Oct 2005
Happy Reformation Day
10/31/2005 21:15 Filed in: Faith & Reason
On this day in 1517, German Augustinian monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg touched off the Protestant Reformation. Nine times in the theses he repeated, "Docendi sun Christiani!" ("Christians must be taught!").
And on this same day in 1999, official representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Worldwide Lutheran Federation culminated a two-decade dialogue by signing a “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification." The document set forth areas of new-found accord regarding the nature of justification as well as areas where disagreements still exist between the Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions. In addition, both sides officially lifted anathemas pronounced upon one another over four hundred years ago.
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Rosa Parks on February 22, 1956
10/31/2005 20:51 Filed in: Culture Watch
The day that changed everything...
Above: Rosa Parks on the day of her arrest, February 22, 1956. She was arrested for not relinquishing her seat on the bus (which was behind ten seats toward the front) to a white passenger. For whatever reason, I can't remember ever seeing this photograph before today. It really doesn't need much comment from me. I simply see determination and quiet strength. I'll let the photograph itself supply the other 997 words.
Thanks to Bill McGinnis who saw my previous entry regarding Rosa Parks and alerted me to this picture.
Above: Rosa Parks on the day of her arrest, February 22, 1956. She was arrested for not relinquishing her seat on the bus (which was behind ten seats toward the front) to a white passenger. For whatever reason, I can't remember ever seeing this photograph before today. It really doesn't need much comment from me. I simply see determination and quiet strength. I'll let the photograph itself supply the other 997 words.
Thanks to Bill McGinnis who saw my previous entry regarding Rosa Parks and alerted me to this picture.
It's Saintly to Pay?
10/30/2005 18:47 Filed in: Faith & Reason
You never know what will fall out of an old Bible...
This morning, I was perusing through a second-hand Bible I picked up a few years ago when a very yellowed newspaper clipping fell out. I didn't put it there, and according to the inside cover of the Bible, there were at least two owners before me. This particular Bible, The New Testament: A New Translation in Plain English by Charles Kingsley Williams (not to be confused with The New Testament in the Language of the People By Charles B. Williams) has a copyright date of 1952. Unfortunately, there's not a date on the newspaper clipping or even a reference to what newspaper it came from. But it's been stuck between there long enough to discolor the pages of the Bible itself.
Here's what it says:
IT'S SAINTLY TO PAY
DALLAS, Tex (AP)-- Deacons and trustees
of a Dallas Baptist church appeared in
District Court here and gained an order
restraining the pastor, Rev. John Wesley
Hackett, from having anything more to do
with the church.
He already had been told to leave, they
said, but had refused.
The complaint was that he had "driven out
of the church the old saintly members--and
more particularly the paying members."
The short article is really amusing if you think about it. Heaven forbid a pastor run off "paying members" for any reason! I hope that Rev. Hackett had a better experience in his next church which hopefully didn't equate sanctification with those who gave the most money.
Incidentally, you might be wondering which two pages in this Bible that the newspaper clipping was lying between. Well, I found it between two pages that span Matthew 6:13 - 7:11, which as I'm sure you know is from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I'm only speculating here, but perhaps, one of the original owners of the Bible had stuck the clipping in this section of the Bible to illustrate Matt 6:24, which reads in this particular translation, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold fast to the one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money."
This morning, I was perusing through a second-hand Bible I picked up a few years ago when a very yellowed newspaper clipping fell out. I didn't put it there, and according to the inside cover of the Bible, there were at least two owners before me. This particular Bible, The New Testament: A New Translation in Plain English by Charles Kingsley Williams (not to be confused with The New Testament in the Language of the People By Charles B. Williams) has a copyright date of 1952. Unfortunately, there's not a date on the newspaper clipping or even a reference to what newspaper it came from. But it's been stuck between there long enough to discolor the pages of the Bible itself.
Here's what it says:
IT'S SAINTLY TO PAY
DALLAS, Tex (AP)-- Deacons and trustees
of a Dallas Baptist church appeared in
District Court here and gained an order
restraining the pastor, Rev. John Wesley
Hackett, from having anything more to do
with the church.
He already had been told to leave, they
said, but had refused.
The complaint was that he had "driven out
of the church the old saintly members--and
more particularly the paying members."
The short article is really amusing if you think about it. Heaven forbid a pastor run off "paying members" for any reason! I hope that Rev. Hackett had a better experience in his next church which hopefully didn't equate sanctification with those who gave the most money.
