"For truly, I say to you,if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
I spied this back in November on USA Today's website. It's interesting how similar Jillette's Ten Commandments are to God's ... and offers good food for thought!
(RNS) In his new book, "God, No!" atheist magician Penn Jillette tells how he was challenged by conservative radio host Glenn Beck to come up with an atheist's version of The Ten Commandments.
"I wanted to see how many of the ideas that
many people think are handed down from (G)od really make sense to
someone who says, 'I don't know.'"
Here's his list:
1. The highest ideals are human intelligence, creativity and love. Respect these above all.
2.
Do not put things or even ideas above other human beings. (Let's scream
at each other about Kindle versus iPad, solar versus nuclear,
Republican versus Libertarian, Garth Brooks versus Sun Ra— but when your house is on fire, I'll be there to help.)
3. Say what you mean, even when talking to yourself. (What used to be an oath to (G)od is now quite simply respecting yourself.)
4.
Put aside some time to rest and think. (If you're religious, that might
be the Sabbath; if you're a Vegas magician, that'll be the day with the
lowest grosses.)
5. Be there for your family.
Love your parents, your partner, and your children. (Love is deeper
than honor, and parents matter, but so do spouse and children.)
6.
Respect and protect all human life. (Many believe that "Thou shalt not
kill" only refers to people in the same tribe. I say it's all human
life.)
7. Keep your promises. (If you can't be sexually exclusive to your spouse, don't make that deal.)
8. Don't steal. (This includes magic tricks and jokes — you know who you are!)
9. Don't lie. (You know, unless you're doing magic tricks and it's part of your job. Does that make it OK for politicians, too?)
10. Don't waste too much time wishing, hoping, and being envious; it'll make you bugnutty.
Matthew 13:31-32 31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.32
Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the
largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and
perch in its branches.”
He sat silently on the pew bench, half listening to the eulogy, half replaying scenes of his father. This gentle man had 'slipped the bonds of earth' a few days ago after having languished in a long battle with cancer. This gentle man -- a veteran of three wars: World War II, Korea, and then Vietnam. He was a man that had served his country for many years -- honorably, faithfully, devotedly.
Paul's father Frank had taught and modelled these beliefs and behaviors throughout his entire life, bring encouragement and inspiration to his family ... unto the second and third generations. Frank remained ever active, not only working beyond the normal age of retirement, but being an active member in numerous church and community organizations: The Lions Club, the local VFW post, the Red Cross, Meals On Wheels, the town council, food pantries ... numerous groups, numerous people impacted by his leadership and service.
As his mind wandered back to the eulogy, Paul lifted his face a bit and raised his eyes toward the window. The church was an old-fashioned one that had clear window panes -- very simple, elegantly beautiful. Outside Paul could see the trees gently moving their branches in the springtime wind. His attention was drawn away from the eulogy to the beauty of the trees. Against the backdrop of some evergreens, some trees were just starting to bud in the surprising warmth of the early spring. Some trees were in full red bud regalia. Others were covered in lovely white or light pink blossoms. Some trees had hints of green, evidence of the coming green blow-out. Yet, a few were still completely naked -- no evidence of life yet.
The contrast of the trees' differing stages of spring were intriguing. For Paul, his father Frank, who was a faithful Christian, was like the evergreens that were always alive and vibrant, never dormant in spite of the world's happenings. Paul knew other people who were in full bloom in their faith lives. Their lives were beautiful, natural displays of life in Christ.
And he was acquainted with a few whose lives were "bare branches." Paul included himself in this group, having been in an ongoing struggle with Faith and the Church for many years. He yearned to have the faith of his father, but just could not seem to ever "bloom."
"I can still always hope ... maybe I'm like the other trees whose branches are still bare. Maybe my time is yet to come. My father planted me with good roots in fertile soil. Maybe my time is, indeed, yet to come. Lord, let it be so!"
"Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf in spring-time." -- Martin Luther
Forget 5th graders... how well do you know the Good Book?
GSN has chosen Jeff Foxworthy to host the pilot of its new one-hour game show, "The American Bible Challenge," the network announced Wednesday.
On the trivia show, contestants will pit
their knowledge of the Bible against their opponents. And although the
competition will be fierce, it's all in the name of goodwill. Teams will
play for a worthy faith-based organization, and the contestants will
share their compelling backstories with the audience.
"I am excited to be hosting a show about the
bestselling book of all time," Foxworthy said in a statement. "It will
be interesting to find out what people really know, and an opportunity
to present the Bible in a fun and entertaining way."
Foxworthy was also the host of the trivia show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" The American Bible Challenge pilot will shoot later this month.
A
little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God
lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a
six-pack of root beer and started his journey.
When
he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in
the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and
opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer
when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some
chips. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.
His
smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered
him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted!
They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As
twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to
leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around,
ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest
smile ever.
When
the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother
was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did
you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with
God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what?
