A couple that never lost that Loving feeling

Photos of the Loving Family from Grey Villet's 1965 Life Magazine Essay - NYTimes.com

In the spring of 1965, my husband, Grey Villet, was given a Life Magazine assignment to photograph the Lovings, an interracial married couple then embroiled in legal tangles after their arrest for miscegenation in Virginia. Grey did not concern himself with those entanglements. He chose, as he did in every essay we ever worked on together, to seek out the literal heart of the matter: a love story.

Tender Photos Unearthed from a Turbulent Time | Love + Sex - Yahoo! Shine

When Mildred and Richard Loving married in Washington, D.C. in 1958, they didn't think they were breaking the law. Both were from the small town of Central Point, Virginia. Mildred was of African-American and Native American decent and Richard was white. They did know it was illegal for them to marry in their state-as well as 15 others--which is why they left to tie the knot. Within a month of returning home, police burst into their bedroom in the middle of the night and arrested them under the state's anti-miscegenation law. They were sentenced to a one-year in prison term that could be suspended if they left Virginia.

Feeling list-less? Here's "10 Ways Churches Show That They Want You"

Joe McKeever: 10 Ways Churches Show That They Want You

You are given a warm, personal welcome.

1. They make everything clear in print, in sermon, and in announcements. (I Corinthians 14:8) The signage is clear and just right.
2. They have great rest rooms. (For some reason, I'm unable to find a good scripture for this!)
3. A few learn your name and call you by it. They show a genuine interest.
4. They invite you to other things. (Revelation 22:17).
5. They respect you, and do not push themselves on you. (Revelation 3:20)
6. They have greeters outside the front doors, not inside. (Psalm 84:10 You knew I was going to use that, didn't you?)
7. They give you an opportunity to respond, to ask questions, and to join. (Acts 8:36)
8. They contact you during the following week. (Acts 14 14:21-22 and 15:36).
9. They get back to you with the information you requested.

Nothing to add except my response:

Another problem (although probably covered by #'s 1 and/or 2, but not specifically mentioned) is churches that don't post the times of their worship services (or even a phone number so one can call to find out). I'm just wondering if they expect people who don't know this information should just hang around the church all morning until it opens.

Is no Newts good Newts?

Don’t Be a Pastoral Newt | Ordinary Pastor

Well, sometimes we, well-meaning, burdened, conviction-having folks (particularly pastors) can begin to look and sound like a Pastoral Newt. We become defined by what and who we are against rather than who and what we are for. Instead of preaching Christ and Him Crucified it about us and then our opponents crucified.

Maybe it's just me, but that last sentence seems a bit awkward.  I'm guessing that Erik Raymond, the blog's author, meant to do one of two things:
1) put a comma after "Crucified" and a "becomes" after "it"; or,
2) put a comma after "Crucified" and change "it" (or even "it about", which would make the statement more parallel) to "we preach".
Either way, I suppose that failure to always achieve clarity is just one of the hazards of blog writing.

Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to define one's self by what one is for without also defining one's self by what is against.  Case in point: the claim that one is for positiveness is at the same time a claim that one is against negativity.  Since truth, by its nature, is exclusive, then sometimes preaching for Christ and Him crucified will entail preaching against beliefs that deny this central teaching.  However, I agree that this should not be our focus. Furthermore, I think there a few other pitfalls we should avoid similar to this.  First, we need to differentiate between what scripture clearly teaches or condemns on one hand and those areas where biblical teaching is not quite as clear-cut and, therefore, Christians may legitimately disagree with one another.  Second, even where scripture is clear, I think that Christians can legitimately disagree on how biblical principles should be applied socially and legally.  Third, rather than demonizing the unrepentant, I believe our attitude towards them should reflect the hope that they do find salvation.

Seeing a way off the ship of death

What Do You See? – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Like Ezekiel, we step into the pain and death of humanity with eyes wide open, but we must not stop there. We believe that bones can live. Crazy as it sounds---indeed, "foolish," according to the apostle Paul---it is true. The most tentative and enfeebled preacher possesses power to speak life into dead bones. Why? Because Jesus Christ swallowed up death. The Savior who shed his blood and rose victoriously from the grave. He is the true ship to which Lawrence points.
The apple has already fallen, thunderously upon the earth, but the last Adam has fallen with it. Therefore, we need not cower naked in the last branches of the tree of life. We need not build little boats with oars, gathering little dishes and accoutrements fitting for a departing soul. We need not collect little cakes and wine for the dark flight to oblivion. We need not fear the flood, for the Savior has poured himself out as an atoning sacrifice. This is what we see, and, because it is so marvelous, we joyfully proclaim it to the world.

