You think you know what Easter means?
Even when people have no idea about this season, around this time of year there is an awareness that something is happening. A person comes into the office or classroom with a charcoal cross on his or her forehead; a friend or colleague is taking a trip to see family for the holiday; the stores are selling Cadbury eggs.
Certainly the calendar marks off the day as something special, and there is also a general sense of the turning season: the long winter has ended and summer itself winks in the margins of daily life.
Indeed, Easter marks a change, and it has to do with the feeling of rebirth or regeneration. But it is more complicated than that.
I have a visceral sense of all this, having been raised in a fundamentalist household, and my memories of Easter reach back to beginnings: my father, a Baptist minister, understood the centrality of this special day, even the whole Easter weekend. As a boy, I fidgeted through long services on Good Friday and listened to readings of the seven last words of Jesus on the cross, which built up to the resounding: “It is finished.”
I recall being quite upset, imagining the cruelty of the sacrifice of God’s only son. I thought it was horrific. I didn’t want him to have to die for miserable sinners like myself.
Soon enough I grew to dislike this version of Easter, with the crucifixion as some form of blood-revenge. Why would a God who had gone to the trouble to create humanity take such umbrage? Why would he need to put his only son on the cross and see him publicly tortured—brutalized–to satisfy his feelings of disappointment and anger at what his people had done? Was I missing something?
The famous hymn about being “washed in the blood of the Lamb” sounded, to my young ears, increasingly disturbing. God is better than this, I thought. The human beings he had created were surely good enough for him?
Simplistic ideas about the meaning of the crucifixion still abound, and there is a vast industry founded on what is called “substitution theology.” One can easily dig through the Hebrew and Greek scriptures to snatch occasional verses that seem to support this transactional theology, with God in a bargaining mode, needing “payment” for our sins.
But I’ve studied the scriptures carefully, especially the gospels and Paul’s letters, and I see no reason to capitulate to this downsized version of Easter weekend, with a vengeful God putting up his own son on a cross for satisfaction of some kind.
In any case, the idea of satisfaction or “payment” is fairly recent, tracing back to St. Anselm in Cur Deus Homo? This treatise, written in the late 11th century, put forward the idea of the death of Jesus as atonement for human sins, a “satisfaction” for the wrath of God.
A century or so later, Peter Abelard famously rejected Anselm’s theory, suggesting that the death of Jesus was simply an act of love, showing humanity a way forward, an example of divine benevolence. Jesus lived and died to teach us how to live and die ourselves, or how to “empty ourselves out,” as St. Paul says. The crucifixion is first and foremost a prelude to the Resurrection.
Jesus had faith in God, resting in the arms of an all-embracing love. That’s a fancy way of saying that Jesus trusted that all would be well in the end, which is what Easter teaches us. And a crucial text here — a key one — is Romans 3:22, where Paul suggests that reconciliation with God, which is a better way to define “righteousness,” is achieved through imitating Jesus in his self-abandonment on the cross on Good Friday.
I would translate this critical verse in this way: “We are reconciled with God by imitating the faith of Jesus, and we hold him dearly for this.” (I always prefer to use the phrase “hold dearly” for “believe,” as this is the root of the word. It has no reference to “belief” in the epistemological sense of that term.) There is clearly a huge difference between having “faith in Jesus” — a nod of assent — and imitating the “faith of Jesus.”
Easter teaches Christians this, I believe: to emulate the faith of Jesus in the goodness of the universe– to rest in God, whatever we mean by that great holy syllable, which seems a stumbling block for so many in our highly secular world. It teaches us about what it means to lose ourselves, our petty little selves, in order to gain something larger: reconciliation with creation itself.
Christians all walk with Jesus out of the tomb on Easter morning, reborn as free people, released from the straightjacket of time itself. And this is nothing but joy.(By Jay Parini)
Jay Parini, who teaches at Middlebury College, has just recorded “Jesus, Paul and the Early Christians” and published “The Damascus Road: A Novel of Saint Paul”. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.


Blaming the Barbarians
Here's a nice article that argues against the notion that the Church wasn't to blame for the supposedly less than Dark Ages experienced by Western Europe. Such apologias strike me as being textbook cases of misusing survivorship bias: it's absurd to say that the Church was a "protector" of classical learning simply because it held a large share of what little did survive to the modern era, seeing as the very same Church strove so tirelessly to ensure that nowhere else would any such learning survive! If the odd copy of Aristotle's work was preserved from the flames, that had nothing to do with the Church's respect for the learning of antiquity, and everything to do with a desire to preserve materials useful for narrow pedagogical purposes - all those priests had to learn what little Latin they did know from somewhere.
By Cahill's account, the clergy "saved" classical civilization from those whom he calls "unwashed barbarians," who "descended on the Roman cities, looting artifacts and burning books." Here I wish to argue the contrary: if the Irish clergy "saved civilization," it was not from the barbarians but principally from their fellow preachers.It's worth noting that the Church's animosity towards giving the masses the means to read scripture for themselves persisted well into the modern era - older cases like those of William Tyndale aside, as recently as 1713, Pope Clement XI issued a bull called "Unigenitus", in which he made it known that allowing the laity to read the Bible in their own languages was strictly forbidden. If the Church had gotten its way, the illiterate masses would still be clinging on to every word of their semi-literate priests, taking it on gospel that the selling of indulgences was endorsed by Christ himself.
First, please note that Cahill offers not a morsel of evidence to support his repeated assertions that the barbarians burned books or waged--as the Christians themselves had been doing for decades--a Kulturkampf against classical learning and lay literacy. While the barbarians certainly looted, they seemed little interested one way or the other in written texts. The one actual instance Cahill offers of books being damaged by invaders occurred in Ireland hundreds of years after the fall of Rome, when "Viking terrorists" (as he calls them) looted some monasteries and "destroyed books by ripping off bejeweled covers for booty." Even in this episode, the marauders' interest was in the gems, not the destruction of books per se.
Furthermore, decades before the northern tribes descended upon Rome, the church itself had burned all the critiques of Christianity written by prominent non-Christian scholars, such as Porphyry and Celsus. By the late fourth century, church censorship had extended into just about every area of learning. In 391 Alexandria, the Christians, led by the patriarch Theophilus, destroyed the Serapeum, the annex or "daughter library" to the Museum, the main edifice that housed the great bibliotheca in antiquity. The Serapeum itself had contained a priceless trove of scrolls and codices. In the decades that followed, the Museum's collection was purged and transformed by the Christians so that, by the time the main library was destroyed by Islamic invaders in 641, it housed mostly patristic and other church writings.
In various countries, ancient academies were abolished and laypeople were forbidden to read even the Bible. Cahill offers not a word about the closing of academies, the destruction of libraries, the book burning, and the overall intellectual repression waged by the church well before the Visigothic assault on Rome and continuing long afterward. From about 320 to 395, the twenty-eight public libraries in Rome "like tombs, were closed forever," as Cahill quotes the lamenting Ammianus Marcellinus--whom he fails to identify as a non-Christian historian. Again, the impression left is that the barbarians were to blame, but the closings occurred during the time of Christian domination, years before the Visigoths set foot inside Rome.
Book burning seems to have started rather early as a Christian practice, during the apostolic age, among the very first generation of believers. In Acts 19:17-19, we learn that the Greeks and Jews in the city of Ephesus responded to Paul's preaching by destroying their books valued at fifty thousand pieces of silver--an act that, if not urged by Paul, certainly earned his approval. Cahill does, however, let fall a few hints regarding Christianity's war against learning, mentioning Pope Gregory's hostility toward non-Christian classics and St. Jerome's fear of damnation for having read Cicero. Ironically, the one concrete example Cahill gives of an actual book burning is by a pope: Honorius III's order in 1225 to torch all copies of a metaphysical work of some originality by Irish philosopher Johannes Eriugena.
By the end of the fifth century, with Christianity firmly in command as the state religion, the profession of copyist had disappeared, as had the reproduction of most secular writings. From that time until the late sixteenth century or so, the church hierarchy viewed unbridled literacy among the masses as a threat to clerical and secular order. From the seventeenth century onward, with the growing dissemination of the printed word, the guiding policy of both Catholic and Protestant churches was not to deny access to reading materials but to control what texts were read and how they were interpreted.
I don't want all of the above to be taken as singling out the Catholic Church for special condemnation - the Protestants were no better once they had their hands on the reins of power, as the murder of Michael Servetus by Calvinist "reformers" illustrates. The problem for the Catholic Church is that in its efforts to rid Western Europe of all competitors (aka "heretics") it proved too successful, so that when one speaks of early Christianity in the non-Byzantine part of Christendom, one necessarily speaks only of a single Church, of which the Catholic Church is the single, generally acknowledged linear descendant; what is more, the Catholic Church has not disclaimed its heritage, as indeed it cannot, for to do so would fly in the face of Papal infallibility, which is why its apologists find themselves doing all sorts of absurd rhetorical gymnastics to preserve the reputations of greedy, murderous, bigoted and lecherous Popes where Protestant factions can simply say by way of excuse "That's why we broke with Rome!"


