Blest Be The Tie That Binds

Dr. John Faw­cett was the pas­tor of a small church at Wains­gate, England and was called from there to a larg­er church in Lon­don in 1772. He was to replace the well-known John Gill at Carter's Lane Baptist Church. He ac­cept­ed the call and preached his fare­well ser­mon to his humble congregation. The wa­gons were load­ed with his books and fur­ni­ture, and all was rea­dy for his de­part­ure to London. After the service his pa­rish­ion­ers gath­ered around him, and with tears in their eyes begged of him to stay. His wife said, “Oh John, John, I can­not bear this.” “Neither can I,” ex­claimed the good pas­tor, “and we will not go. Un­load the wa­gons and put ev­ery­thing as it was be­fore.” His de­ci­sion was hailed with great joy by his peo­ple, and he wrote the words of "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" in com­mem­o­ra­tion of the event.

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

Caption Contest

Hey, remember the "Caption Contest?" (Wait, I still owe prizes to past caption contest winners! Uh oh.) Well, here it is anew with a "mail" theme this go round. Be creative!

Three Cheers for Dehydration!

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Didn't that feel good? But it probably didn't feel nearly as good as it does to die from dehydration. Don't you remember all the wonderful things said about dying from dehydration in the Terri Schiavo case? Bliss, I tell you. Well, that was not the first time I had heard that nonsense; I had been told several years ago (by my Uncle, no less) that dehydration would be a great way for my Grandmother to die. I'm sure he received that as simple medical advice, but it actually is part of a radical agenda in medicine and the courts. (Shall I mention here that the doctor's wife ran the hospice next door to the hospital?) In the end, we did not remove her "artificial nutrition and hydration" (ANH); sadly, she died in the hospital not long after anyway.

There is another ongoing case in which ANH was (and perhaps still is) an issue. It involves a girl named Haleigh Poutre and demonstrates again the eagerness of the medical and judicial communities to pull out those tubes. I will let Wesley Smith tell the story . . .

In the court (and courts) of life and death, a little 11-year-old Massachusetts girl named Haleigh Poutre could be the next Terri Schiavo. For those who have not heard the tragic story, Haleigh was beaten nearly to death last September, allegedly by her adoptive mother and stepfather. The beating left her unconscious and barely clinging to life.

Within a week or so of the beating, her doctors had written her off. They apparently told Haleigh's court-appointed guardian, Harry Spence, that she was "virtually brain dead." Even though he had never visited her, Spence quickly went to court seeking permission to remove her respirator and feeding tube. The court agreed, a decision affirmed recently by the supreme court of Massachusetts.

And so, no doubt with the best of intentions, a little girl who had already suffered so much was stripped by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of even the chance to fight to stay alive. If she didn't stop breathing when the respirator was removed, which doctors expected, she would slowly dehydrate to death.

Then came the unexpected: Before "pulling the plug" on Haleigh, Spence finally decided to visit her. He was stunned. Rather than finding a little girl with "not a chance" of recovery, as doctors had described Haleigh's condition to him (as reported by the Boston Globe), Haleigh was conscious. She was able to give Spence a yellow block when asked to by a social worker and respond to other simple requests.

Laudably, Spence immediately called off the dehydration. Haleigh is now off her respirator and breathing on her own. She has been transferred out of the hospital and is currently being treated in a rehabilitation center.

Lest anyone think that Haleigh's apparent consciousness protects her from suffering the fate of Terri Schiavo, who was ordered dehydrated by a Florida court based, in part, on a finding that she was unconscious, think again. In most states, exhibiting consciousness is not a defense against dehydration for profoundly impaired patients. Indeed, cognitively disabled people who are conscious are commonly dehydrated throughout the country. So long as no family member objects, the practice is deemed medically routine.

How can this be? The simple answer is that tube-supplied food and water — often called "artificial nutrition and hydration" (ANH) — has been defined in law and in medical ethics as an ordinary medical treatment. This means that it can be refused or withdrawn just like, say, antibiotics, kidney dialysis, chemotherapy, surgery, blood pressure medicine, or any other form of medical care. Indeed, removing ANH has come to be seen widely in medicine and bioethics as an "ethical" way to end the lives of cognitively disabled "biologically tenacious" patients (as one prominent bioethicist once described disabled people like Terri Schiavo and Haleigh Poutre), without resorting to active euthanasia.

It wasn't always so . . . (Read the remainder of the article here.)

Are You a Clown?

I have mentioned in the sidebar to the right that one of the books I'm reading is Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger, aka Pope Benedict XVI. It is essentially a study of the Apostle's Creed taken from student lectures given at Tubengin in the summer of 1967. In the introduction he cites a famous story by Kierkegaard, about "the clown and the burning village," to best sum up the difficulty faced by any Christian attempting to communicate the Christian faith to those unfamiliar with church language and thought. I would imagine most Christians who have tried to communicate their faith to such a person have felt something of this frustration. He writes,

According to the story, a travelling circus in Denmark had caught fire. The manager sent the clown, who was already dressed and made-up for the performance, into the neighboring village to fetch help, especially as there was a danger that the fire would spread across the fields of dry stubble and engulf the village itself. So, the clown hurried into the village and requested the inhabitants 'come as quickly as possible' and help put the fire out.
But the villagers took the clown's shouts simply for an excellent piece of advertising, meant to attract as many people as possible to the performance; they applauded the clown and laughed till they cried. The clown felt more like weeping than laughing; he tried in vain to get people to be serious, to make clear to them he was speaking in bitter earnest, that there really WAS a fire! His supplications only increased the laughter; people thought he was playing his part splendidly -- until finally the fire DID engulf the village, and both circus and village were burned to the ground.

And so how do people react to the Christian today?

In his . . . old-fashioned clown's costume he is simply not taken seriously. Whatever he says, he is ticketed and classified, so to speak by his role. Whatever he does in his attempts to demonstrate his (seriousness) people always know in advance that he is in fact just -- a clown. They are already familiar with what he is talking about, and know he is just giving a performance which has little or nothing to do with reality. So, they can listen to him quite happily without having to worry too seriously about what he is saying.

Interesting stuff. I'll bring more of it to you over the next few days.

I'll Reserve Comment

The Potter's House on Crowell Road has had a couple of messages on their church sign that were just beauts. I have thoroughly researched them, and was going to present my findings here, but I want to hear from others before I do so. For your pleasure:

Worry weights us down, a cheerful word picks us up.

Answering before listing is both stupid and rude!

Great, eh?! Yes, the spellings accurately reflect the sign itself. How do those inspire you?

Finally!

