Google and the Ghetto

Yesterday we had two fascinating lectures at Lakeside.  First a neighbor who got her first work experience waiting tables at The Abigail (local restaurant, now closed) explained the Google culture where she now works in California.  It was unbelievable.  They can bring their dogs to work; they can get the oil changed in their car; they can bring their laundry and dry cleaning; no desk/cubicle is more than 150 ft from food or a restroom. And she added, the food is delicious and new employees usually gain the Google ten or fifteen.  Workers have social clubs—gays, veterans, hobbies, work out gyms, etc.  Everything is for the team, and the intention is to get more production from the employees. And if employees get burnout from spending too much time at work, a supervisor will add a night out with spouse or partner to their work schedule.

Then at 3:30 p.m. an American embassy employee (Pakistan) who is also a Lakesider and a Christian, talked about the Christians in Pakistan, a tiny persecuted minority.  These people also live and work in a closed environment and rarely go beyond the borders of their ghetto.  They are a persecuted minority and recently we’ve seen stories on TV about the church burning and killing.  The police do nothing. When Pakistan became a country 65 years ago, Christians and the few remaining Hindus were promised religious freedom.  But that began to disappear in the 70s and now there is Sharia Law.  The photos I saw (of their ghetto in Islamabad) are worse than the poverty of Haiti.  These people are descendants of the mid-18th century converts by the missionaries the Europeans sent.  Christians are only welcome if they bring alcohol—Muslims are not allowed to buy it.  Everyone has an ID card that identifies the religion.

It’s very difficult to evangelize for the Christian faith in Pakistan, as you can imagine.  But it must be even harder at Google in California, where every need is met and you must be on the team or be out the door.

God, people, society and the principle of subsidiarity

The principle of subsidiarity is why we must be careful blaming "society" for the sins of an individual, or letting the state take over for the individual accepting responsibility.


"In God's sight every individual matters in the first place as a person and only then as a social being.

Society can never be more important than the individual person. Men may never be means to a societal end. Nevertheless, social institutions such as the State and the family are necessary for the individual; they even correspond to his nature.

The principle of subsidiarity, which was developed as part of Catholic Social Teaching, states: What individuals can accomplish by their own initiative and efforts should not be taken from them by a higher authority. A greater and higher social institution must not take over the duties of a subordinate organization and deprive it of its competence. Its purpose, rather, is to intervene in a subsidiary fashion (thus offering help) when individuals or smaller institutions find that a task is beyond them. (YOUCAT questions 322-323)" [I'm sure this principle exists for some Protestant groups, but this was easier to find.]

I can think of many social programs that originally were designed to help individuals or smaller institutions in the principle of subsidiarity. Then they were flipped on their heads and the bigger authority took over the duties and rights of the individual, given by God. Think of the difference between government aid for hurricane victims (a huge task require efforts of many agencies and state functions) and the government telling parents what they can put in a child's sack lunch for school.

From Latin to Dhimba in just a few centuries

By the fourth century AD the Roman Empire had moved from the Greek language to Latin for the ordinary folk which created a problem for Christians reading scripture in their own language. The Pope chose Jerome (now St. Jerome) to translate the Bible into Latin. He was a good choice. He knew Latin, Greek and Hebrew, had studied Aramaic, and could speak Syriac and knew some Arabic. He spent 20 years at his task, and we should all be grateful. When we were in Bethlehem a few years ago our Palestinian guide (a Christian) showed us his cell/cave.


This week I received an announcement from Lutheran Bible Translators Messenger, Spring 2014, that the Dhimba people have received the New Testamewnt in their language for the first time and had a big celebration. The Dhimba are an estimated 30,000 people living along the Namibia/Angola border. They are anxious to start on the Old Testament as it is more understandable culturally for the Dhimba. LBT in the footsteps of Jerome.

http://us.lbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/news-jstrasen.pdf

"Ondaka ya ninga omuntu ngwaa kala mokati ketu." Johannes 1:14 Etestamende Epe

"The word became flesh and dwelt among us. . ." John 1:14

East Lansing congregation reaffiliates

On April 27, 2014, University Reformed Church (URC) voted 282-9 in favor of leaving the Reformed Church in America (RCA) and affiliating with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

This church is located at 841 Timberlane, East Lansing, MI 48823.

