Yale PHD candidate offers her take on Armageddon Factor
Marci McDonald's The Armageddon Factor, the book which has set Canada's far left alight, is a mixed bag of fastidious research, misunderstood theology, and rhetoric leeched from politically-motivated works offered in the United States.
So says Yale scholar Molly Worthen, a PHD candidate who is an expert on Evangelical Christianity, and its relationship to politics.
Worthen takes issue with McDonald's treatment of Evangelical Christians. Her book doesn't seem to give them sufficient respect in the sense of being autonomous and thinking human beings.
"McDonald has spent hundreds of hours interviewing evangelicals, but still seems to view them as Christian zombies masked as ordinary citizens, who 'burble' and 'enthuse' rather than merely speak, and whose emotional prayers make them look like 'kung fu masters channelling spiritual vibes,'" Worthen writes. "She reduces their diverse beliefs to two extreme nodes: Christian Reconstructionism, a theocratic vision that seeks 'dominion' over society by reinstating Mosaic law; and dispensationalist premillennialism, a view of the end times in which human history tumbles into chaos until Christ sweeps up believers in the Rapture and fights the final battle of Armageddon."
In fact, McDonald's work suffers from an over-reliance on American works that actively sought to spread panic about the alleged theocratic agenda of George W Bush for political ends.
"Her source notes reveal that her account relies heavily on a handful of books by American journalists who over-simplified Evangelical thought in an effort to galvanize liberals during the George W Bush era," Worthen explains, noting that McDonald fails to give sufficient credence to the diversity of Canadian Evangelical demoninations.
"Some of her subjects may indeed dream of ruling Canada by divine mandate, but she paints all – from Dutch Reformed to Lutheran to Mennonite – with the same theocratic brush, despite the fact that many of these churches have either rejected or severely qualified their views of Christian 'dominion' and the Rapture-centred vision of end times," Worthen continues. "Although most Evangelicals still believe that prophecy has something to do with current events, premillennialism has mellowed significantly in recent years."
While Worthen notes that McDonald has spent a great deal of time researching Evangelical Christianity in Canada, she hasn't spent nearly as much time on the subject as Lloyd Mackey.
Mackey categorizes Canadian Evangelical Christianity into seven cores:
-Mainstream Evangelical Churches.
-Pentecostal Assemblies, who embrace emotion as the core of their worship.
-Evangelical churches of the Charismatic Tradition, who embrace Pentecostal worship techniques within a theological foundation derived from Catholicism.
-Reformed Evangelical churches, who embrace Calvinism.
-Evengelical churches of the Holiness Tradition, who embrace Christian charity via the Social Gospel.
-Ethnic Evangelicals -- Evangelicals who immigrate to Canada from abroad.
-Evangelicals within mainstream Christian churches.
Understanding the amount of theological diversity within Canadian Evangelical Christianity leads to a better understanding of Worthen's criticism of McDonald's work. Though McDonald may treat Evangelical Christianity as monolithic, it's anything but.
By doing this, McDonald commits another error: while she treats the Evangelicals she speaks to as representative of the whole, the choices McDonald has made in which Evangelicals she interviewed for her book further mis-coloured this representation.
"The Evangelicals that McDonald meets occasionally declare their 'biblical worldview' or denounce the myth of neutrality in the public sphere," Worthen writes. "What she takes for the language of Christian Reconstructionism is actually a feature of Reformed cultural theology, a broad tradition that urges Christians to engage in all spheres of life through a unified worldview. To miss this point is fundamentally to misunderstand the intellectual position of many evangelicals."
"They have critiqued secular ideas of objectivity and the exclusion of religion from the public square by suggesting that in this postmodern age – when even atheist philosophers doubt there is just one true understanding of reality – Christian presuppositions are no less valid grounds for a worldview than those of secular rationalism," Worthen notes. "McDonald does not take on this argument, nor give the reader any hint of this broader context."
McDonald also makes the error of mistaking many mundane political activities as exceptional.
"McDonald sees Christian nationalist conspiracy everywhere she looks," Worthen concludes. "Yet much of what she describes sounds merely like politics as usual, which perhaps makes it no less disturbing to some."
Worthen concludes -- quite rightly -- that in a country as characterized by religious tension as Canada has been, Canadians perhaps should be wary of politically-active believers.
"In a country where religious conflict has historically threatened the foundations of Confederation, where political culture is as much buttoned-up and British as it is non-American, and where most view the American zoo of politicized faith as the great exception of the civilized world, Canadian Evangelicals who set their minds on politics do not have to be zealots in order to be disconcerting," Worthen explains.
Clearly, those in a rush to believe The Armageddon Factor to be an exhaustive expose on any danger posed by Evangelical Christianity would be well-advised to curb their enthusiasm.
After all, if Marci McDonald has so clearly misjudged and misunderstood Evangelical Christianity, it's more than reasonable to wonder what kind of errors she's made in her treatment of other denominations.
Other bloggers writing about this topic:
Deborah Gyapong - "More on Marci McDonald's Bigoted anti-Christian Book
Strictly Right - "New Canadian Anti-Christian, Anti-Israel Book
Dean Skoreyko - "Goldstein Challenges Others in the Media to Cover Positive Christian Stories"


Ocean City Maryland: Saint Mary Star-of-the-Sea Catholic Church
"An Ocean City Original"Ocean City, Maryland sprang to life on July 4, 1875 with the grand opening of the Atlantic Hotel, located on the beach between Wicomico and Somerset Streets. The hotel's one hundred twelve rooms lodged about two hundred fifty guests. It stood virtually alone on the beach, the first tentative step toward creating a town that at the time existed mostly in the minds of a small group of investors.
