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Blog Archives
Bible Reading Schedule – 2015
It is time for my annual (or almost annual) post suggesting a daily Bible reading schedule. This coming year (2015) I am going to return to an older schedule I have used, and after explaining that schedule I will explain why I believe it to be a valuable exercise.
First, a bit of an explanation – it sounds confusing, but it really is not. I just explain in confusing terms.
The basic schedule calls for a reader to read 5 chapters of the Old Testament every day, Monday through Saturday. Also, one Psalm is read daily, Monday through Saturday. On Mondays and Saturdays the reader reads one chapter of the New Testament, and on Tuesdays through Fridays the reader reads 2 chapters of the New Testament. Thus, on Mondays and Saturdays the schedule calls for 7 chapters a day, and on Tuesday through Friday it calls for 8 chapters a day. This schedule allows a person to read through the entire Bible twice in a year. I choose one translation for January – June, and another for July – December. This allows me to "hear" the text in two different translations within one year.
Now, a couple of changes need to be made throughout the year. For one, February only has 28 days, so there has to be some changes in the Old Testament readings. I combine some of the smaller prophetic writings, or I will add a chapter here or there depending on context. Also, Ps. 119 is 176 verses long, so I break the Psalm into 24 verse sections for a daily reading.
To work the whole schedule out, I take a calendar and, starting with Jan. 1, will write down the OT, Psalm, and NT reading for each day on that calendar. Planning ahead is part of the discipline of reading. Of course, there are dozens, maybe hundreds of pre-printed schedules out there – but what fun is that? Part of the joy of this plan is you actually have to spend time working it out. The return you get for your time is quite gratifying.
You may ask, "What about Sunday?" Well, that is when I turn to the Moravian reading schedule, which follows the common lectionary reading for Sunday. So, every Sunday there is an Old Testament reading, a reading from a Psalm, a reading from a gospel, and a reading from another New Testament book. The lectionary follows the common Christian calendar.
This past year I followed the Moravian reading schedule completely, but I learned a couple of things. The Moravian schedule is much more expanded – you read through the Bible once every two years, meaning the readings are much smaller. But I learned that the manner in which the Moravian schedule breaks the Old Testament readings is not necessarily along contextual lines. Many stories are interrupted, and others are broken in seemingly incongruous ways. Also, many of the Psalms are divided, when they should have been read in their entirety. Now, a reader can always read the entire Psalm every day, and I often did, but it just did not make sense to me to break so many of the Psalms into smaller sections. The New Testament readings make much more sense, at least this past year, as the readings all came from the gospels which are easier to break into contextual sections.
An objection to my longer reading schedule is often "I don't have time to read that Bible that long every day." Let me say first that there are some people for whom that is true. I think especially of mothers of young children. Babies and toddlers just do not allow for lengthy periods of quiet time. However, for the overwhelming majority of us, that excuse is just a dodge. How much time do you spend with your eyes glued to a screen – either your computer, phone, or tablet? Uh huh, thought so. Now, how much time do you spend reading your Bible? Yeah, right. See – our priorities are revealed by the amount of time we devote to certain tasks. I seriously doubt that many of us cannot devote 30 – 45 minutes a day to reading the Bible, even if it has to be broken into sections (Old Testament in the morning, Psalms and New Testament at night). It is not so much a matter of opportunity, but will power and dedication.
Another objection I hear is "I just want to read a verse or two and meditate on those." Wonderful! I think that is a great idea. But with that idea comes the related problem of atomizing the Scriptures. The Old Testament in particular was written as a narrative, a story. By just pulling one verse out of thin air a reader misses the "story" that makes the verse important. So, by reading larger sections (and 5 chapters a day is NOT that long of a reading), a reader can follow along with the narrative of the text. Then, if a particular verse, or section of verses, strikes you as especially meaningful, then by all means take the time to meditate on those verses.
The point of any daily Bible reading schedule is that it is pointless if we do not spend time in the text. I fully admit that this "long" reading schedule is not for everyone. But, for some, it may be the schedule that opens entire new doors into the Scripture.
Whatever your plan, choose one that works for you and stick with it. Let us all become readers of God's word in 2015!
Some Musings on Growing Up Spiritually Spoiled
Stream of consciousness alert here – this post may not flow too logically. If you get confused, that's okay. I am confused too.
Something Rush Limbaugh said the other day resonated with me. The only time I listen to Limbaugh is when I am in my car driving to my exercise or to lunch. I cannot give you the set up for the comment beyond he was discussing global warming (a massive hoax according to RL). The thing he said that made me start thinking was the overweening pride and arrogance that we who are alive today have when we think that we have everything all figured out, that we are the paragon of all human existence. In regard to global warming his point is that we think we have a real crisis here because the average temperature of the atmosphere has gone up a degree or so in the past 100 years or whatever. Of course, if we think that we are the be-all and end-all of civilization, we might have reason to be concerned. But if you look at the thousands of years of human civilization, who is to say that OUR atmosphere is the norm by which we should gauge all atmospheres? Maybe we have been living for the past 1,000 years in a atmospheric freak, and our world is just beginning to settle the score and get back to the way things were 1,000 years or more ago.
Whatever. You can have your own opinion about global warming or climate change or whatever you want to call it. But what does his theory have to do with spiritual issues? Have we decided that we, in the 20th/21st century have discovered what the sum total of godly living is? Are we going to measure all civilizations, past and future, against our vast and unchallenged spiritual maturity?
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As I was explaining to one of my classes this past week, if we viewed all of humankinds' knowledge as one of our oceans, what we know right now at this moment in history amounts to about a sewing thimble full of water. Our arrogance, however, exceeds that of the distance between the earth and the sun.
Where this slaps me upside the head right now is in trying to figure out why so many young people who are raised in the church are leaving the church, and what we can do, if anything, to reverse the trend. In a moment that may be born more of fatigue and frustration I've come to think that what we have been doing for the past 40 years is exactly the wrong thing to be doing!
You see, I was lucky to be raised at a time in which youth ministry was just getting started. I was blessed to have some of the finest youth ministers in the Churches of Christ influence me – perhaps one of the finest ever in the person of Bobby Hise. But, looking back on the situation through the eyes of a (mumble, mumble) year old, I wonder if we are not doing more harm than good by trying to "meet the needs" of teenagers and trying to "make the Bible relevant" to teenagers. I see more time, money and energy going into youth ministries today than ever before with decreasing results – when the graduates of these programs enter college or young adulthood they leave the churches in droves. Why? What are we doing that is producing such negative effects?
I think part of the answer goes back to Limbaugh's observation. We have convinced ourselves that the next generation is the only generation that matters, and we will do anything and everything to make sure they have it better than we did. We have flashier worship services, the latest and greatest (and hippest) songs, we have multiple screens for our video sermons and the teens can interact with the speaker on their smart phones. Yet, I can tell you emphatically that our college students know far less Bible now than my high school classmates did "x" number of years ago.
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My friends, in the local vernacular, we are all hat and no cattle.
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Okay, I'll admit it – I grew up spoiled. I had the world handed to me on a silver platter and served to me with a silver spoon. We had youth rallies and special classes and impressive camps designed just for us. We got to sing our special songs and we even taught some of them to the adults. And, as good American parents we have even upped the ante with our children and grandchildren. We will move heaven and earth to make sure our children and grandchildren are pacified and satisfied in a church that they will believe is "relevant," whatever in the world that means.
And, boy – just look at the results. Look around at the average congregation. How many college students do you see? How many 20-30 somethings do you see? Some congregations may be doing very well, thank you. I suspect most are not.
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I find it more than simply fascinating that at the exact moment in which Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the gospel writers emphasize that Jesus began to teach the disciples that being the Christ meant death on a cross. Not only that, but being a disciple meant following that death on the cross and perhaps even sharing in that death on a cross.
So, while we are teaching that the Christian life is cool and hip and everybody should be a Christian and churches should try to do everything in their power to make sure we are comfortable and satisfied and have all our narcissistic needs met (especially if we are young and beautiful), Jesus was saying, "Hold on here – you got the theology right, I am the Son of God. But do you really know what that means and what following me means?"
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The point is, when increased budgets and activity result in decreased results, maybe we have something backwards. Maybe we have had something backwards for over a generation now. Maybe we need to re-think the whole discipleship issue, from the ground up.
Maybe we should be teaching more about the cross and doing less spiritual spoiling of our children, grandchildren, and converts.
The Proof is in the Verbs
I was reading in the book of Exodus this morning in my daily Bible reading. The passage I was reading (more on that later) reminded me of the amazing instructors I had in college. Drs. John Willis, Everett Ferguson, Ian Fair, Neil Lightfoot, Bill Humble, Eugene Clevenger, Lemoine Lewis – an amazing cast of instructors at one given point in history. It is really quite spooky how a few verses from the Bible can bring so many faces and tones of voice and little personal mannerisms and other memories flooding back to you.
Anyway – and on to the point of this blog, the passage I was reading included the last few verses of Exodus 2 all the way through chapter 3:
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them…Then the LORD said, "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…" (Exodus 2:24-25, 3:7-8a, NRSV)
It was Dr. John Willis who taught me the ancient language of Hebrew (and a ton of other information about the Old Testament). One of the things that he stressed in dealing with any passage of Scripture (Old or New Testament) is to focus on the verbs. The verbs carry all the freight of the sentence, and theologically speaking, all the spiritual freight as well.
Notice the verbs in those few verses. God heard, God remembered, God looked upon, God took notice, God had observed, God had heard, God knew, God has come down, and God will bring them up.
And that, my friends and neighbors, will keep you busy studying and meditating and praying upon for as long as you would like. Those are some of the most powerful, most pregnant, and most eloquent expressions to be found in Holy Scripture.
Agnostics and atheists like to think they can place Christians in a difficult spot by speaking of God's absence, of God's forsaking the earth. They might have a point if the Bible spoke of Deism. But the God of the Bible is no deist. The God of the Bible is a living, active participant in this world. Our God did not wind the universe up only to watch it run down to some cataclysmic end. Our God hears, remembers, looks upon, takes notice, observes, comes down in order to lift up.
I am afraid that too many Christians have been deluded by Aristotle's "Unmoved Mover" as the picture of God. In this they have fallen right into the trap that agnostics and atheists have laid. Aristotle does not even come close to the picture of God painted in the Hebrew Scriptures, not to mention the New Testament. I am so glad! Aristotle's god may be worthy of fear and loathing, but never love, adoration and worship.
When you are flying by yourself in fog so thick you cannot even see your wingtips it is nice to know there is someone out there who can see everything that is going on. In the case of a pilot that is the air traffic controller who guides and sequences all the planes flying around in the muck so they can land safely.
We, as children of God, have so much more than an air traffic controller. We have a God who sees all, knows all, and, most important, loves and cares for all. He created all and died for all. He it is who is worthy of our love and adoration.
It is not difficult to discover who this God is and what He does for His children – the proof is in the verbs!
Jesus and Peter
My thoughts turn today to a conversation between Peter and Jesus. It is a loaded conversation, and deserves far more than this little space can give it. Maybe I will return to this conversation another time.
The conversation is found in Luke 22. I quote it here from the Revised Standard Version (If the RSV was good enough for St. Neil Lightfoot of Abilene, then it is certainly good enough for me.)
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. Luke 22:31-32
Have you ever read that passage carefully? Meditatively? Have you ever stopped to consider the time references that Jesus incorporates into that one little sentence? And, of the profound theological implications of what Jesus told Peter?
First, Jesus was telling Peter that there was a great cosmic fight over Peter! Satan and Jesus, fighting it out over some run-of-the-mill fisherman from Galilee. Of what possible use could some salty sea-dog be to Satan? Who knows, but we all know (because we know "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say) how important Peter was to Jesus.
I do not want to make a "one-to-one" comparison here. Not all of us can be a Peter – or a Mary sister of Martha for that matter. That is an hermeneutical shipwreck that destroys a lot of really important passages. We are not all Jeremiah's in the sense that God does not call each and every one of us from our mother's womb. We are not all Job's in the sense that God and Satan duke it out when we have a severe medical crisis. Putting ourselves in the sandals of our biblical heroes is theologically suspect, and psychologically destructive as well. Let us focus on who we are and learn from these characters without trying to duplicate them.
That having been said, I do believe that we can learn something from this passage about our worth, both to God and Jesus and to the great deceiver. Is it possible that Satan wants you, not because that you would be of any particular value to him, but because you could be of so much greater value to Jesus? Just as not everyone has it in themselves to be another Peter of Galilee, very, very few of us have it within us to be another Adolf Hitler. But, Satan does not need us to be another Adolf Hitler. All he needs us to do is to minimize Jesus and his church in our life. His perverted will is thereby accomplished, and to the world around us we can still be "good, moral" people.
Second, Jesus prayed for Peter, but he knew that Peter was going to fail Him, and thus in one sense his prayer was NOT going to be answered. Peter's faith did fail, at least momentarily, and in a profound way. Not, mind you, to the degree that Judas' faith failed him. But Peter had three chances to confess Jesus, and despite being specifically warned what was going to happen, Peter denied Jesus anyway.
Now, you may argue that Jesus, knowing Peter would deny him, just prayed that Peter would eventually return. But that is not the way I read that text. Jesus' prayer was that Peter's faith would not fail. Pete's denial could hardly be described as a stellar display of faithfulness. That is why I said, "in one sense" Jesus prayer was not answered. Certainly Peter ultimately returned to Jesus, and so that aspect of Jesus' prayer was answered. But let us not gloss over the significance of the totality of what Jesus is saying.
Many people have the concept that, "if I pray for it, in full faith, God has to give me what I want." Did not Jesus tell us the same? Yet, why were some of Jesus' most fervent prayers not answered? Why did Peter deny him in the courtyard? Why did Pilate not release him? Why did Judas betray him? Why did he have to drink that "bitter cup?" I wish I had the answers to all those questions. But, I would rather live in the reality of the mystery of God than try to create and live in the falseness of a human idol. The fact is that Jesus prayed for his disciples, and they let him down repeatedly. We pray for our children, and they fail us. We pray for our sick parents, and they die. Not every prayer is automatically granted. If we could control God with a few selfish whims He certainly would not be a God worthy of worship.
But, third, Jesus told Peter, "when you have turned again." Jesus did know the "rest of the story." More than that, he was instilling within Peter the belief that Peter was ultimately a worthy disciple. I just wonder how much those words would meant to Peter in the first few days following the crucifixion, and in those first few days following Pentecost. They had to be amazing words for Peter to remember and to take comfort in.
I don't remember much about my football career. Mostly because it was over my freshman year in high school (the Minnesota Vikings never knew what they missed!) But I remember one practice with such crystal clarity that it might as well have happened yesterday.
We were working on a drill we affectionately called "hamburger." Two players faced each other, then lay down on the ground with about a yard separating their two helmets. On the coach's whistle the players were to jump to their feet and try to get past the other player in any way they could. Four posts marked a very small "battle zone" so there was no running around a bigger opponent (my preferred method of "winning.") Well, one day it turned out that I stood against Bubba Baker, who was to be my opponent. Now, Bubba was our first string full-back. The coach placed me as the fourth string full-back simply because we only had four full-backs and he had no other place to put me. So, I mostly stood on the sideline, safe in the knowledge that it was a statistical impossibility for the three guys in front of me to all get hurt in the same game.
