What's at stake in the coming election

Father Michael Orsi, now on the pastoral team of St. Agnes Church in Naples, Fl said, “For too long, pastors and churches have been bullied into believing that they can say nothing political from the pulpit,” said Orsi. The regulation that is used to silence them “was a piece of spite work” against non-profits that had opposed President Lyndon Johnson, he said.

“Let me remind you: the Bible is a political document,” the priest said. “The prophets, including John the Baptist, and Jesus, lost their lives because they spoke the truth to power."

“The Constitution is quickly being destroyed,” warned Orsi, and “unless the right choice is made in November, we may not have a court that is fair and balanced in its interpretation of the Constitution.”

“Too many of the pastors—too many, practically all—in Germany refused to speak against national socialism,” continued Orsi. “And look [at] the result: millions of Jews, pastors, priests, homosexuals, gypsies all lost their lives because everyone was afraid. What are you afraid of, a couple of bucks? Your tax-exempt status? What’s that going to do to you? Your churches may be closed anyway, because if a certain party gets elected, this certain party said, if the churches do not agree with our interpretation of women’s reproductive rights, they’ll just have to change their doctrine.”

“If a certain party gets elected, I can assure you what kind of judges are going to be on those appeals courts,” he said. And those judges will be charged with deciding whether the government may force churches and religious institutions to pay for abortion, contraception, and abortifacient drugs, he noted.

Furthermore, “I’m not going to vote for a candidate who decides that we can redefine the meaning of marriage,” proclaimed Orsi. “Our opponents believe once they destroy the family, once they destroy the churches, they can re-create society in their own image and their own likeness. That, my friends, is not just political. That is diabolical. Get it straight, for crying out loud! The devil is in this!”

“We are in a battle for the soul of America,” he said.

“Somehow, [Christians] have come to buy the story that you cannot be political in church,” said Orsi. “Let me tell you right now, oh yes, you can, and oh, yes, you better be. Because you might not have a church to go to if you don’t vote the right way in November.”

Agreed. 

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/priest-you-might-not-have-a-church-to-go-to-if-you-dont-vote-the-right-way

Pope's in Armenia

A little history about the Pope's visit to Armenia:

"In 301 AD, twelve years before Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, King Tiridates III made Christianity the official religion of Armenia, the first national ruler to do so. The Armenians were subsequently conquered by the Romans, Arabs, Persians, Ottomans, and Soviets. In 1915, the Young Turks government attempted to exterminate them, massacring 1.5 million. In 1988, an earthquake killed up to 50,000 Armenians. That same year, a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan claimed tens of thousands of lives. . .According to a 2012 survey, 92 percent of Armenians consider themselves religious, the third-highest percentage anywhere (in the United States it’s 60 percent)." https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2016/06/25/pope-francis-and-the-armenian-church/

If you read the whole article, you'll notice the author isn't a fan of Pope Francis.    He has dual citizenship, U.S. and Poland. Big fan of John Paul II.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/4850/how_saint_john_paul_ii_conquered_communism.aspx


 

Christianity is revolutionary, then and now

 The first century vision is breathtaking, given our divisions today.

"After his death and resurrection a fellowship of followers of Jesus came into being which was called The Church. Beliefs about it arose almost immediately and it took a variety of visible forms.

The ideal of the Church appears again and again in the early Christian documents which compose the New Testament and which reflect the convictions of leaders in the primitive Christian fellowship. To these leaders the church was to be inclusive and one. They shared the purpose of Jesus which was transmitted through The Gospel according to John that all believers in him should be as united as were he and the Father. More than once, carrying out this same conception, Paul spoke of the Church as the body of Christ. Obviously, as he saw it, it was to be one, knit together, each member contributing to the whole. The Epistle to the Ephesians declares that Christ is the head of the Church and dreams of the Church as ultimately being without spot, wrinkle, or blemish. The Christian fellowship, so the New Testament held, was to be a new Israel, a chosen people, but it was to be drawn from all mankind. In Christ both Jews and Gentiles were to be members of "the household of God," growing into "an holy temple." Not only was the Church to embrace both Jews and Gentiles, but in it there was also to be no distinction on the basis of race, national, cultural status, servitude, freedom or sex. It was to be gathered from every nation, and from all tribes, peoples, and tongues." (A history of Christianity, vol. 1, beginnings to A.D. 1500, rev. ed., 1975 by Kenneth Scott LaTourette

Benedictions in the Bible

Today I was looking up Blessings and Benedictions in the New Testament, and came across this nice list.  We often hear these words in the liturgy, but don't know exactly the source.  This site also didn't list the translation. Sounds KJV. This is copied in full with the links; it is not my work.

