This is the one post where I will ask my readers to state whatever they want to put in the comments section of this website.
What's on your mind?
Conflict in the Body of Christ...(link)
Dr James McDonald, Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in suburban Rolling Meadows, Illinois is doing a marvelous series on the daily radio program, "Walk In The Word."
Take a listen:
http://www.walkintheword.com/
Take a listen:
http://www.walkintheword.com/
One Senator with Integrity...why not more?
WASHINGTON - In a tense atmosphere, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee debated John Bolton's fitness to be United Nations' ambassador on Thursday. A critical Republican senator, George Voinovich of Ohio, agreed to let the nomination go to the full Senate but he called the diplomat "arrogant" and "bullying."
"This administration can do better than that," Voinovich said in the first big battle of
President Bush' s second term.
Voinovich said he could not vote for the nomination, but would agree to send it to the floor without a recommendation of approval or disapproval.
"We owe it to the president to give Mr. Bolton an up-or-down vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate," Voinovich said.
Despite Voinovich's sharp criticism of Bolton, who now serves as the top arms-control diplomat at the State Department, the White House was clearly relieved that the Ohio senator had agreed to let the full Senate decide.
Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said the White House is confident Bolton will be confirmed by the full Senate. Voinovich called Bolton "the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps should not be."
He said Bolton would be fired if he was in the private sector.
"That being said, Mr. Chairman, I am not so arrogant to think that I should impose my judgment and perspective of the U.S. position in the world community on the rest of my colleagues," he added.
Voinovich later told reporters he planned to vote against Bolton in the full Senate. Will Bolton win eventual confirmation? "I have every faith in my colleagues. No one really is excited about him. We'll see what happens," he said.
Republicans hold an 10-8 edge on the panel. All eight Democrats have said they would vote against Bolton. Thus, a single "no" GOP vote would deadlock the panel and keep the nomination from going to the floor.
"After hours of deliberation, telephone calls, personal conversations, reading hundreds of pages of transcripts, and asking for guidance from Above, I have come to the determination that the United States can do better than John Bolton," Voinovich said
Voinovich had been the only holdout of four GOP committee members who expressed misgivings about the Bolton nomination.
He said he hoped the full Senate, where Republicans hold a 55-45 majority, would reject the nomination.
"What message are we sending to the world community?" Voinovich asked.
The Republican chairman of the panel, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, defended the nomination in opening remarks, while conceding that "Secretary Bolton's actions were not always exemplary."
Bolton misjudged the actions of subordinates and sometimes clashed with superiors in his current job as the State Department's arms control chief, Lugar said.
But weeks of intense Senate inquiry turned up no evidence that Bolton did anything that would disqualify him as President Bush's choice for the United Nations job, Lugar said.
"His blunt style alienated some colleagues. But there is no evidence that he has broken laws or engaged in serious ethical misconduct," Lugar said.
Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the senior Democrat on the committee, portrayed Bolton as the wrong choice for the post and opposed sending the nomination to the floor — even without a recommendation of approval.
"I think we have undermined our authority and shirked our constitutional responsibility," Biden said.
"We have already lost a lot of credibility at home and abroad after the fiasco over the intelligence on Iraq, and Mr. Bolton is not the man to help us to rebuild it," Biden added. Later, Biden told reporters he did not know if Bolton's vote could be stopped in the full Senate. "Would I have liked it better to have a 'no' vote? Yes," he said.
In lively debate scheduled to last five hours, committee Republicans and Democrats alternatively praised and denounced Bolton's qualifications and direct manner.
"We are not electing Mr. Congeniality. We do not need Mr. Milquetoast," said Sen. George Allen R-Va., arguing that Bolton would be an effective agent for change at the United Nations.
But Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, last year's Democratic presidential nominee, portrayed Bolton as a loose cannon whose pronouncements would prompt other diplomats to ask, "Who is he speaking for?"
"What is at stake here is our national interest, our security interests, our ability to advance our interests within the United Nations," Kerry said.
An energetic diplomat who pioneered a program to curb the spread of dangerous weapons technology, Bolton has strong ties to political conservatives inside and outside the administration and shares their skepticism about some international treaties.
