We provide encouragement, community, and structure to Christian families in their homeschools. All of our classes are taught with a biblical worldview. Our integrated humanities curriculum leans heavily on the principles of classical education, along with a Charlotte Mason influence in the younger grades.
Our program consists of two days: Thursday: Students meet in grade level classes from 9:00-2:00. Subjects include Bible, language arts, composition, literature, history & geography, art appreciation, and critical thinking.
Tuesday: Students participate in science, Spanish, art, and/or math. Our kindergarten enrichment class includes literature, science, art & STEM, and indoor/outdoor free play.


Obtaining The Christ Consciousness Through Spiritual Contracts
Spiritual Contracts are commitments we each agree upon and make with other souls before once again incarnating into a physical body. These Spiritual Contracts are the golden nuggets of opportunity for our spirit to achieve a Frequency Light Quotient of Divine Mastery within the lower dimensional human experience. A path of Divine Mastery is The Awakening from Spiritual Amnesia; it is The Remembrance of Our Divinity, and ultimately, it is Manifesting Ourselves As Heaven On Earth.
Each perceived negative experience within the lower level of human consciousness we have with each other, are actually experiential platforms for our spirit to polish its grace and divinity within the freedom of freewill. When your partner, relative, friend, colleague or stranger treats you any other way than loving, know you are in a Spiritual Contract with them, and they are just showing up in your life doing exactly what you asked them to do when you were both out of body. Remember they are simply honoring their part of the contractual commitment to assist your soul to master forgiveness, strength, compassion, faith, or any other light- filled aspect of your soul.
Striving to choose love in all interactions and experiences affords our Spirit to not only utilize the platform toward our Spiritual Maturity within the human experience, but also to hone a level of consciousness where we can recognize the participation of the other through the eyes and heart of gratitude. When we obtain a higher and higher level of consciousness within the human experience, we begin to recognize that we become perceptually incapable of seeing any wrong doing or need for forgiveness. Instead, we simply become neutral and unaffected as The Observer. When we become the Observer instead of the Reactor we know we are vibrating in the frequency level of The Christ Consciousness, where our Spirit has taken over dominion of the human experience and all we can see and feel is the other’s commitment to our ascension.
It is the achieved Observer aspect of Divine Remembrance and Spiritual Mastery within the human experience that rockets and perpetuates our desire to manifest our Godself of The Christ Consciousness, moment by moment as the eternal Light Bearers we are. Once we vibrate and unify in The Christ Consciousness, our light illuminating upon the darker, denser aspects of creation is not only our celestial desire, but also our soul's mission within the human expression of experience as God.
Choosing to be the light bearers that we innately are not only sanctifies humanity’s unity, but also illuminates Mother Earth’s stream of light as a co-creational vibratory asset within the thread of Oneness throughout the cosmos. The higher our individual and combined societal frequency of the Earth Plane, the more we can assist cosmically to eradicate the purpose of any lower frequency the dark holds as part of a dualistic aspect of experience. When our free will carries enough continuity of God’s love vibration, our consciousness takes up residence in a frequency high enough where we vibratorily surpass the lower frequencies where the darker aspects of creation reside.
There is a doorway to our loving nature, and when our free will choices allow our consciousness to cusp our Divine Remembrance enough, we start the journey of realization that not only are we the doorway, not only the light, but an individual and unified expression of Mother Father God.
© 2016 Engma/SSJ


Schweitzer Chapel is a mountain lodging retreat and place of worship for Christian youth groups and organizations at Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho. Schweitzer Chapel provides a great place of Christian worship for the people of Schweitzer Mountain, a retreat for Christian youth groups and a wonderful meeting place as well as lodging for Christian organizations, available throughout the year.
2016-2017 Schweitzer Chapel | Weekly Worship Services
For the 2016-2017 Season the normal worship service schedules are:
Catholic Mass will be at: 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays
Starting Saturday December 31, 2017 and continuing to the end of March.
Non-Denominational Protestant services will be at: 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays starting Saturday, January 7, 2017 and continuing to the end of March.
Christmas Eve Services
Catholic Mass Sunday December 24th 4:30 PM Fr Stephen KuderSJ Gonzaga University
Non Denominational Service Sunday December 24th 7:30 Dr. Ron Pyle Whitworth University officiating.


You are God: we praise you;
You are God: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
And the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
The eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
You did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
And opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
Bought with the price of your own blood,
And bring us with your saints
To glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you.
We praise your name forever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy;
For we put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope:
And we shall never hope in vain.
- Act of Contrition
- Act of Faith
- Act of Hope
- Act of Love
- Angel of God
- Anima Christi
- Byzantine Prayer for the Deceased
- Come, Creator Spirit
- Come, Holy Spirit
- Coptic Incense Prayer
- Eternal Rest
- Glory Be
- Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
- Hail Mary
- Regina Caeli
- The Angelus
- The Benedictus
- The Lord’s Prayer
- The Magnificat
- The Sign of the Cross
- The Te Deum
- Under Your Protection
- Veni, Creator Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest)
- Litany of the Saints
- Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
- Prayer of St. Ignatius
- Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
- Prayer of St. Teresa
- Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
- Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas after the Eucharist
- Prayer to St Joseph by Pope St. Pius X
- St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Prayer for the Departed
- St. Augustine’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit
- St. Edmund Morning Offering
- St. Joseph for Protection
- St. Michael the Archangel
- St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer
- Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Act of Self Dedication
- Bedtime Prayer
- Blessing of Home
- Evening Prayer
- Grace After Meals
- Grace Before Meals
- Grace to Hear God’s Voice
- Morning Litany
- Morning Offering
- My Daily Prayer
- Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
- Prayer Before the Crucifix
- Prayer for Continual Assistance
- Prayer for Employment
- Prayer for Surrender of Possessions
- Prayer for the Pope
- Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory
- Prayer to Child’s Guardian Angel
- Prayer to the Holy Family
- The Apostles Creed
- The Stations of the Cross – Scriptural


G A P S Ministries
What are gaps? Openings and shortfalls, yet gaps are where we can experience the grace of God, sacred spaces where new life waits.
Gatherings cultivate deep community, inclusion, celebration.
Arts encourage creativity, play, response to beauty
Praxis allows for receiving the divine through faith, study, action.
Sabbath restores through rest, prayer, discernment.
Join us in a place where we foster community through creativity, well-being, and spirituality. We feel that there are gaps in our faith understandings and expression. The times today call for unique places where those who find themselves in the gaps can make connections and share their gifts.
Taize meditative singing in a quiet setting promotes a sense of spiritual openness.
Readings for reflection are taken from poetry, scripture, spiritual classics, and contemporary. We meet monthly on Saturday afternoons at St. David’s Episcopal Church in South Yarmouth. All are welcome.
Spiritual direction is the art of discovering and awakening to our deepest yearnings and purpose. As the Spirit enlivens us we live more authentically. Spiritual friendship supports the seeker to grow in love and find greater fulfillment in our relationship with the God and others. Call the center to schedule an appointment.
Monastery of the Heart Group
Through the heart we can transcend the barriers of place and negative thinking. Our hearts are at the center of the invitation to the spiritual life – “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be.”
Monastery of the Heart is a team-led group of seekers who pray, eat, and reflect together inspired by the vision of Benedictine sister Joan Chittister. “Her vision to extend herself and her community to all who are building a world-wide monastery without walls is an opportunity to live a more holy and whole life of contemplation and prayer and action and justice-making.”
GAPS Ministries are a mission of Healthsigns Spiritual Life Center on Cape Cod.
Call Anne at 508-375-0918
Visit our website for current GAPS programs: www.healthsignscenter.com


Grover Harold ?Rick? Rogers III, 48, of Rockwell passed away Thursday, October 17, 2019 in his home. A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 11 AM at Bethel United Methodist Church with Rev. Kevin McCormac... View Obituary & Service Information
Obituary & Service
Harold ?Rick? Rogers III, 48, of Rockwell passed away...
Flowers & Gifts
Send flowers to the Rogers family.Send Flowers


The mission of St. John Paul ll Catholic School, a regional diocesan school, is to engage each student in the dual priorities of a challenging academic program that will promote life-long learning and a Catholic, Gospel-based faith formation, through a structured, family-centered and safe environment that values diversity and enriches the life experience of its students
Middle School Back to School Night
6:00 PM-7:00 PM Parish Center
Back to School Night
6 PM-8 PM Parish Center
Get to know your child's teacher and their expectations. You will also pick up preordered school kits. We will start in the parish center and then move to the classrooms.
First Day of School
7:35 AM-11:30 AM St. John Paul II School
Aftercare will be available.
6:30 PM-7:30 PM Parish Center
Mass w/ Father Kennedy
10 AM-11 AM St. Mary's Church: Middletown


St. Cecilia Catholic Church
DellsCatholic.com is Coming Soon
We’ll be launching before you know it. In the meantime…
Make a Gift
- 6:30pm (Spanish)
- The 6:30pm Sunday Mass is in Spanish
- There is also a Polish Mass at 5:00pm on the first Sunday of each month
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available 30 minutes prior to every weekend Mass and on Fridays 5–6pm.


