Keep Lance Salyers in your prayers. He was fired for blogging.
H/T: Rev. Ed
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Scant Evidence in Louisiana Cult Case
It looks like local prosecutors and police may have overreached:
What is missing from the court case as it stands are the allegations of occult activity as the motive for the sexual abuse of children and animals, he said. No physical evidence of the occult, such as pentagrams drawn on the floor and spell books were ever found, Tangipahoa Parish sheriff's Detective Mike DePhillips told the court.
"You heard today that they couldn't find any evidence of the occult, so that is a dead issue," said Assistant Public Defender Reginald McIntyre, who represents defendants Paul Fontenot and Patricia Pierson.
What is missing from the court case as it stands are the allegations of occult activity as the motive for the sexual abuse of children and animals, he said. No physical evidence of the occult, such as pentagrams drawn on the floor and spell books were ever found, Tangipahoa Parish sheriff's Detective Mike DePhillips told the court.
"You heard today that they couldn't find any evidence of the occult, so that is a dead issue," said Assistant Public Defender Reginald McIntyre, who represents defendants Paul Fontenot and Patricia Pierson.
British Methodists Consider Blessing Gay Marriages
From The Guardian:
The Methodist church yesterday became the first big Christian denomination in Britain to offer the prospect of blessings services for same-sex couples.
Although adamant that such services would not be regarded by the church as marriages, officials admitted that they could well be seen as such by the couples themselves and by the wider society.
The Methodist church yesterday became the first big Christian denomination in Britain to offer the prospect of blessings services for same-sex couples.
Although adamant that such services would not be regarded by the church as marriages, officials admitted that they could well be seen as such by the couples themselves and by the wider society.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Living vs. Dead Constitutions
Jonah Goldberg wisely argues that the notion of a 'living' Constitution -- interpreted vaguely by judges to reflect the whims of passing generations --is dangerous to liberty. We small government types prefer our constitutions 'dead' -- fixed in stone, interpreted literally, and changed only through the amendment process:
The case for dead constitutions is simple. They bind us to a set of rules for everybody. Recall the recent debate about the filibuster. The most powerful argument the Democrats could muster was that if you get rid of the traditional right of the minority in the Senate to bollix up the works, the Democrats will deny that right to Republicans the next time they’re in the majority (shudder).
The Constitution works on a similar principle, as does the rule of law. Political scientists call this “precommitment.” Having a set of rules with a fixed (i.e., , unliving, etc.) meaning ensures that future generations will be protected from judges or politicians who’d like to rule arbitrarily. This is what Chesterton was getting at when he called tradition “democracy for the .” We all like to believe that we have some say about what this country will be like for our children and grandchildren. A “living Constitution” denies us our voice in this regard because it basically holds that whatever decisions we make — including the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments — can be thrown out by any five dyspeptic justices on the Supreme Court. In other words, the justices who claim the Constitution is a wild card didn’t take their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution in good faith because they couldn’t know what they were swearing to. [emphasis added]
Goldberg makes a good case that the viable status of the Constitution isn't a liberal or conservative issue -- it's a pro-liberty issue. And as we can see from Justice Scalia's recent Raisch opinion, conservatives has no particular interest in defending the Constitution from penumbra searches, either.
The case for dead constitutions is simple. They bind us to a set of rules for everybody. Recall the recent debate about the filibuster. The most powerful argument the Democrats could muster was that if you get rid of the traditional right of the minority in the Senate to bollix up the works, the Democrats will deny that right to Republicans the next time they’re in the majority (shudder).
The Constitution works on a similar principle, as does the rule of law. Political scientists call this “precommitment.” Having a set of rules with a fixed (i.e., , unliving, etc.) meaning ensures that future generations will be protected from judges or politicians who’d like to rule arbitrarily. This is what Chesterton was getting at when he called tradition “democracy for the .” We all like to believe that we have some say about what this country will be like for our children and grandchildren. A “living Constitution” denies us our voice in this regard because it basically holds that whatever decisions we make — including the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments — can be thrown out by any five dyspeptic justices on the Supreme Court. In other words, the justices who claim the Constitution is a wild card didn’t take their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution in good faith because they couldn’t know what they were swearing to. [emphasis added]
Goldberg makes a good case that the viable status of the Constitution isn't a liberal or conservative issue -- it's a pro-liberty issue. And as we can see from Justice Scalia's recent Raisch opinion, conservatives has no particular interest in defending the Constitution from penumbra searches, either.
Mayor Peyton's Statism Club
Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton is a clever politician who, upon taking office, initiated a children's reading program that gives him good PR. Mayor Peyton's Book Club is a city-wide program that promotes reading for young children. In addition to reading picture books to groups of children at public libraries, Peyton also hosts a weekly TV program in which he slowly reads a mock book aloud while the camera pans over illustrations.
The focus of the readings and illustrations are the wonderful things that the municipal government does to make Jacksonville a good place to live. In the illustrations, children look at libraries, police, and firefighters and admire their noble work for the public good. Isn't government wonderful?
That is the decidedly unsubtle tax-supported message of the program -- big government is your friend. To present a more balanced show, I would suggest that Mayor Peyton read a book that gives a different perspective.
Methodist Blogger Profile: Beth Quick
I grew up in Rome, NY – about 45 minutes east of Syracuse in North Central New York. I have been part of the UMC all my life. I have 2 uncles and 2 great uncles who have been or are UM pastors, so I guess it has been in the blood. I have a big family, and everyone lives within three hours of one another, except two stray cousins who are in California and Georgia.
I went to college at Ohio Wesleyan. (Isn’t Battling Bishops the funniest mascot ever?) and seminary at Drew Theological School in NJ. I’m a probationary elder in the North Central New York Annual Conference, where I serve as pastor of St. Paul’s UMC in Oneida (20 minutes from my hometown) and as the Conference Youth Coordinator.
Why do you blog?
For fun! A pastor friend of mine suggested trying it out in addition to my main website, which has my sermon archives and weekly lectionary notes. I had no idea what blogs were – so I checked several out online, and started mine last year. I really enjoy the ‘community’ of blogging, and I enjoy the information and news and ideas from blogs that I don’t find elsewhere.
What has been your best blogging experience?
Going to a conference in DC and having a gentleman from Texas saying, “are you the one with the blog?” Such a small world we live in!
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Pick a general genre for your blog to keep at least some sense of focus. Read other blogs in the genre and figure out what you like. Then, start writing!
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which would they be?
Aside from my brothers’ blogs (jockeystreet, timmyque, and toddwilliam), my favorites to read are Wesleyblog, Locusts and Honey (not even sucking up to the interviewer) and Hit the Back Button to Move Fwd. However, Dean Snyder’s Untied Methodist has also been moving up on my list!
Who are your spiritual heroes?
For contemporaries, I would say John B. Cobb, process theologian, my friend Julie, and Rev. Dr. Traci West, one of my professors at Drew.
What are you reading at the moment?
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, The Working Poor by David K. Shipler (excellent, excellent, excellent), and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams.
What is your favorite hymn and why?
Be Thou My Vision. I must confess that my musical background makes me inclined to be moved by the music as much as the text, and I just love the melody of this hymn. And the “heart of my own heart” part.
Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've changed your mind?
Gosh – I think I’ve changed at least somewhat in all of my views over time, but it has mostly been so gradual, it would be hard to explain. I used to think the intentional use of inclusive language was silly, but after watching a children’s time where the pastor said “fishers of people” and a little boy said, “I though it was “fishers of men!” I was converted to believe in this importance of inclusive language. I guess that change in my thought is the easiest to describe.
What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
I think it is important to combat views like those that hold God directly responsible for things as acts of punishment, such as God punishing America in September 11th because of gays and lesbians in the world, or God punishing Southeast Asia with earthquake and tsunami because of non-Christians. I think those views can be so harmful to people, their faith, and their relationship with God.
If you could affect one major policy change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
I would want to change our foreign policy and the current preemptive strike policy, and our general way or relating with other countries. That is the most immediate need for change that I see.
If you could affect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
I hope to see a change in issues of ordination and holy union for gay and lesbian persons, as well as removal of language calling homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching” from the Discipline.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly – take advantage of his offer!
What, if anything, do you worry about?
What don’t I worry about? I can be a worrier. I worry about my congregation, and whether I am serving them well, and if the church is growing numerically and spiritually, and if I visit enough people often enough, and if my prayers are too long, and if a new worship service will work, and, and, and…
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
Nope. I would love to know how things would have turned out differently if I’d made some other choices, but I wouldn’t change anything.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
Hm. By a body of water and near (but not in) a big city.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Taking dance lessons, reading, napping, jogging, spending time with friends and family, going to the theatre.
What is your most treasured possession?
My journals, which I have kept since the 5th grade. They remind me that I do change and grow over time.
What talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be able to dance and act. I guess if I ever leave pastoral ministry I want to be able to run away to Broadway ;)
If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner, who would they be?
Jesus, Judas Iscariot, John B. Cobb, and my late grandfather, Millard Mudge. (Jesus is a given, I think, so I took the liberty of including an extra)
Monday, June 27, 2005
Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup #19
Here's the Week in Review in the Methodist blogosphere:
James Gibson wrote about the need to tell people painful truth, even when it offends them, and that it's time to disband the UMC.
Andy Bryan wrote about Emergent and the future of the Christian church (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!)
Chris Morgan blogged about spiritual training as athletic training and his observations from a day in court.
At Bandits No More, Richard wrote about the importance of homosexuality as a matter of doctrine, convincing churches to change in order to evangelize, his assessment of the Emergent movement, and the need for a less self-centered understanding of what church is for.
Ben Witherington examined the philosophical underpinnings of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Beth Quick blogged about her chaplaincy experiences at a hospital.
Cole Wakefield wrote about the vows of Soulforce members.
At Connexions, Richard Hall blogged about the Christian preoccupation with sex, the realities of gay crime, and the murder by crucifixion of a Romanian nun. Joel Thomas wrote about the Kelo case and need for spiritual and moral healing, rather than physical (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!)
ConXian wrote that it's important not to let differences divide the Body of Christ.
Dave Warnock blogged about changes in the relationship between the Anglican Church and the Methodist Church (UK), the operating system OpenSolaris, the secret ordination of a woman as a Catholic priest, joining a list of bloggers in West Sussex County, understanding gender in Bible translation, memories of translating the Bible into Basque, and fisked Adrian Warnock (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!)
Dean Snyder interviewed the Director of Congregational Development of the Alabama-West Florida Conference and the Director of Congregational Development of the Western North Carolina Conference, which are among the few that are growing. He also examined the motivations of people entering and remaining in the ministry and the biological causes of church growth and decline.
Donald Sensing wrote about whether Bush is too good a Christian to be an effective war leader, the Muslim concept of martyrdom, overreactions to Koran desecration, eminent domain reform legislation, Administration accusations of Democratic treason, whether Bush will attempt to curm eminent domain abuse, eminent domain abuse in Nashville, fisking the WaPo, the risk to churches from eminent domain abuse, flag burning, and Koran desecration in Nashville.