The spirited debate over the last month, however, has focused mostly on allegations that he berated several U.S. officials, especially intelligence analysts who did not agree with his assessments of Cuba and Syria's military strength.
The White House made a determined fight for the embattled nominee.
Bush, trying to turn the personality issue to Bolton's favor, has called Bolton "a blunt guy" who "can get the job done at the United Nations" and "who isn't afraid to speak his mind in the post of the ambassador to the U.N."
A 56-year-old lawyer, Bolton was senior vice president of the American Enterprise Institute before he became Bush's undersecretary of state for arms control and international security affairs four years ago.
****************************************
At least ONE Republican Senator has some integrity.....what about the rest of them?
"This administration can do better than that," Voinovich said in the first big battle of
President Bush' s second term.
Voinovich said he could not vote for the nomination, but would agree to send it to the floor without a recommendation of approval or disapproval.
"We owe it to the president to give Mr. Bolton an up-or-down vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate," Voinovich said.
Despite Voinovich's sharp criticism of Bolton, who now serves as the top arms-control diplomat at the State Department, the White House was clearly relieved that the Ohio senator had agreed to let the full Senate decide.
Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said the White House is confident Bolton will be confirmed by the full Senate. Voinovich called Bolton "the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps should not be."
He said Bolton would be fired if he was in the private sector.
"That being said, Mr. Chairman, I am not so arrogant to think that I should impose my judgment and perspective of the U.S. position in the world community on the rest of my colleagues," he added.
Voinovich later told reporters he planned to vote against Bolton in the full Senate. Will Bolton win eventual confirmation? "I have every faith in my colleagues. No one really is excited about him. We'll see what happens," he said.
Republicans hold an 10-8 edge on the panel. All eight Democrats have said they would vote against Bolton. Thus, a single "no" GOP vote would deadlock the panel and keep the nomination from going to the floor.
"After hours of deliberation, telephone calls, personal conversations, reading hundreds of pages of transcripts, and asking for guidance from Above, I have come to the determination that the United States can do better than John Bolton," Voinovich said
Voinovich had been the only holdout of four GOP committee members who expressed misgivings about the Bolton nomination.
He said he hoped the full Senate, where Republicans hold a 55-45 majority, would reject the nomination.
"What message are we sending to the world community?" Voinovich asked.
The Republican chairman of the panel, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, defended the nomination in opening remarks, while conceding that "Secretary Bolton's actions were not always exemplary."
Bolton misjudged the actions of subordinates and sometimes clashed with superiors in his current job as the State Department's arms control chief, Lugar said.
But weeks of intense Senate inquiry turned up no evidence that Bolton did anything that would disqualify him as President Bush's choice for the United Nations job, Lugar said.
"His blunt style alienated some colleagues. But there is no evidence that he has broken laws or engaged in serious ethical misconduct," Lugar said.
Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the senior Democrat on the committee, portrayed Bolton as the wrong choice for the post and opposed sending the nomination to the floor — even without a recommendation of approval.
"I think we have undermined our authority and shirked our constitutional responsibility," Biden said.
"We have already lost a lot of credibility at home and abroad after the fiasco over the intelligence on Iraq, and Mr. Bolton is not the man to help us to rebuild it," Biden added. Later, Biden told reporters he did not know if Bolton's vote could be stopped in the full Senate. "Would I have liked it better to have a 'no' vote? Yes," he said.
In lively debate scheduled to last five hours, committee Republicans and Democrats alternatively praised and denounced Bolton's qualifications and direct manner.
"We are not electing Mr. Congeniality. We do not need Mr. Milquetoast," said Sen. George Allen R-Va., arguing that Bolton would be an effective agent for change at the United Nations.
But Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, last year's Democratic presidential nominee, portrayed Bolton as a loose cannon whose pronouncements would prompt other diplomats to ask, "Who is he speaking for?"
"What is at stake here is our national interest, our security interests, our ability to advance our interests within the United Nations," Kerry said.
An energetic diplomat who pioneered a program to curb the spread of dangerous weapons technology, Bolton has strong ties to political conservatives inside and outside the administration and shares their skepticism about some international treaties.
