-- George A. Buttrick
The Christian Fact and Modern Doubt
-- Thomas H. Green, S.J.
When the Well Runs Dry
-- Teresa of Avila quoted by Thomas H. Green, S.J. in
When the Well Runs Dry
-- Madeleine L'Engle
Walking on Water
-- Helen Steiner Rice quoted in SoJo Mail
Dear editor:
A friend recently sent me a photo from the Internet that shows Sen. Obama not saluting during the National Anthem. It is my understanding that he is a devout Muslim and that he refused to be sworn in on the Holy Bible – a 200-year old tradition – when he became a senator for his state. Instead, he took his oath of office on the Koran, the Islamic bible.
Now he is a frontrunner for the highest office in the land and I’m wondering, should he win the presidency, will he be allowed to be sworn in on that document as well? If he is, then our country will have reached an all-time low. He will not be a president who will uphold our Constitution, our history, nor our way of life. He will defend his own Islamic principles and lead the United States into accepting them as well, or he will not be a true Muslim.
If that awful scenario comes true, then all of our soldiers would have died for nothing. The brave people of Sept. 11 would become so much fodder under the heels of Obama. With all the prophecies of the Christian Bible coming true, it may very well be that Sen. Obama could be the "Beast" of the Book of Revelation!
Far fetched, you say? Look at the way our country is heading. Congress and other political heads are running scared by declaring God is not important in the life of this great country. They don’t want to offend the Muslims moving here! President Ronald Reagan said it best: "If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."The Rev. Donald Cunningham Hot Springs
The Rev. Donald Cunningham should check his facts before writing to the editor. A quick check of published records would have revealed that a) Sen. Obama is a Christian b) the "photo from the Internet" was actually taken during the national anthem (saluting is not the norm during the national anthem) and c) Obama did not take the oath of office on the Koran.
Jesus instructed his followers to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Mt. 10:16) Too often we tend rather to be "venomous as vipers and dumb as dodos." Rev. Cunningham's letter is an example of this tendency. Unscrupulous political power mongers have taken advantage of our gullibility to propagate untruths, sow fear and elicit support for their chosen candidates. As "sheep in the midst of wolves" (Mt. 10:16), we must not allow ourselves to be misled and manipulated.
A suggestion to Rev. Cunningham: When you attach the title Rev. to your name you proclaim yourself to be an "ambassador for Christ" (2 Cor. 5:20). You are called to be His representative. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect . . ." (1 Pet 3:15). Be a testimony of hope. Leave the fear mongering to representatives of someone other than Christ. During this election season there will be an abundance of slander and fear tactics provided. However, remember, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 Jn 4:18) Do not succumb to those sowing fear. Rather, "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Mt 5:16)
A suggestion to the editorial staff of the Sentinel-Record: Continue your excellent job of providing a platform for the expression of diverse opinions. However, you should develop a policy for providing a disclaimer to accompany letters to the editor and opinion pieces when they present factual errors or falsehoods. This should not be an attack on the views presented but a warning that certain factual inaccuracies are included in the presentation of the writer's position. You have better resources to check facts than the average reader. A responsible press has the obligation to enable readers to make judgments based upon accurate facts and not half-truths and distortions.
As we persevere through the election mania, let us all strive to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
-- Frederick Buechner
Wishful Thinking quoted in Listening to your Life
-- Thomas H. Green, S.J.
When the Well Runs Dry
-- Thomas Merton
The Seven Story Mountain
-- Thomas H. Green, S.J.
When the Well Runs Dry
-- Richard Mouw quoted in Ethics Daily newsletter
-- Charles H. Spurgeon
Faith's Checkbook
-- Unknown quoted by Madeleine L'Engle
Walking on Water
-- Anthony Browne in Remembered Death
by Agatha Christie
-- Thomas H. Green, S.J.
When the Well Runs Dry
-- Unknown quoted by Madeleine L'Engle in
Walking On Water
-- Kierkegaard
Either/Or, Vol. I
-- Thomas H. Green, S.J.
When the Well Runs Dry
-- Jacques Ellul
The Meaning of the City
-- Someone
-- Thomas H. Green, S.J.
When the Well Runs Dry
-- Frederick Buechner
Wishful Thinking quoted in Listening to Your Life
Scantily clad nymphs attended by flower-bearing maidens. Strapping young gallants gently bending over lovers’ bosoms. Frolicking cupids surrounded by doves and gilt-edged arrows.The mythological figurines are not exactly the kind of art you’d expect a legendary Baptist pastor to collect.
