A Surprise at the Food Court

Maybe this will happen in your town.

This happened on 13 November 2010 in Welland, Ontario, Canada, at the Seaway Mall in the food court. It was a flash mob event set in motion by a small group led by University of Western Ontario student Stephanie Tritchew, the first singer. The You Tube video has had 4,476,934 viewings since 13 November.


A flash mob is a group which suddenly appears in a public place, performs a public act, and then merges back into the general population.

A Cemetery Inscription in Cooperstown, New York

It is believed that the inscription on this grave in Cooperstown, New York, was intended to be a religious statement; "thine" instead of "thin."

"Here lies Suzannah Ensign,

Lord, she is thin."

Film Comment: The 400 Blows

Director Francois Truffaut (1932-1984) said that his classic 1959 film, The 400 Blows, was autobiographical.  He says he was saved by film.  He was fatherless, drifting with no real purpose or meaning in his life until film critic Andre Bazin became his mentor and inspiration.  Truffaut escaped into the world of films.

The 400 Blows is the first in a series of films about the life of "Antoine Doinel," Truffaut's "everyman" character portrayed in all five Doinel films by Jean-Pierre Leaud.  The French title of the film, Les quatre cents coups,  is an idiomatic phrase which, in English, roughly equals the phrase "raising Hell."  It is the story of a twelve-year old schoolboy living in a family in which his parents are unable to make any sort of meaningful connection with the boy.  They have their own concerns (adultery, for one) to contend with.

Antoine has all the markings of a severely troubled adolescent: emotional detachment, alienation from authority figures, trouble at school, behavior problems, lying, petty crime, stealing, and, as is often the case, strong intellectual stirrings.   He experiences the society around him as insensitive, cruel, and uncaring.

The film ends with Antoine having escaped from juvenile detention and finally having reached his goal, the seashore.  The ocean could be interpreted to be the formless vastness of adult life, which Antoine sees as beautiful, but utterly overwhelming.  He is lost, with no idea what to do next.

Hello, Mexico!

Hola, México. Bienvenido al grupo de lectores de cincuenta y dos países otros que también visite este blog. Espero que algunos de los mensajes útiles o significativas.
El "Traducir esta página" gadget directamente sobre el "páginas vistas" total "contra el tiene la capacidad de traducir el texto en Inglés de este blog directamente en español.

Christian Heresies: Docetism

Docetism was a Gnostic Christian heresy which flourished ca 70 AD/CE.  The name of the heresy comes from the Greek word δοκέω, which means "I seem."  The doctrine taught that Jesus was wholly God and not Human at all.  His humanity, physical body, and crucifixion were all illusions because God can not suffer. 

Hello , South Korea!

안녕, 한국. 또한 오신 것을 환영합니다이 블로그를 방문 쉰한 다른 나라에서 독자의 그룹. 난 당신이 게시물에 유용하거나 의미의 일부를 찾을 바랍니다.
"번역이 페이지에서" "총 페이지뷰"바로 위에 가제트 카운터 한국어로 직접이 블로그의 영어 텍스트를 번역하는 기능이 있습니다.

Hello, Ethiopia!

Hello,  Ethiopia.  Welcome to the group of readers from fifty other countries who also visit this blog.  I hope you find some of the posts useful or meaningful.

The “Translate This Page” gadget directly above the “Total Pageviews” Counter has the capability of translating the English text of this blog directly into Arabic.   I apologize, but I do not have the capability of translation into or from Amharic.

مرحبا ، إثيوبيا. مرحبا بكم في مجموعة من القراء من البلدان الأخرى أيضا الخمسين الذين يزورون هذا بلوق. وآمل أن تجد بعض من وظائف مفيدة أو ذات مغزى.
"ترجم هذه الصفحة" أداة مباشرة فوق "عرض صفحة المجموع" كاونتر لديها القدرة على ترجمة النص الانكليزي من هذا بلوق مباشرة إلى اللغة العربية. أعتذر ، لكنني لم يكن لديك القدرة على ترجمة أو من الأمهرية.

Size Does Not Matter

"Being a great church is not about being a big church.  A great church keeps focused on spreading the gospel.  A small church that spreads the gospel is a great church.  A big church is not a great church if it's not doing that."  Rev. Mike Shaw, elected 17 Nov. 2010 as President of the Alabama Baptist Convention.  Shaw is the pastor of The First Baptist Church of Pelham (Alabama, USA).

Hello, Hungary! There Are Now Fifty Countries Reading This Blog!

Hello, Magyarország. Üdvözöljük a csoport olvasók 40-9 más országokban, akik szintén látogasson el a blogot. Remélem találsz néhány hozzászólás hasznos vagy értelmes.
A "Translate this page" modul közvetlenül felette a "Total oldalmegtekintés" Counter képes fordításának az angol nyelvű szöveg ebben a blogban közvetlenül a magyar.

Kimbanguism

"Kimbanguism

In the first half on the 20th century, prophetic movements sprang up. Their nature was both anti-colonial and Christian, and led to a rigorous crackdown by the authorities.