He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile,
the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was
stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "dad, what did
you do today that made you so happy?" He
replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before his
son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I
expected."
Too
often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our
lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!
Last week we had some unseasonably warm weather in the area, so one day after school I decided to use an outdoor walk as my form of exercise of the day. Using the elliptical at 4:45 in the morning is a great workout, but especially on these short winter days, a gal needs some fresh air and sunshine every now and then to keep her head clear and level.
I went to a park near school, having been to it on occasion in the past. However, as I made my way around the park on the usual course, I discovered a hiking trail that went into the woods behind the park ... and lo and behold! What a beautiful trail it was! The soft, compost-padded trail turned into a steep decline down the back of a huge hill that lead to the river valley below. Gradually, the trail lead up the back of another hill, which turned onto the park's regular roadway. As I walked along the path, here and there I found little signs the park service had posted, explaining the different trees and plants and their uses.
I marveled at how tall the trees were -- I estimate that the ones in the "hollow" were easily 30 feet high ... maybe more! As I made my way along the lovely nature trail, occasionally I would stop at the base of a tree and run my eyes all the way up the trunk, likewise eying the nearby trees, wowed by how tall they were. The barren trees, naked from the winter cold, afforded me a view of the surrounding woods, stretching miles over the river valley. I tried to imagine what these woods would look like in the spring and summer with wondrously green vegetation. And, yet, its wintry, monochromatic nakedness was a work of beauty just as it was.
As I am inclined to do in such moments of simplistic beauty, free of the world's distractions and mind-cluttering noise, I pondered how we are, indeed, so similar to these trees. These incredibly tall trees, I noticed, had no branches until the very top. Such a dense forest created a fierce field of sunlight competition, and the physical ramifications on the fauna were evident. Obviously, in a deep ravine where sunlight is at a premium, trees do not waste a lot of energy on producing branches down where the sunlight won't reach. Instead, they expend their energy in growing upwards, birthing branches at the top -- reaching for the sun and its light.
We humans, frequently expend a lot of valuable energy where there is little pay-off and growth. The world, in its distracting and fallen state, can cause us to stop looking upward to God and pull our attention and spirits down. In order to grow, sometimes we finally realize that we must let certain, lower "branches" go -- no longer feeding these useless distractions with our precious energy and life force -- so that we can focus our concentration on higher, more nurturing things. We must keep growing upwards toward God, supporting our fellow "trees" in the process and producing a beautiful canopy of life that offers shelter and nourishment to the "forest" below.
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The Bat --
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
The Bumblebee --
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
People --
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem. Just look up.
Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our Creator who loves us.
Good is good all the time!
Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil -- it has no point.
Earlier this week, David Brooks wrote a fascinating column on young people’s moral lives, basing it on hundreds of in-depth interviews with young adults across America conducted by the eminent Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith and his team.
The results, according to Brooks, were “depressing” — not so much because of how they lived but because of “how bad they are at thinking and talking about moral issues.” Asked open-ended questions about right and wrong, moral dilemmas and the meaning of life, what we find is “young people groping to say anything sensible on these matters. But they just don’t have the categories or vocabulary to do so.” What Smith and his team found is an atmosphere of “extreme moral individualism — of relativism and nonjudgmentalism.” The reason, in part, is because they have not been given the resources — by schools, institutions and families — to “cultivate their moral intuitions, to think more broadly about moral obligations, to check behaviors that may be degrading.”
This is part of a generations-long phenomenon. In his 1987 book The Closing of the American Mind,Allan Bloom wrote, “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.” And the university, Bloom argued, is unwilling to offer a distinctive visage to young people. The guiding philosophy of the academy is there are no first principles, no coherent ways to interpret the world in which we live.
But this is merely a pose. No one, not even a liberal academic, is a true relativist. Scratch below the surface and you’ll find them to be (morally) judgmental toward those who want to discriminate based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. They will likely have strong (moral) views on criminalizing abortion, restricting marriage to one man and one woman, anthropogenic global warming, water-boarding terrorists, rendition, Israeli settlements, profits for oil companies, and cutting taxes for the rich. The left is adamant: women have a “right” to an abortion and gays have a “right” to marry. These rights are viewed as a priori and inviolate. And no one, not even a progressive liberal arts professor, is morally indifferent to someone who wants to rape his wife, molest his children, and steal his iPad. It is fashionable to insist we don’t want to “impose our values” on others or “legislate morality.” But the reality is we do so all the time, on an endless number of issues, and no civilization could survive without doing so.The question, really, is which moral standards do we aspire to? What is the ethical code we use to judge ourselves and others?
