Priorities Around the Sequester….
Couldn’t have said it better. Continue reading Priorities Around the Sequester….
Month: April 2013
Living The Message….
Emergent congregations are especially well equipped to live creatively in the newly post-Western Christianity. They are careful not to confuse the life and message of Jesus with the “Western” elements in which it has been packaged. They try to assign equal weight to both the message and the context so that a new version of the old story can take shape. They strongly underline “living … Continue reading Living The Message….
Tread on Me, Please….
We’re often told that our liberties are under assault. The right warns that our Big Government nanny state is plotting to seize our guns and our Big Gulps, while strangling our economic freedom with taxes and regulations. The left rails against our Big Government security state—the drone warfare, indefinite detention and electronic surveillance that make the war on terror sound like an Orwellian nightmare. The … Continue reading Tread on Me, Please….
The Gasoline Conspiracy…..
NEW YORK — A sharp decline in the price of oil this month is making gasoline cheaper at a time of year when it typically gets more expensive. It’s a relief to motorists and business owners and a positive development for the economy. Source: Drivers benefit as oil prices drop sharply – Business on NBCNews.com. I don’t know about where you come from but … Continue reading The Gasoline Conspiracy…..
Abraham Lincoln’s God…..
I never behold the heavens filled with stars that I do not feel I am looking in the face of God. I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist. but I cannot conceive how he could lie looking up into the heavens and say there is no God. When any church … Continue reading Abraham Lincoln’s God…..
Those Who Use Jesus’ Name….
They had turned the way of Jesus, I felt, into the club of the Pharisees, and they didn’t speak for me, even though their spokesmen dominated the dialogue night after night on cable TV. The terms “Evangelical” and even “Christian” had become like discredited brands through their energetic but misguided work. I increasingly understood why more and more of my friends winced when the name … Continue reading Those Who Use Jesus’ Name….
Artsy….
June 1989 – This is a picture of a long time friend taken at the Indy Zoo. Of course it has been “artified” by me. I am trying to get into this type of thing again. Continue reading Artsy….
The Golden Rule….
A new golden rule BY CHUCK JAFFE, MARKETWATCH It has long been a rule of thumb that typical investors should have 5-10% of their portfolios in gold. But watching gold’s swoon on Monday had to make you wonder: Really? Source: Online Trading, ETFs, Mutual Funds, IRAs & Retirement – Fidelity. Leave it up to the financial gurus to pollute the golden rule with things about … Continue reading The Golden Rule….
The Old vs. The New….
For example, let’s say we approach the Bible with this question: How should we treat our enemies? Matthew 5:44 tells us to love them. Romans 12:17–21 tells us to do good to them and never seek revenge against them. First Peter 3:13–17 tells us to suffer at their hands and set an example for them. Psalm 137:9 says we should joyfully dash their infants against … Continue reading The Old vs. The New….
Finally Some Sanity???
In his first major policy speech Wednesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel signaled he will be taking a hard look at the way the Pentagon spends its money and at whether the US military needs quite so many officers…. That’s because too often the weapons systems that Pentagon officials buy “are vastly more expensive and technologically risky than what was promised or budgeted for.” And the … Continue reading Finally Some Sanity???
Too Much Celebration….
Staying away from the news feeds today. Too much celebration of the Bush years. I am just not ready for that yet. Too many young lives lost and too many retirement pensions ruined during those years. Maybe when I am old and senile I can look upon them differently….. Continue reading Too Much Celebration….
Discover Your Passion: Know Who You Are
I had to discover a passion for retirement because I had worked all my life at something that I was not passionate about. I understood that in order to discover a passion I had to understand who I am. Figuring out who I am was not complicated, but it required time and effort. It took a lot of mental work, the hardest kind of … Continue reading Discover Your Passion: Know Who You Are
Loss of Life….
I try not to post about the events like the Boston bombing until more of the facts are known but there is one related thing that always bothers me about such events. While I along with most mourn the four lives lost in this tragic event I wonder why we don’t also mourn the 150 or so lives also lost that day and every day … Continue reading Loss of Life….