 Nothing much to add to my response:

Speaking of atheism (as this article does), I think one of the problems with the "problem of evil" argument is that it focus too narrowly on the temporary suffering of this life and ignores the eternal life in which "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain" (Revelation 21:4). This is not to ignore the horribleness of death (especially of eternal spiritual death), but to remember that whatever pain we feel here and now will be replaced by a much greater joy- if only we repent of our wrongdoing and ask God to heal us.
And that is our way out.
And the way out for all that want to choose it.

Woot!! My blog inerrantly made #1 on a search on Google.com

ministry success "deof movestofca" - Google Search

1. Grooving With A Pict

deofmovestofca/blogspot.com/

You +1'd this publicly. Undo

1 minute ago – Deof Movestofca: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Third Star to the Right: A ... Ministry success: it's not about "our" success, it's about God's (Pen ...

Okay,so the keywords I was searching for were "ministry success deof movestofca". But, hey, it's a start. Actually I was looking for the following...:

5. Ministry | Clay Jones http://www.clayjones.net/category/ministry-2

Jun 1, 2011 – Last week I talked about the folly of basing your ministry success on the ... Deof Movestofca on If You're Sick, Maybe It's Because You've ...

You +1'd this publicly. Undo

... because it sounded similar in topic to this post (my name shows up there because of a comment I made on one of his pages- see "How sin sunk us into sickness" for details), which I had replied to but then my browser froze (Bad browser... baaaaaaad browser) before I could post a link to it on this blog. making me have to go find it all over again:

2. What Defines Ministry Success? | Parchment and Pen

www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/.../what-defines-ministry-success/

6 days ago – If you do, you are extraordinary. You have a successful ministry beyond your imagination. ..... Again, just a guess? ;). Deof Movestofca says: ...

What does this all mean?  How should I know?  Just remember I did warn waaaaaaaay back in my original post on this blog (Let's get this party started...) that my choice of theme song "should serve as fair warning of the weirdness to come to one and all."

Diana: WORST. BEGINNING. OF. A. (SUPPOSEDLY). ROMANTIC. SONG. EVER!

Lyrics - Diana Paul Anka

I'm so young and you're so old
This, my darling, I've been told

Smooth move there, Mr. Anka: remind her that she's old.  Oh, wait, that's only what you've been told.   What you're actually telling her is that she's not really old, people just think she is.  Like that's really going to make her feel better.  Then again, he probably made more in a year than I'll make in ten, so what do I know?

It's already 4:47* AM and I haven't wished y'all a happy Christmas!

Just where are my manners?  I must rectify this immediately, if not sooner.

HAPPY

HAPPY

JOYFUL
JOYFUL

CHRISTMAS!

Wishing you and yours the Happiest of Christmases... Christmasi... Christmice....  Oh, well, y'all know what I mean (I hope)!

*Official posting time was recorded as 4:49, but what do they know?

A Social Network Christmas

The Christmas Story Retold | The Prodigal Thought

Usually these kinds of things are quite cheesy. But I thought this re-telling of the Christmas story, via Facebook, was quite well done.

Not much to add, except watch for the spoiler alert after my response and see if you can spot the minor edit below (just pretend it's Waldo):

While I would admit that something like "The Digital Story of the Nativity" is a little cheesy (e.g., the three wise men discussing what gifts to bring), I don’t think it’s entirely bad, either (then again, I also happen to like "Bethlehemian Rhapsody" and "Hotel Can’t Afford Ya", so some might find my tastes a bit skewed). However, I clearly prefer "A Social Network Christmas", as it seems a bit more reverent and somber both in music and tone, thereby probably capturing the emotions of those who were involved better. Also, there seems to be a better synchronization between the music and what’s being typed.
Um, did I just review a couple of youtube videos? (Which might help explain why I prefer to write under an pseudonym).