In training our hearts and minds toward the good, there is quite a lot to work with. With the exception of a very few (like sociopaths), we all have a moral sense. We are all born with a conscience. We all believe (paceRichard Rorty) that some actions are inherently inhuman. And no one believes that what is right simply depends on individual taste or cultural circumstances, on subjective values, and what emerges in the privacy of your own heart (especially if the heart in question belongs to Mao, Stalin, or Pol Pot). Most people, in fact, play by the rules. They work hard, love their families, and are loyal to their country. They think courage and compassion are better than cowardice and cruelty. They’re just not sure why. Hence Brooks’ point about our lack of moral categories and moral vocabulary.
This didn’t arise ex nihilo. In the 1970s, influential figures in education like Sydney Simon and Lawrence Kohlberg argued for “values clarification” and “cognitive moral development,”believing the traditional moral education was essentially indoctrination –“undemocratic and unconstitutional.” (See this excellent 1978 Public Interest essay by William J. Bennett and Edwin J. DeLattre for more.) This was utter nonsense, of course; but it was also corrosive and had profound human and social consequences. You can’t promote ethical agnosticism and embrace nonjudgmentalism without there being moral ramifications. Because at some point, we all have to take a moral stand and embrace a moral cause. We have to believe in, and abide by, rules and precepts. We don’t have the luxury of living a life of perpetual moral confusion. C.S. Lewis put it as well as anyone when he wrote in The Abolition of Man, “We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
One final thought: what is often lost in this debate is that human fulfillment and happiness isn’t found in a world stripped of moral beliefs. Despair, not joy, is found among those who believe in nothing, who find purpose in nothing, who fight for nothing. Because of human anthropology – because we are moral creatures, made in the image of God – we are meant to delight in His ways, to live lives of high moral purpose. All of us fail more often than we should. But we cannot give up on the aspiration; nor can we allow our hearts to grow cold and indifferent, unmoved by the beauty of moral excellence.
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things,” St. Paul wrote. In our world, there is still excellence. There are still things worthy of praise. It’s time we once again dwell on them.
CNN - A simple bracelet is providing a source of strength and support for men and women fighting for our country.
A solemn march, a loud ovation and a last goodbye for these deploying troops; the Atlanta airport is the final stop on their way to war. That's also where you'll find military moms like Cynthia Lemay.
Lemay knows the pain of deployment all too well.
"Our son is in Afghanistan. My nephew just got back from his third tour. We have several other family members over there," she said.
While she can't be on the front lines, protecting her son, she can ask for a little help from above.
"We put together these saints bracelets. My son has been wearing it since he went over and he's been in several fire fights and attacks," Lemay said.
Lemay calls them the 'Battle Saint Bracelet.' They're made up of 12 to 16 different saints, each with a unique military connection.
"They have different saints on them, including St. Christopher to protect you when you travel, and St. Barbara to protect you if you work...that have very specific meaning to the military and offers them specific protection," she said.
Lemay started the program as a way to feel connected and show support for the troops overseas. Now, the small memento has spread to Hollywood and beyond.
You'll find them on the wrists of celebrities like Zac Brown and the cast from Band of Brothers. And now you can get them online too.
"When you have a loved one in harm's way, not a moment goes by where you don't think of them," Lemay said. "So we wear these every day and think of our loved ones and all the other service men and women who make so many sacrifices every day."
This shopping and holidayseason take a moment to think about the men and women spending their holiday in harm's way. And while you're picking up that new gift for a loved one remember the troops and put the saints on their side.
A while back I was sitting in a Bible study class when the discussion briefly took a turn to the topic of the names of God. I found it interesting and, following the class, did some research on the Internet on the subject. Here's what I found -- [source]
The Seven Redemptive Names of God
In his redemptive relation to man, Jehovah has seven compound names which reveal Him as meeting every need of man from his lost state to the end. These compound names are:
Jehovah-Jireh
"the Lord will provide" (Genesis 22:13,14).
i.e., will provide a sacrifice.
Jehovah-Rapha
"the Lord that healeth" (Exodus 15:26).
That this refers to physical healing the context shows, but the deeper healing of soul malady is implied.
Jehovah-Nissi
"the Lord our banner" (Exodus 17:8-15).
The name is interpreted by the context. The enemy was Amalek, a type of the flesh, and the conflict that day stands for the conflict of (Galatians 5:17) the war of the Spirit against the flesh. Victory was wholly due to divine help.
Jehovah-Shalom
"the Lord our peace," or "the Lord send peace" (Judges 6:24).
Almost the whole ministry of Jehovah finds expression and illustration in that chapter. Jehovah hates and judges sin (Genesis 2:1-5). Jehovah loves and saves sinners (Genesis 2:7-18) but only through sacrifice (Genesis 2:19-21). See also: Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:20.
Jehovah-Ra-ah
"the Lord my shepherd" (Psalm 23.).
In Psalm 22, Jehovah makes peace by the blood of the cross; in Psalm 23, Jehovah is shepherding His own who are in the world.
Jehovah-Tsidkenu
"the Lord our righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6).