Incidentally, you might be wondering which two pages in this Bible that the newspaper clipping was lying between. Well, I found it between two pages that span Matthew 6:13 - 7:11, which as I'm sure you know is from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I'm only speculating here, but perhaps, one of the original owners of the Bible had stuck the clipping in this section of the Bible to illustrate Matt 6:24, which reads in this particular translation, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold fast to the one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money."
Personality Cult
10/28/2005 19:21 Filed in: Music
The music of philosophy...
I've been corresponding with Jason Snyder about an upcoming "Philosophy and Christian Thought" class I'll be teaching at Indiana Wesleyan University in February. This morning, he sent me a philosophically inspired song he's co-written, and I asked him for permission to share it with you. Enjoy.
"Personality Cult"
by Steve Helt and Jason Snyder
i was reading one day from the words of pascal
that men without gods would become gods themselves
well i look all around me and see that it's true
that man is engaged in a selfish pursuit
one half of mankind has declared there's no God
while the rest have all bought into humanist fraud
in sin we let go of the rules absolute
the Church lets it happen, its message dilute
it's a cult of personality
atheism a reality
won't you join the personality cult
you are fond of the writing that "God is dead"
but if you look closer that is not what he said
for Neitzche's intent was that we just don't care
we live and we die as if He isn't there
augustine warned of the middle class thing
that real religion is not what it seems
we cover our bases, half answer the call
but half of a Master is no Lord at all
it's a cult of personality
middle class religiosity
won't you join the personality cult
remember the moral of the story of job
our goodness or badness does not give us hope
for every salvation we must look to the Son
i think you'll find lots of saving to be done
I've been corresponding with Jason Snyder about an upcoming "Philosophy and Christian Thought" class I'll be teaching at Indiana Wesleyan University in February. This morning, he sent me a philosophically inspired song he's co-written, and I asked him for permission to share it with you. Enjoy.
"Personality Cult"
by Steve Helt and Jason Snyder
i was reading one day from the words of pascal
that men without gods would become gods themselves
well i look all around me and see that it's true
that man is engaged in a selfish pursuit
one half of mankind has declared there's no God
while the rest have all bought into humanist fraud
in sin we let go of the rules absolute
the Church lets it happen, its message dilute
it's a cult of personality
atheism a reality
won't you join the personality cult
you are fond of the writing that "God is dead"
but if you look closer that is not what he said
for Neitzche's intent was that we just don't care
we live and we die as if He isn't there
augustine warned of the middle class thing
that real religion is not what it seems
we cover our bases, half answer the call
but half of a Master is no Lord at all
it's a cult of personality
middle class religiosity
won't you join the personality cult
remember the moral of the story of job
our goodness or badness does not give us hope
for every salvation we must look to the Son
i think you'll find lots of saving to be done
The Iron Giant: An Appreciation
10/27/2005 15:16 Filed in: Movies and Television
Guest review by Andrew Wells
Several nights ago, my mind somehow wandered around to The Incredibles. If you don’t know--and you probably do--it was a cartoon that came out last year about a family of superheroes who were forced into civilian life. A lot of people--myself included--thought it was the best movie of 2004. I’ve watched it four times, and my general rule is never watch a movie more than once.
So people know about The Incredibles. But they may not know about Brad Bird, the director, or another wonderful cartoon he made.
It's called The Iron Giant. It came out in 1999 and pretty much disappeared from movie screens. I think it has found a good life on video, but I’m not sure.
The story in brief: A lonely boy discovers a giant robot from outer space. The robot has lost its memory, so the boy adopts it and helps him get his memory back. But a government agent knows about the robot, and is trying to track it down...I won’t tell more from there.
I think the reason Iron Giant failed was that it’s not a Disney cartoon, in style or substance. Its look is very moody--the colors are drab, the characters have more angles to them than the rounded Disney characters. Everything feels, well, darker. When was the last time you saw darker in a Disney movie? The Black Cauldron, maybe?
A word of warning for parents: you may want to preview the movie before showing it to your kids, because it has some slightly risqué images--especially a scene involving a squirrel in a guy's pants--and some fairly intense ones involving destruction and the threat of death (which, again, is treated as very real--there is genuine suspense involved). [Rick's note: there's also some mild language that I found totally unnecessary for a movie primarily aimed at children.] Kids may not be completely satisfied with the ending either--it's a happy one, but not a traditional one.
As an adult, however, I find this movie wonderfully satisfying. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen in the last few years, one that made me genuinely feel something, which is pretty rare for me these days. If your heart doesn’t swell when the robot says "Superman" (and you’ll know the moment when you see it), you may not be human.
So go check out The Iron Giant. And then thank Brad Bird, and hope he keeps making great cartoons.