SPOILER ALERT!!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

(I don't want to hear anyone claiming they weren't warned!)

My favorite parts of the video:

1. 1:24 Joseph typing that he's hurting/confused at hearing about Mary's pregnancy
2. 1:57 + 1:59 "Oh, that's convenient..." and Joseph unfriended
3. 2:42 "IT'S A BOY!" typed in at same time song starts with "Rejoice...."
4. "His name shal be <close up> Jesus </video>
5.  

 BTW, there is no # 5, I just wanted to see how many people are paying attention.

God's timing of the Nativity

At Just The Right Time | The Prodigal Thought

As Paul said in the passage above, Christ came at the fulness of time. Or, to translate even more, Christ came at the right time. There was no other time in the plan of our God. Not a day earlier, not a day later. And never was it in the plans of our God to withhold His Son from the world.

Just read the thing already..  It's beautiful.  My response:

"How many, including myself, have done things (even atrocious things) in the name of Christ that he never asked of us?"
First, while this is a good question, it does seem a bit off the topic of "What if Christ had never stepped into human flesh in our human world?" since it’s possitle that we would have rationalized our atrocious actions in some other manner if He had not. If anything, human imagination seems limitless when coming up with such rationalizations. Second, and or greater significance, I think the combination of these questions obscures that whether we’ve committed atrocious acts, or even how many atrocious acts that we’ve committed, is less important than whether we’ve repented of themand thereby misinterprets Jesus’ purpose for caming, which was not to make bad men good (however much that might be the result of His coming), but to make dead men live (I believe the source for this is Paul E. Little’s Know What You Believe, but cannot find the exact page at the moment). I mean this more as a minor quibble than outright criticism and hope it’s taken that way.
"As Paul said in the passage above, Christ came at the fulness of time."
Which brings up another interesting question/realization: can God do anything except at the right time?
"Let God be Immanuel now and forever. Let God come in the fulness of time, at just the right time, as we celebrate Christmas together."
Amen.

A song fit for The King* written** by Queen

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Children of all ages,

We proudly present....

The Bethlehemian Rhapsody***

And, if you act now, you'll also get

(free of charge)
The Hotel Can't Afford Ya

*No, I don't mean Elvis, I mean THE King.
** Well, the music was written by them, at least.
*** Thanks to NT Blog for drawing my attention to the Bethlemian Rhapsody

Sorry, Mr. Shore, you seem to have fundamentalism confused with social conservatism

Tell Me, Christian, That You Hear This Boy | JohnShore.com

Tell me that your belief system didn’t help but the hot tears on this kid’s cheeks. Tell me that the bullies who torment this kid aren’t in any way encouraged or empowered by your tacit approval of their actions. Tell me that the shame this kid feels about himself has nothing to do with the shame that you believe all gay people should feel for themselves.

I am not going to dispute that there are those who call themselves fundamentalists who tacitly, if not openly, condone such treatment suffered by the young man in the video.  What Mr. Shore fails to demonstrate, however, is how such approval is inherent to fundamentalism- or even to those who think that homosexuality is sinful.

Sorry, but as a fundamentalist, I refuse to fit your stereotype.  I do, however, call anyone who has sinned- including myself- to repent.  And it is up to each person to decide for himself or herself whether to do so or not.  Any attempt to coerce another person to do so, whether through physical violence, derogatory language, or other means, would result, at best, in false repentance.  If God does not force anyone, including me, to repent, then what right do I have to try to force someone else to?
Furthermore, we were all created human.  To treat another person as non-human, to try to dehumanize another person, to act or even feel like another person does not deserve to be treated like a human being is a lie and thus an affront to the Creator.  I feel nothing but moral repugnance for the treatment this young man has suffered.  Whatever sins another person has committed does not in any way abrogate a Christian's duty to treat him or her as a fellow human being.  To ignore such a duty is a sin and, if left unrepented of, is just as liable for judgment as any other sin.
"Tell me that the bullies who torment this kid aren’t in any way encouraged or empowered by your tacit approval of their actions."
Tacit approval?  How much more strongly do you want me to condemn such behavior?
"Tell me, please, how you love this kid."
I love this kid.  He is a fellow human being.  The same salvation that has been offered to me has been offered to him.  If he has not found it, I hope he does.