This name of Jehovah occurs in a prophecy concerning the future restoration and conversion of Israel. Then Israel will hail him as Jehovah-Tsidkenu—"the Lord our righteousness."
Jehovah-Shammah
"the Lord is present" (Ezekiel 48:35).
This name signifies Jehovah’s abiding presence with His people (Exodus 33:14,15; 1 Chronicles 16:27,33; Psalm 16:11, 97:5; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5).
Taken from the 1917 Scofield Reference Bible Notes
"Redemption" ... a word one hears often within the realm of Christianity, such as Christ the Redeemer, for example. The definition of "redeem" is enlightening (from Merriam-Webster):
2: to free from what distresses or harms: as a: to free from captivity by payment of ransomb: to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimentalc: to release from blame or debt :cleard: to free from the consequences of sin
5 a: to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured therebyb (1): to remove the obligation of by payment redeems savings bonds on demand>(2): to exchange for something of value<redeem trading stamps>c: to make good :fulfill
6a: to atone for :expiate<redeem an error>b (1): to offset the bad effect of (2): to make worthwhile :retrieve
So, Jesus our Redeemer retrieves us, reforms us, frees us from distress, buys us back, repays, restores, removes us, extricates us, pays our ransom. What beautiful word ... what a beautiful Redeemer. An old hymn comes to mind ... the classic by Samuel Medley -- "I Know That My Redeemer Lives":
Christ the Redeemer by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506)
I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living Head. ... He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart. ... He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there. ...
Here are two interestingly related articles regarding young adults and their lack of religious schooling and background. The first article I found over a year ago, and it's actually an article from 2005 that I found in The Christian Post. The author, R. Albert Mohler, Jr., write of America's young people and their "moralistic therapeutic deism" --
When Christian Smith and his fellow researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill took a close look at the religious beliefs held by American teenagers, they found that the faith held and described by most adolescents came down to something the researchers identified as "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism."
As described by Smith and his team, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism consists of beliefs like these: 1. "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth." 2. "God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions." 3. "The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself." 4. "God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem." 5. "Good people go to heaven when they die."
That, in sum, is the creed to which much adolescent faith can be reduced. After conducting more than 3,000 interviews with American adolescents, the researchers reported that, when it came to the most crucial questions of faith and beliefs, many adolescents responded with a shrug and "whatever."
As a matter of fact, the researchers, whose report is summarized in Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Eyes of American Teenagers by Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton, found that American teenagers are incredibly inarticulate about their religious beliefs, and most are virtually unable to offer any serious theological understanding. As Smith reports, "To the extent that the teens we interviewed did manage to articulate what they understood and believed religiously, it became clear that most religious teenagers either do not really comprehend what their own religious traditions say they are supposed to believe, or they do understand it and simply do not care to believe it. Either way, it is apparent that most religiously affiliated U.S. teens are not particularly interested in espousing and upholding the beliefs of their faith traditions, or that their communities of faith are failing in attempts to educate their youth, or both."
As the researchers explained, "For most teens, nobody has to do anything in life, including anything to do with religion. 'Whatever' is just fine, if that's what a person wants."
The casual "whatever" that marks so much of the American moral and theological landscapes--adolescent and otherwise--is a substitute for serious and responsible thinking. More importantly, it is a verbal cover for an embrace of relativism. Accordingly, "most religious teenager's opinions and views--one can hardly call them worldviews--are vague, limited, and often quite at variance with the actual teachings of their own religion."
...
And, here is a recent opinion piece by Peter Wehner I found at Commentary Magazine:
Earlier this week, David Brooks wrote a fascinating column on young people’s moral lives, basing it on hundreds of in-depth interviews with young adults across America conducted by the eminent Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith and his team.
The results, according to Brooks, were “depressing” — not so much because of how they lived but because of “how bad they are at thinking and talking about moral issues.” Asked open-ended questions about right and wrong, moral dilemmas and the meaning of life, what we find is “young people groping to say anything sensible on these matters. But they just don’t have the categories or vocabulary to do so.” What Smith and his team found is an atmosphere of “extreme moral individualism — of relativism and nonjudgmentalism.” The reason, in part, is because they have not been given the resources — by schools, institutions and families — to “cultivate their moral intuitions, to think more broadly about moral obligations, to check behaviors that may be degrading.”
This is part of a generations-long phenomenon. In his 1987 book The Closing of the American Mind,Allan Bloom wrote, “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.” And the university, Bloom argued, is unwilling to offer a distinctive visage to young people. The guiding philosophy of the academy is there are no first principles, no coherent ways to interpret the world in which we live.