Simon Kimbangu was the prophet of largest of these movements. He was born in a village near Kinshasa, raised and educated by a Protestant Christian mission and trained to become a priest. In April 1921, at the age of 39, he reportedly had a religious vision of Jesus Christ, who called on him to reconvert his people and dedicate his life to Christ. Kimbangu chose to try to ignore the vision, and fled to Kinshasa where he abandoned his life as a priest and took to menial work. More visions came, and eventually he heeded the calling and returned to his home village and started to devote his life to Christ. Soon after, he is reported to have healed a sick woman by laying his hands on her. Dozens of apparent miracles were subsequently performed by Kimbangu, and he gained followers from surrounding villages and towns. The official Catholic organizations protested to the authorities, and the Protestant church abandoned him. The economic effects of Kimbangu's ministry were being felt, with thousands of Congolese leaving their work to listen to Kimbangu speak. In June the Belgians arrested him for inciting revolution and civil disobedience. Four months later he was sentenced to death. After an international outcry, Albert I of Belgium commuted the sentence to life impisonment. He died 30 years later in prison, in 1951.

Colonial authorities assumed his movement would wither after his imprisonment and death, but the church continued to flourish underground, and was an effective weapon in the fight against colonialism. In the post-colonial era, its record has been more mixed. Instead of banning the church, Mobutu used a far more effective method of neutralizing it: namely co-opting the church and giving it an official status. Kimbanguism has now spread across the country, and now has branches in nine of the surrounding countries, making it the most popular "native" form of Christianity in Africa. Followers do not smoke, drink alcohol and abhor violence. Monogamy is practiced."

From Wikipedia article, "Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo," under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike and the GNU Free Documentation Licenses.

The Kimbanguist church is a member of the World Council of Churches  and is officially known as Eglise de Jésus Christ sur la Terre par Son Envoyé Spécial Simon Kimbangu (Church of Jesus Christ on Earth by His Special Envoy Simon Kimbangu).

Hello, Malaysia!

Halo, Malaysia. Selamat datang di kelompok pembaca 40-8 negara-negara lain yang juga melawat blog ini. Saya berharap anda menemukan beberapa posting kepada atau bermakna.
"Terjemahkan halaman ini" Gadget terus di atas "Display Laman Jumlah" Counter memiliki kemampuan menterjemah teks Inggeris dari blog ini terus ke Melayu.

Light Bulb Joke: Missionaries

How many missionaries does it take to change a light bulb?

One, with the help of his wife and a local native.

UAB Gospel Choir

The UAB Gospel Choir held a fifteenth anniversary reunion concert at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center in Birmingham, Alabama on Monday evening, 22 November 2010. The UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham)choir is under the direction of Kevin Turner. The choir has released four CD's and has sung with Stevie Wonder,Ruben Studdard, Lee Greenwood, and Taylor Hicks.


Since its creation in 1995, the choir has had over 4500 members. Average membership each semester is 120 to 150. Turner says, "We started with thirty students." Members of the choir study the history of gospel music, biographies of famous gospel performers,and techniques of performance and touring as a group; the academic study of gospel music.


The keyboardist for the group, Rev, Clinton Green, says, "There's not many places you can get a college credit for being in a gospel choir. It's preparing people for ministry." Seventeen other universities have begun gospel choirs on the UAB model.

It's Not Her!

Dutch forensics authorities have just announced that the female human jawbone found on a beach in Aruba does not belong to the missing American teenager, Natalee Holloway.  That leaves open the possibility that she may still be alive.  The question then becomes; whose jawbone is it?  Whose missing daughter has just been found?  Who killed her?  Are there other bones on Aruba's beaches?

Hello, Croatia!

Pozdrav, Hrvatska. Dobro došli u skupinu čitatelja četrdeset-sedam drugih zemalja koji su također posjetite ovaj blog. Nadam se da ćete pronaći neke od postova korisno ili smisla.


"Prevedi ovu stranicu" gadget neposredno iznad "Ukupno Pregledani Stranica" Counter ima sposobnost prevođenja engleski tekst ovog bloga direktno na hrvatski jezik.

The Preacher and the Little Boy

“A preacher was repairing the fence around the old country church.  He noticed that a small boy had been watching him for some time.

“Do you want to speak with me, son?” the pastor asked.

“Oh, no,” the boy replied.  “I’m just waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” the preacher asked.

“Waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his finger with a hammer!”

.....................................................................

“From The Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Bible Printer's Errors: The Placemaker's Bible

Proofreading is very important.  Sometimes one word changes the entire meaning of a passage.  The following is an example to prove the point.



The Geneva Bible (1557) is a Protestant Bible produced fifty-one years before the King James Bible.  It was mechanically printed; mass-produced; filled with maps, footnotes, illustrations, tables, and indices; and was intentionally made available to the general public.   It is considered to be the first study Bible.


The errors shown below occur in the second edition (1562).

WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE SAID: 

"Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9

WHAT IT SAID:

"Blessed [are] the placemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9

In its chapter heading for Luke 21:

WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE SAID: 

“Christ commendeth the poor widow.”

WHAT IT SAID:

“Christ condemneth the poor widow.”

Film Comment: Island of Despair

Godard, Rohmer, Truffaut, Chabrol, Almodovar, Oshima, Fellini, Rossellini, Bergman, Curtiz, Hitchcock, Frankenheimer, Chaplin, Ozu, Welles, Mizoguchi, Zefirelli, Polanski, Ford, Capra, Scorsese, Penn, Malle, Wilder, Allen, Burton, Cameron, Bertolucci, Spielberg, Naruse, Bunuel, Melies, Zhang, Kurosawa, Woo, Besson, Brooks.  Jesus Franco is not one of them.

