A nice view this time of year; it comes from the Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan, FL, taken in June 2001, before 9/11 and most of the craziness of this decade past.
Health Care Reform and the Christmas Candy
One of my many activities over the years has been working for the Laity Ministries Department of the Church of God. For the last thirteen years (the last four of which as Ministries Coordinator, an Administrative Ministries Council level position) it's been a rare opportunity for a layman--and one not raised either in the Church …
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Mercy Chefs Video
This is a great organisation whose roots are "on the bayou," check it out. More information is here.
Jim Wallis Stands in Front of His Biggest Problem
"Evangelical" (sort of) Jim Wallis stands in front of his biggest problem and doesn't know it: One cold morning the week before Christmas, I found myself huddled with a group of homeowners and religious leaders on Pennsylvania Avenue, in the shadow of the White House and the Treasury building. The homeowners, who had all worked …
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Virginia Drills for Oil
Buried in the Wall Street Journal's article on Virginia Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell is the following: Mr. McDonnell also scored politically with his proposal to allow oil drilling in the state's coastal waters. His proposal builds on a policy set in motion a year ago when a federal ban on drilling off the Atlantic Coast was …
Why I Don't Like the Manhattan Declaration
It's a new year, and in this case a new decade. It's hard to find anyone who is satisfied with the results of the last decade, all of the advances in science and technology notwithstanding (or perhaps because of these advances.)   Perhaps the next one will be better; I'm not holding my breath. It's also …
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Revolution in Iran is Easier Said Than Done
There's a persistent liberal drumbeat out there that, somehow, the current regime in Iran is about to be overthrown. Iran's current power holders are taking no chances: Police chief Gen. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam made a harsh threat to protesters to stay off the streets. "In dealing with previous protests, police showed leniency. But given that …
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Jesus Christ is Enthroned as King. In Lithuania.
Communism teaches hard lessons: Jesus Christ is "king" of a municipality in Lithuania. The aldermen of a small city in Lithuania, a country with strong Catholic majorities, have "enthroned Jesus Christ as King" to their community, hoping to boost the morale of the population in this time of economic crisis. "Enthrone Jesus Christ as King …
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Merry Christmas: When the Scripture Readings Don’t Quite Cut It
With this, I wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas. Beyond that, anyone whose is or was in a liturgical church knows that part of the liturgy is to read appropriate scriptures (like this one for this time of year.) The idea is that the scriptures be really appropriate. However, when the liturgy …
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The Discipline and Reform of the Church
Fr. Greg's response to my diatribes has been there for a while, but with current exigencies here and some technical issues to resolve re this blog (when you're self-hosted, you have to deal with these things) has delayed a response. Some of the items he brings up--especially concerning the authority and nature of the church--we've …
Positive Infinity 