But this is merely a pose. No one, not even a liberal academic, is a true relativist. Scratch below the surface and you’ll find them to be (morally) judgmental toward those who want to discriminate based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. They will likely have strong (moral) views on criminalizing abortion, restricting marriage to one man and one woman, anthropogenic global warming, water-boarding terrorists, rendition, Israeli settlements, profits for oil companies, and cutting taxes for the rich. The left is adamant: women have a “right” to an abortion and gays have a “right” to marry. These rights are viewed as a priori and inviolate. And no one, not even a progressive liberal arts professor, is morally indifferent to someone who wants to rape his wife, molest his children, and steal his iPad. It is fashionable to insist we don’t want to “impose our values” on others or “legislate morality.” But the reality is we do so all the time, on an endless number of issues,and no civilization could survive without doing so. The question, really, is which moral standards do we aspire to? What is the ethical code we use to judge ourselves and others?
...
This didn’t arise ex nihilo. In the 1970s, influential figures in education like Sydney Simon and Lawrence Kohlberg argued for “values clarification” and “cognitive moral development,”believing the traditional moral education was essentially indoctrination –“undemocratic and unconstitutional.” (See this excellent 1978 Public Interest essay by William J. Bennett and Edwin J. DeLattre for more.) This was utter nonsense, of course; but it was also corrosive and had profound human and social consequences. You can’t promote ethical agnosticism and embrace nonjudgmentalism without there being moral ramifications. Because at some point, we all have to take a moral stand and embrace a moral cause. We have to believe in, and abide by, rules and precepts. We don’t have the luxury of living a life of perpetual moral confusion. C.S. Lewis put it as well as anyone when he wrote in The Abolition of Man, “We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
One final thought: what is often lost in this debate is that human fulfillment and happiness isn’t found in a world stripped of moral beliefs. Despair, not joy, is found among those who believe in nothing, who find purpose in nothing, who fight for nothing. Because of human anthropology – because we are moral creatures, made in the image of God – we are meant to delight in His ways, to live lives of high moral purpose. All of us fail more often than we should. But we cannot give up on the aspiration; nor can we allow our hearts to grow cold and indifferent, unmoved by the beauty of moral excellence.
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things,” St. Paul wrote. In our world, there is still excellence. There are still things worthy of praise. It’s time we once again dwell on them.
Being a public school teacher for over 25 years and having been a youth leader for some six years, I have a deep concern for young people. I know the ways of this world and the lies that are told to us -- especially at such a vulnerable age as an adolescent and young adult. It is surely a poverty of our nation that kids are increasingly losing their Judeo-Christian heritage. Let us pray for revivial. We are still predominantly a nation of faith; but, let us not give another inch and start digging our roots deep into God.
HIERAPOLIS, Turkey – A tomb believed to be that of St. Philip the Apostle was unearthed during excavations in the ancient Turkish city of Hierapolis.
Italian professor Francesco D'Andria said archeologists found the tomb of the biblical figure -- one of the 12 original disciples of Jesus -- while working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported Wednesday.
"We have been looking for Saint Philip's tomb for years," d'Andria told the agency. "We finally found it in the ruins of a church which we excavated a month ago."
The structure of the tomb and the writings on the wall proved it belonged to St. Philip, he added.
The professor said the archaeologists worked for years to find the tomb and he expected it to become an important Christian pilgrimage destination.
St. Philip, recognized as one of Christianity's martyrs, is thought to have died in Hierapolis, in the southwest province of Denizli, in around 80AD. It is believed he was crucified upside down or beheaded.
Hierapolis, whose name means "sacred city," is an ancient city famous for its hot springs and a spa since the 2nd century.
The Turkish news agency notes a wealth of current archaeology projects underway in the country, which has seen a potpourri of cultures over the centuries: Assyrians, Phrygians, Persians, Romans, Byzantinians, Ottomans and more.
I am always amazed by people's stories, especially those of people who have overcome some great struggle to the blessing of others. I happened upon this great story about the beloved hymn "Just As I Am" -- from STEM Publishing:
Miss Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871.
These notes are taken from Dr. Julian's Hymnology and from Knapp's "Who wrote our Hymns". Dr. Julian:
Miss Elliott was the daughter of Charles Elliott of Clapham and Brighton and grand-daughter of the Rev. H. Venn of Huddersfield. She was born March 18th. 1789. The first 32 years of her life were spent mostly at Clapham. In 1823 she removed to Brighton and died there Sept. 22nd. 1871. To her aquaintance with Dr. C. Malan of Geneva is attributed much of the deep spiritual-mindedness which is so pronounced in her hymns. Though weak and feeble in body, she possessed a strong imagination and a well cultured and intellectual mind. Her love of poetry and music was great and is reflected in her verse. Her hymns number about 150, a large proportion of which is in common use. The finest and most widely known of these are: "Just as I am" and "My God, my Father while I stray". Her verse is characterised by tenderness of feeling, plaintive simplicity, deep devotion and perfect rhythm. For those in sickness and sorrow, she has sung as few others have done.