 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/05/27/university-reformed-church-votes-to-leave-the-rca/

American Jesus

Today I'm previewing a DVD, "American Jesus, " which shows the response of many Christian groups to the culture--from rodeo pastors, to surfers, to bikers, former porn stars, reaction to materialism, yoga, snake handlers and athletes. Some I knew about, but most I didn't. There’s no mention of gay churches, or mainline churches that raise funds for “social justice” causes, or those who pray to mother/father gods. 

It's pretty good and fair with just straight filming of many groups allowing them to explain why the traditional organized church doesn't work for them--up to about 50 minutes in, and then Franky Schaeffer (son of L'abri founder) takes over the narration. And since he's moved from right wing evangelical, pro-lifer, over to the dark side, it takes a hard left turn--anti-Bush, anti-Israel and pro-Obama. Says he doesn't trust the Bible, and his Christianity isn't based on the Bible (no shock there). The film morphs to a PBS interpretation of Christianity.

The culture, particularly the media, love nothing more than a famous turn coat--unless the celebrity/author/movie star are left wing humanists and have moved right. It's almost as if a curtain was pulled back and you see the point of the film when Schaeffer begins. It is, however, very well done and eerily convincing. The literature says "street date May 13, 2014, price $19.98. I have no idea if this means theaters or store. But don't be fooled. It is what it is.

Listen, learn, exercise

I’m not really an exercise enthusiast, but since developing bursitis in December, I can’t do much walking, so I’m using my Gold’s Gym Power Spin 210 U—or an exercycle.  It keeps track of heart activity, speed, distance and calories.  I’ve figured out if I ride my power spin for 10 minutes at 3 levels of difficulty I burn about 40 calories; 4 times a day would be 160 calories, or one cookie with no chocolate chips. Sigh.

                         

              Photo predates our new carpet and flat screen TV.

Since exercising this way is boring, I’m trying to finish the audio of Jesus of Nazareth, the infancy narratives by Pope Benedict XVI, and have learned a lot, although I could probably learn more if I were reading.  For instance, today I learned that “King of the Jews” which is the title the Magi used, was not known to the Jews, and wasn’t used again in scripture until Pilot said it.  So it is a prefiguring in the infancy stories of the crucifixion.  Also the Magi brought myrrh, an expensive spice used for perfume, spice and anointing the dead. Because of the coming holy day, the women were not able to use myrrh on the body of Jesus and by they time they got to the tomb after the crucifixion, he was already gone, so the myrrh was not used—he was alive, not dead. Benedict uses a lot of Old Testament background and early church fathers.  Very interesting comments about the star made by believers even in the first and second century. It is not at all dogmatic—just provides the research and teaching over the years, even that which isn’t popular today.

“While he was interrogating Jesus, Pilate unexpectedly put this question to the accused: "Where are you from?" Jesus' accusers had called for him to receive the death penalty by dramatically declaring that this Jesus had made himself the Son of God-a capital offense under the law. The "enlight­ened" Roman judge, who had already expressed skepticism regarding the question of truth (cf. Jn 18:38), could easily have found this claim by the accused laughable. And yet he was frightened. The accused had indicated that he was a king, but that his kingdom was "not of this world" ( Jn 18:36).

And then he had alluded to a mysterious origin and purpose, say­ing: "For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth" ( Jn 18:37).All this must have seemed like madness to the Roman judge. And yet he could not shake off the mysterious impres­sion left by this man, so different from those he had met before who resisted Roman domination and fought for the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. The Roman judge asks where Jesus is from in order to understand who he really is and what he wants.

The question about Jesus' provenance, as an inquiry after his deeper origin and hence his true being, is also found in other key passages of Saint John's Gospel, and it plays an equally important role in the Synoptic Gospels. For John, as for the Synoptics, it raises a singular paradox. On the one hand, counting against Jesus and his claim to a divine mission, is the fact that people knew exactly where he was from: he does not come from heaven, from "the Father," from "above," as he purports to ( Jn 8:23). No: "Is not this Jesus, whose fa­ther and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" ( Jn 6:42). “

- See more at: http://www.imagecatholicbooks.com/book/226834/jesus-of-nazareth/#sthash.u4PCTbzR.dpuf

Young Women of Faith Bible (NIV)

                        

Recently I received a copy of Zonderkidz’ Bible, “Young Women of Faith Bible” to review (c 2001, 2013 www.zonderkidz.com) For this task, I consulted the three grandmothers in our UALC Bible study group. I’m a little out of touch with the niche market of middle school and high school. They loved it! They all thought any young girl or woman would really enjoy the pink illustrations—hearts, butterflies, flowers--the excellent, informative side bars, the use of a journal for personal thoughts, and explanations. It features weekly Bible studies, memory verses and challenges, and “if I were there” questions, as well as the Biblical notes and journal suggestions. And it has what I would have enjoyed at the target age, a topical index and Biblical maps in color. If you already use Zondervan’s “Women of Faith Study Bible,” this Bible coordinates with it.

