33 pastors make presidential endorsements from pulpit

Most pastors get a bit squeamish when the subject of politics and the pulpit arises. For at least 33 pastors this past Sunday, the subject was tackled from head-on:

33 Pastors Flout Tax Law With Political Sermons

By Peter Slevin

Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, September 29, 2008; A02

CROWN POINT, Ind., Sept. 28 -- Defying a federal law that prohibits U.S. clergy from endorsing political candidates from the pulpit, an evangelical Christian minister told his congregation Sunday that voting for Sen. Barack Obama would be evidence of "severe moral schizophrenia."

The Rev. Ron Johnson Jr. told worshipers that the Democratic presidential nominee's positions on abortion and gay partnerships exist "in direct opposition to God's truth as He has revealed it in the Scriptures." Johnson showed slides contrasting the candidates' views but stopped short of endorsing Obama's Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain.

Johnson and 32 other pastors across the country set out Sunday to break the rules, hoping to generate a legal battle that will prompt federal courts to throw out a 54-year-old ban on political endorsements by tax-exempt houses of worship.

MORE

Asked why he felt the need to discuss the candidates by name and to be explicit in rejecting Obama and his pro-choice views, Johnson said he must connect the dots because he is not sure that all members of his congregation can do so on their own.

The congregation greeted Johnson's reasoning and his criticism of Obama with applause.

"When things of the world don't line up with Scripture," said Ed Kraus, 61, who executes reverse mortgages for a living, "he has a right to say they don't."

Ruth Stiener went a step further. "He has a duty," she said. "Heaven forbid that that is ever taken away from our pastors."

MORE

"Senator Obama is a committed Christian and a man of deep faith," said Joshua DuBois, Obama's national religious affairs director. "And the notion that there is only one way to address issues like abortion, or that people of faith cannot support full civil rights for all Americans, is absurd."

Read the rest here.

A long Sunday at home...

...recuperating from a sinus infection. Saw this, and wanted to share:

Found @ www.reverendfun.com!

"Son, I'm Home": More parents move in with kids

Ran across this little bit today...read it but whatever you do, don't let your in-laws see this!

More parents move in with kids
In-laws, too, and others

By Greg Toppo and Anthony DeBarrosUSA TODAY

In the 1990s, your family came for dinner. Now they're moving in.

The number of parents, siblings and other relatives who live with adult heads of households grew 42% from 2000 to 2007, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Leading the way: parents, up 67%, to 3.6 million.

The figures suggest it isn't only elderly parents moving in. The number of parents under 65 in these households increased by 75%, and those 65 and older were up 62%. Both groups outpaced the rise in the number of people in family households overall, which is up 6% since 2000.

"This is just a major trend," says Stephanie Coontz, a family history professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., who directs research at the Council on Contemporary Families.
Coontz suspects that a host of factors — among them higher housing costs and the USA's struggling economy — are prompting families to combine expenses. Also, intergenerational households are more common among the country's growing number of immigrants, she says.

But Coontz also notes that parent-child relationships are closer now than in the past. The downside, she says, is the emergence of the so-called helicopter parent who may hover too closely, but the upside is a tighter bond between generations and, in many cases, closer friendships between grown children and their parents. "I don't know how many of my students have told me, 'This may sound weird, but I talk to my parents more than I talk to my friends.' "

Read the rest here.

Sunday AM Series: Romans

Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 13

"Be Subject"

-Submission one of the chief earmarks of the child of God.

Submission to Government

Subject because of Wrath (v. 1-4)
-this type of submission is less about personalities, and more about authority.
-one doesn't have to fear authority if one submits.
-obvious exception to this: when government edict conflicts with God's law (see Acts 5:28-29)
-the Christian should respect, esteem, and pray for public officials (this echoes Rom. 12:18)
-see also I Peter 2:13-17

Subject because of Conscience (v. 5-7)

Subject because of Love (v. 8-10)

Subject because of Our Redemption (v. 11-14)

Our Missionary Families

Last night was another milestone in the life of our church. The first missionary families supported by Reconciliation Church were selected by a vote of church members. We'd like to welcome the following missionaries to the Reconciliation Church family:

-Jim & Becky Carter, Alaska
-Adam & Brandie Crabtree, Greece
-Rich & Mindy Krecl, Israel
-Lionel & Carol Martin, Portugal
-Rick & Cheri Moeller, South Africa/Scotland
-New Testament Church Planting, USA

Coming Monday...