The history of the writing of "Just as I am, without one plea".— In the Record, Oct. 15th. 1897, Bishop H.C.G. Moule of Durham, the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge, gave a most interesting account of Miss Elliott, and the origin of this hymn. Dr. Moule, who is related to the family, derived his information from family sources. In an abbreviated form, this is the beautiful story — "Ill health still beset her. Besides its general trying influence on the spirit, it often caused her the peculiar pain of a seeming uselessness in her life, while the circle round her was full of unresting serviceableness for God. Such a time of trial marked the year 1834, when she was 45 years old and was living in Westfield Lodge, Brighton ... Her brother, the Rev. H.V. Elliott, had not long before conceived the plan of St. Mary's Hall at Brighton, a school designed to give at nominal cost, a high education to the daughters of clergymen; a noble work which is to this day carried on with admirable ability and large success. In aid to St.Mary's Hall there was to be held a bazaar... Westfield Lodge was all astir; every member of the large circle was occupied morning and night in preparation with the one exception of the ailing sister Charlotte — as full of eager interest as any of them, but physically fit for nothing. The night before the bazaar she was kept wakeful by distressing thoughts of her apparent uselessness; and these thoughts passed by a transition easy to imagine into a spiritual conflict until she questioned the reality of her whole spiritual life, and wondered whether it was anything better after all than an illusion of the emotions, an illusion ready to be sorrowfully dispelled. The next day, the busy day of the bazaar .... the troubles of the night came back upon her with such force that she felt they must be met and conquered by the grace of God. She gathered up in her soul the grand certainties, not of her emotions, but of her salvation: her Lord; His power: His promise. And taking pen and paper from the table she deliberately set down in writing for her own comfort the formulae of her faith ... so in verse she restated to herself the Gospel of pardon, peace and heaven.... there, then, always, not at some past moment, but "even now" she was accepted in the Beloved, "Just as I am". As the day wore on, her sister-in-law, Mrs. H.V. Elliott, came in to see her and bring news of the work. She read the hymn and asked (she well might) for a copy. So it first stole out from that quiet room into the world, where for sixty years it has been sowing and reaping, until a multitude which only God can number has been blessed through the message".
The hymn "Just as I am without one plea" was first published in the "Invalid's Hymn Book, 1836" in 6 stanzas, headed with the text, "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out". The hymn has been transferred to almost every hymnal published in English-speaking countries during the past fifty years. It has been translated into every European language, and into the languages of many distant lands. The testimony of Miss Elliott's brother, (the Rev. H.V. Elliott, editor of Psalms and Hymns, 1835) to the great results arising from this one hymn is very touching. He says, "In the course of a long ministry I hope I have been permitted to see some fruit for my labours; but I feel far more has been done by a single hymn of my sister's". It ranks with the finest hymns in the English language. Its success has given rise to many imitations.
Under the date of Jan. 26th. 1872, the Rev. J. Babbington, brother-in-law to Miss Elliott, wrote to the late D. Sedgwick concerning Miss Elliott's hymn "O Jesus, make Thyself to me", "the lines you refer to (O Jesus make Thyself to me) are Miss Charlotte Elliott's. They were for many years the private expression of her own daily prayers, and were so much a part of her own hidden life with her Saviour that they were rarely communicated by her to any one, and only to her most intimate friends. One of those had them printed on a card by Taylor (Edinburgh 1860) and at first she was rather disconcerted, till she was led to feel that this was her loved Saviour's way of leading others to the participation in her own sacred inner life. The lines were:
O Jesus, make Thyself to me,
A living bright reality:
More present to faith's vision keen,
Than any outward object seen:
More dear, more intimately rich,
Than e'en the sweetest earthly tie".
An indication of her serious bent of mind and her object in writing is expressed in an introduction to one of her books of poems: 'Not for the gay and thoughtless do I weave these plaintive strains".