Eric Manuel blogged about the need for tough honesty between pastors at annual conference.
Gavin Richardson announced that he is leaving one church staff position for another.
Gerry Charlotte Phelps blogged about Ronald Reagan's legacy, the impact of the Kelo decision on the housing market, eminent domain abuse, Karl Rove's controversial comments, and the return of normalcy in Iraq.
Grandma Jean reported on good news from Iraq.
Greg Lee blogged about the importance of being satisfied with being just a small part of the Body of Christ and the Methodist movement losing steam.
Growing Up wrote about making mission trips meaningful.
Jay Voorhees blogged about setting up a unique kind of early Sunday morning worship service and organization within the Emergent movement (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!) and gave a basic guide to setting up a website.
John Wilks wrote about the Kelo decision, admitting that we could fall to any sin, obesity as a sin issue, and the craving for power.
Jordan Cooper blogged about how technology is changing political movements.
Josh Tinley wrote about the advantages and disadvantages of blogging, literary respect for Harry Potter, asks for a definition of the emerging church movement, the future of the Iraq War, and evangelism by example rather than by door-to-door prostheltyzing, and the CBS show Rock Star.
Maobi blogged about domain name disputes, basic economics, Islamic terrorism in Thailand, customer service at Hong Kong Bank, Islamic terrorism in Malaysia, the prevalence of conspiracy theories in the Islamic world, driving in Malaysia, and the rescue of Australian hostage Douglas Wood. He also wrote extensively about Malaysian politics, of which I am ashamedly wholly ignorant and waaay too busy to research up to the level that I could understand the posts.
Progressive Christian wrote about the Supreme Court Ten Commandments case, Karl Rove's controversial comments, chickenhawks, salvation insurance (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!).
Theresa Coleman blogged about defining gender.
Scott Meier wrote about Christian jargon.
Shawn Richardson showed photos of progress in Iraq.
Stephen Fife wrote about the decline of the UMC.
Shane Raynor blogged about accountability in mainline and evangelical churches, Albert Mohler's views on the future of evangelicism (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!), Interpreter's story on Methodist blogging, and the impact of theology on church numerical growth.
Corrections? Additions? Do you know of a blog that should be added to the MBWR? Leave a note in the comments or e-mail locustsandhoney2005 at yahoo dot com.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
The Next Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup...
...will likely be delayed until late Monday night, or possibly Tuesday morning, due to scheduling conflicts.
UPDATE: I'm hard at work on the MBWR, off and on, when I can. I'm changing the order and now rolling down Shane's Methodist blogroll. I'm also keeping a manual checklist because I've accidentally skipped a few blogs in the past -- especially last week. In the meantime, check out what Dean is doing -- interviews and all sorts of analytical stuff. He is rapidly becoming an intellectual and informational heavyweight in the Methodist blogosphere.
UPDATE: I'm hard at work on the MBWR, off and on, when I can. I'm changing the order and now rolling down Shane's Methodist blogroll. I'm also keeping a manual checklist because I've accidentally skipped a few blogs in the past -- especially last week. In the meantime, check out what Dean is doing -- interviews and all sorts of analytical stuff. He is rapidly becoming an intellectual and informational heavyweight in the Methodist blogosphere.
Let Them Burn the Flag
In the Chicago Sun-Times, the great Mark Steyn argues that the new anti-flag burning amendment proposal is silly. It's better to let people burn the American flag if for no other reason than to reveal where they stand:
For my own part, I believe that, if someone wishes to burn a flag, he should be free to do so. In the same way, if Democrat senators want to make speeches comparing the U.S. military to Nazis and the Khmer Rouge, they should be free to do so. It's always useful to know what people really believe.
For example, two years ago, a young American lady, Rachel Corrie, was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza. Her death immediately made her a martyr for the Palestinian cause, and her family and friends worked assiduously to promote the image of her as a youthful idealist passionately moved by despair and injustice. ''My Name Is Rachel Corrie,'' a play about her, was a huge hit in London. Well, OK, it wasn't so much a play as a piece of sentimental agitprop so in thrall to its subject's golden innocence that the picture of Rachel on the cover of the Playbill shows her playing in the backyard, age 7 or so, wind in her hair, in a cute, pink T-shirt.
There's another photograph of Rachel Corrie: at a Palestinian protest, headscarved, her face contorted with hate and rage, torching the Stars and Stripes. Which is the real Rachel Corrie? The "schoolgirl idealist" caught up in the cycle of violence? Or the grown woman burning the flag of her own country? Well, that's your call. But because that second photograph exists, we at least have a choice.
Have you seen that Rachel Corrie flag-burning photo? If you follow Charles Johnson's invaluable Little Green Footballs Web site and a few other Internet outposts, you will have. But you'll look for it in vain in the innumerable cooing profiles of the "passionate activist" that have appeared in the world's newspapers.
Have you seen 'peace' activist Rachel Corrie before? The photo that Steyn is referring to is rather revealing. She was an advocate of hate and terrorism, and nothing more. I wouldn't wish death upon her, but her departure from this world was no great loss. You won't often hear of St. Pancake's pro-terrorist activities, which doesn't surprise Steyn:
Like those apocryphal Victorian matrons who discreetly covered the curved legs of their pianos, the culture already goes to astonishing lengths to veil the excesses of those who are admirably straightforward in their hostility.
Steyn reminds us that we are known by our enemies. If certain elements of our society hate us and burn our flag (or anyone else's), we should take it as a compliment:
I'm a Canadian and one day, during the Kosovo war, I switched on the TV and there were some fellows jumping up and down in Belgrade burning the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack. Big deal, seen it a million times. But then to my astonishment, some of those excitable Serbs produced a Maple Leaf from somewhere and started torching that. Don't ask me why -- we had a small contribution to the Kosovo bombing campaign but evidently it was enough to arouse the ire of Slobo's boys. I've never been so proud to be Canadian in years.
Via LGF
For my own part, I believe that, if someone wishes to burn a flag, he should be free to do so. In the same way, if Democrat senators want to make speeches comparing the U.S. military to Nazis and the Khmer Rouge, they should be free to do so. It's always useful to know what people really believe.
For example, two years ago, a young American lady, Rachel Corrie, was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza. Her death immediately made her a martyr for the Palestinian cause, and her family and friends worked assiduously to promote the image of her as a youthful idealist passionately moved by despair and injustice. ''My Name Is Rachel Corrie,'' a play about her, was a huge hit in London. Well, OK, it wasn't so much a play as a piece of sentimental agitprop so in thrall to its subject's golden innocence that the picture of Rachel on the cover of the Playbill shows her playing in the backyard, age 7 or so, wind in her hair, in a cute, pink T-shirt.
There's another photograph of Rachel Corrie: at a Palestinian protest, headscarved, her face contorted with hate and rage, torching the Stars and Stripes. Which is the real Rachel Corrie? The "schoolgirl idealist" caught up in the cycle of violence? Or the grown woman burning the flag of her own country? Well, that's your call. But because that second photograph exists, we at least have a choice.
Have you seen that Rachel Corrie flag-burning photo? If you follow Charles Johnson's invaluable Little Green Footballs Web site and a few other Internet outposts, you will have. But you'll look for it in vain in the innumerable cooing profiles of the "passionate activist" that have appeared in the world's newspapers.
Have you seen 'peace' activist Rachel Corrie before? The photo that Steyn is referring to is rather revealing. She was an advocate of hate and terrorism, and nothing more. I wouldn't wish death upon her, but her departure from this world was no great loss. You won't often hear of St. Pancake's pro-terrorist activities, which doesn't surprise Steyn:
Like those apocryphal Victorian matrons who discreetly covered the curved legs of their pianos, the culture already goes to astonishing lengths to veil the excesses of those who are admirably straightforward in their hostility.
Steyn reminds us that we are known by our enemies. If certain elements of our society hate us and burn our flag (or anyone else's), we should take it as a compliment:
I'm a Canadian and one day, during the Kosovo war, I switched on the TV and there were some fellows jumping up and down in Belgrade burning the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack. Big deal, seen it a million times. But then to my astonishment, some of those excitable Serbs produced a Maple Leaf from somewhere and started torching that. Don't ask me why -- we had a small contribution to the Kosovo bombing campaign but evidently it was enough to arouse the ire of Slobo's boys. I've never been so proud to be Canadian in years.
Via LGF
The Outcome of the 2006 Elections
Although the Democrats are doing tremendous damage to themselves by letting people like Sen. Durbin open their mouths, the Republicans are eager to join in the politically self-destructive behavior (enter James Dobson, stage far right) on their own end of the political spectrum.
The 2006 Congressional elections will not be about Iraq, the economy, personality, or issues. It will be won or lost based upon which party can do the most damage to itself in the remaining year and a half.
The 2006 Congressional elections will not be about Iraq, the economy, personality, or issues. It will be won or lost based upon which party can do the most damage to itself in the remaining year and a half.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Fiji Methodists March Against Gay Marriage
From Pacific Islands Broadcasting:
24 JUNE 2005 SUVA (Pacnews) - Methodists in Fiji have applied for a permit to stage a march tomorrow (25 June) protest against gay and lesbian marriages, Fiji Sun reports.
Organiser Reverend Malakai Tuikadavu, of the Nausori Methodist Church circuit, said this would not be a political march but "a faith march to show the people what we believe in."
He said it was sad to see through the media that other countries had allowed same sex marriages and that children had been able to see it through television.
"We could not allow this thing to happen around our community," said Tuikadavu.
"If we allow gay marriages and lesbian in, our country will be under a curse," he said.
Mr Tuikadavu said such an example of a curse that could happen to our country, would be a
tsunami like that, which hit Indonesia.
24 JUNE 2005 SUVA (Pacnews) - Methodists in Fiji have applied for a permit to stage a march tomorrow (25 June) protest against gay and lesbian marriages, Fiji Sun reports.
Organiser Reverend Malakai Tuikadavu, of the Nausori Methodist Church circuit, said this would not be a political march but "a faith march to show the people what we believe in."
He said it was sad to see through the media that other countries had allowed same sex marriages and that children had been able to see it through television.
"We could not allow this thing to happen around our community," said Tuikadavu.
"If we allow gay marriages and lesbian in, our country will be under a curse," he said.
Mr Tuikadavu said such an example of a curse that could happen to our country, would be a
tsunami like that, which hit Indonesia.
Methodist Blogger Profile: Grandma Jean
Grandma Jean of Grandma Jean's Opinions
I have five children and seven grandchildren. I am pastor to a two-point rural charge in West Virginia. That’s all I’m going to tell you. Don’t want to blow my cover.
Why do you blog?
I like having a place to put my opinions out before the world, and I like reading others blogs, especially bloggers giving the lowdown on Iraq.
