GWB's Final Mistake

Today's Presidential results would be different if...

(Washington DC, November 3, 2008) In a move that suprised even those in his inner most circle, President Bush called an emergency press conference in the Rose Garden today.

"I have spent many hours listening to and reading up on each of the candidates for this year's presidential race" said Mr. Bush "I have come to respect both of these men for a hard run race. It is unfortunante that one of them will wake up on Wednesday as a loser in this contest."

"But after much thought I have decided that my voice must be heard by the American people. As your President and leader I hope you will value my opinion in this very important time in American history. It is therefore my honor to throw my full support behind Barak Obama as the next President of the United States."

"I believe that Mr. Obama will continue my legacy and initiatives that I began eight years ago. I have looked him in the eye and I can see a man I can trust. I believe that at the end of his presidency he will make people see that my presidency can be headlined as 'mission accomplished.'"

"Therefore, please join me tomorrow voting Barak Obama as your next President of the United States."

Sports Edition

It wasn't too long ago that being a Maryland sports fan meant you quietly wished not to be embarrassed too badly. Maryland Terps basketball has been a frequent visitor to the sweet 16 but in the NIT, the Baltimore Ravens had their worst year in 8 years and went into the 08 season looking like a rebuilding team and the Orioles... well, no further comment is needed.

But things are looking up. The Terps are sitting pretty for a New Year's bowl game, the Ravens are 5-3 and could have finally found their long term solution at QB, the basketball Terps really have no where to go but up and these are typically the years that Gary Williams does best and... the Orioles - well let's just say this is the most exciting part of the year for them... they can't lose any more games and at least they are frequently mentioned as trade partners.

What has to impress you the most about Flacco is how steady he is in the pocket. He looks like he belongs... he oozes confidence like Big Ben in Pittsburgh. The defense must have felt a huge lift after seeing the offense rally during a game they would have lost in the past, but Flacco calmly led the offense to recapture the lead and the win against the Browns.

I don't necessarily think that the Ravens will go to the playoffs. I can see them missing it at 9-7 because they play 4 of the last 8 games against the NFC East and another game against Pittsburg but with Rice, Flacco, a young offensive line and some depth and youth on the defense - the Ravens are heading in the right direction.

Day Light Savings Time, the Election and Halloween Candy

Random thoughts...

It's the last day before we move our clocks back one hour - meaning that tomorrow it gets dark at 5 PM... yuck! We also get to look forward to the sun spilling through our bedroom windows at 6 AM. This all matters because I am sitting in the house during the longest "day" until March - and it's 65 degrees outside and sunny!

Doesn't it seem like the kids get less and less chocolate candy each year at Halloween? When parents buy candy they need to remember who ends up eating most of it after the kids go to bed Halloween night and what it is that we really want to eat and buy accordingly!! By the way - I really need to rememeber to buy stock in Tootsie Rolls next October!!!

Anyone else out there tempted at voting 3rd party this year?

It's not a good sign when you spend the last days of your campaign stomping in states that historically vote for your party. It's a disaster when your opponent has enough confidence to throw a couple million into campaign advertising in your home state!!

Everyone is ready for the election to be over... but has anyone else received phone calls from politicians... hung up and when you pick up the phone they are still talking??? How do they get away with that one?

Facebook is addicting...

At one my previous jobs my boss - who was my age - was a big time Christmas Scrooge. He would sit in his office and listen to hard rock music on the internet. Every November 1st I would sneak into his office and put in a "favorite Christmas hits" CD I kept at my desk. His reaction the first year was so awesomely classic - he couldn't figure out where that Christmas music was coming from!! He would be cussing and spitting up a storm and finally come out of his office and say "OK - whose the wise A$$ who put Christmas music on my computer???!!!" Oh... those were the days!

It's time to get AM Static fired back up...

Grace

Coming home from a long Labor Day weekend at the lake, I had to take a few minutes and catch up with everything that has happened in the world. This headline on the Baltimore Sun caught my attention:

Church's planned relocation, expansion alarm neighbors

The headline didn't surprise me all that much. Let's face it... nothing divides a neighborhood more than a church wishing to expand (please see the sarcasm in that statement). What did catch my eye was not just the sign pictured with the column, but the children who are holding it. It broke my heart!

Radical practice of religion = incompatible with community?

I recently read this article about a muslim women who lives behind a head-to-toe Islamic veil, which shows only her eyes, that has been trying to become a citizen of France for at least 3 years. She has been denied citizenship twice: the first time her life of "total submission" was considered a reason for insufficient assimiliation into the culture. Recently, on appeal, the French Council of State ruled that, "she has adopted a radical practice of her religion, incompatible with essential values of the French community, particularly the principle of equality of the sexes" and was again denied.

Now I am always skeptical about the government telling people how to live their lives, particularly because I am always thinking, "they will come for me next"... but do the frenchies have a point here? As Christians, we are told to be "...in the world but not of the world", so doesn't that mean we need to assimiliate to our community? There is no mention that the women was forced into this lifestyle, or being oppressed, but women as truely 2nd class citizens in Islam. How will we reach our community if we walk around with a bedspread over our head, covering us from head-to-toe.

CC

Anybody feel this way?

Does anyone feel good about voting for Obama? How about McCain? Me neither. I thought this picture was funny. Are you willing to vote for a Democrat / Republican even if there are better "3rd party" candidates because you feel by voting for a 3rd party would throwing your vote away? I am full of questions and no answers-

CC

Useless information...

In the mode of "pacing ourselves" for the political season ahead, I want to offer some of the news articles I have seen lately.

Please tell me what it should mean to me that other nations around the world prefer Obama to McCain.

Do we really want their advice? Was it much more than 60 years ago that with the help of England that we had to save France from Germany? What have these countries given us that we should want their advice. France is a socialist state that is dealing with outragous unemployment and class-warefare rioting in the streets.

Am I being to hard on England, France and Germany? Maybe instead we should take a good look at ourselves and figure out what we want the next 4 years to look like...

CC

How to share the Gospel after you've been raptured!

You have got to read this. I saw this article about a website that will send your friends and loved ones an email after you've been raptured as a last chance to reach them with the Gospel. The website is http://www.youvebeenleftbehind.com/ . Not only will the website send out an email to non-believers letting them know where you are, it will also give them access to all your important private information like bank records and your will.

There is a $40 annual fee for this service. These guys are geniuses for finding a way to make money from believers. Is this something to mock or is it something you would consider?

CC- out.

Freedom!!

I wish that I could honestly say that Memorial Day or the upcoming July 4th holiday is my inspiration to write this blog and it should be. Each day our soldiers face unspeakable dangers and risk their lives for our freedoms. It is something that we should remember and thank God for each and every single day.

But my inspiration comes from my parent's dog - Lucy. You see, my parents put up a brand spanking new fence in their backyard as a space where the grandkids can safely play and Lucy can run free. Up to last month Lucy's exercise was limited to daily walks on a leash with Mom and Dad and short strolls to take a #2 in an open lot besides their house.