Jesus Franco Manera, with over 190 films to his credit, is one of those unstoppable film directors (like the immortal Ed Wood) who don't let a lack of money and no real directorial talent stand in their way.  They love making movies and churn them out year after year, sometimes making as many as twenty in one year.

Most of Franco's films exist in multiple versions, with varying lengths, varying content, released with different scenes included for different countries, and most also exist in badly edited pornographic versions with inserts (yes, that is the technical term) of material totally unrelated to the rest of the film.  The producers heavily cut up the films, doing whatever was necessary to get people into the theater. 

The film I viewed for this post is possibly Franco's most accomplished effort, with big name actors (Mercedes McCambridge, Herbert Lom, Maria Schell, Luciana Paluzzi, and Rosalba Neri) and what seems to have been at least an adequate budget.  The film, just as do most other Franco films, exists in a pornographic version; I'm sure this was to the later horror of the legitimate actors who appeared in the non-pornographic version which I viewed.

Island of Despair (1969), originally titled Der heisse Tod (The Hot Death), is best known as 99 Women.  It is a WIP (Women in Prison) film, one of the first.  A group of 99 female prisoners are held in a castle prison on an island where they are stripped of their identities, known only by their prisoner numbers.  The main prisoner is 99.

The brutal superintendent (McCambridge) is an Iron Maiden who rules with a sadistic hand.  Under her administration, prisoners frequently have lethal "accidents."  She also has an arrangement with the corrupt governor (Lom) of the men's prison on the other side of the island.  He visits the women's prison to make use of it as his own personal harem. 

The government has become aware of the horrible conditions in the women's prison and sends an earnest prison reformer (Maria Schell) to correct the situation.  Of course, everything goes horribly wrong, and, at the end of the film, the reformer sadly leaves the prison which she knows has not changed at all.  The hopeless situation remains hopeless.  The reformer leaves with the female prisoners standing in the prison yard, staring at her back as she goes through the gate.

Christians often come across hopeless situations which seem to be beyond redemption.   People many times do not wish to hear what we have to say.  We may be tempted by their rejection to simply turn and walk away, to exit the gate.  And, realistically, we may not effect any change no matter what we do.  So, what is "success"?

In his book, Share Jesus Without Fear, William Fay points out that "success is sharing your faith and living your life for Jesus Christ.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with bringing anyone to the Lord.  It has everything to do with obedience."  Obedience, not results, is success for a Christian.  Results come from the work of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit indwells every believer.  "... we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, living in us ..." 

Martin Luther on The Word

"In the matter of faith one must let everything go and cling to the Word alone.  When we have gripped that, let the world, death, sin, hell and every misfortune storm and rage.  But if you let go of the Word, you will be doomed."  Martin Luther

I found this quotation on the blog of Pastor Heath Pukallus , a Lutheran minister in Western Australia.  I didn't understand the bibliographical listing for the quotation, SL.XI. 1767, 15, so I asked Pastor Pukallus about it.  His kind response told me, "SL refers to the Saint Louis Edition (translation) of Luther's works.  There are four different editions, St. Louis (SL), American (AE or LW), Weimar (WA), and Erlangen."

Since I am a "library rat," I set out to learn more about this.  I found a very informative 2009 article, "Cracking the Code: Making Sense of References to Martin Luther's Works. " The writer of the article, Pastor Paul T. McCain, calls sorting out references to Luther's writings "an alphabet soup kind of situation."  McCain lists twelve additional editions which you might see as bibliographical listings.

Many people find bibliographies and library studies to be as dry as the Mojave Desert, but for those of us who thrive on the stuff, this is a very interesting avenue of study.

Laughter

"Laughter is the hand of God on the shoulder of a troubled world."  Grady Nutt

Always Look for the Sale!

Harwich Port (aka: Harwichport) is a "Census Designated Place" in the town of Harwich, Massachusetts.  According to the 2000 census, the population of Harwich Port is 1809.  The grieving widow of Jonathan Thompson had the following inscription placed on his grave:

Sacred To The Remains of

Jonathan Thompson

A Pious Christian and

Affectionate Husband.

His disconsolate widow

Continues to carry on

His grocery business

At the old stand on 

Main Street: Cheapest

and best prices in town.

Martyrs in Baghdad

On 31 October 2010, members of al-Qaeda in Iraq ran into the Church of our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad taking the worshippers hostage.  Armed with assault rifles, hand grenades, and suicide vests, the attackers said their action was in retaliation for the “treatment of Muslim women in Egypt” where they claimed that Muslim women were being held captive in Coptic churches,  The terrorists called the Syro-Catholic/Chaldean church a “filthy den of polytheism” and styled themselves “lions of montheism.”  Christian and Muslim leaders have condemned the attack as barbaric.

During a rescue attempt by Iraqi forces, a severe gun battle erupted in which fifty-eight people were killed (including two priests and ten policemen) and 75 were wounded.  Five of the terrorists were captured.

On 9 November 2010, the church held it's first service after the attack.   There were no pews so everyone stood around the hundreds of candles which had been placed to form a large cross.  The service was led by Father Mukhlas Habash with bullet holes, bomb burns, and blood spatters still on the walls.

I believe that the walls should never be cleaned or repaired.  This is the blood of martyrs. 