The general editor is Susie Shellenberger, a Christian speaker who has written fifty-two books, and lives in Bethany, Oklahoma with her two mini Schnauzers Obie and Amos. Susie is a former youth pastor, high school teacher, and editor. She loves a lot of color with her Scripture.

Spiritual unity with God and other believers

All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father's and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us, ... and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ's sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, In Jo. ev., 11,11:PG 74,561.
St. Cyril is honored in the Lutheran, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. He lived c. 376 – 444. He was involved in many church controversies during his live.

Freedom of religion is under attack

Can you tell me another country in the world that has the tradition of freedom of religion (not worship, that's different) written into its constitution by Christians who offered this to all, even those they didn't like? Christians who didn't want to be ruled by the crown or the church wrote a Bill of Rights to protect themselves from both.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I know many Protestants who do not agree with Catholic teaching, but they need to be reminded that Roman Catholics, the largest Christian group in the world, are the ones being targeted by the Obama Administration. Recognizing the divisions among Christians (the infighting is recorded in the book of Acts, so it's nothing new), they are hoping we'll all stand by in silence while the largest and most powerful among us, the mother church of all Christians, is brought to her knees and assaulted through laws, regulations, in house squabbles, and gossip. If you say nothing, or do nothing, your denomination, house group, temple, or humanist non-profit for good works will be next. All religions are a threat to the crown, and our founders knew that.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was gullible and they were lied to.  Because the Roman Catholic church is the largest non-government social agency in the country, they were scammed and snookered by people much more clever. But fortunately, they have come out of their long liberal sleep.

This is not about birth control or health insurance for employees.  This is about the power of the federal government to determine how Christians practice their religion.

http://www.catholicleague.org/hhs-mandate-targets-catholics/

Church of the Brethren Inglenook Cookbook

                     

I received  "The New Inglenook Cookbook" (Brethren Press, 2013) for my birthday (arrived Friday for my September birthday). I have my mother's "Granddaughter's Inglenook cookbook" (Brethren Publishing House, 1942), and someone in the family may have the first one that was my grandmother's (1901). I don't do a lot of cooking that needs recipes anymore, but I love to read them. Also, I love looking at the names of the women who contributed the recipes. Still so many old Brethren names. I see "Sweet sour meatloaf" very similar to mine, which I hand out to new brides. Things have changed: Gluten free scones contributed by Elsie Holderread of McPherson, KS (2013) compared to Wieners in Creole Sauce by Mrs. Irva Kendrick Haney, Muscatine, IA (1942).

Also listed for a 1942 school lunch was cottage cheese and chopped pepper sandwiches with raw turnip strips. I don't know about other people my age, but cottage cheese was in everything at our house.

I think the reason women my mother's age (b. 1912) used so much cottage cheese is that their mothers made it from the skim milk left after separating the cream. My grandmother (b. 1876) used several pounds of real butter a week--I have her butter churn--and that's a lot of skim milk left over which needed to be made into something. I watched her working with (I thought it was a smelly mess) it, but by then she must have used purchased milk since they no longer had a cow. If all the liquid is pressed out (whey, which is then fed to the pigs), it is called farmer's cheese. This is from someone who knows nothing about it, so corrections are welcome.

The 2013 edition has a symbol for gluten-free.  This one looks impossibly easy.

“The best peanut butter cookie” contributed by Sharon A. Walker (Brumbaugh) Clayton, Ohio, p. 290

• 1 c. creamy peanut butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 t. baking soda
• Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Beat together the peanut butter and sugar until combine.  Beat in the egg. Sprinkle baking soda over the mixture and beat until combined.
• Roll heaping teaspoon-size pieces of dough into small balls. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and with the tines of a fork, flatten the balls.
• Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven until puffed and pale golden, about 10 minutes
• Cook the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.  This is important because they are very fragile when hot from the oven.