I've been tinkering with the design of the blog for the past week, and I think it's finally finished! Obviously it's a big change. I like the plainer, "cleaner" look of it (I bet Joe Biden would like it as well--“I mean, you finally got a blog that's articulate and bright and clean and nice-looking. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”) My favorite feature is the 3-column look, so things in the sidebar aren't as far down the page as they used to be. I'll probably keep tinkering. I'm looking to add a couple more things, but remember that this is an extremely part-time enterprise with a $0 budget! Let me know if there are any problems viewing the page--it may be too wide on some computers. That's all for now.

HR 511, Part II

As I posted here, I sent an e-mail to my representative in Congress, Jim Marshall, concerning my support for HR 511, a bill that would pledge the financial support of the House for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Well, Mr. Marshall has written back to me, and here's what he said . . .

(Click on the letter for a larger image)

I'm somewhat confident that he will support the bill since he is a veteran who ran in support of the war. However, all 74 co-sponsors of HR 511 are Republican(!) so we'll see. By the way this is a handy website you can use to keep track of bills in Congress. HR 511 is still in the Armed Services Committee as far as I know.

The Record of Atheism

I enjoyed this guest editorial from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution yesterday. It is by Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason Ministries. In it he addresses those who claim the worst atrocities of history have taken place in the name of God. Actually, those atrocities came to us courtesy of the godless . . .

The simple fact of history is that the greatest evil has resulted from the denial of God, not the pursuit of God. Conservative columnist Dennis Prager has noted, "In this (20th) century alone, more innocent people have been murdered, tortured and enslaved by secular ideologies —- Nazism and communism —- than by all religions in history."

Grab an older copy of the Guinness Book of World Records and turn to the category "Judicial," subheading "Crimes: Mass Killings." You'll find that carnage of unimaginable proportions resulted not from religion, but from institutionalized atheism. (The 2007 edition of Guinness does not contain those same categories.)

Guinness reports, "The greatest massacre ever imputed by the government of one sovereign against another is the 26.3 million Chinese killed during the regime of Mao Zedong between 1949 and May 1965. The Walker Report published by the U.S. Senate Committee of the Judiciary in July 1971 placed . . . the total death toll in China since 1949 between 32.25 and 61.7 million."

In the former Soviet Union, Nobel Prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn estimated that state repression and terrorism took more than 66 million lives from 1917 to 1959 under Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev.

The worst per capita genocide happened in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. According to Guinness, "More than one-third of the 8 million Khmers were killed between April 17, 1975 and January 1979."

The greatest evil does not result from people zealous for God. It results when people are convinced there is no God to whom they must answer.

He also addresses things like the Salem witch trials, about which George Grant writes:

Though the Puritan clergy of Massachusetts had unanimously opposed the Salem witch trials, the episode was seen by them all as a terrible example of misdirected zeal. Thus, in December, 1696, they resolved among themselves to call for a general fast day to be held on January 15, 1697, "That so all of God's people may offer up fervent supplications unto him, that all iniquity may be put away, which hath stirred God's holy jealousy against this land; that He would show us what we know not, and help us, wherein we have done amiss, to do so no more." Judge Samuel Sewell and the jury of the trials all confessed their error and implored God's forgiveness and further direction. Though modern skeptics love to point to the Salem witch trials as a special blight on the church's character, rarely is the end of the story told in full.

In any case events like the witch trials, bad as they where, pale in comparison to the routinely unbridled bloodletting of those in opposition to God and the gospel. Let's keep the record straight.

Karate Photos

The boys', karate photos are now online. They are also accessible from the left-hand column. But consider yourself warned. Like Barney Fife, these hands are lethal weapons!

Thou Art the Way

The prayer book that our family is currently using included this evening the hymn "Thou Art the Way" by George Washington Doane (who was born the same year our first president died, thus his name). I was drawn to it because it is structured by John 14:6,"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." I don't remember ever hearing it before, but I like it.

Thou art the Way: to Thee alone
From sin and death we flee;
And he who would the Father seek
Must seek Him, Lord, by Thee.

Thou art the Truth: Thy Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
Thou only canst inform the mind,
And purify the heart.

Thou art the Life: the rending tomb
Proclaims Thy conquering arm,
And those who put their trust in Thee
Nor death nor hell shall harm.

Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life;
Grant us that Way to know,
That Truth to keep, that Life to win,
Whose joys eternal flow.

19th Century Prophet

"Advertisements contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper."

~ Mark Twain ~

It's not "Bush's War"

And no matter what we do we cannot get out of it. Sorry. That's just the way it is. If you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to these guys:

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faiths, but to become dominant. The Quran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth."
--Omar Ahmad, Co-founder of CAIR


"We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you."
-- Hussein Massawi, Hezbollah leader

Poker seems to be on two or three channels every evening so maybe that's a language people can understand. Okay, I'm not sure exactly what hand these guys are holding, but they've raised and called. Are we in, or do we fold? These are the highest stakes possible, in case you've forgotten . . .


It's not just a game. It's war. And it's much more than "Bush's War." It's a war that has to be embraced by all of us, including the Church. For more on that, listen here or read here.

The Many and the Few

"Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection. Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus, love that is free from all self-interest and self-love!"

Thomas 'a Kempis from The Imitation Of Christ

You Can Say That Again!

This is a follow-up to the previous post. Guess who wrote to his wife that,

the pressing need is for great men "who when fortune frowns will not be discouraged." If there is a grievous flaw in how things are being run, it is the "stupid parsimony" of the Congress.

Given the political climate of the moment, it could be most any of today's fine military men. Alas, it was Colonel Henry Knox of Massachusetts and he spoke of those whose faith in General George Washington had faltered. I guess we've been doubting George since our nation's founding! Well, I don't think our our current Congress can be accused of "parsimony," but a charge of "stupid" would likely bring a conviction!

BTW, I've almost finished 1776. What a great read!

HR 511

While the gutless wonders in the Senate continue playing political games with "non-binding," "symbolic" votes on troop withdrawal and the like, the boys (and of course, Girl) in the the House, led by Sam Johnson of TX, are actually working on a real bill (i.e., a non-symbolic, binding one--HR 511) which pledges:

Congress will not cut off or restrict funding for units and members of the Armed Forces that the Commander in Chief has deployed in harm's way in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

I encourage everyone to support and publicize this effort. You can even contact the House at 202-225-3121 or go here to contact your congressman.

The Few, The Proud, The Customer Maniacs

The KFC in Conyers has completed its makeover and there is now a sign out front such as the one pictured to the left. Customer maniacs? I can't remember ever encountering one of those at KFC or just about anywhere else for that matter, can you? I can only think of a couple of exceptions--the weekday crew at Chick-fil-a and most of the ladies at Office Depot (both in Conyers). Are there any other places out there with "customer maniacs?"