An anonymous religious maxim

"It wasn't raining when Noah built the arc."

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Anna Truan Dobson: (b. Tennessee) Anna Truan, the daughter of Swiss immigrants,  was fluent in French and English and held two college degrees.   She married Presbyterian minister Frederick Fee Dobson in 1896, with whom she served as a  missionary to the American Indians in Oklahoma.   Pastor Dobson is believed by his family to have written the first dictionary of the Cherokee language but the document has not survived.

Richard Wayne Pennyman: (b. 1952, Georgia; aka: Little Richard) Rock n’ Roll pianist and singer, composer, gospel music singer, Seventh Day Adventist minister.  He is listed in numerous Halls of Fame including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986).

Phoebe Worrall Palmer (b. 1807 – d. 1874) One of the founders of the modern Holiness movement..

Karl Edvard Ersson: (b. 1867, Sweden – d. 1944; aka: Karl Edvard Laman) Mission Covenant Church of Sweden.  Missionary and ethnographer in the kingdom of Kongo (1891-1919).  He translated the majority of the Bible into kiKongo and published a kiKongo grammar.

Kagawa Toyohiko: (b. 1888, Japan – d. 1960) Japanese pacifist, evangelist, social reformer, women’s suffragist, agricultural reformer, anti-prostitution activist, labor activist, advocate for the poor, writer.  Kagawa founded schools, hospitals, and churches.  He stressed that Christianity in action was the truth of the Christian doctrines.  He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947 and 1948 and the Nobel Peace prize in 1954 and 1955.

Self Understanding

"I have to work hard on spiritual things because I'm a stinking, wretched, monument to self-absorption." Russell Brand (b. 1975, England) English comedian, actor, columnist, author.

Bible Printer's Errors: The Ears to Ear Bible

Proofreading is very important.  Sometimes one word changes the entire meaning of a passage.  The following is an example to prove the point.  This occurs in an 1810 Bible known to collectors as The Ears to Ear Bible.

WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE SAID: 

“Who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  Matthew 13:43

WHAT IT SAID:

“Who has ears to ear, let him hear.”  Matthew 13:43

Hello, Georgia!

გამარჯობა, საქართველო. მოგესალმებით ჯგუფი მკითხველთა დან ორმოცდაექვსი სხვა ქვეყნებიდან, რომლებიც ასევე მოინახულებს ამ დღიურში. იმედი მაქვს თქვენთვის ზოგიერთი შეტყობინება სასარგებლო ან აზრიანი.

A Come to Jesus Moment

This post is about a current American idiomatic phrase: a come to Jesus moment.  I had heard this phrase used before in a sports context, then later in business and in politics.  I had an idea what it meant but decided to investigate it, so I went to the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/ )

On this website, Internet respondents can submit their interpretation(s) of current slang (popular "street" idioms).  Besides the traditional religious interpretation of the phrase, there were several fanciful, sarcastic,  and/or vulgar comments.

The most accurate interpretation of this phrase seems to be one of being called into a meeting in which one is severely criticized and possibly threatened with strict punishment for one's actions or attitudes.  The intent of the meeting is to produce an emotional response which produces a complete change in behavior and/or attitude.

This seems to play into a popular misconception of Jesus, and "religion" in general, as stuffy, unpleasant,  hypercritical, prudish, threatening, and disapproving.   This is an insulting stereotype.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Son Jong Nam: (b. 1958, North Korea – d.? Dec 2008, in a Pyongyang prison) Martyr, Christian missionary in North Korea, ex-North Korean military officer.  Son was arrested for the charge of “spying,” incarcerated, beaten, and tortured.  He is reported to have died in prison after his sentence of public execution was cancelled due to international pressure.

The Thief on the Cross: This repentant thief was crucified to the right of Jesus and recognized Jesus as the Messiah (Luke 23:39-43).  Jesus promised him that he would be in paradise that day.  He is not named in Luke but later traditions name him as The Good Thief, The Penitent Thief, Dismas, Dimas, Titus, Zoatham, and Rach. San Dimas, California is named for him.  The Bad Thief is traditionally called Gestas or Dumachas.

Robert Edward Lee: Military officer United States of America (1829-1861) and Confederate States of America (1861-1865)  Though he personally opposed slavery, he thought that it was ordained by God and would be ended in God’s time.  His US citizenship was posthumously restored in 1975. Anglican/Episcopalian.

Jesse Truesdell Peck: (b. 1811, New York – d. 1883), Methodist Episcopal bishop.  College president. Great uncle of writer Stephen Crane.

Camillo Borghese: (B. Italy – d. 1605, aka: Pope Paul V)  Paul V was known for his building projects such as the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Book Comment: Santeria. The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America

It is a great shame for Christianity that one of the slave ships that carried African captives to Cuba and the Western Hemisphere was named the Jesus.  Many of the Africans secretly retained their traditional beliefs, disguising them with Roman Catholic trappings to deceive their captors.

Some commentators describe Santeria as a variant of Christianity.  Nothing could be farther from the truth and Miguel A. de La Torre, points this out in his book, Santeria: The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America.

In Santeria, rituals and animal sacrifices are primary, even more important than set beliefs or doctrines.  The magic rituals open up contact between humans and the numerous gods who guide humans through repeated life-cycles.