...we have missionaries to introduce. One of our new missionaries' countries flag is below. Can you guess where?

P.S. Sermon notes also on the way...

Mickey Mouse: target of Jihad?

I'm not kidding. The loveable American icon is the target of an Muslim cleric's fatwa (religious decree) which labels Mickey as "a soldier of Satan" who "should be killed in all cases". You can't make this stuff up:

"Saudi cleric Sheik Mohammed Munajjid said the cartoon character Mickey Mouse should be killed. Munajjid said in an interview with a religious Web site that under Islamic law, rats and mice are considered "repulsive" and as "soldiers of Satan."

"For children they've become something great and beloved. Like this Mickey Mouse, who is seen as a great figure, even though under Islamic law, Mickey Mouse should be killed," said Munajjid."

No word on Donald Duck's fate...

Notable quote...

"If there is no God, nothing matters. If there is a God, nothing else matters."

-Unknown

Something to think about...

I don't want the blog to morph into a constantly running commentary on the culture, but some things are pertinent enough to warrant mention here. This is one of those, written over at the Christian Theology blog. The question was in response to one of the major party candidates for president being unable to tell Rick Warren when life began. Further, they told Warren, neither theology or science could answer the question.

"Rick Warren led a recent debate between candidates for president at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest CA. One of the most thought provoking parts was when one of the candidates said that when human life begins was something that could not be known either through “Theology” nor “Science”. Well either way you go with that one it seems obviously wrong.

Beginning either with theology or the sciences it seems that whether or not the product of conception is alive and/or human has become pretty obvious. There are still a lot of things to think about on the nature of human life but haven’t we gotten to the place where we understand that the offspring of a male human and a female human is both alive and human? What else is there for it to be? Dead and Bovine? Say that for some reason we can’t know whether or not it is human life. Shouldn’t we then protect it until we find out for sure? Seems only reasonable."

On the Ray Boltz tragedy...

Doug Eaton writing at the Christian Theology blog has some pertinent thoughts about Christian musician Ray Boltz's bombshell that he is a homosexual. I will link to his whole blog, and here's some of what Eaton wrote:

So what should we think about the “coming out” of such a notable Christian figure, especially since he is now claiming to be happy? Besides the obvious sorrow we should feel for the destruction caused to Mr. Boltz’s family by divorcing his wife and the grief of his four children, and sorrow for Mr. Boltz himself as he is now living outside the revealed will of God, this should cause us to think for a minute about the deceptive nature of our enemy.

Eaton also hits a nerve as he talks about a disturbing trend which has crept into American Christianity: the primacy of self-happiness, self-actualization, or veiled hedonism:

All we have to do is listen to Christian music, Christian conferences, and even the preaching in many churches to see this is this trend. The true gospel has been substituted. Instead of preaching law and gospel where we are told the truth that we need to come to Christ because we are sinners deserving of wrath, and that the wages of sin is death, what is preached in its place is sorrow and self-esteem.

Shocked

Shocked. That's the only way I can describe my feeling after
a friend of mine called me and directed me to this item on
Christianity Today's website. I like many people have been
impacted by Ray Boltz's (right) ministry of music. From songs
like "Thank You" to "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" to "The
Anchor Holds", Boltz sold millions of records, won many awards,
and toured the world. What's the larger lesson of his news?
Maybe it's a cautionary note that anyone can fall away. Paul's
words in I Corinthians never rang more true than tonight:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Sunday AM Series: Romans

Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 12

The Christian's Service, the Christian's Conduct

-service to God begins with possessing a Christlike mindset (Rom. 11:34)

Verses 1-8 (Service)

-"beseech", literally "beg".
-living sacrifice: Christ wants our lives.
-reasonable service

-be not conformed: don't let the world squeeze you into its mold.