Two "P's" in a Pod

The Christian Post is reporting that "Carter, Clinton Join to Reshape Baptist Image." I'm sure Baptists are overjoyed to have these two shining stars on board to make them "look better"--one best known for his infidelities in the Oval Office and the other most recently noted for authoring a book about Israel which has led to the resignation of 14 members of his Presidential Center's Board of Councilors due to the book's confusion of "opinion with fact, subjectivity with objectivity." Nothing like having a couple of certified liars for PR men!

This Goes Way Beyond the Episcopal Church

Kudos to Os Guiness and Rev. John Yates for their opinion piece in the Washington Post. They were commenting on the vote by several Virginia churches to leave the Episcopal Church. Here's a snippet:

"The sola scriptura (by the Scriptures alone) doctrine of the Reformation Church has been abandoned for the sola cultura (by the culture alone) way of the Modern Church. No longer under authority, the Episcopal Church today is either its own authority or finds its authority in the shifting winds of intellectual and social fashion--which is to say it has no authority."
"We remain Anglicans but leave the Episcopal Church because the Episcopal Church first left the historic faith. Like our spiritual forebears in the Reformation, "Here we stand. So help us God. We can do no other."

Here's to the troops . . .

Remember them constantly in your prayers.

Drew's Latest

"Polly"

Context! Context! Context!

Everyone is familiar with the real estate maxim, "Location! Location! Location!" Well, location is important in more than real estate. I have in mind the context (which is a location of sorts) in which things take place. Context gives perspective, assigns importance, and provides the means for evaluation. A simple example should show this. Imagine a groundout to first with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning. What a stinker! Now, imagine the same groundout in the same inning, but with a runner on second base and no outs. Now we're talking! What a difference! Or what if your quarterback took the snap and knelt down three straight plays? In the first quarter you'd be ready to fire people! But if he did that running out the clock in the fourth quarter you'd be elated!

I have in mind not baseball or football, but the question of what to do in Iraq. Conventional wisdom believes that the President wants to enact "The Surge," a ramping up of troop levels to more effectively quash the current terrorist violence and to more rapidly accomplish the vitally important task of readying more of the Iraqi army. The opposing argument seems to be, "Get out of Dodge!" (as Tanya Roberts would say).

I don't pretend to know the best course of action. I just want Iraq and as many other countries as possible to be places that are inhospitable to Muslim radicals. The thing that we in the West fail to realize is that YOU CAN "LEAVE THEM ALONE," BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GO AWAY! These folks have a looooooong view of things. Our leaders (and we) are stuck in these ridiculous two and four year election cycles! What a joke. Our enemeies (and that is exactly who they are) have a DECADES and CENTURIES view of this war. They know that it is as simple as demographics--the Western population is shrinking, and the Muslim population is exploding. They also know that one of these days they will have their hands on some sort of nukes. These things currently seem unavoidable, and the terrorists know all they have to do is outlast fools who worry only about the next election and the idiots that vote for them. Looking around I would say outlasting us is a rather simple thing to do.

Argue as you like for what to do about Iraq, but please give it some context! What is in the short run "best for our troops" may in fact be very much worse for them, and all of us, in the long run. I hate to imagine the context of these arguments in 50 years if we fail to put them in the proper context now.

Kylie's Corner

I want you to meet Kylie. She is the daughter of Drew and Racquel Barry and the older sister of Christian. (Drew, of course, played basketball at Georgia Tech in a former life.) Kylie was diagnosed a couple of years ago with a very aggressive form of cancer. Honestly, at the time her condition was most serious:

On October 7th, 2004 a tumor, about the size of a softball, was found in Kylie's abdomen and she was diagnosed as having Neuroblastoma. The tumor was connected to Kylie's adrenal gland and wrapped around several major arteries. A biopsy of the tumor revealed that the cancer is N-MYC amplified. This means Kylie's cancer is considered "unfavorable" and aggressive.

I was checking for news of her on the internet recently and found Kylie's Corner, which gives updates on her progress. And I do mean progress! As Drew posted on October 18, 2006:

Kylie is looking and feeling like a normal healthy child. I can't believe how far she has come. To think we just had the D-Day anniversary and where she was 2 years ago, I can only say God is AWESOME!! Raquel and I have grown in our walk with Christ so much the past 2 years. Without our faith in the Lord I do not know how we would be dealing with all this cancer stuff. I will admit I am cautious when it comes to Kylie's disease because I read so many stories of relapse but in my heart I know God has completely healed my little girl.

Pray for the Barrys and check out Kylie's Corner.

The Perfect (tongue firmly in cheek) Praise Song

Just replace "baby" with "Jesus" in Fatboy Slim's "Praise You" and you get this rapturous perfection of a praise chorus. (I know this is so because God revealed it to my wife a couple of days ago while we were driving on the Covington bypass.) I guarantee a church somewhere has tried this:

We've come a long long way together,
Through the hard times and the good,
I have to celebrate you Jesus,
I have to praise you like I should

We've come a long long way together,
Through the hard times and the good,
I have to celebrate you Jesus,
I have to praise you like I should

I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you like I should

I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you

We've come a long long way together,
Through the hard times and the good,
I have to celebrate you Jesus,
I have to praise you like I shouldddddd

I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you like I should
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you
I have to praise you

UPDATE!!!!

Wow. I had forgotten how horribly low budget and bad the video for "Praise You" was. If you dare you can watch it below:

Bush Environmental Policy Meltdown

A polar bear doing what polar bears do.

I was disturbed to hear this week that the Bush administration proposed to list the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. This is apparently some sort of qid pro quo, but I hate this implicit endorsement of global warming hysteria. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) even referenced predictions of an ice-free Arctic Ocean “within the foreseeable future.” In response Steven Milloy writes:

But such predictions and the potential consequences to polar bears are highly uncertain. No one knows exactly what’s happening with Arctic sea ice, much less what the future holds. The Greenland ice melt, for example, was actually larger in 1991 than in 2005 and the Greenland ice cap is thickening. Data from the Canadian Ice Service indicate there has been no precipitous drop-off in ice cap amount or thickness since 1970.

Let’s keep in mind that polar bears have survived much warmer times than we are now experiencing – like 1,000 years ago when the Vikings farmed Greenland during the Medieval Climate Optimum and 5,000-9,000 years ago during the period known as the Holocene Climate Optimum.

He concludes:

It’s distressing that the Bush administration is opening the door for the all-important issue of global warming regulation to be influenced more by our embrace of a soda mascot rather than science.

Click here for Milloy's year end review of the top Junk Science stories of 2006.

Have a Joyous New Year!