What has been your best blogging experience?
Typing my “grandmajeansopinions” into Google and having it come up. Thanks to all you who have linked to me, starting with “guyinpajamas.”
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Be brief, post frequently, have something to say, use proper grammar and spelling.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
Who are your spiritual heroes?
Jesus Christ, John Wesley, and Jerry Flora.
What are you reading at the moment?
The Elegant Universe, Brian Green; Shadow Divers, Robert Kurson; Gospel Code, Ben Witherington III; Flame of Love: a theology of the Holy Spirit, Clark Pinnock; Smouldering Fire, D. E. Stevenson; Eastern Orthodox Theology, Clendenin; History of the Reformation in Scotland, John Knox; Treatise on Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards; rereading Christianity and Liberalism, Gresham Machen; The God Who Risks, John Sanders.
What is your favorite hymn and why?
And Can It Be
Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've changed your mind?
Abortion: because of the widespread abuse of abortion as birth control, I am no longer pro-choice.
What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
I don’t waste my time on stuff like that.
If you could affect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
The widespread attitude that freedom OF religion means freedom FROM religion.
If you could affect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church , what would it be?
Mandatory retirement at age 70.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Put God first. Everything else will fall into place.
What, if anything, do you worry about?
What, me worry?
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
Nothing that I want to tell the world about.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
I live in the best place there is, already.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Read, quilt, play guitar.
What is your most treasured possession?
I don’t treasure possessions, but I really like Internet access.
What talent would you most like to have?
Preach really well.
If you could have any three guests, past or present to dinner, who would they be?
???
UPDATE: Links to Jean's favorite blogs added.
Indictments Returned in Lousiana Cult Case
From the local ABC News affiliate:
AMITE -- A Tangipahoa Parish grand jury Thursday indicted on various counts of aggravated rape seven of the nine people implicated in a devil-worshiping cult accused of sexually abusing children and animals in a Ponchatoula church.
Following the reading of the indictments, 21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said all the victims of the sexual abuse discussed during Friday's grand jury session were under the age of 12 but he said he has not decided if the state will seek the death penalty.
Via Yahoo News
AMITE -- A Tangipahoa Parish grand jury Thursday indicted on various counts of aggravated rape seven of the nine people implicated in a devil-worshiping cult accused of sexually abusing children and animals in a Ponchatoula church.
Following the reading of the indictments, 21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said all the victims of the sexual abuse discussed during Friday's grand jury session were under the age of 12 but he said he has not decided if the state will seek the death penalty.
Via Yahoo News
Friday, June 24, 2005
Kelo Daydreaming
I can't help it -- I'm having fantasies about Justice Stevens' home being bulldozed to make way for a Dollar General. No, better -- a Lifeway!
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Teaching Blogging at Church
Quotidian Grace is blegging for curriculum materials and advice on teaching an upcoming Sunday School class on Christian blogging.
She has some interesting questions that are worth answering:
Since I've only been blogging for about three months, I'd love some comments from those of you with more experience writing a faith-based blog.
What would you include in a class like this?
How does your blog integrate with your total ministry?
What were your expectations when you began the blog and have they been met or changed by your experience?
She has some interesting questions that are worth answering:
Since I've only been blogging for about three months, I'd love some comments from those of you with more experience writing a faith-based blog.
What would you include in a class like this?
How does your blog integrate with your total ministry?
What were your expectations when you began the blog and have they been met or changed by your experience?
News from the Future
Oh, man -- you have got to read The Onion this week. Be prepared to rupture your spleen laughing.
The Downing Street Memo
Well, I've read the 'Downing Street Memo', which has been circulating the blogosphere for a while, and I'm totally underwhelmed.
This so-called 'smoking gun' shows nothing of substance, once you actually read the text and not just descriptions of the document.
What has the Left so upset is one section in particular which says:
C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.
So some guy at the meeting thinks that the Bush Administration was making a weak case for the war? What exactly is new about that? Lots of people think that the US was proceeding forward too quickly. That doesn't mean anything. If, in a meeting, I say that John Kerry fabricated much of his war biography, would that have any significance? Of course not.
Most of the document suggests that advisors close to Tony Blair thought that joining the US in this war was ill advised. Okay, we already knew that.
And that's it. Some guy in a meeting disapproved of the war. Yep. That's a 'smoking gun'.
The patheticness of the text is exceeded only by its provenance. British reporter Michael Smith was given them by an 'anonymous source'. Uh-huh. Where have we encountered this phenomenon before? Smith typed up copies and destroyed the originals (HT: LGF). How convenient that the documents cannot be tested for authenticity. I guess the press has learned something about covering its tracks. Congratulations.
Wheeee! Let's have fun with 'anonymous sources'. Look at this memo that I 'found'!
I wonder when CBS News will pick up the story?
This so-called 'smoking gun' shows nothing of substance, once you actually read the text and not just descriptions of the document.
What has the Left so upset is one section in particular which says:
C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.
So some guy at the meeting thinks that the Bush Administration was making a weak case for the war? What exactly is new about that? Lots of people think that the US was proceeding forward too quickly. That doesn't mean anything. If, in a meeting, I say that John Kerry fabricated much of his war biography, would that have any significance? Of course not.
Most of the document suggests that advisors close to Tony Blair thought that joining the US in this war was ill advised. Okay, we already knew that.
And that's it. Some guy in a meeting disapproved of the war. Yep. That's a 'smoking gun'.
The patheticness of the text is exceeded only by its provenance. British reporter Michael Smith was given them by an 'anonymous source'. Uh-huh. Where have we encountered this phenomenon before? Smith typed up copies and destroyed the originals (HT: LGF). How convenient that the documents cannot be tested for authenticity. I guess the press has learned something about covering its tracks. Congratulations.
Wheeee! Let's have fun with 'anonymous sources'. Look at this memo that I 'found'!
I wonder when CBS News will pick up the story?
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Methodist Blogger Profile: Gavin Richardson
Gavin Richardson of Hit the Back Button to Move Fwd
Why do you blog?
I started blogging because I thought had something to say. I found out pretty quickly I didn’t have as much to say as I thought & very few people actually cared to know as well. I believe Jonathon was the only one who cared. However, blogging has taken on a sense of a spiritual discipline for me where I process the happenings of my life, exciting or not. It’s nice to have people reading and contributing to the ramblings of my life, it’s like online discernment.
What has been your best blogging experience?
Two things come to mind but they are not single incidents. I’ve had a number of good laughs over the stuff written in my blog, generally when I write stuff before I think about it. I’ve some great relationships from blogging, meeting some fabulous people and gotten to know a few friends in a deeper way.
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Be honest about who you are, what you are experiencing, what you are passionate about. Don’t be consumed with stirring the bee hives of the world or gaining readers. I think people see through that ‘agenda’ & after awhile and it gets tiring, those that came will eventually leave.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
I’d probably say Jonathon (stphransus.blogspot.com), Jay (onlywonder.com) & my brother (shawn_richardson.typepad.com). These guys I know, and other than my brother who is in Iraq right now, I meet up with them all the time, so I might rethink this list later.
Who are your spiritual heroes?
Jesus, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, St. Benedict, Rev. Harlan Baxter (my pastor during my early spiritual formation)
What are you reading at the moment?
Currently reading, Postmodern Parish by Jim Kitchens, Practicing Congregation by Diana Butler Bass, volume 2 of Thomas Merton’s journal by TM, The Riches of Simplicity, stories of St. Francis by upperroom press, & carrying with me Exclusion & Embrace by Miroslav Volf
What is your favorite hymn and why?
Be Thou My Vision, hands down my fav.
Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've changed your mind?
I know what my feelings are towards the homosexuality issue with regards to pastorship are, however I’ve been consistent to say that I wish those who are more wise than I to help me discern this as far as the church is concerned.
What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
“God is Dead” by nietzche. Being in youth ministry I get questions from my youth that they feel that God is dead (they don’t actually know of nietzche) but I feel it’s a feeling more and more people are feeling comfortable to finally say ‘this is my view of God, but I don’t want it to be.’ So I see part of my role as a minister in helping people relate to their God that is alive.
If you could affect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
I’m pretty sick of the conservative Christian politic going on. I don’t think it reflects the view of the country, they are just the dogs with the loudest bark. I respect their voice, but it is getting out of hand.
If you could affect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
I sometimes get frustrated by pastorship that forgets their role as a facilitator of the church’s ministry. (there actually might be policy for this but..) I wouldn’t be at all upset if there were quicker system for removing/replacing/retiring pastors that abuse power. Throw into this pastors who go plain crazy but just get shuffled from church to church. Can we just get rid of these folks who kill congregations?
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
I once told a group of kids at a commencement address to ‘trust your heart.’ I have spent the past 20 years trying to be faithful to the things that God has put on my heart. It’s not always fun, but it’s been the best things. I’d add onto that though, to have people around you who help you discern God’s movements in your life. More practical advice.. don’t worry about what you major in college with, whomever hires you is just going to teach you which way they do it anyways.
What, if anything, do you worry about?
As an early childhood educator, I worry about the future of our society as we seem to take away our children’s childhood. I remember running around the neighborhood, fishing in a lake that probably didn’t have fish, climbing trees, sliding down hills on cardboard, going down a big hill on a big wheel and hitting the brake so you spin out and roll over, etc.. I fear for children who are over programmed & pressured to succeed by parents and a society that often forgets what it’s like to be a child.
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
I probably wouldn’t go onto burbon street during mardi gras. I lived though, barely.. other than that, I’m cool.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
I always wanted to live around a ski resort to be ski patrol during the winter and just mountain bike over summers. I used to be really good at skiing, however, since moving south I rarely go, so I’m not sure if I’d enjoy that or not.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Right now I don’t have spare time. I work a full-time job and a part-time job at a church (some might say there’s no part-time job at a church) along with various volunteer efforts. I’m a few days away from changing into a new job so I will be interested to see what I do with my free time as well.
What is your most treasured possession?
My two dogs, Coe & Crimson, are my treasured possessions. Coe has been with me over eight years now and Crimson I like to call my delinquent teenage daughter.
What talent would you most like to have?
One day I plan on being able to play the hammer dulcimer. I think they are wonderful instruments.
If you could have any three guests, past or present to dinner, who would they be?
Henri Nouwen, Mike Yaconelli, one of Jesus’s brothers/sisters (I think they’d have some hilarious stories, not contained in the gospel of thomas)
Why do you blog?
I started blogging because I thought had something to say. I found out pretty quickly I didn’t have as much to say as I thought & very few people actually cared to know as well. I believe Jonathon was the only one who cared. However, blogging has taken on a sense of a spiritual discipline for me where I process the happenings of my life, exciting or not. It’s nice to have people reading and contributing to the ramblings of my life, it’s like online discernment.
What has been your best blogging experience?