-renewing your mind: this is an ongoing process (Phil. 4:8)

-think soberly: implies seriousness.

-"members one of another" : the body of Christ in interdependent.

Verses 9-21 (Conduct)

-"Abhor that which is evil"

-"Rejoicing in hope"

-"Bless them which persecute you"

-"Provide things honest in the sight of all men"

-"overcome evil with good"

100!

Yes! 100...posts on the blog. Actually 101 for those of you scoring at home. We've been plugging away at church news, sermon notes, news about our culture, faith, and a little humor now and then since March 2008. Here's to more blog posts. Thanks go out to all of you who actually read these things!

Saturday chuckle...

Saw this bumper sticker tonight. I had to laugh, as anyone who's ever owned a truck will as well...

Sunday AM Series: Romans

Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 11

Paul's Two Questions

#1: Has God totally set aside Israel?
-Paul says no; he is an Israelite himself.
-Israel existed throughout the Old Testament.
-They experienced God's protection many times (the exodus, wandering in the desert, etc.)
-God always has a people.

#2: Did Israel stumble so they could fall?
-Paul says no.
-Israel rejected the Gospel, they were set aside by God.
-God then turned to the gentiles as the primary vehicle for the Gospel.

Key verse 11:22 "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

9/11 plus 7

There are a few seminal moments in the life of a nation where you ask someone, "where were you when you heard..." and they'll instantly tell you where they were, what they were doing, and how they felt. The assassination of President Kennedy is one of those moments. Those who were alive in 1941 can tell you where they were when they heard that Japan had attacked a place called Pearl Harbor. On September 11, 2001 one of those moments which sears itself into the memory of a nation occured. On that early fall day, 19 men hijacked four commerical airliners, turning them into flying bombs.

Brief Chronology
-At 7:45am (CT), American Airlines flight 11 out of Boston's Logan Airport crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

-At 8:03am, United Airlines flight 175 (also from Boston) crashes into the World Trade Center South Tower.

-At 8:30am, President Bush speaking from an elementary school in Florida, states that America has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack."

-At 8:40am, the FAA orders all flight operations at U.S. airports to be stopped. This is the first time in American history this has occured.

-At 8:43am, American Airlines flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.

-At 8:45am, as President Bush leaves Florida, the White House is evacuated.

-At 9:05am, the WTC South tower collapses.

-At 9:10am, United Airlines flight 93 crashes into a Pennsylvania field.

-At 9:28am, the WTC North tower collapses.

-At 10:02am, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay at home and orders an evacuation of the area south of Canal Street.

-At 12:04pm, President Bush speaking from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana asks for prayers for those killed or wounded in the attacks and says, "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."

-At 1:49pm, Mayor Giuliani was asked about the number of people killed. Giuliani says, "I don't think we want to speculate about that - more than any of us can bear."

-At 3:00pm, news is revealed that Osama bin Laden, suspected of coordinating the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998, is involved in the attacks.

-At 5:54pm, Bush arrives back at the White House where he is to address the nation that evening.

-At 7:30pm, President Bush addresses the nation, saying "thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil" and asks for prayers for the families and friends of Tuesday's victims. "These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve," he says. The president says the U.S. government will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed the acts and those who harbor them.

-At 9:49pm, it is reported that Attorney General Ashcroft told members of Congress that there were three to five hijackers on each plane armed only with knives.

In closing, two fitting tributes (both from Christian music legends). The first, "There She Stands" by Michael W. Smith (warning: you may need a Kleenex nearby). The second, "The Ones Left Standing" by Wayne Watson.

Time is getting away...

We're "bee bopping" our way through the week and we look up and WHAM! it's Wednesday. So, coming Thursday, sermon notes (tardy) along with things about the significance of tomorrow, September 11th. In the meantime, where were you when you heard...?

Comment: A pundit who gets it...

It isn't often one of these political "talking heads" gets it right but a couple of days ago Fred Barnes (above) did get it right about the controversy surrounding the daughter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, who is 17 and pregnant. Barnes was responding to a question of whether or not this revelation would hurt Palin with religious conservatives. Barnes said this:

I mean these are the people who realize that we're sinful, we're imperfect, and that's why we're Christians, because we need Jesus Christ in our lives.