So, anyway, back to my story – here we were, our very big and very hard hitting first string full-back was staring at me and then looking at the coach as if to say, "hey coach – I really don't want to hurt the little guy." I was staring at Bubba and then looking at the coach as if to say, "hey coach – listen to Bubba!!" The coach, having that sixth sense that most coaches have, looked at both of us and said, "what are you two guys waiting for – get down!" And then he uttered the only four words that I can remember from that entire season – "Smith can do it."
I honestly remember very little of what happened next. I remember the whistle, and I kind of remember jumping to my feet, and then I remember hearing the loudest bang and feeling the most incredible pain I have ever experienced shooting down my neck through my shoulder and all the way down to my finger-tips. I never lost consciousness, but I sure felt weird the rest of the day. I can pretty confidently say that I did not win that battle, but those four words were absolutely etched into my psyche. If coach White said that "Smith can do it" I would have run into a brick wall thinking that I could knock it down. To his great credit, Bubba apologized for knocking me into the middle of the next week, but he was doing his job the best he knew how.
So, in a very small way, I kind of know what Peter must have felt when Jesus spoke to him by the sea when he asked him three times, "do you love me?" And then Peter could remember those five words Jesus spoke to him, "when you have turned again…" Then Peter the denier became Peter the preacher, and eventually, Peter the martyr.
What an amazing couple of verses. What an amazing story. What an amazing Lord and Savior we have.
Book Review – Soul Searching (Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton)
Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005) 271 pages of text, with 4 appendices and 29 pages of endnotes.
In terms of statistical studies, this book is beginning to show its age (published in 2005, with research being completed some time earlier), but the information it provides is still valuable, at least as far as I am concerned. This was the second book I read to inform myself of the current state of young people in the teenage-college age bracket (the first was Chap Clark's Hurt 2.0). This book is far more conventional in the sense that the authors performed a standard survey information gathering process and followed that up with a detailed interview process with a selected number of those who had completed the earlier phone interview.
Without going into serious information overload, here are some basic numbers: the initial phone interview involved 3,290 teenagers and their parents from all 50 states between 2002 and 2003. From that number, 267 teens were selected for an additional in-person interview to follow up on the information that had been gathered from the phone calls. One interesting side note, the teens and parents were both paid for their time for the phone call interview, and the teens were paid for their time in the face-to-face interview. The next time some political party calls me to ask me who I am going to vote for, I am going to ask them to show me the money.
Anyway, back to the book. The results reveal the standard "good news/bad news" that research tends to provide. On the good news side, the research showed that teens are far more religious than some doomsayers are trumpeting. The teens largely follow the faith of their parents (or leading adults in their family). There is very little of the "spiritual but not religious" trend among teenagers that some people are so fond of reporting. And, with one very important caveat, religion is having an impact on the lives of teenagers.
Now for the distressing news: even though teens are religious, they are almost totally incapable of articulating what that means. For example, they may know that premarital sex is not appropriate, but they cannot articulate why. The best reason they might come up with is the dangers of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. This reveals that, in a broad general sense, religious groups are doing an abysmal job in presenting what they believe to teenagers. Another issue that I saw in the reporting was that, even among the most religious teens, life decisions were very often made in violation of those religious beliefs. So, there appears to be a large degree of compartmentalization among teens. Religion and spirituality is for church, but dating is for sex (not necessarily intercourse) and cheating on tests is almost required to get ahead. What this tells me is that churches may be doing an okay job at aiming for the head, but we are missing the hearts of teenagers by a mile.
This is an involved read. It is a long book, and the reporting of numbers and statistics is complicated. However, each section of analysis is accompanied by a graphic chart, so the material is there in both narrative and chart format. Those who are familiar with statistics and research will undoubtedly have an easier time reading the book than I did (I have absolutely no clue what a "multivariate regression analysis" is!) However, if you are a youth minister, a minister, a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, or simply a person who is deeply concerned about today's teenager, you will want to buy, read, and even study this book.
I have to add a couple of (even more) personal comments. One reason I bought the book was because of a referral by way of the phrase, "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism." (chapter 4 of the book) Basically, MTD is the term that the authors used to describe the primary religion of American teens. It is moralistic – teens do have morals, but the morals are tied to what works – therefore the "therapeutic." And it is connected to a form of Deism – the idea that there is a supreme being, but that being only really exists to help in bad times or to make people feel good about themselves. And the authors point out that there are several different forms of MTD – conservative MTD, liberal MTD, – whatever "brand" of religion the teen leans toward has its form of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. This chapter is worth the price of the book in and of itself, but you really need the rest of the book to fully understand what the authors intend by placing the chapter as the fourth in the sequence.
Many of the results of the surveys and interviews confirms what is common knowledge or common sense: girls are more religious than boys. Teens in the south are more religious than teens in the northeast or northwest. Younger teens are more spiritual than older teens (although, not as significantly as may be expected). Teens with both parents at home are more religious, and parents who are more religious raise more religious teens. Conservative parents and groups produce more religious teens, mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics do not score as highly. And, not surprisingly, Mormon families score the highest in producing religious teens, as well as producing teens who are the most articulate in expressing their faith.
The authors use 7 categories to describe religious teens – Conservative Protestant, Mainline Protestant, Black Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and non-religious. Appendix "D" gives the denominational breakdown of how the authors categorized each group, and the results are, shall we say, interesting.
I learned a lot from this book. I was encouraged as well as discouraged. I was challenged and I saw a lot of my own faults in the book. The authors certainly stepped on my toes. It is important to know, for example, that teens are looking for something greater than themselves. They desperately want their parents in their lives (even if every word or action seems to say otherwise). They need limits. And they are willing to respond appropriately when given the information they need. If anything, this book puts the responsibility of raising spiritual teens right where it belongs – on the adults who should be providing that guidance in the first place.
In Defense of Religious Exclusivism
In case you have not noticed, I am a religious exclusivist. Beyond that, I am a biblical exclusivist. Furthermore, I am a Christian exclusivist. I understand everything through the lens of what it means to follow Christ. These aspects of my life are as solid to me as the ground upon which I walk.
Because the entire thrust of our "postmodern" culture is to denigrate and exclude exclusivists (I love the irony of that concept), I wanted to post a defense of exclusivism, especially my view of Christian exclusivism.
I believe in biblical, Christian exclusivism because I believe the Bible communicates that particular viewpoint from Genesis to Revelation. In the Bible we see a clear distinction between right and wrong, good and evil, obedience and disobedience, faith and fear. In the opening scenes of paradise, there were two trees in the center of the garden – one of the knowledge of good and evil, and the other the tree of life (and therefore, its opposite would be death). Our first ancestors chose disobedience over obedience, fear over faith, and so the choice of everlasting life was removed and they were given death.
Throughout God's most explicit law there were constant reminders to separate the clean from the unclean. The Aaronic priesthood, in particular, was to constantly teach the people of the difference between the holy and the secular, the pure from the profane, the good from the evil (Lev. 10:10). The prophet Ezekiel soundly criticized the leaders of Israel for that very failure – they ceased to separate the holy from the profane, and so even God's holy Name was profaned (Ezekiel 26:23-31). The great prophet Isaiah preached a message condemning the people for reversing God's order, and for calling "good, evil; and evil, good" (Isaiah 5:20). Getting even more specific, in the New Testament we read that Jesus himself told his followers, "I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:6). The early disciples obviously learned this lesson well, as Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told the Sanhedrin, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) If I am wrong in teaching that there is a clear divide between the Holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean, the sacred and the secular, then I believe I am in good company. It is the responsibility of those who believe otherwise to convince me of their belief. Likewise, if there is another path to God other than that of Jesus, it is the responsibility of those who believe that to convince me of their belief. But, to be honest, they have a tall order to overcome the plain teaching of the biblical text.
I offer these defenses of my position of biblical, Christian exclusivism:
1. Our actions betray our underlying beliefs. If I refuse to sail on the ocean because I believe that my ship will fall off into the abyss once I get to the edge of the horizon I am betraying that I believe in bad science. If I believe that "all roads lead to heaven" and that there is no ultimate distinction between the holy and the profane, the sacred and the secular, then I am betraying a flat moralistic view of humanity. In that regard there is no difference between Mother Theresa and Adolf Hitler. Each served his or her nature as he or she saw fit. I utterly reject that concept. There is a vast difference between that which is holy (marriage for example) and that which is profane (pornography, marriage's ultimate opposite). Those who argue "there is no sacred/secular divide" reveal their humanistic epistemology. They decide truth based on their humanity, not upon God's divinity.
2. Two people cannot hold epistemologically opposite beliefs (that is, two different truth claims) and be in "fellowship." I cannot be in fellowship with a follower of Joseph Smith because I simply cannot accept the myth that he spoke to some angel named "Moroni." I cannot be in fellowship with one who holds unswervingly to the teachings of John Calvin because I cannot accept the basis upon which he interpreted large sections of Scripture. I can agree with him or her that the Scriptures are the ultimate authority, but Calvin was working from a theory of human depravity that I simply reject. If I reject his view of human depravity, then I cannot follow Calvin's concept of the redemption of that depravity.
This has very specific applications when it comes to relating to various religious, and I might even add, "Christian" groups. For a couple of critical examples, either baptism is or is not the defining moment of salvation (1 Peter 3:21). Note: it is not an experience of magic, but it is a critical event. Therefore, when someone tells me that baptism is optional, that salvation can be obtained through the incantation of a special "prayer" or "opening up one's heart to Jesus" I have to object. That is not what the New Testament teaches, and if I am to be true to the teachings of the New Testament I have to reject these other human substitutions. Second, either the Lord's Supper is or is not a central part of our worship experience. Here again, many would argue that it is optional, and that it can be observed on a haphazard schedule, or no schedule at all. Once again, that is not what the New Testament teaches, and if I am to follow what the New Testament teaches, I must take the Lord's Supper far more seriously than that.
3. This leads me to my third point: even if someone tells me that they have a very high view of Scripture, if they take certain central teachings of the Bible and modify them to meet their cultural or historical practices, then I simply cannot trust that they do, in fact, have that high view of Scripture. A high view of Scripture means that we modify our beliefs and practices to match God's word, not the other way around. I do not in any way question a Roman Catholic who believes in the inspiration and authority of the Bible, but I do have to question their application of that belief when they teach that Mary was conceived miraculously (devoid of any human lust) and that she has special mediator powers with Jesus and God. Likewise, I have to question the doctrine that a person can be saved "by grace alone through faith alone" when the apostle Paul never said anything remotely close to that. Paul did say we are saved by grace through faith, but he clearly taught a saving faith is expressed through baptism and, following that, a life of continual sanctification.
4. This leads me then to suggest that such a person cannot truly trust me when I hold epistemological beliefs in direct contrast with theirs. I often wonder how someone can consider me to be in perfect fellowship with them when I disagree with that person on virtually every doctrine they hold. "Oh," they say, "we only differ on matters of opinion, but we are unified by our faith in Jesus." Maybe we are. Maybe I am wrong. But when we disagree about what it takes to enter the body and blood of Jesus, when we disagree about the central commemorative event around which our worship is built, and when we disagree about the very process of that worship, then I have to ask, just how unified are we?
5. Which then leads me to my last point: Am I condemning the person with whom I disagree in the sense that I am speaking for God? NO! Absolutely not. Remember my Undeniable Truth for Theological Reflection #1. Such a person may be wholly obedient to God and God may in His wisdom and grace accept those with whom I disagree, just as I hope He forgives me of my theological errors and accepts my human failings. But, in my limited human understanding, I cannot be in fellowship with someone whose foundational beliefs differ from my epistemological beliefs so radically. I cannot say, "I believe 'X' is true, but if you believe 'Y' is true then that makes 'Y' true." In matters where God has spoken, either 'X' is true or 'Y' is true, but they cannot both be true.
The advantage to being an exclusivist is that, if I am proven wrong, I can change my mind and hold to a greater understanding of truth. If I have said something here that is clearly false, I ask you to correct me. I can only learn from someone who disagrees with me, or who knows more about a subject than I do. A moral or theological relativist has nothing to offer me. (This is why, with some notable exceptions, I find very few theologians born in the late 20th century that are worth reading. No one believes anything anymore. No one holds any convictions. The theological landscape is just so pathetically vanilla now.)
Evil is not good. Wrong is not right. Dark is not light. Secular is not sacred. Profane is not holy. Truth is not what we decide it to be. Jesus did not die to free us to follow our own hearts. "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God" is not a morally, nor is it a religiously, relativistic statement.
Some beliefs just naturally exclude others, and that is where I am right now. As Martin Luther is so famously quoted as saying, "I can do no other."
Will the Church Please Stand For Something, Anything?
Then a blind and dumb demoniac was brought to him, and he healed him, so t hat the dumb man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand; and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?" (Matthew 12:22-26, RSV)
I'm feeling rather rantish this morning, so if this post seems a bit prickly I apologize. Or, maybe I don't. Maybe I intend to be prickly.
A person cannot follow any kind of Christian literature today, either print or online, without being assaulted by two deafening drum beats: one, that the church is declining, and two, that the solution to the decline of the church is to become more like the world so that the world will quit hating us so much and then they will come and be a part of us because we are so much like a part of them. I've heard of circular reasoning before, but that has to take the cake.
The manner in which this doctrine is presented is actually quite multifaceted. On one extreme you have the "we have to start all over from scratch" crowd that looks upon the current church situation with disgust and unfeigned superiority. All mostly under 30 years of age, these folks have all the answers to all the questions (even as they suggest there are no definitive answers to the questions), and they view anyone over the age of 40, especially those of us who still love and cherish the church, with utter disdain. If anyone even tries to identify the group they meet with as a "church" they are dismissed. Heaven forbid the group try to own the facility in which they meet, or have any type of creedal or doctrinal statement. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed – no difference. All roads lead to heaven, God is love, anyone who thinks different needs to get over it.