After checking the internet, I see Ms. Brumbaugh Walker also contributed to a genealogy book (found it on WorldCat) and I'm sure if I dug a little deeper, we'd find some Brethren relatives in common from Montgomery County who came there from Pennsylvania.

http://www.cheesemaking.com/CottageCheese.html

What will you want?

Primary texts of the early church

• The Early Church Fathers (Ante-Nicene; Nicene; Post-Nicene Fathers)
• Early Church Fathers – Additional Texts
• The Fathers of the Church (New Advent)
• Early Christian Writings
• The Early Church Documents
• Gnostic Texts
• Apocryphal Acts
• Non-canonical Literature
• Latin Classical & Patristic Texts
• The Latin Library – Latin Texts
• Biblioteca Augustana: Latin Texts
• The Tertullian Project
• Online Medieval & Classical Library
• Medieval Sourcebook
• Corpus Thomisticum

From the website of Jim Papandrea

Teaching little children how to cast spells

"The name "Scholastic" evokes warm memories from those who treasured their childhood experiences with us and trust among those who depend on us for quality materials today." (Mission statement of this children's press.

So why teach very young children how to cast spells, read tea leaves and call on foreign gods? Check your children's material carefully. Scholastic definitely isn't that cute children's newspaper with puzzles and teaching good manners some of us remember. The "ologies" series (designed to look like encyclopedias) has a number of subjects I wouldn't want in my book nook, although they have clever, interesting formats and design. Volumes were written on the pros and cons of the Rowland Harry Potter series, but this is one of the outcomes--hardcore witchcraft for children. There's another title for the younger than 9 group.

http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/The-Wizardology-Handbook

Salvation Army isn't a pro-life organization

Makes exceptions for disability (over 90% of Down Syndrome babies are aborted); health of the mother; rape or incest. We pulled our check out of the pile today and tore it up.

The position from their website:

The Salvation Army believes all people are created in the image of God and therefore have unique and intrinsic value. Human life is sacred and all people should be treated with dignity and respect. The Salvation Army accepts the moment of fertilisation as the start of human life. We believe that society has a responsibility to care for others, and especially to protect and promote the welfare of vulnerable people, including unborn children.

The Salvation Army believes that life is a gift from God and we are answerable to God for the taking of life. As such, The Salvation Army is concerned about the growing ready acceptance of abortion, which reflects insufficient concern for vulnerable persons including the unborn. We do not believe that genetic abnormalities that are identified in an unborn child who is likely to live longer than a brief period after birth are sufficient to warrant a termination of pregnancy.

The Salvation Army recognizes tragic and perplexing circumstances that require difficult decisions regarding a pregnancy. Decisions should be made only after prayerful and thoughtful consideration, acknowledging the tremendous pressures that occur during an unexpected pregnancy. There is a responsibility on all involved to give the parents of the unborn child, particularly the woman, appropriate pastoral, medical and other counsel. The Salvation Army believes that termination can occur only when

Carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or
Reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period.

In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy.

The Salvation Army affirms and supports professional people engaged in the care of pregnant women who feel on religious, moral or ethical grounds, that they cannot be involved in any way with the procuring or undertaking of an abortion.

Muslims kill Christians in Central African Republic

450,000 Christians Flee From Muslim Attacks in the Central African Republic

"Unlike Christian communities in Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, and in other nations, whereby various sects are persecuted, it is clear that in the Central African Republic -- just like in South Sudan -- that Christians will not just sit back and wait to be slaughtered or become trapped in ghettoes. It is hoped that the international community will be fair in pointing out the real factors behind communal violence. After all, it is clear that religious tensions erupted after Seleka troops began to ransack Christian areas. However, the same media which always points out the "Buddhist" angle in Myanmar (more Christians have been killed in Myanmar than any other non-Buddhist religion in the last few decades) in relation to the persecution of Muslims in this country; they appear to loathe to point out massacres by Muslims forces in the CAR against Christians; just like the persecution of Buddhists and others in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is barely mentioned in Bangladesh." http://www.aina.org/news/20131127122830.htm

I first read about Seleka at a Human Rights site, which noted that it was a Muslim group, but didn't identify the civilians or villages as Christians.