I don't want the reader to get hung up in the politics of this issue. What I want you to see is one of those rare moments when someone in the secular world, in a secular line of work actually "gets it". Mr. Barnes nailed the essense of the Gospel message in a nutshell. It's rare when these pundits who generate more heat than light say something worth paying attention to, but Mr. Barnes did and he is to be congratulated for it.

Note: the writer's views contained in this post are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of Reconciliation Church.

Sunday AM Series: Romans

Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 10:1-21

Israel's Misplaced Zeal

Paul's burden restated (Rom. 10:1-4)
-the Jewish people were ignorant of God's righteousness.
-they sought justification by the law, not by faith (see Luke 18:9-14).
-justification through faith in Christ (Rom. 10:4)

The perils of seeking justification by the law (Rom. 10:5-7)

The remedy for misplaced zeal (Rom. 10:8-13)

The method for overcoming misplaced zeal (Rom. 10:14-17)
-go and tell.

Europe was once a Christian continent...

The decline of Christianity accompanied by the rise of twin forces, secular postmodernism and Islam, is an interesting if not alarming development. Christian churches are shuttered while mosques open. Now this interesting news item, the announcement of the building of the "largest mosque in Europe":

Chechen president to inaugurate 'largest mosque in Europe'

THE JERUSALEM POST

The Russian-backed Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov will inaugurate the "largest mosque in Europe" on October 17 in Chechnya, the Russian official news agency Novosty reported.
Over 10,000 worshipers will be able to pray inside the mosque, which will be named after the president's father, Ahmad Kadyrov, who was killed in 2004.

"The largest mosque in Europe... will by inaugurated on the first day of the International Peacemakers' Conference, titled 'Islam - Religion of Peace and Progress,'" the grand mufti of Chechnya, Sultan Mirzayev, told the press.

Mirzayev underlined that approximately 50 countries have already approved their participation in the three-day conference.

The building of the mosque began more than three years ago. Surrounding the mosque will be Chechnya's Islamic administration, a religious school, an Islamic university, a hotel and a religious library.

Kadyrov, 31, is the son of Ahmad Kadyrov, an anti-Russian rebel leader who at one point was titled "Chechnya's rebel mufti" [mufti - an Islamic, cleric who issues religious decrees].
In 1999 the Kadyrovs defected to the Russian side. On March 2, 2007 then Russian president Vladimir Putin nominated Kadyrov as Chechen president.

Notable quote

A real thought provoker came my way today- thought I'd share:

"Correct judgment comes from a place; that place is called experience."

-Author unknown

Sunday laugh (on a Monday)...

I guess this brings new meaning to the song "Come just as you are".

And free coffee too?!

Sunday AM Series: Romans

Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 9:1-33

Election, Israel, and God's Purpose

-Important to remember that God's dealings with humankind has always been by faith.

v. 1-5
Paul's burden for the Jews expressed.
-echoes Moses's desire in Exodus 32:32
Israel's many blessings can't save them; only faith in Christ will.

v. 6-13
One's lineage can't save them.
-examples Ishmael, Esau

v. 14-24
God's power as shown in His mercy and judgment.
-God blessed Pharaoh, then cut him off.

v. 25-33
-Salvation by Christ, not ethnicity.

Culture Watch: Creeping Secularism?

Interesting stuff came out today in the form of a Pew Research Center report on the role of religion in public life. Close to 3,000 adults 18 and over were surveyed about several issues regarding church and state. The broad findings? 52% of those surveyed felt that churches should "stay out" of political issues, while 45% felt that churches should express their views. The Pew Center finds the responses of "social conservatives" most striking: 50% of those who fell into that category felt that religion and politics shouldn't mix; in 2004 only 30% of the same group felt this way. Why is this? The Pew Center doesn't answer this. Other interesting facts from the survey included:

-Two-thirds of the public (66%) say that churches and other houses of
worship should not endorse one candidate over another, which is unchanged since 2004 (65%).