God has continuously blessed the Goler Metropolitan Health Ministry to fulfill its mission: “increasing the biopsychosocial and spiritual health of its members through prayer, knowledge and skills.” On Sunday, May 19, the Health Ministry’s
Special to The Chronicle Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the North Carolina Council of Churches, the American Red Cross and State Rep. Becky Carney have selected Winston-Salem’s Mt. Zion Baptist Church as one
Established in 1974, The Chronicle is the area’s oldest and well-respected community newspaper. Published each Thursday, The Chronicle has an audited circulation of over 7,000. 85% of that circulation is located within Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.


I live in southeast New York State. I retired early a few years back, but I think that I need to enter a new phase in some capacity. I studied engineering among other things, spent a lot of years remodeling houses, played a lot of music, starting with rock, studying classical, and ending up with contemporary Christian, doing worship team and solo work in churches.
I had a couple of bad experiences with Church leadership, and am without a church home. But I am committed to the Lord, have Christian friends, and stay in the Word and prayer.
My newest passion is motorcycling. I started two years ago and it has been challenging and rewarding. I have a Yamaha FZ6, and it's awesome.
I've also worked on getting in shape, and am doing a lot better than several years ago.
I'm single, and that's ok. I'm open to change, but it has to be in the Lord. Otherwise, I'm blessed "just as I am".
My favorite movies are, roughly in order:
Jesus of Nazareth
Chariots of Fire
The Perfect Stranger (this is not the pop film with Hale Berry)
A Walk to Remember
Love Comes Softly
The Count of Monte Cristo
My fav books other than the Bible, to which there is no comparison, are, roughly in order:
Watchman Nee's "The Spiritual Man"
Norman Grubbs' "Rees Howells, Intercessor" (those two vie for the top spot)
Sholem Asch's "Mary" and "The Apostle"
and a new entry, Neil Cole's "Organic Church".
About that last book - I'm thoroughly orthodox, but I'm interested in new ways - which are actually old ways - to do church. I think the church in America needs a major reworking according to the model in the Book of Acts.
Fav musicians - Michael Card, Mark Schultz, John Michael and Terry Talbot.
My basic rule for online activity is: Try to edify, and do all things for the glory of God.


Catholic Charities' Pathways to Possibilities Day One (4/20/2020) Video Transcript
The Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding, Bishop of the Diocese of Nashville
Judy K. Orr, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Tennessee
Hi, I'm Judy Orr, Executive Director of Catholic Charities. I'm proud to be joined by the Most Revered J. Mark Spalding, Bishop of the Diocese of Nashville.
Welcome to Pathways to Possibilities Day One. Pathways is our most important fundraiser of the year, and it was going to be a breakfast. But it's now a virtual event.
Bishop Spalding and the Diocese of Nashville are our presenting sponsors.
Bishop, thank you for your support.
In my first year as director, I have greatly benefited from hearing you speak and receiving your counsel on various matters. I think our Pathways audience would enjoy hearing about Pope Benedict's encyclical writing titled, "God Is Love." It really speaks to the work we do as Catholic Charities.
BISHOP J. MARK SPALDING
Thank you, Judy. And once again, thank you for saying, "Yes." This is a wonderful side of the church - Catholic Charities.
The encyclical, "God is Love: Deus Caritas Est," was Pope Benedict's very first encyclical. He explained that love has various parts. There is love that we find in a couple. The kind of love that is found among friends. But then there is the love which he called "agape," and maybe many of you know that word. It's a love that goes beyond sacrificial. It opens our eyes to all those around us in the world.
And Pathways to Possibilities helps Catholic Charities be eyes and ears and heart to others.
My takeaway when I read the encyclical was about the three pillars of the church, and the fact that there is a sacramental part of it. When you gather together; there is a proclamation of the word where we share the gospel with one another; and then as you talked about, there is that work of charity where we are out helping our neighbors. We think that's really inspirational when you understand that, especially at these times when we can't gather together in congregations, that we have an opportunity to express our faith through good works.
I know that many good people want to serve right now, but they are rightly staying home where they need to be. And in that context we become a surrogate, so to speak, for them, and we are happy to serve on their behalf.
Our Pathways event has four days of important and, I think, interesting information about what we do and how we do it.
Our work has expanded because of the two disasters - both the tornadoes that hit our area, as well as the COVID virus. Healing will take a long time, and it will take faith and hope.
We hope that you will spread the word about our virtual Pathways to Possibilities.
Thank you for joining us today. We'll see you tomorrow for Day Two.
Bishop, could you close us with a blessing?
BISHOP J. MARK SPALDING
Judy just made a good summary of who we are as Catholics. We look out into the world. We serve, not because others are Catholic, but because we are. And that drives us forward into the world to proclaim, to worship, and to serve. And we keep that in mind and in heart, one and all.
As I ask for God's blessing, let us be mindful of the blessings we've received and one of my consistent lines to the people in the Diocese of Nashville. "To whom much is given, much will be required."
I ask you to look into your hearts and be generous in your love and every way you can toward others.
Let us bow our heads once again.
Good and loving God, continue to open our minds, our eyes, our ears, our hearts to your presence in our life to see how truly we are blessed even, and especially, at times of trial, trouble, and tribulation. Open our minds, our hearts, our eyes, our ears to others.
And once we do, allow us to be truly generous - truly be the presence of Christ in the world - that lifts up, that heals, that helps, that encourages.
We ask all this in Christ's name, who is the risen Lord forever and ever. Amen.
May Almighty God bless you all, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.


One of the cruelest people in the world is no longer in the world. The leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, a tiny enclave of extended family and friends in Topeka, Kansas, Fred Phelps and his band of followers are best known by their funeral protests that have created numerous state laws and anti-protest groups designed to protect the funerals of innocent children, US soldiers, and other good and kind people who don’t deserve to have attention-seeking leeches picket them. Fred Phelps, pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, has died at age 84. Here’s hoping he’ll take his unique mix of hatred and publicity stunts with him.
Phelps has been in a hospice facility for the past few days in ill health, and fortunately his health took a turn for the worse and his presence on earth is now gone. Phelps passed on sometime last Wednesday night. Westboro member and Phelps’ son Tim Phelps has confirmed the death in media outlets. Hopefully there will be a funeral, and the family of every deceased serviceman, every child slain by gunfire, and every person whose funeral has been turned into a public event by the Phelps family can show up and make their lives miserable.
I hate to be that guy and celebrate someone’s death, but the world is a much better place without someone like him. Say what you want to about his take on every issue, but he made his name by tormenting innocent families about his pet issue of homosexuality, and that’s just not cool. To quote the Bible (a book Fred probably didn’t ever paid attention to save for cherry-picking passages to justify his vitriol), Galatians chapter 6 verse 7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” I have no doubt that the Phelps family’s cruelty will be given unto them tenfold.
Tags: fred phelps, westboro baptist church, rev. fred phelps, reverend fred phelps is dead, fred phelps is dead at 84, fred phelps dead at 84, topeka, kansas, fred phelps sr., westboro baptist, westboro church leader fred phelps is dead