The Church of St John the Baptist has served the village of Curbridge from its present position for over 100 years, and has for all of that time been the backdrop for the weddings, baptisms and funerals of people from the village and beyond. We still baptise many children (and adults) every year – often parents bring their children having been baptised in the same font themselves years earlier. This is always a very special connection to the past for both the church and the village.
Our main Sunday service happens at 9.15am. There is always a warm welcome, if not always a very warm building! We sing hymns, hear readings, have a short address to help us understand God and faith better and, as Jesus commanded us to do, we share the bread and wine of communion. You can receive the bread and wine if you wish, or receive a blessing, but above all be part of a community that prays for our world, our community, each other and ourselves.
For more information contact:
The Rev’d Alastair Blaine
01993 359756 – firstname.lastname@example.org
St John the Baptist Church Curbridge was built in 1906 and is distinctive for its slightly ‘Mediterranean’ outside look, while inside the pews are painted green against a background of whitewashed walls.
The Friends exists to help preserve this Village landmark. They raise money used mainly to support the cost of interior and exterior works.
Inside the Church this could include maintenance work, heating, flooring and carpeting. Outside, the building itself and work in the Churchyard including the dry- stone walls that are always requiring attention.
The Friends fund raise through a series of events and also run a Members scheme whereby Villagers sign up annually and pay a small subscription to support the work of the Friends.
You do not have to be religious to support the Friends, just an interest in preserving this part of the Village.
For details, please contact the Chairman, Rev Canon (Retired) Tim Partridge email@example.com


Blinded to his blessings, he spent his youth as a troublemaker. His troubles grew as he aged and he spent his teen and young adult years in one cell or another. Throughout his life's trials-- family deaths, a failed marriage, jail sentences, poverty, lost jobs, he used music to be his one constant. It helped him to cope, but music never quite fulfilled on its promise. It wasn't until he made God his constant that he found his fulfillment. It was in using his music as a tool instead of the driving force in his life that he found his calling. He did this through Praising and allowing God to truly be a focus in his life. God became an endless source of inspiration for his music and the guiding force by which he lives his life. Humbled by God's love, he wants to spread the Word of the Lord through his music. He writes and performs Gospel hip-hop as testimony of God's blessings on us all.


A little over a week ago I shoved all of my belongings into my VW Rabbit, said goodbye to the dearest people in my life, then contorted myself into the driver’s seat and set my heart and GPS to the same destination: go west young man.
God has called me to Pasadena, CA to help shepherd a diminutive and endearing flock called Prism Church, and I find my mind wading through a pool of introspection. Why did the Lord call me here? Why did the Lord call me here? What enemy-lain snares await me? Why do I think that I am prepared for this? I realize that it is God who calls and others who affirm, but one way that I can tell I am more prepared for ministry now more than ever before is this: I completely understand why in Paul’s list of “qualifications for overseers” (found in 1 Timothy 3), the Holy Spirit had him add verse 6 to the list,
“[The overseer] must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6).
Paul wrote that because of me.
When my spiritual vision initially went from black and white to color, I became proud of what I now knew. Ironically, the same book which I was learning so much about also happen to mention that, though I was gaining information, I was not yet gaining knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:2). Luckily for me, the Lord is sovereign even over foolish zeal, and looking back I can see His gracious hand guiding my clumsy steps while allowing this little clayen jar to gather its share of cracks.
Now that I am venturing off into foreign waters, I see this shift working out practically. What I mean is, I find that I am moving from knowing the promises of God to needing them. And this shift is good. God’s promises are less proverbs to be espoused as they are precious ballast for our feeble rafts of faith. I thought I would share a few of these promises where this shift has been most pronounced, in the hopes that it may encourage your heart to cling to these truths afresh.
1. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Here’s the reality, I just moved 2,500 miles to begin a job that, by definition, I am completely incapable of accomplishing. For only God can shine spiritual light which makes Jesus Christ irresistible (2 Corinthians 4:6), and only God can effect any spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 3:7). I have known theoretically that it is Jesus, not me, who builds and sustains his church but now the rubber has hit the road. This makes me feel weak.
And that is the point.
I am learning that all the weakness and self-doubt that I feel is not an accident, in fact, it is essential. As J.I. Packer wisely remarked, “God doesn’t allow us to stay with idea that we are strong. Oh, we may have that idea, but the Lord is going to disabuse us one way or the other, and it will be good for us and it will give glory to Him when He does so.”
God has promised that he will be my strength, that it is “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10); I have known that, but now I desperately need it. So I joyfully join in with the psalmist in singing, “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:8).
2. The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
My view of “finding God’s will for my life” has changed dramatically over the past few years. I used to envision all of the potential paths in life like the doors in Let’s Make A Deal, with the “right” way hiding behind just one door and the “wrong” ways cynically crouching behind all the others. I have come to realize that this view of God’s providential oversight of our lives is not only unbiblical and wrong, but it is paralyzing, especially in an age of infinite options. I think even the question “what is God’s will for my life?” is wrongheaded. I think a better question is “what is God’s will period and how can I leverage my gifts to further that?” I do not think there is usually a definitively right or wrong answer to this question, to which the verse above speaks.
Though I know this better than I have ever before, I find that I need this promise. I need to know that God will be the one who establishes the steps down the path my heart has planned. Without this confidence I can drive myself mad with all of the “what ifs” concerning this move. I know God is sovereign, I mean I am the poster boy for “the young, restless, and reformed” for crying out loud, but now I need God to be sovereign.
3. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)
I know the gospel. On the cross, Jesus Christ, the spotless lamb of God, took all of my sin and shame upon himself and perfectly propitiated the righteous wrath of God that my sins deserved. More than that, He clothed me in His righteousness and now when the Father looks at me His heart is full of love and joy because of the worth of His precious Son. I get the doctrines of penal substitution and double imputation.
Yet, I’ve found that stepping into ministry has caused the memories of past sins to come seeping out the cracks in the caverns of my mind, like the putrid stench from a backed up sink disposal. On the one hand, this is a good thing. It is incredibly humbling which is a gift of grace. However, I also know that one of the names for the enemy is “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10), and I am painfully aware of the massive bullseye on my back as far as this goes. Satan hates Jesus, the Church, salvation, and everything else that is good and pleasing to God, so of course he is naturally going to try and turn godly sorrow into debilitating shame. As a wise and dear friend of mine once reminded me, “Shame is the currency of the Devil.”
So, more than knowing the gospel as simply the way I got saved, I have found find that I need the gospel more and more everyday. I need to know that God, because of Jesus, has fully removed all of my transgressions—past, present, and future—from me and is now pleased with me. As Paul so matter-of-factly puts it, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33). That is right. That is true. Who am I to think myself a better judge than God?
4. “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” (Revelation 21:2-5)
This is the logical corollary to the last promise, for this is the ultimate purpose of the gospel. And I need it now more than ever.
One day all who are in Christ—the Bride of Christ—will be assembled together and will forever be united. I know this is true, but as I made my bittersweet circuit of goodbyes across Orlando and gave (attempted, rather) a farewell benedictions to my church family, this promise was the sweet balm that softened the salty sting in my eyes.
Saying goodbye is painful, especially when it is a more permanent goodbye like a move across the country, because we were not created for goodbyes. We were created for eternal communal bliss. But as C.S. Lewis once remarked after speaking about the future “weight of glory” that awaits, “. . . the cross comes before the crown and tomorrow is a Monday morning.” The book of Acts gives us a moving glimpse into Paul’s departure from his church in Ephesus,
“And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship” (Acts 20:37-38).
So, in these past few weeks I have tied my emotionally frail mind around this promise like a rickety boat to a dock. I know I will be with all of my loved ones who are in Christ forever, but much more than just knowing this, I need this.
I am sure there a hundred other promises that have shone brighter in my life and mind during this transition, but I will leave it here. May the Holy Spirit illumine these wonderful gospel promises more and more, in all of our lives, as the day draws nearer.


The disciples of Jesus once got into a heated debate about who of them was the best. Jesus told them, “If you want to be first, you have to be the last. You have to be the servant.” (Mark 9:33-9:35) I don’t see a lot of servants. I see people who want to be called the greatest. I see people who want to say, “Look at me, and my great Christian faith.” No one wants to be the servant. No one wants to get down in the dirt. No one is going to want to wash the feet of another. (Jesus did.) No, I don't see a lot of servants. I see people patting each other on the back. Check me out. Be like me. Well, the praise of men is cheap.
It's easy to cast judgment. It's easy to say we are better because we didn’t vote for this way or that way. It's harder to put ourselves in the shoes of others and walk their road. Yet that is what Christ demands of us. And he asks us to engage people with grace and mercy, not constant shaming and promises of excommunication. This may surprise many people, but Jesus wasn’t an elitist snob. Jesus walked and sat in the dirt and ate and drank with the muck of the earth. He gathered up all the scummy people he could find. He asked them to pull up a chair. He fed them, he talked to them, he healed them. It’s a lot easier to throw stones like the Pharisees. Maybe these people don’t need your judgment. Maybe they need your friendship and your love. Maybe they need some gentle understanding. Unless you’re too good for that now? Is the obsession with being disassociated from Trump causing you to disown your Christian brothers and sisters while proclaiming your own greatness?
Jesus once told the story about a tax collector and a priest going into the temple to pray. The Pharisee listed all the great things he did and left. The tax collector did not even feel worthy to be there, admitted he was a sinner, and begged for mercy. One of these is harder than the other (Luke 18:9-14).
I know there is concern with the church. Criticisms of poor teachings and flawed spirituality are fair. But while there is a ton of rotten theology being practiced out there, I believe that this one thing we may find is true: A Christ crucified and risen, for our salvation. Unless you are empowered to remove salvation from someone, perhaps you shouldn’t be labeling someone a non-Christian. Many of these Christians now being ostracized are good people, who did what they thought was right. They aren’t hateful people. They don’t hate everyone. Many were faithful people in extraordinary circumstances making a very difficult decision. It may not have gotten your approval, but it was their choice to make. Christ is merciful in all things. If they escape his judgment, why is it they can’t escape yours? Leave the eternal judgment to Christ.
If we removed ourselves from our high places we might understand the fear and concern Christians had for themselves and their families, and their faith: For eight years I saw a President who was hostile to Christianity and I saw a leftist culture that backed it. I don’t blame a Christian for voting against the left. Maybe you should give them a break too.
Just a gaggle of people from all over who have similar interests and loud opinions mixed with a dose of humor. We met on Twitter.