-Half of Americans (50%) say that it does not bother them when politicians talk about how religious they are, but the number expressing discomfort has edged upward over the past four years.

-An overwhelming majority of the public continues to say that it is important to them that a
president have strong religious beliefs. More than seven-in-ten Americans express this opinion, and attitudes on this issue have not changed in recent years.

-A slim majority (52%) says the GOP (Republican Party) is friendly toward religion, compared with 38% who say the same about the Democratic Party.

-When asked to assess their own moral values on a scale from liberal to conservative,
49% of Americans place themselves on the conservative side of the scale, while just 20% place
themselves on the liberal side (29% describe themselves as moderate.)

-A majority of Americans (54%) say abortion should be legal in most (37%) or all (17%) cases, while 41% oppose legalized abortion in most (26%) or all (15%) circumstances.

-67% of those surveyed favor faith-based initiatives.

You can see the survey in its entirety here.

All joking aside...

Willard public schools begins classes tomorrow. Please join us in praying for the students, staff, and teachers. Pray for a safe and successful year. Go get 'em, Tigers!

"Which service?"

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names with small American flags mounted on either side of it.

The seven year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the Pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, "Good Morning Alex." "Good morning Pastor," he replied, still focused on the plaque.

"Pastor, what is this?" he asked the pastor. The pastor said, "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service." Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.

Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear, asked "which service, the 9:45 or the 11:15?"

What Coke and Mentos teach us about God's purpose

After a couple of weeks in children's church, I can say emphatically that I learn as much (or more) as do the kids. Today was no different. We were talking about God's purpose and plan for our lives and how that for each of us, there's a God-shaped hole that only He can fill inside us. Maybe you've seen or heard of the "pop" culture phenomena that the combination of coke and mentos candy has caused (if not, you can read here). For those of you who don't know, basically when a package (8-12) mentos are dropped into a two liter of soda, a geyser-like eruption occurs. The science behind this explosive combo can be found here.

So today with a two liter of cherry coke under one arm and a package of mentos in the other, we headed outside to create a geyser for ourselves. We first had a bottle of water, plopping the mentos into the H2O. Nothing happened. We told the kids that this is like when we put the wrong things into that God-shaped hole- whatever it is, nothing happens because God designed Himself to occupy that spot in our lives. You can put whatever you choose into that spot: other people, a job, money, a car, clothes, power, etc and nothing occurs.

Then we did the same thing with the cherry coke. The result was about an eight foot geyser of soda. When you introduce the right thing, the designed reaction occurs. Just like when God fills that hole inside of us- we find our purpose in His plan. We might as well be rocket-powered.

In John 7:38 Jesus said "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Perhaps for one second those kids saw how this verse works when the mentos were dropped into the coke.

(You can see the reactions of coke and mentos here)

"Olympic Persecution"

While swimmer Michael Phelps continutes his assault on the record books in the Beijing Olympics, another kind of assault continues in China: the assault on religious liberty. Consider this news item from the Voice of the Martyrs:

Pastor Hua Huiqi, who was evicted from his rental apartment in Beijing on July 2, and subsequently forced to leave China’s capital, was arrested Sunday while trying to attend a service at a state-approved church. The service at the Three Self-Patriotic Movement’s Kuanjie Church was attended by U.S. President George W. Bush. According to China Aid Association, Pastor Hua was walking to the state-approved church early Sunday morning when he was detained by the Chinese police. After about six hours, Pastor Hua took an opportunity and fled. He is now at large. Pastor Hua once had his door welded shut by Chinese police to keep him inside. In another incident, a policeman used a 10-pound hammer to break the locks on his door to evict Pastor Hua and his family including his 90-year-old father. Since that incident a couple of months ago Pastor Hua has been basically homeless. Government officials have labeled Hua a trouble-maker and stated their intention was to detain Hua until after the Olympic Games.

It would be nice to say that this is just an isolated incident. It'd be nice to say that Pastor Hua is just, as the government says, "a troublemaker". It'd be nice- but it wouldn't be true.