Prayers for Business Wisdom
As I started my new morning routine after praying to God to guide me in business, I was prompted to start watching youtube videos about Bible Journaling, which inspired me to build my own Bible Journal.
Prior to giving my life to Christ in December 2015, I was all about following worldly advice for business. You know, things like:
- Follow the Money
- Being Motivated by Fear of Loss
- Believing that worthiness came from making 6 Figures or More
- Crushing Leaderboards
- Hustle Hustle Hustle (and Grind Grind Grind)
- Never Sleep, that’s for Lazy people
- Keep working and posting even on Sundays…
Stuff like that that honestly kept me in a competitive mindset and unhappy if I’m being totally honest.
Now of course, building a business takes work, commitment and dedication, but the spirit in which it is done is different when we do it God’s way.
(But I’m in the process of learning this and applying it myself, so I’m totally not an expert at all)
I’ve always believed that each one of us has a God Given Gift or Talent and if you harness the power of the internet, tools and systems, you can build a flourishing business that glorifies God and Prospers your family and those around you, and at the very least, you can follow your calling and share your message with the world.
More on that in future posts.
Rather than focusing on how to use my gifts and talents to serve others as stated in 1 Peter 4:10,
I was focused on alot of the wrong things. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone as I’ve witnessed many unhappy entrepreneurs out there, who probably don’t realize why they are unhappy, but I can really only speak for myself.
I will be the first to admit that even if I was doing well and making money, I still wasn’t happy, now I know why, because God was not the CEO of my business.
So in the upcoming days as I feel inspired to share my journey as allowing God to be my CEO, I will be blogging under the category of Faith in Business, if you want to bookmark it for future reference.
And P.S., I am NOT Religious, so if the word GOD and Prayer turn you off, hey, I totally get it, I was there once, but I ask you to trust that my heart has over gone through a major transformation from the inside out since I surrendered to God on Dec 20, 2015 and if you want to experience true joy, fulfillment, happiness and success in business consider giving it ALL to God.
So read my posts with an open mind and an open heart and allow it to work in your life and just see what happens.
So without further ado, here are some inspiring and helpful prayers for those who wish for God to be the CEO of your business.
Scripture and Prayers for Business Wisdom
Use these in Your Business to help guide you. (and I give full credit to www.prayers-for-special-help.com) I got the Prayers from their website and at the end of the post I will post a picture of my Bible Journal/ Portfolio Binder.
If you’d like me to do a post specifically on what is in the Binder, let me know and I’ll be happy to do a post on it!
Commit your work to the Lord and then your plans will Succeed.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Specific Prayers for Starting a Business
STARTING A BUSINESS
Dear Lord, I ask for your help in starting my own business. You are my strongest ally, and my best partner. Please join me in this new venture so that I may succeed For myself, my family and the customers I will serve. Grant me your powers of good judgment, Your wisdom and guidance, So that my business may prosper and do right By us all in Your Heavenly name. Thank you! Amen. –
FOLLOWING THE RIGHT DIRECTION
God grant me the inspiration, the motivation, The right direction, and the resources To succeed in my business. My intent is clear And my will is strong. Help me stay focused on my goals And to reap honest rewards for the benefit of all. Thank You, God, for your kind assistance. Amen! –
SHORT PRAYER FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS
Lord God, Thank you for the opportunity to run this business. I trust in your wisdom as I seek to work hard to make it secure and prosperous. May good practice be the cornerstone of everything I do. Come reveal new openings and areas for expansion and development. May this business grow and flourish, creating great opportunity and provision for all those involved. In the name of Jesus, Amen. (credit Prayers for Business)
PRAYER FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED OR DIRECTORS OF BUSINESS
Lord, I give you all that I am,
All that I hold.
I ask for your guidance as I build and shape this business.
I trust that you will bless the work of my hands.
I pray that you would cover this enterprise and cover my investments.
I believe in your leadership that you will guide me and advise me.
Come and envision me.
May this venture be full of integrity, generosity, fruitfulness and provision.
I give you all that I am,
And all that I hold,
By the Way, Here is a Sneak Peek at My Bible Journal:
Oh and by the way…I used to pray to the Universe and Follow the Law of Attraction
Oh Boy, I may get some heat for this but that’s ok. I’m no longer afraid to share what God is doing in my life so here goes…
Years ago, when I was still lost, I used to pray to the Universe. I was following the Law of Attraction, using Vision boards and Dreaming of money, and sure, some of that stuff came to manifest but I still was not fulfilled.
It wasn’t until I gave my life to Jesus that I finally filled this Deep Void in my heart.
The Void that said:
- You’re not worthy enough
- Talented enough
- Riddled my mind with Self-Doubt
- Secretly thinking of personal gain
Oh so many things that I can share that were convicting my heart but everything started to change once I gave my life to Christ.
Again, I can only speak for myself so I’m not going to say that people who follow the LOA are not totally happy and fulfilled, I only know that I was not.
And then it took me over a year and a half to muster the courage to actually share my faith with others for fear that it would negatively impact my business, but I prayed about it and I just felt the burden in my heart to share because I have personally shifted to following Leaders who lead with a Biblical and Godly worldview and I didn’t want to hide what God has done in my life for me and my family.
After all, your business is an extension of your Highest Self and to deny what God has done, would be completely inauthentic.
I hope that these Prayers fill your heart and give you wisdom as you build your business. Just talk to God like he’s your best friend. Quietly pray these prayers over your business as often as you can and Thank God for his wisdom.
And if You’re currently struggling to Launch or Grow Your Business online and are having trouble navigating through the sometimes complicated world of online marketing, please make sure to enter your information below to grab a FREE Copy of my Online Business Toolkit, where I reveal the tools I use daily to not only grow my own business online, but help others do the same.


Welcome to Taize Service for Healing & Wholeness
We welcome you to the The Center's Taize Service for Healing and Wholeness. Our service incorporates ancient Christian traditions of prayer and healing with simple chant and prayers. The Taize Service for Healing and Wholeness is a candle-lit ecumenical worship service with scripture, meditative silence, healing prayer, and song led by the Caritas Community at Trinity Cathedral and singer and composer Barbara Bridge. Through singing simple chants, the mind is quieted and the heart is opened as the song becomes prayer.We believe that healing is a grace that connects us to life in God.
Taize Services take place the 2nd Sunday of the month, year around at 7:00pm in Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. All are welcome.
About Taize Prayer
The contemplative prayer form that has become known as “Taize Prayer”, takes its name from the Taize Community of France, founded in the early 1940’s by Brother Roger. Brother Roger arrived in the village of Taizé, France in 1940. In the midst of World War II, he dreamed of creating a community where reconciliation was a daily reality. He began by giving shelter to refugees of the war, especially Jews. Brother Roger recognized that the search for reconciliation was within each individual as well as within the community. Initially, the Taizé founder lived alone, until brothers from various Protestant and Catholic backgrounds followed. Today, as an ecumenical monastic community, Taizé is a sign of reconciliation. People from around the world, especially young people, come to Taizé looking for meaning in their lives as they prepare for responsibilities in their own communities. More information on Taize prayer and the community can be found on the Taize website.


The definition of purpose is this: “The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists:”
I was asked to share the connection and purpose (no pun intended) this song has had in my life.
In the beginning of this year, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And To be honest, finding a purpose in that was hard, but I knew in my heart there would be many reasons along the way, with one of them being this song. Shortly after my diagnosis, a good friend of mine called me for a coffee date and said he was bringing a musician friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in years. I used to play with him in a Christian band years ago, and it was great to reconnect with him. I found out that night, the reason he brought us together was because we had something huge in common. He was diagnosed with MS a few years back. It was a moment and a conversation I will never forget. He told me that he was sorry we reconnected for this reason but it brought him great comfort knowing going forward we could lean on each other if we needed to. Months later he asked if I’d be willing to be the vocalist at a gig in Arlington, Virginia. That was the first musical performance I had done in a while, and it was a blast.
A few months after that, I was contacted by another musician who I played with at that same gig. He wanted me to sing on A Christmas song he had started to write. He asked me to make it my own and help with the notes and instrumentals. My husband and I also helped with the recording and arranging as well. The three of us, along with a media team, worked together to finish what is now the song “Purpose.”
Even though being diagnosed with MS wasn’t the highlight of my year, it has brought me to this song, which is now a part of my purpose. There of course have been other struggles at the end of this year just like I’m sure all of you have fallen on hard times at some point this year or multiple points. However we have to suffer to truly appreciate the joy of life and to have empathy towards one another. All highs and lows of life have a bigger purpose. Be kind to others and kind to yourself because we have no clue what each person is facing.
No matter what our purposes are in life and no matter how badly we want answers as to what they are, they will be revealed in God’s time. We first and foremost have to start with love of God and Jesus. Through our relationship with them and listening, everything will eventually make sense. Just as the North Star was a compass for the Wise men in bringing gifts to Jesus, it serves the same purpose in our life. In our journey we will share our individual gifts and trials in which will serve the bigger purpose. So share your gifts and your stories with people, you don’t know who all it will impact, but I can assure you it will. If we keep an eye on “things of the world” we will only be misled. God sent us a gift in the form of a little baby, his only Son. They give us constant grace and guide us through all joys and trails of our life. Our personal purpose, I believe, is not one thing, but many things that will be revealed throughout our life, if we keep an eye on that North Star.
Helping to arrange this song was such a blessing and I am honored to be a part of this team. I am excited to announce that the proceeds of this single will go to a charity that has played a very special role in my life. I was adopted in California as an infant and I wanted to give back to that agency that has given so much to me. God, through this agency, brought me to the most special family in the world and chose me to be a part of it forever. My husband is also adopted and so giving back to the local branch of this adoption agency means so much to us. I am so thankful to God and my family for continuously blessing my life.
Stay tuned in the next year for more exciting news as we continue this journey. We wanted our first song to be a Christmas song because that is what our bigger purpose is all about. Let God Light the way as your North Star and see all the beauty unfold even through the some of the darkest times in your life. I hope some of my story and insights touched you, as well as this song.
Blessings to you all!
P.S. Please consider making a donation. All proceeds go to support Bethany Services in Fairfax (the organization that Michelle was adopted through). As a thank you, we will send you the song “Purpose” and lyrics.