Quick Links to this Gallery:Important NEWS for non-DeviantArt Members:
DeviantArt has recently revamped its Mature Content policies a bit, in order to appease the prudes who want nothing more than to censor your internet and your art. Now, any deviation with just about any nudity in it seems to require a Mature Content filter now. This means that you, as a non-dA member, will be UNABLE to view the vast majority of the art in my Gallery. If you want to see the wallpapers and other art that contain partial or full-nudity, you must now join dA. Fortunately, itís FREE and itís EASY!To JOIN dA for FREE, click here: Join DeviantArt NOW!
Give me chastity and continence- but not yet! ~ Saint Augustine
At the beginning of this summer, I became involved in a most interesting forum discussion on the possibility of a new genre of art, which fuses unabashed eroticism with a Christian outlook on humanity and life. In short, I asked the DeviantArt community what it thought of the idea of producing Christian Erotica and Christian Pornography.
As you might expect, the reaction of people to this question was both highly volatile and very stimulating. If you are interested, you can read the original forum thread, here:
The Christian Erotica and Christian Porn Forum
Be forewarned, the thread is already rather lengthy, and you should probably not add anything to it unless you have a really striking or original thought! Also, be aware that the whole baby-sitting thing was pretty much a bit of impromptu role-playing by a number of bored deviants, to include myself
so don't get your panties in a knot over it!
I won't try to repeat the discussions and arguments that we enjoyed on that forum thread here in this journal. Rather, let me simply mention that I promised a number of people that I would explore this matter further in a series of deviations on the topic of Christian Erotica.Toward an Aesthetic of Christian Erotica?
Over the next several months, I plan to do a series of deviations, mostly Political Wallpapers, that will explore the manner in which erotica and even pornography might take on a spiritual and especially a Christian voice in our modern society. Of course, these deviations will attempt to approach the question primarily by visualizing it as a matter of graphical images that, hopefully, will encourage the viewer to look at this matter from a new angle.
At first, I will attempt to visually look at the role that porn and erotica currently play in our society, for better or worse. While much erotica and all porn are, nominally at least, a product of secular society, it is a well-known fact that self-professed Christians are among the many eager consumers of such products. I certainly hope to explore the implications of that, as well.
Eventually, I will begin to ask the pointed question of whether an authentic aesthetic of Christian erotica might not emerge in our society. If so, what sorts of limits ought it to impose upon itself? What benefits might it yield to Christians, and especially to Christian couples? What dangers or threats might it pose as well?
I don't have the answers to these questions at the present time. If you have any thoughts on these matters, I would love it if you were to share them with me!
The culmination of this series, of course, should be a number of deviations that are, well, examples of genuine Christian erotica. Needless to say, the thematic limitations imposed by the anti-porn policies of DeviantArt will prevent me from actually exploring Christian Pornography on this site. But, in all honesty, that's quite alright with me, at this point in my life. As for just what form the anticipated Christian Erotica may take, I can only say that we will see what we shall see.The Christian Erotica and Christian Porn Series:
This is where I shall list the deviations in this series, for your convenience:
Needless to say, we're just getting started on this series!A Bit of a Retrospective
In the past, I have already explored some peripheral aspects of this theme in some of my wallpapers and other deviations, to include these:
As you can see, none of these deviations actually probe the potential boundaries of Christian erotica as a discrete genre. Rather, they incorporate certain tropes of eroticism into my own expressions of spirituality. Not quite the same thing, then, but perhaps useful for beginning to think about how to envision this topic, especially if it is making your head hurt a bit?Am I Just Baiting Christians and Other People of Faith?
Some people might see this topic, and sigh with a certain sense of world-weariness, assuming that I am just out to bait people of faith. This is not the case. I myself profess to be a Christian, and I am willing share some insights into my religious background with anyone who is truly interested and asks. I am fully aware that this topic may shock the sensibilities of some Christians, and it may offend others. But I am approaching the idea of Christian erotica, and even Christian porn, with an open mind, and with what I consider to be good-will.
Here's a thought for you: the Song of Songs is an amazingly erotic and even sexually-explicit collection of love songs and poetry
and yet it is a book of the Bible. If eroticism is good enough for the Bible, then it is surely good enough for me and you!
Maybe offensiveness lies in how we, as individuals, approach the idea of Christian erotica? Here's another thought, this time from the late Pope John Paul II:
Sexual modesty cannot then in any simple way be identified with the use of clothing, nor shamelessness with the absence of clothing and total or partial nakedness. There are circumstances in which total nakedness is not immodest....Nakedness as such is not to be equated with physical shamelessness. Immodesty is only present when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person...The human body is not in itself shameful, nor for the same reasons are sensual reactions, and human sensuality in general. Shamelessness (just like shame and modesty) is a function of the interior of the individual.
If you are offended by this topic alone, then perhaps you need to look toward yourself
for the cause and the cure, and not to me? Just a thought
To hear many religious people talk, one would think God created the torso, head, legs and arms, but the devil slapped on the genitals. ~ Don Schrader


Jesus is God in the flesh. According to Christian tradition, it disappeared after the crucifixion, but was found again about three centuries later during a search in Jerusalem. Cross-shaped topography of Gishen Mariam Source :www.ajhtl.com. Spiritually, itâs our home. Now, letâs look briefly into Luke chapter 23. Instead, it was the Romans of that era who used the cross design to symbolize their gods.Then, about 300 years after Jesusâ death, Roman Emperor Constantine adopted the cross as the emblem of his armies, and it thereafter became associated with the âChristianâ church. Jesus came to this earth about two thousand years ago, lived to the age of about 33, died on the cross, was raised from the dead and then, after forty days, He returned to heaven (Luke 24:50, 51).And to this day, Jesus is still in heaven. So, Where did Jesus Die? Now that you know who He is and where He is, you can help someone else know where God is, too. In the next chapter, we will discuss how Jesusâ death makes it possible for us to live forever. Discovery is subject of new film, though experts are skeptical of authenticity. from the Holy Spirit.â 11 As Christians often put it, Jesus was fully God and fully man. It wonât take that long to read these verses and theyâre very important. He went to heaven and entered the sanctuary. Learn the answer to the question about The Blood of the Lamb is, Where is the physical blood which Jesus shed on the cross for us? Thousands of new, high-quality pictures added every day. We want to look today at Jesus on the cross. Where is Jesus today? Parts of it were eventually taken to other places, and many modern churches claim to have small pieces of â¦ Jesus hung on the cross for about six hours, from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. During that time, soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothing, while people passed by shouting insults and scoffing. Legend relates that the True Cross was found by St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land about 326. iStock Jesus On The Cross Stock Photo - Download Image Now Download this Jesus On The Cross photo now. Crucifixion of Jesus: Were Nails Used to Put Christ on the Cross Claimed Found in Israel? Cross, the principal symbol of the Christian religion, recalling the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. Learn more about the True Cross in this article. Feel free to refer me to some other website since this isnât an evangelsitic query. Near the end of the Gospel of John, just before He was crucified, Jesus told His disciples about a comforter He would send, to remind them of all the things He had taught. Product #: gm147069027 $ 12.00 iStock In stock WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS Nowhere does the Bible suggest that the earliest Christians used the cross as a religious symbol. It says there in verse 27 of Luke chapter 23, 27And there followed him a great company of people, and This teaching and this web site is for Christians, who choose, by their own free will, to believe what is written in the Scriptures, not what manâs traditions and religious ideologies propound. Jesus didn't die on the cross! Christians and the Cross in the First Century. This new creation dimension of reality where Jesus is, this is where weâre from (Philippians 3:20). But Jesus was not just a human; he was âconceived . Find jesus on the cross stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the Shutterstock collection. The cross on which Jesus died is called the True Cross. John 19:17 (NASB) Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Opening of Jesus Christ's tomb for first time in 500 years leads to new discovery. In this moment, Jesus is inviting every one of us in the Church to take up our cross and to follow him along the path of humble love, the path of reverence for God and service to our neighbors. 11 Jehovah is called a Father because he is the Creator. From the cross, Jesus â¦ . In some religious traditions, this reference refers to the location of the skull of Adam. There are a lot of verses in the Bible which teach us this. The latest relic of the cross on which Jesus had died stalled out because, as KöroÄlu later said, the box that had contained allegedly holy objects was now -- mysteriously -- empty. Well, you must have heard about Jesus's crucifixion but what after that? There, Jesus now works to save us and get us ready to live with Him in heaven. Learn more about the history and symbolism of the cross. He had committed His spirit into the Fatherâs hands (Luke 23:46). Then Jesus woke up from the dead. This is an incredibly valid question to ask for many Christians. True Cross, Christian relic, reputedly the wood of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. If He is the Son of God now, as some say that He is, then, He does not know when to come or when He is coming, although there is only One in heaven and that One is He. Each of the Synoptic Gospels recounts that at the moment of Jesusâs deepest agony as he hung on the cross, the soldiers and people in the crowd mocked him, saying, âSave yourself, and come down from the crossâ¦ Recently, after speaking at large conference, I was approached by a man who asked a question about the shape of crucifixion cross of Jesus.Heâd been approached by Jehovahâs Witnesses who challenged the traditional shape of the cross.They argued the Greek word for âcrossâ (stauros) simply meant an âupright poleâ, âupright stakeâ or âtorture stakeâ. The Crucifixion of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely between AD 34 and AD 35.Jesus' crucifixion is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and is established as a historical event confirmed by non-Christian sources, although there is no consensus among historians on the exact details. place on the cross and died for our sins. Ephesians 5: 13 -- But all things that are reproved [discovered] are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.. This would directly conflict Scripture, which states that the body of Jesus was placed in a tomb that had never been used before. Jesus on the cross with a halo and the world in his hand with a cloud and stone background. The cross is thus a sign of both Christ himself and of the faith of Christians. The cross is referred to as, in Ethiopia, Gimade Meskel.It was placed in Gishen on Meskerem 21 sometime in the mid 15th century Ethiopian Calendar (on September 30 in Gregorian Calander) The church of Egziabhier Ab ( translates to God the father) stands, for over many many hundreds of years now, where the cross is â¦ The sanctuary is the place in heaven where God is worshiped and where His throne is. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Adult photos available for quick and easy download. Jesus Christ made seven final statements during his last hours on the cross.These phrases are held dear by followers of Christ because they offer a glimpse into the depth of his suffering to accomplish redemption. I guess my question partly relates to whether âheavenâ is physically present or merely âspiritually presentâ. I know about his Spirit being âpresentâ. Earth photo courtesy Jesus on the cross in church with ray of light from stained glass, image of the crucifixion. The traditional view, held by Catholics and archaeologists, place the site of Calvary and Golgotha at the location which is now the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Timeline of Jesus' Death by Crucifixion . Jesus Christ IS NOT God . When God raised Jesus from the dead, His spirit rejoined His body, which was now a glorified body (Philippians 3:21). Hebrews 13:12 (NASB) Matthew 27:33 tells us that Jesus was led to Golgotha. If that is true, He will not know when to come because the Bible says the Son does not know, but the Father. There are many political reasons as to why He died on the cross. The book of Luke refers to this place as Calvary in the King James Bible translation (Luke 23:33). . Archaeologists working at the site of an ancient church in Turkey believe they may have found a relic of the cross of Jesus. Jesus was the Lamb that God offered on the cross for our sins. 22 Because Jesus remained faithful to his Father, we now have the opportunity to live forever on a paradise earth, just as Jehovah purposed. ^ par. When Jesus died on the cross, His body truly died and was buried, but His spirit was somewhere else, alive and well. Right now, united to Jesus by faith, we are spiritually seated with him at the Fatherâs right hand. But Iâm wondering where the 2nd person of the Trinity went after he ascended in a physical body up into âthe heavensâ. You may now be asking yourself, why then did Jesus die on the cross? The location where Jesus was crucified and died for the sins of the world is called Golgotha in Scripture. Thatâs why we seek the things that are above (Colossians 3:1). Letâs think this through: Jesus carried His own crosspiece according to tradition, and that crosspiece was fastened to a pole that was used over and over. Now he calls us to entrust our lives to him â our whole heart, our whole mind; all our feelings and thoughts, our words and actions. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. Reading with verse 27, now weâre going to go down through verse 46. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is described as the Son of God.