On the other end of the spectrum are those who say they want to maintain a doctrinal or creedal form of the church, but they just want to do so in culturally relevant ways. Now, these folks are up against it, because it is pretty much impossible to be doctrinal in a doctrinally adverse culture. So, the church assembly is still important, but the preacher, or preacherette, needs to "preach" in ripped blue jeans and a ratty "Grateful Dead" t-shirt. While this "preacher" is "preaching," there needs to be a YouTube video or a carefully selected clip of an "R" rated movie shown on three (count 'em, three) larger than life video screens. If someone gets too bored with the "sermon" (and we all know that boredom is the chief killer of the post-modern Christian faith) the "congregant" (by the way, you don't have to profess any kind of allegiance to be a member of this church) can go down the hall to a "prayer labyrinth" where they can indulge in any one of a number of Eastern religious practices, all under the guise of deepening their "Christian" faith. Buddha and Mohammed still will get you to heaven, but these folks will argue that their pagan roads will eventually at some point intersect with the Jesus highway. There are quite a number of goatee-growing (except for the "preacherettes") ripped-jean wearing advocates, although I'm not sure they would feel comfortable being in the same room with each other. Sometimes even the brand of ripped jeans does matter.
What does all this have to do with Matthew 12:22-26? Just this: I'm not sure that Satan has to fight very much anymore. I truly believe he has already captured a large section of the "church" and he is perfectly content to let his minions do their thing. Satan is certainly not going to fight against Satan, so if the disciples of Christ are not going to fight him, why does he need to be militant at all? All Satan needs to do to maintain his kingdom today is lay back in a hammock and sip lemonade.
During this summer break I have been trying to zero in on the culture that I am attempting to address. So I chose two books to help me, Chap Clark's Hurt 2.0, and Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton's Soul Searching. Talk about your depressing summer reading. It's not that the books are poorly written. They are both excellent books – I highly recommend both of them. But the results of both books are terrifying. The generation of young Christians now in high school and college are profoundly ignorant of the basic Christian truths. Many young people do not think that Christianity does have exclusive claims, and even if they are vaguely aware of those exclusive Christian claims, they are totally incapable of verbalizing or embodying those claims. I grew up hearing the phrase, "It only takes one generation for the church to go into apostasy." Folks, it is here.
I write as a member of and minister to the Churches of Christ. In less than a generation (slightly more than half of my life) the changes that I have seen in congregations of the Church of Christ are staggering. I realize we are not alone – in the late 1950's C.S. Lewis was writing that the Anglican Church (American Episcopal Church) would never even allow female priests. They now have openly practicing homosexual bishops! So much for Anglican doctrine. The practices that I hear preachers openly advocate today would not even be whispered 30-40 years ago. Progress you say? Maybe for the kingdom of darkness. We have effectively let Satan go on vacation. Why does he need to work if the disciples of Christ are so effectively accomplishing his goals?
I know I am a dinosaur. One day those who agree with me may become extinct. If it is the will of God, so be it. But for the time being I long for the day in which a preacher will actually stand for Christ and against pagan culture. I want to hear preachers preach for holiness and against making peace with the world. I want to hear the distinctive nature of the church praised instead of condemned. I want to hear Christ lifted up and exalted instead of lowered to the ranks of Buddha and Mohammed. In other words, I want to be encouraged to "march into hell for a heavenly cause" and take the fight to Satan on his turf, instead of having to defend myself from my fellow disciples simply because I believe the Bible teaches inviable, Incarnate Truth with a capital "T."
Really, people. If the human race is so depraved that we cannot listen to a 30 minute sermon and grasp the truth of the gospel without being assaulted by an "R" rated movie clip, then let's turn out the lights and all go home.
I'm tired of hearing the church fight Satan's battles for him. Can we please stand up and fight for Jesus?
"But Even If He Does Not…"
Yesterday I closed my post with the words of Jesus in Mark 4:40, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" (RSV) This morning, through no other intention other than following my daily Bible reading schedule, I read Daniel chapter 3. The chapter focuses on Daniel's three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Anyone not bowing down to the statue would be thrown into a fiery furnace. Anyone who has attended a Vacation Bible School in their life knows that the three faithful Israelites refuse to obey, and they are called before Nebuchadnezzar to hear their sentence.
Regardless of how many times I have previously read this story, today I was struck by the forcefulness of their response. I repeat it here in its entirety:
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up. (Daniel 3:16-18, HCSB)
Because there are three verses, it seems only poetic to make three observations about this text.
One, the three men don't need to give a response to the king. Their lives have already told the king the answer to his question (read from the beginning of the chapter to get Nebuchadnezzar's question). In today's world we are all terrified that we will not have the right answer if someone asks us a tough question. This text lets me know that if it depends on my answer I have already lost the debate. If a non-Christian cannot see my faith, no amount of verbalizing my faith will accomplish anything. What an amazing thought. "Why are you afraid, have you no faith?"
Two, the three men begin with what might be considered an ominous statement, "If God exists…" But it is clear from the context that the if is merely rhetorical. They are proclaiming God's existence by their lives and in their words. They know God exists, and that means two other iron clad truths – God can rescue them from the furnace and from the power of the earthly king. Do not be fooled here. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are not quibbling about the existence of God. For them God was as real as was Nebuchadnezzar. It is just that they knew who the real King was, and who was the impostor. "Why are you afraid, have you no faith?"
Three, and the most amazing statement, "But even if he does not rescue us…" I love the way the Holman Christian Standard Bible phrases this response. Few, if any, other translations put the word, even, in the sentence, but I think it needs to be there. The statement is emphatic. The three men are fully trusting in God's power to deliver, but even if he does not they will still refuse to offer worship to a false god. "Why are you afraid, have you no faith?"
This story is just so terrifying for Christians today. We have become so used to bending over, to capitulating, to kissing the feet of false gods, to compromising with the enemy, that when we are confronted with genuine acts of faith we want to turn and run. We want to excuse ourselves. We want to minimize the story that is convicting us. We trivialize it. We turn it into a warm and fuzzy vacation Bible school story that we can quickly tell so that we can get to the punch and cookies.
Those who are opposed to God demand that we redefine the word "family" to mean any group of people that live under one roof, whether or not they are related by blood or marriage. Those who are opposed to God demand that we accept any form of sexual release whether it is heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, bi-gender sexuality or poly-amorous sexuality. Those who are opposed to God demand that we create and pledge allegiance to humanistic doctrines, whether they be political or religious, and if we do not bow the knee to them we are accused of both treason and atheism. Those who are opposed to God demand we put our faith and trust in guns and our military. Those who are opposed to God demand that we strip any mention of God out of our schools, marketplaces, and halls of justice. Those who are opposed to the one true God demand that we acknowledge every godless religion as being equal to all others, and especially equal to faith in that one true God.
And, like the pitiful, spineless little amoebas that we are, we follow along, weakly hoping that those big, mean, nasty bullies won't dislike us, or if they do, they will not beat us up too bad.
To be perfectly blunt, and profoundly non politically correct, let me set the record straight:
"Family" means one daddy and one mommy living in a committed marriage and, if blessed to have children, raising them to understand right from wrong and male from female. The act of sexual intercourse is reserved for one male and one female who have committed themselves to each other in the sacred rite of marriage. There is one God to whom we pledge allegiance, and His constitution has no amendments and no flags. The kingdom of our God has no guns and no military. We are called to defeat spiritual enemies with spiritual truths. Those who follow God are not embarrassed to mention His name, regardless of the consequences. And, finally, the Godless religions of Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, and dozens of others are mere phantoms – they are powerless and are meaningless.
I know any of those statements could get me in a lot of trouble in today's world. Maybe not a fiery furnace, but certainly into the metaphorical "hot water." But, I need to learn how to repeat the words of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (why do we not use their Hebrew, and thus people of faith, names?).
My God can and will take care of me if and when the time comes for me to confront my enemies.
But, even if he does not, I will not bow the knee to a false god.
"Why are you afraid," Jesus asked. "Have you no faith?"
(P.S. – I chose the picture of my toothy little friend above because, one day if the Good Lord allows me to, I really want to get face to face with one of these fellas. Just one way in which I can "jump the shark" in a literal way.)
The Hypocrisy of a Warring Christian
I read just this morning, via an Associated Press story, that both the United States Senate Armed Services Committee and the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee have passed legislation that bars the military leadership in the Pentagon from closing any more military bases/installations (at least in the United States, I am not sure if that includes foreign bases or not.)
Sometimes I, ever the most loquacious one, am struck utterly and profoundly speechless.
Here we have the grand poobahs of boom-boom and bang-bang saying they don't need all the guns, tanks, planes, ships and runways that we currently are paying to keep shooting and flying and swishing around in the oceans. So, the military brass says, "Hey congress, you guys are short on money, here is a win-win situation – you get to keep more money and we get to off-load some extraneous stuff we no longer need."
And the Senate and House of Representative knuckle-heads join together in one unified chorus and yell back, "Put your proposal in the garbage disposal."
All across America countless heads are bowing in thanks and countless "amens" are heard as people realize that their precious army, navy or marine base will stay open, at least for the next few years. And the reason why – well, its the economy, stupid.
You see, even though the country is experiencing billion dollar annual deficits and we are buried in trillions of dollars in debt, we cannot afford to give up our military. We need to create, maintain, and endlessly practice using the implements of death in order to live.
Sometimes hypocrisy is so blatant even the most hardened cynics cannot see it. Thankfully, since apparently cynicism is one of my specialties, I am immune to this particular form of blindness.
Just stop and think about it for a minute. Every Sunday, if not every single day, thousands, if not millions, of prayers are offered up in the name of the Prince of Peace begging the God of all reconciliation to please end all wars and "bring the boys home safely." We pray for our leaders to make wise decisions about the use of our tax dollars. We pray for love and charity to overwhelm the powers of hate and evil.
And we scream like a bunch of scalded dogs when the military suggests that we no longer need the base down the street. (I was going to use more colorful language, but decided against it.)
Christian brothers and sisters – can we not stop and think about this for a moment? Of what earthly or heavenly good does it do to pray for peace, of what earthly or heavenly good does it do for us to pray that God end all wars if we proudly and stubbornly refuse to turn our swords into plows? And why, among all peoples, are disciples of Christ among the most vociferous defenders of our killing machines?
Can we not, just for a moment, stop and think about the mixed message we are sending?
In the name of everything that is high and holy – can we not see the blatant hypocrisy here? Christians should be the ones begging for guns and tanks and planes and ships to be mothballed. Turn them into museum pieces. Tell our children what it used to be like when men and women had to go to war and actually kill each other. Instead of this ridiculous love affair we have with our modern day "horse and chariot," should we not be learning to lean upon the outstretched arm and mighty hand of God? (Consider the book of Isaiah if you need Biblical evidence.)
We just observed the 69th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of the beaches of Normandy. I do not think the men who died on those beaches, nor the men who survived, were fighting so that their children, their grand-children, and their great-grandchildren would be caught up in an endless cycle of war-truce-war. I believe they fought so that their descendants would never have to fight again. In my most benevolent spirit I believe every war veteran comes home saying the same thing, "May God grant us the wisdom to never go to war again." Maybe I am wrong. Maybe scarred war veterans actually want their sons and daughters to experience the hell of seeing their buddies die in unfathomable ways.
But, dear Christian brothers and sisters, as long as disciples of Christ are the ones who are most loudly beating the war drums and demanding that the military spend money it does not have on products it no longer needs, there will be no peace. And at some point another generation of young men, and now women, will be sacrificed to the god Mars.
Are we not a smarter people than that? If not smarter, are we not more faithful?
"Why are you afraid?" Jesus asked. "Have you no faith?" (Mark 4:40)
An Aeronautical Illustration Desperately Seeking A Theological Application
In my last post I talked about the necessity of a pilot keeping a scan going of all of his/her instruments during flight in instrument meteorological conditions – otherwise known as weather that ducks refuse to fly in. That got me to thinking about another aspect of flying that I think can have a profound theological application.
Except, I just can't think of one. Or, maybe I can, but not in the precise way I want to express it. So, here is my brilliant analogy, I will leave it to you to come up with an equally brilliant application.
Many people think that flying in a single engine airplane, especially a little airplane with a propeller in front, is the most dangerous thing a person can do, short of jumping out of that airplane with a parachute on. For them the sight of a single engine with a single propeller is just too much, or too little rather, and they refuse to climb in the plane. If they see a plane with two engines, even two reciprocating propeller engines, they figure, "well, if one of those propeller thingies quits turning, at least the other one will get me where I am going." Well, yes, and no.
If you as speaking of jet engines on large, commercial aircraft, then yes. Rest assured, the FAA mandates that an airplane with two engines be capable of all phases of flight with just one engine operating. (Few jets are manufactured with three or more engines today). That means that even in the event of an engine failure during the take-off roll the plane can still take off, circle around and land with just one engine. Now, if one engine were to fail before a certain point the pilots would certainly abort the take-off. But, still, the plane is designed to fly on one engine.
But with reciprocating (gas-powered) engines the story is quite different. With a reciprocating engine the FAA only mandates that the multi-engine airplane be capable of flying in a "cruise" configuration in the event of an engine failure, and even then very few planes can maintain altitude unless they are very, very lightly loaded. There is a powerful and very little understood reason for this.
(BTW – I never was trained to fly turbo-prop aircraft – airplanes that have jet engines that turn propellers. I am not sure of the dynamics of those aircraft, except to know that they have certain safety features that make them easier to control in the event of an engine failure, but certainly not without the risks of having that inactive propeller out there.)
In a small gas-powered twin-engine aircraft, when both engines are operating at peak efficiency you might say the plane has 100% of its power and lift. Twin engine airplanes can, with few exceptions, fly higher and faster than single engine airplanes. They have the capacity to fly in more inclement weather. There are many advantages to having that second engine and propeller. But when an engine fails the plane loses far more than just 50% of its power. That is what most people think: 2 – 1 = 1, so therefore the plane should still be able to fly just fine, albeit maybe a little slower. Not so!
It is kind of complicated to explain here, but when a small twin-engine plane loses an engine the plane actually loses 80% of its capacity to fly. It loses 50% with the loss of the power of the engine. But it loses another 30% or more with the resulting changes that occur when that engine fails. If the plane is light, and other conditions are favorable, the plane can maintain altitude just fine. Load it up, fly it high, throw in some other nasty variables and the plane will come down – slowly perhaps, but it will not be able to stay in the air.
There is a saying among freight dogs (small twin-engine airplane pilots whose job it is to ferry freight all over the country) that the purpose of the good engine is to fly you to the scene of the crash. Freight dogs are good with gallows humor.
I flew some of the best maintained, most wonderfully designed and built twin-engine airplanes ever to grace an airport. I would strap one of those planes on any day and fly it in just about any weather that the southwest could dish out (I hated ice, but my trusty steed could still handle an amazing amount of the stuff). If a human could have a love affair with a piece of machinery, then I was in love with those planes. But I still was aware that if I loaded it to its capacity, in the event of an engine failure I was going to end up on the short end of the stick. It was a dangerous love affair, to be sure.
So, I know there is a theological application out there somewhere. maybe there are several applications out there. This is a wonderful parable. I just wish I could come up with a good theological punch line.
To all my twin-engine pilot friends out there – keep the shiny side up and both feet on the pedals. Practice those engine out procedures and single engine approaches. May the number of your successful landings always equal the number of your take-offs.