A Listing of Familiar Benedictions Given in the Bible

1.  The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.  The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.   Psalms 121:7,8

2.  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.  Romans 15:13

3.  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.   Romans 15:5,6

4.  The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.  Psalms 29:11

5.  Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end he may stablish your heart unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 

I Thessalonians 3:11-13

6.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:7

7.  God shall supply all you need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.  Philippians 4:19,20

8.  The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen.  Philippians 4.23

9.  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.  II Peter 1:2,3

10.  Blessed be the Lord for evermore.  Amen and Amen. 

Psalms 89:52

11.  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen. 

Jude 1:24,25

12.  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.  Hebrews 13:20,21

13.  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I Thessalonians 5:23

14.  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

II Thessalonians 2:16,17

15.  Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.  Ephesians 6:24

16.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

II Corinthians 13:14

17.  God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.  II Corinthians 9:8

18.  The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.  Numbers 6:24-26

19.  Be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:2

20.  Finally, brethren, Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.  II Corinthians 13:11

21.  Beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  Jude 1:20,21

22.  Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.  Psalms 4:6

       ----------------------------------------------

If you know of a benediction given in the Bible that is not on this list e-mail the reference to wadetisdale@msn.com so that it may be added.

                            ------- 

What exactly is a benediction?    It is pronouncement of divine blessing given in the Bible.  It represents a joyful, unifying call to faith, patience, and practice for the faithful, based on the Certainty, divine Principle, God.

A benediction is a short, concise statement given in the Bible in the form of a petition, an assurance, a promise or principle.  It voices images of protection, or comfort, or abundance, or some other word of assurance.

The word benediction means to say good, to voice good thoughts, to pronounce.  What makes good thoughts good is that they are based on Truth, based on Principle, God.  Whatever is true fulfills itself.  Good is the inevitable result of the certainty and righteousness of Truth, God, who is all good.

The reading aloud of a benediction at the conclusion of a church service is joy expressed, and cherished, and shared with the all in its hearing.  It is a feast.  It is the essence of genuine, heartfelt joy and commitment, seen in the exalted light of spiritual interpretation.  It is impersonal; it is positive; it is healing; it is eternal.  It is part of "the morning meal" that blesses all.

This brief narrative on a subject that is truly infinite in theme is intended to be a step toward awareness of the importance of benedictions in our life, and an appreciation of the glory they portend and the good they can do. Readers are invited to share their insight into this fun-to-consider topic. 

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." (Numbers 6:24-26.) 

THE FOUNDATION STONES OF CHRISTIANITY

Mass from Sydney, Australia

St Mary's Church, North Sydney (Our Lady of the Way)

Mass on Demand comes to you every day from the Jesuit church of St Mary's via the CathNews YouTube channel.

People who are frail, aged, ill, or isolated, can access Mass of the day through modern technology via the Internet.

https://www.youtube.com/user/cathnews

 I've watched this a number of times (before 6 a.m. our time) and the priests have been quite elderly with a variety of accents. The lectors and servers also seem to be senior citizens. If there is a cantor, usually she has a lovely voice.  However, it is a faithful way to hear linked Bible passages of the day from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Gospel and the Epistles. Catholic services have a lot more scripture than Protestant.  Maybe the shortest homilies I've ever heard--about 2 sentences.

Reasons to Believe

Reasons to Believe is a ministry devoted to integrating science and faith and to demonstrating how the latest science affirms our faith in the God of the Bible.

Sometimes God works in mysterious ways and sometimes His providence can be found in unusual places. A recent study suggests that maybe even viruses are part of God's provision for humanity. This notion may seem counterintuitive, because these nasty "bugs" are responsible for so much sickness and disease. Many people view viruses as an "evil" component of nature. But viruses are turning out to be quite practical for biomedical applications.

Read More Here.

 

YouTube and video lists I enjoy

Deep in Scripture

Deep in History

Fathers of the Church 

Journey Home 

Called to Communion (radio show)

Three of the above are produced by the Coming Home Network of Zanesville, Ohio.