The spirited debate over the last month, however, has focused mostly on allegations that he berated several U.S. officials, especially intelligence analysts who did not agree with his assessments of Cuba and Syria's military strength.
The White House made a determined fight for the embattled nominee.
Bush, trying to turn the personality issue to Bolton's favor, has called Bolton "a blunt guy" who "can get the job done at the United Nations" and "who isn't afraid to speak his mind in the post of the ambassador to the U.N."
A 56-year-old lawyer, Bolton was senior vice president of the American Enterprise Institute before he became Bush's undersecretary of state for arms control and international security affairs four years ago.
****************************************
At least ONE Republican Senator has some integrity.....what about the rest of them?
Pull the Bolton nomination...NOW!
The senseless nomination of John Bolton as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations should be terminated...and with all due haste!
His horrible hairstyle, and grotesque mustache aside, this growler would be the most pitiful appointment, diplomatic or otherwise from the Bush Administration.
The testimonies surrounding this man's alleged indiscretions are enough, to any thinking person, for the President to ask Mr Bolton to step aside.
When Former Secretary of State, Retired Army General Colin Powell, refuses to endorse the nomination of someone who worked directly for him, then "Houston, we indeed have a problem."
That nomination should be dropped like a scalding rock....
And quickly.
His horrible hairstyle, and grotesque mustache aside, this growler would be the most pitiful appointment, diplomatic or otherwise from the Bush Administration.
The testimonies surrounding this man's alleged indiscretions are enough, to any thinking person, for the President to ask Mr Bolton to step aside.
When Former Secretary of State, Retired Army General Colin Powell, refuses to endorse the nomination of someone who worked directly for him, then "Houston, we indeed have a problem."
That nomination should be dropped like a scalding rock....
And quickly.
What some people will believe...
Well, it's like this:
Mary, (the mother of Christ) obviously hasn't had anything else to do recently, so she decided to camp out under the Kennedy Expressway here in Chicago. Read it for yourself:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/underpass_virgin_mary
I'm not sure I could call all the "faithful" that have flocked to that busy intersection "Nutty..."--I don't want to insult those who truly are "faithful" and of course the "truly nutty..."
The things some people will believe.
Mary, (the mother of Christ) obviously hasn't had anything else to do recently, so she decided to camp out under the Kennedy Expressway here in Chicago. Read it for yourself:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/underpass_virgin_mary
I'm not sure I could call all the "faithful" that have flocked to that busy intersection "Nutty..."--I don't want to insult those who truly are "faithful" and of course the "truly nutty..."
The things some people will believe.
"Unnamed" and "Unwanted"
I recently heard someone give their testimony of God's faithfulness in their life. It moved me beyond what words can describe.
This person told of how his mother became pregnant as a teenager, and later abandoned him after his birth in the hospital of one of the nation's large cities.
Many years later, he went to retrieve a birth certificate, and was startled at what he found.
The official document recording his birth labeled him "unnamed boy" and in the notations near the bottom, "unwanted, abandoned by the birth mother."
All of his life he has wrestled with these "judgments" from the moment of his birth. Even after he came to Jesus Christ for salvation, he still struggled with the issues of having been "unnamed" and then "unwanted."
I can identify with him in alot of ways. Even though I was named at birth, I was later abandoned by the very two people responsible for bringing me to natural life.
I have felt "abandoned" more than once since entering adulthood...yet I know these words are true:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Indeed, the Lord God, who spoke the universe into existence, and who sustains it by His own power, all by Himself, has called me by my name.
And I am His.
Phil Hoover
Chicago
This person told of how his mother became pregnant as a teenager, and later abandoned him after his birth in the hospital of one of the nation's large cities.
Many years later, he went to retrieve a birth certificate, and was startled at what he found.
The official document recording his birth labeled him "unnamed boy" and in the notations near the bottom, "unwanted, abandoned by the birth mother."
All of his life he has wrestled with these "judgments" from the moment of his birth. Even after he came to Jesus Christ for salvation, he still struggled with the issues of having been "unnamed" and then "unwanted."
I can identify with him in alot of ways. Even though I was named at birth, I was later abandoned by the very two people responsible for bringing me to natural life.