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Dischord 163 Title Tracks Every Little Bit Hurts
This is the debut single from Title Tracks, which features John Davis, formerly of Q And Not U and Georgie James. Released in 2009.
This single includes a free MP3 download when purchased from this website. These tracks are also available to purchase individually with Digital Credits
- John Davis
- vocals, guitar
- Michael Cotterman
- bass
- Andrew Black
- drums
- Meredith Munoz
- keyboards, guitar, vocals
1. Every Little Bit Hurts | ||
2. Found Out |
Dischord Records
3819 Beecher St. NW


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Kitten – G#
Despite the level of cute that their name suggests, Los Angeles' Kitten doesn't make sweet and bubbly indie pop, but some pretty gnarly electronic-infused rock. The soft female vocals mixed with over-fuzzed instrumentation sitting atop a bed of ethereal beats and nosies makes for an interesting listen. Plus, it's pretty easy to rock out to. Check out their song "G#" off their 2012 release Cut It Out EP below.


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I Go To Training In 2 Weeks :)
Who is gonna come see me at my job :) ????
Let us know what the training was like.
i will im soooo excited :) bored now though :) cant complain though got my outfit and all the stuff i have to read about how to look :)
Please keep us up to date! Those of us on the "outside" are always curious about the "inside" :) .
that's freakin sweet! its sweet cuz i live in New York, but upstate, too bad i don't live closer than 3 hours:inquis:
i start wed :) ohhhh hoooo freakin nervous but cant wait
I bet you won't be able to stop smiling the whole time you're training.
Everyone i had my frist day at work WOW isooo much fun if u want to visit im Catherine on the first floor on sundays ( 230-9) tues ( 12-5) wed ( 230 9 ) andddddddd friday 230 9 :)
im on the first floor so everyone come is the best store and the best place to work :)
the World of Disney store is such a great job :) wowowowowowowowowowowow if u want more info visit
come visit me
You are so lucky! All the best!
How was the training? Did they make it fun? Is it the same kind of atmosphere as in the resorts?
the training is on sat but i started work and it is awsome
OK, I have a HUGE favour to ask since you are working in NYC.
Donny Osmond is going to be starring in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway as Gaston. I know he loves the Disney Store because he used to come into mine in Toronto when he was in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Here is my favour. IF he happens to come in and IF you are allowed could you get an autograph for my 10yr old DD, Taylor. She watches her Joseph movie and listens to her CD all the time. It would thrill her to bits.
Hope you enjoy working at the WOD. I worked for the Disney Store here in Canada for 5 years, and loved it. (that was before the Children's Place took it over and it used to be good)