Hilaire Belloc, a forgotten writer

If you should ask how this book came to be written, it was in this way. One day as I was wandering over the world I came upon the valley where I was born, and stopping there a moment to speak with them all--when I had argued politics with the grocer, and played the great lord with the notary-public, and had all but made the carpenter a Christian by force of rhetoric--what should I note (after so many years) but the old tumble-down and gaping church, that I love more than mother-church herself, all scraped, white, rebuilt, noble, and new, as though it had been finished yesterday. Knowing very well that such a change had not come from the skinflint populace, but was the work of some just artist who knew how grand an ornament was this shrine (built there before our people stormed Jerusalem), I entered, and there saw that all within was as new, accurate, and excellent as the outer part; and this pleased me as much as though a fortune had been left to us all; for one's native place is the shell of one's soul, and one's church is the kernel of that nut.

Hilaire Belloc, The path to Rome (Google book, pdf)

Humility is the Queen of Virtues

“. . . no one seems to know what just happened [decision of Supreme Court on same sex marriage in June 2015]. This wasn’t the legalization of a behavior—for the legal barriers to homosexual conduct were torn down decades ago. The rights to cohabitate, to share insurance benefits, tax status, and even call each other spouse—without discrimination—are hard fought gains that were achieved before last Friday. A new right has not been created, rather the Constitutional right for the rest of us to think and speak our minds, and to hold our own counsel has been severely curtailed. The right to do something impossible can’t be achieved, not by any court, only the right to demand everyone else be supportive of this masked ball, with legal penalties for refusing to join the dance. We’ve only lost the right to object.”

“. . . Christians shouting the word “sin” at something out there have failed to use this most powerful weapon we have by the Holy Spirit to counter forces beyond our human skill or strength. When an obstacle is too high, too strong, too wide for you to go over it, it is best to adopt humility and go under it. If language against a sin that’s been called a blessing can only draw fire and fill you full of verbal bullet holes, then use the stance that saints have long used in more trying circumstances and under worse governments: the language of humility. When saying, “You are sinners!” just won’t do—and I think this is one of those times—then freely speak the truth and say, “We are sinners and have failed God, but we’ve been found by Him and are happy to be new creatures in Christ.”
Humility: Queen of  Virtues

Wait, Hope, Trust

Advent Meditations for December 21

Wait when the seed is planted, Wait for the rain to fall;

Wait for the restless green sprout, Wait while the plant grows tall.

Wait for the coming Savior, Wait through the heart’s slow race;

Wait for the kingdom’s dawning, Wait till we see his face!

Hope when the sun is setting, Hope through the dark of night;

Hope though the moon is waning, Hope as we long for light.

Hope for the coming Savior, Hope through the heart’s slow race;

Hope for the kingdom’s dawning, Hope till we see his face!

Trust in the new spring’s promise, Trust through the summer’s heat;

Trust in the dying autumn, Trust through the winter sleet.

Trust in the coming Savior, Trust in the heart’s slow race:

Trust in the kingdom’s dawning, Trust till we see His face!

http://airmaria.com/category/subjects/spiritual-life/faith/#sthash.JdFUm8IN.dpuf

Pastors or pew--who is right?

A Barna poll finds


"Less than 1 percent of senior pastors and discipleship pastors told Barna that “today’s churches are doing very well at discipling new and young believers.” Six in 10 said that churches are discipling “not too well.”

But those in the pews disagree. More than 9 in 10 said that their church “definitely” (52%) or “probably” (40%) does “a good job of helping people grow spiritually.”"

And how about this one?  Ah, the problem with polls. . . I'm doing OK, but that guy is really bad off.

 “Pastors give their own church higher marks than churches overall, but few believe churches—their own or in general—are excelling in discipleship,” the report stated

 http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/december/pastors-pews-vastly-disagree-discipleship-barna-navigators.html

All Saints Sunday, November 1, 2015

                

Narthex window, Church on Lytham

Today we Christians celebrate and remember all the Saints who have gone before us. In our church members submit names on cards to be read during the service they attend. We'll be serving communion during that time, so it is always wonderful to hear the names of my parents and sister while I'm offering the body of Christ to fellow believers.

Pastor Brody preached an unusual sermon.  He went over the funeral service as printed in the Lutheran Book of Worship (Augsburg, 1978), “Burial of the Dead” pp. 206-214.  It was very moving.