I have felt "abandoned" more than once since entering adulthood...yet I know these words are true:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Indeed, the Lord God, who spoke the universe into existence, and who sustains it by His own power, all by Himself, has called me by my name.
And I am His.
Phil Hoover
Chicago
For Mother's Day
A friend sent these to me.
_____________________________
Things My Mother Taught Me
My Mother Taught Me About:
1. My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION... "Just wait until your father gets home."
2. My Mother taught me about RECEIVING. . .. "You are going to get it when we get home!"
3. My Mother taught me LOGIC... "If you fall out off that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
4. My Mother taught me to MEET A CHALLENGE. . . "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you! Don't talk back to me!"`
5. My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE... "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
6. My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD... "If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job."
7. My Mother taught me HUMOR... "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
8. My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
9. My Mother taught me about GENETICS... "You're just like your father."
10. My Mother taught me about my ROOTS... "Do you think you were born in a barn?"
11. My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE... "When you get to be my age, you will understand." And last but not least...
12. My Mother taught me about JUSTICE..."One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you....Then you'll see what it's like!"
_____________________________
Things My Mother Taught Me
My Mother Taught Me About:
1. My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION... "Just wait until your father gets home."
2. My Mother taught me about RECEIVING. . .. "You are going to get it when we get home!"
3. My Mother taught me LOGIC... "If you fall out off that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
4. My Mother taught me to MEET A CHALLENGE. . . "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you! Don't talk back to me!"`
5. My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE... "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
6. My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD... "If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job."
7. My Mother taught me HUMOR... "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
8. My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
9. My Mother taught me about GENETICS... "You're just like your father."
10. My Mother taught me about my ROOTS... "Do you think you were born in a barn?"
11. My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE... "When you get to be my age, you will understand." And last but not least...
12. My Mother taught me about JUSTICE..."One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you....Then you'll see what it's like!"
Overheard in a seminary....LOL
We're not to go out and sin more so that God will have something to do.
Jesus is bad news for alot of people.
You can't just read the Gospels and get away with it.
You have to judge whether it's God talking or just indigestion.
What we don't know about Paul could fill many books.
These weren't Episopalians, these were real evangelists!
If I were grading Luther's exegesis papers, he wouldn't do very well.
Jesus never got where he was going on time.
I thank God for the rich, for they need rectors too.
Some of you may have found last year to be a constant LENT.
Some dead languages are more dead than others.
If having information about God means knowing God, then a computer can know God better than any human.
We can't think up a new heresy, that's why we study the past.
God is not an Episopalian.
Have sermon, will travel. How much are you paying?
There's a blessing on intelligent guessers.
The Spirit of God is not just any old spirit. It's not some anonymous dunamis.
The ten lost tribes of Israel were not just casually misplaced.
By the 7th time you've gone through the 3-year Lectionary cycle, a new idea is a blessing.
My Bible begins "Once upon a time..."
You can't go home in your kitchen and cook up enough sin to frighten anybody without some help.
Bad biology produces bad theology, but let's not go there right now.
God will sort that out, but let me give it a short try...
Jesus is bad news for alot of people.
You can't just read the Gospels and get away with it.
You have to judge whether it's God talking or just indigestion.
What we don't know about Paul could fill many books.
These weren't Episopalians, these were real evangelists!
If I were grading Luther's exegesis papers, he wouldn't do very well.
Jesus never got where he was going on time.
I thank God for the rich, for they need rectors too.
Some of you may have found last year to be a constant LENT.
Some dead languages are more dead than others.
If having information about God means knowing God, then a computer can know God better than any human.
We can't think up a new heresy, that's why we study the past.
God is not an Episopalian.
Have sermon, will travel. How much are you paying?
There's a blessing on intelligent guessers.
The Spirit of God is not just any old spirit. It's not some anonymous dunamis.
The ten lost tribes of Israel were not just casually misplaced.
By the 7th time you've gone through the 3-year Lectionary cycle, a new idea is a blessing.
My Bible begins "Once upon a time..."
You can't go home in your kitchen and cook up enough sin to frighten anybody without some help.