Christopher Knapp's Account:
Miss Elliott's father was a godly man at whose house the servants of Christ were often entertained. It was through a visit of one of these, Dr Cesar Malan, of Geneva, that Charlotte was converted and later wrote her celebrated hymn, "Just as I am". The story is as follows:
One evening, as they sat conversing, the servant of God turned the subject to our personal relation with God, and asked Charlotte if she knew herself to be really a Christian. She was in poor health and often harassed with severe pain, which tended to make her irritable. A severe illness had left her a permanent invalid. She resented the question thus pointedly put, and petulantly answered that religion was a matter she did not wish to discuss. Dr. Malan replied in his usual kind manner, that he would not pursue a subject that displeased her, but would pray that she might give her heart to Christ, and employ in His service the talents with which He had gifted her. It seems that the Holy Spirit used her abrupt and almost rude conduct towards God's servant to show her what depths of pride and alienation from God were in her heart. After several days of spiritual misery, she apologised for her unbecoming conduct, and confessed that his question had troubled her greatly. "I am miserable" she said, "I want to be saved. I want to come to Jesus; but I don't know how". "Why not come just as you are?", answered Malan. "You have only to come to Him just as you are". Little did Malan think that his simple reply would be repeated in song by the whole Christian world! Further conversation followed, and this good man was enabled to make perfectly clear to the once proud but now penitent young lady God's simple way of salvation through Christ; that on the ground of His shed blood for us, all who from their heart believe are accepted of God. Miss Charlotte came as a sinner to Christ, and remembering this event wrote the hymn that has made her name famous everywhere. Miss Elliott was possessed of rare literary gifts and when in the year 1836 she assumed the editorship of the "Yearly Remembrancer", she inserted in the first number, this now long-famous hymn — without her name. A commentator says of this hymn, "With its sweet counsel to troubled minds it found its way into magazines and other publications, and in devout persons' scrap books; then into religious circles and chapel assemblies; and finally into the hymnals of the church universal". Some time after its publication, a lady, struck by its beauty and spiritual value, had it printed in leaflet form for circulation in cities and towns of the kingdom. Miss Elliott, in feeble health, was then in Torquay in Devonshire, under the care of an eminent physician. One day the doctor, who was an earnest Christian man, put one of these leaflets into his patient's hands, saying that it had been helpful to him and felt sure she would like it. The surprise and pleasure was mutual when she recognised her own hymn and he discovered that she was the author. We know not which to admire most, the beauty of the composition, or the lovely modesty of its author, who for so many years forbore to divulge its origin.
Her father died in 1833, and ten years later her mother and two sisters. Then the home at Brighton was given up, and Charlotte Elliott went to live with her only surviving sister on the Continent. Later they lived for fourteen years at Torquay. After this they went again to Brighton to live, where our author remained until her home-call, Sept 22nd, 1871, at the advanced age of eighty-two.
Knapp tells the story of Miss Elliott's conversion. Dr. Moule tells the story of the writing of the hymn, which no doubt was based upon the experience of her conversion which she drew upon in her spiritual conflict.
Miss Elliott's hymns in 'Spiritual Songs' are: 282, "'Christian, seek not yet repose", (a new hymn to the Little Flock Hymn Book) and 465 "O Holy Saviour, Friend unseen". Number 282 has rapidly become a favourite hymn in prayer and ministry meetings. Verses 3 & 4 were written by Mrs Hazel Dixon of Stockport.
In October I had the good fortune of attending a Stephen Curtis Chapman concert and have since been enjoying his music along with that of his two fellow performers: Josh Wilson and Andrew Peterson. (It's the Songs & Stories Tour.) It was a wonderful evening filled with great music from three dedicated and talented Christian musicians. As I drove to the concert with a friend, I reflected on the horrible tragedy that struck the Chapman family back in 2008 and wondered how this dreadful event impacted their lives, relationships, and faith. My impression that evening at the concert was that Chapman's current album seems to be his re-entry into the world: "re:creation." The album is described thusly on his website:
"re:creation is the 17th studio album from Steven Curtis Chapman which features five new songs [and] all-new re-imagined recordings of eight of his biggest hits. In examining how to best recreate some of the songs that made him the most awarded..."
The re-recorded hits are more of an acoustic arrangements, and they are FABULOUS!!!
All three men gifted the audience with a thoroughly entertaining and uplifting evening. I was particularly struck by one of Chapman's songs: "Long Way Home." He introduced it, strumming lightly on a ukelele, an instrument he recently discovered. If I remember his words correctly, he said he felt that God wanted him to learn to play it, because you can't help but be happy when you hear a ukelele, and God was wanting Stephen to be happy again. As he played, there was a verse that grabbed my attention: "I got some rocks in my shoes." These were words with which I so deeply connected. I have so many rocks in my shoes that impede my journey.
For a little more context, here are some of the other lyrics from Chapman's song:
I got some rocks in my shoes
Fears I wish I could lose
They make the mountains so hard to climb
And my heart gets so heavy with the weight of the world sometimes
There's a bag of regrets
My should've beens and not yets
I keep on dragging around
And I can hardly wait for the day I get to lay it all down
Rocks in my shoes ... I pause to reflect on how even just a tiny, almost grain-like piece of gravel can be irritating. Just yesterday as I worked in the yard, there was a tiny pebble under my heal, and I kept shaking my foot hoping the pebble would drop out without having to remove my shoes. But, to no avail. I had to stop what I was doing, so distracted and irritated by such a tiny thing, pulled off my shoe and shook out the offending bit of rock.
Interesting how something so tiny, if in just the right spot (in this case, right under my heel bone), can cause so much distraction and aggravation! These rocks, pebbles, and grains of sand are a lot like irritations and trials in life. There are the huge rocks that may blister and bruise our feet and cause us to limp. Life can likewise bruise and blister us, hobbling us in our journey. Sometimes these "rocks in our shoes" are lifelong. Then, there are the small, irritations that cause distraction during our endeavors. Either way, there comes a time when we must occasionally stop and shake out our shoes -- and shake out our souls. But, as we continue along our journey, life will cause another rock to sneak into our shoes ... or there is the stone or two that we cannot shake. It won't be until our final day that, as Chapman writes, we'll be able to lay down our burden.