Two things come to mind but they are not single incidents. I’ve had a number of good laughs over the stuff written in my blog, generally when I write stuff before I think about it. I’ve some great relationships from blogging, meeting some fabulous people and gotten to know a few friends in a deeper way.
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Be honest about who you are, what you are experiencing, what you are passionate about. Don’t be consumed with stirring the bee hives of the world or gaining readers. I think people see through that ‘agenda’ & after awhile and it gets tiring, those that came will eventually leave.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
I’d probably say Jonathon (stphransus.blogspot.com), Jay (onlywonder.com) & my brother (shawn_richardson.typepad.com). These guys I know, and other than my brother who is in Iraq right now, I meet up with them all the time, so I might rethink this list later.
Who are your spiritual heroes?
Jesus, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, St. Benedict, Rev. Harlan Baxter (my pastor during my early spiritual formation)
What are you reading at the moment?
Currently reading, Postmodern Parish by Jim Kitchens, Practicing Congregation by Diana Butler Bass, volume 2 of Thomas Merton’s journal by TM, The Riches of Simplicity, stories of St. Francis by upperroom press, & carrying with me Exclusion & Embrace by Miroslav Volf
What is your favorite hymn and why?
Be Thou My Vision, hands down my fav.
Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've changed your mind?
I know what my feelings are towards the homosexuality issue with regards to pastorship are, however I’ve been consistent to say that I wish those who are more wise than I to help me discern this as far as the church is concerned.
What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
“God is Dead” by nietzche. Being in youth ministry I get questions from my youth that they feel that God is dead (they don’t actually know of nietzche) but I feel it’s a feeling more and more people are feeling comfortable to finally say ‘this is my view of God, but I don’t want it to be.’ So I see part of my role as a minister in helping people relate to their God that is alive.
If you could affect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
I’m pretty sick of the conservative Christian politic going on. I don’t think it reflects the view of the country, they are just the dogs with the loudest bark. I respect their voice, but it is getting out of hand.
If you could affect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
I sometimes get frustrated by pastorship that forgets their role as a facilitator of the church’s ministry. (there actually might be policy for this but..) I wouldn’t be at all upset if there were quicker system for removing/replacing/retiring pastors that abuse power. Throw into this pastors who go plain crazy but just get shuffled from church to church. Can we just get rid of these folks who kill congregations?
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
I once told a group of kids at a commencement address to ‘trust your heart.’ I have spent the past 20 years trying to be faithful to the things that God has put on my heart. It’s not always fun, but it’s been the best things. I’d add onto that though, to have people around you who help you discern God’s movements in your life. More practical advice.. don’t worry about what you major in college with, whomever hires you is just going to teach you which way they do it anyways.
What, if anything, do you worry about?
As an early childhood educator, I worry about the future of our society as we seem to take away our children’s childhood. I remember running around the neighborhood, fishing in a lake that probably didn’t have fish, climbing trees, sliding down hills on cardboard, going down a big hill on a big wheel and hitting the brake so you spin out and roll over, etc.. I fear for children who are over programmed & pressured to succeed by parents and a society that often forgets what it’s like to be a child.
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
I probably wouldn’t go onto burbon street during mardi gras. I lived though, barely.. other than that, I’m cool.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
I always wanted to live around a ski resort to be ski patrol during the winter and just mountain bike over summers. I used to be really good at skiing, however, since moving south I rarely go, so I’m not sure if I’d enjoy that or not.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Right now I don’t have spare time. I work a full-time job and a part-time job at a church (some might say there’s no part-time job at a church) along with various volunteer efforts. I’m a few days away from changing into a new job so I will be interested to see what I do with my free time as well.
What is your most treasured possession?
My two dogs, Coe & Crimson, are my treasured possessions. Coe has been with me over eight years now and Crimson I like to call my delinquent teenage daughter.
What talent would you most like to have?
One day I plan on being able to play the hammer dulcimer. I think they are wonderful instruments.
If you could have any three guests, past or present to dinner, who would they be?
Henri Nouwen, Mike Yaconelli, one of Jesus’s brothers/sisters (I think they’d have some hilarious stories, not contained in the gospel of thomas)
Outsourcing and the Destuction of American Jobs
Accursed free trade! What will the American worker ever do with our jobs flowing overseas?
Airbus Picks Mobile, Ala., for New Plant
WASHINGTON - The parent company of European aircraft maker Airbus, seeking to better compete with Boeing for a lucrative Air Force contract to build military refueling tankers, announced Wednesday it has selected Mobile, Ala., over three other Southern sites for a $600 million factory.
Via Yahoo News
Airbus Picks Mobile, Ala., for New Plant
WASHINGTON - The parent company of European aircraft maker Airbus, seeking to better compete with Boeing for a lucrative Air Force contract to build military refueling tankers, announced Wednesday it has selected Mobile, Ala., over three other Southern sites for a $600 million factory.
Via Yahoo News
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Why the UMC is Losing Members
Dean Snyder has an excellent essay on the subject, featuring this memorable line:
I do not buy the argument that numerical growth is proof of correct theology and decline is proof of wrong theology. If so, we should all become Mormons or internet pornographers.
The discussion in the comment thread is also worth reading.
I do not buy the argument that numerical growth is proof of correct theology and decline is proof of wrong theology. If so, we should all become Mormons or internet pornographers.
The discussion in the comment thread is also worth reading.
Teaching in Parables
Being the Savior of mankind is tough:
Jesus moved through the crowd, grabbing a sandwich from an unsuspecting bystander. "A certain accountant was visiting his mother-in-law in Capernaum. When he arrived at the gate, three small, yapping dogs attacked him, biting his ankles and sending him scurrying away. The accountant called the woman from the safety of a neighbor's house, but she did not answer the phone because the television was turned up too loud. So it is in the kingdom of God."
"Lord, that doesn't make any sense," said Peter.
Jesus moved through the crowd, grabbing a sandwich from an unsuspecting bystander. "A certain accountant was visiting his mother-in-law in Capernaum. When he arrived at the gate, three small, yapping dogs attacked him, biting his ankles and sending him scurrying away. The accountant called the woman from the safety of a neighbor's house, but she did not answer the phone because the television was turned up too loud. So it is in the kingdom of God."
"Lord, that doesn't make any sense," said Peter.
Virginia Methodists Vote to Divest from Israel
From the Virginian-Pilot:
Jun. 16--HAMPTON -- Representatives for Virginia's more than 340,000 United Methodists called Wednesday for their denomination to consider divesting stock in companies whose dealings with Israel facilitate the seizure of Palestinian land or the destruction of Palestinian homes.
The resolution was approved during the annual meeting of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, which ended Wednesday at the Hampton Coliseum. The denomination has 1,211 congregations in Virginia.
The measure was reminiscent of a resolution approved last summer by the national assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA. That action prompted criticism and concern among many American Jews who felt it unfairly targeted Israel and dismissed Palestinian violence.
I wonder if the Virginians would also care to critique the Palestinians' "Exterminate the Jews" policy?
Via Infotrac
Jun. 16--HAMPTON -- Representatives for Virginia's more than 340,000 United Methodists called Wednesday for their denomination to consider divesting stock in companies whose dealings with Israel facilitate the seizure of Palestinian land or the destruction of Palestinian homes.
The resolution was approved during the annual meeting of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, which ended Wednesday at the Hampton Coliseum. The denomination has 1,211 congregations in Virginia.
The measure was reminiscent of a resolution approved last summer by the national assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA. That action prompted criticism and concern among many American Jews who felt it unfairly targeted Israel and dismissed Palestinian violence.
I wonder if the Virginians would also care to critique the Palestinians' "Exterminate the Jews" policy?
Via Infotrac
Church of Scientology Condemns Tom Cruise
Unexpected blowback from Clearwater:
The Church of Scientology dealt an unexpected blow to actor Tom Cruise today, excommunicating the Hollywood star for being “too weird.”
In an official statement from Scientology headquarters, church elders said that Mr. Cruise’s erratic behavior during his ongoing courtship of former “Dawson’s Creek” star Katie Holmes was so bizarre that it threatened to reflect poorly on other Scientologists.
“The Church of Scientology likes to consider itself tolerant about the behavior of its members, but Tom Cruise has been acting like a total kook,” the official statement read.
According to Scientology insiders, Mr. Cruise began to alarm church elders last month, when he appeared on “Oprah” and jumped up and down on a couch like an insane person, proclaiming his love for Ms. Holmes.
The Church of Scientology dealt an unexpected blow to actor Tom Cruise today, excommunicating the Hollywood star for being “too weird.”
In an official statement from Scientology headquarters, church elders said that Mr. Cruise’s erratic behavior during his ongoing courtship of former “Dawson’s Creek” star Katie Holmes was so bizarre that it threatened to reflect poorly on other Scientologists.
“The Church of Scientology likes to consider itself tolerant about the behavior of its members, but Tom Cruise has been acting like a total kook,” the official statement read.
According to Scientology insiders, Mr. Cruise began to alarm church elders last month, when he appeared on “Oprah” and jumped up and down on a couch like an insane person, proclaiming his love for Ms. Holmes.
Scripture of the Day: 1 John 4:20a
"If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar..."
'Well, what about that guy. He's a total %$#@*&!"
Er, yes. Even him.
God can be really demanding at times.
'Well, what about that guy. He's a total %$#@*&!"
Er, yes. Even him.
God can be really demanding at times.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Changes to the Methodist Candidacy Process
Well, the Florida Annual Conference has come and gone and thankfully, there have been changes to the ministry candidacy process. As one beginning this ordeal, I am pleased. Even by UMC standards, the Florida Conference has an especially vigorous screening process because the applicant pool is large. Many pastors from other conferences are fond of moving down to this godforsaken swamp, as they otherwise cannot experience the joys of finding an alligator in your backyard, a watermoccasin in your garage, or spiders the size of your hand in bed. I suppose that our muggy weather is also an appealing aspect of Florida life and inspires these pastors to leave their snake-deprived parishes up north for our dear state.
What was I talking about? Oh, yes! The candidacy process. Well, it has been loosened up a bit, in three critical ways:
1. The criminal background search will remain in place. The random 'body cavity' searches, however, will cease.
2. The guidelines of The Book of Discipline will be followed. The Board of Ordained Ministry will continue to be the governing body over the candidacy process. The Board of Candidate Discipline (pictured below), however, will be phased out within the quadrennial. This move is expected to be controversial with mentors and Staff-Parish Relations Committee chairmen.
What was I talking about? Oh, yes! The candidacy process. Well, it has been loosened up a bit, in three critical ways:
1. The criminal background search will remain in place. The random 'body cavity' searches, however, will cease.
2. The guidelines of The Book of Discipline will be followed. The Board of Ordained Ministry will continue to be the governing body over the candidacy process. The Board of Candidate Discipline (pictured below), however, will be phased out within the quadrennial. This move is expected to be controversial with mentors and Staff-Parish Relations Committee chairmen.