Consider what the State Department said in its most recent report on religious liberty in China:

"During the period covered by this report, the Government's respect for freedom of religion remained poor, especially for religious groups and spiritual movements that are not registered with the Government. The Government expelled several foreign citizens on charges of conducting "illegal religious activities" by proselytizing in the spring of 2007. According to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), religious organizations, and house church groups, over one hundred were expelled. The Government also questioned house church leaders about connections with foreigners and plans to disrupt the Olympics. Some of these groups alleged that these incidents were part of a coordinated government campaign to repress religious expression. The Government also continued to emphasize the role of religion in building a "Harmonious Society," which was a positive development with regard to the Government's respect for religious freedom."

Pray for China.

Welcome FEEDJIT

You'll notice a box on the left hand side of the blog, most of the way down the page. Meet a fun little gadget called FEEDJIT. FEEDJIT shows you what geographical locations visit the church blog. Never fear though, your anonymity is safe as FEEDJIT won't display, record, or store a specific IP (internet provider) address- just someone's general (non-specific) geographical location. It's a neat way of discovering who stumbles upon the church blog and where in the world they're located.

Midweek Merriment

For some midweek fun, let's sample a series of church signs including one from a church that appears to enjoy inflicting its parishioners...

When God reaches through the daily grind...

...to meet you where you are. Have you ever been there, out in the course of your week like a thirsty person wandering through the desert trying to find their way through when God reaches through past your "to-do" list, your meeting schedule, your emails, the phone calls you have to return, the people you have to please...and finds you?

It's not as though you're backsliding but you're out there living like your success or failure is completely up to you...then God shows you another path. With our human ingenuity, we plot courses and plan moves. Yet God has another way many times and it's always the much better way in every respect. Proverbs 16:33 says "the lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD."

If anything, I'm guilty of knowing about the abundant life Jesus promises. Knowing about it and living it are two different things. I may know a lot about the Great Wall of China; experiencing it is another thing altogether since I've never been there. So it is with God and His promises; you can hear all about them- from the pulpit on Sunday and from the stories of your Christian friends- yet if you don't choose to fully follow Christ, you'll never experience it. By "experience" I'm not referring to some signs and wonders thing. Rather, I'm talking about knowing something is so because you've put it to the test in the rough-and-tumble workaday world in which we live and seen Him come through.

Then, as you scurry from one fire to the next, you know what it's like when God finds you, reaches down, and touches you reviving your spent soul and weary mind. This is the life He has for us...if we chose it for ourselves.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008)

One of the towering figures of the 20th Century has died. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian historian, philosopher, and author whose epic The Gulag Archipelago exposed the West to the horrors of Soviet tyranny inside their forced labor camps. One source described him thusly: "Driven, principled, frequently arrogant, a bearded figure with the fierce visage of a prophet, Mr. Solzhenitsyn (sohl-zheh-NEETS-ihn) was regarded as one of the greatest and most influential writers of the 20th century." Christian leader Charles Colson once compared Solzhenitsyn to the prophet Jeremiah after the Russian sage lambasted his Harvard audience for among other things allowing man to become "the master of this world … who bears no evil within himself...So all the defects of life" are attributed to "wrong social systems."

It's difficult to overestimate the affect The Gulag Archipelago had on shaping the mind of the West toward the Soviet Union. Historians credit Solzhenitsyn along with Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II with framing the moral and ideological case against the Soviet Union. Before you go, read two pieces. One from Charles Colson about Solzhenitsyn at Harvard and the second is an editorial that ran in a Canadian newspaper following his death. It can be found here.

Dog Days of Summer...

We find ourselves in the "dog days" of summer (incidently you can find why it's called the dog days here)...people seem to be here and there, taking their last minute trips before fall comes, school begins, and it's back to the routine. We've gotten out of the routine here at the blog, working on papers for summer school classes, and taking those last minute trips all while doing some activity in conjunction with the recent election. But we're back and posting so, check back often. And we'll see ya at church...

HUH?

Here's hoping everyone's having a good week and staying cool in this heat. Looking forward to Sunday, but in the meantime grab a cold drink and read this story about how we're all going deaf from our personal audio devices, like the ipod and the fact that we all seem to be getting older (present company excluded).