This fence represented freedom for Lucy - a dog the size of a minature horse. She no longer needed to be constrained by a leash or a chain but was now free to seek shade under a tree, pee on the side of her favorite tree or gobble up large mammals who wonder into the yard.

It was only a matter of days that Lucy started to disappear every time my parents let her out. Soon it became apparent that she was jumping the fence as though she was in a steeple chase.

I was over my parents house yesterday and Dad asked me to go outside and get Lucy. I found her tied to a chain, surrounded by a fence.

This started to get me thinking. Many of us look at the fence and think that freedom can be found on the other side. They look at the Jesus and see Him as being the fence - keeping them away from countless joys and pleasures. But my parents didn't errect a fence because they wanted to keep Lucy or the grandkids from experiencing nirvana on the other side, but because they knew that she could get lost or worse run over and killed.

And God didn't send His Son Jesus to keep us confined so he can bore us to death. When Christ began his ministry, Luke (4:18-19 NKJV) tells us that He walked into the synagogue and quoted the prophet Isaiah, saying:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD"

Who are the captives? We all are!! "For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God." Sin puts us on the other side of the fence - away from the homeowner... away from safety... away from being fed and loved and cared for... away from hope.

No, the fence is God saying 'My desire is for you to be close to me because the world has nothing that can compare to what I can give you." The fence is not judgement but rather salvation. John 3:17 says:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Are you struggling with your supposed freedom - life outside the fence? Do you find that you are chasing after the hope of a successful career, partying lifestyle, etc. and not finding it?

Jesus says:

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

I want to invite you to seek Him and soon afterwards find a Bible believing/preaching church. Life on this side of the fence is not nearly as bad as you think it is!

Summer + Sexy = Sumos

This commerical ranks right up there with "Where's the Beef."

If it looks like a cult, and smells like a cult, it must be...

If you own a cult and think that any news is good news, you must be having field day when Brian Williams, Katie Couric and whoever is now on ABC comes on the tube at 6 PM.

I've never personally been involved in a cult - unless I am now and just don't realize it. I really don't care for kool-aid, have never visited a "compound" and do not live in a town named after someone who is alive and owns his own church. I don't think spaceships are going to come and rescue me and I don't really like to dress in all white. I'm not into multiple wives - my goodness can you imagine the nagging going on in that household!

I am guilty of idol worship. Brady Anderson was my favorite ballplayer back in the 90's and still have long sideburns because of him. I spend way too much time in front of the TV and on the computer. I don't spend nearly enough time "loving the Lord with all my heart..."

I must admit that when I walked into the Christopher Mathew's bookstore about 3 years ago and sat down to watch a video called Nooma I was in awe. It was refreshing, relevant and had a hip preacher dude whose message really tore at my heart and soul. He was at another level of understanding and honesty that I really hadn't heard before. I bought the video and every one after that I could get my hands on. Rob Bell had become someone that I followed.

When we moved to Western Kentucky I showed these videos to our youth group and they fell in love with it also. I passed the videos on to a Sunday School class who were also captured by the message. I sent a couple to my Dad and he showed it to his Sunday School class. A few months ago we went to hear Rob Bell speak in Louisville and again were just amazed by his insight into the Word - his ability to make it come alive and connect the dots so it became something that we could relate to 2, 3, 4 thousand years later.

Soon afterward I became aware of a fissure in the 21st century church leaders and Rob Bell seems to be in the middle of it. (I won't call it the Emerging Church because I don't think this term is defined well enough). And after watching almost all the Nooma video's, reading one of his books, and reading countless articles, I must admit that there are some troubling things that have come to my attention. For every one article that he causes me to doubt where he is coming there is another that makes me comfortable with what he is saying.

I will not sit here and list them all, but Rob Bell is honestly the third "man of God" that I have lost respect for this year. They range from Evangelical to so called "Emergent" - Conservative to Liberal.

This is not a warning to stay away from Rob Bell, but it is a warning to place your trust in one Man, on one Truth, on one Life. I cannot say that I will not continue to search for the real Rob Bell but that search will be with one thing in mind - he is a man, created by God the Father.

The Bloc Party is Over

A couple of days ago I was in my "office" reading my favorite magazine when I came across an advertisement for the Southern Baptist Environmental & Climate Initiative (www.baptistcreationcare.org). The ad is summed up with this sentence:

"As Southern Baptist, we love what God loves. And God loves this planet and its people."

Hillary Clinton visited our small western Kentucky town several days ago. I had a meeting and could not make her speech but went ahead and TiVo'd both CNN and MSNBC to see if they covered it. When I returned home I quickly fast forwarded to where they were showing Hillary here. I wasn't interested in what she was saying but who was in the background so I hardly was paying attention when the network went to commercial. All of the sudden Pat Robertson pops up on my screen sitting on a couch with of all people Al Sharpton talking about working together to fight global warming. At least he wasn't leg pressing 1000 pounds like he said he can.

A new crop of church leaders are sprouting all over the country. They may not agree on every theological talking point but the Rob Bell's and Mark Driscoll's seem to be less politically active/motivated and much more concerned about showing, living and sharing Jesus in places that the church has been relunctant to go for decades...

While writing a recent blog about the "Humanist Evangelical Crusade" I came across an article on "The Humanist" magazine's website which talked about how the Religious Right was losing it's power because of many of the factors described above. (Unfortunantly because this article is no longer available on the internet.) It's not everyday that I would agree with someone whose obvious agenda is to prove to the world that God does not exists but on this point I must.

As Foxy said in a previous blog, John McCain representing the GOP this fall has caused Evangelical Christians to pause. My guess is many will decide not to vote while others may get caught up in Obama's mastery of the English language.

Like what happened in 1980, I believe this will be the election that many in Evangelical circles will look back at as a dramatic change in the church's politics. One party will no longer rule over and count on the Religious Right.

Orioles Magic... Feel it Happen!

Orioles Magic 2008
Uploaded by gatecitycanes

I have made all attempts to stay away from comments/posts about sports. Anyone that knows Foxy and me know just how difficult it is not to make this into a big blog about Baltimore/Maryland sports. But I just can't help myself. This video is just too awesome not to share - so here it is. Oriole Magic 2008

The Humanist Evangelical Crusade

From Webster's Dictionary:

Humanist: a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual's dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason
Evangelical: marked by militant or crusading zeal
Crusade: a remedial enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm

If you've ever had the opportunity to discuss Christianity with a devout non-Christian be ready for a history lesson. Call it Christian Imperialism 101. It is an issue most often visited and spoke about in liberal college professor classrooms, on atheist websites (Memoirs of an Ex-Christian) or revisited on a arts and education channel (History Channel, Discovery, etc.). Many point at the Religious Right's forceful entry into the political realm in the 1980s as a continuation of this imperialistic movement.

Before anyone accuses me of dismissing the past "sins" of Christianity, let me say that there is a valid arguement that many bad things have happened in Christ's name. Power hungry Pope's have tried to recapture the Holy Land and by doing so slaughtered anyone in their way. The great Exploreres used Christianity as a reason to kill while in the search for gold. The United States - considered by many a Christian nation, stands guilty of pushing the Indians off their land while turning a blind eye towards the issue of slavery. We can all agree - Christian or not - that these things should have never had happened.