Bad biology produces bad theology, but let's not go there right now.
God will sort that out, but let me give it a short try...
The Papal Trail of Benedict XVI...
His first homily in a private mass with the Cardinals who elected him on Tuesday....
Read it for yourself:
http://zenit.org/english/show_1.php
So much for 'reconciling..."
We shall see.
Read it for yourself:
http://zenit.org/english/show_1.php
So much for 'reconciling..."
We shall see.
Cardinal Ratzinger..now Pope Benedict XVI
I'm not a Catholic, but I have many wonderful friends who exercise their relationship with the Lord in the "Catholic" tradition.
World history was made today: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of Munich, Germany has been elected/selected/crowned as the new Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. He will be the new Bishop of Rome. He will be the supreme ruler of Vatican City--a small political entity of 107 acres...
Soft-spoken, mild-mannered and prolific. A lengthy paper trail....and some Catholics have labeled him "a hard liner..."
John Paul II trusted him for more than twenty years to run a very large part of the Vatican...and now 114 cardinals have trusted him to run the Roman Catholic Church...
I just wonder how he will "relate" to the rest of Christianity....
We shall see...
We shall see...
World history was made today: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of Munich, Germany has been elected/selected/crowned as the new Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. He will be the new Bishop of Rome. He will be the supreme ruler of Vatican City--a small political entity of 107 acres...
Soft-spoken, mild-mannered and prolific. A lengthy paper trail....and some Catholics have labeled him "a hard liner..."
John Paul II trusted him for more than twenty years to run a very large part of the Vatican...and now 114 cardinals have trusted him to run the Roman Catholic Church...
I just wonder how he will "relate" to the rest of Christianity....
We shall see...
We shall see...
Pentecostals: A Challenge from Catholics in Africa?
Found this to be most interesting:
______________________________
SOWETO, South Africa - Mass is so crowded at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church that the parishioners spill out into the courtyard, where they huddle close to the doors to hear and be heard.
Worship here is participatory and joyous, not a staid moral duty performed amid pomp and ritual beneath the stained glass of one of Europe's cavernous and magnificent cathedrals.
The Catholic Church seems young, active and relevant, growing at a rate so explosive — with nearly 140 million Roman Catholics in Africa — that it's a vital part of today's Christian expansion.
The next pope will inherit a vibrant African flock but will also face challenges in competing with Islam and Pentecostal Christian Churches, said Archbishop Pius Ncube.
The church is growing so quickly largely because it has sought to embrace what is good in African culture rather than trying to make Africans into Westerners, Ncube said.
"There is a vitality to the church in Africa. In Europe, a Mass is simply a duty you must go through," Ncube said. "Africans like to feel they are celebrating. They want to rejoice, ululate and dance."
At St. Joseph's the priest gives the homily in Zulu and draws boisterous laughter as his examples strike close to home. With no organ, hymns are sung a cappella while the congregation and choir sways and dances.
The number of Catholics in Africa has jumped about 150 percent since Pope John Paul II ascended to the throne of St. Peter in 1978. Churchmen and academics say the growth, the fastest in the long history of the church, promises in time to change the nature of the faith.
"The Church is based on Western traditions that will come under huge pressure after the African church comes of age," said Paul Germond, who teaches comparative religion at the University of the Witswatersrand in Johannesburg.
For decades Western Europe and North America have been seen as the financial base of the church even while the faithful slip from strict adherence to its teachings. Latin America, which is more than 90 percent Roman Catholic, has been viewed as a bedrock of the faith. But Africa has been seen as the growth market in the competition for souls.
St. Joseph's, parishioners say, is a model of what the Second Vatican Council had in mind when it replaced the Latin Mass with the local language and a testament to why the faith is growing so fast in Africa.
The red and tan ceramic floor tile at St. Joseph's is cracked and shattered, the white and orange walls are adorned with cheap modern prints depicting the passion of Christ and the windows are panes of white, yellow and green translucent glass in no discernible pattern.
But its parishioners appear passionately involved in the Mass.
"Since Vatican II, people can clap, dance and play the drums," said Alson Ntombela, 72, a member of the St. Joseph's congregation. "Africans are very spiritual. They like to glorify. The Catholic Church now reflects and accepts our culture."
