.
'But by the time I get here.........'They're dirty and dusty, like chalk.'

My heart filled with pain......... And I swallowed to hide my tears.
As he continued to apologize........... For daring to sit so near
He said, 'When I get here..............'I know I must look a sight.
'But I thought if I could touch you..'Then maybe our souls might unite.'
I was silent for a moment........... Knowing whatever was said
Would pale in comparison... I spoke from my heart, not my head.
'Oh, you've touched me,' I said......'And taught me, in part;
'That the best of any man..............'Is what is found in his heart.'
The rest, I thought,.................... This shoe man will never know.
Like just how thankful I really am... That his dirty old shoe touched my soul 

I recall once a colleague complaining about last Sunday a young, teenaged girl offering special music at mass.  The colleague complained about the girl having worn flip-flops.  I wondered: "But, what was the message of the girl's song?" 

I also recall years back when I was one of my church's youth group leaders.  A mother of one of the teens told us that she rarely attended church, because she felt self-conscious in a congregation of well-heeled individuals while she had a modest wardrobe.

How often have I been repulsed by another's appearance, deeming them unacceptable because of their clothing or uncleanness?   Forgive me, Lord, and help me to love.

Memory: Curse and Blessing

A few weeks ago, I was watching 60 Minutes. Leslie Stahl offered a report about a fascinating phenomenon: Super Autobiographical Memory or hyperthymesia". An extremely rare condition, perhaps only a handful of people in the U.S. have it, these individuals are capable of recalling their lives in movie-like detail including recall of days of the week and and the dates on which they fell. One man could accurately recall the outcomes of football games, even to the point of being able to recall plays.

I remember one individual interviewed talked about how memory recalls would generate the same intensity of emotion as when the even first occurred, for example a break-up causing as much pain as if it had just happened yesterday.

Although evoking such powerful feelings at the recall of a wonderful event would be nice, having to re-experience the intense sorrow generated by past painful events would be torture. There is, in this light, a blessing to not being able to recall pain. There are some events that cause sorrow upon recall, but I would never want to experience again the same initial agony.

The same lady said that, in light of this ability to vividly recall the past with minute detail, she is more careful in what she says to and how she treats people, wishing to not have to forever relive a hurtful word or action.

How fascinating! I wondered: How would this condition of hyperthymesia influence my interactions with people? With my "normal" memory as it is, I am nevertheless bothered by stupid and hurtful things I have said or done in the past, but those are only fleeting twinges of guilt. However, if, like these individuals of the 60 Minutes story, I would forever be "condemned" to fully re-experiencing such embarrassing moments, would my future actions and words be more carefully and consciously dealt?

If I could replay this past week in vivid detail, what would cause me shame and make me wish for a "do over?" What would I wish to repeat or at least be happy about my action or response?

So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. -- Acts 24:16

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

"Atheists Don't Have No Songs" -- Steve Martin

Must be rough for atheists every Christmas season ... everyone else is diggin' on the holiday tunes!



Steve Martin is a hoot!

"Luke" Comes in Native Patois to Jamaicans

How wonderful that God's Word now comes to the Jamaicans in their native Patois!  This from the AP via FoxNews (emphasis added):

Jamaicans Using Patois Version of Bible's Luke

KINGSTON, Jamaica –  During Sunday church services and private celebrations in Jamaica, Christmas week prayers are being flavored with the first patois version of a familiar biblical account of Jesus' birth.

Based on the conviction that Scripture is best understood in a person's spoken tongue, the Caribbean island's bible society has started a new holiday tradition with audio and written versions of the Gospel of Luke in patois, or Creole — Jamaica's unofficial language.

Proponents of the patois versions of Luke argue that since many Jamaicans have difficulty understanding standard English, it is wrong to have the holy book of this overwhelmingly Christian nation only in a "foreign" tongue. A patois translation of the entire New Testament is expected in August 2012, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Jamaica's independence.

"The Scriptures have the greatest impact when you hear it in your mother tongue. So this translation to Creole is affirming the Jamaican speaker's language, and it is very, very powerful," said the Rev. Courtney Stewart, general secretary of the Bible Society of the West Indies.

Last week, a local radio station broadcast the patois renditions of Luke every morning, and its Nativity story translation is popping up at Christmas parties. Members of a church in Spanish Town, just west of Kingston, have even started to memorize it.

Most of the words in Jamaican patois, like other English Caribbean patois, are English words filtered through a distinct phonetic system with fewer vowels and different consonant sounds. Patois is written phonetically to approximate these differences. Thus, in patois, the English "girl" becomes "gyal."

In the depiction of the Angel Gabriel's visit to the Virgin Mary which foretold the birth of Jesus, the New King James Bible's version of Luke reads, "And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.'"

In the patois version, it becomes, "Di ienjel go tu Mieri an se tu ar se, 'Mieri, mi av nyuuz we a go mek yu wel api. Gad riili riili bles yu an im a waak wid yu aal di taim.'"

