Saturday, December 31, 2005
Worried about what the New Year will bring?
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Limbo may be out
There seems to be unanimity that limbo should exit from the Roman Catholic church's stage, even if it is unclear what exact doctrine will replace it. Read more ...
Monday, December 26, 2005
Taking Christ's commands literally
The cell at the end of the dark hallway barely fits a cot, a desk and a folding chair. This is home for Sister Antonia Brenner, an American nun who was raised in Beverly Hills but abandoned a life of privilege to live in a notorious Mexican jail.
"Everything eventually ends -- your money, your sickness, your family, your time in jail. The only thing that won't end is Christ's love for you." Read more ...
"Everything eventually ends -- your money, your sickness, your family, your time in jail. The only thing that won't end is Christ's love for you." Read more ...
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Teach, don't preach the Bible in schools
An elective, nonsectarian high school Bible class would allow students to explore one of the most influential books of all time and would do so in a manner that clearly falls within Supreme Court rulings. Read more ...
Friday, December 23, 2005
Christmas decorations
For those of us who like tacky Christmas light displays, click here.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
God's creation
Saturday, December 17, 2005
3 Faiths, 1 God
Looking for similarities, where others see differences. Read more & watch PBS tomorrow night.
Lights out
While it's interesting to read about how Blue Cloud Abbey functioned without electricity, I urge you to ponder Abbott Thomas' Advent Message at the bottom of the page. May each of us shine brightly with Christ's love this Advent season.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
What are we celebrating?
To HELL With Happy Holidays.
Banner outside the megachurch Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Fla.
But will they have services on Christmas Day? (see our Dec. 7 post)
Banner outside the megachurch Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Fla.
But will they have services on Christmas Day? (see our Dec. 7 post)
Your next sermon according to Disney
Mention Narnia, pastor, and you could win a trip to London! Read more ...
Monday, December 12, 2005
Following the Lord's leading
Those of you who know Philemon & Eva will be interested in the latest developments in their life as they seek to serve the Lord:
Rev. Philemon Ngare, ordained in his native country, Kenya, with a subsequent degree from the AFLC Seminary, is in my opinion one of the most gifted young preachers around. His sermons are always on point and true to the Gospel.
We Are So Thankful!
To all of you who have prayed for us and continue to pray for us, we wanted to share some good news with
you.
Philemon has got a new full time job in House keeping at our church, North Heights Lutheran Church. Praise
God! As you know, as we have asked you to pray , he
has had his V-1 visa allowing him to work full time
for about 20 months and has been constantly applying
for jobs, without an answer.
Finally God has opened a door for full time work and we are so thankful! Philemon began his new job about 7
weeks ago and it is answering so many of our prayers.
Thanks for standing with us in prayer!
We feel that this time of change will bring many other good changes our way as well, as we continue our
candidacy with the World Mission Prayer League (as of
March 2005). After considering the possibility to
serve in Eritrea and finding that no new visas are
being issued, we have been presented with the
possibility of serving in Sudan. As we wait for more
information about this opportunity, we are as well
praying about an informal invitation to return for
service in Kenya, from the Bishop of the Lutheran
Church in Kenya where we served before.
We are still waiting on Philemon's green card, hoping it will be approved next spring. Pray for the Mission
leadership, the leadership of the church in Kenya and
us, as we together listen to the Lord concerning the
place He would have us serve next year.
We appreciate your prayers very much. Thank you!Eva, Philemon, Rachel and Julia Ngare
Rev. Philemon Ngare, ordained in his native country, Kenya, with a subsequent degree from the AFLC Seminary, is in my opinion one of the most gifted young preachers around. His sermons are always on point and true to the Gospel.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Secularized "Silent Night" Lyrics
An altered version of “Silent Night” will be sung during Ridgeway Elementary's “winter program” in Dodgeville, Wisconsin:
Cold in the night, no one in sight/winter winds whirl and bite/How I wish I were happy and warm/safe with my family, out of the storm.