King of Peace's 45th Anniversary Gala
"The Lord Has Been Good to Us". Come help King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church celebrate our sapphire year! 45 years ago, we created a religious space for the LGBTQ+ community of St. Petersburg, and it would change history. Many good things around our community are because of the work that KOP has contributed along the way. Let's celebrate all those beloved of God who have come along over these 45 years, and celebrate for that which is yet to be.
Join us for a night of dinner, dancing, and celebrating just how good the Lord has been to us, and will continue to be! Since this is our Sapphire anniversary, we are encouraging everyone to wear something blue to help us celebrate!
For more information about King of Peace, you can visit www.churchstpetersburg.org.
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3251 3rd Ave. N.
St Petersburg, FL 33713
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The RGI Vision
Standing knee-deep in the ocean, staring at the immense beauty God created, feeling waves crash against me; I sensed the Lord speaking to my heart. He wanted to provide a place where women who were hungry to know Him and needed to experience a fresh touch of His Spirit, could come away and stand in oceans deep.
This was not to be just another women's conference, nor was this to be a one-night pep rally ... this was more, much more. The word whispered in my spirit was “Institute”.
The word institute is from the Latin, which means, “to establish.”
It speaks of laying a foundation that supports and girds up everything else. Imagine the Eiffel Tower, one of the most recognized symbols on earth. It reaches hundreds of feet into the sky. The secret to the strength and height of the Eiffel Tower is the foundation that supports it that goes deep underground; bearing the weight of the steel structure for millions of visitors a year.
What I sensed from the Lord is that He wanted to provide a space where women could come away from the normal and have their lives formed around God's Word and His glorious vision for their lives.
To establish a firm foundation of faith and freedom that would enable women to follow Jesus out into the deep, past the break of ocean waves, where feet may fail but faith will stand!
At Redeemed Girl Institute (RGI), we hope to provide just that space. We seek to provide a time of incredible learning but also of intense worship of Jesus. The last thing we want is more information about God; we hunger for a revelation of Jesus that transforms our souls.
Redeemed Girl Institute is for women who desire to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Through a week of in-depth Bible teaching and powerful worship, RGI attendees experience a transformation that occurs only in His Presence. The goal of RGI is that a participant would learn to walk out God’s truth in her daily life.
RGI draws women from across the country who long to encounter Jesus and who want to be equipped to serve Him in their generation.
For His Glory,
Marian Jordan Ellis
Founder, Redeemed Girl Ministries


The Story Behind The God Who Named the Stars
Take a walk with Christian recording artist, singer and songwriter Michael Stosic. After being diagnosed with a life threatening disease in February 2021, Michael made the conscious decision to chronicle his deepest feelings, his fears his hopes and trust, and turn these thoughts into music. The God Who Named The Stars follows Michael from his diagnosis, to his surgery, to his healing. This book shows how God revealed Himself to Michael in a very real way, it shows how God knew Michael's greatest fears and in a supernatural way calmed those fears at a very crucial time. More loss was to come for Michael, but through it all his hope remains in God and he shares that hope with you.