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The Camping and Caravanning Club
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When: 25 Mar - 25 Oct 2013
Cost: Free for the Standard Tour, £30 for the Spirit Of The Malt Tour, and £60 for the Legacy Experience
Opening hours: 9:30am-4pm
Website: Visit website
Boasting a taste that has stood the test of time, Glenlivet distillery has won numerous awards for its distinctive whiskies. Visitors can enjoy the Standard Tour for free. The tour includes a guided tour of the distillery, a visit to one of our bonded warehouses and a complimentary dram of The Glenlivet. The Spirit Of The Malt Tour adds a visit to Josie's Well, a tutored nosing of seven different expressions of The Glenlivet and a dram drawn straight from one of our aged casks in our traditional dunnage warehouse. Finally, the Legacy Experience offers an in-depth tasting of some very rare and old The Glenlivet whiskies; some so rare they have not been bottled. The tour culminates with a dram from the cask in the traditional warehouse and an exclusive gift.
Visitors can also explore three clearly signposted self-guided walks in the Glenlivet valley to explore the secret smuggling paths of days gone by. Enjoy a visit to Glenlivet Distillery as part of your own Whisky Trail: http://www.morayprestige.co.uk/tours/speyside/ http://www.aboutspeyside.com/index.php
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Tel: 01340 821 720
Event details can change.
Please check with the organisers that the event is happening before making travel arrangements.


