Martin Luther King Jr quote

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority

Christian Right and Left

I remember as a kid Jerry Falwell saying that to be Christian was to be Republican. I remember how this disgusted my parents and how the feeling in the church was that to be Christian was to be Republican. They would state how the social issues of the Republican Party stood with the Bible.

I think we are seeing a shift these days to quite the opposite. When Obama the other night was elected I began to hear from many (on Blogs and other places) this same feeling that to be Christian was to stand with Obama. Its interesting to me. I saw one blog that said "finally we have a President that is actually a Christian and lives by the Sermon on the Mount". The Christian left says that the social issues they stand for (social justice etc) stand with the Bible.

My question is this. Isn't the Christian Left just as dangerous and wrong as the Christian Right? I am not a fan of Falwell and Focus on the Family etc, but I am also no fan of these views of the new wave of the Christian Left.

Anyone have any thoughts? I am trying to work this out in my mind.

Time for some Campaignin

Drumline Battery Battle

Sarah Palin

Is it bad that I actually like her more than McCain? Here is her intro speech today

Charles Wesley coded journal

Anglican Mainstream reported, yesterday, that the coded journal of Charles Wesley, for the first time in 250 years, had been deciphered. The decoding work was accomplished by the Rev'd. Prof. Kenneth Newport, pro vice-chancellor of Liverpool Hope University.

The journals reveal Charles' grave concern about a possible split between the Methodists and the Church of England. (Charles, of course, vowed to stay with the Church of England if such a split were to ever occur.) The journals also speak (disapprovingly) of his brother, John's, plans to marry. As well as Charles' concerns about the spread of Islam.

The conservative Anglican review, of course, draws some parallels between the Methodist/Church of England split and the current concerns about an Anglican split.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/2627661/Charles-Wesleys-250-year-old-journals-reveal-fears-that-Church-of-England-could-split.html

Eugene Peterson

Obama and the race card

So John McCain released a political ad yesterday in which he says that Obama has gained celebrity status. The ad then shows Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Obama replies today to this ad by saying that the GOP is trying to scare off voters by saying that he doesn't look like any of the presidents on the dollar bills. I guess I need help with this. Can anyone tell me why this is an ok response? Why is it that everytime anyone tries to question Obama that the race card need to be played? And by the way, if you haven't noticed, Obama is not black he is bi racial. The race card does not need to be played in this election.

I do want change in this country...but Obama is not change. ALL of the things he stands for are failed policies of the past. So Obama, please stop using the race card and start trying to get used to getting criticism.

Just some thoughts.

Irony anyone?

LEBANON, Ind. — A woman accidentally stabbed herself in the foot with a 3-foot-long sword while performing a Wiccan good luck ritual at a central Indiana cemetery.

Katherine Gunther, 36, of Lebanon, pierced her left foot with the sword while performing the rite at Oak Hill Cemetery, police said.

Gunther said she was performing the ceremony to give thanks for a recent run of good luck. The ceremony involves the use of candles, incense and driving swords into the ground during the full moon.
Gunther said was aiming to put the sword in the ground, but hit her foot instead.

"It wasn't the first time I performed the ritual, but it was the first time I put a sword through my foot," she said.

Gunther immediately pulled the sword out of her foot, and her companions took her to Witham Memorial Hospital, where she was kept a couple days for treatment.

No charges were filed, police said. The Wiccans were warned that being in the cemetery in the city about 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis after posted visiting hours constitutes trespassing.

Wicca is a nature-based religion based on respect for the earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons.

What if worship were like a Sporting event?

Hope you will like this video.