I am a wife and mother of 5. I have been down a hard road in my life. I've experienced abuse, addiction, aand alcohol. I know what its like to struggle spiritually not knowing what to do. I now lead, through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, a woman's ministry where I teach, help, councel and encourage women. This is an out-reach ministryministry, reaching the local and abroad communities. Serving God any way we can.
We as a ministry believe and teach there is only one way to Heaven, that's through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. It's not about the things you do that gets you into Heaven. It's believing on Jesus Christ asking him in your heart and life and asking forgiveness of your sins. Nothing can wash away your sins other than the blood of Jesus Christ.
I teach a Bible study group on the first and third Saturdays of each month. We, as a ministry, shares and presents the gospel of Jesus Christ. We help those in our community who are less fortunate, in addition to ministering to them.
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"Without a doubt, great is the mystery of evsevia," or true piety (1 Timothy 3:16). Piety in the early church was another term for the faith of the Christians. Keep in mind that the name "Christian" was initially a pejorative term, something that stigmatized this class of people, those of the Way, the followers of Jesus Christ. So according to St. Paul, the mystery of Christianity is great, it is a great and profound mystery indeed. Certainly it is not a social, political, or philosophical system, or a kingdom of this world. Christ's teachings did not focus on earthly happiness or prosperity, as many false prophets claim today. The prosperity gospel is a heresy, and a brainchild of the Antichrist.
On the contrary, Christ was very frank about the immediate payback of those who would choose to become His disciples. He clearly stated that, "In the world, you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). "You will be persecuted and hated by all because of my name.... Do not fear those who kill the body.... You will be scourged in the synagogues.... When they persecute you in this city, go or flee to another one.... He who loses his life for my sake will find it.... Do not worry about clothing.... Do not lay up treasures on earth" (Matthew 10). "Woe to the rich!" (Luke 6:24). "Sell everything and give it to the poor and follow me" (Mark 10:21).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, being a gospel of self-sacrifice, a gospel of the cross, is diametrically opposed to the gospel of the prince of this world the gospel of self-gratification and self-centeredness. Christ is the suffering Messiah, "the scandal of the Jews and the foolishness of the Greeks" (1 Corinthians 1:23), and His disciples were not promised comfort, pleasure, and riches, but trials and tribulations, pain and suffering, scourging and death.
During the first three centuries, the Church boasts about eleven million martyrs who fertilized the tree of faith with their martyrs' blood. The martyrs are the most intriguing and most beloved saints of Christianity. Our most popular and beloved saints, with innumerable churches dedicated to their names, are those who died for the faith, like St. George, St. Demetrios, St. Stephen, St. Catherine, St. Barbara, and the forty martyrs of Sevastia, just to mention a few.
The daily reading of the lives of the saints is most beneficial to all Christians, because the saints are those who understood and interpreted the Scriptures correctly. The lives of the saints are the Gospel in action, and the epitome of this love for the Gospel is the desire to die for the one who revealed this Gospel to us, our Lord Jesus Christ. That's why martyrdom has been called the highest gift of the Holy Spirit by Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios, who further teaches that faith alone is inadequate for this endeavor. "Faith alone," which was taught by Luther, will not suffice during times of martyrdom. What is needed rather, is faith that passes through the testing of temptations, and which graduates to true Christian love. So let's not rest on our laurels thinking that we have faith, and that because of our faith we are accomplished Christians.
Years ago, I was verbally attacked by an Orthodox church administrator who claimed, "Mister, I will match my faith to yours any day of the week!" Being a fairly new member of that community, I kept my composure and my silence, but my spirit was troubled. I sensed some delusion on her part, because she participated in the Mysteries of the Church just once or twice a year, and only when the bishop was present. Tragically, this excellent veteran administrative volunteer, after suffering a brief illness, visited some relatives who convinced her to espouse the Uniate faith, and who later gave her a Catholic funeral, prohibiting the involvement of our priests.
Intellectual faith, then, does not make us good or great Christians. So let's not boast about our faithfulness to the Church, our perfect attendance, and our involvement in various church functions. This faith will be useless to us in times of persecution if we don't travel the path from faith to hope, and from hope to love. What kind of love? Certainly not love for our country or even our neighbor, but love for God and more specifically, love for the God-human person of Jesus Christ a love that will throw us into flames, into furnaces, into snake pits the burning love for martyrdom. If our spiritual discipline fails to cultivate this type of love, then perhaps not only is martyrdom out of the question, but our salvation itself may also be uncertain. This loving relationship between the believer and Christ is indispensable. Faith does not promote the "inner mysticism" so much expressed by St. Paul. Love is the way to this mysticism, to the mystical union between man and Christ.
During the Mystical Supper, the disciples partook of the precious Body and Blood of our Lord. They became one with Him. This is the ultimate union the only new thing under the sun where man unites himself with his Creator in a mystical union of love. St. Paul's flaming love gives us the underlying anthem of this mystical love in Romans 8:31, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or distress?"
This mouth of Christ continues, "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ." Here, "height" refers to wealth, positions, medals and glory, some of the most common methods used by almost all persecutors to persuade the martyrs to deny Christ. , And depth refers to extreme defamation and public humiliation. Would height or depth separate the martyrs from the love of Christ? -- Invariably not.
Faith is a presupposition of this love; we start with faith. We believe in the promises of our Lord, and we hope to reach that goal, but when we believe, we are not automatically saved. "Faith without works is dead," St. James says. Once we believe, we enter the stadium of virtues. We begin to follow the commandments of God the necessary therapeutic discipline to provide us with the total realignment of our sinful will to the holy will of God. The keeping of the commandments will continue to pedal our entire psychosomatic existence along the path of God. The keeping of the commandments is indispensable in the Christian struggle, because this is the key to the acquisition of the martyrical love beautifully hymned by St. Paul. According to the unlying lips of our Lord, "Who is he who loves me? He who keeps My commandments" (John 14:21)..
The element of martyrdom is always and will always be in the Church. We must point out that martyrs are not just those who die at some point and finish their life in that way. Today, a single parent who sacrifices his life and does not remarry for the well-being of his or her children, the young people who offer their bodies as a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord by maintaining their purity and virginity, the spouse who patiently endures an unfaithful husband or wife, the mother who risks her marriage by refusing the wishes of her husband who may want an abortion all these things are great examples of Christian martyrdom. The Church will always have this element of martyrdom among strong and faithful Christians.
According to St. Cyril of Jerusalem, some of the greatest martyrs will be at the end times. He states in his catechisms, "Who will be these fortunate people? Who will be these Christians who will have an opportunity to confess and martyr during the years of the Antichrist? I say that they will be the greatest of all martyrs!" St Cyril exclaims. The martyrs of the past fought with the servants of Satan--the emperors, governors, presidents, etc.who enacted the persecutions against Christians; but the martyrs of the last days will fight against Satan himself.
In the twentieth paragraph of his sixteenth catechism on the Holy Spirit, St. Cyril continues to give us great insight about the main constituent, if you will, in Christian martyrdom. He holds that martyrdom is completed by the Holy Spirit. As we know, millions of Christians were tortured, persecuted unjustly, subjected to untold tortures, thrown in fire, faced with wild beasts, and sunk to the bottom of the sea. St. Polycarp was placed in flames and St. Ignatius was fed to the lions. Often the martyrs were placed in sacks, tied to stones that ended up on the ocean floor. On certain occasions vipers and poisonous snakes were included in the sacks along with them!
How do these people,normal in every respect,persevere in these horrible tortures that we can hardly imagine? According to St. Cyril , during these trials, the Holy Spirit comes and whispers to the ear of the martyrs.. The Holy Spirit whispers, "Wait on the Lord, man, await the Lord! Your ordeal is temporary and minor! The heavenly glory is immense! You will suffer for a short period of time, but you will be forever with the angels! For I reckon that the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." According to the forty martyrs of Sevastia, whose martyrdom we will include in this booklet, "The winter is harsh, but the paradise is sweet." If we were to place the sufferings of this age or the tortures of martyrdom on a weighing scale, the sufferings are nothing compared to the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is eternal.
The Holy Spirit whispers in the ears of the soul of the athlete, according to St. Cyril. When the athlete receives this revelation from the Holy Spirit, he becomes galvanized. The athlete receives inner information. He is reminded of scriptural verses, etc. The Holy Spirit then comes and describes, the Kingdom of God to the athlete. It is well known that the Holy Spirit does not reveal celestial images, images of the Kingdom of God to the Christian, until the soldier of Christ chooses by his own will and his own disposition to go through martyrdom, and often not until the martyrdom itself begins and the tortures are in progress. This shows that the man has chosen the way of martyrdom on his ownAfter martyrdom becomes humanly unbearable however, the Holy Spirit overshadows the martyr by giving him a taste of the Kingdom of God. This action of the Holy Spirit can be seen in the martyrdoms of all our great martyrs, all through the centuries, from protomartyr Stephen all the way through the last neomartyrs during Turkish occupation.
The martyrdom of St. George the New, the neomartyr from Ioannina in northwestern Greece, in 1838 AD, was stereotypical in those lands at that time. Many young men,for different reasons, or because of immaturity,were convinced at some point to change their faith and become Muslims. Later on, when the Holy Spirit whispered to them, they almost always renounced the faith of the false prophet, and they confessed the faith of Christ in front of the Muslim rulers, which always guaranteed death. St. George was instructed by other faithful to leave, to escape that region, because the rest of Greece was then free, but he decided to stay and confess the truth of Christ and expose the falsehood of Mohammed in front of the Islamic Muslim rulers.
Inside the jails, the other captives witnessed the presence of a peculiar light around the martyr all through the night. St. George the New of Ioannina received the energy of the uncreated light, which is the light of the Kingdom of God. This is what the Kingdom of God is all about, it is the light of Christ. Christ allows, or grants, to His creation to have what He has, which is the uncreated light, the divine glory. Christ is the Kingdom of God the uncreated energy of God is the Kingdom of God. As citizens of paradise we will participate in this divine glory, which is the uncreated light of Christ. God visits His saints and gives them a taste of the Kingdom of God, of the incomprehensible mysteries of God, and once the martyrs have this experience they cannot turn back.
Let's listen to St. Ignatius, who begs the Christians not to hold him back, and he states that "If the lions don't want to eat my flesh, I will compel them to!" The martyr gives it all, he can't wait, he cannot hold back his joy, and he rushes to cross over to the other side. This is the cause of the joy of the martyrs they tasted the Kingdom of God.