One of three U.S. adults already suffers from some degree of hearing loss and the use of personal stereos and an aging population may create a hearing impairment epidemic, researchers said on Monday.

A team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore estimated that 55 million Americans have hearing loss in one or both ears, with men, whites and the least-educated most affected.
One out of six, or 29 million adults, have some trouble discerning speech, more than previous estimates, they reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"The prevalence of hearing loss in the United States is predicted to rise significantly because of an aging population and the growing use of personal listening devices. Indeed, there is concern that we may be facing an epidemic of hearing impairment," Dr. Yuri Agrawal of the Baltimore hospital wrote.

It is common for people to ignore or disavow hearing loss, the researchers said, leading to difficulty communicating that can result in productivity problems at work, depression, and less access to health care that ultimately raises the risk of sickness and death.

Hearing loss is common among people 70 and older, according to the report. But hearing loss also affected 8.5 percent of those in their 20s and 17 percent of people in their 30s. Exposure to workplace noise, firearms, and loud music were all risk factors.

Assessing health information collected from 5,700 Americans aged 20 to 69 years between 1999 and 2004 in the federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Agrawal and colleagues found men were twice as likely as women (21 percent versus 11 percent) to have speech-frequency hearing loss in one or both ears.

Whites were more than twice as prone to hearing loss than blacks, and those with less education were more at risk than those who completed high school or beyond.

Also dramatically increasing the chances of hearing loss were smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Screening for hearing loss should begin in young adulthood, particularly for vulnerable groups, Agrawal concluded.

(Reporting by Andrew Stern; Editing by Maggie Fox and Eric Walsh)

Sunday laugh...

Back from a mini-vacation in sunny, hot Oklahoma. Trust that everyone had a great Sunday at church. And now, for something lighter...

These and more found @ http://www.reverendfun.com

Nice shirt...

Been meaning to talk about the handsome shirts which represent our church well where ever one goes. They, along with an equally handsome polo, were done by T.J. Sales who got them done and to us in very short order. Thanks to T.J. and the folks who did such a great job. And if you see someone out and about with the above shirt on, you've spotted a member of our church!

Sunday AM Series: Romans

Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 5:1-21

"Much More"

Introduction- Results of Justification:
-peace with God (5:1)
-access to grace (5:2)
-patience, experience, and hope (5:4)
-God's love revealed (5:5)

"Much More" - Five times in chapter 5 this phrase is used by Paul to show the additional benefits of justification.

1st "much more": (v. 9) not only is does the believer have their sins forgiven and assurance of eternal life, God also promises deliverence from judgment to come. (see also I Thess. 1:10)

2nd "much more": (v. 10) not only is the believer made right with God through the death of Christ, we have a guarentee through His life. (see also John 1:4)

3rd "much more": (v. 15) the gift of grace through Jesus abounds to many.

4th "much more": (v. 17) "much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (think royalty- see I Pet. 2:9)

5th "much more": (v. 20) grace abounding (overflowing).

Notable quote...

"May you live all the days of your life."

-Jonathan Swift, Irish author (1667-1745)

Church wins trophy, write-up in "Cross Country Times"

In case you missed it, our church received a trophy in recognition of its 3rd place parade entry in the Willard Fourth of July parade. Our photo also appeared in Willard's Cross Country Times along with this mention: "Reconciliation Church educated with a display of military uniforms." Below is our trophy. We sincerely thank the organizers of this year's events for letting us participate in this wonderful event to commemorate this hallowed day. God bless America.

News item: "No more LDS missionaries Russia-bound"

This little tidbit crawled across the TV screen today. While this news item applies to the LDS church, the implications for other missionary organizations and current missionaries within Russia is obvious.

Jul. 15, 2008 07:14 AM

Associated Press

PROVO, Utah - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no longer sending North American missionaries to Russia due to new visa laws, but are trying to find a work-around.
Missionaries who were being prepared at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, for service in Russia have been reassigned.

North American missionaries already in Russia will remain to complete their service, which runs two years for men and 18 months for women.