The light of faith by Pope Francis

I was sent Pope Francis' "The light of faith" (Lumen Fidei) Ignatius Press, 2013, this summer to review. I pick it up occasionally and think, I really need to get into this. But I've found it not terribly readable--but then it's the first encyclical I've ever read. Beginning Oct. 2012, it was the year of faith for Roman Catholics. Pope Benedict had already written on charity and hope (Deus Caritas Est (2005) and Spe Salvi (2007) , and this was outlined as part of that trilogy, when he resigned in February. Francis calls it a work of 4 hands, and that it is, with Benedict's scholarly references to giants of the past, and Francis' sweetness in reaching out to the ordinary person in faith. I'll continue to dip in--and it's a small book about 5 x 7 with 110 pages. It still feels a little like an outline, but both of these great men know far more on the subject than I do, so it won't be wasted effort. I’ll keep working at it.

Pope Benedict “had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith” before his retirement in February 2013, Pope Francis writes, adding that “I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own.”

Commentators are likely to differ in attributing specific passages, but the document clearly recalls the writings of Benedict XVI in its extensive treatment of the dialogue between faith and reason and its many citations of St Augustine, not to mention references to Friedrich Nietzsche and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

On other hand, warnings of the dangers of idolatry, Gnosticism and Pharisaism, a closing prayer to Mary as the “perfect icon of faith”, and an entire section on the relevance of faith to earthly justice and peace echo themes that Pope Francis has already made signatures of his young pontificate.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/07/05/lumen-fidei-an-overview-of-pope-franciss-first-encyclical/

Beth Moore, best-selling author, has a new book

Do you have some Beth Moore fans on your Christmas list? She's very popular at UALC in our Women of the Word groups. Her new title "Whispers of hope; 10 weeks of devotional prayer" (B&H Publishing Group, 2013, $14.99) might be a good choice. I just received my copy, and I really like the plan. You remember how Beth loves assignments and workbooks? With each of the 70 days, there are assigned scripture, Beth's personal and anecdotal musings, and then pages with 4 line...s each for your own thoughts on Praise, Repentance, Acknowledgment, Intercession, Supplication for Self, and Equipping. Whether you write something down isn't as important in my view as the nudge to include these areas in your prayer life.

"I'm certain of two things: prayerless lives are powerless lives, and prayerful lives are powerful lives." Beth Moore

                        

Amen to That!

Do you need a reasonably priced small gift for Christmas, a book maybe?  For someone who is a word nerd, and just a little bit religious?  I’m suggesting “Amen to that! The amazing way the Bible influences our everyday language,” by Ferdie Addis, Reader’s Digest, 2014. 165 pp. (5 x 7 inches, hard cover) $14.99.

I just received it today for review, and am having such fun browsing. Each familiar saying (that perhaps you didn't know came from the King James Bible) includes the appropriate verse reference and several paragraphs of explanation, history and how it is used today. There is also a nice bibliography and index, which are the heart's desire for most librarians (Romans 10:1), even those who are 3 score and 10 (Psalm 90:10).

So for that special someone who is “the apple of your eye,” or “the salt of the earth” for whom there’s “nothing new under the sun,” try this one.

Social justice?

"Jesus was an advocate for social justice." (Council of Churches website) Jesus never called on the Roman government to feed the hungry, take care of the sick, or visit the imprisoned. Nor did he suggest that the Jews break Roman laws to bring in God's justice, a.k.a. righteousness (the only kind of justice noted in Scripture). He never claimed that higher taxes were the solution to people's problems. He didn't suggest putting the government on a higher plane than religion. I can't imagine he would support the U.S. abortion laws putting the convenience of the adults ahead of the life of the child. When he fed the multitude with a few fish and pieces of bread it was a miracle to declare who he was--a few hours later they would be hungry again if it was about food and not the Bread of Life. "Social justice" as it is promoted or explained in many church publications, committees, boards, non-profits and pulpits is warmed over Marxism. In fact, Jesus may have been critical of this entrenched religious leadership that is so cozy with power in high places seeking handouts from the government to do "good works."

12 Reasons Why a Pastor Quit Attending Sports Events

1. The coach never came to visit me.
2. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
3. The people sitting in my row didn’t seem very friendly.
4. The seats were very hard.
5. The referees made a decision I didn’t agree with.
6. I was sitting with hypocrites—they only came to see what others were wearing!
7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled on my only day to sleep in and run errands.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches, anyway.
12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.