But another excuse you will hear is the "I don't feel like anyone should feel pushed into believing in something." This is a popular arguement in Hollywood but it runs contrary to their actions and many other secular humanist. In the past 10-15 years a seed that began to sprout during the late 1960's and 1970's (sat dormant while everyone was busy making money in the 80's and 90's) is in full bloom. Call it the Humanist Evangelical Crusades.

We see it now anytime a divisive issue takes shape. The World Bank's policy towards Third World nations annually draws violent protests - especially when the G8 holds their summit. Renegade "Green Groups" use militant practices to blow up SUV's and other symbols of our gas guzzling society. The Olympic torch is run under armed guard because of the many attempts to snuff it out during it relay around the world.

What we are seeing is the humanist agenda has introduced force into its attempts to convert others to their ideals. At the same time a growing number of Christian organizations have abandoned this sort of idiocracy and gone to the front lines where the help is really needed. Instead of battling it out with a police officer on the streets of a western nations capital during a protest, they are working hand in hand with those dying of AIDS in Africa. While protesters attempt to extiguish the Olympic flame, Christians are at work in China spreading the Good News of hope that many in that nation have lost.

As our world becomes increasingly divided, it should be interesting to see how the Humanist agenda evolves into a more agressive aproach. Will the future see violent protests outside of Christian schools who teach Creationism? Will our church's be interrupted during their services by those who do not believe what is being preached? Will the government step in to stop organizations trying to do good (while spreading the gospel) on our streets and on the streets world wide?

Time will tell... whatever happens in the future it seems that right now this "philiosphy built on reason" has lost all reason for it's actions.

McClintama...What's a believer to do?

There is going to be plenty of AM Static blog fodder from the upcoming election, so let's pace ourselves.

Round one of the "who will Christians vote for" debate took place on TV show 30 Rock a few weeks ago. 30 Rock is a comedy in the Saturday Night Live vein of humor. Picture Jack, a high-powered executive at GE(which own NBC) trying to find a "cool" spokesman for the Republican Party and a fundraiser he is throwing for John McCain, but can only find a lame 1960's TV actor (because all cool celebrities are Democrats of course). In walks NBC page Kenneth, the backwards country-bumpkin that is supposed to represent every uneducated, religiously indoctrinated hillbilly to ever come live in the big city. He is probably from Kentucky. Kenneth is the only one in the room who can identify the lame spokesman. I won't embed the show into the blog, but here is the episode. Skip 3:20 into the show and left it run about a minute. The conversation goes something like this:

Jack-Kenneth, if this man (lame 1960's TV actor) told you to vote Republican, would you?

Kenneth- Oh no Mr. Donahy, I don't vote Republican or Democrat. Choosing is a sin. I just right in the Lord's name.

Jack- That's Republican, we count those.

I don't care if you are a follower of Jesus Christ or not- that is funny. You really need to watch it to get the full effect. But back to the real world... how can anyone get excited about the remaining choices from president. The common perception is that white Evangelicals vote Republican and that black voters, Christians and secular-minded, vote Democrat. Of course this is not entirely true, but a stereotype is a stereotype for a reason...

And as far as the "Evangelicals are Republicans" stereotype...how does that fit this year. Over the past 2 elections I believe Christians have had more a clear choice: Bush is a good ole' Texan that "found religion" and quit drinking, and Al Gore and John Kerry seemed to be pursuing secularists and avoiding topics of faith. In 2008 though...I don't see much difference between McCain, Clinton, and Obama. McCain is a RINO (Republican in Name Only) and no part conservative. And after 8 years of Billary I can't imagine having Hillary Clinton in the White House (and I don't care that she is a women). But the more I learn about Obama, the better McCain and Clinton appear.

So...what's the difference? I would be interested to know what issues are most important to you when you are chosing a candidate. Is there a clear choice for Evangelical Christians? Or am I just a right-leaning conservative and failed to see the large pro-Kerry Christian vote 4 years ago... I am so confused...come quickly Lord Jesus!

CC

Satan, Free Will and the Gospel According to Stephen Colbert

Warning to those with delicate ears. SC cusses at the end of this video - though it has been bleeped.

A couple of comments about this interview:

First - I love Zimbardo's reaction once he realizes that Colbert just knocked him to the floor with a upper cut to the jaw.

Second - The crowd. You heard a couple of yelps when the subject was first introduced. I really think the crowd was just as shocked as Zimbardo was at Colbert's passionate defense of true good vs. evil.

Third - Where did Zimbardo get this crap? Satan rebelled when God created Adam and put him in the garden to show God that he was wrong? Any casual research of Satan's rebellion would have shown a much different story.

Fourth - How much was lost when Colbert cussed at the end? Did it change your view of him or the interview?

A Tribute to Chicago (no, not the band)

I just returned from a week long training held in Chicago and let me just tell you, if you have the opportunity to visit you definitely need to go. The city was clean, the people weren't rude and there was plenty to do and eat.

Now getting there was another story. I decided to take the Amtrak from Western Kentucky. The train I jumped was on route to Chicago from New Orleans. It only cost $130 round trip but I had to catch it at 1 AM. Because the station is very literally a single wide trailer in the middle of a corn field, the local police allowed me to park my car at the station and they drove me over in the cruiser. They were extremely welcoming although the policeman who picked me up on the way home was a little agitated because of a drug bust he had just left.

The trip took 7.5 hours. If you figure the time it takes to get to an airport, go through security, make a connect, air time and cab time - I figure that I spent just as much time for about a third of the cost. Plus, I had the opportunity to sleep on the train so that made the travel even more pleasant.

The food was great and relatively inexpensive. The highlight was Portillo's home of the world famous Chicago style hot dog (which includes just about everything you would expect to see on a hamburger). They were fantastic! I ended up eating there twice during the week. The Chicago style pizza was delicious also.

My one regret is that I didn't make it to a Cub's game. A couple of guys in the group went the first night but I just wasn't interested. Maybe next time.

So - for your next vacation plan a trip up to Chi town. You won't regret it!

RIP Rameses XVII

Seems that all the news from the college sports world is coming out of UNC's Chapel Hill these days. Yesterday, the campus celebrated the announcement that Tyler Hansbrough was returning for his senior season. Darn - I was really looking forward to another overblown alumn of a North Carolina school sitting on a bench somewhere in the NBA (see JJ Reddick)

Today's news is a little more somber. Rameses XVII - the goat mascot of the UNC's football team, has passed away from a mortal head butting from his son, Pablo. This doesn't sound like an accident to me. His son was the Rameses XVII's heir and now takes on the name of Rameses XVIII. What makes this even more disappointing for the fans of this ACC football powerhouse is that pops was the best kicker on the UNC football team and his son is academically ineligible. Sources say that the football team is busy recruiting a kangaroo at the local zoo to take Rameses XVII roster spot.