Makhosonke Maseko, 30, a medical doctor, said he converted to Catholicism from the Presbyterian Church because Roman Catholics more than anyone else try to make religion relevant to Africans.
Ncube said when he became a Roman Catholic 45 years ago, he said there were only two or three African bishops. Now more than 80 percent of the bishops are African. Once most of the priests were Western missionaries, now Africa sends priests to Europe and America.
"Africa is a continent with a lot of troubles, with wars, strife, starvation, poverty and the AIDS crisis. That causes a lot of people to seek God," said Ncube.
He credits John Paul II with much of the success in Africa. The pope made 14 trips to Africa, more than to any other continent. "He was a pope of the people when so many had been prisoners of the Vatican," said Ncube. "He was a blessing."
Churchmen and academics in Africa said they believe it's unlikely that the College of Cardinals, which begins voting in conclave on Monday, will choose an African pope. But Cardinal Francis Arinze, 72, of Nigeria is considered a possible contender, having risen to the No. 4 position in the Vatican at a time when fundamentalist Islamic and Protestant sects replaced communism as the biggest challenge to Catholic proselytizing.
Germond, the professor, believes the explosion of Christianity in Africa has come partly because the religion is how Africans accepted and made sense of the modern world. When missionaries brought Christianity, they also brought education and health care. About 60 percent of the hospital beds in Congo now are in Roman Catholic facilities, he said.
"Christianity was entrenched by the education system. Many of Africa's leaders were educated in church schools and universities," said Germond.
But while the growth has been massive, Germond said it is difficult to produce precise figures.
"Africans are very pluralistic in religious beliefs. They can be Catholic and still attend Pentecostal services or go to traditional healers," said Germond.
Adapting the church to African culture is changing the nature of the faith, said Germond. For now the changes in how the faith is practiced are within Africa. But as the church's center of gravity slides south, Western traditions will come under increasing pressure.
"The church is the oldest institution in history. It manages change in a gradual way over generations," said Germond.
_______________________________
Kind of interesting to me, since I'm a follower of Christ, who practices my relationship in the Pentecostal tradition.
______________________________
SOWETO, South Africa - Mass is so crowded at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church that the parishioners spill out into the courtyard, where they huddle close to the doors to hear and be heard.
Worship here is participatory and joyous, not a staid moral duty performed amid pomp and ritual beneath the stained glass of one of Europe's cavernous and magnificent cathedrals.
The Catholic Church seems young, active and relevant, growing at a rate so explosive — with nearly 140 million Roman Catholics in Africa — that it's a vital part of today's Christian expansion.
The next pope will inherit a vibrant African flock but will also face challenges in competing with Islam and Pentecostal Christian Churches, said Archbishop Pius Ncube.
The church is growing so quickly largely because it has sought to embrace what is good in African culture rather than trying to make Africans into Westerners, Ncube said.
"There is a vitality to the church in Africa. In Europe, a Mass is simply a duty you must go through," Ncube said. "Africans like to feel they are celebrating. They want to rejoice, ululate and dance."
At St. Joseph's the priest gives the homily in Zulu and draws boisterous laughter as his examples strike close to home. With no organ, hymns are sung a cappella while the congregation and choir sways and dances.
The number of Catholics in Africa has jumped about 150 percent since Pope John Paul II ascended to the throne of St. Peter in 1978. Churchmen and academics say the growth, the fastest in the long history of the church, promises in time to change the nature of the faith.
"The Church is based on Western traditions that will come under huge pressure after the African church comes of age," said Paul Germond, who teaches comparative religion at the University of the Witswatersrand in Johannesburg.
For decades Western Europe and North America have been seen as the financial base of the church even while the faithful slip from strict adherence to its teachings. Latin America, which is more than 90 percent Roman Catholic, has been viewed as a bedrock of the faith. But Africa has been seen as the growth market in the competition for souls.
St. Joseph's, parishioners say, is a model of what the Second Vatican Council had in mind when it replaced the Latin Mass with the local language and a testament to why the faith is growing so fast in Africa.