But at least one did -- W.A. Criswell. And his collection of 19th century Meissen porcelain was grand enough to earn an estimated half a million dollars Oct. 25 at Christie’s art auction house in New York City.
Criswell, the renowned pastor who led First Baptist Church in Dallas for more than 50 years, first developed an interest in Meissen during a post-World War II mission visit to Germany. For decades after that trip, Criswell and his wife, Betty, studied and collected the figurines, Schneeballen, and flower-applied serving and toilette sets made in the region.
The culmination of the Texan’s collecting years comprised the 200-plus lots expected to take in more than $500,000 at auction. Proceeds will benefit the W.A. Criswell Foundation and Criswell College, the Dallas-based college he founded in 1971.
Christie’s international head Jody Wilkie described the collection as “fabulous.”
These verses came to mind as I read this article:
-- Madeleine L'EngleAnd also the quote heading this blog:
Walking on Water
-- Unknown
quoted by Madeleine L'Engle
Walking on Water
-- Thomas H. Green, S.J. When the Well Runs Dry
-- Madeleine L'Engle
A Circle of Quiet
-- Madeleine L'Engle
Walking on Water
-- William Barclay The Revelation of John, Volume 2
-- Someone
-- William Barclay
The Revelation of John, Volume 2
-- George A. Buttrick
The Christian Faith and Modern Doubt
-- George A. Buttrick
The Christian Fact and Modern Doubt
-- E. Stanley Jones
Christian Maturity
-- George A. Buttrick
The Christian Faith and Modern Doubt
-- Harry Emerson Fosdick
The Secret of Victorious Living
-- George A. Buttrick
The Christian Faith and Modern Doubt
-- New York Governor Mario Cuomo
-- Madeleine L'Engle
Walking On Water
-- George A. Buttrick
The Christian Fact and Modern Doubt
-- Paul Tournier
Escape from Loneliness
-- Thomas Merton
Contemplative Prayer
And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah:
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’
“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.
"‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so
desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’”
How can anyone look at the levels of corruption, both public and private, and say this is a Christian nation? We swim in a sea of lies. Preachers with sixfigure incomes, mansions and private jets are about as un-Christian as an ignorant cannibal in Borneo. Warmongering Christians and Christians who preach hate are naturally contradictions of everything Jesus Christ stood for. Multimilliondollar churches whose shadows fall on the poor are a contradiction of Christianity.
Evangelical Christians all too often act like insurance salesmen. As soon as they sell a convert, they forget about him and move on to the next prospect. There is a great deal more to Christianity than selling conversions, but too often the evangelicals act like the operators of a pyramid scheme. Their message to the new convert is, now that I’ve sold you, you go out and sell others. Mouthing the verbal rituals of conversion do not a Christian make. Nor does writing a check fulfill one’s duty as a Christian.
The last thing Americans have to worry about is Christian influence. It is practically nil in the United States. I imagine all the true Christians in America would fit into one of those 5,000-room hotels in Las Ve gas, where, by the way, you can find thousands of nominal Christians seven days a week. Las Vegas is the capital of hedonism.
One ought to be able to tell a Christian by his behavior, demeanor and conversation, and I don’t mean mouthing slogans like "praise Jesus." I challenge you to see if you can do that. The essence of Christianity is love, humility and compassion.There hasn’t been much of that around ever since a Roman emperor decided to make Christianity a state religion.
-- E. Stanley Jones
Christian Maturity
-- Madeleine L'Engle
Walking on Water
--Hab 1:2-4
New International Version
-- Unamuno
Quoted by Madeleine L'Engle
Walking On Water
-- "Mark Easterbrook"
Agatha Christie
The Pale Horse
Micah 3:5-7 New International Version
-- Artur Weiser
The Psalms
-- Edwin Arlington Robinson
John Brown
Quoted by George A. Buttrick
The Christian Fact and Modern Doubt
This I tell thee, Sam-I-Am,
I cannot stand thee, Reverend Sam;
I hate thy sophistry and sham,
Thy pulpit pounding blam, blam, blam.
I will not listen to the, bloat!
I will not listen in my coat!
Dear Reverend Sam-thou dreary rote-
Feed all thy sermons to thy goat
I can digest green eggs and ham
But never thee, good Sam-I-Am.
-- Gordon Cosby,
"The Calling Forth of the Charisma" (a sermon)
Quoted by Elizabeth O'Connor
Eighth Day of creation
-- Thomas Merton
The Living Bread
-- George MacDonald
An Anthology, C. S. Lewis, Ed.
-- E. M. Bounds
The Essentials of Prayer
"But I thought you believed in miracles," broke out the secretary.