Silence is Complicity….
I am only now beginning a serious but somewhat sporadic study of church history but even at this point in my study it is clear that the church has remained silent about many moral wrongs of the times. The most notable in recent history is the holocaust. Millions of Jews were being sent off to their deaths by Hitler and the church for the most … Continue reading Silence is Complicity….
Disability: the ‘de facto welfare program’
Every month, 14 million people now get a disability check from the government. The federal government spends more money each year on cash payments for disabled former workers than it spends on food stamps and welfare combined. […] [And] story of these programs — who goes on them, and why, and what happens after that — is, to a large extent, the story of … Continue reading Disability: the ‘de facto welfare program’
Prosperity…
“There is nothing that sets a nation back as far in civilization as prosperity.” – Will Rogers, 2 April 1933 Yeah Will, prosperity does seem to bring out the animal in many of us. Just look at the Robber Barons of the early 20th century for evidence of that. Heck, you don’t even have to look that far back, just look at the 1%ers now … Continue reading Prosperity…
Pope — CEO Or Spiritual Leader???
I spent my first fourteen years in the Catholic church but really haven’t kept up with the details except for an occasional theology study. I know the picture here is a once in an era event. It has been centuries since a pope has resigned from office. The first thought that came to mind when I saw the picture here is that of two very … Continue reading Pope — CEO Or Spiritual Leader???
Congress Ignores America’s Poverty Crisis
“The Ryan budget kicks 12 to 13 million people off of nutrition assistance, cuts off pathways to opportunity, slashes job training and education, and makes draconian cuts to Medicare, which serves a majority of the disabled and the elderly,” said Boteach. “That’s how House Republicans have outlined their priorities.” Among those who voted for Ryan’s budget: Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), the chairman of the House … Continue reading Congress Ignores America’s Poverty Crisis
What it means to be a Christian…
“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. via What it means to be a Christian…. These words come from Rachel Held Evans blog but are the words of Brennan Manning. Until I had read them I was unaware of who he … Continue reading What it means to be a Christian…
Aristocracy…
For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preferences to all others forever, and though himself might deserve some decent degree of honors of his contemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them. – Tom Paine in Common Sense, 1776 I hope we shall crush in its … Continue reading Aristocracy…
The Significance Of Universal Salvation…. A Wrap-Up
Here we are at the end of my study into universal salvation as presented by Philip Gulley in his book “If Grace Is True”. It took a lot longer to get here than I originally thought but this is a very serious subject so I shouldn’t be surprised. I am still not totally in the camp of universal salvation but I am definitely leaning pretty … Continue reading The Significance Of Universal Salvation…. A Wrap-Up
Warning…..
April 2013 – I took this photo at the Youngstown Historical Society museum a few weeks ago. It was commonly known that steelworkers had some of the most dangerous conditions to work in. Especially before the advent of unions. Continue reading Warning…..
No Accounting For Taste…
“…elections are a good deal like marriages, there is just no accounting for anyone’s taste.” – Will Rogers, 10 May 1926 You got that right Will. Of course when you made this quote Calvin Coolidge was president Hoover was just around the corner to replace him. I guess you were a pretty good predictor of the future. I had the very same thoughts in November … Continue reading No Accounting For Taste…
Power To The Centrists…….
Books and newspaper columns talk of an “insurgency of the rational” and of the “sane, pragmatic majority” taking charge. A political action committee founded by New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, plans to spend millions backing moderates and independents in state and federal elections, with a nicely balanced focus on promoting gun control (angering the right) and school reform (which makes teachers’ unions seethe). The Common … Continue reading Power To The Centrists…….
Party Rifts Complicate Chances for Gun Bill Passage – NYTimes.com
In spite of a vote last Thursday in favor of debating new gun measures, some Democrats who are facing re-election next year in conservative states have already said they will not vote for the background check measure offered by Senators Patrick J. Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, forcing Democrats to look desperately across the aisle to fill … Continue reading Party Rifts Complicate Chances for Gun Bill Passage – NYTimes.com
Atonement….