Gloria's World Village and the Current Global Food Crisis

Let's face it... when you live in Western Kentucky, your restaurant choices are pretty limited. Sure, you have no problem finding a good Mexican place to eat and honestly I have never seen a oriental person in our Wal Mart but there are 2 Chinese restaurants in our town. Seafood? Fried catfish - not exactly something you would find in the middle of the Atlantic.

So it was a great suprise when someone told us of a Indian/Thai place 25 minutes from our house. When we lived in Maryland we fell in love with Indian food and just couldn't believe we had something that close to us and had never heard about it. So this weekend we stopped by Gloria's World Village on the campus of Murray State University. It was fantastic!

We had the opportunity to meet the owners who are wonderful people. Gloria was called to be a missionary as a young child after she saw a vision feeding hundred's of children from different countries. After spending most of her adulthood living across the US, her husband and Gloria settled down in Murray, Kentucky. While here they began to host foreign students. In 10 years the had over 100 students live with them. About that time the opened up this restaurant so these students from all over the world could have a place to eat that was familiar to them. They also have a grocery store with mid-eastern food for sale in the back of the restaurant. The vision that she was given had become a reality!

Being on a college campus and selling food that most students won't eat in the first place is not an easy thing to do. Gloria and her husband live on the 2nd floor of the restaurant. What is making it even more difficult is the food shortages that is being experienced throughout the world. The cost of rice - a staple in most of the world - has risen 50% just in the past few months. Gloria does not want to raise her prices but may have to.

Please keep Gloria and her husband in your prayers. Please remember the impact on this crisis on other Christian organizations that are in Third World Countries trying desperately to feed and share the gospel.

A Gay-Christian and his Biblical hermeneutics

Have you ever heard of Azariah Southworth or The Remix? Me neither. But according to this brief description I found, apparently he hosts a weekly half-hour music show where he hangs out with Christians artist "reality style". The only website I could find for them is a Myspace page.

According to a new article on The Christian Post, Azariah can no longer live a lie and has announced that he is a gay Christian. To quote Southworth from the article, "I know I will be cut off from many within the Christian community, and if so, then they didn't get the point of the life of Christ," and later "I hope that they (Christians) don't do that, because that is not who Jesus was at all." He also said, "His closest friends were the prostitutes and the tax collectors and the sinners. They were the low-life people of that time. So I hope they(current Christians being judgemental) don't do that." While I encourage you to click-through and read the entire article in The Christian Post, realize that Southworth "came out" in an interview with Out and About, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender magazine based in Nashville. He says that he was inspired to "come out" by Ellen DeGeneres, a popular talk-show host who also announced she was gay many years ago.

A couple of observations that I would like to make:

1) I hate it when people try to create all these little sub-classes of larger groups to differentiate themselves. Gay-Christian? Is that supposed to be like Italian-American or neo-conservation Republican? Do we really need more labels to create divisions? Is it any wonder that no one can get along when everyone is out there joining sides?

2) When trying to justify your position that you can be gay and a Christian at the same time are you really doing your cause any justice by comparing "gays" to prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners as friends of Jesus like Southworth is trying to do? I am no true Bible scholar, though I play one on AM Static, but I think Jesus clearly defined his relationship with prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners in Matthew 9:11-13:

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

So- rather than Jesus' closest friends being prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners like Southworth stated he seems that Jesus actually had a burden for SINNERS to come to REPENTANCE. Rather than reading a Scripture and adding your own commentary to make it fit your lifestyle, use Scripture to understand Scripture! I see this as a huge problem today where people want to be "spiritual" rather than Godly and twist Scripture to fit there own sinful
lifestyle. FYI- Southworth does claim to be a follower of Jesus and attends three churches in the Nashville, TN area one of which is led by a gay-partnered pastor.

3) Homosexuality is a sin no greater or worse than prostitution, heterosexual sex outside of marriage, or martial infidelity, period. We need to stop letting politicians make gay issues (marriage) a wedge issue, when they themselves have no problem running around behind their husbands or wives and visiting prostitutes. Just like Southworth, I suspect that many people attend different churches and read different books until they find one that allows them to live their life, as is, without the call to repentance that Jesus mentions.


CC

Quick Funny

As I was clicking through the depressing stories in my Google reader, trying to find something worth mentioning on the blog... I came across this funny picture.

If that earthquake comes a rock'n...

Well, that little earthquake you may have heard about on your mid-day news or on that internet website just happened to take place almost in our backyard.

It was interesting because I woke up - not startled - but enough to know that the bed was slightly rolling back and forth. And for some unknown reason, perhaps it just wasn't that noticeable, I didn't react like I thought I would react. I didn't jump out of bed or even say something to my wife. She popped her head up but she says she doesn't remember anything.

I fell back to sleep and it still hadn't fully registered in my head that we had just experienced an earthquake. But I do remember thinking to myself what I would do if we did have an earthquake... how would I respond? What kid would I grab first and where would we go?

It wasn't until this morning when I got into work and somebody asked me about the earthquake did it finally realize what had happened last night.

It was one of those moments you won't forget.

My commitment to You...

I admit that I am failing as a blogger. I have plenty to say about multiple subjects, but I cannot seem to focus, pick a topic and blog away. That being said I would like to let you know what I have been looking at over the last few weeks. It is not a complete list, but it is a start:

• Recent story about a girl that died while her family prayed over her rather than seeking medical treatment.
• The Pope and his visit to America.
• Muslim's plan to take over Rome, "the capital of the Catholics."
• Christians needlessly fighting with an elementary school about a "wacky dress-up week" that included "dress like the opposite sex day"
• Hannah Montana loves Jesus.
• American Idol praising Jesus.
• Crazy people everywhere killing there children. And here. And again. Or abusing them.
• The cost of divorce.

Before you say it, I know that almost all of my sources are Fox News and that make me a crazy raging conservative. I have lots of sources that feed my Google Reader, but send me any that I might miss.

I will try to start blogging tomorrow- at the top of my list and work my way down. That is my commitment to you, the loyal AM Static reader. But I would like some feedback for all the time and effort put into blogging. Deal? Deal.

CC

Bursting the Christian Bubble

Hey everyone. Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Busy with a new job, a long trip and other various excuses that you probably don't care about.

I found this article on Out of Ur. It does a great job of describing the clash of culture vs. Christianity and what our response should be.

The final session of Shift 2008 featured Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California, and regular contributor to Leadership and Out of Ur. Kimball shared some insights from this book, They Like Jesus But Not the Church.

He began with the good news—our culture is very interested in Jesus. He pulled a number of items from a bag: a Jesus bobble head figure, Jesus band-aids, a Jesus eraser, and then showed images from a Madonna concert where the queen of pop hung on a cross with scripture verses above to highlight the 12 million kids dying from Aids in Africa. Kimball says there is no doubt that people in our culture are curious about Jesus—and many find him very attractive.