The new seaside resort enjoyed modest success in its first year but business fell off in 1876 as potential visitors opted to attend centennial celebrations in nearby Philadelphia and elsewhere. However, the opening of three new hotels in 1877; the Seaside Hotel, at the corner of Baltimore Avenue and Wicomico Street directly behind the Atlantic, the Ocean House, farther down the beach just below what is now South 1st Street, and the Excursion House, built by the railroad at Worcester Street to accommodate those visiting for the day, brought the crowds back to Ocean City that summer. Nearly three thousand people were reportedly in town for the Fourth of July holiday. Among the new visitors was the Right Reverend Henry C. Lay, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton (Maryland), who preached to audiences in one of the parlors of the Atlantic Hotel, the first organized religious services held in Ocean City. Also visiting that year was Bishop Thomas A. Becker of the Catholic diocese of Wilmington (Delaware), who had traveled to the Atlantic Hotel with several of his colleagues for a religious retreat by the sea.
The John Myers Cottage on the south side of Wicomico Street just off the Boardwalk is pictured above. The first Catholic services in Ocean City were conducted in one of its lower rooms.
Courtesy of Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum
The Catholic clergymen perceived a need during their 1877 visit for a Catholic ministry in the fledgling resort, and Bishop Becker took the lead in getting one underway. He arranged for the use of a room in a cottage rented by John Tracy, the proprietor of the Atlantic Hotel, as a provisional Catholic chapel. The cottage, one of the first erected in town, was situated on a lot at the south corner of Atlantic Avenue and Wicomico Street that was owned by Philadelphian John Myers, a stockholder in the Atlantic Hotel Company (see 1875 plat at the end of this article). The parcel today is the site of Dolle's Candyland and the Cork Bar. It's uncertain whether services were held in the chapel during the 1877 season, but it was functioning in 1878, as related in this report in The Baltimore Sun on August 17:
"The Roman Catholic visitors worship in an adjacent cottage [to the Atlantic Hotel], where, on a rudely constructed altar, mass has been almost daily offered by one or more of the several priests of the archdiocese who have been here this season."
A Catholic Church
Bishop Becker undoubtedly recognized that the tiny one room chapel was only a temporary arrangement, and he began looking for other property on which to construct a more permanent presence. His search culminated in his acquisition of three lots for $100 collectively, evidenced in the Worcester County land records by a deed dated May 25, 1878. The three lots (numbers 55, 73 and 74) formed a contiguous L-shaped parcel on the southwest corner of Baltimore Avenue and Talbot Street (see plat). Bishop Becker pressed ahead with his plans for erecting a suitable place for Catholic worship on the Ocean City beach. The Sun report from August 17, 1878 continues with this update on his progress:
"Bishop Becker, has selected a site for a chapel and residence adjoining. Mr. John Stack, the well-known Baltimore builder, is here [Ocean City] in this connection, and has with him the plan of the structure to be submitted to the bishop. The building will commence without delay, and will do credit to the architectural efforts of this place. The site is on the beach facing the wild ocean waters and adjacent to the Seaside and Atlantic Hotels."
The report goes on to provide these precise details of the planned structure:
Mr. John Stack, Jr., of Baltimore, is the architect, and his plan shows a handsome chapel, in style purely gothic, but flattened to suit the climate and location. The chapel proper is 36 by 26 feet, and 22 feet high in the clear, with organ gallery, sanctuary 16 by 18 feet, and sacristy 12 by 16 feet. The floor is raised above the sand surface five feet on piles. A vestibule 6 by 10 feet forms the main entrance. The church is lighted by a large double gothic window, with quarterfoil [sic] or rose centre, overlooking the gallery, and on each side four windows 3 by 9 feet, and still two smaller windows, one on each side of the vestibule. Projecting gables and a neat gothic cross will ornament the edifice. The sanctuary, octagonal in shape, will connect the chapel and episcopal cottage, which, in design, is also gothic, but somewhat flatter than the church. The church windows are to be of stained glass of neat design, some of them to be introduced by leading Catholics visiting here."
Bishop Becker now had the land and a blueprint for a new Catholic church; the only thing he lacked was funding for construction. That step, as might be expected, proved to be the most difficult. A Sun reporter offered this assessment on July 21, 1879:
"It had been proposed to build a Catholic chapel here [Ocean City] this season, but the project will hardly be carried out so soon. Bishop Becker, of Wilmington, and a number of Maryland and Delaware priests, who were here last season, gave impetus to the movement. Mr. Charles G. Nicholson, of Baltimore, started a subscription. At the services today [July 20] it was announced that Bishop Becker had purchased the site for a chapel, and the subscriptions were renewed."
Adequate funding was eventually secured and everything was in place to commence work on the new building by May 1880, according to this account in The Sun:
"May 16, 1880 : A Catholic church of handsome pattern will also be built of wood, 48 by 29 feet, on ground purchased three years ago by Bishop Becker, of Wilmington, Del. This will be the first church on the site of the new city. It is understood that a contract has been signed and material secured for the building already, and workmen will begin operations towards the close of this month."
Construction was completed by the end of August. Ocean City's first church was christened "St. Mary Star-of-the-Sea", although no reports have been located regarding a dedication ceremony that summer. But a letter written on August 25, 1880 from a visitor in Ocean City to the Springfield Republican in Massachusetts serves as confirmation:
"What is the name of your church?" I asked a lady whom I had observed taking thither most of her brood of eight, both morning and evening. "Star of the Sea," she answered. "Yes," repeated a boy of 13 at her feet, looking up with that smile children use speaking of those they love, "St. Mary, Star of the Sea." Catholics, young or old, never seem to think their church a good place to get away from.
St. Mary Star-of-the-Sea Catholic Church
The growth in the number of parishioners served by St. Mary followed the growth of the town of Ocean City. By 1907, church officials believed it was necessary to expand the little sanctuary in order to accommodate that growth. Bishop John J. Monaghan of the Wilmington diocese, a frequent visitor in Ocean City, took charge of the effort. The renovation program added a new transept, which increased the building's width by sixteen feet, and its length was increased proportionately. A gothic tower was erected on the northeast corner of the church, and a large bell was installed in it "whose sweet and solemn tones can be heard all over the town and for miles around". Bishop Monaghan presided at the dedication ceremony, which took place on August 6, 1908, the Feast of the Transfiguration, and included priests from the Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington D.C. dioceses. St. Mary became a mission church of the newly formed parish of St. Francis de Sales of Salisbury in 1910.