Jesus in Santeria is merely a mask worn by the god Olofi, who, as Jesus, was a great sorceror who knew many spells, sacrifices, and rituals.  Santeria and Christianity are totally incompatible.

Ismailis in Najran, Saudi Arabia Honor Their History

Najran is a booming city in Saudi Arabia.  From a population of only 47,500 in 1974, it has erupted to an official population of 246,880 in the 2004 census (some believe the actual count may be 500,000).  Most of the inhabitants are of the Banu Yam tribe and are Ismaili Shiites.  This means that they accept Ismail ibn Jafar ( the Ismailis) as the successor to Imam Jafar as-Sadiq, rather than Ismail's brother, Musa al-Kazim (the Twelvers).  The Ismailis are more metaphysical and mystical than the Twelvers.

About 524 AD/CE, the Jewish king of Himyar (South Arabia), Yusuf As'ar Dhu Nuwas (aka Yusuf As'ar Yathar) invaded the area and demanded that the Christian inhabitants become Jews.  When they refused, as many as 20,000 were martyred by being thrown into fiery ditches and burned to death.  Charred bones have been found during excavations of what locals call "al ukhdood," "the trenches."

The modern Ismailis of Najran are outsiders, considered to be heretics by Sunni Muslims.  They consider the Christian martyrs to have been heroes and one modern Najrani clearly stated how they feel. "This story means so much to us.  Our life and our struggle today comes from those martyrs who gave their lives for their beliefs."

Charles Spurgeon on the Bible

"The Word of God is like a lion.  You don't have to defend a lion.  All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself."  Charles Haddon Spurgeon, English Baptist preacher (1834-1892)

Immortality

"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon."

Susan Ertz (1894 -1985) British fiction writer.

Book Comment: The Lost Apostle: Searching for the Truth About Junia

Romans 16:7 says that Junia was "of note among the apostles."  A female apostle?  The early Church Fathers, Jerome and John Chrysostom, thought so.  The Eastern and oriental Orthodox Churches think so.  Desiderus Erasmus thought so.  The majority of textual evidence favors it.  The translators of the King James Version of the Bible thought so.

The name Junia is clearly a female name and was common during the first century.  The male form of the name, Junias, does not occur in the Bible and is only known to have occurred once in the extra-biblical Greek literature.

A female apostle would put a large dent in the world view of many conservative Christians who seem to have forgotten what Paul said in Romans (but they remember his seemingly contradictory statement in Galatians).  The full participation of women in the Church challenged the "order of things" as did many Christian practices.

Pederson points out that many modern commentators feel that Paul, in each of his letters to the churches, was addressing local questions.  The seeming inconsistency between his statements may reflect that fact.

In his letters Paul clearly and often spoke of women who taught and prophesied.  He even sent one woman, Phoebe,  as his official representative, carrying his personal letter, to the leaders of the church in Rome.

Pederson is insistent that this is not some sort of faddish, liberal-feminist reinterpretation of biblical history but a return to the original customs of the churches before an official church hierarchy rose up and imposed, intentionally or unintentionally, the male domination which was the norm in the outside world.

Everything that is possible to be known about the Apostle Junia is tracked down using church traditions, the early Church Fathers, and secular history.  Branching off from this, Pederson chases down whatever information is available on other prominent early female Christian leaders such as Prisca, Lydia, Chloe, Theda, Agnes, and Phoebe.

She is correct in her assertion that, in discarding the veneration of the saints and their relics, protestants have lost some of their connection to their own history.  Pederson calls not for a return to Catholic practice, but for a renewed commitment to studying the lives of the saints.

This is an excellent, well-researched book which is, at the very least, challenging to some very strongly held modern Christian beliefs which may or may not be correct.  Quoting Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage (d. 858), "A custom without Truth is merely an ancient error."
  
Pederson, Rena, The Lost Apostle: Searching for the Truth About Junia (San Francisco: Josse-Bass, 2006)

Hello, Serbia!

Здраво, Србија. Добродошли на групу читалаца из 45 других земаља који такође посетити овај блог. Надам се да вам неке од постова корисно или смисла.

Hello to International Readers of This Blog

κηρυσσων την βασιλειαν του θεου και διδασκων τα περι του κυριου ιησου χριστου μετα πασης παρρησιας ακωλυτως.  Acts 28:31

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This is a themed blog based on the idea that Christians should be, and are, represented in every legitimate field of endeavor and that they should be among the exemplary leaders in every discipline.  The blog features Christian comments on films, current events, doctrinal questions, ethics, science, religion, humor, biography, and politics (though the blog will never be overtly political).  Readers are encouraged to comment on blog postings and to suggest new topics for discussion.

Este es un blog temático basado en la idea de que los cristianos deberían ser, y son, representada en todos los campos legítimos de la actividad y que deben estar entre los líderes ejemplares en todas las disciplinas. El blog ofrece comentarios cristianos en las películas, los acontecimientos actuales, las cuestiones doctrinales, la ética, la ciencia, la religión, el humor, la biografía, y la política (aunque el blog no va a ser abiertamente político). Los lectores pueden hacer comentarios sobre publicaciones en blogs y sugerir nuevos temas para el debate.