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MUST SELL (COST $138,000 to build),Highly detailed performance 400+HP #,s 390 and BUILT C-6 trans w/2400 stahl,COLD vintage AC -heat-defrost,POWER disc brakes,Factory Console and... More


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We are trained, professional, insured, and bonded two-person teams that bring all the cleaning supplies and equipment necessary to clean your home. We will treat your home and belongings with respect. The entire Molly Maid of Orange Park team is committed to doing all we can to satisfy your needs, give you peace of mind, and give you back the time you're spending cleaning your home.
Call 904-269-5505 to request a free in-home customized estimate and learn why Molly Maid of Orange Park is your trusted choice for professional maid service. We offer regularly scheduled service either weekly, alternate weekly or monthly with no contracts. You can also call for an occasional home cleaning in Orange Park, FL as well as surrounding area - when you feel you're getting behind or just want to treat yourself.
Same day service is usually available with a call before 10:00 am.
Being a business dedicated to supporting our local community, Molly Maid of Orange Park has financially supported local charitable organizations such as the Safe Animal Shelter, the Orange Park Women's Club, the Clay County Council on Aging, the Shepard Center of Orange Park, Muscular Dystrophy, the Daniel Foundation, the Salvation Army, and local Christian Schools.
We would like to thank the hundreds of families in our community who trust Molly Maid of Orange Park to provide their professional cleaning services.
Molly Maid surveyed more than 2,000 people and found some surprising facts about American's house cleaning habits. They also shared five expert tips to help home owners spring clean this year.
Detroit Lions Safety Glover Quin joined Molly Maid and the Ms. Molly Foundation at a fund-raising event on Tuesday, Nov. 4. His work to raise awareness and funds for victims of domestic violence earned him this prestigious recognition.
MOLLY MAID of Orange Park 904-269-5505 Servicing: FloridaArgyle, Atlantic Bch, Atlantic Beach, Avondale, Baldwin, Doctors Inlet, Fleming Island, Fleming Isle, Green Cove Springs, Green Cv Spgs, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville N A S, JAX Bch, JAX Naval AIR, Keystone Heights, Keystone Hgts, Kingsley Lake, Kngsly Lk, Lawtey, Maxville, Middleburg, Neptune Beach, Orange Park, Ortega, Starke (change location)
They were AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Best money we ever spent!!!! - Nery & Bill
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Wed, Sep 3, 08 at 17:30
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by mermaid4life (My Page) on Wed, Sep 3, 08 at 17:59
Kathy, I really like how your words POP off the page. I'll let one of the great ones give you an idea on grout color. LOL, but this turned out great, good cutting. |
- Posted by katishooked (My Page) on Wed, Sep 3, 08 at 20:20
Should I do a background in glass before grouting? What color would go with pink. As far as gaouting color, I like black, but not sure on this one. |
I just want you to know that I read your post and wish I felt confident enough to give you a studied opinion. But given that, I would think black would be striking and not overwelming or take away from the thought at all. It would really make the letters stand out beautifully. |
- Posted by calamity_j (My Page) on Wed, Sep 3, 08 at 22:39
LOVELY so far!!! So is this a GOG? I like it with the black background, it Really stands out!! |
- Posted by terikat_mom (My Page) on Thu, Sep 4, 08 at 0:19
I really like your mosaic. I like the shape of the letters and the message is awesome also. How about a dark blue background. I have seen some that is almost black that might look nice. |
How pretty! A white background (irridescent maybe?) with black grout would look really cool! The possibilities are endless, you'll take out your glass, lay it next to it, study it and you'll find the perfect combo. |
- Posted by slowmedown (My Page) on Thu, Sep 4, 08 at 8:36
As it appears now on the black background, it's beautiful - good job w/lettering. Dark green is a good contrast to pink also. |
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My Profile
tallahassee, Florida
Member since Nov 2008
Flag This ProfileFlag as Inappropriate
Reviewed Sweet Basil Smoothie
Dec 5, 2012 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"This is very refreshing and has the most unique flavor. This is a delicious alternative to classic fruit smoothies if you are looking for something different- The only thing that I did differently was I reduced the amount of sugar in the Lemon Simple Syrup since I was using lightly sweetened Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt gives this recipe a really ni""


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Set your avatar and find out more at Gravatar.com
- Name:
- Glen
- Member since:
- 25 Oct 2012
- Last online:
- 26 Jan 2015
- Country:
- United States
- Location:
- Texas
- LEGO interests:
- I am an active member of my Local Lug and a proponent of Cuusoo.
The approximate date for my transition back to a serious user of Lego was late 2007 with the release of the Aero Booster...
Theme specialty:
I like to think I excel at fictional-recreations (building models based on fictional subjects that others have "created"), dynamic builds (ones that include some form of motion), and to some extent minifig design. I am also drawn to microbuilding...I don't claim to be "great" at any of these, just what I have demonstrated to myself if not anyone else as being the main subjects of my builds.
Notable MOCs:
Hammership (Best Airship Brickfiesta 2012): Fictional Recreation, Dynamic
Corellian Defender: Fictional Recreation, Custom Figs, Playabilty enhancements
Rolling Landscape (Nomination for "Technic" Brickfiesta 2012, submitted as a partner build with Aaron's Steampunk airship.) Dynamic, Microbuilding
Quidditch Orrery (Nomination for "Technic" Brickfiesta 2012): Dynamic
Ogre (of Steve Jackson Games): Fictional Recreation, Microbuilding
Korra & Mecha Tank: Fictional Recreation, Custom Figs: Link
Firefly figures and Vignettes: Fictional Recreation, Custom Figs: Link
Star Control ships and figs (Colaboration with "Crashsanders"): Fictional Recreation, Custom Figs - Other LEGO website:
- http://blog.brick-hero.com/
- Contact:
- Contact glenbricker
- Role at Brickset:
- News editor, Registered user