The church never made use of the lot (number 73) that fronted on Dorchester Street, between Baltimore and Philadelphia Avenues. In 1927, the recently incorporated Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company was looking for land on which to build a new station house. On November 25 of that year, Msgr. Edward Dougherty deeded the lot to the town for the use of the Fire Company for the nominal sum of $10. The station house that was erected there in 1928 remains operational today.
Msgr. Eugene Stout oversaw a renovation and expansion of St. Mary in 1939, which doubled its seating capacity. The number of parishioners increased to about one hundred twenty by 1949, adequately served during the off-season at the downtown church by two masses and catechism classes for the children. But the summer season crowds required some seven to nine masses each Sunday, two of which had to be conducted in the auditorium of the Ocean City High School, at the corner of Baltimore Avenue and 3rd Street. Foreseeing the need for a larger facility, Msgr. Stout arranged in 1949 for the Salisbury parish to acquire nine adjacent lots along the west side of Philadelphia Avenue between 17th and 18th Streets from the developer of the new Neptune Development, Sandy Plains, Inc. Construction of a new mission church, which was named Holy Savior, began in 1953, with the cornerstone laying ceremony taking place on August 9. The new church, which was open only during the summer season, held its first services in 1954. Additional adjoining land parcels were donated to the parish by John Hitchens and Daniel Trimper, Jr. in 1956 and by Sandy Plains again in 1966.
Our Lady Star of the Sea parish, comprising the historic church on Talbot Street and its larger mission church on Philadelphia Avenue, was officially established in 1967. Msgr. Stout, who had lobbied the Bishop of the Wilmington diocese for the creation of a new parish for Ocean City, was named its pastor. On January 18, he announced a major expansion plan for Holy Savior, estimated to cost more than $300,000 and to involve more than ten thousand square feet of new construction. The Daily Times (Salisbury) provided this description of the planned improvements:
"Additions will be built on all sides of the present structure. Construction will be of concrete, brick and steel. It will be air-conditioned.
A new feature will be a series of colonnades in front and on the sides of the church building. The present bell tower will be removed. Eventually, plans call for the erection of a spire. But the spire is not included in the present contract."
This photo, from The Daily Times of May 6, 1967 shows the expansion project at Holy Savior (not St. Mary) well under way.
St. Mary held a centennial celebration in 1977 to commemorate the opening of the first Catholic chapel in Ocean City by Bishop Becker. The celebration also marked the culmination of a restoration project at the old church that had been led by the pastor, Rev. Stephen Connell.
Bishop Becker's vestments and chalice were used at the celebratory Mass. A new facility at Holy Savior that opened in the spring of 2008 was named the Father Connell Parish Center, in honor of Rev. Connell's service to Ocean City's Catholic community.
St. Mary Star-of-the-Sea and Holy Savior Church are both active today, offering a full Mass schedule and monthly calendar of events, as well as conducting numerous religious and community outreach programs. The vibrant ministry is currently led by Rev. John P. Klevence. It has been a truly remarkable journey from humble beginnings for "An Ocean City Original".
A Few Images From The Past
Above: St. Mary Star-of-the-Sea Catholic Church (right) and residence (left) before the renovation and expansion of 1907 - 1908. Note that there is no bell tower on the right side of the chuch building. This card was mailed from Ocean City to Baltimore on July 23, 1907.
Below: St. Mary as it appeared ca. 1912 (postmarked August 2). The bell tower, added in 1908, was a striking addition to the church. Mass has ended and the handsomely dressed parishioners are presumably heading off for their Sunday dinner.
Above: A 1920s view of the church looking south down Baltimore Avenue, which was a two-way street at the time. "Peg" mailed this card to Mrs. A. Corliss in Baltimore on July 15, 1935.
Below: The church was renovated and expanded in 1939, and the bell tower is now incorporated into the overall design of the building. Mrs. Matthews writes to her daughter Virgo in Baltimore on August 17, 1945:
Make some soup"
Above: Another view from the 1940s (production date: 1941). Mailed from Ocean City to White Hall MD on June 23, 1947: "Glad you
enjoyed yourself at C. P."
Below: St. Mary Star-of-the-Sea Church in the late 1960s (a 1965 Ford Mustang is visible parked on Talbot Street alongside the church). Mailed in 1976.
Above: Holy Savior Catholic Church, Philadelphia Avenue between 17th and 18th Streets, ca. 1957, about three years after its dedication.
Below: The substantially enlarged Holy Savior Church ca. 1975. The spire, not included in the original expansion project of 1967 - 1968, has now been added, replacing the former bell tower.
Original plat of Ocean City: August 31, 1875
Lot 7, site of cottage owned by John B. Myers, a lower room of which was used as a Catholic chapel from 1877 to 1880 (now Dolle's Candyland)
Lots 55, 73 and 74, conveyed to Bishop Becker on May 25, 1878 (lot 73 was deeded to the town on November 25, 1927 for use of Volunteer Fire Company)
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Hmmm, oh Lord please give me the words to speak tonight.
*Authority, where we stand*
Differentiate between dominion, authority and power
*Dominion* is like a place or something that you have rule over, that you are placed in charge of. And usually if you have dominion over something then you have *authority* over that thing and it is also expected that you have *power* over that thing. This is the perfect and ideal situation.
And as a Christian, Christ has given us the dominion and authority and power over every single thing! The sad thing is some of us don’t know this, and we are not walking fully in our inheritance.
All established authority is from God.
In ABBA’s original plan, His heart desire was for man to rule the earth. To have dominion over every single living thing. And He saw this and said it was good.
The enemy is always looking for loopholes because even he is aware that he may be powerful but he does not have the authority over you and Christ has given you even greater power.
He could not take the authority they had so he tricked them into disobeying God and loosing it
Their disobedience led to these curses. These curses definitely does not look like the person has dominion over the earth
*But thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour*
We see that God saw that His beloved creation was living or rather barely surviving in bondage and He planned to deliver us
And thousands of years later still, God did not forget His promise of a saviour and He sent Jesus to be born on the earth.