Cold in the night, no one in sight/winter winds whirl and bite/How I wish I were happy and warm/safe with my family, out of the storm.
The Anglican Church in Canada
A grim new report says the Anglican Church of Canada is losing 13,000 members each year and faces extinction by the middle of this century if trends are not countered.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
The right size church
When you're small, they'll dismiss you. When you're growing, they'll criticize you. When you're large, they'll resent you.
Rick Warren
Rick Warren
The Protection of the Church
Drivers living within a mile of a church are the safest -- 10 percent less likely to crash than their fellow drivers, a report found. But drivers residing within a mile of a restaurant are 30 percent more likely to be in an accident. Read more ...
Megachurches cancel Christmas
Using the claim of being family friendly, five of the largest megachurches, with a combined weekly attendance of more than 645,000, are canceling Christmas Day services. Read more ...
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Love the children!
A century from today, these won't mean a thing: The house we lived in, the money we made, the clothes we wore, the kind of car we drove. But the world will be a better place ... because our children were loved.
--a Family Circle cartoon, 9/22/96
--a Family Circle cartoon, 9/22/96
Monday, December 05, 2005
??
A Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic Priest met at the town's annual 4th of July picnic. Old friends, they began their usual banter.
"This baked ham is really delicious," the Priest teased the Rabbi. "You really ought to try it. I know it's against your religion, but I can't understand why such a wonderful food should be forbidden! You don't know what you're missing. You just haven't lived until you've tried Mrs. Hall's prized Virginia Baked Ham. Tell me, Rabbi, when are you going to break down and try it?"
The Rabbi looked at the Priest with a big grin and said, "At your wedding!"
"This baked ham is really delicious," the Priest teased the Rabbi. "You really ought to try it. I know it's against your religion, but I can't understand why such a wonderful food should be forbidden! You don't know what you're missing. You just haven't lived until you've tried Mrs. Hall's prized Virginia Baked Ham. Tell me, Rabbi, when are you going to break down and try it?"
The Rabbi looked at the Priest with a big grin and said, "At your wedding!"
What a church school can accomplish
At Ascension Catholic School 90% of its 293 students are minority, 66% are low-income, and 66% come from single-parent homes. Yet their 8th graders outscore affluent suburban districts such as Eden Prairie and Lakeville. How do they do it at a fraction of public school cost? Click here.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
How intelligent is intelligent design?
Are you getting as tired as I am of creationists trying to hide under the cover of intelligent design? The most sensible approach to the topic that I've read lately is in an essay by Eric Ringham in today's Star Tribune. A few quotes:
Here's the problem with intelligent design theory: It attempts to define, and limit, the mind and power of God.
Once you accept that God is the creator of the universe, you've accepted an absolute. After that, whatever we discover about the process of creation is secondary, and subject to change as our knowledge grows.
The progress of science doesn't have to interfere with faith, unless we draw boundaries around what we believe God can do and how he can do it. If we say that evolution isn't a tool of God's creativity, we're imposing a law of our own making on a universe that is not ours, but God's.
In our schools, let's let science do its best to explain how creation came about. And in our homes and places of worship, let's do our best to understand why.
Here's the problem with intelligent design theory: It attempts to define, and limit, the mind and power of God.
Once you accept that God is the creator of the universe, you've accepted an absolute. After that, whatever we discover about the process of creation is secondary, and subject to change as our knowledge grows.
The progress of science doesn't have to interfere with faith, unless we draw boundaries around what we believe God can do and how he can do it. If we say that evolution isn't a tool of God's creativity, we're imposing a law of our own making on a universe that is not ours, but God's.
In our schools, let's let science do its best to explain how creation came about. And in our homes and places of worship, let's do our best to understand why.
Friday, December 02, 2005
??
Thursday, December 01, 2005
??
Gallagher opened the morning paper and was dumbfounded to read in the
obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend Finney.
"Did you see the paper?" asked Gallagher. "They say I died!!" "Yes, I saw it!" replied Finney. "Where are ye callin' from?"
Church & Science