[Rick's note: This movie also has quite a few notables providing voices including Jennifer Anniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Vin Diesel (as the Giant).]
You can contact Andrew Wells at arwell012002@yahoo.com
Links of Interest:
Warner Bros. Iron Giant Site
IMDB Iron Giant Page
IMDB Brad Bird Page
The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
Harriet Miers Withdraws Her Nomination to the Supreme Court
10/27/2005 10:29 Filed in: Politics
An honorable decision for all those involved...
Released from the White House this morning:
President's Statement on Harriet Miers' Supreme Court Nomination Withdraw
Today, I have reluctantly accepted Harriet Miers' decision to withdraw her nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States.
I nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court because of her extraordinary legal experience, her character, and her conservative judicial philosophy. Throughout her career, she has gained the respect and admiration of her fellow attorneys. She has earned a reputation for fairness and total integrity. She has been a leader and a pioneer in the American legal profession. She has worked in important positions in state and local government and in the bar. And for the last five years, she has served with distinction and honor in critical positions in the Executive Branch.
I understand and share her concern, however, about the current state of the Supreme Court confirmation process. It is clear that Senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House - disclosures that would undermine a President's ability to receive candid counsel. Harriet Miers' decision demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the Constitutional separation of powers - and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her.
I am grateful for Harriet Miers' friendship and devotion to our country. And I am honored that she will continue to serve our Nation as White House Counsel.
My responsibility to fill this vacancy remains. I will do so in a timely manner.
___________________________________________________________________________
This was the right decision, and one that can save face for everyone involved because it was done before Ms. Miers was scheduled to appear before the Senate. Although the official reason for the decision will remain the confidentiality issue (attorney-client privilege) regarding Ms. Mier's role as legal counsel for the President, the real reason is mounting criticism over her nomination, even from within the President's own party.
I don't doubt Harriet Miers qualifications as the President's legal counsel, but as I expressed in a previous blog entry , I had become convinced like many others that she was not the best choice for the Supreme Court nomination. That's not a criticism of her; it's just reality. And I have no doubt that she is a fine person of faith, but that simply wasn't enough. There are lots of things that I am not qualified to do, even within my areas of experience and specialization. The same goes for everyone.
Had Miers' confirmation gone through (and like many, I'm not positive that it would have) every decision that she wrote or commented on for the rest of her career on the Court would have come under incredible scrutiny and criticism, undoubtedly unfairly at times. Who would want to live in that kind of a fishbowl? Her withdrawal was the right decision on both a personal and professional level.
There's always the old analogy that if you had to have brain surgery, would you rather have an outstanding surgeon with a high success rate who also happened to be an atheist, or would you want a mediocre surgeon who would pray with you before the procedure? Personally, I'd rather have the outstanding atheist surgeon and I'll pray ahead of time myself!
However, if you can find an outstanding surgeon who will also pray for you, that's the best of both worlds.
And that's what the President needs to do. He needs to nominate an outstanding candidate, competent in Constitutional law, who is also a reasonable conservative and person of faith.
Released from the White House this morning:
President's Statement on Harriet Miers' Supreme Court Nomination Withdraw
Today, I have reluctantly accepted Harriet Miers' decision to withdraw her nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States.
I nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court because of her extraordinary legal experience, her character, and her conservative judicial philosophy. Throughout her career, she has gained the respect and admiration of her fellow attorneys. She has earned a reputation for fairness and total integrity. She has been a leader and a pioneer in the American legal profession. She has worked in important positions in state and local government and in the bar. And for the last five years, she has served with distinction and honor in critical positions in the Executive Branch.
I understand and share her concern, however, about the current state of the Supreme Court confirmation process. It is clear that Senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House - disclosures that would undermine a President's ability to receive candid counsel. Harriet Miers' decision demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the Constitutional separation of powers - and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her.
I am grateful for Harriet Miers' friendship and devotion to our country. And I am honored that she will continue to serve our Nation as White House Counsel.
My responsibility to fill this vacancy remains. I will do so in a timely manner.
___________________________________________________________________________
This was the right decision, and one that can save face for everyone involved because it was done before Ms. Miers was scheduled to appear before the Senate. Although the official reason for the decision will remain the confidentiality issue (attorney-client privilege) regarding Ms. Mier's role as legal counsel for the President, the real reason is mounting criticism over her nomination, even from within the President's own party.