St. Stephen the protomartyr confessed Christ to the Sanhedrin. He offered an outstanding apology to his countrymen, beginning from the Old Testament, from the Patriarchs, their adventures all through Egypt, the birth of Moses, the leadership of Joshua, and the kingdom of David. At some point, young Stephen is overcome by the zeal of Elijah, and he goes on the offensive. "You stubborn people! You are just like your fathers! Is there a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him!" (Acts chapter 7). When they heard these things, they felt their heart ripped by a handsaw. They gnashed at him with their teeth.
Stephen could have been somewhat more diplomatic. St. Paul met many times with the Sanhedrin. He spoke in the synagogues, and many times he walked away from the synagogues because it was not time for him to end his life. But Stephen charged! He went on the offensive, and the Holy Spirit rushed into Stephen. The Holy Scripture states that Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He saw heaven. He saw the Kingdom of God. He saw the glory of God Christ in the uncreated light. So Stephen was invincible at this point. He was unstoppable once he saw the Kingdom of God. He tasted the Kingdom of God and he charged ahead.
At the initial states of the martyrdom, the opportunity is given to man to choose his journey. He has the choice to say yes or no. The free will of man is not violated. Are you a Christian? A simple "no," and the trouble would be over. The response must be confessed by the martyr by his or her own free will. He needs to show his faith and love. After this confession takes place, the martyrdom begins, and when it begins to become unbearable, the Holy Spirit intervenes dynamically. He shows paradise to the martyrs. They have their faces turned towards the persecutions, but by the power of the Spirit they are at the same time in paradise spitting upon their imminent trials and tortures.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem continues in his sixteenth catechism, "Do you want proof that the martyrs are led to martyrdom by the Holy Spirit? The Lord tells His disciples, 'Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say'"(Luke 12:11-12).
Glancing through the martyrologia,the lives of the martyrs all through the centuries,from the early centuriesall the way through the neomartyrs after the fall of Constantinople, we will find a standard response to the various courts whether Roman or Muslim: "Christiano eima." "I am a Christian." This phrase was repeated over and over again when the martyr was offered wealth, positions and honor to change his faith or to sacrifice to idols.
This was usually the extent of the missionary work of Mohammed, who spread his faith by the sword: "If you become a Muslim, you get to keep your head." Well, hundreds of thousands of neomartyrs decided not to keep their heads, and they put to shame this demonic missionary work of Mohammedanism.
Neomartyr Michael Paknanas was less than twenty years old, and he worked as a gardener in Athens in the 1800s. The Turks, who enslaved Greece at the time, were trying to convince him to become a Muslim. When flattery and wealth failed to persuade him, they put to use some of their more convincing standard missionary work by torturing the teenager. When all the tortures proved to be futile, the executioner was preparing to behead the young man, but at the same time he was feeling some compassion for him. So he began cutting his neck slowly with the sword by administering very light blows, while asking the martyr to reconsider. The martyr's response? "I told you, I am a Christian. I refuse to become a Muslim." The ax-man strikes with another light blow to make some more blood flow, to possibly convince him. The martyr repeats, "I told you, I am a Christian. Strike with all your might, for the faith of Christ." This totally aggravated the executioner. He did exactly that, and St. Michael was sent to the heavenly mansions.
Who taught these very simple but profound words to the teenage martyr? Who else but the Holy Spirit? "Strike with all your might, for the faith of Christ," was the most elegantand apropos response, superior to all the rhetorical abilities of Demosthenes, Socrates and Plato put together, and all the words of the greatest preachers. This most eloquent rhetoric is the work of the Holy Spirit. The confessors and the martyrs make up the spinal cord of our Church. The blood of the martyrs is the greatest proof that Christ is not an idea. Christ did not come to bring us a book. Christ is real.
Only a few weeks ago, while traveling in Texas, we noticed an announcement on CNN news. "Judge in Italy charges Catholic priest with fraud for stating that Jesus Christ existed." So at these perilous timeswhen not only the divinity of Christ is being denied and doubted, but the very existence of Jesus Christ is being questioned by the atheistic human beings who have the spirit of the Antichrist,, the lives of the martyrs are extremely important to all Orthodox Christians who want to keep the Holy Spirit aflame and ablaze in their lives. In the pages that follow, we will present four, very inspiring, stereotyped martyrdoms. Two are from the Roman persecution of Christianity, and another two from the Ottoman Empire (now reduced to today's modern Turkey). The first two are group martyrdoms: the deacon Ammoun with the forty virgin martyrs of Thrace, located in northern Greece, and the forty martyrs of Sevastia. From the neomartyrs, we will translate the martyrologion of St. Niketas, 1732, and the martyrologion of St. Chryse, 1795.
The Forty Virgin Martyrs and Their Deacon Ammoun
One of the prophesies about the life of virginity,very prevalent in the New Testament,can be found in the 44th Psalm of David. There, Prophet David sees his distant, precious daughter,the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary,and prophesies: "Virgins shall be brought to the king after her. With joy and gladness they will be led to the temple of the king." The life of the Theotokos, the Birthgiver of God, as a model and fortress of the virgins, propelled many souls to devote themselves to Christ totally.
The Holy Spirit in the epistles of St. Paul, especially in the beginning of 1 Corinthians, exalts the state of virginity: "Now concerning the things which you wrote to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman." In verse eight, St. Paul continues, "But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am," meaning celibate. A few verses down (v. 32) St. Paul says, "But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares for the things of the world how he may please his wife, or husband."So according to these verses of St. Paul, it is very clear that virginity and celibacy is more conducive to a higher spirituality. This is not to say that holiness cannot be reached within marriage that is also very, very possible. However, the great life of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Ever-Virgin, and the grace given to us in the New Testament and these great verses of St. Paul, spark a great love in Christians for a life of virginity and total devotion to the Lord.
Many young women lived in the homes of their parents. Just like the daughters of the deacon Philip, they lived a life of virginity, prayer, and devotion to the early Church. Although we did not have organized monasticism before the fourth century, all the elements of the ascetical or monastic lifestyle flourished in the life of the Church, and added to the Mother Church millions of martyrs.
On the first day of September, which marks the opening of our ecclesiastical year, the Church opens its golden pages of martyrdom by celebrating the resolve of the forty women virgin ascetic martyrs who put to shame the torture mechanisms of Licinius. The forty women virgin martyrs lived in Adrianoupolis of Thrace, in northeast Greece, and they were disciples of Deacon Ammoun. During that time, around 305 AD, the emperor of the eastern region of the Roman Empire was Licinius, a dreadful persecutor of Christianity. Licinius had instituted a decree for the annihilation of all Christians who refused to sacrifice to idols. The decree of this bloodthirsty tyrant soon reached all cities, towns, and villages.Christians were slaughtered like lambs, refusing to submit to his soul-destroying promises and choosing rather to die for the love of their heavenly bridegroom.
During these horrible years, the forty virgin martyrs were apprehended and put to the test along with their deacon Ammoun. The names of these glorious Christian women are as follows: Adamantine, Athena, Akrive, Antigone, Arivea, Aspasia, Aphrodite, Dione, Dodone, Elpinike, Erasmia, Erato, Ermeneia, Evterpe, Thaleia, Theanoe, Theano, Theonymphe, Theophane, Kalliroe, Kalliste, Kleio, Kleonike, Kleopatra, Koralia, Lambro, Margarita, Marianthe, Melpomene, Moscho, Ourania, Pandora, Penelope, Polymnia, Polynike, Sapfo, Terpsichore, Troada, Haido, and Harikleia.
By their daily ascetic struggles, by their prayers, vigils, and fasting, the seed of faith rooted, sprouted, and blossomed in the fertile ground of the virgins' souls. Steadfast faith, precise keeping of Christ's commandments, and obedience to their pious spiritual father Ammoun, made them as pure as lilies. This purity invites and hosts the two theological virtues of humility and love, which further house the Trinity in the Christian heart.
The intimidations, threats, and tortures did not sway the virgins. The idolater archon Varos of Adrianoupolis did not sway the unshakable faith of this holy team of virgin martyrs. They united their godly prayers, and immediately and miraculously the priest of the idols was airborne. He remained suspended and hung in midair, thus punished for many, many hours, and finally he landed on the ground and breathed his last.
Deacon Ammoun was hanged, and had his ribcage opened with knives. After this, a red-hot iron helmet was placed on his head. The above tortures caused no apparent harm to this athlete of Christ, so he was transported to Heraklea of Thrace, to the tyrant Licinius, along with the holy virgins. Licinius ordered to have ten of the virgin martyrs burned by fire, and another eight beheaded, along with deacon Ammoun. Another ten were put to death by the sword, being struck in the mouth or in the heart, thus giving up their spirit. Of those remaining, six were martyred by being forced to swallow sizzling hot iron marbles, and the last six were cut to pieces by knives.
Dismissal hymn of the martyrs, Plagal First tone:
O athletes of Christ, come and participate,
And the forty maidens, along with pious Ammoun,
Exalt with glorious festivities,
For they fought the great fight,
And by their ascesis in Christ,
Were made powerful and radiant.
Intercede to the Lord,
For the salvation of our souls.
The forty martyred women and the martyr Ammoun exercised their faith, hope, and love toward Christ in an amazing way. They proved to the world that the Christian Gospel is not some ideology, but the source of life and power. They proved indefatigably that the Church of Christ is a divine creation. The fools for Christ defeated the wise.The weak defeated the mighty.. The words of St. John the Chrysostom find their full justification through the centuries: "The Church, under persecution, scores victories. When insulted, it becomes even more radiant. It receives injuries, but it does not succumb to the wounds. It sails through rough seas, but it does not sink. It fights, but it is never defeated. O man, there is nothing more powerful than the Church."
With the unshakable and steadfast faith in the Resurrected Savior, the forty virgin martyrs did not simply show patience and perseverance through these various tortures. They didn't simply display boldness and heroism, but a characteristic element of Christian martyrdom the presence of joy, a joy quite inexplicable to the idolaters, and the cause of many conversions. Curious bystanders were often the eyewitnesses of a great marvel and profound mysteryPeople heavily injured dismembered, severely beaten, hanging on a cross (or about to be hung), engulfed by flames were full of joy. Instead of mourning,weeping and chest-beating, they were glorifying God. The day of martyrdom was a day of joy. They were rejoicing because they were deemed worthy to confess Christ, the cause of all joy. They irrigated the tree of the Church with their blood. There is no greater sermon, there is no better way to show to the unbelievers and idolaters that Christ is the true God. The blood of one martyr would bring in dozens of new believers to the Church often thousands.
Eusebius, the early church historian, informs us, "They didn't seem to worry when faced with persecution and all kinds of tortures, but they displayed fearless boldness through their faith in the God of all, and they welcomed their final decision of death with joy and laughter and great rejoicing. Therefore they chanted hymns and offered thanksgiving to the God of all, up until their last breath" (Ecclesiastical History, Volume 8, 9:5).
Stichera Prosomia of Vespers, Fourth Tone:
Let us all hymn Deacon Ammoun, Athena and Antigone,
Elpinike, Moscho, Haido, Harikleia,
With Pandora, Lambro, Kalliste,
Troada, and Dodone, Erasmia, Erato, Kleonike and Thaleia,
Marianthe, Evterpe, Arivea,
Akrive with Aspasia, let us praise with joyous songs.