Lloyd Millen, pastor of the Cumberland Community Church in Portmore, said his congregants have been "animated and so excited" when they hear him preach from the Gospel of Luke in their spoken language.

"People feel liberated to hear the Bible this way. They say they are able to visualize it better," Millen said.

Nearly all Jamaicans, regardless of class, speak patois — a mixture of English and West African tongues spoken by slaves who were brought to this Caribbean island by European colonizers. It rarely exists in written form.

Some Anglophiles on the island call patois "lazy English" and dismiss it as a vernacular.

On a page of the Jamaica Gleaner's Web site, a critic named Jo Bent said, "Patois is not an official language, it has no dictionary, are we to further confuse our youths when most have not mastered English yet?"

The bible society has launched a public education campaign to win over skeptics in Jamaica.

"Many people are skeptical about the bible translation work until they actually hear it. Then they cease being resistant," said Hubert Devonish, a linguistics professor at the University of the West Indies.

It is, indeed, fortuitous that the translators dismissed the critics and are providing the Jamaican people  the Bible in their own language.  Sniffing haughtily at which are "legitimate" languages and which are not dismisses the intimacy that a good translation can bring to the reader or hearer of the Word.

YMCA: New York Branch Replaces Santa with Frosty

This was very sad to read today ... (emphasis added)

New York City YMCA Gives Santa The Boot

He's a lost Claus.

A politically correct West Village YMCA has fired Ol' St. Nick in favor of Frosty.

Kids who once thrilled at sitting on Santa's lap at the 14th Street McBurney YMCA's wildly popular annual holiday luncheon will now suffer the icy embrace of a talking snowman and his sidekick, an anonymous penguin, at today's event.

Forget about bringing a list or checking it twice -- Frosty doesn't take gift requests, and doesn't care if you're naughty or nice. YMCA officials, who say they are in the midst of "rebranding" the Young Men's Christian Association to "The Y," defended their decision.

"It wasn't replacing; it was transitioning," said John Rappaport, executive director of the McBurney YMCA. "We realized that change is sometimes good, and that Frosty is a great winter character who would appeal to a broader number of kids."

The decision to ditch Father Christmas came down from McBurney branch administration, not the Y's Chicago headquarters.

A chilly reception greeted the news that the YMCA -- an organization founded to spread Christian values in 1844 -- was replacing the Christmas icon with a secular cartoon character.

"Christmas is not about Jack Frost; it's not about snowmen," fumed Bill Donohue of the Catholic League."We're not talking about some secular organization that has no religious roots. If they can't celebrate Christmas, then they should check out. What a bunch of cowards."

Amen, Brother Bill!  Maybe someone needs to remind the YMCA what their initials stand for: Young Men's CHRISTIAN Association.

I don't know about your local Y, but mine has wonderful banners everywhere with the Y's mission statement, which includes teaching and living out Christian principles.  And the New York City Y then turns around and bans Santa Claus?!?  (I wonder if they've also banned the banners my Y posts boldly and proudly about the place.)  This is a family organization, and Santa is a major family event ... and GUEST in every home!  What brainwashed, politically-correctness-fettered idiots.

Maybe I should complain about "men" being in the name ... I feel alienated as a woman ... waaaaaaaahhhh!!!  (Of course, there is a YWCA ... which I would never bother joining, because I do NOT feel alienated ... only if I choose to so feel ... I love my Y .... let's hope my local branch keeps its wits about them.)

This PC crap has gone too far!!!!!!

Santa's "Naughty or Nice" List - Retailers Who Aren't Afraid of Christmas

Yesterday, I watched a representative on FoxNews present The Liberty Counsel's latest list of retailers who are "naughty and nice."  In its ongoing defense of Christmas, the list helps retailers who love Christmas find the businesses who aren't afraid to say "Merry Christmas" to their customers.  (Remember previous seasons when retailers advertised "holiday trees" instead of  what they actually are -- Christmas trees?)

As you finish up your last-minute shopping, maybe you might want to consider the following info:

Naughty:

American Eagles Outfitters

Banana Republic

CVS Pharmacy

EB Games

The Gap

Garmin

J. Crew

Old Navy

Piperlime

Plow & Hearth

Polo Ralph Lauren

Sprint

Tractor Supply Company

Nice:

Best  Buy (first time on the list!)

Cabela's

Chic-Fil-A

Cracker Barrel

Dick's Sporting Goods

Dillard's 

Disney.com

Dollar General

Eddie Bauer

Hallmark

Hobby Lobby

Honey Baked Ham

J.C. Penney

K-Mart

Kohl's 

Land's End

LL Bean

Macy's

Mrs. Field's

Neiman-Marcus

Sears

Target (yeah!  my favorite store!)

ToysRUs

Walmart

Go to this link for more info.