I don't doubt Harriet Miers qualifications as the President's legal counsel, but as I expressed in a previous blog entry , I had become convinced like many others that she was not the best choice for the Supreme Court nomination. That's not a criticism of her; it's just reality. And I have no doubt that she is a fine person of faith, but that simply wasn't enough. There are lots of things that I am not qualified to do, even within my areas of experience and specialization. The same goes for everyone.
Had Miers' confirmation gone through (and like many, I'm not positive that it would have) every decision that she wrote or commented on for the rest of her career on the Court would have come under incredible scrutiny and criticism, undoubtedly unfairly at times. Who would want to live in that kind of a fishbowl? Her withdrawal was the right decision on both a personal and professional level.
There's always the old analogy that if you had to have brain surgery, would you rather have an outstanding surgeon with a high success rate who also happened to be an atheist, or would you want a mediocre surgeon who would pray with you before the procedure? Personally, I'd rather have the outstanding atheist surgeon and I'll pray ahead of time myself!
However, if you can find an outstanding surgeon who will also pray for you, that's the best of both worlds.
And that's what the President needs to do. He needs to nominate an outstanding candidate, competent in Constitutional law, who is also a reasonable conservative and person of faith.
Apple Tributes Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
10/26/2005 19:36 Filed in: Culture Watch
Apple reaches back to its old "Think Different" campaign to offer tribute to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks who died Monday of this week at the age of 92. The picture is on the main page of their website, http://www.apple.com . Back in the late nineties, Apple released a series of posters with influential people from the 20th Century on them and the words "Think Different." If connecting a modern historical figure and a not-directly-related computer company is too commercial for you, take comfort in the fact that if you go to the Apple site and actually click on the link, it takes you to an informative article about Rosa Parks that makes no mention of computers anywhere on the page. Plus, there's a link on that page to the National Civil Rights Museum .
Press on...press on...press on...
10/26/2005 10:32 Filed in: Personal
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.
(Phil. 3:12-16, NRSV)
Spooky Reading Night
10/21/2005 20:59 Filed in: Personal
Above: Roberta Simpson Brown tells spooky stories around the campfire while a nervous crowd sits transfixed.
The Shelbyville Sentinel-News published a recent story on the "Spooky Story Night" that Kathy coordinated at Simpsonville Elementary. The story is reproduced below. The event itself was held October 14, 2005.
___________________________________________________
Kentucky author regales with scary tales
By Stephen Burnett/Sentinel-News Staff Writer
Darkening skies, blazing campfire, buzzing of insects in the forest, full moon -- all provided an appropriate backdrop in Wyatt's Woods, behind Simpsonville Elementary School, for the school's "Spooky Reading Night" Friday.
"This is one of our biggest events of the year," said librarian Kathy Mansfield. "Probably the biggest."
Kentucky author and retired teacher Roberta Simpson Brown told four stories to a crowd of children and parents, starting with the less-scary stories, Brown said, and increasing the horror index with each one.
"It was fun, exciting," 11-year-old Traci Nash said. "I heard some stories I'd never heard before."
"I was a little scared, but not really," said 10-year-old Morgan Isenberg, who attended with her mom, Michelle.
"It was a fun scare, kind of like a roller coaster," Michelle said.
To 10-year-old Cameron Morris, Brown's most frightening stories were the best. He said his favorite was "Lockers," about a ghost and a murderer in a school locker who terrorizes a girl so badly that she is never able to speak again.
"It was the most real," he said.
Although the stories are scary and sometimes even "gross," Mansfield said, Brown's young audience mostly understood the difference between reality and imagination.
"She's very good at reminding them that they're make-believe stories," Mansfield said.
About 300 other children and parents attended the event, while Brown, standing in the center, recounted her four stories from memory. With a microphone and karaoke box, Brown would monotone, change her vocal pitch, pause dramatically, or drop her tone to a guttural growl for the especially scary parts.
"She constantly carries throat lozenges with her," Mansfield said.
Brown had come to Simpsonville in March, when she told stories and encouraged writing and creativity, Mansfield said.
"We saw a lot of kids being very creative in their writing with tales of their own," Mansfield said. "To them, she is a rock star."
On Friday evening, Brown and her husband, Lonnie, sold out of her books offered to children, including Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales, and Scared in School.
A few of the campfire stories were too much for some children, though.
George and Elizabeth Najjar of Shelbyville were among some of those who had to leave early. Their daughters, 4-year-old Courtney and 6-year-old Natalie, started out having fun, but later didn't do very well with Brown's other stories.
"They made it through the first story, but then the second one -- they were just squeamish in their chairs and they wanted to go," Elizabeth Najjar said.
The family walked down the trail in the woods without a flashlight, leaves crunching.