3. The passing score for the Communion Wine Chugging Contest will be lowered to one quart per five minutes. An exception will be made for Candler School of Theology students who, due to the vigorous standards of their seminary, will be expected to consume an equal amount in three minutes (if you know Candler grads, you understand why).
Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup #18
Here's the Week in Review in the Methodist Blogosphere:
Dave Warnock blogged about the silence of the SunRays server, non-conservative perspectives on Christian living, test-riding a new bike, and remembering his father.
Beth Quick wrote about detainee treatment at Gitmo and the impact of religious diversity on church attendance.
Ken Carter says that Protestantism should be more than the religion of protest.
Jordan Cooper blogged about the legality of British bombing raids in Iraq before the war. Wendy (his wife?) wrote about a Christian failing to meet the needs of the poor in Haiti. (note: I tried to research who Wendy was and clicked on her apparent website. It is extremely work unsafe. No doubt a hacker's work)
Donald Sensing wrote about a former Marine, once a contractor in Iraq, now under arrest for attacking other Marines. He also wrote about the first woman to be awarded the Silver Star since WWII, Sen. Durbin's recent controversial remarks, and the US Army's birthday.
Matthew Johnson blogged about the Arkansas Annual Conference.
Gregory Lee wrote about the need to protect your heart through spiritual disciplines.
Jay Voorhees blogged about the Tennessee Annual Conference, the process of sermon-writing and the nature of the Emergent phenomenon.
Gavin Richardson wrote about effectiveness of door-to-door evangelizing and a local Catholic Church accused of financial improprieties.
John Wilks wrote about the advantages of fundamentalist eschatology, that Christians who live in safety should not expect that it will always be so, sacrificial giving and living, marriage in the afterlife, and what it means to be ready to defend the faith.
Wes Magruder blogged about efforts to stop cholera by the UMC in Cameroon.
Jonathan Norman wrote about an upcoming monastic retreat.
Scandal of Particularity got tagged in the book meme.
Dean Snyder posted attendance statistics from about half of the annual conferences (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!). He also wrote about parenting homosexuals and the Institute for Religion and Democracy.
Cole Wakefield blogged extensively on a gay teenager named Zach being held at a special camp against his will in order to turn him into a heterosexual.
Shane Raynor wrote about Bible translations, teenage homosexuality, Sabbath-taking, reviving the Methodist movement, and Bible study formats.
James Gibson marked the six-month anniversary of his departure from the UMC.
Andy Bryan blogged about the revival of the Methodist movement.
Gerry Charlotte Phelps wrote about the need for responsible fathers in our society and the autopsy of Terri Schiavo.
At Bandits No More, Steve Heyduck wrote about having faith in today's youth. Richard H wrote about clergy pensions.
Ben Witherington blogged about why Christians should see this summer's movies.
At Connexions, Richard Hall the environmental causes of Britain's recent floods, interfaith understanding, and new efforts to unify the Christian blogosphere.
ConXian wrote that the Department of Homeland Security is creating a lot of hassle with his adoption plans.
Inside Mike's Head blogged about why churches should be strict about weddings on their grounds and the sometimes frightening power dynamics of annual conferences.
Josh Tinley wrote about alleged bias on the Voice of America.
Dave Warnock blogged about the silence of the SunRays server, non-conservative perspectives on Christian living, test-riding a new bike, and remembering his father.
Beth Quick wrote about detainee treatment at Gitmo and the impact of religious diversity on church attendance.
Ken Carter says that Protestantism should be more than the religion of protest.
Jordan Cooper blogged about the legality of British bombing raids in Iraq before the war. Wendy (his wife?) wrote about a Christian failing to meet the needs of the poor in Haiti. (note: I tried to research who Wendy was and clicked on her apparent website. It is extremely work unsafe. No doubt a hacker's work)
Donald Sensing wrote about a former Marine, once a contractor in Iraq, now under arrest for attacking other Marines. He also wrote about the first woman to be awarded the Silver Star since WWII, Sen. Durbin's recent controversial remarks, and the US Army's birthday.
Matthew Johnson blogged about the Arkansas Annual Conference.
Gregory Lee wrote about the need to protect your heart through spiritual disciplines.
Jay Voorhees blogged about the Tennessee Annual Conference, the process of sermon-writing and the nature of the Emergent phenomenon.
Gavin Richardson wrote about effectiveness of door-to-door evangelizing and a local Catholic Church accused of financial improprieties.
John Wilks wrote about the advantages of fundamentalist eschatology, that Christians who live in safety should not expect that it will always be so, sacrificial giving and living, marriage in the afterlife, and what it means to be ready to defend the faith.
Wes Magruder blogged about efforts to stop cholera by the UMC in Cameroon.
Jonathan Norman wrote about an upcoming monastic retreat.
Scandal of Particularity got tagged in the book meme.
Dean Snyder posted attendance statistics from about half of the annual conferences (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!). He also wrote about parenting homosexuals and the Institute for Religion and Democracy.
Cole Wakefield blogged extensively on a gay teenager named Zach being held at a special camp against his will in order to turn him into a heterosexual.
Shane Raynor wrote about Bible translations, teenage homosexuality, Sabbath-taking, reviving the Methodist movement, and Bible study formats.
James Gibson marked the six-month anniversary of his departure from the UMC.
Andy Bryan blogged about the revival of the Methodist movement.
Gerry Charlotte Phelps wrote about the need for responsible fathers in our society and the autopsy of Terri Schiavo.
At Bandits No More, Steve Heyduck wrote about having faith in today's youth. Richard H wrote about clergy pensions.
Ben Witherington blogged about why Christians should see this summer's movies.
At Connexions, Richard Hall the environmental causes of Britain's recent floods, interfaith understanding, and new efforts to unify the Christian blogosphere.
ConXian wrote that the Department of Homeland Security is creating a lot of hassle with his adoption plans.
Inside Mike's Head blogged about why churches should be strict about weddings on their grounds and the sometimes frightening power dynamics of annual conferences.
Josh Tinley wrote about alleged bias on the Voice of America.
Progressive Christian wrote at length about the core values of Progressive Christians (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!). He also listed web resources for such people, John Danforth's recent statements on religion in the public sphere, and new scientific discoveries about Noah.
Theresa Coleman photoblogged annual conference and wrote about her father (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!).
Corrections? Additions? As always, this MBWR was composed in a rush. Leave a note in the comments or e-mail me at locustsandhoney2005 at yahoo dot com.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Santa Muerte Cult in Resurgence
My South Texas wife had heard of this bizarre, centuries-old cult before I read this news article, but it was unfamiliar to me. Apparently in San Antonio, Mexicans often display the Grim Reaper-like logo of this death cult on their cars. Her view is that it is more a display of machismo then an actual allegiance to this cult
NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico (Reuters) - A death cult that venerates a scythe-wielding skeletal figure is booming in Mexican border cities south of Texas where hundreds have died this year in all-out drug war.
The centuries-old pagan cult of Santa Muerte, or Saint Death, has sprung back up in Mexico in recent years and claims some 2 million faithful, ranging from elite politicians to kidnappers and gangsters.
The revival began in Mexico City. Now, roadside shrines to the ghoulish figure stud highways approaching the U.S. border around the city of Nuevo Laredo, where more than 45 people have been killed in the drug fight so far this year.
Craft stall holders and shops called "hierberias" that sell potions and other esoteric items are stocking up on skeletal talismans and statuettes of Santa Muerte, who resembles a gaudy version of the grim reaper.
Some stalls offer figures made from ground-up ox bones that stand three-feet (one-meter) high. Others sell discreet talismans, candles and amulets, which traders say sell faster than those honoring Mexico's much loved Virgin of Guadalupe.
The recent surge in popularity in Nuevo Laredo (just across the river from Laredo) has been attributed to the increasing violence in the drug war there:
Experts on the cult say its following on the border is being driven by the spiraling death toll there, as drug hitmen seek Santa Muerte's protection while they kill rivals.
"What better homage to Santa Muerte Could there be than offering her up several people every day?" said Homero Aridjis, a writer whose best-selling book on the cult is now in its fifth edition.
NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico (Reuters) - A death cult that venerates a scythe-wielding skeletal figure is booming in Mexican border cities south of Texas where hundreds have died this year in all-out drug war.
The centuries-old pagan cult of Santa Muerte, or Saint Death, has sprung back up in Mexico in recent years and claims some 2 million faithful, ranging from elite politicians to kidnappers and gangsters.
The revival began in Mexico City. Now, roadside shrines to the ghoulish figure stud highways approaching the U.S. border around the city of Nuevo Laredo, where more than 45 people have been killed in the drug fight so far this year.
Craft stall holders and shops called "hierberias" that sell potions and other esoteric items are stocking up on skeletal talismans and statuettes of Santa Muerte, who resembles a gaudy version of the grim reaper.
Some stalls offer figures made from ground-up ox bones that stand three-feet (one-meter) high. Others sell discreet talismans, candles and amulets, which traders say sell faster than those honoring Mexico's much loved Virgin of Guadalupe.
The recent surge in popularity in Nuevo Laredo (just across the river from Laredo) has been attributed to the increasing violence in the drug war there:
Experts on the cult say its following on the border is being driven by the spiraling death toll there, as drug hitmen seek Santa Muerte's protection while they kill rivals.
"What better homage to Santa Muerte Could there be than offering her up several people every day?" said Homero Aridjis, a writer whose best-selling book on the cult is now in its fifth edition.
This religion has its defenders. Searching through Infotrac, a subscription periodicals database, I've found an article in the March 4, 2005 issue of America's Intelligence Wire that records a protest of devotees against misconceptions of their faith:
Hundreds of Mexican devotees of Saint Death _ a quasi-Catholic faith that worships the skeletal figure of death _ marched through downtown Mexico City Friday to demand respect for their religion and its followers.
Holding banners reading "Respect Religious Freedom" and "We are not criminals or drug addicts," marchers drawn from some of the city's roughest barrios carried statues of the elegantly-clad Grim Reaper down the city's main boulevard.
[snip]
"In many parishes, they say our people are all drug addicts or criminals," said Juan Manuel Cortes, 27, who officiates masses at the main Mexico City death shrine in a crime-ridden section of the old downtown. "That's not true, but we also don't close our doors to anybody."
"They say we have some bad characters, but don't they also in the Catholic church, where they worship San Judas Tadeo?" Cortes noted, referring to an official Catholic saint, St. Jude Thaddeus, who has been informally adopted in Mexico as the patron of lost causes, thieves and police.
Lucia Sanchez, a street vendor who, like many on the march, carried white gladiolas in the procession behind the grinning skeleton shrines, said simply, "they should respect our faith."
[snip]
The faithful regard La Santa Muerte as an angel or saint who only kills based on God's orders. "It's better to make her you're friend," Almanza noted.