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noun \ˈprä-jə-nē\: a person who comes from a particular parent or family : the child or descendant of someone
: the young of an animal or plant
: something that is the product of something else
plural prog·e·nies
Full Definition of PROGENY
a : descendants, children b : offspring of animals or plants
: a body of followers, disciples, or successors
Examples of PROGENY
- Many Americans are the progeny of immigrants.
- The small plants are the progeny of an oak tree.
- Their work is the progeny of many earlier studies.
Origin of PROGENY
Middle English progenie, from Anglo-French, from Latin progenies, from progignere
First Known Use: 14th century
Other Genetics Terms
noun \ˈpräj-(ə-)nē\ (Medical Dictionary)plural prog·e·nies
Medical Definition of PROGENY
: offspring of animals or plants
Learn More About PROGENY
Next Word in the Dictionary: progeny test
Previous Word in the Dictionary: progeniture
All Words Near: progeny
Previous Word in the Dictionary: progeniture
All Words Near: progeny
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Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up progeny? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


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John Knapp, most recently the director of our Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, was formally installed last Friday as the twelfth president of Hope College in Holland, Michigan. His path to the Hope presidency included many experiences that shaped his character and intellect—including his time at Samford. In losing John from our ranks,we applaud the opportunities that await our friends at Hope College as he comes to work alongside them.
The world is better because Samford is a laboratory for learning.
The mission of Samford University is to nurture persons in their development of intellect, creativity, faith, and personhood. As a Christian university, the community fosters academic, career, and ethical competency while encouraging social and civic responsibility, and service to others.
The Samford community values lifelong:
Anchored in Christian understanding, Samford University will be a diverse community, stressing vigorous learning and personal faith, in the Baptist tradition. Within that commonality, the Community will be innovative in teaching, learning and research; sensitive to global issues; aggressive in self-assessment and continuous improvement. Faithful to its mission, Samford will be known and acknowledged worldwide by holding to its core values. The world will be better for it.


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Jun 16
Mar 16
This will be an accoustic show. I may have some musical guests join me during my sets.I hope to see all my old Tahoe/Truckee area friends there as well as meet and make some new ones! See you there! ---Kai Clark---
Apr 29
on guitar with Kai Clark, son of Gene Clark for the re-release party for Gene Clark's Two Sides To Every Story record. Lots of big news to follow on this... stay tuned!
Mar 5
Mar 5
When one hears Kai Clark's music there is a familiar spark to his songs that is instantly recognizable. One might say that growing up with Gene Clark of The Byrds as his father that Kai Clark has been influenced by one of the most creative and unique song writers the world has ever known. Some parts of Kai's musical heritage are obvious. The sound is something familiar, but also a vessel of its own creation. Kai's music can be decribed as americana root's & alternative Country. Kai finished his debut cd in spring of 2010 and is working hard with his band to book and perform at venues in the U.S.A. Kai Clark's music has been featured on numerous radio shows across the country and his band has performed at several music festival's. Kai Clark and his band take pride in being professional musicians, bringing with them a high degree of integrity, honesty, and dedication to every show and public appearance! Thank you for taking time to stop by! Your feedback and comments are always welcome!
Sounds Like: Amos Lee, Ryan Adams, The Byrds, Paolo Nutini, John Mayer
Label: Self-distributed
Bio: 2011 was a great year for the Kai Clark Band. Nominated for Country Single and Country Album of the year by the LA Music Awards for their debut self titled album "Kai Clark". The band is quickly gaining the admiration of fans and critic's alike. Combining the influences of his father (Gene Clark)...See Full Bio
The Kai Clark Band has a show on 06/16/2012 at 06:00 PM @ 2012 Mus... in Fawnskin, CA http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/118066684 #concert
Also performing is Fred Odell. It's at the No Name Bar in Sausalito. Start aroun... [more]
After a great year in 2011 for the Kai Clark Band we are looking forward to an e... [more]
Be the first to ask The Kai Clark Band a question!


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Nikon D2H
Model: FS-45DS
Color: Matting half transparent
Material: Resin + coating film
Suitable for Nikon D80/D90/D200/D300/D2/D2H
Package includes:
1 x Split image focus screen
1 x Stainless steel tweezers
1 x Plastic tweezers
2 x Latex finger cots
1 x Cleaning cloth
1 x Carrying box
Features Dual 45 Degrees Split Image Focus Screen for Nikon D80/D90/D200/D300/D2/D2H
- Éú²ú
Overall Rating: (Full Reviews Product) List Price: This Product is available at AMAZON for the best Price |
We hope you enjoy article at Digital Limb. Share to your friend with this article by click Share icon below.
More Nikon D2H Products


text: From the sea, sea life selected by our artist and mounted upon reclaimed cypress which has the appearance of driftwood. Lovely color variations in the wood complement the shapes and colors of the sea life and shells mounted upon each. The finish is rough, natural and wonderfully tactile. Each panel measures 10 inches by 10 inches and is one inch in thickness with handing hardware. |


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Media For Loan
Field Trip in a Box: Geologic Changes
Geologic processes cause continual changes in the earth's physical features. A prep activity, three learning stations (physical and chemical weathering, arch formation, and geologic deposition), and a back at school extension help students discover that rocks are far from stationary, boring objects.
Download just the materials packet here, or check out the complete Field Trip in a Box during your park visit.
Borrowing Instructions
Submit a reservation form at least two weeks before your park visit. There is only one box available for each topic.
When you arrive at the park, check out the box from the Arches National Park Visitor Center during business hours, and return the box before you leave the park.
Individuals who check out a Field Trip in a Box are responsible for damage to its contents.
- Subject:
- Earth Science, Geology
- Type:
- Other
- type:
- Media For Loan
Experience More
on NPS.gov
Lesson Plans
- Grand Canyon Activities
- On Top of Old Smoky: Field Trip Preparation Part 2 - Grade 5 (North Carolina)
- Climate Science in Focus (Project Preparation)