The kind of authority in Christ is that which can not be taken away from. The authority we have in Christ cannot be taken but I believe we can give it up and I pray that no matter what we will not give our authority up to the enemy in Jesus name Amen!!
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him and here the scripture assures us that He is with us to the very end of the age! I am is with us always!
*When did this exchange of authority happen?*
Because right until before Christ came the enemy had it.
At the cross!! And thereafter.
In this scripture we see how important it is to grow in the knowledge of what Christ did for us on the cross and what it means.
Our debts were cancelled legally. He regained this authority for us legally! Christ died and resurrected victoriously for our freedom.
And also our authority isn’t just against darkness but we also have authority over all things like the elements of nature, circumstances, riches etc


Activities Subcommittee Meeting Change
The Activities Subcommittee will start meeting the 1st Monday of the month from 6-7 pm at the Peace Lutheran Church. 1801 Port Malabar Blvd. Palm Bay, FL 32905
Area Positions That Need To Be Filled.
The Space Coast Area positions needed to fill are: Alt. Treasurer
ASC policy and all qualifications can be found here under SCASC-Guidelines. Area meets the second Sunday of every month at St. Timothy’s Church at 1903 Croton Rd. Melbourne Fl. 32935
New Meeting- R.A.W.
Monday Nights from 6:30-7:30
5300 Babcock St. NE. Palm Bay, FL 32905


It is good to be home but training was absolutely fabulous! We had a two week orientation that covered cultural sensitivities, the role of the Anglican Communion, the purpose of service, and also logistical parts of our service. We had an interfaith day where we visited various houses of worship, including the so called "9/11 Mosque" in NYC and a Buddhist center. We also explored NYC's cultural diversity, my group heading back to my old stomping grounds in the Bronx. We had a day at the Holy Cross Monastery, praying with and learning from the Brothers. We even got to meet the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, an inspiring woman I have long wanted to meet, Katherine Jefferts Schori, whose advice was genuine and inspiring. It was a truly incredible orientation, but what was even better was getting to know the 23 other Young Adult Service Corps members. They are from as far away as Hawaii and are serving everywhere from El Salvador, Honduras, and Cuba to South Africa and Tanzania to South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan in roles from rural agriculture work to nursing assistants to gang reconciliation aids. They are some truly incredible women and men with strong hearts and great passions and I will look forward to sharing in their journeys through their blogs.
The Young Adult Service Corps plus the 4 older adult missionaries at our training!
Our meeting with the Presiding Bishop
The stained glass at the Eldridge Street Synagogue
Also, check out this video Ashely Cameron made of all of this year's YASCers! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-NBnHLUpNI


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Genesis 15 is one of the most misunderstood passages of the Bible. Yet, once you see what God was doing, it can change your life.
Why did God put Abraham to sleep ?.
What was it that went between the slaughtered beast ?.
Why slaughter a beast and cut it in two ?.
What was God doing ?. What was He saying ?.
Was this prophetic of Jesus ?.
How does this covenant apply to me today ?.
How can Jesus call me His friend ?.
This book is now avaialable on Amazon Kindle;
(Also available in other currencies)
You can access kindle on any electronic device. You don’t need to have a kindle device…any PC, phone or iPad can have a kindle app…simply download it for free.


Take Me to Church Lyrics and Meaning – A Christian Analysis and Critique
Out of curiosity I went to YouTube and clicked to hear. Two dudes take a walk smoke a joint and kaboom! I get burned with Perversion. I remember hearing somewhere the demons tempt toward unnatural sins and then boogie even they know how repulsive it is. Arch-ultra fornicatio of musical talent. Spell check is tricky on a phone.
10 Old-Fashioned Swears to Spice up Your Cussin’
H Historicism Popular religion has given several methods of interpreting Bible prophecy, such as futurism and preterism. However, the correct way to understand the prophecies of Scripture is historicism. Indulgences Catholicism teaches that you can be forgiven in advance for your sins—even to this day The Vatican defines an indulgence as “the taking away of the temporal punishment due to sin. According to the Catholic Church, mortal sin is sin only Jesus can pay for.
Link: Root word: Meanings: Origin: Examples and Definitions: a/n: not, without: Greek: abyss – without bottom; achromatic – without color; anhydrous – without water.
Meaning of Lyrics From Songs of the Seventies These are the meanings behind the song lyrics from various songs of the 70s. In particular, we’re looking for songs that aren’t immediately obvious. We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 80s and 90s 0. Sweet dreams and flying machines in peices on the ground represent when his girlfriends plane crashed. Susanna was in sweet dreams and she was in a plane and it sadly crashed.
Steely Dan’s “Everyone’ Gone to the Movies” A song about a guy who shows dirty movies in his den on his own old movie projector to kids. Key Lines “Soon it will be to late.. I know you’re used to 16 or more, sorry we only have 8” That last line is a reference to the size of the film, 16mm or larger would be a pro film
Root Words & Prefixes: Quick Reference
Appearance[ edit ] The Torah introduces Leah by describing her with the phrase, “Leah had tender eyes” Hebrew: According to this story, Leah was destined to marry Jacob’s older twin brother, Esau. In the Rabbinic mind, the two brothers are polar opposites; Jacob being a God-fearing scholar and Esau being a hunter who also indulges in idolatry and adultery. But people were saying, “Laban has two daughters and his sister, Rebekah , has two sons. The older daughter Leah will marry the older son Esau , and the younger daughter Rachel will marry the younger son Jacob.
Thus the Torah describes her eyes as “soft” from weeping.
What does the word “apologetics” mean? The word “apologetics”. is derived from the ancient Greek word apologia, which means, an apology.. Not an apology in the modern sense of the word – which is to say you’re sorry for something. But rather, an apology in the ancient sense of the word – which is to make a reasoned defense of something or someone.
Share The subject is treated under these heads: Duration and Nature V. Succouring the Dead VI. Utility of Prayer for the Departed I. The faith of the Church concerning purgatory is clearly expressed in the Decree of Union drawn up by the Council of Florence Mansi, t. Further than this the definitions of the Church do not go, but the tradition of the Fathers and the Schoolmen must be consulted to explain the teachings of the councils, and to make clear the belief and the practices of the faithful.