One of the current foundations of the Christianity is the atonement. Generally that is thought to be Jesus taking the wrath of God for us with his substitutional crucifixion in order to appease God wrath toward man’s sinfulness. I, like many others I’m sure, thought that atonement was a foundational issue with Jesus and the early church. In reality it was post-Constantine theologians who gave … Continue reading Atonement….
Differing Opinions Have Become Worst Enemies……
We’ve lost something as a nation when we can no longer look at one another as people, as Americans, and — for people of faith — as brothers and sisters. Differing opinions have become worst enemies and political parties have devolved into nothing more than petty games of blame…. It is not about Right and Left — or merely about partisan politics — but rather … Continue reading Differing Opinions Have Become Worst Enemies……
It Takes A Long Time…
“It takes a long time to find out how wrong you are sometimes.” – Will Rogers, 8 August 1933 I’m not sure why what Will declares here is true but I think it has something to do with our stubbornness. Once we get locked into a particular idea it is just so hard to admit that we might have been wrong to start with. … Continue reading It Takes A Long Time…
Shame On Us…….
April 15, 2013 — The rise of the so-called “Nones”—the increasing percentage of adults who claim no religious affiliation—has been a much-discussed trend in American religion. Is the nation moving away from Christianity and other forms of conventional faith? To provide insight on this topic, Barna Group analyzed 42,855 interviews conducted in recent years, looking at 15 different measures of non-religiosity. In other words, the … Continue reading Shame On Us…….
You Never Know….
“This is a great country. You never know where our heroes will come from.” – Will Rogers, 7 June 1933 One of the great things about this country is that anyone who is fortunately enough to have just the right circumstances come about can be a hero for future generations. Many have sports heroes who they admire for their ability to do a particular … Continue reading You Never Know….
Emptying Hell…..
It’s taken me many years to empty hell. As a child, I was taught only Christians would be saved. Billions of non-Christians would crowd hell. The thought of non-Christians in eternal torment didn’t disturb me because I’d been told Christians were good people and non-Christians were bad people. Since I grew up in a Midwestern American town where nearly everyone belonged to a Christian church, … Continue reading Emptying Hell…..
Climate Change….
I know that climate change is yet another scientific discovery that some think is false. So, what else is new? But soon the facts will just be too overwhelming for even these doubter to ignore. We as a country seem to love to go to the edge of a crisis before acting but this is not possible with global warming. It is not something that … Continue reading Climate Change….
The War To End All Wars….
“[War] won’t stop till there is as much brains and scientific study put to aid peace as there is to promote war.” – Will Rogers, 1 June 1929 Of course these words were spoken not long after World War I which was inaptly titled the “war to end all wars”. Of course it didn’t accomplish that noble task. President Wilson tried his best to put … Continue reading The War To End All Wars….
Not Paying Their Share…..
The difference between what is legally owed the federal government and what it actually collects in taxes each year is called the “tax gap,” which the IRS recently estimated reached $385 billion in 2006. Other studies have placed that figure higher — at upwards of $600 billion. So who owes this money and why? The single biggest contributor to the tax gap — accounting for 84% … Continue reading Not Paying Their Share…..
The Meaning of Salvation….
I discovered the meaning of salvation. Salvation comes with believing God loves you unconditionally. It is abandoning the misconception that you are rejected because of your bad behavior or accepted because of your goodness. Only when we repent of this self-absorption and focus on God’s love can this love alter us. Then and only then can God transform hearts darkened by sin and soften hearts … Continue reading The Meaning of Salvation….
Nations of Eternal War….
I have ever deemed it fundamental for the United States never to take active part in the quarrels of Europe. Their political interests are entirely distinct from ours. Their mutual jealousies, their balance of power, their complicated alliances, their forms and principles of government, are all foreign toys. They are nations of eternal war. — Thomas Jefferson –Letter, 11 June 1823 to President … Continue reading Nations of Eternal War….
RJ's Corner 