At home, Najjar said, shrubbery scraping against her daughters' bedroom walls stimulated their fright even more, although the girls have since recovered.
"To get through the night, we had to sleep together," Najjar said with a laugh.
Pathyway to Purpose for Women
10/20/2005 11:48 Filed in: Books & Literature
Guest Review by Linda Graber
I first met Linda Graber about a decade ago when her husband Eddie came to take the position of associate pastor at Springdale Community Church . Today, Eddie and Linda are in Parker, Colorado, where Eddie is pastor of the Church at Parker .
Linda has always had a heart for women's ministry, and if you talk with her these days, she will want to tell you about the exciting new series that she has become involved with, Pathways to Purpose for Women. Linda has been in the very first group to go through Katie Brazelton's International Christian Coaching Training for Women. She has currently completed level 1 certification and will pursue the next two levels in upcoming months.
A couple of weeks ago, I asked Linda if she would be willing to write a guest blog entry reviewing the Pathways to Purpose for Women series. Below is her review of all four books.
__________________________________________________________
Dr. Katie Brazelton, Women’s Bible Study Director, Saddleback Church and Founder of the Pathway to Purpose Ministry has written four awesome books for women seeking to connect their to-do-list, passions, and God’s purposes for their life.
Pathway to Purpose for Women is the first book in the series of four published by Zondervan Publishers. In this book Dr. Bazelton has developed an in-depth guide that helps to bring the ordinary realities of one’s life into sync with the extraordinary plans of God. The book is divided into six parts:
1. Step Toward The Pathway (getting your life into sync and leaving the past behind)
2. Never Walk Alone - God’s Fellowship Purpose For You: to connect with others (do what matters today and love others as Jesus loves you)
3. Follow in Jesus’ Footsteps – God’s discipleship purpose for you: to know Christ and become like Him.(pursue peace and repent of all your offenses)
4. Go The Extra Mile – God’s ministry purpose for you: to serve others (wash one another’s feet and walk with integrity)
5. Run To Jesus – God’s worship purpose for you: to magnify Him with you life (expect the desires of your heart and surrender your daily life to God)
6. Point Others Toward The Pathway – God’s evangelism purpose for you: to complete His mission for your life (anticipate God’s vision, take courage, bring glory to God)
Book Two is Conversation on Purpose for Women using 10 appointments that will help you discover God’s plan for your life.
The small spiral notebook type book is divided into three parts.
1. The Power of Conversation on Purpose – understanding the power of the process
2. Purposeful Appointments
• Assessing your readiness for more purpose
• Agreeing about the basics of your purposes
• Unearthing blockades to your purposes
• Enjoying the fun side of your unique purpose
• Discussing Good predictors of your future purposes
• Answering some tough questions
• Taking a laughter break
3. Seeing The Bigger Picture
• Making perspective work for you
• Surrendering
• Following God’s Pathway to Purpose
This book is designed for the reader of Pathway to Purpose for Women who want to go deeper. The workbook encourages you to choose a Purpose Partner and schedule ten appointments. Using various conversation starters, scriptures, questions and other methods to help you unpack God’s unique purpose for your life.
Book Three, Praying for Purpose for Women , is described as a prayer experience that will change your life forever.
Praying for Purpose for Women is a sixty-day prayer/devotional experience that will guide you as you ask God to reveal your life’s purposes.
Katie’s God given giftedness and creative communication shines brightly in this incredible sixty day prayer experience. In a world filled with confusion and distraction Katie has created a guide to assist women in developing or enriching their prayer communication with our beloved Pappa God (heavenly Father).
The brief daily readings incorporate stories of ordinary women that God has used to fulfill His purposes in each individual life. Each character has experienced a “define appointment” with their heavenly Father that has given definite purpose for their life. Once the purpose is discovered God is truly honored and glorified.
Each day recalls a biblical story filled with practical application and insights for each situation be it fear, confusion, crisis, success, road blocks, weakness or strength. We find that God’s Word is ageless and always constant.
One will find oneself rushing to the next prayer experience with anticipation and excitement to read the experiences that God has allowed in many different lives. Each experience has definite purpose that the reader can relate to in their individual life.
What an exciting beginning to a discovery process of one’s life purpose revealed in prayer with Pappa God.
The final book in the series is the Pathway to Purpose for Women Personal Journal . As one is searching for and discovering God’s unique purposes, it is important to record, “what the Lord has done” in the various roles and stages of one’s life. This is the companion book to “Pathway to Purpose for women” that will guide a woman’s journaling and allow her to reflect upon how God is directing her on the pathway.