In the meantime, between here at our current milemarker along The Journey and that final day, let us rely on God to bind up our wounds as He whispers His love and encouragement. Let us remember the Balm in Gilead:
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
Some times I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.
If you can’t preach like Peter,
If you can’t pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.
I am that sin-sick soul, Lord. Please soothe my pains and heal me with your balm.
[Note: The three albums I promptly bought after the concert and highly recommend are Chapman's "re:creation", Wilson's "See You", and Peterson's "Counting Stars." All are conveniently available for download from iTunes.]
Today I found a startling article at The Christian Post -- Is it possible that Facebook, Google, and Apple are on a campaign to stamp out religious free speech? Here's the story from Stephanie Samuel (emphasis added):
WASHINGTON – The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) group sounded the alarm Thursday about new media outlets such as Facebook, Google and Apple, which they say have written policies that violate the fundamental rules of free expression, particularly concerning religious free speech.
The NRB released a report at the National Press Club Thursday analyzing the various content policies of social networking websites. What they found was disturbing: new media platforms Facebook, Apple, Comcast, AT&T and Google have adopted policies to censor lawful viewpoints expressing Christian views or controversial ideas on “hot button issues.” Some platforms, such as Apple’s iTunes App Store and Google’s search engine, have already started to use those policies to remove orthodox Christian viewpoints considered “offensive” or too controversial.
Former Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth said, “The irony is the companies listed in this report are some of the most open companies in the world.”
In a January 2010 interview with TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington, Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg praised social networking for opening people up to share “more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people.”
However, Zuckerberg’s social network has removed content deemed “anti-gay,” according to the NRB report. It is unclear whether that censored material contained any religious expression. However, the NRB report warns, “The position of Facebook on the issue of homosexuality and its collaboration with gay right group the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination (GLAAD), coupled with its troublesome written policies, are all strong indicators that its social networking platform poses a high index of risk for anti-Christian discrimination.”
The Associated Press caught Comcast blocking or at least delaying peer-to-peer file sharing of the King James Bible.
Google has also committed a number of free speech violations, the NRB report alleges. The world’s most powerful search engine initially prohibited the English Christian Institute from purchasing space for an advertisement about abortion. It also allegedly blocked a Massachusetts pro-family website because of its conservative Christian content. Google also has also excluded churches and other faith groups from free or discounted use of its web tool Google for nonprofits.
Colby May, senior counsel and director for the American Center for Law and Justice, said of new media’s apparent split personality, “Something else is in play.” He and others attending a panel discussion of the report suggested that social networking platforms are under a tremendous amount of pressure from various special interest groups.
For example, Google removed pages of a Norwegian anti-Church of Scientology site after it was pressured to do so by Church of Scientology lawyers.
And when Facebook, citing its outlined responsibility policies, abruptly yanked a fairly innocuous photo of two fully clothed male actors kissing from the blog post of gay rights activist Richard Metzger, it sparked criticism in the gay community, leading Facebook to repost the photo.
Facebook issued a formal apology and reposted the picture. The report contrasts this incident with several others where Facebook “has permanently and unapologetically removed sexual content.”
The grossest act of anti-Christian censorship, according to the report, is Apple’s removal of the Exodus International and Manhattan Declaration apps.
Gay rights protesters demonized Exodus’ app as the “gay cure app,” although the app primarily advertised the date, times and locations of its upcoming events. They rallied more than 107,000 sign petitions asking Apple to remove the app from the iTunes store. Gay activists also successfully petitioned the removal of the Manhattan Declaration.
May lamented Apple’s skewed judgment, saying it rejected an app for a document that upholds the sanctity of life and marriage as “offensive,” but maintains an app for the violent videogame Grand Theft Auto.
The panelists all expressed the fear that selective censorship may silence not just Christianity, but all religions.
May stated that the religious community must demand that companies such as Google and Facebook open their media platforms to more kinds of speech. “When we say ‘open,’ we mean open ... don’t give the heckler veto,” he urged.
Roth urged the religious community to educate the public about the importance of free speech. He said those in academia – millennials such as Zuckerman and the early makers of Google who launched their companies while attending college – may not be aware of why censorship, however small, is problematic.
NRB Senior Vice President and General Counsel Craig Parshall told The Christian Post it plans to send the report to the offending companies along with an invitation for dialogue and discussion. Parshall and others on the Thursday panel made clear their preference for change through dialogue rather than resorting to legislative or regulatory means. However, if the companies do not respond, Parshall says the NRB reserves the right to begin talks with the FCC.
Wow ... and all the Apple products I've bought over the years ... I don't to, but if this Big Brother behavior continues, I may have to take my business elsewhere ... I don't wanna have to buy a PC!