Este é um blog temático baseado na idéia de que os cristãos devem ser, e são, representadas em todos os campos da atividade legítima e que deve estar entre os líderes exemplares em cada disciplina. O blog possui comentários cristã sobre filmes, eventos atuais, questões doutrinárias, ética, ciência, religião, humor, biografia, e da política (embora o blog nunca será abertamente político). Os leitores são convidados a comentar sobre blogs e sugerir novos tópicos para discussão.

Это тематический блог основана на идее, что христиане должны быть, и, представлены в каждом законных области деятельности и что они должны быть в числе лидеров образцовым в каждой дисциплине. Блог особенности христианской комментарии на фильмы, текущие события, доктринальные вопросы, этика, наука, религия, юмор, биографии, и политики (хотя блог никогда не будет открыто политическим). Читателям предлагается высказать свои замечания по блога и предложить новые темы для обсуждения.

Dies ist ein Themen-Blog auf die Idee, dass Christen sollten, und sind, vertreten in allen legitimen Bereich bemühen und dass sie unter der beispielhaften Führer in jeder Disziplin werden. Der Blog bietet Christian Kommentare zu Filmen, aktuellen Ereignissen, Lehrfragen, Ethik, Wissenschaft, Religion, Humor, Biografie und Politik (obwohl der Blog wird nie offen politisch). Die Leser werden ermutigt, bei der Blog-Postings Stellung zu nehmen und neue Themen zur Diskussion vorschlagen.

Il s'agit d'un blog à thème basé sur l'idée que les chrétiens devraient être, et sont, représentés dans tous les domaines légitimes de l'activité et qu'ils devraient être parmi les leaders exemplaires dans toutes les disciplines. Le blog présente des commentaires sur des films chrétiens, l'actualité, des questions doctrinales, l'éthique, la science, la religion, l'humour, la biographie et la politique (bien que le blog ne sera jamais ouvertement politiques). Les lecteurs sont encouragés à formuler des observations sur des blogues et de proposer de nouveaux sujets de discussion.

Questo è un blog a tema basato sull'idea che i cristiani dovrebbero essere, e sono rappresentati in ogni campo legittimo di impegno e che dovrebbero essere tra i leader esemplare in ogni disciplina. Il blog offre commenti cristiana su film, eventi attuali, le questioni dottrinali, etica, scienza, religione, umorismo, la biografia e politica (anche se il blog non sarà mai apertamente politico). I lettori sono invitati a commentare post dei blog e di suggerire nuovi argomenti di discussione.

这是一个主题博客的想法是基督徒应该为基础，并为代表在每一个领域的努力，他们的合法之间应在各个学科的模范领导人。该博客的评论功能基督教对电影，时事，理论问题，道德，科学，宗教，幽默，传记，政治（虽然博客将永远不会被公开的政治）。我们鼓励读者评论博客文章，并提出新的讨论主题。

これは、キリスト教徒がすべきという考えに基づいてテーマのブログであり、努力のすべての合法的なフィールドで表される、彼らはあらゆる分野で模範的な指導者の間でする必要があることである。ブログは映画のキリスト教のコメントは、現在のイベント、教義上の質問、倫理、科学、宗教、ユーモア、伝記、政治（ブログは、あからさまに政治的になることはありませんが）を備えています。読者は、ブログの投稿にコメントする議論のための新しいトピックを提案することをお勧めします。

Това е тема блог основава на идеята, че християните трябва да бъде, и са представени във всяка област на законните усилия и че те трябва да бъдат сред водещите лидери във всяка дисциплина. В блога функции християнски коментари за филми, актуални събития, доктринални въпроси, етика, наука, религия, хумор, биографии и политиката (макар и в блога никога няма да бъде открито политическо). Читателите са насърчени да коментират блог постинги и да се предложат нови теми за обсъждане.

Dette er en tema blog er baseret på tanken om, at kristne bør være, og er repræsenteret i alle legitime inden for indsats, og at de skal være blandt de eksemplariske ledere i hver disciplin. Bloggen har Christian kommentarer på film, aktuelle begivenheder, doktrinære spørgsmål, etik, videnskab, religion, humor, biografi og politik (selvom bloggen aldrig vil være åbenlyst politisk). Læserne opfordres til at kommentere bloggen udstationeringer og til at foreslå nye emner til diskussion.

Ito ay isang themed blog batay sa ideya na ang mga Kristiyano ay dapat na, at ay, kinakatawan sa bawat lehitimong larangan ng gawain at na sila ay dapat na sa gitna ng mga huwarang mga lider sa bawat disiplina. blog Ang mga tampok ng puna Christian sa pelikula, mga kasalukuyang kaganapan, dogmatiko katanungan, etika, science, relihiyon, humor, talambuhay, at pulitika (kahit na ang blog ay hindi nang pantao pampulitika). Mga mambabasa ay hinihimok na magbigay ng puna sa blog postings at sa iminumungkahi bagong paksa para sa diskusyon.

To jest blog o tematyce opiera się na założeniu, że chrześcijanie powinni być, i są reprezentowane w każdym uzasadnionym zakresie przedsięwzięć i że powinny one być wśród przykładowych liderów w każdej dyscyplinie. Blog funkcje Christian komentarze na temat filmów, aktualnych wydarzeń, zagadnień doktrynalnych, etyka, nauka, religia, humor, biografia, polityka (choć blog nigdy nie będzie jawnie polityczne). Zachęcamy czytelników do komentarzy na blogu komentarze i zaproponowanie nowych tematów do dyskusji.