Katie Brazelton is the founder of the Pathway to Purpose Ministry . She has established and launched an international life coaching training for women desiring to find their purpose and become equipped to coach other women step-by-step in the discovery of their purpose.
Linda Graber is available as a women's retreat leader and can be contacted at lmgraber@comcast.net
I first met Linda Graber about a decade ago when her husband Eddie came to take the position of associate pastor at Springdale Community Church . Today, Eddie and Linda are in Parker, Colorado, where Eddie is pastor of the Church at Parker .
Linda has always had a heart for women's ministry, and if you talk with her these days, she will want to tell you about the exciting new series that she has become involved with, Pathways to Purpose for Women. Linda has been in the very first group to go through Katie Brazelton's International Christian Coaching Training for Women. She has currently completed level 1 certification and will pursue the next two levels in upcoming months.
A couple of weeks ago, I asked Linda if she would be willing to write a guest blog entry reviewing the Pathways to Purpose for Women series. Below is her review of all four books.
__________________________________________________________
Dr. Katie Brazelton, Women’s Bible Study Director, Saddleback Church and Founder of the Pathway to Purpose Ministry has written four awesome books for women seeking to connect their to-do-list, passions, and God’s purposes for their life.
Pathway to Purpose for Women is the first book in the series of four published by Zondervan Publishers. In this book Dr. Bazelton has developed an in-depth guide that helps to bring the ordinary realities of one’s life into sync with the extraordinary plans of God. The book is divided into six parts:
1. Step Toward The Pathway (getting your life into sync and leaving the past behind)
2. Never Walk Alone - God’s Fellowship Purpose For You: to connect with others (do what matters today and love others as Jesus loves you)
3. Follow in Jesus’ Footsteps – God’s discipleship purpose for you: to know Christ and become like Him.(pursue peace and repent of all your offenses)
4. Go The Extra Mile – God’s ministry purpose for you: to serve others (wash one another’s feet and walk with integrity)
5. Run To Jesus – God’s worship purpose for you: to magnify Him with you life (expect the desires of your heart and surrender your daily life to God)
6. Point Others Toward The Pathway – God’s evangelism purpose for you: to complete His mission for your life (anticipate God’s vision, take courage, bring glory to God)
Book Two is Conversation on Purpose for Women using 10 appointments that will help you discover God’s plan for your life.
1. The Power of Conversation on Purpose – understanding the power of the process
2. Purposeful Appointments
• Assessing your readiness for more purpose
• Agreeing about the basics of your purposes
• Unearthing blockades to your purposes
• Enjoying the fun side of your unique purpose
• Discussing Good predictors of your future purposes
• Answering some tough questions
• Taking a laughter break
3. Seeing The Bigger Picture
• Making perspective work for you
• Surrendering
• Following God’s Pathway to Purpose
This book is designed for the reader of Pathway to Purpose for Women who want to go deeper. The workbook encourages you to choose a Purpose Partner and schedule ten appointments. Using various conversation starters, scriptures, questions and other methods to help you unpack God’s unique purpose for your life.
Book Three, Praying for Purpose for Women , is described as a prayer experience that will change your life forever.
Katie’s God given giftedness and creative communication shines brightly in this incredible sixty day prayer experience. In a world filled with confusion and distraction Katie has created a guide to assist women in developing or enriching their prayer communication with our beloved Pappa God (heavenly Father).
The brief daily readings incorporate stories of ordinary women that God has used to fulfill His purposes in each individual life. Each character has experienced a “define appointment” with their heavenly Father that has given definite purpose for their life. Once the purpose is discovered God is truly honored and glorified.
Each day recalls a biblical story filled with practical application and insights for each situation be it fear, confusion, crisis, success, road blocks, weakness or strength. We find that God’s Word is ageless and always constant.
One will find oneself rushing to the next prayer experience with anticipation and excitement to read the experiences that God has allowed in many different lives. Each experience has definite purpose that the reader can relate to in their individual life.
What an exciting beginning to a discovery process of one’s life purpose revealed in prayer with Pappa God.
Katie Brazelton is the founder of the Pathway to Purpose Ministry . She has established and launched an international life coaching training for women desiring to find their purpose and become equipped to coach other women step-by-step in the discovery of their purpose.
Linda Graber is available as a women's retreat leader and can be contacted at lmgraber@comcast.net
The Harriet Miers Question
10/15/2005 19:27 Filed in: Politics
President George W. Bush tours a canyon with White House Staff Secretary Harriet Miers at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Friday, Aug. 9, 2002.