"Most Lutheran churches use the first Sunday in November to remember all the saints in the Church of Christ Jesus, especially those members and friends of the local congregation who have been called to Heaven in the previous year.

The custom of commemorating all the martyrs of the Church on a single day goes back at least to the third century. All Saints' Day celebrates not only the martyrs and saints, but all the people of God, living and dead, who together form the mystical body of Christ.

In Europe, All Saints' Day is also called All Hallow's Day ('hallowed' means 'sanctified' or 'holy'). October 31st, the evening before All Saint's Day is named All Hallow's Eve, which was contracted to Halloween." (Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Ypsilanti, MI)

Sanctuary window, Church at Mill Run

Adult Sunday School, October 2015, UALC

Our Sunday school class is studying Romans, and for two weeks had an outstanding, articulate retired Lutheran pastor, Douglas McBride formerly of San Antonio, as our teacher. Class members are taking us through Romans after his excellent overview and first three chapters. I hope he can come back.

Paul wrote a letter to the Roman church, a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles, from Corinth, while he was on his third missionary journey between 56 and 58 A.D. He was on his way to Spain.** At the time he was gathering an offering from the Gentile Christians for the church in Jerusalem (15:25; Acts 24:17). Over half of the people he specifically mentions in the letter have Greek or Roman names, and he calls the Jews, “my brothers.” The church may have been started by his converts, but no one knows for certain. Since he first mentions Phoebe it appears that she brought the letter to Rome, so she must have been a trusted convert and helper. He greets a number of households indicating the church was made up of numerous groups, and he addresses in the letter a number of situations, many of which sound similar to our churches today. Struggles among themselves; how to deal with the government, etc.

He encourages unity and accepting one another, just as Christ accepted them. Yet it seems the church has never been more divided and scattered than today.

In the free box at church I found the New International Version of the Bible (Zondervan) on cassette. I may be one of the few people who still have a hand held cassette player, so I’ve been listening to Romans while using my exercycle. Usually, I don’t enjoy audio of the Bible--speakers/voice actors go too fast or it’s too monotonous, but this one is really excellent. There are music and sound effects, and when the writers reflect on OT passages of Jesus’ messages, there is a slight echo or reverberation.

* * “We know little about the early years of Christianity in the Iberian Peninsula. According to legend the apostle James --at Christ’s urging--carried the gospel to the country in 40 AD, but the early church writers have nothing to say about it. We know that St Paul intended to visit in Spain (Epistle to the Romans, XV, 24 and 28), which would suggest that there were organised groups for him to preach to. But there is no evidence that he made the trip, nor does any church in Spain popularly claim to have been founded by Paul.

By the second century, however, some Christian communities were probably established in the peninsula. We know that St Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (France), writing around 180 AD, alludes to Christian churches amongst the Celts and Iberians. We also know from a letter by St Cyprian of Carthage (?-258?) that by 254 AD there were Christian communities in Astorga, Mérida, León and Zaragoza.” Source.

The new catechumens in the third century church

Apostolic Traditions was written by Hippolytus who feared the church was straying from tradition and falling into heresy and false doctrine, so he wanted to record the right way to ordain leaders like bishops and deacons and how to bring in new members. Nothing of the original Greek remains, but there are translations.  This simplified version by Kevin P. Edgecomb  is based on the work of Bernard Botte (La Tradition Apostolique. Sources Chretiennes, 11 bis. Paris, Editions du Cerf, 1984) and of Gregory Dix (The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr. London: Alban Press, 1992)

15 Those who are newly brought forward to hear the Word shall first be brought before the teachers at the house, before all the people enter. ²Then they will be questioned concerning the reason that they have come forward to the faith. Those who bring them will bear witness concerning them as to whether they are able to hear. ³They shall be questioned concerning their life and occupation, marriage status, and whether they are slave or free. ⁴If they are the slaves of any of the faithful, and if their masters permit them, they may hear the Word. If their masters do not bear witness that they are good, let them be rejected. ⁵If their masters are pagans, teach them to please their masters, so that there will be no blasphemy.

⁶If a man has a wife, or a woman has a husband, let them be taught to be content, the husband with his wife, and the wife with her husband. ⁷If there is a man who does not live with a woman, let him be taught not to fornicate, but to either take a wife according to the law, or to remain as is.

⁸If there is someone who has a demon, such a one shall not hear the Word of the teacher until purified.