John Thompson goes into greater detail in a 1998 issue of The Journal of the Southwest. He describes it as a fetishistic religion:
In spite of her appearances in the United Stares, it's still much easier to find Santisima Muerte's image on the Mexican side of the border. In 1994, in the border city of Nogales, Sonora, I bought a Santisima Muerte pendant from a young girl on the street. "What's it for?" I asked. "Protection," she said. More recently, in April of 1997, I went to Nogales, again looking for Santisima Muerte in the magic stores. No problem: the saleslady at Yerberia Medicinales sold me Santisima Muerte soap, Santisima Muerte candles, Santisima Muerte aerosol spray, and a red plastic statue of Santisima Muerte about five inches tall, with magical seeds molded into its base. As I expected, she also carried the Oracion de la Santisima Muerte, in the same format I had seen years before in Magdalena.
This religion has also blended with nearby Caribbean faiths:
So we see that Santisima Muerte is a multifaceted image, an image that changes to meet the nee& of whomever is using it at the time. Interestingly, some vendors in the Mercado Sonora have recently initiated Santisima Muerte into Santeria, the Afro-Cuban religion making strong inroads in Mexico and the United Stares. Followers of this religion commonly identify certain Catholic saints with the orisha, deities of the Santeria pantheon, and several of the Mercado Sonora vendors who sell the paraphernalia of Santeria rituals told me they identify Santisima Muerte with Oya, the orisha who is "duena de la puerta del cementerio y diosa de las tempestades.... Ademas es la que domina a los muertos."(56)
I'll be glad to e-mail these articles to anyone who does not have Infotrac access.
Which Military Aircraft Are You?
| What military aircraft are you? B-52 Stratofortress You're a B-52. You are old and wise, and you absolutely love destruction. You believe in the principle of "peace through deterrence" and aren't afraid to throw your weight around.
|
| Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests. |
Hat tip: Bainbridge
Friday, June 17, 2005
Dean Snyder Exposed!
No, this isn't a low-end version of Girls Gone Wild.
It's the awful truth that the Methodist blogosphere needs to face.
It is possible that in the past, Dean may have been a peaceful, loving, neighborhood pastor, nurturing his flock. But no longer.
In betrayal of Christian principles, Dean has recently undergone full cybernetic conversion.
Where there once was a hand to greet vistors to Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C., now there is a railgun to blast nearby Republican Senators into bits.
The lightly-sunburnt skin of a Marylander has been replaced with titanium-alloy armor capable of deflecting a direct hit from the main gun of a M1 Abrams tank.
See those protrusions sticking out of his shoulders? Tactical nuclear weapons (not that there's anything wrong with that -- Second Amendment, remember?).
To those of us who know Dean, his recent decision comes as no surprise -- I mean, what sort of man keeps an office chair consisting entirely of human skulls glued together? The refusal of his terrified Staff-Parish Relations Committee to do anything about this growing menace has led to this present state.
To his credit, since this recent change, no one has sneaked out of the sanctuary midway through his sermons. And at the recent Annual Conference, he was very a 'persuasive' speaker.
But still, our bodies are supposed to be temples. Dean has made his into a Death Star. It's time for an intervention.
It's the awful truth that the Methodist blogosphere needs to face.
It is possible that in the past, Dean may have been a peaceful, loving, neighborhood pastor, nurturing his flock. But no longer.
In betrayal of Christian principles, Dean has recently undergone full cybernetic conversion.
Where there once was a hand to greet vistors to Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C., now there is a railgun to blast nearby Republican Senators into bits.
The lightly-sunburnt skin of a Marylander has been replaced with titanium-alloy armor capable of deflecting a direct hit from the main gun of a M1 Abrams tank.
See those protrusions sticking out of his shoulders? Tactical nuclear weapons (not that there's anything wrong with that -- Second Amendment, remember?).
To those of us who know Dean, his recent decision comes as no surprise -- I mean, what sort of man keeps an office chair consisting entirely of human skulls glued together? The refusal of his terrified Staff-Parish Relations Committee to do anything about this growing menace has led to this present state.
To his credit, since this recent change, no one has sneaked out of the sanctuary midway through his sermons. And at the recent Annual Conference, he was very a 'persuasive' speaker.
But still, our bodies are supposed to be temples. Dean has made his into a Death Star. It's time for an intervention.
Logical Consequences of Jury Nullification
Lots of libertarians support jury nullification -- the practice of a jury of acquitting a guilty party because it believes that the crime should not be a crime. For example, a jury supporting drug legalization might return a verdict of not guilty for a drug dealer whom they know is guilty because they think that drug trafficking should not be illegal.
Rationally, if a jury can behave this way, then it can also return a conviction for an innocent party because it concludes that that person should be locked away anyway. Now that would hardly be justice, would it?
Jury nullification has been used in the past, and not necessarily to good ends. How many all-white juries in the old South premised their verdicts for white and black defendants on skin color? Permitting juries to reason verdicts based on anything other than the letter of the law leads to such results.
So let's scrap the practice of jury nullification. When we want to change a law, we can follow the legislative process.
Of course, I say all of this aware that sometimes people are prosecuted for 'crimes' like sodomy and knowing that I would be completely unwilling to send a man to prison for such a charge, come hell or high water.
UPDATE: I'd especially appreciate the input of criminal attorneys like Quotidian Grace on this subject.
Rationally, if a jury can behave this way, then it can also return a conviction for an innocent party because it concludes that that person should be locked away anyway. Now that would hardly be justice, would it?
Jury nullification has been used in the past, and not necessarily to good ends. How many all-white juries in the old South premised their verdicts for white and black defendants on skin color? Permitting juries to reason verdicts based on anything other than the letter of the law leads to such results.
So let's scrap the practice of jury nullification. When we want to change a law, we can follow the legislative process.
Of course, I say all of this aware that sometimes people are prosecuted for 'crimes' like sodomy and knowing that I would be completely unwilling to send a man to prison for such a charge, come hell or high water.
UPDATE: I'd especially appreciate the input of criminal attorneys like Quotidian Grace on this subject.
People Will Steal Anything
Quotidian Grace has convincing proof of the Calvinist view of man's innate sinfulness.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
How Many Dogs Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?
A few selected breeds from a long list:
Border Collie: Just One. And then I'll replace all the wiring that's not up to code.
Dachshund: You know I can't reach the stupid lamp.
Rottweiler: Make Me.
Boxer:Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.
Lab:Oh, Me, Me!!!! PLEEEEEEZE Let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I?Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? PLEEEEEEEZE, Please, Please?!?
Hat tip: Jeff the Baptist
Border Collie: Just One. And then I'll replace all the wiring that's not up to code.
Dachshund: You know I can't reach the stupid lamp.
Rottweiler: Make Me.
Boxer:Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.
Lab:Oh, Me, Me!!!! PLEEEEEEZE Let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I?Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? PLEEEEEEEZE, Please, Please?!?
Hat tip: Jeff the Baptist
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Recommended: Christian Graphic Novels
As church librarian, I've decided to acquire a collection of Christian graphic novels. Three came in today, and they are simply mesmerizing. If you are a church librarian or a youth minister, I strongly urge you to acquire these titles:
There's a third title -- Unforgiven -- but I can't seem to find a link anywhere. Anyway, these graphic novels are amazing, especially Testament. Even by the standards of secular graphic novels it is extraordinary. No Christian cheesiness here.
So shell out $30 and add these titles to your church library collection.
Stubborn Reality
The good Doctor Horsefeathers has an opinion on Tom Friedman's new book The World is Flat and the social delusions that it represents:
It's just a pose, allowing Friedman to fulfill his primary function as an emotional healer whose higher task is to reassure the Liberal wordsmith classes of their own superior intelligence and goodness. There's no need for critical thinking with Tom Friedman around to offer Liberal cant in answer to real world problems, whether concerning Economics or War. The Muslim world hates us? Enemies actually want to slaughter us infidels? Close Gitmo and show what caring people we truly are. In the fantasy world of Liberal utopians we have no enemies, only potential friends who don't realize how nice we are. Have our war casualties been historically minimal? Well let's fight a war with no casualties at all. Then we'll feel so much better about ourselves.
Fantastic post -- read the whole thing.
It's just a pose, allowing Friedman to fulfill his primary function as an emotional healer whose higher task is to reassure the Liberal wordsmith classes of their own superior intelligence and goodness. There's no need for critical thinking with Tom Friedman around to offer Liberal cant in answer to real world problems, whether concerning Economics or War. The Muslim world hates us? Enemies actually want to slaughter us infidels? Close Gitmo and show what caring people we truly are. In the fantasy world of Liberal utopians we have no enemies, only potential friends who don't realize how nice we are. Have our war casualties been historically minimal? Well let's fight a war with no casualties at all. Then we'll feel so much better about ourselves.
Fantastic post -- read the whole thing.
You're Welcome!
From an Australian:
Thanks America
Where do I start? I've wanted to say this for a long time. It is unbelievable that America gets badmouthed all the time. America has helped the cause of freedom more than anyone else. First of all I'd like to thank America for saving Australia's butt at the Battle of the Coral Sea in WWII. This prevented the Japanese from landing here, and bringing with them the concept of "comfort women". I think Australia's nature is such that we would have sacrificed 90% of our population rather than hand over any woman. America's intervention meant that we were never required to make that terrible choice. Thanks America!
He goes on at marvelous length. Here's a choice snippet:
And then there's the fact that after 9/11, instead of nuking the entire Middle East in response, you instead freed 52 million people from state-slavery/holocaust/institutionalized rape, and then poured BILLIONS into those countries, on top of the BILLIONS that the war cost itself, plus the sacrifice of your countrymen. All while everyone is accusing you of stealing oil. I don't know why these ingrates don't thank you for all you have done. Maybe it's because they're ingrates? Maybe with education their children will thank you. Just like European children thank you. Hmmmm. Hmmmm. Nevermind about that. Let me thank you instead. Thanks America!
Via On the Third Hand via Inoperable Terran
Thanks America
Where do I start? I've wanted to say this for a long time. It is unbelievable that America gets badmouthed all the time. America has helped the cause of freedom more than anyone else. First of all I'd like to thank America for saving Australia's butt at the Battle of the Coral Sea in WWII. This prevented the Japanese from landing here, and bringing with them the concept of "comfort women". I think Australia's nature is such that we would have sacrificed 90% of our population rather than hand over any woman. America's intervention meant that we were never required to make that terrible choice. Thanks America!
He goes on at marvelous length. Here's a choice snippet:
And then there's the fact that after 9/11, instead of nuking the entire Middle East in response, you instead freed 52 million people from state-slavery/holocaust/institutionalized rape, and then poured BILLIONS into those countries, on top of the BILLIONS that the war cost itself, plus the sacrifice of your countrymen. All while everyone is accusing you of stealing oil. I don't know why these ingrates don't thank you for all you have done. Maybe it's because they're ingrates? Maybe with education their children will thank you. Just like European children thank you. Hmmmm. Hmmmm. Nevermind about that. Let me thank you instead. Thanks America!