I am teaching Introduction to the New Testament this summer and I find myself appreciating that many of my students are engaged and interested in the subject. This is especially gratifying since most of them are upper class students seeking a (any) humanities credit in order to graduate. Regardless, the discussions (and questions) have ranged from non-existent to average to very good to excellent.
I like to incorporate my current research when I teach. As we studied the undisputed letters of Paul, we focused about an hour of our time on Paul’s Adam material (1 Corinthians 15, Romans 5, and Philippians 2). Of course anyone who has read Paul knows that Paul presents Christ as the “second Adam” and virtually relegates Adam to a role of infecting humankind with the terminal disease of sin. (It’s interesting that this is not a medieval metaphor, but Jewish literature from roughly the time of Paul also discusses sickness and death as consequences of Adam’s sin.)
Jewish identity from this period was heavily invested in terms of the individual’s relationship with God. Jewish identity was invested in many ways (Sabbath, circumcision, Torah, etc.) and it was a very complicated issue to negotiate in the first century C.E. But the individual’s relationship with God seems to encompass all of these.
One particular Jewish perspective on the individual’s relationship with God (in view of being affected by Adam’s sin) entailed identifying Adam as the prototypical human being who received God’s mercy and was given access to paradise. How did Adam achieve this? According to the Greek Life of Adam and Eve (GLAE), a midrash on Genesis 3, Adam attained God’s mercy and gained access to paradise on the basis of two things: 1) he was the image of God, and 2) he had a repentant disposition toward God.
Comparing these concepts in GLAE with the Adam texts in Paul suggests that Paul was engaged in an internal Jewish soteriological debate in the first century. Paul claimed that the approach presented in GLAE was not enough. (Whether Paul actually knew the text of GLAE is beside the point; he apparently was aware of the traditions imbedded in GLAE.) In contrast to GLAE, Paul argued that Adam’s only contribution was a negative one. “Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5.12).
For Paul it was not Torah observance that made one a Jew (Romans 2.28-29; 3.21). Neither was it enough to be the image of God by virtue of being a child of Adam. Neither was it enough to have a repentant disposition toward God. It was one’s orientation in relation to the Messiah; it was necessary to be “in Christ.” In this way Paul was contesting Jewish identity in the first century C.E. He was redefining in his own way what it means to be a Jew, just as he was redefining Israel in his own way (Romans 9.6).


Thursday was the day we decided to distribute the gifts that we had brought with us. The gifts were an assortment of clothing, toys, crafts, and games. Several of the team members purchased gifts and brought them down in their luggage. The rest of the gifts were from generous donors in the Wenatchee area and beyond.
The girls were beyond excited to receive the things that we had brought to them. Mama Ruth asked the girls to sit down and they politely complied. We opened each bag one by one and Mama Ruth handed out the gifts to each girl. One of our fondest memories is watching the girls wait with eager anticipation as Mama Ruth decided who would get each gift. At times she would give them a choice, and other times she would simply choose which girl would get what. We never heard any complaining or arguing amongst the girls.
I don’t want to over spiritualize the act of giving gifts, but I can’t help but say how much better it is to give than receive. We could feel the divine presence of God, and it seemed like each article of clothing and each toy had a predetermined destination for each specific girl.
Once all the gifts of been handed out I asked the girls to take a seat and listen to a few things that I had to say. I told them that our hope was that every time they enjoyed one of the gifts that we had brought, they would remember the ultimate gift: Jesus Christ. I told him that our main purpose for coming down was to remind them that Jesus loves them and that He had died for their sins. I told them that if they were to put their trust in Jesus, His love would carry them through life. No doubt they’ve heard this message before so it wasn’t brand-new to them. When I asked the girls to raise their hand if they had put their trust in Jesus, all hands went up.
The Beehive is not a government program or a secular foundation. The Beehive is a house built by God and dedicated to disciple and teach young girls to live a life that fulfills their God-given purpose and design. We feel like we played a small role in helping these girls continue walking that path. The real heroes are the ones that are there with these girls day after day after day. We give honor and thanks and praise to God and his servants who faithfully love these girls back to health and well being.
If you would like more detailed information on The Beehive, please contact me and I would be happy to tell you how to support this effective, Christ-centered ministry.
May God bless you,


The Slippery Slide of Expectations
At this beautiful time of year, with the giving and receiving of gifts – material things, food, and shared time with friends and family – it is especially important to take a look at our expectations. Expectations generally set us up for disappointments and let downs. In fact, the root of all anger is unfulfilled expectations! The secret to true happiness is to let go of expectations. This will put us in a much freer place, as then we can accept whatever others bring to us as exactly what is perfect between us in that moment. If we let go of expectations, we bypass that slippery slope that slides right down into disappointment, fear, sadness and often anger.
You might be thinking, “But don’t I need to have expectations for myself to be successful? Don’t we need to expect certain behavior from our children?” Yes, we do need to hold intentions for ourselves, as energy follow intent and will manifest in our lives if we are clear and steadfast to those intentions. And, yes, we teach children appropriate behavior by setting limits on unacceptable behavior. But, expectations put us into a place of judgement, and judgement interferes with love. Judgement carries the energy of “I’m right, you’re wrong”, which chooses fear over love. We get emotionally attached to our judgements.
We can be discerning of things we like or don’t like without stepping out of love. Discernment is choosing without the emotional attachment of judgement.
So, use discernment to choose the things that bring you joy and open your heart at this time of holiday celebrations. Remember the heart of Christmas is the ultimate gift of God’s unfailing endless love. Let go of your expectations! You will then open yourself to new surprises and unexpected gifts of love that area waiting to flow into your life! Put a note somewhere for yourself as a reminder to “Let go of expectations!” and see how much happier you will be!
We always teach what we need to learn and my family will be happy that I wrote this! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


Apostle Seth Baah, spiritual shepherd to many, is founder and overseer of Praise Chapel International, a ministry with a reputation for evangelism, prophecy, music and healing that has grown into three branches in Ghana, the UK and Maryland with plans for another church in Virginia shortly. Blessed with the five-fold ministry gifts, Apostle Seth Baah is also an award-winning gospel musician, recording artist, composer, arranger and producer.
Apostle Seth Baah received insight to his calling at a young age. Initially drawn to church by music, he learned prophetically through several great men of God that he would preach the gospel and be used mightily in music. Young Seth Baah began to thirst for the word and eventually fell under the power during prophetic impartation one day and began to speak in tongues. His life was changed forever. Soon he was ministering and interceding as a powerful prayer warrior. His spiritual gifts began to unfold as he grew in the Lord. He moved on to Christian Action Faith Dominion University in Accra to continue his education. As a Bible & Theology student, God increased his anointing and he received numerous invitations to counsel, prophecy, teach, heal and deliver souls for Christ. He was led to start his own prayer group at that time.
He graduated from University & established a small church, Word Impact International, the earliest beginnings of Praise Chapel International, where he ministered until he received invitation to the United Kingdom at God’s intervention. While in the United Kingdom, God led him to establish a church, this time called Praise Chapel International. Aside from his 5-fold ministry gifts, music has been a common theme throughout Pastor Baah’s ministry. He has received many citations and accolades for his exceptional accomplishment as a trailblazer in music. In 2008 and 2009, he was awarded the Best Ghanaian Gospel Artist Award and the Best Worshipper Award.
Apostle Seth Baah's music influence spans a racially and musically diverse audience. He has recorded music in South Africa, Ghana and London. His series of CDs, “Weapon,” are sold in stores around the world and he recently signed a new record deal to release a series of CDs titled “Ushers.” He is the only Ghanaian gospel artist/musician on itunes.
Apostle Baah is blessed with one daughter, Keziah Adwoa Juanita Baah. He is held in high esteem by his peers and regarded in the community as a role model. His spiritual work includes a growing ministry and an ambitious musical ministry. His sermons are broadcast live on Rainbow Radio in London .


“I love you Jesus. I give my life to you.”
I remember writing this line in my diary, while sobbing uncontrollably. I was 9 years old. Little did I know, then, that this statement would carve my destiny.
My life was very ordinary in my growing up years. I studied in good schools. Enjoyed the company of good friends. Relished myself in the love of my parents and family. After I finished college, I worked for a commercial bank at Makati, the country's financial district. One time, a close friend whom I have known since grade school, invited me to attend a prayer meeting. I readily agreed because during this time, I was already a daily mass goer. And I felt a deeper longing to know God more.
My first prayer meeting was awkward. I liked the talk that the speaker gave, but I was uncomfortable with worship. It was my first time to hear people speaking and praying in tongues. But my discomfort was not enough to deter me from returning. Since then, I was a regular attendee. I completed the Life in the Spirit Seminar and became a regular committed member of this Catholic Community. Needless to say, I was growing up in my relationship with God. I was also a zealous member of the community. All of my free time was dedicated to serving God and others.
In the meantime, I was enjoying advancement in my career as well. My boss was satisfied with my work, and he said that he had a career plan set out for me. I felt honored, of course. But on the other hand, I had a yearning to give to God more than what I was already giving.
Inevitably, I resigned from my lucrative career in the bank and worked full time for the Catholic Community that I belonged to.
I was Marketing Head of a Catholic Magazine that was just starting out. There were only four of us who worked full time for the magazine then. With God's grace and a lot of hard work from all the people involved. The publications company I was involved in grew and became very successful. Eventually, I left and moved to work for a travel agency. I was assigned to work with the Pilgrimage Department. My work included the task of going to different pilgrimage sites around the world. My work also allowed me to meet people from different places, of different nationalities, from all walks of life. This was a wonderful experience for me.
For one year, I took a leave from my work in the travel agency, to accompany my mother to visit my sister in the United States. Then, I considered the option of staying there. I tried to look for a permanent job who would be willing to sponsor me. But to my dismay, I found none. I came back to the Philippines with the plan of going back to the US the next year so I could try looking for a job there again.
Luckily, the travel agency I used to work for, agreed to hire me back. Once again, I was tasked to organize pilgrimages and accompany the groups I was assigned to.
A few months after I came back from the US, a friendship with a former client was rekindled. He is an amazing man who swept me off my feet. We fell in love. And got married shortly after.
Matthew and I continue to be the best of friends ever. Each day our friendship grows. Every experience we share brings us closer to one another.
I thank God for Matthew, my marriage, my life. I had no idea at all. That the prayer I uttered at a young age of nine was going to chart the course of my life. But I surmise, it must have been His plan for me all along. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways, my ways.” Isaiah 55:8
NOTE: Jojang is now busy with her home-based online work as a travel writer, while lovingly taking care of Matthew who suffers from chronic illness.