Now the bad news—popular perceptions of the church and Christians are very different. Kimball showed a video of college students in his town describing Christians as judgmental, homophobic, and hypocritical. He humorously recounted the response of a girl at the health club when she discovered Dan was a pastor. She said, “Pastors are creepy” but admitted she didn’t know any personally.

This, says Kimball, is precisely the problem. In an increasingly post-Christian culture fewer people have contact with real Christians. We’ve hidden ourselves in a Christian sub-culture bubble. As a result only “the loudest voices are defining who we are,” he says. These loud and usually angry Christians are the only ones heard and seen by the culture. This is what people have based their opinions of Christians upon.

Kimball says the solution is getting outside the bubble again; obeying Jesus’ prayer for his people to not be taken out of the world (John 17:15). Only when we have real contact with people in the culture where love and friendship can be established will we change their perceptions of the church.

Dan recounted a great story from his time hanging out with the girl who cut his hair. While he was attending a ministry conference in Texas, she’d invited him to a bar to meet her friends in a band. The band turned out to be “Satan’s Cheerleaders.” Also in attendance was the Lizard Man—famous for having his whole body tattooed to resemble a lizard. Because of his friendship with the hairdresser, Dan was able to engage the group in a conversation about faith. Later he walked out of the bar with Satan’s Cheerleaders and the Lizard Man just as the ministry conference attendees were exiting across the way.

He ended with good news. “Most Christians and churches are not what the perceptions are,” said Kimball. We aren’t as judgmental, homophobic, or hypocritical as people think we are. We simply need to show them by getting outside our bubbles and reengage the culture.

Christianity in Art and Public Schools

First of all I would like to apologize for the length of time between posts- I really need to keep AM Static a priority since we have so much to talk about in these days.

That being said, I recently read a Fox News article about a high school student that received a zero on an art assignment that shows a landscape with a cross and the note- "John 3:16 A sign of love." According to the school district, every student in the class is required to sign a policy with the understanding that "prohibited any violence, blood, sexual connotations or religious beliefs in artwork." The student was then told by his teacher that he signed his constitutional rights away when he signed the policy and that his freedom of religion infringed on other students' rights.

When confronted with this policy the student ripped it up pointing out that other students had pictures of demons and other non-christian religious references and that the entire school was full of references to other religions. The student has filed a lawsuit stating that tolerance was being shown for every religion other than his. His lawyer stated, "We hear so much today about tolerance, but where is the tolerance for religious beliefs? The whole purpose of art is to reflect your own personal experience. To tell a student his religious beliefs can legally be censored sends the wrong message."

Personally, I applaud the student and wish when I was his age I would have have the courage to stand up for my faith. This reminds me of Peter and John in the book of Acts when told by the Jewish council not to speak in Jesus' name. Peter and John's answer: "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:18-20) Or later when they did not comply: And the high priest asked them, saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:27-29).

Now, who will step forward and defend the public school system? I would also love to hear your views on the benefits of placing your child in this type of environment. Is keeping your faith quiet and following the school districts rules the answer? Is civil disobedience(and a lawsuit) the correct response? Or is getting the heck out of the public schools the best choice? Public school, Christian school, home school...any thoughts?

CC

5 Years - 4,000 Deaths Later

This weekend kept most of us busy at Easter egg hunts, the mall buying those Easter Sunday clothes, at church being seen in our Easter clothes and gathering as a family, getting food from Easter dinner all over those new clothes.

In case you missed it the Iraq War hit two important milestone markers this weekend:

5 Years
4,000 US military deaths

It seems that every so years we say that our nation has reached a crossroad and this statement could never be more true than what our country/world is facing today:

* An unpopular war which has cost us the deaths and wounds (physical and mental) of our military service men and woman as well as respect from the world's nations.
* A culture that insists on pushing the limits
* A broken economy that is going through a financial crisis not seen since the Great Depression.
* Gas prices that are approaching $4/gallon.
* Inflation that is driving up the cost of food and living expenses.
* The environment seems to be in the midst of a global change.

Wow - is this starting to sound like the 1970s?

So, where do we go from here? Is pulling out of Iraq the answer? What is the consequences if we do? Do we need to legislate morality? Will new leadership offer different results or will we see the same old song and dance out of Washington? What is the church's role in all of this?

Lots of questions - very few answers.

Good Friday...suffering enough to be holy?

I just recently read an article about a town in the Philippines where some in the town re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by nailing themselves to a cross and hanging for a period of time, while others beat their own backs with bamboo's tied to ropes- a picture even more gross then the one you see here. Go to the article to see those pictures, but be warned...gross.

This is the 13th time Fernando Mamangon has been crucified, according to the Fox News article, saying that he started having himself nailed to a cross in 1995 when his oldest son was sick and about to die. His son has recovered and now a younger son is sick, so Fernando continues the gesture every year. According to Fernando, "After being nailed to the cross, I feel so refreshed, like all my sins are washed away, I will continue this until my son Alex is cured".

The Roman Catholic church has asked the town to stop, stating that it is turning Holy Week into a circus. While I agree that this is totally unnecessary, many Catholics as well as others denominations, are encouraged to participate in lent and making other "sacrifices". Of those that I know that participate in lent, when I ask them what the suppose is, they say, "God has done so much for me, I need to give something up to show my appreciation (or something similar). I have included the Wikipedia link to lent here. I was shocked to see how many Christian world sects/denominations participate in lent.

My question is- Isn't this type of behavior almost encouraged by churches that encourage you to "sacrifice for your sin"- isn't that called doing good works? Redemption is a free gift from Jesus Christ, rest in the peace that comes from being a a chosen son/daughter of God and share it and share with others... Do I need a better education on lent?

Happy Holy Weekend and God Bless

CC

You have a 1% chance of going to jail...

Do you believe that 1 in every 100 Americans is in jail? That seems hard to believe, but it is true according to an article I just read recently 2.3 million adult citizens were behind bars at the beginning of 2008. In a time when money is tight and government are strapped for cash the 50 states spent $49 BILLION dollars on corrections last year. That breaks down to $21, 304.35 for every person behind bars. There are also 4 states: Vermont, Michigan, Oregon & Connecticut that spend more on corrections than education.

There are many interesting ways to break down this data: for instance the state with the largest increase in prison population in 2007 was Kentucky, which was up 12%. The report also says that the crime rate in Hill-Billytucky only went up 3%... Also, 1 in 30 men between 20-34 years old is behind bars but 1 in 9 black men is behind bars.

My question is: Are we safer having all these criminals behind bars? Is there any better way to punish/rehabilitate non-violent criminals than to lock then up? I admit that I am very conservative and pro-punishment for those who break the law, but something has got to change. Bottom line in that we as believers cannot legislate love to a country, and truly only by a change of heart and repentance will someone turn from serving themselves to Jesus Christ. Is Jesus the answer? Are better laws the answer? What is the answer? Violent criminals need to be locked up, but how can we punish other crimes without sending them to jail?

CC

The Precious Gift of Life

My wife works at the Hope for Life Crisis Pregnancy Center here in Mayfield, KY and just about each day she hears stories of great sadness and great joy - sadly more times sad than joy. I had never seen the social activitist side of her before she started working at Hope but she has developed such a strong, heartfelt desire to see the unborn given the chance to live a life that you and I have been given.