Here’s some advice from Martin Luther’s letter (1534) to Prince Joachim of Anhalt, who suffered from melancholy and “dejection of spirit”:

I should like to encourage Your Grace, who are a young man, always to be joyful, to engage in riding and hunting, and to seek the company of others who may be able to rejoice with Your Grace in a godly and honorable way. For solitude and inwardness are poisonous and deadly to all people, and especially to a young man. Accordingly, God has commanded us to be joyful in his presence; he does not desire a gloomy sacrifice. [Luther quotes Ecclesiastes 12.] No one realizes how much harm it does a young person to avoid pleasure and cultivate solitude and sadness. Your grace has Master Nicholas Hausman and many others near at hand. Be merry with them; for gladness and good cheer, when decent and proper, are the best medicine for a young person–indeed, for all people. I myself, who have spent a good part of my life in sorrow and gloom, now seek and find pleasure wherever I can. Praise God, we now have sufficient understanding of the Word of God to be able to rejoice with a good conscience and to use God’s gifts with thanksgiving, for he created them for this purpose and is pleased when we use them (Martin Luther, Letters of Spiritual Counsel, trans. Theodore G. Tappert [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1955], pp. 92-93).

Hear! Hear! (And for the origin of the previous phrase, click here)

Christmas '06 at Gamestop . . .

Okay. It wasn't quite like that, but judge for yourself:

After choosing a couple of Gameboy titles, I went to the checkout and offerred a $20 bill in payment . . .

Cashier 1: "Uh, I can't handle that. I'm out of 5's, 1's, and quarters." Turning to another cashier, "Do you have change?"

Cashier 2: "I don't know. I haven't opened my drawer all day. I've only had cards."

Cashier 1, to another cashier: "How 'bout you."

Cashier 3: "I think so."

And after an excruciatingly long conversation with the gentleman in line ahead of me, the third cashier did indeed accept my cash. I guess life really does take Visa!

Food that Heals

Jacob, wallowing on the floor of the hall: "Mommy, I need you!"

Mommy: "What's wrong, Jacob?"

Jacob, whimpering: "I broke my arm . . . and I'm bleeding."

Mommy, sympathetically: "Oh, no." She attempts to examine the injury.

Jacob: "No, don't look at it." Then, perking up he says, "Can I have a Pop Tart?!"


(By the way, the "bleeding" was from a terribly melted Spiderman popsicle. Jacob is a slow eater even on the rare occasion he actually likes what he is eating!)

We Wish You a Vrolijk Kerstfeest and a Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

Last year John Gibson warned us about The War on Christmas, which has been being waged at least since George Beverly Shea sang,"Don’t wish me Merry X-mas nor happy holidays. Put Christ back into Christmas on this blessed, holy day…" over forty years ago. So, if you've been sounding forth a hearty "Merry Christmas" at every opportunity, perhaps you're ready to try one of these:

Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees
Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees
African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Milad Majid
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian: Feliz Natal
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan (Catonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Ethiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet Beaal
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato Brichto
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Lao: souksan van Christmas
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian: Hristos se rodi
Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Serbian: Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic
Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!

The Meaning of Christmas

"The true Christian religion is incarnational and thus does not begin at the top, as all other religions do; it begins at the bottom. You must run directly to the manger and the mother’s womb, embrace the Infant and Virgin’s Child in your arms and look at Him—born, being nursed, growing up, going about in human society, teaching, dying, rising again, ascending above all the heavens, and having authority over all things. "—Martin Luther (1483-1546)

A Christmas Card from Our Next Door Neighbor to You

Worst Christmas Songs

Looking for something else entirely I stumbled upon Giant's list of the most annoying Christmas songs of all time. Warning! Clicking on the following link will take you to an article containing non-Daily Mail approved language! Here's the link. Despite their foul language, Giant came up with a pretty good list. I've made it the new poll to the right. If you think one is missing, let us know below!

Same Reggie, Different Universe

September 6, 2003

A great way to spend six minutes . . .

Unless you still have dial-up, in which case I have no idea how long it will take you to watch this. Either way I still recommend this video quiz to everyone as a great way to get up to speed on many issues concerning stem cells. I would love to hear your comments after viewing it! The statements are true or false.

Behind Enemy Lines

I was channel surfing this evening, looking for something "Christmasy" while decorating the tree. I found Behind Enemy Lines, starring Owen Wilson (Lt. Chris Burnett) and a favorite of mine Gene Hackman (Admiral Reigart). The following is a review of the movie that I wrote back in 2003:

Review of Behind Enemy Lines

Lieutenant Chris Burnett is a flight navigator for the Navy who has become bored with the mundane routine of the military and wants to resign. He has turned in a letter of resignation to Admiral Leslie Reigart aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, which is on patrol in the Adriatic Sea during the peace talks in Bosnia. Reigart offers to keep his letter for a week and encourages Burnett to reconsider. To help overcome his boredom, Burnett and his pilot Stackhouse are sent out on a reconnaissance mission. They deliberately stray into the demilitarized zone for a closer look when something unusual shows up on their radar. Burnett is able to take some photographs of what later turn out to be mass graves before their F-18 is hit and the two crewmen eject from the plane. When Burnett leaves the more seriously injured Stackhouse in order to attempt radio communication, Stackhouse is discovered and executed by Serb forces. Burnett witnesses the execution from a distance and begins his run for survival in the wilderness.
The theme of the movie is the “red, white, and blue” and the horror of war. I am told the movie was hurried to capitalize on the wave of patriotism following 9-11. Capitalistic motivations aside, the movie does deal with classic war themes of death and the value of life; the weighing of one life versus many lives; finding purpose in the midst of apparently senseless devastation; etc. To these ends the movie is very reflective of contemporary American culture. Post 9-11 America is favorably pro-military. This movie waves that flag by showing the genuine concern of Admiral Reigart for “our boy,” and the frustrated concern of his support staff in the face of NATO interference in American rescue efforts. The American concern for our POW’s shows in Admiral Reigart’s eventual decision to ignore NATO and participate personally in a rescue of Burnett. Admiral Reigart’s wrestling over his responsibility for Burnett and his “powerlessness” to do anything about it receives some development in the film. He trusts that the rigorous training which Burnett has undergone will see him through the difficulties “behind enemy lines.” This he communicates in his radio contacts with Burnett. However, the most extensive character development is of Burnett, who experiences a range of highs and lows in his trek across Bosnia.
It is interesting to see how movies can speak to the experience of the Christian life. It is in this respect that the movie shines. It is a bit of a stretch, but Burnett’s experience can be seen as allegorical of the Christian life (the name “Chris” is an interesting choice). His boredom with routine relates to the routine many Christians may feel in their day to day walk with Christ. The disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, regular worship, etc. may seem mundane at times, but they do prepare us for times of battle which often come when we least expect them. In the film these routines, meant to become “second nature,” help to save Burnett’s life. Christian “routines” help to save ours as well. (They are gracious means given by a gracious God). The several scenes in which Reigart talks to Burnett on the radio are presented in such a way that they are almost prayer-like—Reigart counseling and encouraging; Burnett confessing his wrongs and taking comfort as he gets to know the Admiral in a much more intimate way.
Burnett survives so many close calls and dodges so many rounds of ammunition that it is hard to see him as anything less than providentially preserved from the “flaming darts of the evil one.” The closest the film comes to a truly theological reflection is when the (French) NATO rescue helicopter is prematurely recalled from the rescue area when Burnett is believed to be dead. Burnett looks to the sky, apparently to God, and says “You’ve got to be [expletive] me!” It is just at this point, though, that he finally realizes the “higher” purpose in his delayed rescue. He has come full circle to his original crash sight and can recover the photos of mass graves that he took before the plane went down. He declares that Stackhouse will not have died “for no reason.” How often do we as Christians endure what to us are “senseless” circumstances only later to see God’s purpose in it all (Rom. 8:28)? He recovers the photos, is rescued by Reigart, and withdraws his resignation.