Winston Salem, NC - Post Abortive Bible Study meets on Sunday afternoons at Not Forgotten Ministries at 2:00pm. The group meets for 10 consecutive weeks.
Jamestown, NC - Post Abortive Bible Study meets on Monday evenings at Life Community at 6:00pm. The group meets for 9 consecutive weeks. (4900 W. Wendover Ave, Jamestown, NC)
Virtual Post Abortive Bible Study is all online. Once you register for this group, participation instructions will be emailed to you. The study will last 10 weeks.


DAILY Photo by John Godbey|
Joyce Ceci, director of the Committee on Church Cooperation, fills bags from the food pantry. She and assistant director Carol Bolding say that having more church representatives is important in helping needy Morgan County families.
CCC asking churches: Please help
By Melanie B. Smith
DAILY Religion Writer
email@example.com · 340-2468
The idea is to make good better.
The Committee on Church Cooperation has a long heritage of helping people in need. The staff and volunteers have done that with the aid of churches, individuals and organizations, workers said.
So far this year, the CCC has assisted more than 1,500 people with food, clothing, gasoline and other emergency needs. Just in March, it helped 289 families, 47 of them new clients.
The CCC wants more supporters to help carry on the work.
"We want more participating, active members attending the meetings and being the liaison to their churches," said Carol Bolding, assistant director.
Many churches have members looking for ways to serve or do mission work, and the CCC offers an excellent opportunity to get them involved locally, she said.
The organization gets support from about 65 churches in Morgan County. However, only 12 to 15 have liaisons that attend board meetings, Bolding said.
Need is enormous
Help from the participating churches is great, but the need in the community is enormous, she said. The CCC assists people all over Morgan County.
The CCC board mailed letters to 165 churches this week, asking for representatives, Bolding said. The next board meeting is at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, 1211 Westmeade St. S.W., on May 8 at 7 p.m.
"We hope churches will send at least one representative and find out what we do in the community. They can find out how they can help us and how we can help them," she said.
One of the purposes of the CCC is to serve as a clearinghouse. Bolding said that sometimes church benevolence gets abused. The CCC keeps records that help determine who really needs help and who is freeloading.
"We can take some of the burden off churches," she said.
In addition to providing food and clothes, the CCC helps people starting over after a fire, students needing school supplies and the sick who can't afford medicine. The CCC pays $3,000 to $5,000 a month in "stopgap" help to fill blood pressure, diabetic and antibiotic prescriptions, according to Bolding.
It also helps families at Christmas. This year, 522 children got toys through CCC sponsors or the CCC Toy Closet.
The organization's budget this year is $183,000. Some of the money comes from fundraisers, like the thrift sales that last year raised $38,000 for the prescription aid program. A golf tournament later this year is another important fundraiser, Bolding said.
Anyone wanting more information or to be added to the newsletter mailing list may call the CCC at 355-8893. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 to 11:45 a.m. and 1 to 3:45 p.m.
Bolding said that speakers also are available to go to congregations, classes or other groups to tell about the CCC's work.
The CCC office is at 119 First Ave. N.E.
The Committee on Church Cooperation's 33rd Easter Sunrise service will be Sunday morning at 7 at the Point Mallard Prayer Chapel.
The Rev. Orville Collins will speak. Carol Bolding of the CCC and Mayor Don Kyle will sing.
An offering will go to support the CCC.
Subscribe for only 33¢ a day!


The first day of Advent and the beginning of the countdown to Christmas Day is tomorrow. This year Sunday falls upon the first Sunday nearest to the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle. This year both the feast and the first day of Advent fall upon the same date, the 30th of November.
Traditionally, Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord, both in His birth 2000 years ago and in the end of the world. We prepare our souls for that day when we stand before Him, and for death. So, fasting, prayer and confession is what this season is about. The celebrations are supposed to wait until Christmas Eve.
With that in mind, tomorrow is the day we make our plum puddings. But we don't eat them, we leave them to age. They can then be eaten at Christmas. Remember, this is the start of the fasting season - useful for those who need to go on a diet, and for those who need to work on their will power.
On the first Sunday of Advent, the traditional opening prayer (or Collect) of the Mass prays: "Stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, and come." We begin our Advent journey to Christ's birthday, and the Church joins in its prayer begging Christ to come, to hurry and do not delay.
With this request to God to "stir up" His might, this day was traditionally called Stir-Up Sunday. Many families create a traditional plum pudding or fruit cake or some other recipe that all the family and guests can "stir-up." This activity of stirring-up the ingredients symbolizes our hearts that must be stirred in preparation for Christ's birth.
The batter needs to be mixed up well, and everyone in the family and guests should give a good stir. Plum pudding are a classic Christmas dessert, as we recall Bob Cratchit's Christmas dinner in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Plum puddings are similar to fruitcake, except they are more like a rich, dense spice cake. The pudding contains many candied fruits, lemon and orange peels, raisins and currants. After stirring up the pudding, it is then steamed this day, but not consumed until Christmas. Waiting until Christmas day gives the "aging" so the full flavor will be experienced. Serve with the delicious plum pudding sauce over the top.
For fun, add tokens into the stirred batter before steaming. Each token has significance for the finder. Insert items like a coin (wealth in the new year), silver charms in shape of a button (person will be bachelor for another year), a thimble (spinsterhood for another year), a horseshoe (good luck), a ring (marriage in the upcoming year) and so on. These items can also be wrapped in aluminum foil so they will be easier to find when eating the pudding.
Related Link: Stir-Up Sunday - First Sunday in Advent ~ Catholic Culture
Advent ~ Catholic Encyclopaedia


I don’t go to church, but I pray. I don’t feel you have to belong to an organized religion to talk to God (or what ever you call her). I believe there is a God, something/one beyond us who watches over us and guides us on the path we need to take in this life time. So I pray. I don’t do it in a church, or on my knees next to my bed, nor do I hold rosary beads like my grandma did and chant the Hail Mary or the other prayers. I talk to God in the car, in the shower, on my walk to work, on my runs, and very often when my sister is driving.
I pray for good weather, safe travels, and happy days for myself, family and friends
I pray for the strength and patience to get through challenging days
I pray my sister never has kidney stones ever again
I pray for my mom, in hopes the hole left from my grandma will heal from the love of all of us still here
I pray for my dad, that he takes advantage of the second chance he was given by surviving colon cancer
I pray for the strength and sanity of both my stepdad and my stepmom – for I know what it is like to live with my parents
I pray for my aunt, that she finds success and stability in her growing business
I pray for my nieces and nephew, that they grow up to be happy and healthy people
I pray for LH, that she finds her happily ever after in what ever form it may take
I pray for Jobin, that opportunity will knock and recognize her amazing talents
I pray for Cuff Turtle, that she stays a healthy, happy turtle
I pray for the expectant mothers, that their babies grow strong and arrive healthy with 10 fingers and toes
This week, I am praying for Cousin Zibby. I pray her mom’s suffering ends, finding peace. I pray Zibby finds her own peace and understanding during this difficult time.
I pray we all learn a little something from everything that happens to us during our time here.
- Pray from the Heart (deaconjohnspace.wordpress.com)
- “I Will Pray For You” (kevinkellyohio.wordpress.com)


Chorzów Stary is the oldest part of my hometown. Supposedly it’s roots date back to the 13th century, when it was first mentioned as a village established by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem – a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. There isn’t much left from that distant past. Most of the buildings have been erected in the 19th century, and quite frankly haven’t been well maintained ever since. It’s been a cloudy day today, but I think the weather suits this dark and rather dirty district very well.


Divine Fire Schools was founded September 2014 by Bishop Dr. Michael Emuobonuvirie Utoro (Proprietor). He has this dream of setting up a private institution long before this year and by the grace of God, it came to pass.
The School started with a population of 216 for the first academic session (2014/2015). The following were the few classes the school had; Pre-Nursery, Nursery 1, 2, 3, 4, Basic 1 to 5 and JSS1 and JSS2. But today the school has grown. The classes in the secondary school have grown from just JSS1 and JSS2 to SSS1 to SSS3.


lunes, 21 de abril de 2014
23 April: S. George's Day
In Aragón, April 23 is our Autonomous Community's Day because St. George is Aragón's patron saint. It is a bank holiday so we are off from school. But who was St. George and what does the legend say?
Where can you find St. George's cross? Read an find out
Here you have a comic depicting very briefly the legend of S.George and the dragon.
Create a Copy |


Read: Nehemiah 2:11–18 | Bible in a Year: Exodus 23–24; Matthew 20:1–16 When Edward Klee returned to Berlin after being away for many years, the city he remembered and loved was no longer there. It had changed dramatically, and so had he. Writing in Hemispheres magazine, Klee said, “Returning to a city you once loved…more
We serve a God who loves us more than our work. Oh, it’s true that God wants us to work to feed our families and to responsibly take care of the world He created. And He expects us to serve the weak, hungry, naked, thirsty, and broken people around us even as we remain alert…more
We continue to pray for the church's health
Praise the Lord God Still answers prayer.


Florida Bible Church
Church TV Commercials
This was a labor of love for us, we love to do meaningful work that will positively touch the masses. We have been producing church TV commercials for some time now, and this project was one that had been in the making for some time. The Pastoral staff of this church reached out to us with hopes that we could help them break into TV advertising for their church. They had a specific message that they were interested in highlighting, and a certain way they wanted to get the message across. We met with the elders of the church to discuss concept, and the look and feel for the spot and the market for the church TV ad. We discussed possible filming dates, and who would be highlighted in the 30 second church commercial. Once pre production was complete, we prepared for production. Producing a TV commercial for church, is quite different than many different industries. After all you are imposing on the space of many people during a very sacred time. Keeping this in mind, we try to be as invisible as possible during the production process. While filming the worship service, and communion we were able to float around the congregation with a steady cam, this enabled us to get great shots, while seamlessly moving through the sanctuary. during the sermon, many of the church members didn’t even notice our presence, as they were listening intently to the pastor. The deacons allowed us to move about the auditorium without any obstacles. Once we finished filming this 30 second church commercial, the pastor expressed interest in doing television advertising for the church as well. We were able to set them up with a very effective TV campaign in their local area, which proved to be very successful for them.