Đây là một blog theo chủ đề dựa trên ý tưởng rằng Kitô hữu cần được, và được, đại diện trong mọi lĩnh vực hợp pháp của nỗ lực và họ nên là một trong những nhà lãnh đạo gương mẫu trong mọi kỷ luật. blog ý kiến Christian Các tính năng trong các bộ phim, các sự kiện hiện tại, câu hỏi giáo lý, đạo đức, khoa học, tôn giáo, hài hước, tiểu sử, và chính trị (mặc dù các blog sẽ không bao giờ được công khai chính trị). Người đọc được khuyến khích để bình luận về thông tin đăng blog và để đề xuất các chủ đề mới để thảo luận.

Гэта тэматычны блог заснаваная на ідэі, што хрысціяне павінны быць, і, прадстаўлены ў кожным законных вобласці дзейнасці і што яны павінны быць у ліку лідэраў ўзорным ў кожнай дысцыпліне. Блог асаблівасці хрысціянскай каментарыі на фільмы, бягучыя падзеі, дактрынальныя пытанні, этыка, навука, рэлігія, гумар, біяграфіі, і палітыкі (хоць блог ніколі не будзе адкрыта палітычным). Чытачам прапаноўваецца выказаць свае заўвагі па блога і прапанаваць новыя тэмы для абмеркавання.

Tas ir tēmu blog balstās uz ideju, ka kristiešiem būtu jābūt, un ir, pārstāvētām visās likumīgās jomā centienus un ka tie ir vieni no paraugu līderiem katrā disciplīnā. Blog iezīmes Christian komentārus par filmām, aktualitātēm, doktrīnas jautājumi, ētika, zinātnes, reliģijas, humors, biogrāfija, un politika (kaut blog nekad netiks atklāti politisko). Lasītāji tiek aicinātas sniegt komentārus par blog norīkošanām un ierosināt jaunas tēmas apspriešanai.

Dan huwa blog themed bbażata fuq l-idea li l-Insara għandhom ikunu, u huma, rappreżentati f'kull qasam leġittimi ta 'sforz u li dawn għandhom ikunu fost il-mexxejja eżemplari f'kull dixxiplina. Il-blog karatteristiċi kummenti Christian fuq films, avvenimenti kurrenti, mistoqsijiet doctrinal, l-etika, ix-xjenza, ir-reliġjon, Humer, bijografija, u l-politika (għalkemm il-blog qatt mhu se jkun overtly politika). Qarrejja huma mħeġġa biex jikkummenta dwar assenjazzjonijiet blog u jissuġġerixxu suġġetti ġodda għad-diskussjoni.

To je themed blog založený na myšlienke, že kresťania by mali byť, a sú zastúpené vo všetkých legitímnych oblasti úsilie a že by mali byť medzi príkladné vodcovia v každej disciplíne. Blog rysy kresťanskej komentáre k filmom, aktuálne udalosti, doktrinálne otázky, etika, veda, náboženstvo, humor, biografie, a politiku (aj keď blog bude nikdy byť zjavne politický). Čitatelia sa vyzývajú, aby pripomienky k blogu a navrhnúť nové témy pre diskusiu.

To je tema spletnega dnevnika, ki temelji na ideji, da bi se kristjani, in so zastopane v vsaki legitimni področju in si prizadeva, da bi morale biti med zgledni voditelji v vsaki disciplini. Blog funkcije Christian pripombe na filme, aktualne dogodke, doktrinarne vprašanja, etike, znanosti, religije, humor, biografija, in politika (čeprav blog ne bo nikoli odkrito politične). Bralci se spodbuja, da dajo pripombe na blog napotitve in predlagati nove teme za razpravo.

Це тематичний блог заснована на ідеї, що християни повинні бути, і, представлені в кожному законних області діяльності і що вони повинні бути в числі лідерів зразковим у кожній дисципліні. Блог особливості християнської коментарі на фільми, поточні події, доктринальні питання, етика, наука, релігія, гумор, біографії, і політики (хоча блог ніколи не буде відкрито політичним). Читачам пропонується висловити свої зауваження по блогу і запропонувати нові теми для обговорення.

Detta är ett tema blogg bygger på tanken att kristna bör vara, och är, representerade i varje legitimt område för strävan och att de bör vara bland de föredömliga ledare i varje disciplin. Bloggen har kristna synpunkter på filmer, aktuella händelser, doktrinär frågor, etik, vetenskap, religion, humor, biografi, och politik (även om bloggen kommer aldrig att bli öppet politisk). Läsarna uppmanas att kommentera blogginlägg och att föreslå nya diskussionsämnen.

Acesta este un blog tematic bazat pe ideea că creştinii ar trebui să fie, şi sunt, reprezentate în fiecare domeniu legitim de eforturi şi că acestea ar trebui să fie printre liderii exemplar în fiecare disciplină. Blog-ul are comentarii creştină asupra filmelor, a evenimentelor curente, întrebări doctrinare, etica, stiinta, religie, umor, biografie, şi politică (deşi blog nu va fi niciodată politică deschisă). Cititorii sunt încurajaţi să comenteze pe bloguri şi de a propune subiecte noi de discuţie.