Learn to Discern

The other day I found myself behind a car with a "Jesus Rode a Donkey" bumper sticker. I wondered what that could mean; since it was red, white, and blue I thought it must be political. A Google search confirmed that, yes, it is another attempt by liberals to convince Christians that Jesus wants them to vote for Democrats. Watch how this works. Here are some quotes from the book, Jesus Rode a Donkey:

• What would Jesus do? "As the One who accepts and loves, he would be...volunteering at soup kitchens rather than granting tax cuts to the rich. He'd be planting trees instead of strip-mining national parks. He'd be working to take care of those who have trouble surviving in our society, rather than rewarding the rich."

• "If we had to choose only one issue that addresses the place where Christian values and political policy clearly come together, it wouldn't be abortion, or homosexuality, or stem cell research, or even education...or employment - it would be to help the poor and the oppressed."

Let's see. I guess Jesus would also hire a "faith guru" like Hillary Clinton and other Democrat presidential contenders so that he could "win over evangelicals and other values-driven voters."

Or maybe he would vote with 152 of his "fellow" Democrats against something like the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006, which simply requires doctors to be honest with women seeking abortions about the pain (not to mention the DEATH!) they are going to cause their unborn children. Only 9 evil Republicans voted against that bill. It passed 250-162 with 20 brave Congressmen not voting.

I don't need a book written by a political activist who takes Bible passages out of context to aid me in the voting booth. Give me a Bible and a candidate's voting record (not a campaign promise or a political ad) and I can figure this stuff out just fine.

I had wanted to address the quotes above from the book, but there are so many fallacies in them that I've changed my mind. Christians, don't be wise as doves and innocent as serpents! Learn to discern!

To B.C. or to B.C.E.?

That is actually the question for some people. Doug Wilson's post got me thinking about this again. I remember in the ancient days of college (speaking of B.C.) when I sat out of TFC and attended Georgia State for a bit, I had a professor who described the attempt to do away with B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (anno domini, in the year of our Lord) by using B.C. E. (before the common era) and C.E. (common era) as "half-a$$ed." He said that because the "common era" is still determined in relation to Christ's birth, it's just not any longer explicit.

Check this out from religioustolerance.org about the use of B.C.E./C.E.--

The Ethic of Reciprocity (the Golden Rule) suggests that one should not intentionally cause unnecessary pain to other humans. We should treat others as we would wish to be treated. Since only one out of every three humans on earth is a Christian, some theologians and other authors felt that non-religious, neutral terms like CE and BCE would be less offensive to the non-Christian majority. Forcing a Hindu, for example, to use AD and BC might be seen by some as coercing them to acknowledge the supremacy of the Christian God and of Jesus Christ.

Consider an analogous situation: the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. The most recent version of this pledge includes the phrase: "Under God." Imagine what a Wiccan (who believes in a God and a Goddess), or many Buddhists and strong Atheists ( who do not believe in the existence of God) feel when having to recite those words. Consider how a Christian would feel if the pledge read "Under Buddha" or "Under Allah."

Although CE and BCE were originally used mainly within theological writings, the terms are gradually receiving greater usage in secular writing, the media, and in the culture generally.

Is that pathetic, or what?

Try the New Message Board!

I've put a link in the right column for the Daily Mail Message Board. Try it out. This is your chance to initiate things yourself. Start a topic on anything you like! I'll principally post here, but I'll also go over to the Message Board and see what others are saying and respond.

Blue's BBQ

As many of you know, the boys and I returned from a rain-soaked ACC Football Championship in Jacksonville last week. That's all I'll say about the game, but I do need to mention Blue's BBQ. Take the St. Mary's, GA exit #3 on I-95 and look between Wendy's and DQ. There you'll see a little shack with some big black smokers outside under a metal carport cover. I ordered a jumbo beef brisket sandwich. What happened next was great. The man walked out the back door of the shack, opened the huge cover of one of the smokers, pulled out a brisket, sliced a big hunk off and gave it a few chops on the table, and walked back inside. Wow. Moments later I had a delicious, juicy, jumbo beef brisket sandwich. Oh man, what a sammich! If you'd like another opinion, here's a review of Blue's from the BBQ Forum.

Because They Hate

I have just begun Because They Hate by Brigitte Gabrielle. If you are unfamiliar with her story I encourage you to read these excerpts from her speech at the Intelligence Summit in Washington DC in February. It is just maddening in the wake of the Iraq Surrender Group's report to imagine that there are still people who don't get it. There is a profound religious element to this current war that is ignored to our peril. The "Fabulous Baker Boys" are supposed to be noted for their outstanding service to our country. I wonder what sort of report we would have gotten if the blue ribbon panel included the likes of Brigitte, who has outstanding firsthand experience with Islamic terrorism? The best question of the press conference asked why the President should listen to this gang. He shouldn't. He should read Because They Hate instead.

Hearing from God

Saw this in the mail today . . .


I hate delivering this garbage. Everyone wants to hear some definitive word from God. Hey, folks, try this . . .

APB Issued For Reggie Ball's Head

I've been trying to think of another scapegoat for Tech's 15-12 loss tonight, but I can think of none other than Mr. Ball. 6 of 22 passing for 42 yards, two picks and a fumble. There was the question all week as to the unease of Tech fans. Well, when Reggie's your QB you always have to have guarded optimism; his head goes missing sometimes.

Oliver was praised on TV for his play vs. Calvin. He played well, but did Reggie ever throw Calvin a ball inside the circle of the famous DaVinci diagram above? Why does every ball Calvin gets have to be potential SportsCenter material?

Anyway, we've got a championship left to win, and I'm "heading" to JAX to see it. I just hope Reggie finds his head before then. If you see it anywhere, please call the Tech athletic office. Chan would love to hear from you. Go Jackets!

Want to Try Something Different for Thanksgiving?

Try the Holiday Pack from Jones Soda Company and you can drink your turkey dinner! Choose from Turkey and Gravy, Green Pea, Sweet Potato, Dinner Roll and, if none of those go down too well, you can break into the pink-colored Antacid flavor! Sounds like a Thanksgiving dinner to remember.