Easter Dresses | Easter 2009
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Easter is comimg !!!
Question: When Is Easter 2009?
Easter, the greatest holiday in the Christian calendar,celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What is the date of Easter 2009?
Answer: Easter Sunday falls on April 12, 2009.
Easter is coming !!
Easter dresses for Beautiful girl and trendy dresses for girls sizes newborn to 18.5 here !
|Easter in the United States:Easter, a holiday that is celebrated to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is observed on these dates:|
|Sunday, April 8th|
|Sunday, March 23rd|
|Sunday, April 12th|
|Sunday, April 4th|
|In Canada:Easter Monday is celebrated on the following|
|Monday, April 9th|
|Monday, March 24th|
|Monday, April 13th|
|Monday, April 5th|


We’d love to worship with you on a Sunday morning. We’re located at 321 S Lakeside Dr, Fergus Falls, MN 56537. We are the Church on Lake Alice. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at (218) 736-6736 or send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.org
9-10 am Adult Sunday School
10:30 am Worship
‘Coffee Hour’, with tasty treats and great conversation, happens at 11:30 am each Sunday, immediately following Worship. Join us!
We’d love to see you outside of services. To learn more about upcoming opportunities, click here to get to our events page.


Designs With A Christmas ThemeBook - 1998
Enjoy the inspiration of cross-stitch projects that draw on Bible themes. Some echo the glory of cathedral stained glass and Old Masters; others draw upon Early American samplers that taught children both their ABCs and their manners. Imaginative Christmas designs feature The Road To Bethlehem, Mary and the Christ-Child, and the Nativity. Other themes from the life of Christ include Jesus and the Children, The Last Supper, and The Lion and the Lamb. A heavenly host of angels also appear, including adorable Puppy, Squirrel, Bear, Bunny, and Kitten angels. A Family Tree, a Little Red Church, and Noah's Ark add to the variety -- 32 in all.
Publisher: New York : Sterling, 1998.
Characteristics: 128 p. :,col. ill. ;,28 cm.


He admitted he ejaculated during the act but withdrew his manhood and should not be held liable for any wrongdoing.
A Ghanaian man has made a startling confession while on a live radio program after his wife accused him of defilling his step-daughter. The man, who denied defilling his step-daughter said he never penetrated the girl but merely brushed the entrance or ‘tip’ of her private part.
The accused stated this while appearing on Kumasi-based radio Nhyira FM after he was dragged to the station by his wife who leveled the allegation against him. He admitted he ejaculated during the act but withdrew his manhood and should not be held liable for any wrongdoing.
“When I discovered who he really was, I contacted his family and because of this, he got mad at me and put up my vital information on the internet, calling me a rapist”.
An American woman, Ann (other names withheld), has accused her estranged husband, Mr. Obinna Ezenwa (Egbueriaku), a former President of Students Union Government, SUG, of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, in 2015, and others of defrauding her of about $50,000 (about N20 million in today’s exchange rate).
According to Vanguard, others mentioned in the alleged romance scam included Vivian Ezechukwu Ginika, who would later marry Ezenwa, and Collins Anthony Obiegbule.
The young men were seen saying there’s nothing he will preach as they will keep “popping” and one of them also mentioned “scam.”
Some young Nigerian boys have reacted to Pastor David Ibiyeomie of Salvation Ministries, Port Harcourt, who said that yahoo boys will have accidents with cars they buy with money gotten from online fraud.
It was earlier reported that the Port Harcourt-based clergyman laid a curse on internet fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo boys and police officers who work with them.
A 70-year-old elder in the church pleaded with them to leave him.
Pastor of a Celestial Church of Christ, Adewunmi Awotidoye, has been hospitalised after armed thugs invaded the church in the Jakande area of Lagos State. The thugs, who were armed with guns and machetes, were said to have stormed the church on motorcycles during a service, beat up the cleric and also cut him with a machete.
Men of the Rivers State Police Command and other security operatives have uncovered an illegal mortuary where bodies of kidnap victims are reportedly kept inside the Elele-Alimini General Hospital in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the hospital, where the ‘illegal’ mortuary is located have been abandoned for years.
Highlighting why transformational leadership is critical to national life, the Vice President noted that it would spur positive changes across all sectors and spheres of society.
Nigeria’s vice president, Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed that the pursuit of the common good requires a collective condemnation and exposure of corruption and corrupt practices, which he termed cancer to the country.
Osinbajo also stated that only leaders inspired by a higher purpose other than their profit could bring about national transformation.
This was stated on Friday by Osinbajo at the 1st Annual General Assembly of Catholics in Politics and Catholic Business Leaders themed ‘The Advancement of the Common Good towards Justice, Unity, Structure and Development of Nigeria’ in Abuja.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement he signed late Friday titled ‘Only leaders inspired by higher purpose, not personal profit, can bring about national transformation-Osinbajo.’
The Vice President who described corruption as a “cancer” noted that “the cancer in governments anywhere is corruption. When public officials, be they high or low in the executive, legislature or judiciary, are toll gates for the extortion of the populace while seeking government dispensations, the common good, happy and prosperous lives for the people is impossible.”
He added that the pursuit of the common good must “involve a relentless pursuit of integrity and transparency of public officers, we must think through the systems that will reduce human discretion in public-facing institutions. So we must, as a collective, condemn and call out corruption and corrupt practises.”
Osinbajo also encouraged Nigerians not to despair, despite some of the challenges, but to have hope and belief in the promise of a great nation while urging that Nigerians must be willing to pay the price to achieve national greatness by actively pursuing the common good of all, regardless of tribal and religious differences.
He also posited that transformational leadership, particularly in a multi-ethnic and multi-faceted country like Nigeria, is needed across all levels of government and spheres of society. Its primary focus is the pursuit of the common good to ensure fairness, justice, unity and development in a nation. Highlighting why transformational leadership is critical to national life, the Vice President noted that it would spur positive changes across all sectors and spheres of society. He added that as a leadership model, transformational leadership operates by serving and uplifting others because it is servant leadership.
“The purpose of power is service, not domination; it is to uplift and empower others rather than to control or oppress. This is a model of leadership that is inseparable from our conception of the common good.
“Transformational leadership is, therefore, the pursuit of the common good. But the pursuit of the common good itself is not as easy as it sounds. This is especially so where the wounds and enmities of ethnic and religious conflicts are deep.
“The common type of leadership will seek the path of relevance and popularity within their own ethnic or religious camps by seeking only the good of their own. The servant-leader will serve his people by emphasising the letter and spirit of the gospel, that even our worst enemies were still made in the image of God. And the pursuit of the common good is the pursuit of the good of those who hate us and have hurt us even in the recent past,” he said.
Osinbajo affirmed that, contrary to opinion in some quarters, the country will not fall because it is being built and needs yet many more people to commit to building the sort of nation that Nigerians want.
“The throes and pangs of birth must not be interpreted as the pains of impending death. We are by the grace of God, more than able to overcome our present difficulties, and we will overcome them,” he added.
In attendance were the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong; Deputy Governors of Osun State, Gboyega Alabi; Akwa Ibom State, Moses Ekpo; Edo State, Philip Shaibu; Prof. Nora Daduut; and Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, who was represented by Raymond Aina.
“We were calling the fire service and they have not responded. See how goods belonging to traders are being destroyed before their eyes.
The PUNCH reports that goods worth millions of naira were destroyed by a late-night fire that occurred at the plaza of the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State on Wednesday. According to an eyewitnesses account, the fire also destroyed shops on the third floor of the three-storey building located near the main market.
Our correspondent gathered that the fire was caused by an electrical fault. One of the traders in the market said the damage had already been done before the arrival of fire responders.
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Welcome to the Cub Scout and Boy Scout Programs at Christ the King Catholic Church
Christ the King Catholic Church sponsors scouting for boys in grades 1 through 12.
Boys in grades 1 through 5 are eligible to join Cub Scouts. The Boy Scout Troop includes young men in 6th through 12th grades.
At Christ the King, young people experience scouting as a growth into personal maturity and social responsibility. They learn to assume their role in life with a high degree of commitment and learn to care for others who are less fortunate. They develop a strong desire to build a culture of goodwill, respect for the environment, and acceptance of duties.
More Information . . .
- MOBS - Mothers of Boy Scouts Contact: Missy Foley
Uniform Exchange Info
Boy Scouts of America
All rights reserved Christ the King Catholic Church 2012
Contact Us . . .
Cub Scouts - Pack 29
(Boys Ages 7-11/Grades 1-5)
Doug Shackelford, Cubmaster
Boy Scouts - Troop 29
(Boys Ages 11-18/Grades 5-12)
Tad Bohannon, Scoutmaster
Christ the King Catholic Church


DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
Ingratitude – Faith: In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ Parable of the Wedding Feast” reminds us of God’s infinite Love that He showers upon every one of us. However, very often we take them for granted. “Do we then put God at the centre of our lives and live in His Love in discerning ways?”
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Matthew 22:1-4a, 5-7a, 8-9, 11, 13a, 14
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables, ‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious.
‘Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding.” When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside.” For many are invited but not all are chosen.’


Easter for Christians consists of a culmination of the 40 days of Lent with a celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. It is the most important period of the Church’s calendar. Our church, a Roman Catholic church in Biggleswade in the UK, celebrated the 3 days of the Triduum in fine style, but here is the simple cross on display after the Resurrection Mass.
In the garden the flowers are blooming. We have mixtures of tulip colours and the medley is very effective in adding glorious colour to the garden.
And finally, here is a sight that pleases me greatly: my wife’s wonderful sourdough bread, with a little taken off to check that it’s still good . . .