To say that George Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court was a surprise would be an understatement. I even wondered to myself if Bush purposefully nominated someone whom he thought would not be affirmed so that a better candidate might have an easier time of it afterwards. This, of course, assumes that regardless of who had been nominated after Roberts would face stiff opposition.
Like you, I've heard many voice their opinions for and against Ms. Miers, but I really haven't had much of an opinion other than to think that perhaps a better candidate could have been chosen by the president.
Then today, I read Douglas Groothuis' reasons as to why he's "Against Harriet Miers for the High Court."
I have to say, I think he's right...
Principal Cancels Prom Over "Bacchanalian Aspects"
10/15/2005 15:01 Filed in: Culture Watch
Image: The Triumph of Bacchus. Cornelius de Vos (1584-1651), no date. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
From the AP News story:
UNIONDALE, N.Y. Oct 15, 2005 — Kenneth M. Hoagland had heard all the stories about prom-night debauchery at his Long Island high school: Students putting down $10,000 to rent a house in the Hamptons for a weekend bash. Pre-prom cocktail parties followed by a trip to the dance in a limo loaded with liquor. Fathers chartering a boat so their kids could go out on a late-night "booze cruise."
Enough was enough, Hoagland said. So the principal of Kellenberg Memorial High School fired off a 2,000-word missive to parents at the start of the school year informing them that the Catholic school would no longer put on the spring prom.
"It is not primarily the sex/booze/drugs that surround this event, as problematic as they might be; it is rather the flaunting of affluence, assuming exaggerated expenses, a pursuit of vanity for vanity's sake in a word, financial decadence," Brother Hoagland said, fed up with what he calls the "bacchanalian aspects" of the prom.
"Each year it gets worse becomes more exaggerated, more expensive, more emotionally traumatic," he added. "We are withdrawing from the battle and allowing the parents full responsibility. (Kellenberg) is willing to sponsor a prom, but not an orgy."
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I remember saving all spring for my senior prom in 1986. The tux cost around $100. Dinner another $30. Tickets were what--$20? $30? I don't remember, but I do remember only one guy I knew who rented a limo and the rest of us thought that was a waste of money. I don't think the whole night cost me more than $200. Looking back, none of it was that memorable, and right now, I'd rather just have the $200. I can't imagine taking part in the frivolous spending that accompanies proms everywhere these days.
Kudos to Principal Hoagland for confronting hedonism and decadence in a culture saturated with it. I hope he can keep his job.
By the way, in case you don't know, bacchanalian is defined as "characterized by or given to drunken revelry; riotously drunken : a bacchanalian orgy" (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd Edition). See also BACCHANALIA .
Cheap Grace vs. Costly Grace
10/14/2005 21:29 Filed in: Faith & Reason
from The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer :
"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
"Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
"Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of the Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us."
"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
"Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
"Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of the Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us."
Quote for the Day #2
10/14/2005 13:59 Filed in: Miscellaneous
Science on Trial
10/14/2005 01:50 Filed in: Faith & Reason
Guest Blog by J. T. McCubbin
On October 2, the Courier Journal picked up an an editorial by Miami Herald columnist, Leonard Pitts entitled, "Scientists Don't Sue to Gain Access to Pulpits." Read the original article by Pitts and then read below a response by J. T. McCubbin sent to both the Courier Journal and Mr. Pitts himself. Since neither have responded to J. T. yet, I thought I would publish his counterpoint for you here.
UPDATE: The Courier Journal did, in fact, publish JT's response on October 18. I don't know if it's a permanent link, but as of this writing (10/25/2005), the article can be referenced here:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051018/OPINION02/510180357/1016/ARCHIVES
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Science informs us of many inter-relationships within our systematic world. However, Leonard Pitts, among others, assign excessive authority to the scientific community and allow it excessive influence on producing modern knowledge.
If we question our origins, Darwinism, like Christianity, requires faith. Only, in the case of Darwinism, the leap is much greater. Science requires repeatable observation of facts. However, the theory of origins is really only substantiated by continuing to build a body of inductive, anthropological evidence. This evidence is essentially data, which can be used to support various theories of origins.
Science itself begins with several philosophical requirements. It typically begins with, “An orderly nature of the world we experience,” hence, the “repeatable” requirement. Also, science presupposes that there exists a knowable truth, again a philosophical statement.
Mr. Pitts accurately points out the inadequacy of the modern Christian’s faith. For too long Christians have been falling back on the mantra, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it!” Christianity need not rely on this blind faith. Much to the contrary of the church in Maine, which claims, “Reason is the enemy of faith,” if we recognize the true uniqueness of mankind, then there starts a line of logic and reason that leads to a well founded Faith. A Faith built on an historic, knowable truth.