"Yes," answered Father Brown, "I believe in miracles. I believe in man-eating tigers, but I don't see them running about everywhere. If I want any miracles, I know where to get them."
-- Someone
-- Joachim Jeremias
The Parables of Jesus
"I know the Unknown God," said the little priest with an unconscious grandeur of certitude that stood up like a granite tower. "I know his name; it is Satan. The true God was made flesh and dwelt among us. And I say to you, wherever you find men ruled merely by mystery, it is the mystery of iniquity. If the devil tells you something is too fearful to look at, look at it. If he says something too terrible to hear, hear it. If you think some truth unbearable, bear it."
-- G. K. Chesterton
The Purple Wig in The Father Brown Stories
-- George MacDonald
An Anthology, C. S. Lewis, Ed.
-- C. S. Lewis
Reflections on the Psalms
In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal.
Buddhika Jayamaha is an Army specialist. Wesley D. Smith is a sergeant. Jeremy Roebuck is a sergeant. Omar Mora is a sergeant. Edward Sandmeier is a sergeant. Yance T. Gray is a staff sergeant. Jeremy A. Murphy is a staff sergeant.--The War as We Saw It
The New York Times Published: August 19, 2007
The reason this war has produced fewer protests than the Viet Nam war is that most people are not conscious of its direct impact on their lives. Only those with family members in Iraq/Afganistan (or those there themselves) tend to notice any effect other than the TV news coverage. Maybe this is a good argument for a draft. I would suggest the late Art Buchwald's proposal that the wealth of those over 50 years of age should be drafted so that not only the young face the draft. As Buchwald said, then we'll see the suits marching in the streets protesting the war.
For all of the lofty talk of freedom, liberty, democracy, war against terrorism and other such bunk, the real basis for the war and its continuation is the buck. At a time in our past making fortunes during war time was called war profiteering. It was considered contemptible and was also illegal. Today it is called free enterprise and is lauded.
The companies with the largest number of employees are foreign firms in the Middle East that subcontract to KBR, the Houston-based oil services company, according to the Central Command database. KBR, once a subsidiary of Halliburton Co., provides logistics support to troops, the single largest contract in Iraq.
This cartoon is from Church Mice. Although cartoonist Karl Zorowski is a Methodist, his cartoon reminds me of Southern Baptists. This is about as close to peace making as many Southern Baptist pastors of this era will ever come. Still, a good nap is better than another brawl.
--NIV 1 Jn 4:18Remember this as you listen to Mrs. Obama: Be not afraid
It's the economy, stupid! Make money with war (Haliburton and fellows) and save money with quick executions. Who cares if innocents are executed before they can be exonerated? I do, but Bush and supporters don't! The BBC reports:The high cost of keeping inmates on death row is also cited by some conservatives as a reason to speed up the appeals process.
According to a 2005 Los Angeles Times study, it costs California $90,000 more a year to keep an inmate on death row than in the general prison population, adding up to some $57.5m extra each year.
The number of executions hit 98 in 1999 but has been falling since amid legal challenges to the use of lethal injections and increasing use of DNA evidence to overturn convictions.
And where do the powers for this rush to death come from? Again, the BBC reports what US news outlets will not.
The change in the rules, under which Mr Gonzales will be able to decide state requests to speed the appeals process, was a measure in the 2006 Patriot Act.Fear mongering is the key to unlimited abuse of power. Congress has abdicated their duties and goes along with any destructive and immoral act the executive wished to perpetrate.
Last week congress capitulated to George Bush's drive to immitate Robert Mugabe. If we want to see where the U.S.A. is headed under Bush and Company, look to Zimbabwe. "Anti-terrorist" laws WILL be used against those with dissenting opinions. Try to attend a Bush rally with any sign, T-shirt or brochure expressing opposition to Bush's policies. Try to ask a serious question challenging him. We're already moving toward oppression.President Robert Mugabe has signed a tough law allowing state agencies to pry into private mail and telephones, raising the stakes against opponents in a clear signal that the veteran leader is tightening repression as agitation grows against his rule that is largely blamed for plunging Zimbabwe into economic chaos, analysts said.
The government has defended the Interception of Communications Act saying it was in line with international trends to fight crime and ensure national security.
--Frederick Buechner
Listening to Your Life (this passage from Whistling in the Dark)
The Senior Ohana of Olivet Baptist Church has regular monthly outings. Here is a video of a walking tour of Chinatown. In addition to seeing this historic part of Honolulu, we learned something of Chinese culture and history from our guide who grew up in Chinatown.
As well as being a ministry to seniors, giving them the tourist experience at home, this outing provided an opportunity to see a mission field in our midst.