Via On the Third Hand via Inoperable Terran
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Don't Judge Us By This Guy
Not all (l)Libertarians are as crazy as this guy:
MANCHESTER - A Keene Libertarian who tried to board a flight carrying nothing but a Bible and a copy of the Declaration of Independence was arrested yesterday at Manchester Airport.
Russell Kanning, 35, was arrested after refusing to comply with security screening procedures and refusing to leave the screening area, according to the Rockingham County sheriff's department. He was charged with criminal trespassing and was being held at the Rockingham County jail.
Although we do have a disproprotionate percentage of wackos in our ranks. You think that I'm nuts? Brother, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Hat tip: Wizbang
MANCHESTER - A Keene Libertarian who tried to board a flight carrying nothing but a Bible and a copy of the Declaration of Independence was arrested yesterday at Manchester Airport.
Russell Kanning, 35, was arrested after refusing to comply with security screening procedures and refusing to leave the screening area, according to the Rockingham County sheriff's department. He was charged with criminal trespassing and was being held at the Rockingham County jail.
Although we do have a disproprotionate percentage of wackos in our ranks. You think that I'm nuts? Brother, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Hat tip: Wizbang
Declaring Victory
Radley Balko:
Stacy Schiff whines in the New York Times about too many toothpaste options. Don Boudreaux takes issue with a few letter-writers who echo her complaints.
I'll say it again: Critics of capitalism once predicted that free markets would wreak mass starvation, depletion of resources, pollution, and death.
They're now reduced to bitching about too many flavors of mustard.
We've won the debate.
Leftist/socialist arguments against capitalism (or democracy or American foreign policy) mostly consist of whines that the system isn't perfect -- people get hurt. Agreed, capitalism isn't perfect -- it's just better than any other economic system that has ever been tried.
As Balko says, we've won -- conclusively -- and the proof can be found in the wifi at Marxist coffeehouses in Berkeley and organic vegan restaurants. Capitalism does the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Stacy Schiff whines in the New York Times about too many toothpaste options. Don Boudreaux takes issue with a few letter-writers who echo her complaints.
I'll say it again: Critics of capitalism once predicted that free markets would wreak mass starvation, depletion of resources, pollution, and death.
They're now reduced to bitching about too many flavors of mustard.
We've won the debate.
Leftist/socialist arguments against capitalism (or democracy or American foreign policy) mostly consist of whines that the system isn't perfect -- people get hurt. Agreed, capitalism isn't perfect -- it's just better than any other economic system that has ever been tried.
As Balko says, we've won -- conclusively -- and the proof can be found in the wifi at Marxist coffeehouses in Berkeley and organic vegan restaurants. Capitalism does the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
This is Torture?
From Time's report on interrogation at Gitmo:
Invasion of Space by Female: Over the next few days, al-Qahtani is subjected to a drill known as Invasion of Space by a Female, and he becomes especially agitated by the close physical presence of a woman.
This is torture? In high school I couldn't get girls to even look at me, but this guy is getting quality time with a female paid for by my tax dollars!
Anyway, it appears that al-Qahtani isn't thinking this martyrdom thing through. I mean, if he can't deal with being around one woman, how's he going to take seventy-two?
Via Lileks.
Invasion of Space by Female: Over the next few days, al-Qahtani is subjected to a drill known as Invasion of Space by a Female, and he becomes especially agitated by the close physical presence of a woman.
This is torture? In high school I couldn't get girls to even look at me, but this guy is getting quality time with a female paid for by my tax dollars!
Anyway, it appears that al-Qahtani isn't thinking this martyrdom thing through. I mean, if he can't deal with being around one woman, how's he going to take seventy-two?
Via Lileks.
Why Michael Jackson Matters
Unintentionally, he brings disparagement on the gay male community:
Whether he knows it or not, Michael Jackson has become an effigy. More than any other figure in popular culture, he represents the negative stereotype of the homosexual male. He is effeminate, quirky, secretive, artificial, and artistic. His best friends are women. He leads a double life, one public, one private, and by all accounts they are radically different. He had a childhood full of abuse. Most disturbingly of all, he is considered a threat to adolescent boys.
The effigy could scarcely be more perfect, because this is what middle America thinks of gay men, too. Like Michael Jackson, the stereotypical gay male is scarred for life, physically, socially, spiritually. Unless we do something to stop him, he will pass his abuse on to others. [emphasis added]
Whether he knows it or not, Michael Jackson has become an effigy. More than any other figure in popular culture, he represents the negative stereotype of the homosexual male. He is effeminate, quirky, secretive, artificial, and artistic. His best friends are women. He leads a double life, one public, one private, and by all accounts they are radically different. He had a childhood full of abuse. Most disturbingly of all, he is considered a threat to adolescent boys.
The effigy could scarcely be more perfect, because this is what middle America thinks of gay men, too. Like Michael Jackson, the stereotypical gay male is scarred for life, physically, socially, spiritually. Unless we do something to stop him, he will pass his abuse on to others. [emphasis added]
I'm a Large Mammal!
I never thought that I would rise so high in the Ecosystem when I first started blogging in February. Thank Frith you don't need talent, charm, or even a steady grasp of the English language to succeed in the blogosphere!
Just pecs so hard that you could crack walnuts 'tween them.
Just pecs so hard that you could crack walnuts 'tween them.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Gavin is Famous
So I'm going to shamelessly exploit his new found fame. Who wants a lock of authentic Gavin Richardson hair? The opening bid is $50.
Methodist Blogger Profile: John Wilks
John Wilks of A Preacher's Journey
Background
I was born in Midland, TX- a dusty boom town half way between Dallas andEl Paso which is most famous for producing George W. Bush and the McClure baby who fell down that well shaft in the 80s.
I was raised as a skeptical agnostic, but I became a Christian at 15, having encountered the Living Christ on a youth retreat in Dallas. When God called be into ministry at 17, I began to rebel and struggled with and often against that call for just about eight years.
At 25, I graduated from McMurry University in Abilene, TX with a degree inReligious studies. Three months later, I married Laurie, who I met atMcMurry, and we headed off to Asbury, where she and I both enrolled. Laurie went full time while I took some classes and worked.
After Laurie graduated, we moved several times. We were living in WichitaFalls, TX when our son Benjamin Jordan Wilks came into the world. Ben is a gift from God. (Doctors had told us that we'd never have children- at least not without complicated medical help. Ben was a complete surprise!) Every time I see him smile, I am praise God!
A few months later, I became eligible of appointment as a local pastor, which lead us to Whitesboro. I am beginning my second year under appointment here as the associate pastor and youth director and I am still slowly plugging my way through seminary thanks to Asbury's Extended Learning program. Laurie is now a special education teacher in a neighboring town, and Ben, now eighteen months old, is discovering a new world every day.
Why do you blog?
When I was received my first appointment in pastoral ministry last June, it became apparent to me that I needed to become more consistent in my own spiritual disciplines if I am going to be able to serve as I should. Now, I have tried for years to incorporate journaling as a discipline and failed. Somehow, though, the blog format works for me. And to my great surprise, others have started reading it too. I joke about having four readers because when I started, I figured that my wife, my sister, and a couple of old friends would be the only people who ever read the thing.
At first, my blog was just a place to vent ideas which indirectly came out of my daily prayer and study practices. But now, most of my posts are direct reflections on one of the passages from the daily lectionary. WhenI get into the office, I work through my Morning Prayer (I use the online Mission of St. Clare, which uses the Book of Common Prayer for its base) and then I go back, pick a text, and start writing.
What has been your best blogging experience?
It is hard to pin one down. Really, most of my posts are tied to my devotional life, so I see the highlights as the days when God works me through some issue that I have been neglecting. Reading through a daily lectionary makes you open to whatever God might say through those passages - and since I don't get to pick the passages, I can't just avoid sticky issues.
In reading the comments (and given the nature my blog, I don't get many) and in the e-mails some folks have sent me, I have been touched to see that other people have shared that experience of looking at the Bible or the Christian life in a new way by taking these texts as they come in the lectionary and looking for God in them. I am grateful for the shared experience.
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Blogging is a no-rules genre. You can write cute, two-line posts, or page after page. So don't worry about style - just write what you like to write. Most of all, do it for the glory of God, and what ever comes of it, you won't be disappointed.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
I've a Wesley Blog addict, so that would be there. I also enjoy Asbury Seminary's web parish a great deal, and my wife (who is a much better writer than I am) is developing a blog which I read and help her design. When she's ready to go public with it, I plan to do a write-up on my blog about it.
Of course, if it is Monday, I'm reading Locust and Honey no matter what else I might have on the agenda. I'd give up Wesley Blog or Web Parish for the round up any and every week.
Who are your spiritual heroes?
Patrick of Ireland, John Wesley, Rich Mullins, Teresa of Calcutta, Hugh B.Daniel (my pastor when I first became a Christian,) Corrie Ten Boom, C.S.Lewis, and Nehemiah.
What are you reading at the moment?
I just started in on Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson.
What is your favorite hymn and why?
"And Can It Be" by Charles Wesley.
Besides being the official hymn of Asbury Seminary, just read the lyrics!
I love the imagery of verse four:
Background
I was born in Midland, TX- a dusty boom town half way between Dallas andEl Paso which is most famous for producing George W. Bush and the McClure baby who fell down that well shaft in the 80s.
I was raised as a skeptical agnostic, but I became a Christian at 15, having encountered the Living Christ on a youth retreat in Dallas. When God called be into ministry at 17, I began to rebel and struggled with and often against that call for just about eight years.
At 25, I graduated from McMurry University in Abilene, TX with a degree inReligious studies. Three months later, I married Laurie, who I met atMcMurry, and we headed off to Asbury, where she and I both enrolled. Laurie went full time while I took some classes and worked.
After Laurie graduated, we moved several times. We were living in WichitaFalls, TX when our son Benjamin Jordan Wilks came into the world. Ben is a gift from God. (Doctors had told us that we'd never have children- at least not without complicated medical help. Ben was a complete surprise!) Every time I see him smile, I am praise God!
A few months later, I became eligible of appointment as a local pastor, which lead us to Whitesboro. I am beginning my second year under appointment here as the associate pastor and youth director and I am still slowly plugging my way through seminary thanks to Asbury's Extended Learning program. Laurie is now a special education teacher in a neighboring town, and Ben, now eighteen months old, is discovering a new world every day.
Why do you blog?
When I was received my first appointment in pastoral ministry last June, it became apparent to me that I needed to become more consistent in my own spiritual disciplines if I am going to be able to serve as I should. Now, I have tried for years to incorporate journaling as a discipline and failed. Somehow, though, the blog format works for me. And to my great surprise, others have started reading it too. I joke about having four readers because when I started, I figured that my wife, my sister, and a couple of old friends would be the only people who ever read the thing.