The red and tan ceramic floor tile at St. Joseph's is cracked and shattered, the white and orange walls are adorned with cheap modern prints depicting the passion of Christ and the windows are panes of white, yellow and green translucent glass in no discernible pattern.
But its parishioners appear passionately involved in the Mass.
"Since Vatican II, people can clap, dance and play the drums," said Alson Ntombela, 72, a member of the St. Joseph's congregation. "Africans are very spiritual. They like to glorify. The Catholic Church now reflects and accepts our culture."
Makhosonke Maseko, 30, a medical doctor, said he converted to Catholicism from the Presbyterian Church because Roman Catholics more than anyone else try to make religion relevant to Africans.
Ncube said when he became a Roman Catholic 45 years ago, he said there were only two or three African bishops. Now more than 80 percent of the bishops are African. Once most of the priests were Western missionaries, now Africa sends priests to Europe and America.
"Africa is a continent with a lot of troubles, with wars, strife, starvation, poverty and the AIDS crisis. That causes a lot of people to seek God," said Ncube.
He credits John Paul II with much of the success in Africa. The pope made 14 trips to Africa, more than to any other continent. "He was a pope of the people when so many had been prisoners of the Vatican," said Ncube. "He was a blessing."
Churchmen and academics in Africa said they believe it's unlikely that the College of Cardinals, which begins voting in conclave on Monday, will choose an African pope. But Cardinal Francis Arinze, 72, of Nigeria is considered a possible contender, having risen to the No. 4 position in the Vatican at a time when fundamentalist Islamic and Protestant sects replaced communism as the biggest challenge to Catholic proselytizing.
Germond, the professor, believes the explosion of Christianity in Africa has come partly because the religion is how Africans accepted and made sense of the modern world. When missionaries brought Christianity, they also brought education and health care. About 60 percent of the hospital beds in Congo now are in Roman Catholic facilities, he said.
"Christianity was entrenched by the education system. Many of Africa's leaders were educated in church schools and universities," said Germond.
But while the growth has been massive, Germond said it is difficult to produce precise figures.
"Africans are very pluralistic in religious beliefs. They can be Catholic and still attend Pentecostal services or go to traditional healers," said Germond.
Adapting the church to African culture is changing the nature of the faith, said Germond. For now the changes in how the faith is practiced are within Africa. But as the church's center of gravity slides south, Western traditions will come under increasing pressure.
"The church is the oldest institution in history. It manages change in a gradual way over generations," said Germond.
_______________________________
Kind of interesting to me, since I'm a follower of Christ, who practices my relationship in the Pentecostal tradition.
Does the "Church" make a difference?
Does the "evangelical Church" make a noticeable difference in the fabric of our society?
Dr Bradford Wilcox, Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia seems to think so.
Read all about it:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/008/26.44.html
Dr Bradford Wilcox, Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia seems to think so.
Read all about it:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/008/26.44.html
"Purpose-Driven" or "Activity-Driven"?
I've been a Christian since I was 6 years old. I just turned 43 a couple of weeks ago. I have seen just about everything that can be seen in a local congregation, I do believe. I've been blest and privileged to be part of very small congregations (numbering less than 40 people) and very large congregations that numbered in the thousands (usually more than 8,000).
But numbers aren't everything, are they?
Of course not. We look at the New Testament Church, and read about it's empowering in the Book of Acts (following the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ), and we see a wonderful church, often separated by localities...and folk who are just as human as we are, some twenty-one centuries later.
I do have a few questions though....
1) Can we equate "activity" with "spiritual growth"?
This particularly concerns me, because so many congregations measure their "spiritual life" by how many activities they are sponsoring--and how exhausted their membership can be with participating in all of those "activities."
I contend we are called "human beings" not "human doings." We see the pattern of the New Church (which was by no means flawless, but nevertheless accomplished the mission of glorifying God) as one of evangelism, fellowship, community, and discipleship. The "witnessing" aspect of the New Testament Church was to the "wonderful works of God" (Acts 1, 2, 3, 4ff) in the life of this newly empowered community of believers. We do see "works"--but those works flowed out of the community, not in spite of it. We are called to be the "community of God"--reflecting the community of the Holy Trinity, even though imperfectly.