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NOTE: This post reflects the information for the 2014 Hands2Help Challenge. It will be updated soon to reflect the new information for 2015, but will give you an idea of what the challenge is about and how it works. Thanks for your patience!
"What does love look like?
It has the hands to help others.
It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
It has eyes to see misery and want.
It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.
That is what love looks like."
Things are all falling into place for this year's Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge! I'm so excited to get this started!
This year we have three great charities to choose from. You will be signing up to make a quilt or quilts for any or all of these three charitable causes.
Option #1 - Quilts of Compassion
They need quilts for men, women, children and infants. Quilts can be quilted or tied, in any size. They are also a 501-c-3 organization, so you can get a charitable donation letter for tax purposes if you request one.
Option #2 - Hurricane Sandy Survivors
Option #3 - Happy Chemo!
With three charities to choose from this year, you can make a wide variety of sizes and styles of quilts - something for everyone!! And if you're torn between the three charities, feel free to make more than one quilt! Just think how many wonderful designs you can try.... ;-)Option #2 - Hurricane Sandy Survivors
Two years ago, one of our charities was The NOLA Project, sending quilts that the senior high school students of Gladeville Baptist Church would take to New Orleans and distribute to survivors of Hurricane Katrina as part of their on-going mission work in St. Bernard Parish. Between the quilts donated through H2H and the quilts our own ministry made, 75 quilts were distributed there.
All of the quilts that went to New Orleans! |
This year, that same youth group has decided to start a similar mission project in New Jersey, helping Hurricane Sandy survivors rebuild their homes and lives. They will be going for a week in October as their first foray into this particular mission field, following up with additional trips on spring and summer breaks. They worked in New Orleans for five years after Katrina, and it's entirely possible that New Jersey will prove to be a similar situation. What many people don't realize is that the needs of the communities hit by natural disasters actually go on for years. There's always an outpouring of support initially, but then it dies off and the survivors are left on their own to deal with the aftermath, including PTSD and depression. Sharing quilts with these folks seems like a good idea, especially after this winter! Once again, quilts will be needed for men, women, children and babies, so any size is appropriate. Quilts can be quilted or tied, although we do ask that they be sturdy so that they can be used rather than admired, and will hold up to wear and washing well. This is also a 501-c-3 group and a charitable donation letter can be provided upon request.
Option #3 - Happy Chemo!
Our final charity this year is an ongoing project of Emily of Em's Scrapbag. You can choose to make quilts for Happy Chemo, an organization that provides quilts and comfort for chemo patients. They also collect up and provide information about freebies and discounts that may be of use to chemo patients. Emily has been championing this cause for a while, and has set a goal of providing 1500 quilts to Happy Chemo. She's already donated nearly 600 quilts, and I'd like to see her numbers grow! She has generously agreed to be part of this challenge, and is excited to see what comes of it. Here's what Emily has to say about Happy Chemo...
"The first time I met Ginger Johnston, founder of Happy Chemo, it was my first visit to a chemo lab. I was scared and unsure of what the future held for me. In walked Ginger, bald and boobless but determined to bring a little sunshine into the chemo lab. So before she started her treatment she took everyone's name and drew prizes. It so changed my experience that I knew I needed to help her in her quest. I started making quilts for her to give. Because I can't sew as fast as cancer strikes I started asking for help. I just want to bring a little comfort and joy to those who are facing the fear and uncertainty that trips to the chemo lab bring.
I accept quilts that are 45" square to 60"x 72". Any style of quilt is accepted as cancer effects men and women, children and adults. Thank you for any help."
Quilts made for this project will be sent to Emily to help her meet her goal of 1500 quilts donated to Happy Chemo!
Another change this year, to allow more international participants - if you live outside the United States and want to participate, you can send your quilt top and back to me and I will quilt it for you, to save you from having to pay huge international postage to ship a finished quilt. Or in the alternative, you can choose a local charitable cause to give your quilt to. So come on and join in, all you Aussies, Brits, Kiwis, and Canadians! And anyone else who wants to join in!
Here's the calendar for this year's Hands2Help Challenge:
Initial signups will be Sunday March 16th through Saturday, March 22nd. You will receive one entry for signing up, and can get additional entries for putting the button on your blog sidebar, and/or posting about the challenge to encourage others to join in! (You can sign up after this time, but this is the period to sign up to be part of the signup giveaway.)
On Sunday, March 30th, there will be a linky party where you can post links to your favorite on-line tutorials! It could be a tutorial for a quilt pattern, or a technique like machine binding, or even a recipe for your favorite "while-I'm-quilting" snack or crock-pot meal! You don't have to write the tutorial, you can link up to another blogger's tutorial. If you love it, someone else might too!
Sunday, April 7th, you'll Meet The Sponsors! So many generous people have stepped up to provide giveaways for all of you fabulous H2Hers, and I'm sure you'll want to see who they all are - and maybe even do a little shopping for the challenge with them!
And then there's the guest bloggers! You will definitely want to be here on April 13th, April 27th, May 4th, May 11th, and May 25th as we get to peek into the creative lives of some of our fellow H2Hers!
Quilts should be completed by the week beginning Sunday, June 1st. There will be a linky party (June 1st through June 7th) to link your finished quilt and show it off, and giveaways for people who link up their quilts. We've got some great sponsors this year! Winners will be announced on June 8th.
Quilts should be mailed to the appropriate place by Friday, June 13th.
Whew! That's a lot of information to digest - but the important thing to remember is that signups start March 16th! You can also start early by posting the Challenge button on your blog and/or doing a blogpost about the Challenge between now and then!
Woohoo!! Let's get started!!
If you'd like to read about the previous Hands2Help Challenges, click here and scroll back through the posts!
PS - if you've commented on any of the H2H posts and you haven't heard back from me, you are probably a "no-reply" blogger! Check here for instructions on how to correct this problem, or leave your e-mail address in your comment so that I can reach you! If you don't feel comfortable leaving your e-mail address out in public, you can e-mail me directly at salliesue(at)clearwire(dot)net.
And now, some special mentions and thank-yous...
The quote at the top of the page is from St. Augustine. I doubt he's reading this, but I wanted to give him credit anyway!
The artwork that forms the back of the H2H button was created by Laura of Photography by Laura, who graciously gave us permission to use it for our button.


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The Global Intelligence Files,
files released so far...
Index pages
by Date of Document
Our Partners
Al Akhbar - Lebanon
Al Masry Al Youm - Egypt
Asia Sentinel - Hong Kong
Bivol - Bulgaria
Carta Capital - Brazil
CIPER - Chile
Dawn Media - Pakistan
L'Espresso - Italy
La Repubblica - Italy
La Jornada - Mexico
La Nacion - Costa Rica
Malaysia Today - Malaysia
McClatchy - United States
Nawaat - Tunisia
NDR/ARD - Germany
Owni - France
Pagina 12 - Argentina
Philip Dorling - Fairfax media contributor - Australia
Plaza Publica - Guatemala
Publica - Brazil
Publico.es - Spain
Rolling Stone - United States
Russian Reporter - Russia
Ta Nea - Greece
Taraf - Turkey
The Hindu - India
The Yes Men - Bhopal Activists
Sunday Star-Times - New Zealand
Community resources
courage is contagious
The Global Intelligence Files
On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
[OS] COLOMBIA/CANADA/MEXICO/US/ECON - Colombia-US FTA reinstates tariff for Canadian, Mexican travelers
Released on 2012-10-12 10:00 GMT
Email-ID | 1005364 |
Date | 2011-10-25 18:59:46 |
From | email@example.com |
To | firstname.lastname@example.com |
List-Name | email@example.com |
Canadian, Mexican, and certain Caribbean travelers entering the United
States by sea or air must now pay a $5.50 tax after the recently
ratified Colombia-US free trade agreement removed exemption from the
Under the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Canadians and
Mexicans had been exempt from paying the travel charge since 1997 but a
clause in the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement removed this
This allows the U.S. government to recoup funds lost due the elimination
on tariffs on Colombian imports entering the U.S. It is said that the
reinstatement of the travel tariff could generate $500 million in five
Canada's International Trade Minister Ed Fast said he will raise the issue
with U.S. legislators. Democrat Congressman Bill Owens is seeking to have
the exemption reinstated next week.
Paulo Gregoire
Latin America Monitor


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Our extensive Suzuki X90 Window Regulator auto parts inventory is sure to satisfy the most fanatical of car hobbyists. You would be hard pressed to find any other Suzuki X90 Window Regulator parts store online that is more reasonably priced. You no longer to search the internet for Suzuki X90 Window Regulator parts because we offer the best brands at the best prices. Let us show you what keeps our customers coming back. Don't be a bystander any longer, order from us. AutohausAZ values its customers. When you order Suzuki X90 Window Regulator parts from us, we will ship it from the closest warehouse we have it in stock. Use our online catalog any time of day.
Matthew H. - Springfield, NH: Thanks for the fast and efficient service! It's good to see someone carrying a such wide range of Saab parts.


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Stick Tech Workshop - ReADeR TIPS!
The -X- Pocket, Mesh -X- Pocket, and Tha' Homegrown Pocket are shown for player's to reproduce in their own sticks. Any commercial reproduction is strictly prohibited. -All rights reserved to Van O'Banion & Stylin' Strings Inc.
String-O-Meter Each pocket design found in the Stick Tech Workshop will be assigned a String-O-Meter rating. This is just a relative measure of how difficult it is to string the sticks.
- LIVE Championship thoughts - no filter
- 2014 Championship Preview
- 2014 Final Four Preview - Maryland vs Notre Dame
- 2014 Final Four Preview Duke vs Denver
- 5-18-14 Preview Duke vs Hopkins
- 5-18-14 Preview Denver vs Drexel
- 5-17-14 Preview Bryant vs Maryland
- 5-17-14Preview Albany vs Notre Dame
- NCAA 1st round games 2014
- 2014 Lax Bracket Challenges


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Papa Don't Treach
You know what Jim Treacher's blog at Tucker Carlson's Pringles can reminds me of?
I shall tell you.
It reminds me of a really bad standup comic tapping the mike head and asking "Is this thing on?" after a joke bombs.
Bombing and tapping, tapping and bombing.
"Is this thing on?"
Almost an existential question, as joke after joke dies and lies unburied in cold silence at the No Exit Inn.
When not killing comedy, Tucker's Pringles can deploys other mind-nulling devices, such as conceding space to a monotonous array of white-haired guys posed in front of American flags presenting boring op-eds their Congressional staffs probably drafted, since the evidence of individual voice is nil.
Here's another boring white-haired/flag guy making himself useless.
The "raison d'etre" of this site--it eludes me.


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Bring Recall to Tennessee
We the ppl of Tennessee have had just about enough of our elected officials not doing the will of the PPl,we have no longer any confidence in such leaders as Alexander,Corker and Haslam.These men have betrayed the public trust by their liberal agenda ex: Islam and Sharia law,caving to all of Obama's requests and in general ripping the teeth out of our ppl.To take our country back we must start somewhere and why not let it be here in TN where 70% of our population at least are willing to stand if an available avenue is found to institute real beneficial change ,we need to remove these hacks from our governing body and put in ntrue conservatives ,get Islam and Sharia out of TN and send a message to Washington that we will not go down quietly .Please share this to all you can and sign this petition so we can get the right to rid ourselves of worthless politicians that are gutting out our teeth.Our government needs to fear us not we fear our Government ,we must stand now and be resolute in our determination to govern ourselves and show them they are no longer in control we are as it should always have been. We will not go silently into the night ppl let them hear us roar !
Recent signatures
Jacquelyn Ross, United States
1 year ago Comments: WE THE PEOPLE.....HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!
Selma Bohannon, United States
1 year ago Comments: Senator Corker has not represented the people of Tennessee that voted for him . He consistently ignores our petitions and requests. He does not represent the values and interests of conservative Republican Tennesseans.
bristol, United States
1 year ago Comments: remove the traitors!
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