16 They will inquire concerning the works and occupations of those are who are brought forward for instruction. ²If someone is a pimp who supports prostitutes, he shall cease or shall be rejected. ³If someone is a sculptor or a painter, let them be taught not to make idols. Either let them cease or let them be rejected. ⁴If someone is an actor or does shows in the theater, either he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ⁵If someone teaches children (worldly knowledge), it is good that he cease. But if he has no (other) trade, let him be permitted. ⁶A charioteer, likewise, or one who takes part in the games, or one who goes to the games, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ⁷If someone is a gladiator, or one who teaches those among the gladiators how to fight, or a hunter who is in the wild beast shows in the arena, or a public official who is concerned with gladiator shows, either he shall cease, or he shall be rejected. ⁸If someone is a priest of idols, or an attendant of idols, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ⁹A military man in authority must not execute men. If he is ordered, he must not carry it out. Nor must he take military oath. If he refuses, he shall be rejected. ¹⁰If someone is a military governor,^a or the ruler of a city who wears the purple, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. ¹¹The catechumen or faithful who wants to become a soldier is to be rejected, for he has despised God. ¹²The prostitute, the wanton man, the one who castrates himself, or one who does that which may not be mentioned, are to be rejected, for they are impure. ¹³A magus shall not even be brought forward for consideration. ¹⁴An enchanter, or astrologer, or diviner, or interpreter of dreams^b, or a charlatan^c, or one who makes amulets, either they shall cease or they shall be rejected. ¹⁵If someone's concubine is a slave, as long as she has raised her children and has clung only to him, let her hear. Otherwise, she shall be rejected. ¹⁶The man who has a concubine must cease and take a wife according to the law. If he will not, he shall be rejected.

17 Catechumens will hear the word for three years. ²Yet if someone is earnest^a and perseveres well in the matter, it is not the time that is judged, but the conduct.

^a Lit. has the authority of swords
^b Other ancient authorities add or one who clips the fringes of garments,
^c Lit., one who stirs up the people

---------------------

Given the lax standards of today it is amazing that the persecuted and outlawed church of the third century would not accept people who would not change their lifestyle or profession in preference for sinning. And they needed witnesses—which many churches still recommend . . such as a god parent or sponsor. Military leaders were to defy orders. Political leaders were not welcome to take instruction. Gladiators had to give up their jobs. Slaves, however, could become Christians and by their witness might convert their masters, but not magicians or those in the occult who wouldn’t give it up. Sexual immorality (prostitute, wanton man, the castrated, and one “who does that which may not be mentioned”) was enough to cause rejection—and I don’t see an exception for giving up the practice. A faithful concubine, however, could be accepted in the fellowship, but the man had to give up his concubine or make her a wife.

Meeting Jesus feeding the hungry, Matthew 25

At UALC this past month we’ve been meeting Jesus as he promised us in the Gospel of Matthew by feeding the hungry .

• Souper Bowl Sunday 2015; thank God for a successful event at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church that resulted in $5,716 in cash and 2,796 donated cans of food being collected for Lutheran Social Services food pantries. That translates to 242,868 cans of food for hungry people!
• Community Meal Packing Project;  thank God for anointing those who gathered last week to pack 763,320 meals for hungry people both locally and in Haiti, and for the opportunity we had to share Jesus with those who came to Mill Run to help pack food.

We worked in groups of 10-12, in 30 shifts, packaging, weighing and sealing 3 different types of meals that will be distributed by Meals from the Heart.   Close to half the meals will go overseas to programs like the Andrew Grene School near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The remaining meals will stay in this country to be distributed through the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, Lutheran Social Services and the Salvation Army. Each bag contains enough dried food for 6 meals.

“Meals from the Heart is a division of Mano Amiga, a 20-year-old 501c3 non-profit company organizing and facilitating mission trips for youth organizations from churches and schools is based in Minnesota. Mano Amiga works to help people in need. Homes get roofs, schools get built, lives get changed. Workers return from the trips with a new outlook on life.”

The Fourth Lateran Council (1215 AD)

Note to readers:  Everything I write on my blog is indexed in some form or manner by the U.S. government (and by Google), so I wanted to elevate the content just in case it is useful for evangelizing!

There’s a lot of interesting background about the history of this council which was both religious and political.  Check it at Fourth Lateran Council, Papal Encyclicals Online.