ChurchVida was started by Darryn Nyberg as a way to help churches get their most valuable resources online. Churches spread the Word and ChurchVida helps them do just that.
Darryn has served his church as worship leader, small group leader, and administrator for many years. It is in the working of the church that he started to see the need for a fast and affordable way for churches to communicate online.
Darryn Nyberg has a strong background in church operations, christian media, and software development. He served as worship leader in his church, founded Nyberg Business Systems, and was the general manager of Sermonspice.com for six years.
“Churches have great resources. I’d like to help them get those resources out to the people”
– Darryn Nyberg
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Yesterday was nothing less then perfect. Our little Ro received a name and a blessing from Pete and it was beautiful. Our family and friends were able to join us which made it that much more special. We decided to try something a little different. Because of the weather we were unable to have the luncheon/dinner in our courtyard like we did for Maxx. Since there is no way everyone would be able to fit in our house we decided to do a dinner at the church and bless her that evening instead of during sacrament. I feel like it made it so much more personal and special.
We are so lucky to have Romey in our family. She looks beautiful dressed in white.
I am so grateful to have Pete as their dad and is worthy to bless them.


The church members did that today by preparing the ground where the school will be built for the children.
We are praying that God will supply the funds and the materials for a building that will house three classrooms and one office. We are hoping that it will be finished by the end of 2012. It does take about 2 months to build a building this size, if all the funds and materials are there. The need for a school is definitely there. There are children that in the area that have no school close by to attend. They also may or may not have the funds to attend school. This project will help them get the education they need and want, and deserve.
The needs for this project:
- funds for building
- materials for building
- sponsorship for child to attend school
- three teachers
|This is the back of "Jesus Is Lord" church we attend.|
|This was the starting at 8 AM this morning!|
|Another angle showing the building behind the church.|
|After we went and visited a few people (another post) we came back to this much done by 12 noon.|
|We prayed with the group that was there that God would bless the project and see that it would be completed in His timing!|


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Messy Church and Angel Parade
Saturday December 17th, 3pm
starting at the town Christmas tree near the
Clock Tower and proceeding to Christchurch.
3:30-5pm Activities at Christchurch
All are welcome,
Angel costumes are encouraged!
Messy Church is a new initiative which aims to bring church to the people. It provides a less structured form of worship which can come in the form of crafts, cooking, singing, games and many other activities. We currently celebrate Messy Church several times a year to reflect the church season. Please look out for posters with our logo on it as we would love to welcome you at our Messy events!


About a month ago, I woke up at 2:15 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I knew that it was going to be one of those nights–or mornings. For some reason, in those restless moments, I was thinking about “The Bridge,” our new weekly worship experience that launches this Saturday, May 6, at 7:00 p.m. “The Bridge” is open to all, but it offers a particularly attentive welcome to those individuals and families that are currently accommodating the struggle of addiction or the journey of addiction recovery.
My mind was flooded with both deep concerns and desperate hopes in the hours of my sleeplessness. “Will people support yet another worship experience in our church and in the city of Butler? Have we rightly heard the voice of God on this? How will we sustain this service for the long haul? Do we have what it takes? Do I have what it takes? Will God raise up a congregation that sees the urgency of gathering each week simply to sing praises and to pray and to declare that the Lordship of Jesus holds authority over the drug epidemic of our community? What about the adults and young people of our community who are feeling crushed by the burden of addiction? Will they dare to believe that a place like the the church has a loving and hopeful word that is specifically for them?” Questions. Lots of them. My mind was racing.
Realizing that a return to sleep was nowhere close, I quietly made my way into our basement and sat at the electronic keyboard that we keep there. (A piano or keyboard is often where I place myself when I am confronted with things that are difficult for me to process. I think it helps me to pray.) As I allowed my hands to play some seemingly random chords, a pattern developed. Then a melody. Then a rhythm. Without really knowing what I was doing, I began to mumble these words to the music, quietly and clumsily: “Grant me serenity, to accept the things I cannot change.” When I paid attention to what I was mumbling, I realized that I was giving expression to what has come to be known as “The Serenity Prayer.” Written by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s, “The Serenity Prayer” is still used by millions of recovering addicts and alcoholics as a spiritual doorway into prayerful surrender. In my sleeplessness, I was thinking about my addicted and recovering sisters and brothers and praying the same prayer that is so often upon their lips.
By 4:00 that morning, additional words started to form in my consciousness as I sat at the keyboard. By 5:10, I had an entire song. Songwriting does not often happen that quickly for me. That morning, it did.
So, as the launch of “The Bridge” draws near, it is on my heart to share with you a very rough version of the song that I wrote in those hours. I recorded the song hastily this morning on my iPhone. Please pardon the poor quality of the recording and my pitchiness. I felt a sense of urgency about sharing the song with you just as it is, even in its unfinished and unpolished state. A better recording will come in time.
I hope to teach this new song to the Bridge congregation this Saturday night at our first service. Perhaps it will will give to people a musical way to call to mind, not only a familiar prayer, but also the truth that Jesus is the most trustworthy bridge upon which a person can stand.
Thanks for listening. Here’s the song:
Bridge (words and music by Eric Park)
Grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change
Grant me courage to change the things I can
Grant me wisdom to understand the difference
Grant me strength to stand upon that bridge
You’re the bridge that leads to holy ground
You’re the bridge for captive souls unbound
You’re the bridge across a wildly raging sea
You’re the bridge into a serenity
Grant us patience to live one day and then the next
Grant us mercy, that sins will be made clean
Grant redemption, that life will be as you intend
Grant us grace to travel on that bridge
You’re the bridge that leads to love that heals
You’re the bridge that holds what God reveals
You’re the bridge that sets a lonely prisoner free
You’re the bridge into eternity
It’s a bridge we know will never fall
Come and see, there’s room for one and all
We will hear the call and come to take our part
Jesus is the Bridge to God’s own heart
Jesus is the Bridge to God’s own heart
5 thoughts on “Bridge”
once again God has provided you with the right words for hurting hearts. Bless you, Eric and this new venture in Butler.
Eric, a fine rendition of God’s way to get his heart into many hearts via your talent. Well done again as only you can create! Thanks for who you are….a kind heart reaching others always!p
Beautiful! Brought tears to my eyes. Addiction is devastating to all involved. Looking forward to the first bridge service
Thank you for writing and sharing this. I have family members in the recovery journey and I will be sharing your meaningful song with them. Bless you & Tara.