Temporal Punishment That temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to govern all things Wisdom God forgave the incredulity of Moses and Aaron, but in punishment kept them from the “land of promise” Numbers In the New Testament as well as in the Old, almsgiving and fasting, and in general penitential acts are the real fruits of repentance Matthew 3: The whole penitential system of the Church testifies that the voluntary assumption of penitential works has always been part of true repentance and the Council of Trent Sess.
God requires satisfaction, and will punish sin, and this doctrine involves as its necessary consequence a belief that the sinner failing to do penance in this life may be punished in another world, and so not be cast off eternally from God. Venial Sins All sins are not equal before God, nor dare anyone assert that the daily faults of human frailty will be punished with the same severity that is meted out to serious violation of God’s law.
Share The word parable Hebrew mashal ; Syrian mathla , Greek parabole signifies in general a comparison, or a parallel, by which one thing is used to illustrate another. It is a likeness taken from the sphere of real, or sensible, or earthly incidents, in order to convey an ideal, or spiritual, or heavenly meaning. As uttering one thing and signifying something else, it is in the nature of a riddle Hebrew khidah , Gr.
Its Greek designation from paraballein to throw beside or against indicates a deliberate “making up” of a story in which some lesson is at once given and concealed. As taking simple or common objects to cast light on ethics and religion, it has been well said of the parable that “truth embodied in a tale shall enter in at lowly doors. The derivation of the Hebrew is unknown.
These are the meanings behind the song lyrics from various songs of the 70s. In particular, we’re looking for songs that aren’t immediately obvious.
Copyright c Shutterstock. No use without permission. Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Tucked between the cold nights of winter and the falling leaves of autumn we have Halloween – a time of celebration and superstition. But where did the spooky day come from and why do we celebrate it? The spookiest time of the year isn’t just a time for kids to dress up and trick or treat. It’s thought Halloween started with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would wear costumes and roam to ward of ghosts, but it’s down to Pope Gregory III’s decree in the eight century that we celebrate it as we do.
Two Minute Apologetics
These are the Declaration Latin: Confessio  and the Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus Latin: Epistola ,  from which come the only generally accepted details of his life. In it, Patrick gives a short account of his life and his mission.
Quakers (or members of the Religious Society of Friends), participate in an “Alternative Christianity.” The Society, which began in , has a Christian background, but many key elements of Quaker doctrine stray from true Christianity, including Quaker approval of .
We are saved by grace and not by our own merit or works Ephesians 2: Therefore Christ increases in our lives whilst we decrease John 3: We are not saved by keeping the law or by our own works. We are saved because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross who paid for all our sins. When a person believes that they can be saved because of their personal merit without Christ or by keeping the law, they are in error.
Salvation is a free gift for the Christian and through Christ alone. People in the world love role models.
Maria Simma: The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory
Ed Broom, OMV An all too common error among many believing Catholics is their attitude toward death and what happens immediately after death. All too many are convinced that their loved ones, immediately after passing from this life to the next, are already in heaven, even though such loved ones did not live an exemplary and holy life. Remember what the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, teaches us: Nonetheless, these statements can cause great damage and the reason is crystal clear!
If this person who has passed into eternity is in a better place, which of course refers to heaven, and if he is no longer suffering because he enjoys the perpetual bliss of heaven, then it is not necessary to offer any prayers or sacrifices for the purification of his soul. In other words, why waste prayers and sacrifices in praying for a soul who is already in heaven?
Number symbolism, cultural associations—including religious, philosophic, and aesthetic—with various numbers. Humanity has had a love-hate relationship with numbers from the earliest times. Bones dating from perhaps 30, years ago show scratch marks that possibly represent the phases of the.
Maria Simma was born on February 2, in Sonntag, Austria. She was the second of eight children. They were humble Catholic country folk who possessed a simple yet very devout faith in God. At around age 7, Maria began felt a strong call to help others, either through prayer and sacrifice in the religious life as a nun, or as a lay missionary. With this in mind around this time she told her mother that she would never marry. But after less than a year the mother superior informed her that she was too weak and sickly for the rigors of religious life in their particular convent, and thus she obligated to leave.
Ninguna MUERTE repentina, violenta, por accidente de aire, tierra y mar, por droga, por guerra, por desastres naturales. The enemies of the Church: Do not help them by criticizing the actual Pope and the Consecrated ones, be careful about what you read in the news or on Internet. Pray, Pray, Pray, with sincere heart for discernment to understand the hidden side of the unfolding events in these end times.
One (1) 1 (one) is a number, numeral, and the name of the glyph representing that number. It is the natural number following 0 and preceding 2.
There are some things you can do mostly by just shifting your perspective that can help tremendously. For starters, I have seen a lot of women get caught up on this issue and as a result, they bring it up more and more, smothering every ounce of joy from the relationship. At that point the relationship stops being fun and full of happiness and starts becoming more like a battle of wills.
My recommendation is to avoid badgering him about the topic. Bringing it up once is enough, trust me. So what makes a guy want to call you his girlfriend? Well, the most important advice I can give is to have a high sense of self worth- know what you want and know that you CAN get what you want and never have to settle for anything less. I would say focus on being fun and lighthearted and enjoying the relationship for exactly what it is.
But beyond that, I would especially recommend that you keep your options open and you continue keeping up with all your other social activities that do not involve him:
Antinomianism in History
It is the sort of news that brings shame and disgrace to true Christians and most importantly, these kind of stories and scandals about church leaders disgrace the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When church leaders are ruled by a sinful and hypocritical nature, it in may also inhibit unbelievers from coming to a knowledge of the truth regarding the word of God because of the hypocritical behavior that unbelievers may witness from various so-called church leaders.