When the council began in the Lateran basilica in November 1215 there were present 404 bishops from throughout the western church, and from the Latin eastern church a large number of abbots, canons and representatives of the secular power. No Greeks were present, even those invited, except the patriarch of the Maronites and a legate of the patriarch of Alexandria. The bond with the Greek church was indeed neglected, and matters became more serious through the actions of Latin bishops living in the east or through the decrees of the council.

Old Fashioned--a great movie

Despite the snow and some white outs on the way to the theater, our St. Valentine's date worked well. We saw "Old Fashioned" at Lennox 24 near the OSU campus then had dinner out. The movie truly is old fashioned, with gorgeous cinematography filmed in Tuscawarus County, Ohio, in Oct. and Nov. 2011. In fact, I'd say NE Ohio had a supporting role. The opening in theaters was held back to coincide with the opening of “50 shades of Grey.”  It truly is the antidote to the 50 shades movie.

Rik Swartzwelder wrote, directed and acted in the film. (He's from New Philadelphia, Ohio, now lives in California). He plays Clay, a guy who not only owns an antique store in the college town where he has a not so lovely past, but old fashioned ideas about who he will marry and what their courtship should be. He meets Amber, the free spirit type, who reminds me of some of the loopy 1970s film characters--on the run when a problem comes up, 3 credit hours from her degree, a cat lady, odd fashion taste and a horrible marriage in her past. These two people, one who can't forgive himself for his past, and one who flees her past, fall in love. There are interesting supporting sub-plots, like Clay's buddies, and Amber's co-workers at the flower shop. This is not an overtly Christian film, but has Christian values, and you can leave the theater without having heard a single swear word even though the story line includes some crude characters in its backstory.

As we left the theater my husband said it had a "168" feel (short films with a Biblical theme organized by John David Ware) so I looked that up and see that Rik Swartzwelder has worked with Ware (who grew up in our church) in workshops for writers and directors that is also a part of the 168 project.

We suggested the film to our waitress--that she take her boyfriend. She said she didn't have a boyfriend and would see if she could get a group of her friends to go. And that's just the crowd that should see this movie. Searching singles tired of the hook-up culture of meaningless sex and moving on.

http://www.timesreporter.com/article/20111001/NEWS/310019937

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Fashioned_(film)

http://www.fandango.com/oldfashioned_176952/moviereviews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptxW2lhzbVQ

Five shades of Grey

“Rick McDaniel, senior pastor of Richmond Community Church, 11801 Nuckols Road, Glen Allen, Virginia 23059, says that while human sexuality is certainly a normal phenomenon, we need to understand it through the lens of God’s morality. McDaniel says Fifty Shades of Grey, with its explicitly erotic scenes that feature bondage, dominance and sadism, is dangerous, destructive and against the teachings of God’s promise of marriage. So he is planning a sermon series titled 5 Shades of Grey, in which he will tackle the five topics of adultery, divorce, cohabitation, pornography and gay marriage.”

God is not dead in Gotham

Cheer up, you’re worse than you think,” Rev. Timothy Keller says with a smile. He’s explaining that humans are more weak, more fallen, more warped than they “ever dare admit or even believe.” Then comes the good news: At the same time people are “more loved in Christ and more accepted than they could ever imagine or hope.” Many Millennial Christians in NYC attend his Presbyterian church--and respond to his message. “Every other religion has a founder that says: ‘I’ll show you the way to God. Only Christianity of all the major world religions has a founder that says: ‘I’m God, come to find you.’

http://www.wsj.com/articles/kate-bachelder-god-isnt-dead-in-gotham-1419032446

My little book group that met at Panera’s a few years ago used his book,

And it is outstanding.  Maybe I’ll reread it.

Part 1: The Leap of Doubt
There Can't Be Just One True Religion
How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?
Christianity is a Straitjacket
The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice
How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
Science Has Disproved Christianity
You Can't Take the Bible Literally
Part 2: The Reasons for Faith
The Clues of God
The Knowledge of God
The Problem of Sin
Religion and the Gospel
The (True) Story of the Cross
The Reality of the Resurrection
The Dance of God

168 Project has Kidvids

Kidvids are Christian theme videos suitable for your child's phone--we watched this one in Sunday school today. It's about zombies, and what kid wouldn't love that? But we are all the walking dead without Christ. http://www.168film.com/Media/Gift-of-Grace