No matter what has happened to you in the past or what is going on in your life right now, it has no power to keep you from having an amazingly good future if you will walk by faith in God. God loves you! He wants you to live with victory over sin so you can possess His promises for your life today!
Joyce Meyer. Life Good God Faith. I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love. Marilyn Monroe. Love Good I Am Girl. I think that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin, but the Bible also teaches that pride is a sin, jealousy is a sin, and hate is a sin, evil thoughts are a sin.
So I don't think that homosexuality should be chosen as the overwhelming sin that we are doing today. Billy Graham. Bible Today Thoughts Hate. There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. John C. Good Self-Respect Arrogance Pride. Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone. Jesus Christ. You Stone Without First Who.
Those who persevere in sin are those who are held in abhorrence by God, but those who abandon the ways of sin are loved by the Lord. God Loved Lord Who. In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.
Hunter S. World Society Stupidity Guilty. In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. Me Politics Thankful I Am. The greatest want of the world is the want of men - men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. Ellen G. Fear Men World Name. If it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul.
William Shakespeare. I Am Soul Honor Most. Top 10 Sin Quotes.
- Bold Beauty (Winnie the Horse Gentler Book 3).
- Bluegrass Favorites (Songbook): Violin Play-Along Volume 10 (Hal Leonard Violin Play-Along).
- Studio Notes For Literary Classics.
- Notes on the Entire Bible-The Book of Psalms (John Wesleys Notes on the Entire Bible 19)?
- Login with your account.
- Religion And Politics Quotes?
- Pollys Small Town War!
View the list. In art, the obvious is a sin. Edward Dmytryk. Art Obvious. I would rather die than do something which I know to be a sin, or to be against God's will. Joan of Arc. God Die Know Will.
The mystery of the Christian life is that Christ expects us to flee sin and the devil, but does not expect us to rid ourselves of either on this side of glory. Repentance is a way of life, and so is the pursuit of godliness. I wish every Christian could be reminded of these two things. Kevin DeYoung. Life Devil Way I Wish.
The Handmaid’s Tale, Feminism, and the Dangers of Religion | Psychology Today
The Vedanta recognizes no sin it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that. Swami Vivekananda. You Power Say Cannot. Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth. John Wesley. Alone God Me Fear.
Sacrifice, discipline and prayer are essential. Dennett and Harris have asserted that theist religions and their scriptures are not divinely inspired , but man made to fulfill social , biological and political needs. David Hume argued that religion developed as a source of comfort in the face of the adversity, not as an honest grappling with verifiable truth. Religion is therefore an unsophisticated form of reasoning.
As such, they may have served several important functions in ancient societies. Examples include the views many religions traditionally had towards solar and lunar eclipses and the appearance of comets forms of astrology. Religious suffering is, at the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.
It is the opium of the people. According to Karl Marx , the father of " scientific socialism ", religion is a tool used by the ruling classes whereby the masses can shortly relieve their suffering via the act of experiencing religious emotions. It is in the interest of the ruling classes to instill in the masses the religious conviction that their current suffering will lead to eventual happiness. Therefore, as long as the public believes in religion, they will not attempt to make any genuine effort to understand and overcome the real source of their suffering, which in Marx's opinion was their capitalist economic system.
In this perspective, Marx saw religion as escapism. Marx also viewed the Christian doctrine of original sin as being deeply anti-social in character. Original sin, he argued, convinces people that the source of their misery lies in the inherent and unchangeable "sinfulness" of humanity rather than in the forms of social organization and institutions, which Marx argued can be changed through the application of collective social planning. In his book The Selfish Gene , Richard Dawkins coined the term memes to describe informational units that can be transmitted culturally, analogous to genes.
Both the religious and non religious are critical of Dawkin's meme theory which has mostly been abandoned [ citation needed ].grandnalog.ru/modules/2019-03-11/flirt-znakomstva-perepiski.php
Organized Religion Quotes
Some have criticized the idea that "God" and "Faith" are viruses of the mind, suggesting that it is far removed from evidence and data" that it is unreasonable to extract certain behaviours solely through religious memes. Sam Harris compares religion to mental illness , saying it "allows otherwise normal human beings to reap the fruits of madness and consider them holy ". They conclude that people with such disorders have had a monumental influence on civilization. Psychological studies into the phenomenon of mysticism link disturbing aspects of certain mystics' experiences to childhood abuse.
Pickover found evidence suggesting that temporal lobe epilepsy may be linked to a variety of so-called spiritual or "other worldly" experiences, such as spiritual possession , originating from altered electrical activity in the brain.
- The Crimson Pact: Volume One.
- Organized Religion Quotes (64 quotes).
- Explore Topics.
- Church and State Quotes;
- Thomas Jefferson Quotes on Life, Government, and Religion?
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran suggests "It's possible that many great religious leaders had temporal lobe seizures and this predisposes them to having visions, having mystical experiences". Psilocybin from mushrooms affect regions of the brain including the serotonergic system, which generating a sense of strong religious meaning, unity and ecstasy.
Certain physical rituals may generate similar feelings.
In Michael Shermer 's book Why People Believe Strange Things he theorizes on how emerging mankind imposed made-up explanations and bizarre rituals for natural phenomena they didn't and couldn't understand. This is similar to the arguments made by Daniel Dennett in Breaking the Spell  however Shermer's argument goes further in that the peculiar and at times frightening rituals of religion are but one of many forms of strange customs that survive to this day.
Philosopher Auguste Comte posited that many societal constructs pass through three stages and that religion corresponds to the two earlier, or more primitive stages by stating: "From the study of the development of human intelligence, in all directions, and through all times, the discovery arises of a great fundamental law, to which it is necessarily subjective, and which has a solid foundation of proof, both in the facts of our organization and in our historical experience.
The law is this: that each of our leading conceptions — each branch of our knowledge — passes successively through three different theoretical conditions: the theological, or fictitious; the metaphysical, or abstract; and the scientific, or positive". In his book Is Religion Dangerous? Some have criticized the effects of adherence to dangerous practices such as self-sacrifice. A detailed study in found instances of deaths of children due to religion-based medical neglect. Most of these cases involved Christian parents relying on prayer to cure the child's disease and withholding medical care.
Jerusalem has loaned its name to a unique psychological phenomenon where Jewish or Christian individuals who develop obsessive religious themed ideas or delusions sometimes believing themselves to be Jesus Christ or another prophet will feel compelled to travel to Jerusalem. During a period of 13 years — for which admissions to the Kfar Shaul Mental Health Centre in Jerusalem were analyzed, it was reported  that 1, tourists with severe, Jerusalem-themed mental problems, were referred to this clinic.
Of these, were admitted to hospital. On average, such tourists have been seen annually, 40 of them requiring admission to hospital.
- Inside LightWave v9.
- Communism Quotes - BrainyQuote;
- The Handmaid’s Tale, Feminism, and the Dangers of Religion | Psychology Today.
- Uncontrolled Lust (erotic mind control) (Fraternal Mastery Book 3).
About 2 million tourists visit Jerusalem each year.