Like dominos, when we as a society devalued the life of the unborn we in turn also minimized the value of women in general. All you have to do is turn on the TV, radio or google a word or phrase and you will see (or hear) how women have been turned into an object of man's desires and fantasies. Instead of seeing woman as the bearer of the great gift of life who should be loved and cherished, we have found that we can use her for man's pleasures because that life can be easily terminated. 35 years after Roe vs. Wade we have witnessed a women's right to choose turn into a man's right to abuse and use her.

Helpless and abandoned are words that often (but not always) best describes a pregnant single woman's situation that she faces the difficult choice of what to do with her unborn child. It is not fair to judge anyone in this situation who would consider ending her pregnancy, but what great joy when she decides to either keep the baby or give it up for adoption!

God give comfort, peace and stength to those women who are facing this situation. Pray God opens the hearts and give courage to the men who consider the cowardness of abandoning the pregnant mother. God bless those willing to open their homes and hearts to an adopted child.

Amen.

Recycle or go to Hell!!

Before I begin, I must confess something... we recycle. We started at the beginning of the year and even though we currently only recycle soda cans, we will probably begin recycling paper and plastic soon.

Now I know you may ask "what is a good Republican boy doing recycling?" You may wonder if I have fallen into the media spin that the world is about to end because we as humans are destroying the environment with our landfills and toxic pollution.

And I will have to admit that yes, the media has perhaps helped to wake us up to the fact that our children will face a far more dangerous world simply because we chose not to be more mindful when throwing out our trash, not flushing the toilet after every single tinkle, choosing a little more expensive translucent light bulb or... gulp! a car that gets good gas mileage but may not be the coolest (PS - we're not there yet - we still drive a Honda Pilot SUV).

So what kind of influence should the environment have on our faith? Many Christians, even evangelical Christians, are starting to question "What Would Jesus Drive?" When God gave man the earth and told him to take care of it, was he calling him to be a tree hugging hippi environmentalist? Did that also gives us the right to do with it as we please?

I hate to say it, but is politics getting in the way of our concern for the earth? What shapes our decision to be more or less environmentally sensitive - our faith or our voter registration card?

Will God punish us for neglect of the planet? Now, in my humble opinion I don't think He will. I must admit that I often wonder if there is a link between the impact of global warming such as the sudden increase in drug resistant medicines, frequent and powerful hurricanes (and other such environmental events) and the end time events.

That goes contrary to what the Vatican decided today. According to the Vatican, recycling - or not recycling - is one of the "seven deadly sins of our times" and replace the "sins of the yesteryear" such as lust, pride, greed, sloth and so on which were way too individualistic for our modern day society.

The new seven deadly sins include genetic modification, carrying out experiments on humans, polluting the environment, causing social injustice, causing poverty, becoming obscenely wealthy and taking drugs which are all mortal sins.

Let me get this straight... the Vatican decided that our society - which seemly grows increasingly self centered each second of the day - no longer needed individualist pitfalls to stay away from. Hmmm... is it any wonder that people do what they do?

So if you want to go to heaven, please recycle... but while you are doing it take great pride in the fact that your neighbors are watching you!

Get over the Monday Morning Blues!

Here is what you might have missed at church on Sunday...

The Human Condition

I will not try to over-spiritualize this, becuase this is just plain funny. Not sure where they came from either.

Your Welcome,

CC

Oops... It's Time To Get Over IT!

I'll be honest with you, I have wanted to post something about Britney Spears since we first began this blog almost 2 months ago. I knew from what perspective I wanted to write from but just couldn't find the right article to frame my post with. Well, here it is.

Each decade for the past 50 years has had a pop icon martyr:
The 60's - Marilyn Monroe
The 70's - Elvis
The 80's - John Belushi
The 90's - Kurt Cobain

As we enter the last few years, the pop icon that best symbolizes the first decade of the 21st Century has to be Britney Spears. From her explosive rise as a teen idol in the late 90s/early 2000s, to her open rebellion against her sexual abstinence stance mid decade. Now we see this lost soul struggle against her own demons of fame played out daily on our television, internet and tabloids.

I was watching at TV psychiatrist the other day (I really wish I could remember his name because I would like to quote him) and he said very bluntly that we are about to lose Britney Spears. He said that the chances are about 50-50 that a normal person would survive what she is going through.

He went on to say that as our country's morals fall (this psychiatrist is not a Christian) we become increasingly numb to the fact that this is a real person. Our reality TV society sees it as nothing more than a show.

This article says it all...

There is something very wrong here, a country that's been at war without ever feeling the effects. A populace that responds to a slowly crumbling empire by fiddling away with a copy of US Weekly. We all need to escape sometimes...but do we need teenage celebrities, or Angelina and Jen to fill that void?

What makes Britney's case more troubling is that she seems to base her self worth on her popularity. This would explain the reason who most of her escapades have been in public and in front of the paparrazi.

It makes me sick to think that I am partly to blame. Instead of praying for her, I stop and watch the latest Britney news. When I gawk, I should be ill and sad instead of yearning to know what happens next.

I have spent enough time worshiping the "god of culture" as it sacrifices another life. I have chosen to join the author of this article and pray to feel ill when I see these things being played out in the media - to pray for a Christ-like perspective.

And I am going to pray for Britney Spears and others like her. Will you join?

Long live the king of "Christian" rock and roll...

I know he wasn't much to look at, but for those of you who enjoy listening to music with a Christ-based message but that rocks and rolls, you owe Larry Norman a big "thank you". Larry was a Christian making music back before there was a "Christian music industry". Larry went home to be with the Lord on February 28, 2008.

As an outspoken christian on a secular record label back in the 1960's Norman's band opened for The Greatful Dead, The Doors, and Janis Joplin. According to his website... Time Magazine described him as "the top solo artist in his field." Billboard called him "the most important songwriter since Paul Simon." You can and should read more about his life at the bio on his website.

Larry was a good 10-15 year ahead of other early groups such as The Jesus People in reaching out to the current culture for Jesus Christ. Artists such as Randy Stonehill were unbelieving musicians with whom Larry shared the Gospel and took on the road with him. Larry also started a church in his home that later became The Vineyard Church, which later grew to several hundred locations, and Jew For Jesus, an outreach to Jews worldwide. His music has been covered countless musicians, both Christian and non-Christian.

What is your favorite Larry Norman song/cover? Mine is "Reader's Digest (covered by Johnny Q Public)"...with "Why should the Devil have all the Good Music" and "God Part 2 (for you U2 fans)" a close 2nd and 3rd. "I wish We'd All Been Ready" is good too.


CC

Women Lie Better than Men

Finally some science to support what we already know: women lie beter than men. In support of writing a book, "Little White Lies, Deep Dark Secrets: The Truth About Why Women Lie" Susan Shapiro Barash interviewed 500 and came to the conclusion that women lie "more cleverly and successfully than men"...but for good reason..."Women lie as a survival technique, but also to get what they want," said Barash. Well maybe not for good reason... sounds like for any reason.