Whether that leader is a pastor, a prophet, an elder, a deacon, a teacher etc, God desires that leaders be above reproach and that they lead an exemplary life that glorifies God and speaks of the virtues what it means to be part of the kingdom of God. Therefore according to scripture, the qualities of a good church leader are as follows:
Jesus Explains Purgatory (CEV) “The Notebooks “, p. Jesus says: “I want to explain to you what Purgatory is and what it consists of. And I will explain it to you, in a way that will provoke many who think they are the repositories of the knowledge of the hereafter and are not.
January 18, iStock The word thesaurus literally means “repository” or “storehouse,” and it ultimately comes from the same root as the word treasure. There’s certainly some treasure to be unearthed in one, so in honor of Thesaurus Day, here are 25 smart-sounding synonyms to reboot your vocabulary. Thanks to the foul language of the people who worked there, the name eventually became synonymous with all coarse or abusive language.
An embranglement, likewise, is a tricky, confusing situation. It might only be a febricula that’s a light or passing fever , but nevertheless, you might need a febrifuge a drug that lowers your temperature. According to the biblical Book of Revelation, the people of Laodicea were known for their religious apathy, their fair-weather faith, and their lukewarm interest in the church—all of which prompted a pretty stern letter from St. As a result, a Laodicean is an apathetic, indifferent, or unconcerned person when it comes to religion.
Jesus Explains Purgatory
See Article History Number symbolism, cultural associations—including religious, philosophic, and aesthetic—with various numbers. Humanity has had a love-hate relationship with numbers from the earliest times. Bones dating from perhaps 30, years ago show scratch marks that possibly represent the phases of the Moon.
READ Titus , 7 and 1 Timothy The Bible specifically mentions the kind of qualities and characteristics that a church leader must have in order to lead people within the church.
An initial canto , serving as an introduction to the poem and generally considered to be part of the first cantica, brings the total number of cantos to It is generally accepted, however, that the first two cantos serve as a unitary prologue to the entire epic, and that the opening two cantos of each cantica serve as prologues to each of the three cantiche. Additionally, the verse scheme used, terza rima , is hendecasyllabic lines of eleven syllables , with the lines composing tercets according to the rhyme scheme aba, bcb, cdc, ded, Written in the first person, the poem tells of Dante’s journey through the three realms of the dead, lasting from the night before Good Friday to the Wednesday after Easter in the spring of Beatrice was a Florentine woman whom he had met in childhood and admired from afar in the mode of the then-fashionable courtly love tradition, which is highlighted in Dante’s earlier work La Vita Nuova.
Within each group of 9, 7 elements correspond to a specific moral scheme, subdivided into three subcategories, while 2 others of greater particularity are added to total nine. For example, the seven deadly sins of the Catholic Church that are cleansed in Purgatory are joined by special realms for the Late repentant and the excommunicated by the church. The core seven sins within Purgatory correspond to a moral scheme of love perverted, subdivided into three groups corresponding to excessive love Lust , Gluttony , Greed , deficient love Sloth , and malicious love Wrath , Envy , Pride.


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Sunday Worship with Special Guest Ray Makeever
December 3, 2023 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Join Lyndale as they continue to celebrate 125 years of being Here for Good with special guest Ray Makeever. Ray’s gifts as a musician and composer have been part of the worship life at Lyndale for many years. The 3rd Sunday of each month Makeever’s “Let Us Enter In – A Liturgy for Holy Communion” is used during worship. Christian Nielsen and Ray Makeever will lead worship on December 3rd at 10:30 as we end our year of celebration.


A monastery is a building occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows. Thousands of monasteries have been built throughout centuries to fulfill the religious beliefs of the monks. Christian, Buddhist, Sufi and Hindu monasteries consist of all the monasteries of the world. Few of the monasteries in the world are a world wonder for its beauty, location and architecture. There is a great variation in location and style making them unique for the list today. Nilov Monastery on Stolobny Island is the most spectacular monastery in the world. So, which are the other most spectacular monasteries in the world with breath-taking view and architecture?
Let’s check the list of 10 spectacular monasteries in the world with amazing architecture and design:
10. The Monastery of Gregoriou, Greece
The Monastery of Gregoriou is an Orthodox Christian monastery in Mount Athos in Greece. The Monastery of Gregoriou, also known as Osiou Gregoriou Monastery is named after its founder Saint (Osios) Gregory (Gregorios). By the end of the 15th century, according to the Russian pilgrim Isaiah, the monastery was Serb. The monastery beautifully built by the southeastern side of the peninsula on a corner of land jutting into the sea, with only steep craggy rocks backed up behind it makes it awesome. Gregoriou is very much a pilgrim friendly monastery with a strong pastoral sense. The choir in the monastery is very traditional Byzantine chanting and is one of the highest standards on Mt Athos.
9. Monasteries of Meteora, Greece
Meteora in Greek means “middle of the sky”, “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above”. Huge rounded boulders like hills and immensely large monolithic pillars surround the area. The place is famous for largest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece. The bunch of monasteries at Meteora is truly stupendous and fantastic. Some of the most famous monasteries at the location are the Monastery of Great Meteoron, the Monastery of Varlaam, the Monastery of Rousanou/St. Barbara, the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, The Monastery of St. Stephen, and the Monastery of the Holy Trinity. Metéora is on the UNESCO World Heritage for its beauty, importance and cultural importance.
8. Trinity Monastery, Chernihiv, Ukraine
Trinity Monastery at Chernihiv, Ukraine is an important and historic monastery. The Mongol invasion ruined the 11th century monastery in 1239. In 1649, famed Ukrainian architect Lazar Baranovych reconstructed the monastery. Baranovych founded a printing press in the neighboring city of Novhorod-Siverskyi. Later, the printing press was moved near Trinity Monastery. The monastery’s adjacent printing press was famed for their production of engravings, and its library — for containing more than 11,000 books. The main attraction of the monastery is the Trinity Cathedral from 1679.
7. Thikse Monastery, India
Thiksay Gompa or Thiksay Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. The monastery is on top of a hill in Thiksey village, approximately 19 kilometers east of Leh in Ladakh, India. The amazing monastery is at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,800 ft) in the Indus Valley. One of the main points of interest is the Maitreya Temple. The hill-top view of the monastery makes it one of the most wonderful monasteries in the world. Thikse Monastery has resemblance to the Ki Monastery.