At first, my blog was just a place to vent ideas which indirectly came out of my daily prayer and study practices. But now, most of my posts are direct reflections on one of the passages from the daily lectionary. WhenI get into the office, I work through my Morning Prayer (I use the online Mission of St. Clare, which uses the Book of Common Prayer for its base) and then I go back, pick a text, and start writing.
What has been your best blogging experience?
It is hard to pin one down. Really, most of my posts are tied to my devotional life, so I see the highlights as the days when God works me through some issue that I have been neglecting. Reading through a daily lectionary makes you open to whatever God might say through those passages - and since I don't get to pick the passages, I can't just avoid sticky issues.
In reading the comments (and given the nature my blog, I don't get many) and in the e-mails some folks have sent me, I have been touched to see that other people have shared that experience of looking at the Bible or the Christian life in a new way by taking these texts as they come in the lectionary and looking for God in them. I am grateful for the shared experience.
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Blogging is a no-rules genre. You can write cute, two-line posts, or page after page. So don't worry about style - just write what you like to write. Most of all, do it for the glory of God, and what ever comes of it, you won't be disappointed.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
I've a Wesley Blog addict, so that would be there. I also enjoy Asbury Seminary's web parish a great deal, and my wife (who is a much better writer than I am) is developing a blog which I read and help her design. When she's ready to go public with it, I plan to do a write-up on my blog about it.
Of course, if it is Monday, I'm reading Locust and Honey no matter what else I might have on the agenda. I'd give up Wesley Blog or Web Parish for the round up any and every week.
Who are your spiritual heroes?
Patrick of Ireland, John Wesley, Rich Mullins, Teresa of Calcutta, Hugh B.Daniel (my pastor when I first became a Christian,) Corrie Ten Boom, C.S.Lewis, and Nehemiah.
What are you reading at the moment?
I just started in on Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson.
What is your favorite hymn and why?
"And Can It Be" by Charles Wesley.
Besides being the official hymn of Asbury Seminary, just read the lyrics!
I love the imagery of verse four:
"Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee."
Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've changed your mind?
I can name several. I was once for the death penalty, I've been on both sides of the abortion issue, and I've wrestled mightily with the "just war" concept and with issues of human sexuality. (For the record, I am"pro-life" both on the death penalty and the unborn, I am against Christian participation in war, and I uphold traditional Biblical views on sex and sexuality.)
What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
In terms of evangelism, relativism has to be the biggest issue. Relativism and monotheism are flatly incompatible. Besides, relativism, when it gets passed academia and into practice, becomes "might makes right" and opens the door for great oppression and injustice.
If you could affect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
We need a viable third party badly, even if only for two or three election cycles, to stop this downward cycle of political viciousness we see taking place.
If you could affect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
For the most part, our Discipline as it stands works just fine. The problem is when folks try to ignore the rules, like the far left with sexuality issues and the far right with the trust clause.
One change I'd love to see is in educational requirements for Elders. Seminary is getting to be so expensive, and Masters of Divinity degree plans keep getting longer and longer. Persons over 30 who a) have children and b) are under pastoral appointment should have the option to enter course of study or substitute a M.A. in Biblical studies for an M.Div. But I'll admit, my thoughts on this are a bit self-serving.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Seek first God's Kingdom and His Righteousness, and everything else will take care of itself. (OK, so it isn't my advice, it's Jesus'. But His advice beats mine every time.)
What, if anything, do you worry about?
I try not to worry because it is counter productive. When I do worry, I worry about the decadency of American Christianity (and that includes me.) Self indulgence is not a mark of the Christian life, but it is something that I struggle with and something which seem pervasive in our churches.
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
There are many decisions I regret because of the harm I caused. But God uses me where I am, so I don't spend much time fretting over the past. That's what grace is for.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
Abilene, TX.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I enjoy hearing and making music, I love to cook, and I like to travel. But most of all, I love to spend time with my wife and my son and our whole family.
What is your most treasured possession?
Materialistic true confession time, eh? I'd have to say my guitars.
What talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be a good singer.
If you could have any three guests, past or present to dinner, who would they be?
Rich Mullins, Francis of Assisi, and Patrick of Ireland
Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup #17
Here's the Week in Review in the Methodist blogosphere:
Dave Warnock expounded on the dynamic of smallness in churches and in doing so responds to conservative assertions that liberal churches are shrinking or do not grow. He also wrote about the way that the Church responds to poverty.
Beth Quick directed us to an interview with a celebrity who wrestles with his Christian faith. She also informed readers on how her love of theatre and her ministry are intertwined and blogged about attending annual conference.
Theresa Coleman did some lovely photoblogging at the beach, gave a detailed description of a perfect day, and compares a post-surgical infection experience with the process of grief (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!)
Jordan Cooper brings us the terrible news that he has been diagnosed with diabetes. Please pray for him and his family. He also wrote on the future of the Emergent movement.
Donald Sensing wrote that the right to bear arms is an essential human right -- and the only effective way to prevent genocide. He also marked the anniversary of the Battle of Midway and mused how war reporting has changed since then.
Matthew Johnson is puzzled over the meaning of righteousness as expressed in Paul's Letter to the Romans.
At Connexions, Richard Hall blogged about British legislation to ban blasphemy against different religions, the secret editing of White House global warming reports, and scientific proof of global warming. Joel Thomas blogged about his experience with circumcision and how Christians needlessly exclude people who are different.
Gavin Richardson wrote about Mike Tyson as a missionary, his first professional quotation, and the ecclesiology in the hymn "We Are the Church."
Gregory Lee blogged about different Bible translations and what it means to be Methodist and evangelical.
Jeff Lutz wrote about efforts to reduce federal funding for the National Weather Service.
Jay Voorhees blogged about efforts to change the way that representation is proportioned on UMC boards and agencies.
John Wilks wrote about Jesus and Hell, coming to grips with his Christian faith and the necessity of war (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!), discerning if God's will and revival is active in a congregation and a denomination, and Annual Conference.
Wes Magruder wrote about a United Methodist pastor/inmate at a Cameroonian prison (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!) and the importance of pastoral integrity.
Jonathan Norman's been playing with Photoshop and theology again.
Scandal of Particularity blogged about meaningful prayer for the poor.
Dean Snyder analyzed efforts to change representation proportionality in the UMC (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!), interviewed pastor and evangelist James Farmer, and wrote about the nature of revival within mainline churches.
Shane Raynor wrote about liberal-conservative struggles within mainline churches, political speechifying in the UMC, the purpose of interfaith dialogue, and growing liberal congregations.
James Gibson blogged about the arrogance of the US Senate.
Andy Bryan wrote about the social behavior of the US House Judiciary Committee and his experience visiting with Alzheimer's patients.
Steve Heyduck at Bandits No More wrote about the theology of "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors." He also wrote about the importance of answering questions to make progress in any organization. Richard H wrote about the appeal of conservative Christianity.
ConXian blogged about keeping faith in God during the barren years (Genesis 18:1-15). He also wrote extensively on the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference.
Josh Tinley wrote about the need for a higher minimum wage, disagreeing with other Christians while remaining civil, questions on global warming, African Anglican congregations turning away donations from liberal American Episcopalian churches, and the re-election of Sen. Richard Lugar.
Progressive Christian blogged about balancing the need for justice with the need for charity in helping the poor and oppressed.
Thoughts from an Earthen Vessel wrote that Wesleyan holiness does not equal social justice.
Additions or Corrections?
Do you know of a blog that should be added to the MBWR?
Leave a note in the comments or e-mail me at locustsandhoney2005 at yahoo dot com.
Dave Warnock expounded on the dynamic of smallness in churches and in doing so responds to conservative assertions that liberal churches are shrinking or do not grow. He also wrote about the way that the Church responds to poverty.
Beth Quick directed us to an interview with a celebrity who wrestles with his Christian faith. She also informed readers on how her love of theatre and her ministry are intertwined and blogged about attending annual conference.
Theresa Coleman did some lovely photoblogging at the beach, gave a detailed description of a perfect day, and compares a post-surgical infection experience with the process of grief (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!)
Jordan Cooper brings us the terrible news that he has been diagnosed with diabetes. Please pray for him and his family. He also wrote on the future of the Emergent movement.
Donald Sensing wrote that the right to bear arms is an essential human right -- and the only effective way to prevent genocide. He also marked the anniversary of the Battle of Midway and mused how war reporting has changed since then.
Matthew Johnson is puzzled over the meaning of righteousness as expressed in Paul's Letter to the Romans.
At Connexions, Richard Hall blogged about British legislation to ban blasphemy against different religions, the secret editing of White House global warming reports, and scientific proof of global warming. Joel Thomas blogged about his experience with circumcision and how Christians needlessly exclude people who are different.
Gavin Richardson wrote about Mike Tyson as a missionary, his first professional quotation, and the ecclesiology in the hymn "We Are the Church."
Gregory Lee blogged about different Bible translations and what it means to be Methodist and evangelical.
Jeff Lutz wrote about efforts to reduce federal funding for the National Weather Service.
Jay Voorhees blogged about efforts to change the way that representation is proportioned on UMC boards and agencies.
John Wilks wrote about Jesus and Hell, coming to grips with his Christian faith and the necessity of war (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!), discerning if God's will and revival is active in a congregation and a denomination, and Annual Conference.
Wes Magruder wrote about a United Methodist pastor/inmate at a Cameroonian prison (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!) and the importance of pastoral integrity.
Jonathan Norman's been playing with Photoshop and theology again.
Scandal of Particularity blogged about meaningful prayer for the poor.
Dean Snyder analyzed efforts to change representation proportionality in the UMC (Best of the Methodist blogosphere!), interviewed pastor and evangelist James Farmer, and wrote about the nature of revival within mainline churches.
Shane Raynor wrote about liberal-conservative struggles within mainline churches, political speechifying in the UMC, the purpose of interfaith dialogue, and growing liberal congregations.
James Gibson blogged about the arrogance of the US Senate.
Andy Bryan wrote about the social behavior of the US House Judiciary Committee and his experience visiting with Alzheimer's patients.
Steve Heyduck at Bandits No More wrote about the theology of "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors." He also wrote about the importance of answering questions to make progress in any organization. Richard H wrote about the appeal of conservative Christianity.
ConXian blogged about keeping faith in God during the barren years (Genesis 18:1-15). He also wrote extensively on the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference.
Josh Tinley wrote about the need for a higher minimum wage, disagreeing with other Christians while remaining civil, questions on global warming, African Anglican congregations turning away donations from liberal American Episcopalian churches, and the re-election of Sen. Richard Lugar.
Progressive Christian blogged about balancing the need for justice with the need for charity in helping the poor and oppressed.
Thoughts from an Earthen Vessel wrote that Wesleyan holiness does not equal social justice.
Additions or Corrections?
Do you know of a blog that should be added to the MBWR?
Leave a note in the comments or e-mail me at locustsandhoney2005 at yahoo dot com.
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