Uncle Sam Says to Give Thanks

You may think that the traditon of issuing proclamations calling upon the American people to give thanks to God only began with George Washington, but it actually predates our first president and our nation's birthday. In March of 1776 the presiding President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock, issued the First Fast Day Proclamation of the United Colonies of America:

March 16, 1776
President John Hancock

In times of impending calamity and distress; when the liberties of America are imminently endangered by the secret machinations and open assaults of an insidious and vindictive administration, it becomes the indispensable duty of these hitherto free and happy colonies, with true penitence of heart, and the most reverent devotion, publickly to acknowledge the over ruling providence of God; to confess and deplore our offences against him; and to supplicate his interposition for averting the threatened danger, and prospering our strenuous efforts in the cause of freedom, virtue, and posterity.

The Congress, therefore, considering the warlike preparations of the British Ministry to subvert our invaluable rights and priviledges, and to reduce us by fire and sword, by the savages of the wilderness, and our own domestics, to the most abject and ignominious bondage: Desirous, at the same time, to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God's superintending providence, and of their duty, devoutly to rely, in all their lawful enterprizes, on his aid and direction, Do earnestly recommend, that Friday, the Seventeenth day of May next, be observed by the said colonies as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease his righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness; humbly imploring his assistance to frustrate the cruel purposes of our unnatural enemies; and by inclining their hearts to justice and benevolence, prevent the further effusion of kindred blood.

But if, continuing deaf to the voice of reason and humanity, and inflexibly bent, on desolation and war, they constrain us to repel their hostile invasions by open resistance, that it may please the Lord of Hosts, the God of Armies, to animate our officers and soldiers with invincible fortitude, to guard and protect them in the day of battle, and to crown the continental arms, by sea and land, with victory and success: Earnestly beseeching him to bless our civil rulers, and the representatives of the people, in their several assemblies and conventions; to preserve and strengthen their union, to inspire them with an ardent, disinterested love of their country; to give wisdom and stability to their counsels; and direct them to the most efficacious measures for establishing the rights of America on the most honourable and permanent basis; That he would be graciously pleased to bless all his people in these colonies with health and plenty, and grant that a spirit of incorruptible patriotism, and of pure undefiled religion, may universally prevail; and this continent be speedily restored to the blessings of peace and liberty, and enabled to transmit them inviolate to the latest posterity. And it is recommended to Christians of all denominations, to assemble for public worship, and abstain from servile labour on the said day.

This statement was hardly unique. It was followed by similar proclamations from Henry Laurens, John Jay, Samuel Huntington, Thomas McKean, and John Hanson. You may read these here.

So, George Washington was following an established tradition when he made his more famous Thankgiving Proclamation in 1789. You can view that proclamation as published in the Wednesday, October 14 edition of The Massachusetts Centinel here.

Kezz-ick

I appreciate this post from Know Tea regarding the non-phonetic nature of the English language. I am a fan of phonics instruction and especially recommend TATRAS phonics (which we use at home). Tea's complaint is that phonics-only instruction has led to the overly literal pronunciation of our language.

The most obvious example I can think of is the word often. Often is to the word oft as the word soften is to soft. The ”t” is silent. At least it used to be, until well-meaning English teachers taught their students to pronounce it phonetically.

Ours is not a phonetic language. We don’t pronounce the “t” in castle, trestle, nestle, pestle (as in “mortar and . . .”), listen, or glisten either. Why pronounce it in often? OK, if you insist on doing so because “it’s listed as an acceptable pronunciation in the dictionary,” then fine. I won’t twist your arm. Unless you’re ever singing in a choir that I’m conducting.

Forehead is another word that has fallen victim to hyperpronunciation. In generations past, no one would have thought of pronouncing it “fore-head” any more than they would have pronounced cupboard as “cup-board.” Longfellow’s little poem about the little girl with the little curl preserves for us what was once the universally accepted pronunciation: it rhymes with horrid. If you insist on pronouncing it as fore-head, what are you going to do with cupboard? What are you going to do with boatswain or coxswain?

Another good one is "vineyard," which I hope you pronounce "vin-yerd." And don't forget place names:

Gloucester rhymes with Foster. Similarly, Worcester (whether one is referring to the one in England or the one in Massachusetts) sounds like “Wooster,” not “wer-sester” or “wer-chester.” Leicester is pronounced “Lester,” not “lye-chester.” Most of our science teachers taught us how to pronounce Greenwich (as in Greenwich Mean Time). Keswick likewise has a silent w. There are even more confusingly-spelled names (especially for non-native speakers), such as the famous surname Featherstonehaugh (pronounced “Fanshaw”).

Not only is the "w" silent in Keswick, but the "s" is said with a "z." This one drives me crazy because there is an apartment complex in Conyers called Keswick Village, and I hear just about all of my co-workers call it "Kess-wick" Village, not "Kezz-ick."

Overcoming Hyperopia

In preparing a recent sermon on Revelation 21 as a model for the church, I was struck by the parallels between Ezekiel and Revelation.

In fact, the whole book of Revelation is a new covenant Ezekiel; the two books are completely parallel in structure, thought, and language:

• both open with a throne vision of God, high and lifted up
• both show plagues poured out on the unfaithful
• in both the saints are sealed on their foreheads
• both have the prophet eating a book
• both have a harlot who is judged
• both have a lamentation over the fall of Jerusalem
• both have a battle with Gog and Magog
• and both close with visions of the new temple and the new city
  

I'm sure I have missed many others. The point is that John, like Ezekiel in chapters 40-48, is giving us the vision, the blueprint, the kingdom plan for God's people and calling them to repentance and to conformity to the vision. When we better see the parallels between what Ezekiel was doing for the old covenant people of God and what John is doing for the new covenant people, we better understand that John’s words are for us here and now, not just in the future.

Back to Bloggin'

Alright. Need to put some stuff on here for a change. I'm sitting here (in the living room thanks to Pop's kindly contribution of a Belkin wireless router to the Daily Mail) and listening to some 1990 vintage Throes. All the Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes. What a great album. This was my soundtrack for commuting to Georgia State during that long lost spring of '91. Here's what some guy named J.Edward Keyes of the All Music Guide says:

Arriving in the heyday of the alternative revolution, the Throes' astonishing debut, All the Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes, captured the innocence and idealism of that singular movement. Driven by the songwriting prowess of Bill Campbell and Harold Evans, the Throes create dour, moody pop akin to the Smiths and R.E.M.. Songs are built around Campbell's sparkling guitar and driven forward by Evans' idiosyncratic percussion. Where most college rock bands flounder amidst pretentious lyrics and too-light music, the Throes convey their often-poetic sentiments adroitly. "This Love Is an Ocean" churns and rolls, moving slowly forward while "Passion Flower" is up-tempo and colored by sadness. Even the sweaty, punkish rave-up "Skin Kings" is propelled by a sentiment of self-loathing and disgust. All the Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes works because it stays open and airy and buoyant despite these weighty confessions. The record is charged with the unmistakable energy of possibility, the sound of a young band who still believes they can change the world.