6. Buddhist Monastery of Ki, India
Kye Gompa or Monastery of Ki is a Buddhist monastery in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. The monastery is beautiful for its surrounding mountains, river, and the high-altitude location. At an altitude of 4,166 meters (13,668 ft) above sea level makes the monastery one of highest in the world. It is the biggest monastery of Spiti Valley and a religious training centre for Lamas. Dromtön (Brom-ston, 1008-1064 CE), a pupil of the famous teacher, Atisha formed the monastery in the 11th century. The monastery is beautifully painted by murals and paintings from 14th century that has considerable Chinese influence. The monastery comes under attack occasionally by outsiders like Mongols during the 17th century and recently by the Chinese military. Apart from the attacks, the monastery is also geographically in an earthquake prone zone.
5. El Escorial, Spain
The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial or simply known as El Escorial is a historical residence of the King of Spain which also functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school. The royal monastery is of great historical and cultural significance to Spain. El Escorial was, at once, a monastery and a Spanish royal palace. Originally a property of the Hieronymite monks, it is now a monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine. The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo of El Escorial is a World Heritage Site and a popular tourist attraction in Spain. The beautiful architecture of the royal monastery draws more than 500,000 visitors every year.
4. Rila Monastery, Bulgaria
The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, commonly known as Rila Monastery is the most famous and largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. The location itself will blow your mind. The monastery is at a height of 1,147 m (3,763 ft) above sea level. Rila Mountains and deep valley of the Rilska River surrounds the monastery making the monastery one of the most scenic in the world. One should not forget that the monastery is inside the Rila Monastery Nature Park. The 10th century monastery is one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southern Europe. Every year, the monastery draws more than 900,000 visitors.
3. Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, Russia
Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the most important Russian monastery. The monastery is also an important spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow. The typical Russian architecture gives the monastery its utmost beauty to the world. The monastery was built by one of the most venerated Russian saints, Sergius of Radonezh in honor of the Holy Trinity on Makovets Hill in 1337. In 16th century, it took 26 years to construct the six-pillared Assumption Cathedral as seen today. The modern Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is one of the most beautiful monasteries in the world. The monastery looks like a building from the “wonderland”.
2. Pechersk Lavra Monastery, Kiev, Ukraine
Pechersk Lavra Monastery or Kiev Pechersk Lavra Monastery is a beautiful Ukrainian monastery in Kiev district. Also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery. The origin of the monastery dates back to 1051 which was then founded as cave monastery. Lavra has been a preeminent center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. The monastery is a UNIESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery complex is a separate national historic-cultural preserve (sanctuary) of the nation.
1. Nilov Monastery on Stolbnyi Island, Russia
When you hear the word “island” and that the monastery is in that “island“, you would start to feel that this monastery is something amazing. You are right; the Nilov Monastery is on Stolobny Island on Lake Seliger in the Tver Oblast of Russia, which was found by Saint Nilus in 1594. The aerial view of the monastery is something mind-blowing. Today the monastery complex remains one of the most impressive ensembles of neoclassical architecture in Eastern Europe. Most of the buildings of the monastery are built-in the 18th and 19th Centuries in a neoclassical style. The monastery is one of the wealthiest and largest in the Russian empire. The rich monastery welcomes nearly 40,000 pilgrims annually.


“Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow…. The mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited to those who commit sins either of commission or omission, but they encompass the promise of everlasting peace to all who will accept and follow Him and His teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent.”
As we approach the general sessions of another General Conference of the LDS Church next weekend, I reflect on my favourite quote from the last conference in April. This one from Elder D Todd Christofferson. His whole talk was a beautiful testimony of Christ, and I select below, just a portion.
“The Savior is not dependent on food or water or oxygen or any other substance or power or person for life. Both as Jehovah and Messiah, He is the great I Am, the self-existing God. He simply is and ever will be.
By His Atonement and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has overcome all aspects of the Fall. Physical death will be temporary, and even spiritual death has an end, in that all come back into the presence of God, at least temporarily, to be judged. We can have ultimate trust and confidence in His power to overcome all else and grant us everlasting life….
[T]he Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy…. Continue reading
Many Christian religions have rituals that remind us of Christ: His life, teachings and atonement. Within the LDS Church, one of these is the Sacrament – a weekly partaking of bread and water, following the pattern of the Last Supper when He gave bread and wine to His disciples instructing them to remember Him. In other Christian religions a similar ritual may occur, perhaps called Holy Communion, or something similar. The Sacrament takes on such an important meaning for us that our main Sunday worship meeting is called “Sacrament Meeting”.
For many years, with a constant stream of small children on laps, at feet, and generally requiring attention, concentrating on the meaning and importance of the Sacrament during our Sunday worship meetings was something of an impossibility. But now they are older, it can once again (usually) have the attention it deserves.
An altar of wood,
Adorned with emblems
Clothed in white
Tokens of a sacrifice
Made long ago
And made anew
After an unusually warm July, August was cooler than usual this year, and as we have begun September, already the morning fog has begun. It’s usually not until October that the daily fog arrives, but it’s been with us for a week or so now.
As I was driving to work early last week, I crested a hill on a nearby country road and saw in the distance a large bank of fog. Its appearance was that of a sinister wall of confusion attempting to blanket the countryside – and at the very edge of the fog was a solitary tree, rising through the mist, seemingly resisting its advance. There were other trees on the hillside – but just the one was large enough to rise above the encroaching obscurity.
I have pondered on that tree a lot since that morning. Continue reading
Although there are still a few weeks until the season of autumn officially arrives, with the children going back to school this week, in practice summer is now drawing to its close. And as I think back over the summer months, and our daytrips out, there is one in particular that comes to mind.
For our wedding anniversary, my wife and I spent the day wandering a few villages and towns of Northumberland, an hour or two from home. We finished in the small town of Warkworth, just a few miles from the coast, where we went to the old castle up on the hill for an evening performance of Much Ado About Nothing.