Dit is 'n tema blog gebaseer op die idee dat Christene moet wees, en is, verteenwoordig in elke wettige gebied van die strewe en dat hulle moet wees onder die voorbeeldige leiers in elke dissipline. Die blog funksies Christelike kommentaar op films, huidige gebeure, leerstellige vrae, etiek, wetenskap, godsdiens, humor, biografie, en politiek (alhoewel die blog sal nooit openlik politieke). Lesers word aangemoedig om kommentaar te lewer op die blog boodskappe en nuwe onderwerpe vir bespreking voor te stel.

Ini adalah sebuah blog bertema yang didasarkan pada gagasan bahawa orang Kristian harus, dan, diwakili dalam setiap bidang yang sah dari usaha dan bahawa mereka harus antara para pemimpin teladan dalam setiap disiplin. blog ini mempunyai komen Kristian di filem, peristiwa terkini, soalan doktrinal, etika, ilmu pengetahuan, agama, humor, biografi, dan politik (walaupun blog tidak akan pernah terang-terangan politik). Pembaca digalakkan untuk memberi komen posting blog dan untuk menyarankan topik baru untuk perbincangan.

Dit is een thema blog gebaseerd op het idee dat christenen moeten worden, en zijn vertegenwoordigd in elke legitieme gebied van inspanning is en dat zij moeten worden onder de voorbeeldige leiders in elke discipline. De blog biedt christelijke commentaren op films, actuele gebeurtenissen, leerstellige vragen, ethiek, wetenschap, religie, humor, biografie en politiek (hoewel de blog zal nooit openlijk politiek). Lezers worden aangemoedigd om commentaar te leveren op blog postings en nieuwe onderwerpen voor discussie stellen.

Hello, Greece!

Γεια σου, Ελλάδα. Καλώς ήρθατε στην ομάδα των αναγνωστών από 44 άλλες χώρες, οι οποίοι επίσης να επισκεφθείτε αυτό το blog. Ελπίζω να βρείτε ορισμένες από τις θέσεις χρήσιμες ή νόημα.

New Feature Added to This Blog

I have added the Google Translation Gadget to this blog.  This allows nearly instantaneous translation of the blog's text into any of the following languages: Afrikaans, Albanian, Arabic, Belarussian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (either the traditional or simplified ideographs), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh, and Yiddish.

The United States Midterm Elections Are Tomorrow

International readers of this blog may or may not be aware that tomorrow, Tuesday, 2 November 2010, the United States will be holding its “midterm elections.”  This means that these elections are coming at the middle point of the four year term of the current president, Barack Obama.

We have a bicameral (“two-house”) legislature, composed of The Senate and The House of Representatives.  Senators are elected for six year terms.  The senatorial terms are staggered so that, every two years, approximately one third of the seats come up for election.  The seats held by the United States Representatives are open for election every two years.

The significance of this current election is that there is a very real possibility that the opposition party, the Republicans, may take control from the current majority party, the Democrats, of one or both houses of the legislature.

I do, of course, have a position on this, but that is of no consequence here.  This posting is to address the question of political involvement by Christians.  Some say that Christians should have no political involvement at all, not even to vote.  Others have enthusiastically jumped, feet first, into the political system and come dangerously close to implying or even saying that there is a “true Christian” political stance.  Some even identify the political party which they say is Christian.

The first Christians existed under a worldwide political system, the Roman Empire, which brought peace and uniformity to most of the known world.  It brought modern roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, laws, and a system of justice.  It did this by bloody conquest, brutal suppression of dissent, eradication of entire cultures, and slave labor.  The system favored and rewarded the rich and the powerful and was corrupt from top to bottom.  Christians and other minorities who were even suspected of disloyalty were openly persecuted.   

Listen to what Paul said about it. 

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil.  Wherefore [ye] must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.  For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” Romans 13:1-7.

 Paul did not stutter or equivocate.  He was giving an interpretation based on what Jesus had earlier said.

 The Pharisees opposed Jesus.  They tried by flattery to put him off his guard and soften him up for their real intent, a figurative knife in the ribs.  The asked him a question to which either answer they anticipated would have enraged someone.  As he always did, Jesus did the unexpected, turning their figurative knife blade back at them.

“Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in [his] talk.  And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any [man]: for thou regardest not the person of men. ⁷Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, [ye] hypocrites?  Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.  And he saith unto them, Whose [is] this image and superscription?  They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.  When they had heard [these words], they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.” Matthew 22:15-22

 Whose picture was on the coin?  Who had it in their pocket?  Why was it in their pocket?  Did they control it or did it control them?

 The Christian faith is full of paradoxes; things which seem to be mutually exclusive, but which both are true.  This is one of them.   Jesus linked and separated the Church and the State.  His message on this: My Kingdom is first but because you belong to My Kingdom, you must fulfill your duties to theirs.

 Government did not give us God, God gave us government.  We can’t advance the Kingdom of God by politics, but we can use politics instead of letting it use us.  Taking personal Christian responsibility for our votes and civic involvement we can honor God.

 Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput says it well.  If, like me, you are a Protestant, read “Catholic” in the sense of The Church, the εκκλησία.

“First, all political leaders draw their authority from God. We owe no leader any submission or cooperation in the pursuit of grave evil. In fact, we have the duty to change bad laws and resist grave evil in our public life, both by our words and our non-violent actions. The truest respect we can show to civil authority is the witness of our Catholic faith and our moral convictions, without excuses or apologies.” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M., Cap.

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/politics/pg0228.htm