That's funny. I always thought the guitars and harmonies had a sixties feel to them.

Anyway, Junior (that's our pet garter snake for those without a program) got out of his cage today thanks to my negligence in closing the lid to his cage last night when I fed him. He wandered into Marian's closet and I had to track him down. May this series of events never happen again! He's now back home and the lid is on tight!

How weird is it that Bo Schembechler died on the eve of the "Game of the Century?" (By the way, this is at least the 3rd game of the century already this century. There was Miami-Ohio St. in 2002 and USC-Texas last year. There may have been more.)

I was going to say something about my little yellow radio that rides in my mail truckwith me, but I guess that would be tacky now. Maybe later.

Election Thoughts, Part II

My biggest concern in the wake of the election is that the Republicans learn the right message from their defeat. This concern was at the heart of my last post which pointed out that conservatism actually did quite well this election since liberalism had to dress up like it to win as big as it did. The clearest statement I have seen that shows a Republican leader learned the lesson is from Mitt Romney:

Americans spoke last night and Republicans are listening. Americans have not become less conservative, but they believe some Republicans have. As a party, we need to remember who we are and the principles that have always led our party and our country to success.

We must return to the common sense Reagan Republican ideals of fighting for hard working Americans, lowering taxes, shrinking government, curbing out-of-control spending, promoting the traditional values of faith, family and freedom, and providing a strong national security with all the necessary tools to protect the American people and win the War on Terror. (Read all of it here)

The biggest problem presented by the changeover in Congress is that the appointment of judges, particularly Supreme Court justices, just got very dicey. And of course, this problem is compounded by the refusal of the Republicans to use the so-called "nuclear option" and vote to get rid of the ridiculous filibuster rule that turns the nomination of justices from a simple majority (as explicitly stated in the CONSTITUTION[!] by the way) into a super majority. So now, rather than pulling together 51 votes for a justice, Bush faces filibuster with any worthwhile (originalist) nominee. Thanks John McCain.

Election Thoughts

This election was classic bait and switch . . .



Make no mistake, this election was not the triumph of liberalism. Democrats ran as conservatives (the models above) all over the place so they could get elected ; then in their first vote in congress they will elect San Francisco ultra-lib Nancy Pelosi as their leader (that's when they start to turn into apes!). In further bait and switch action, the Cloning Amendment in Missouri squeaked by only after a $30 million dollar deception campaign to frame it as a "stem cell" amendment (again the apes had to use masks to get a kiss).

However, all of the state amendments restricting marriage to a man and woman passed. I guess the ape of gay marriage couldn't be dressed up enough to get a kiss.

So, the country has not gone liberal. I guess it is hard to overcome the constant negativity of the drive-by media. They're a bunch of Chicken Littles about everything--the war, the economy, anything. It will be interesting to see how these "conservative" democrats vote. They will either shed their "conservatism" to walk with their liberal leadership, or they'll try to maintain the conservative veneer that appealed to voters and incur the wrath of the lunatic fringe of their party (which includes their leadership, by the way). We shall see.

AAUGH!!!!!!

This is about how well Georgia Tech played versus Clemson in a pathetic 31-7 loss tonight (Reggie Ball starring in the role of Charlie Brown). I hope they get it together by next Saturday against the thugs from the "U." ACC title game is still ours for the taking!

Cancer Killing Viruses Coming Soon?

Cancer killing viruses are tremendous news if true. I saw the story this morning and was going to mention it here, but now I see Wesley Smith has already done so. He said all I wanted to say, so I encourage you to read his short post here.

Find Out Who's Going to Hell

That's the master list according to Joel Kilpatrick in his book A Field Guide to Evangelicals and Their Habitat. Follow the link for an excerpt from the book. Remember, people, that this is SATIRE! If you're not sure where you fit on the master list, then go here to take the "EQ" Test.

A Damning New Epithet: "Climate Change Denier"

The whole world in Al Gore's hands

I had intended to bring this to your attention last week. This is from Brendan O'Neill, a British writer, in response to the creation of a new category of humanity (which just so happens to include me!)--"CLIMATE CHANGE DENIER." This is the beginning of Brendan's article:

Whoever thought that serious commentators would want it made illegal to have a row about the weather? One Australian columnist has proposed outlawing 'climate change denial'. 'David Irving is under arrest in Austria for Holocaust denial', she wrote. 'Perhaps there is a case for making climate change denial an offence. It is a crime against humanity, after all.' Others have suggested that climate change deniers should be put on trial in the future, Nuremberg-style, and made to account for their attempts to cover up the 'global warming...Holocaust.'

The message is clear: climate change deniers are scum. Their words are so wicked and dangerous that they must be silenced, or criminalised, or forced beyond the pale alongside those other crackpots who claim there was no Nazi Holocaust against the Jews. Perhaps climate change deniers should even be killed off, hanged like those evil men who were tried Nuremberg-style the first time around.

Whatever the truth about our warming planet, it is clear there is a tidal wave of intolerance in the debate about climate change which is eroding free speech and melting rational debate. (Read the entire article here)

That rational debate on this issue has melted much more quickly than the polar ice caps is beyond doubt. Even this "climate change denier" epithet is a loaded label. It attempts to lump together those who deny any warming whatsoever (which our very limited data seems to confirm the slightest of warming) and those who grant slight warming but deny that it is caused by man (whether humans are to blame is the crux of the debate). So, you are either a normal, sane person who says that there is man made global warming, or you are a Nazi climate change denier who should be tried war crimes style. Such is the nature of public discourse. Don't fall for it!

An Autumn Silhouette

Drew's latest from art class. The tree and cat silhouettes, as well as the leaves, are pasted onto a painted background. It's very interesting to see in person for the three dimensional effect. Also, note how the clouds are blended into the sky. As usual you can click on the image for a closer view.

Watch Your Language

We have also just begun reading together as a family G. A. Henty's The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt. Henty was the prolific author of 122 works of historical fiction. His adventure stories were well-received in the late 19th century and have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the last decade or so. I was reading aloud to the boys when I suddenly heard this sentence:

Now from behind the lines of the Egyptian archers a column of men advanced a hundred abreast, each carrying a great faggot; their object was evident, they were about to prepare a wide causeway across the marsh by which the chariots could pass.

In addition to being carried, the faggots went on to be laid down, torched, trodden, forced deep into the mire, etc. So, who knows what kind of faggot Henty wrote about, and how did we come to have such a decidedly different meaning of the word?