Prayer to Saint Raphael the Archangel for Health, Healing, Healing and More
The great power of prayer Saint Raphael the Archangel It was given to him directly by God, by conferring on him the virtue of being one of the intercessors who directly and without delay presents our prayers before the heavenly throne. Requesting the help of the Archangel Raphael through prayers is highly effective, due to his condition as commissioner for the help of the people of God in special missions, and to promote the well-being of homes.
«God of heaven, beloved Created, today I raise my prayer in your name to request the help of the Archangel Saint Raphael, selfless servant of kindness and charity in your honor.
Saint Raphael Archangel, you who were entrusted by the Father to heal and restore Tobias' sight, in the name of those good deeds is that right now I implore you to spill all that divine medicine on me.
Pure Spirit of God, allow me to receive the cure of my ills at your feet. Listen to me Saint Raphael, come right now and take my prayers to Our Lord (make a request).
Beloved angel from heaven, we are confident your devotees that you do not delay in taking our prayers to the throne of the Blessed Sacrament, because it is a joy for you to serve and help all the creatures of creation. In the same way you did it with Sara, Tobias's daughter-in-law, carrying her prayers before the Father.
I implore you, diligent archangel, to assist me in these moments of overwhelm and despair that I am going through. I cry out your name and free myself from so many anxieties that oppress my heart. I stick to your signs and I trust you forever, because I know that with your own words you said that you are one of the seven Angels that leads the prayers of men before the magnificent presence of God.
You were created with such kindness Saint Raphael Archangel, that the Creator commissioned you to help all those who suffer from the machinations of the devil and his low spirits. That is why I give you my heart, my thoughts, my devotion, and everything in my life that needs to be freed from evil. Because without hesitation you freed Sara and tied up the demons that were repressing her, then tie up any entity or being of low light that is disturbing my affairs, my mind, or my spirit.
Saint Raphael the Archangel, you who are light, illuminate my thoughts so that they remain healthy, so that neither ideas nor negative feelings can take root within my being. Dispel feelings of anger, resentments, revenge, memories of sadness and wounds that could darken my heart and close me to forgiveness.
Archangel Raphael, you are welcome in my home, whenever I invoke you my soul lights up with joy because you are one of the Lord's favorite envoys. Touch me with your divine energy allowing my misfortunes to become joys, my fears to confidence, my concerns to calm, my annoyances to peace. Get out of my being all the presence of the devil who, using his perverse abilities, is stealing my inner harmony.
Archangel Raphael, I humbly ask you to be the guardian of my progress, in the same way that you did with Tobias, whom you took care of from all evil and helped to recover the silver. At this moment I entrust you, my dear angel, to also help me recover my good fortune, that my economy be stable, prosperous and abundant, so much so that it even serves to help others.
Do not allow him to suffer losses of any nature. Guard me and my family, my friends, and my benefactors with your heavenly army. Under your care I give my children (say their names if you have them, if you don't have them, you can ask on behalf of your siblings, relatives or whoever you want) so that you protect them from all evil, from bad company, from failure, and from any trap of the devil.
I give you my home San Rafael Arcángel, allow that there are angels around us taking care of us, that inspire union, respect, and love; and that only good-hearted people enter our house, disinterested, free from feelings of envy or falsehood. Deliver us from misfortune, from the temptations of sin, from bad decisions and from the snares of our enemies.
I beg you Saint Raphael that, as you know how to do it, keep me sentimentally attached to the right person, and in the same way, augur a good husband or wife to all the members of my household. So that bathed in your immense grace we manage to find ourselves along the paths of this life with the person that God has predestined for us.
To your devotion I give myself San Rafael Archangel, take control of all my circumstances. Protect me from all evil, misfortunes, diseases, and premature death. Because I trust in you and in the word of God Our Lord. Thank you, dear Archangel Raphael, for always coming to my aid. Stay with me. Fight by my side and pray for us until the last day of our lives. Amen".
Why do we pray to the Archangel Raphael?
San Rafael is a healing Archangel, the nature of his energy stimulates physical, emotional and spiritual healing processes in human beings. All this is done from internal liberation processes, which allow us to neutralize negative emotions that harm our health. In another sense, Rafael also willingly helps those who require help to maintain or improve family unity, and to achieve or maintain good interpersonal relationships, whether: family, work, or partner.
How do you pray to the Archangel Raphael?
Performing prayers to invoke the help of angels is just an intimate conversation with a "good friend." Let us remember that, from the beginning of our incarnation, they are accompanying us and protecting us at every step. Therefore, the first thing that must reign when invoking the help of the angels is faith. They will always be willing to listen to us and assist us in whatever is necessary.
You can read: Who is the Archangel Raphael?
Prayer to Saint Raphael the Archangel to ask for healing
This prayer of Saint Raphael the Archangel can be accompanied by a small ritual to promote with greater intensity the help of your spirituality. The following elements will be used: a holy card of the Archangel, 7 very clean and dry fishbones, a green and a white candle (candle), an olive or eucalyptus branch.
To perform this ritual, a clean and quiet space will be available, to avoid interruptions. The image of Raphael will be placed on a table, the two candles will be lit and the seven thorns will be placed next to it on a small plate. The branch will be placed in a small vase in front of the candles, offering all the elements in the name of the Archangel Raphael and reciting the prayer below.
Archangel Raphael, prince of the armies of God. It is you, healing on Earth. With humility I completely open my heart, hoping that from my love I can reach yours. Glorious watchman of those who suffer, of those who travel, and of those who seek true affection in this life. You are love, you are health, you are life, you are peace. I beg you that by your divine intervention and the vibration of these elements that I have arranged in your name, heal, cure, strip all evil from (say their name or the name of the person for whom the request is made). Create a healing network in his aura, so that under your protection he recovers from all evil and full of life can serve God with acts of mercy. Amen and so be it."
When the candles are consumed, he will keep the thorns in a little box or in a green cloth envelope, saying the following affirmation: «Saint Rafael the Archangel, just as you saved Tobias's son with the fish, so I ask you to save (say his name). or the name of the person for whom the petition is made) amen.” Keep them until the person you are petitioning for heals.
Prayer to the Archangel Raphael to ask for protection
Saint Raphael the Archangel, with the blessing of Almighty God, I implore you to come to my call accompanied by the armies of the Lord.
Guardian angels of the children of God on Earth, led by Miguel, by Gabriel and Rafael, under their protection I take refuge.
Archangel Raphael, I come to you in this hour of great concern. I ask that, with your angelic strength, accompanied by the grace of God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit, counting as always on the intercession of the Virgin Mary, all evil in my life may be overthrown (make request).
By the power of the Holy Trinity and the strength of Saint Raphael the Archangel, I revoke all conflicts, confrontations, machinations, betrayals, bad intentions and bad actions of my enemies; and by his sacred will I invalidate any spirit of evil that remains attached to my being, to my home, or to my paths.
San Rafael Archangel, cover me with your green energy full of light, health, and love. As a good guide and protector, accompany me to get out of this moment of tribulation, refresh my mind to see clearly the decisions I must make and achieve, thanks to your intervention, the long-awaited peace and tranquility.
Thank you Saint Raphael Archangel for listening and answering my prayers, I am sure that you will help me without forsaking me for a moment along the paths of life. Guard me, protect me from all evil, danger and disturbance, I ask you from my heart. Amen".
It may interest you: Archangel Michael Prayer
Prayer to Saint Raphael the Archangel for children
“Dear Saint Raphael the Archangel, I invoke you today and every day of my life to humbly ask for your heavenly help and protection.
From my heart, I confess that the protection I request is not for me, however, my call is profound. Lovingly I come to you my dear angel to deliver under your protection and shelter my adored son / daughter (say the name of his son).
I beg you, that by the grace of God you manifest yourself before my prayer. That from now on my son / daughter is your protégé / ay with you and his guardian angel can complete his destiny in this life. Protect him Saint Rafael Archangel, so that he can become happy in this life, full of peace, of tranquility, surrounded by people who love him and happy in physical, mental and spiritual health.
Oh Archangel Raphael! pour all your kindness on my son / daughter (say the name of his son). Make our home, your home, and dwell with us from now on, filling us with your presence, with your light, so that, strengthened in you, we can overcome any setback, always emerging victorious. Amen".
Prayer to Saint Raphael the Archangel for health
Merciful God, keep us with your blessing, may your grace rest forever on all of us, your children incarnated on this Earth.
Holy Father, I implore your approval to commend myself under the protection of the angels and archangels of the heavenly court, especially under the protection of the Archangel Saint Raphael.
Oh Archangel Raphael! Missionary of God, divine doctor, pious healer, cover me with your vigorous fluid so that the sanction of my suffering materializes in my body and in my soul according to your will.
Before you I expose myself without hiding anything, put your blessed hands on this disease that is affecting my being (make a request) so that once your blessing is obtained, I begin to improve day after day, until I reach the moment in which I declare myself completely healthy / or in your name and in the name of God Our Lord.
You, who emanated your light of protection and grace over the house of Tobias, radiate that same light of salvation over my home, I beg you, so that your vibrations concentrated, every trace of the energy of the disease and of every dark spirit comes out. who wanders the world seeking the perdition and decomposition of men.
Saint Raphael Archangel, work on me and on my need, welcome me under your protection and never let me go, and intercede for my cause without delay because what I ask of you today is urgent. Thank you for listening and responding to my humble prayers, blessed be today and always. Amen".
Healing Prayer to Saint Raphael the Archangel
Praise be to the God of heaven, all honor and glory belong to you. That is why we can do no more than adore you and thank you for your great mercy. Today, pleading, I bow before you, beloved Father, to ask you to allow the influence of Saint Raphael the Archangel to settle on me, so that, just as you sent him to save Tobias by restoring his health, in the same way I can enjoy your mercy. to get your input on mine.
Archangel Saint Raphael, be present in my home, in the hospital or clinic, where with great care they attend me with the medicine of this world, that in your presence be impregnated with true healing, becoming the way in which I manage to recover my health. that I have lost
Saint Raphael the Archangel, with all the love in the world I am ready to welcome you by my side, because my faith is great and you being such a charitable angel of the Lord, my devotion to you is full of trust and hope.
I beg you Rafael, do not abandon my prayer, on the contrary, that it be taken to God's office promptly, so that, with great speed, I can enjoy the joy of being blessed with health that has eluded me for a long time.
I know that today you are listening to my prayers, because you do not deny your ears to the afflicted, nor your help to the helpless. I cling to your spirit, receiving from you the consolation that encourages me to continue, because just having the certainty that you listen to me is enough to take for granted that at your feet I will heal.
Therefore, help me Archangel Raphael, intercede before our Lord so that I can enjoy health in every part of my body that is sick, especially in this particular one (deliver your cause and illness in the hands of Saint Raphael the Archangel). Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your invaluable help, blessed angel. Amen".
Prayer to Saint Raphael the Archangel to ask for the sick
«Glorious Archangel Raphael, I cry out for your help in the name of the Holy Trinity. It was Almighty God who granted you the virtue of interceding for those who suffer, you did it without hesitation for Tobias and Sara as they begged for the help of the Creator.
Archangel Saint Raphael, I take refuge in your powerful intercession, because despite being a humble and sinful creature, I fully trust in your mercy, and being a great devotee of yours, I am sure of your willingness to help those who suffer great consternation.
Today I appear before you, beloved Archangel of God, to ask on behalf of another person, because, although I am not the one who personally suffers this bitter avatar, I see with despair what it means to suffer a bitter illness. I strongly commend you to place your miraculous hands on the body of (say the name of the sick person) so that his needs may be delivered before God, and the joy of healing granted.
You, who are such a kind being, do not deny him your intervention, favor then, his recovery process, that he be in the correct earthly hands, which, influenced by your spirit, must apply the appropriate medicine for the improvement and healing of his affliction.
Likewise, I commend all the sick in this world, do not abandon those who are alone going through serious recovery processes, revive them and fill them with hope so that they do not lose the desire to continue fighting until they feel much better.
Dear Saint Raphael the Archangel, take my pleas before the glorious presence of the Lord so that, through your invaluable intervention, they may be taken into account, blessed and materialized. May the glory of God protect us today and always. Amen".
Prayer to the Archangel Raphael to get a job
Saint Raphael the Archangel, today I invoke you with all my heart. You, who are a being of light, delight in the joy of being before the Blessed Sacrament, you have the power to bring kind blessings from heaven.
To you, angel of my devotion, I place myself, my family and my friends in your hands. Well troubled and sad I find myself, but, in you I have to find peace and guidance to achieve firmness and security that will make me get out of this instability.
Help me, Archangel Raphael, to obtain, through your divine grace, the best news about a new job, because, no matter how hard I have tried, I have not been able to establish myself in the work area and overwhelmed I am submerged in despair. However, by invoking your presence my soul finds comfort, faith and hope spring up in me that I will soon find a solution to my cause (make a request).
Do not allow me to live in misery San Rafael, help me to obtain the appropriate employment to make the most of my abilities, thus enjoying the tranquility and material stability of this Earth. Thank you for heeding my call, may your will be done. Amen".