All this lying is coming to the spotlight because of the Fox television show "Moment of Truth". It is a gross show that hurts people and appeals to our wicked hearts (like Jerry Springer). There is an article in the NY Post about, you can read it here.

What do you think? One additional question...are women better liars OR are men more trusting?

CC

Thought for the Day: Use Extreme Caution when Making Wine

The infamous Grape Lady Video.

HDR Picture to Share

Check out more pictures like this one here.

The New HIT of Reality TV... Cage Fighting!

Coming soon on your local CBS television station... (These quotes from this Reuter's news article explain the situation better than I can.)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - CBS is bringing mixed martial arts, the bone-crunching combat sport popularly known as "cage fighting," to prime-time television this spring, the U.S. network said on Thursday.

Branded as barbaric by critics in the 1990s for its lack of rules, mixed martial arts, or MMA, has evolved into a more mainstream sport that bars biting, eye-gouging, head-butting and strikes to the groin.

But fierce punching, kicking, karate, judo and wrestling moves -- with no protective gear -- are still very much a part of the sport.

Beginning in April or May, CBS plans to broadcast four MMA events each year as two-hour live specials airing on Saturday nights, a time period once reserved for such family fare as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart" and "The Carol Burnett Show."

Kahl said CBS would broadcast its MMA matches as they are already presented on Showtime, with no special rules or alterations to tone down the level of violence.

"It is a sport, and it has violent elements. So does football, so does hockey," Kahl said. "If an injury does happen, we'll try to treat it as tactfully and tastefully as we can. But it's not something we're going to hype."

As if there is not enough graphic make believe violence on our local television stations, now we get to look forward to hearing "stay tuned for your local 11 o'clock news following Cage Fighter 4."

So in your opinion, where is this all headed? What content will be on our local TV stations 10 or 20 years from now? What are the next boundaries that will be crossed?

Less is the new more!

I read this article in the USA Today online. It talks about the weakening economy and people cutting back- but also emphasizes that after years of lavish living people are starting to realize the excess in their life and desire a more minimalist life. No more bottled water, Folgers at home instead of $5 Starbucks, and Netflix at home rather than going to the movies. The article also mentions that it is harder for people to give up their small luxuries than it is top give up there dreams of having a fancy car or house.

I have to say that I think I am a total minimalist (which is in constant conflict with my better half). That is not to say that I do not indulge on small luxuries every once in a while, but being the one paying the bills means I realize how quickly an evening of entertainment out with the family can drain a budget.

Is less really the new more? Are people everywhere starting to cut back and realize there excess living? Is this a result of the whole "global warning" hysteria and people wanting to "reduce their impact on the earth- or are people just running out of money?

So I have 2 questions: is the "pending recession" having any impact on your spending habits and have you personally felt any "conviction" about the excesses in your life and made a effort to cut back? And if so, what are the first luxuries to go?

CC

It's the end of the world as we know, and I still have veggies!

Remember Y2K? Did you know people who stored water and food in their house anticipated the riots and carnage to come? The house we bought in 2001 still had the Y2K supplies stored under the basement steps. Anyway, global scientists are preparing for life after the apocalypse by storing plant seeds from all over the world in a really big freezer in Norway.

Do you really think this is practical? All the doomsday prophets have such a high view of themselves, they think that we can harm the earth and then later fix it by pulling leftovers out of the freezer! I wonder how much this cost...

CC

No Shoes, No Socks, Yes Smoking!

There are many different ways that we as Americans can show our displeasure with our government. Some of them lawful like a sit-in or a march. They become unlawful when they disrupt, cause damage or harm. And than you have people who think totally out of the box as written about in this news article coming out of Southern Illinois.

It seems that one Mr. Jon Hemminghous owner of the Wounded Rig, a boat repair shop, is taking the law into his own hands... or fingers. In protest of a no smoking law that Illinois lawmakers recently passed and went into effect on January 1st, Mr Hemminghous is having a good old fashion "Smoke In."

I have set with my family in enough smokey eating establishments to be grateful that smoking has been banned in many places - unfortunantly not where we currently live but that is another blog for another day. But I am not blind to the possible negative impact these bands have on places that a large number of it's clientele are smokers. What makes this article amusing - besides the nature of his protest - is that this guy owns a boat repair shop! How many customers are going to start going to another boat repair shop that accepts smokers??

Well, anyway, good luck and I hope the law takes it easy on you!

The "Christian Oscars"...

Here is an article I read about the Christian Oscars...it lists the top 10 "family" movies and the top 10 movies for "mature audiences". I have a couple of comments on this:

• Do we really need to further separate ourselves from society by creating a list of movies that Christians view as good? I fear this provides no value except making us look lame. It seems like we want to be part of show, just cover our eyes during the bad parts. I really enjoyed movies like "The Passion of the Christ"- they were made for a broad audience and they showed Jesus is a very "non-religious" way. I guess what I am saying is that Jesus salvation and God, and religion is corny and lame.


• Who determines what is "Christian" and what is not? To my knowledge NONE of these films have any christian content with the exception of "Amazing Grace". Also, I do not think I would want to kids watching all the movies on the family list...and sometimes the cartoons can be the sneakiest about adult subjects/humor.


• WHO CARES!!!

CC

Can You Imagine How Big the "To Go" Box Is??!!!!

Who needs the Big Mac when you can have this 135 pound burger from Mallie's Sports Bar and Grill in Detroit, Michigan! It'll only cost you $350 but imagine how many meals the leftovers will replace.

Of course, unlike the Big Mac which you can eat within 5 minutes of ordering, please call 24 hours ahead for this burger.

The Rock and Roll Episcopals starring the U2 Eucharist...

Here is an old article that I found on the Internet. I cannot find the original source, so you cannot go look it up for yourself...but take my word for it. It is long, but read it and let me know if you think this is a good idea or not. Personally I think this is pouring new wine into old wineskins, to use a biblical reference. It appear this church/denomination is trying to become relevant to younger unchurched people by playing pseudo-spiritual/christian music. Anything to draw a crowd. This is the thing that gets me...just share the message of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit will draw people to himself. I suspect that the message is not going out with boldness and people see a weak unstable message and avoid it. I LOVE U2, but these people seem so misguided. CC Foxy