"Tell me how you understand his pain"
I don't claim that I can understand anyone else's pain.  As much as I might feel or have felt similar pain, each person's pain is their own.

"Tell me how when he cries, you cry."
When he cries, I cry.

"Tell me how you want to do everything in your power to make sure that no one, ever again, feels free to in any way victimize a young gay person."
No problem.  I want to do everything in my power to make sure that no one feels free in any way to victimize a young gay person ever again.

"Tell me that the shame this kid feels about himself has nothing to do with the shame that you believe all gay people should feel
for themselves."
Actually, I think it's the shame I believe all people- and I include myself here- should feel when they sin.  Then again, you seem to believe that the people who victimized this young man should feel shame that they did so.  If you do, why do you condemn others who also believe that those who sin should feel shame?  The only difference between you and them is what each side considers to be sinful.

"Tell me that your belief system didn’t help but the hot tears on this kid’s cheeks."
Let's turn this around and suppose that a fundamentalist reading what you wrote about him or her causes him or her to cry.  Would you agree with the accusation that you are somehow guilty for causing such tears or would you claim that it is not your fault that truth is sometimes painful?

"Tell me that you can’t comprehend the connection between your conviction that God finds homosexuals repulsive, and the fact that this kid finds himself so repulsive that he habitually cuts his own flesh."
Again, sin should be repulsive.  I am repulsed by my own sins, but that does not cause me to cut my own flesh.  Rather, it leads me to repentance.  Thus the problem would seem to be an improper response to the revulsion, although I am well aware that there are other factors that contribute to such behavior which you failed to mention in your question.

 Oddly enough, Mr. Shore makes the following statement three posts later which explains exactly why my sister doesn't feel threatened by my beliefs (emphasis added):

What fun we will have, imagining a world in which what a person believes is considered completely irrelevant compared to what they actually do.

The more we change hearts and minds, the less we will need to change laws

jonnybaker: so i wasn't the only one...

so it turns out that with my naive suggestion i am not the only one thinking that dealing with the obscene salaries is a serious issue. i had suggested setting a salary cap above which people could then earn more and choose whether to invest it in arts, health, charity - something on the lines of transformation for good. doing so would overnight change our economics.

As good as such an idea might sound, I doubt it would truly work.  Social change through legislation rarely does.  For example, it would almost be impossible to monitor or control payments received outside of the country and you could probably bet your bottom dollar that that would be a popular way to circumvent such a proposed law. If we truly want to make lasting change in the commericialistic culture that dominates the modern world*, where profits and goods are seen as more important than fair and just treatment of one's fellow human beings, then we must employ the more difficult, but more effective in the long run, method of chaning people's hearts and minds through the power of the Gospel.  Do that and the need for legislation will be greatly curtailed.  Fail to do that and anything else will be  a mere band-aid.
* a good example of this over here in the United States is Black Friday, whose spirit overshadows that of Thanksgiving (indeed, many seem more thankful for the savings they are about to receive than any spiritual blessing) and is seen as preparation for Christmas.

Sartre was wrong: Hell isn't other people, but one's decision to reject God's love

jesus the radical pastor | exploring the life and mission of the 1st century Jesus for our 21st century » Blog Archive » LOVE MEANS NEVER SAYING THE WORD "HELL"

A friend of mine remarked that the new defintion of God’s love means unconditional, endless tolerance and affection. Sweet, but so much wishful thinking. Discounting the perichoresis of the Trinity, the hard edge of love that compelled Jesus to voluntarily lay down his life for sinners is considered ‘bad parenting’ by God the Father, even divine child abuse. You can read it in many popular expressions of the new, soft, fireless, judgmental-less love. I think many of these new "God is love" proponents learned their definitions of love from Sesame Street rather than from the biblical text. What I think they mean when they say "God is love" is "God is nice."

In response to a comment the author added near the end of the post ("I’m totally open to exploring all current ideas about judgment, hell, gehenna, hades, lake of fire and separation from God forever."), I wrote the following:

My own belief on the matter is that the "punishment" in Hell is the undeniable knowledge of the God's love and the price He paid through the blood of His Son to redeem us.  I don't think there is a torment that God could possibly add to the realization of the unrepentant of how callously he or she has rejected such a gracious offer that could make that person's suffering any worse.