Today, the Lord has need of workers to execute the work for which the church was commissioned. I am very grateful to serve as the 14th Moderator of Zion Missionary Baptist Association, Inc.
I want the Association to focus on the theme: Standing on History Moving Forward encouraged by:Hebrews 12:2-3 (KJV) 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself,
lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
As an update, we are:
Working to assist churches without by-laws. A set of generic standards (i.e., templates) are being developed to assist in their ministries.
Developing an obtainable approach to retiring the training center’s mortgage over the next four years.
Drafting a plan for a youth center to sustain the future of Zion as we develop a pipeline for our youth. There is a general concern about our youth involvement in our fellowships. We will look at best practices on methods to recruit and energize our young members.
These are just some of the things I would like to see Zion accomplish in the days ahead.
As we reference Hebrews 12:1-3 (paraphrased), we are compassed about by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside the weight that so easily besets us and run with patience the race that is set before us. Let us continue to press on.
Yours in Christ,
Moderator Marvin L. Lloyd


The Child’s Pastoral, a CNBB (Brazilian Bishops National Conference) social action organism, bases its activities on the community organization and training community leaders who live there. They assume the task of guiding and following up the neighboring families on health, education, nutrition and citizenship basic actions, having as goal the “full development of children, improving, because of them, their families and communities, regardless of race, color, profession, nationality, sex, religious or political beliefs.” (Article 2 of the Statute)
We work for a world without preventable mother-child deaths and where all the children, even the most vulnerable, can live in a favorable environment to their development. (Isaak 65, 16)
“That all the children may have life and have it abundantly.” (Jo 10,10). The mission of the Child’s Pastoral is to promote the development of children, in the light of the evangelical option for the poor, from the mother's womb to 6 years old, helping their families and communities to transform their own lives through basic guidelines of health, nutrition, education and citizenship, based on the Christian mystic that unites faith and life.
Values and beliefs
Beliefs (In what Child’s Pastoral believes):
God's glory is life;
Faith and Life: experience faith, through concrete actions in the community;
God reveals Himself preferentially to the poor;
Sharing and Solidarity.
Values (what characterizes the way of action and attitudes):
Adherence to the Child’s Pastoral Mission;
Ethics (Transparency, Honesty, Justice, Fairness);
Non Discrimination (race, color, profession, nationality, sex, religious or political beliefs);
Commitment to results;
Valuing children, pregnant women and families;
Joy in serving;
Multiply the knowledge;
Go and meet, look for proximity;
Child’s Pastoral was founded in 1983, in the city of Florestópolis, Paraná (South of Brazil), by the public health and pediatric doctor, Dra. Zilda Arns Neumann, and by Dom Geraldo Majella Agnelo, who then was Archbishop of Londrina (Paraná, South of Brazil) today Cardinal Emeritus. The institution is present in all Brazilian states and in other 21 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Levels of Coordination
The Child’s Pastoral is organized into community, branch, sector, state and country and there are coordination teams and councils in each level. The Internal Regiment, approved by the General Assembly, sets their rules and structures.
Community coordination: exercised by one of the leaders of Child’s Pastoral from the community.
Branch coordination (parish): responsible for several communities with Child’s Pastoral of a same parish. The coordinator is indicated, within a three names list, by the community coordinators of the respective branch (parish) and ratified by the parish priest.
Sector coordination (diocese): responsible for several branches (parishes) with Child’s Pastoral from the diocese to which belongs. Is indicated by the branch coordinators and ratified by the diocesan bishop.
State coordination: responsible for several sectors (dioceses) with Child’s Pastoral from the state. Is indicated by the sector coordinators and ratified by the bishop responsible for Child’s Pastoral in the state.
National coordination: supports the activity of the coordinations all over Brazil. The national coordinator is nominated by the President of the Management Council and ratified by the CNBB.
Management Council: is elected by the General Assembly of Child’s Pastoral and ratified by the CNBB.
General Assembly: maximum organ of Child’s Pastoral. It is composed by the Management Council, the dioceses, represented by the state coordinators, and representatives of the National Association of Friends of Child’s Pastoral.


At COOL, we believe in the power of prayer, and that prayer is exponentially powerful when shared. The Prayer Partners of Church of One Love are trained in affirmative prayer and will join you in holding the vision of the highest and greatest good for you. All requests and prayers are held in strict confidence.
On Sundays we offer one-on-one prayer support immediately after services for anyone who wishes it.
If you have a prayer request, you may place it in person, use the Prayer Request form on the right to submit, call the church office at 972-245-6520, or email the church office at firstname.lastname@example.org to be added to our confidential prayer list.


Oct. 5, 2016
Brethren in Haiti and the DR send preliminary reports,
Brethren leaders from Haiti and the Dominican Republic have begun sending preliminary news of their situation in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, which hit the island shared by the two Caribbean nations on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The reports have been communicated to the Global Mission and Service office and received by office manager Kendra Harbeck.
A preliminary report from Haiti was sent by Ilexene Alphonse, staff of Global Mission and Service serving with l’Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti). So far no loss of lives and no loss of homes have been reported among the Haitian Brethren.
Richard Mendieta, president of the church in the DR, reported, “So far so good, just lots of water. But all good thanks to God.”
“There is damage in some cities, but we are looking for information to see if some churches and members of our church have been affected,” reported treasurer Gustavo Lendi Bueno.
Brethren Disaster Ministries preparing a response
“Global Mission and Service through Brethren Disaster Ministries is preparing a response to Hurricane Matthew in Haiti and the United States,” reported Roy Winter, associate executive director. “Early reports from the Haitian Church of the Brethren indicate families have taken shelter through the storm and there is no reported loss of life or homes among the Brethren. Communication and access is limited to the far Western part of Haiti due to extensive storm damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure.”
In the coming week, staff of Brethren Disaster Ministries will work with the Haitian Brethren and Church World Service to further assess the situation and determine response plans in the Caribbean and on the east coast of the United States, Winter reported.
Disaster response staff are monitoring the progress of the hurricane and will work with local districts in response to any damage in Florida, the Carolinas, or other areas. Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) teams already are on alert to respond where needed on the east coast.
“We have a team of 10 people that are ready to go this weekend if needed,” according to CDS associate director Kathy Fry-Miller.
The Haitian church’s Ministry Center in the Port-au-Prince area is okay, Alphonse said. There is flooding in Marin, however, which is a community that received assistance from Brethren Disaster Ministries after Hurricane Sandy caused flooding in 2012, and after the 2010 earthquake. People affected by flooding have been taking shelter in the Marin church.
Alphonse also shared some news about the general situation in the south of Haiti, which was hardest hit by the hurricane. At least 12 Haitians died in the storm and 20 are missing in communities such as Cayes, Petit Goave, and Miragoane, where there was a lot of storm damage and authorities are still assessing the situation.
Hurricane Matthew is reportedly the strongest storm to affect Haiti since the early 1960s. After crossing over Haiti it headed for the Bahamas, before it was expected to continue north and affect the east coast of the United States later in the week.
On Wednesday, the “Washington Post” reported that “the full extent of Matthew’s blow to Haiti remained unclear, with communications almost fully severed to some regions in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation–where tens of thousands of people still live in tents after an earthquake six years ago killed 200,000 people.”
More updates from the hurricane response and the situation in Haiti and the DR will be shared as they become available.
Support the Hurricane Matthew response in the Caribbean and US by giving to the Emergency Disaster Fund online at www.brethren.org/edf or by check to Emergency Disaster Fund, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin IL 60120.
Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Kathy Fry-Miller, Kendra Harbeck, Roy Winter, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren. Contact firstname.lastname@example.org . Newsline appears every week, with special issues as needed. Stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. The next regularly scheduled issue of Newsline is set for Oct. 7.