Last year, Russia began to require foreigners on humanitarian visas, which includes missionaries, to leave the country every three months to renew their visas.

"The church is working to find an alternative solution to the 90-day renewal requirement," church spokesman Rob Howell told the Deseret News on Monday. "Until an appropriate alternative is identified, new missionary assignments to Russia will be limited to those nationalities not needing visas.

Sunday AM Series: Romans

Pastor Joel Santti: Romans 4:1-25

Justification by Faith

1) Justification is by faith, not works. (4:1-5)
-Abraham, the ancestor
-the physical ancestor of the Jews, the spiritual ancestor of those who put their faith
in Christ.
-Abraham: not justified by works (see Rom. 4:3, Gen. 15:6, Gal. 3:6-7)

2) Justification is for all. (4:6-12)
-All stand in need of justification, regardless of ethnicity or creed.
-circumcision was the outward sign of inward belief toward God.
-It's important to note that Abraham hadn't been circumcised when he put his faith in God.
-Abraham is the father of all who believe.

3) Justification is not natural, it's supernatural. (4:13-25)
"God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."
-this also applies to us (present tense) if we believe.

Tony Snow on illness, mortality, and God's will

One year ago, Tony Snow penned a piece for "Christianity Today" about his experience battling cancer. Full of insight and perspective on illness, suffering, and God's place in it all, it's worth a read.

"Blessings arrive in unexpected packages—in my case, cancer.

Those of us with potentially fatal diseases—and there are millions in America today—find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence What It All Means, Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the why questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is—a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But despite this—because of it—God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face."

More:

"The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing though the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment."

"What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place—in the hollow of God's hand."

Writer, host, White House spokesman Tony Snow passes away...

Above: Snow, with President Bush

It's rare in the world of politics that someone is as deep as their public persona projects. As with most other acquantices in public life, after really getting to know someone (sports or movie star), one walks away thinking, "man, that's not what I expected."

That wouldn't have been the case with Tony Snow, who died today after a long battle with cancer. Snow's most recent job was arguably the toughest one in politics- White House Press Secretary. Warm and affable, Snow enjoyed success first as a speechwriter for the first President Bush, then as a writer and first host of Fox News Sunday. Tony was also a man of deep faith which he expressed many times during his battle with cancer.

Honored...

Breaking News: Our church's "Honoring Those Who Served" parade float entry was honored with a 3rd place trophy in last week's Willard July 4th Parade. There were 30 entries total in this year's parade, so this is quite an honor. We were featured in Willard's Cross Country Times. A big thank you goes out to all who helped set up, walk, and tear down. The credit belongs to the Lord who helped us introduce ourselves to our neighbors in Willard in a big way. For those who might have missed it, you can view photos of the float and parade here and here. See you Sunday!

More "Scenes from the Fourth"

The Biblical Context of Liberty

Pastor Joel Santti; Galatians 5:1

Look at this sketch of the Liberty Bell, paying close attention to the upper rim and the inscription it bears:

The inscription quotes part of Leviticus 25:10- "PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF LEV. XXV X."

-Christ has made us free (Gal. 5:1):

...free from bondage (see 2 Cor. 3:17, John 8:31-36, Romans 7:4-6)
...free from condemnation (see Romans 8:1, John 3:18)
...free from the power of death (see 2 Cor. 1:9-10)
...free from wrath and eternal judgment (see 1 Thess. 1:9-10)

New link added...

As we're embarking on canvassing the city, I thought it would be useful to place a link on the left side of our blog to download and print a Willard city map. The link is to the City of Willard website, and opens in a pdf format. To open simply point your mouse to the "click here" icon under "Need a Willard city map?"

Coming Monday

Notes from Pastor's sermon on the biblical context of liberty...

Scenes from the Fourth

Above: There's nothing shy about riding in a parade!

Above: Tonya & Taffy tape, Matt & Reagan look good.

Above: loading the uniforms

Above: Good friends

Above: Reagan's first brush with "horse food" (hay)

Above: Taking a break.

Above: "Never fear, the Coast Guard is here!"

Above: Why does this little girl keep popping up here?

Above: Line up wait

Above: More waiting...