Episcopal Churches Turn to U2 to Pack Pews- Fri Apr 14, 8:14 AM ET

As the electric guitar in the U2 anthem "Pride (In the Name of Love)" faded from four speakers, the Rev. Robert Brooks welcomed worshippers to Grace Episcopal Church with an unusual suggestion: He warned them to protect their hearing.
"If the sound's an issue, we do have earplugs available," he said.
Ushers handed out earplugs and fluorescent glow sticks for the "U2 Eucharist," a communion service punctuated by the Irish rock band's music. Episcopal parishes from California to Maine have hosted similar events, weaving U2's tunes laced with biblical references into the liturgy.
Streamers flew over worshippers' heads at the recent gathering in Providence. Children danced by the altar. Plasma-screen TVs illuminated the gothic sanctuary. Some people sang and clapped, while a few looked puzzled.
Brooks said the evening was designed to invigorate his once-aging congregation attracting young people and those interested in social activism. "We absolutely need to grow in order to survive," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT Weeks before the service, church members conducted what Brooks called "guerrilla marketing," posting fliers at coffee and sandwich shops, bars and colleges. About 130 people showed up for the Friday night service, roughly the same turnout as a Sunday morning. The event included an offering for local charities and enlisted volunteers for the One Campaign, an effort to alleviate global poverty backed by U2's lead singer, Bono.
A similar U2 Eucharist in November proved popular at All Saints' Church in Atlanta. Organizer Laurie Haynes Burlington said she and her husband planned on 300 worshippers. About 500 showed up.
No one tracks how many parishes have hosted similar events, but the service in Providence was based on a playlist created by the Rev. Paige Blair, a parish priest in York Harbor, Maine.
Her format has spread by word-of-mouth and on clergy e-mail lists. She's received calls from more than a dozen interested churches and helped put on the service in Providence. (Episcopal parishes seem to be the only ones that have latched on to U2 in such an organized way).
Christian Scharen, 39, a Lutheran pastor and professor at Yale Divinity School, said he's often argued to older colleagues that U2 is heavily influenced by Christianity. He wrote a book on the subject, "One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God," and says it doesn't surprise him that some congregations have caught on.

"People who have these liturgical resonances in their bones, they go to a U2 concert and they just get it," Scharen said.
Bono, meanwhile, has told interviewers that he worships God through music. He once belonged to an ascetic Christian community, and in February, he spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast. The band's early tapes were sold in religious bookstores.
Still, the band members are traditional rock 'n' rollers they swear, drink and sing about sex. It's also not known whether U2 endorses the services using their songs: Blair said she received permission from U2's publishing company to use the group's music, but never talked to the band. Representatives for U2 did not return phone calls seeking comment.
In Providence, Blair delivered a homily to pitch the One Campaign, which the Episcopal Church supports. She ticked off statistics about poverty and infant mortality in Africa, underscoring her points with equal parts Bono and Bible.
"If you're a Bono fan, you know the next line: Where you live should not determine whether you live or die," she said, then reminding worshippers of a Gospel passage warning that taking care of the needy is what will separate the good from the bad at the final judgment.
The opening hymn was "Pride (In the Name of Love)," an early hit. As the music played, pictures of famous believers including Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. flashed on a 10-by-14 foot screen set up behind the church's altar.
Several songs included in the service sound more like angry lamentations than hymns of praise. "Peace on Earth," inspired by a deadly bombing in Northern Ireland, questions why God won't halt human suffering.
"Jesus can you take the time to throw a drowning man a line," Bono sings.
Some Christians might not be able to relate to the shades of doubt and anger, but Blair said that struggle is evident in the Bible.
For example, Bono echoes the 40th Psalm in the opening lines of the band's song "40," belting out, "I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined and heard my cry."

Getting "the sex talk" from your pastor...

If you have not seen this article yet..you really need to check it out. A pastor at a church near Tampa, Fla, the Relevant church, has issued a challenge to his congregation: If you are not married STOP having sex for 30 days, and if you are married START having sex for 30 days.

The pastor is trying to show that habits are formed in 30 days or less, and that God's plan for sex is not being followed today. Sex helps strengthen marriages, and many marriages end because of a lack of intimacy between a man and a wife, intimacy that was designed by God. On the other hand, sex outside of marriage places intimacy in a context where there is no commitment, and that leads to hurt and pain.

To quote the pastor, "for far too long the church has remained silent of the subject, leading many people to believe God is against sex, which is completely counter to what the Bible teaches". The pastor said the married people are far more fearful than the single people...that is crazy.

I say, PREACH IT PASTOR, HALLELJAH!!!

CC

One Super Loss is Another's Super Gain

It's been a little over 2 weeks since the Super Bowl was played and for many sports fans in the United States, our attention has turned to college basketball's upcoming March Madness, the NBA All-Star Game or baseball's spring training.

In our era of mass consumption and instant gratification... the images that pass through our mind of the closing seconds of the Giants incredible upset of the Patriots includes grafiti raining from the sky as fans hold up the front page of the newspaper that declare "Giant Upset!" while players put on their New York Giant Super Bowl hats and shirts.

I believe that it would be safe to assume that for every one of those t-shirts or hats that those players and team officials put on that day, another thousand were already printed for fans to purchase the next day (if not later that night!). All for a team that wasn't suppose to sniff victory. Can you now imagine how many t-shirts, hats and other apparel were printed for the "Super Bowl Champion" New England Patriots?

For the past several years I have spent the third weekend following the Super Bowl participating in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine with our church's youth group. During 30 Hours our group and thousands of groups around the nation and the world fast for 30 hours while they raise money to eradicate 3rd world hunger. Millions of dollars have been raised by youth over the years! Millions and millions of people are alive today because of World Vision and the participants of the 30 Hour Famine.

So, by now you are probably wondering "what does the Super Bowl have anything to do with the 30 Hour Famine?" Well, according to this article World Vision, in cooperation with the NFL, has been giving the Patriot's "winning" Super Bowl t-shirts to poor children in Nicaragua.

The children are the winners," said Miriam Diaz, of World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization.

What may be considered as waste and useless in our eyes is warmth and love in anothers. Let us pray that our eyes are opened so that He may use all things for His Glory...

Looking good for Jesus- Sacreligion gone wild

I saw this article on Fox News today. Besides these products being ridiculous it seems to be making light of our God and Savior. Then I was wondering if it was in fact making fun of Jesus or Jesus' followers who seem to have obscure thoughts and priorities at times.

Question: do we Christians have a thick enough skin to see something like this and not think that the world is making fun of us? Maybe the world really is making fun of us and we deserve it? A fresh perspective may help us to see how we appear to the world around us.

I know that in many parts of the country and in many churches it is unacceptable to come to church unless you are dressed nicer than normal, kinda "looking good for Jesus", if you will. I have actually heard, "don't you want to give your best to God by dressing nice for church?" (Reminds me of the whole concept of Lent, but that is another discussion for another time.) There was no discussion of going to church for Christian fellowship, the building together of the body of Christ or learning more of God's Word...only that we need to look nice for each other. How foolish. Jesus always saved his harshest criticism for the religious, as we can see in Matthew 23:25-28. The Pharisees were so concerned about the outside, the external appearance, that they neglected the inside, which is where our heart and soul are located. We could be full of hatred and envy in our hearts, but if we dress nice and smile maybe no one will notice. Do we really think that we are fooling anyone? I think this is part of what has made Christianity so repulsive to so many people, superficial Christians that are more concerned about the external that the heart and soul of man.

Being a representative for Christ is about looking at the inside, the heart and soul of ourselves and others and, and not walking around making judgments based on appearances...anyone else stone cold guilty of this in their own way?

CC