Militant or Defeated?

It is customary to speak of the Church "Militant," which is the Church in the present age fighting "against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12), in contrast with the Church "Triumphant," which is the Church presented to Christ "in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Eph.5:27). Yet, sometimes in our present struggle we begin to think of ourselves more as the Church "Defeated" than Militant.

Our family is going through the Gospel of Mark together and we are being ably aided by N.T. Wright and his Mark for Everyone. In reflecting on Mark 4:21-25, about the lampstand, he makes these remarks:

On the day I am writing this, a radio station telephoned me. Would it be true, they asked, to say that fewer people in the Western world know the basic Christian story than was true 30 years ago?

Certainly, I replied, in Britain and Western Europe. I'm not sure it's true in America, and it certainly isn't true in Africa and southeast Asia, where the churches are growing rapidly. But where, as in Britain and much of Europe, it's widely assumed that Christianity has had its day, is old-fashioned and out of date, those who still call themselves Christians need to take the warning of these verses very much to heart. We have to pay closer heed to what we have been taught, to the kingdom message, the Jesus-message, the story of our salvation. If we loosen our grip on it, we may lose it altogether.

On the other hand, if we go deeper into what we already basically know, we will find there is more, and more, and more to learn, to feed on, to grow into. And we will find that the things we whisper to one another in small groups, in apparently dwindling churches, will one day be shouted from the housetops.

Amen. That's a great reminder to us that the Church Militant is not and will not be defeated. In fact, it is the same Church Militant (not some other body or group) that will become, through the ministry of God's Spirit, the Church Triumphant! We need to be careful not to be shaped as a Church by negative attacks upon us from without, or negative theologies (disguised as best-selling fiction, etc.) from within.

"He who calls you (plural, the Church) is faithful; he will surely do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24

No . . .

this has never happened to me!(Though I can think of some guys it may have happened to!)

Mustard, Part III

Yet more evidence of the mustard/hot dog connection!

New Poll

I finally got a ticker on here re: Christian persecution. It's not quite what I was after, but it'll do. This all relates to the new poll question about threats facing the Church. We can talk about it below.

I'll kick off the discussion here by saying that whatever ills face the Church, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Just curious what you think is making the best effort at prevailing!

For You Linksters

The swing of golf legend Bobby Jones as captured by photographer Harold Edgerton

I have also added The Boneman to the blogfeeds. His latest entry is an interesting, and I think helpful, comparison of salvation and a golf swing. Here's most of it:

So I'm learning to play golf. I think everyone understands how difficult golf is, but you can't really appreciate just how difficult it is until you try it. For instance, take the most basic part of the game - the golf swing - what you do to simply hit a small ball with a stick. To have a proper swing you must break-down, analyze, and correct your:

* Club choice
* Stance
* Grip
* Head position
* Back-swing
* Address
* Follow-through

And yet - after all of these particular parts of the swing, there is only ONE golf swing. If you assume the right stance without gripping the club, there is no golf swing. If you have a stance and grip the club, but don't move your arms, there is no golf swing. A golf swing is not a golf swing without all of these aspects working together in perfect harmony.

Salvation for the Christian is very much like this. We can talk about predestination, calling, regeneration, imputation, justification, adoption, sanctification, glorification, etc., but each of these is just an aspect of what it means to be united to Jesus Christ. Yes, these aspects are distinct, but when we lose sight of what they accomplish as a whole, we aren't "in the game" anymore.

Pretty good. Thanks, Boneman!

Believers in the Voting Booth

I have recently added The Bodacious Black Bible Babbler to the blogfeeds in the right-hand column of this page. He recently commented on the intersection of faith and politics with a post titled "Total Depravity and Voting." Here is a bit of what he says:

Simply put, we must realize that we are casting votes for people who are corrupt to the core, and that goes for the Christians too. Practically speaking I believe that means:

* At best, we are trying to make a choice between the lesser of evils. I no longer vote for the best candidate, I vote against the worst ones. “All have sinned (and continue to sin) and are falling short of the glory of God.” Therefore, we must find out all we can about a candidate and then vote for the one we believe will do the least amount of damage. That’s the best we can hope for.
* Remember, voting is an act of faith carried out in a fallen world. You have no idea whether the person you’re voting for is telling the public the truth or not. That means you cast your vote and you leave the results in God’s hands. Politicians are going to tell you what they think will get them elected. I have come close to working on campaigns in the past, but I always backed out because ultimately, I had to admit that I had no way of knowing the individuals character. When you find one with integrity in a given area be thankful. But remember, she’s not going to make things better, she is simply going to slow the downward descent that is currently underway inAmerica. Don’t get your hopes set too high. Wait long enough and you’ll find out that she too has come under the spell of “being in charge”.
* Not only are politicians depraved, but so is the system. Even if we are blessed enough to get a godly man or woman in office he or she will be fighting against a system that is capable of rallying and minimizing that persons impact to the political process. I have had numerous conversations with politicians where I walked away realizing they were afraid of taking a principled stand because they knew that to do so would mean marginalization.

Now, I'm not as pessimistic as our friend the Babbler is, but I do like his point about the lesser of evils. There are no perfect candidates. Look at anyone (not just politicians) too closely and there begin to be an awful lot of flaws that come into view. This is no exact science, and politicians will say anything to get elected, but I can listen carefully to hear what a politician says to whom. The more chameleon-like the candidate the less likely he is to get my vote. This is one of the advantages of the internet; it is increasingly easy to learn what a candidate says at what would previously have been an obscure fundraising dinner, or to a socialist group in Europe, or this or that union, etc.

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." This is certainly true of us as His disciples today, and it certainly applies to politics. I return to these words again and again because it is so easy to fall off on the one side and say, "Politics is too dirty for this dove! I'm outta here!" and withdraw, or to go the other way and say, "Bring it on! I'm wise as a serpent; I can play this game!" and become obsessed with it all. Both of these are contrary to God's word. Learn what you can about the candidates. Seek the counsel of God's Word and other believers (i.e., don't just look to have your opinion affirmed). There are few good candidates, but there are many really bad and even dangerous candidates. Exercise discernment. And, as the Babbler said, leave the result in God's hands. He is the ultimate check on the people and the system (Romans 10, don't forget)!

What's in a Name?

Enough to keep local officials in ALIABAD, Azerbaijan from issuing a birth certificate for little Ilya Eyvazov. Why won't they? Because "Ilya" is Russian for "Elijah" and is considered a Christian name in 96% Muslim Azerbaijan, which is on the northern border of Iran. The Eyvazov family encountered similar problems when naming Moises (Moses) and Luka (Luke). More amity and tolerance from the world's most peaceful religion! Read more here. And for those interested, here is more on Azerbaijan from International Christian Concern.