Using Mr. Pitts’ argument of the “overwhelming consensus,” and in an attempt to link Mr. Pitts’ odd connection between race relations and evolution, the “overwhelming consensus” in the 1950’s held that the black man was not equal to his white counterpart. It took the courage of Martin Luther King Jr. and a very few others to build and put forward an idea of social science that mankind is equal regardless of race or ethnicity. In this case the few understood truth, while the “overwhelming consensus” only embodied majority opinion.
Feel free to contact J. T. McCubbin at JT.McCubbin@hexionchem.com
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
10/11/2005 00:20 Filed in: Books & Literature
Guest review by Jason Snyder
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
by Patrick Lencioni
2002, Jossey-Bass
All of us have experienced a grand lie early in life. We were the victims of a school system that conditioned us to believe that success is merited by individual achievement—the grade! Then we join the work force and learn the truth, that the success of our company or organization depends upon our ability to work with a team to achieve results. It is no surprise that teamwork doesn't come naturally. Why do so many teams fail to realize their full potential?
In classic leadership fable style, Patrick Lencioni addresses five key dysfunctions that must be overcome to achieve success. Why do teams fail? The first dysfunction is that people choose individual status over achieving group results. Why don't teams achieve results? The second dysfunction is that team members choose popularity over accountability. They fail to hold one another accountable for bad behavior and lack of team results. Why is accountability difficult to attain? It's because of the third dysfunction, that people fail to commit to decisions. It's hard to hold someone accountable to a decision you haven't committed to. Why are people unwilling to commit? The fourth dysfunction is the fear of conflict, choosing false harmony instead. People fail to engage in unfiltered, productive, ideological debate, and because their opinion was never heard, they don't want to commit to someone else's decision. Why do people fail to enter into conflict? The final dysfunction is that there is an absence of trust among team members who choose invulnerability instead.
The cornerstone of every organization is teamwork. Teams can thrive whenever there is trust which leads to a healthy environment of conflict which leads to committing to decisions which leads to holding one another accountable which leads to accomplishing group results.
Feel free to contact Jason Snyder at snymo@mac.com .
Toxic Faith by Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton
10/10/2005 12:25 Filed in: Books & Literature
Guest review by Jason Snyder
Toxic Faith: Experiencing Healing from Spiritual Abuse
by Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton
2001, Shaw
How do you boil a frog? The answer is as simple as it is sinister: put it in a kettle of warm water and turn up the heat slowly. A frog pitched into boiling hot water will always jump out.
I recently left a church environment that grew in toxicity over a long period of time. It wasn't until I left that I could fully see the spiritual bankruptcy and leadership failure that enabled a toxic faith.
The authors of Toxic Faith detail 10 key characteristics of a toxic faith system as well as describing key beliefs and players in the system. Is the faith environment you live in characterized by...
1) Special Claims: the leader has some special knowledge, ability, or wisdom that makes him unique or special.
2) Authoritarianism: the leader is dictatorial and beyond question.
3) An "Us vs. Them" Mentality: members always set themselves in sharp contrast to other religious movements.
4) Punitive Nature: critics and those who question are isolated, removed from leadership, and even asked to leave.
5) Overwhelming Service: members are asked to give arduous service, to sacrifice, to be totally committed.
6) Follower in Pain: members are often physically ill, emotionally troubled and spiritually dead.
7) Closed Communication: communication is controlled at the top level and moves down, going only one way.
8) Legalism: the system is based on rules which bypass a meaningful relationship with God and distort God's purposes.
9) No Objective Accountability: the leader asserts he is only accountable to God.
10) Labeling: labels are used to discount those who may question or oppose the toxic faith system.
Arterburn and Felton share real world experiences and give hope that there can be health and healing on the other side of spiritual abuse.
Contact Jason Snyder at snymo@mac.com .
Bono the Evangelist
10/03/2005 16:29 Filed in: Faith & Reason
In case you missed it, here is a link to a short piece, "Salty Dogma" at the World Magazine site that ran a few weeks back. In this article, Gene Veith analyzes a particular conversation between an interviewer and Bono, the lead singer of U2.
He aptly sums up the encounter with these words:
"What is most interesting in this exchange is the reaction of the interviewer, to whom Bono is, in effect, witnessing. This hip rock journalist starts by scorning what he thinks is Christianity. But it is as if he had never heard of grace, the atonement, the deity of Christ, the gospel. And he probably hadn't. But when he hears what Christianity is actually all about, he is amazed."