We arrived in Warkworth early and strolled through the town and along the river, spending a little time in the Church of St Lawrence. It is a beautiful small church, and had a lovely feeling in it. Parts of the current building have been there for close to 1,000 years, with evidence of an earlier structure several hundred years before that.
As we walked through its old interior I couldn’t help but think of the many thousands, or even tens of thousands, of people who have worshipped in this building over a millennium. I could see no evidence of pretention: there was some beautiful stained glass showing scenes of the Saviour’s life, but otherwise everything was simple, and gave a sense that those who had come here had done so because of nothing more than their faith. It is a relatively small building, and I couldn’t help but feel that a thousand years of humble and genuine worship for our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ had sanctified the place, making the stones holy. Continue reading
I was asked to give a talk (sermon) in my local church today, and I’ve copied the text below. Some of the themes could be further developed, and I probably will do in future posts. I begin with a parable that in some ways reminds me of the famous lines from Alice in Wonderland:
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where–” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
Only in this case, it really does matter which way we go…. Continue reading
“Sadly enough… it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.” (Elder Jeffrey R Holland, The Cost – and Blessings – of Discipleship)
This is the third (and final) post in a series on the Problem of Evil, specifically looking at three fallacies that are inherent within the problem (at least as it is usually described). Continue reading
Flash floods wreak havoc in a neighbourhood and a family’s home is made uninhabitable, with many precious items that hold priceless memories lost forever, and with months or even years of wrangling with insurers and living in inadequate temporary accommodation awaiting them. A young father, following years of depression and struggles with school, home and family, is diagnosed with a mental health disorder, shattering his hopes for a life being able to be the father he wishes to be. A child develops leukemia, and she and her parents face many years of expensive hospital visits and painful treatments until finally she passes from mortality, far too young. I could go on, and of course you could create your own list of tragedies that strike either in your own life, or in the lives of your family or friends.
Tragic? Yes, without any shadow of a doubt. Uncommon? No, not remotely. Pain and suffering are things we each experience during our mortal lives. And the questions that will touch each of us during such times will be variations on, “Why me?”, “How can I endure it?”, “Please, Heavenly Father, wilt thou take this pain away?”, and sometimes, “What am I supposed to learn from this?”
Ultimately, a question that touches most of us at some point will be, “What is the purpose of suffering?” Continue reading
I’ve started this post a couple of times, and then, unsatisfied with what I had written, discarded it. It’s been bobbling around in my head for several weeks now – hence no other recent posts as I’ve been thinking about how to write about something for which I don’t really have satisfactory answers.
A few months ago we had some young people from our local Church congregation come over to our home on a Sunday afternoon and we talked about science and religion. We had an enjoyable time, and we then asked them if they’d like to come back again, and if so what subject they’d like us to discuss. I’d prepared a few suggestions, and the very clear preferred topic was about the unfairness of life. This may go from the “everyday unfairnesses” of things we all experience, for example why maybe one person gets the job they love, and another doesn’t, or why one person gets serious illness and another doesn’t; through to the unfairnesses that appears so cruel: why do tsunami’s wreak such havoc and devastate countless innocent lives; why are some people born into kind and loving families, while others are born into horror? Continue reading


No matter what your relationship status is, every Christian should strive to keep their relationship as pure as possible.
Here’s the 4HG definition
pure (pyoor), adj. –
untainted by selfishness, lust or pride.
Our perfect example of course, is Christ. In every interaction, Christ was motivated purely by love. It’s not possible for us to ever reach that level but there are ways to get closer to the ideal.
This is especially helpful for maintaining sexual purity (see 1 Cor 6:18).
Here are 6 areas that affect our level of purity.
1. Faith: Know Your Boss –
Christ’s death and resurrection gave us the power to decide which path we follow. God has given us explicit instructions on how to have healthy, fulfilling relationships. But we must be committed to Him.
2. Purpose: Know Your Why –
Most of us are born into a script. We’ll go to school, get a good job and get married. It’s the lucky few whose God-given gifts and talents are encouraged and nurtured. These few often begin walking in their purpose very early. For the rest, looking for their mission begins only after life’s trophies fail to deliver. Find your purpose. Make it a central part of your life. You’ll have a lot less time to worry about the next step, whatever it is.
3. Integrity: Know Your Truth –
What are you really looking for when you engage in impure activities?
Our actions are based on our desires. You have to know what those are and how to meet them in legitimate ways.
Once you know what you really want, look at your actions. Do they match? Will they help you achieve your goal?
Shortcut question: If you truly desire to honor God, do your actions show that?
When they don’t, either you haven’t committed to God or you don’t trust Him. The two often go hand in hand.
4. Community: Know Your Tribe –
Humanity is designed to work in groups. Think about those you spend the most time with, including your entertainment choices.
Is your tribe supporting you in your goal for purity? Are they committed to purity in their own lives? Do they encourage you or demean you? Are there multiple people you can look at and say, “Yes! That’s the type of relationship I want!”?
This is challenging for many because we’re not willing to move out of our comfort zone. We don’t want to try new churches or new groups. We don’t want to make new friends or change our entertainment. New is weird. New is crazy.
But for purity, new is necessary.
5. Salvation: Know You’re Broken
Jesus came to set the captives free. It’s impossible to have been in bondage without scars and trauma.
The old you was dying. Incapable of choosing life. The new you is growing but needs nutrients. The old has to be redeemed, purified, brought into the light.
Unfortunately, we prefer to ignore the old us. We assume that conversion means our past issues are just that, in the past. But a life of faith is more than just prayer and church. It is a transforming of the old into the new. It’s a process.
6. Multiplication: Know You’re a Vessel
Every gift, talent and achievement we have was given by the grace of God. Partly because He loves us. Partly because we’re made in His image. But also partly because He wants us to pass it on. God wants us to use what we have to show others love.
When we’re hurt or outraged, that’s the time to remember the grace and mercy that God has shown us. We were once as mean and despicable in His sight as the person we’re upset with. But He showed us and continues to show us loving-kindness. He wants us to do the same.
Were these principles helpful? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Look for a more in-depth guide coming in November.