In my secular employment, my supervisor has a certain amount of goals that are set before me to attain. Yet, in my progress along the pathway of accomplishment, this same supervisor cares about me as a person. My health (physical, spiritual, and mental) are always considered. My successes are applauded, and my failures are never final.
Why can't the local church be the same way?
If we carefully read the Scriptures, we will discover that God is a "relational" God. He is not just a propositional Deity, unconcerned about His creation.
If we want to emulate Jesus Christ in the local church, then we all need to discover our "relational" purposes---not just our propositional theories.
Sound doctrine and biblical theological positions are important. We must, as A W Tozer (and many others before and after him) once said, "We must think rightly about God our Father."
And if we are to think "rightly" about what the Church should look like, we must think relationally, not just propositionally.
And when we think "relationally" we then discover our purpose. The Westminster Catechism states, "The chief purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
We best glorify Him in relationship with His, and in relationship with other Christians. These relationships are edifying in the "being"--not just the doing.
I have a friend--I consider him a friend--and the only time I hear from this friend is when he needs me to "do something." I rarely ever hear from him otherwise. I'm profoundly saddened by this. But that's the way it seems to be. Of course my perceptions could be wrong.
Unfortunately, from my perspective "our friendship" is strictly "activity-driven." I have no usefulness to this brother, other than the fact that I can "do something." It seems as though once my "utilitarian value" has been exhausted, that I am a throw-away.
That's not the way Christ has designed our "community" to be lived out.
2) How do we become a "community of saints" instead of a "collection of individuals"?
Again, I have to appeal to the New Testament models of the what "community" looks like. We see an intensity of fellowship and "togetherness" in the newly empowered Church (Acts 2, 3, 4). These believers could face anything because they faced these situations together.
Fast-forward some twenty-one centuries later.
How do we become this "community"?
I believe it is done slowly, methodically, and carefully. We come to a place of trust and confidence, first in God Himself, and then in each other, where we feel a sense of belonging and caring. Knowing that we have something important to contribute to this body of believers we call "our church."
Lanny Wolfe, a great songwriter from the 1970s/80s penned some powerful words that have profoundly shaped my view of the "community of saints." Here's what he said:
"When a brother meets sorrow
We all feel his grief.
And when he's passed through the valley
We all feel relieved.
Together in sunshine,
Together in rain.
Together in victory,
Through His precious name."
And yes, we are together in victory. A victory is shallow if it is not "shared."
So what do you think?
But numbers aren't everything, are they?
Of course not. We look at the New Testament Church, and read about it's empowering in the Book of Acts (following the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ), and we see a wonderful church, often separated by localities...and folk who are just as human as we are, some twenty-one centuries later.
I do have a few questions though....
1) Can we equate "activity" with "spiritual growth"?
This particularly concerns me, because so many congregations measure their "spiritual life" by how many activities they are sponsoring--and how exhausted their membership can be with participating in all of those "activities."
I contend we are called "human beings" not "human doings." We see the pattern of the New Church (which was by no means flawless, but nevertheless accomplished the mission of glorifying God) as one of evangelism, fellowship, community, and discipleship. The "witnessing" aspect of the New Testament Church was to the "wonderful works of God" (Acts 1, 2, 3, 4ff) in the life of this newly empowered community of believers. We do see "works"--but those works flowed out of the community, not in spite of it. We are called to be the "community of God"--reflecting the community of the Holy Trinity, even though imperfectly.
In my secular employment, my supervisor has a certain amount of goals that are set before me to attain. Yet, in my progress along the pathway of accomplishment, this same supervisor cares about me as a person. My health (physical, spiritual, and mental) are always considered. My successes are applauded, and my failures are never final.
Why can't the local church be the same way?
If we carefully read the Scriptures, we will discover that God is a "relational" God. He is not just a propositional Deity, unconcerned about His creation.
If we want to emulate Jesus Christ in the local church, then we all need to discover our "relational" purposes---not just our propositional theories.
Sound doctrine and biblical theological positions are important. We must, as A W Tozer (and many others before and after him) once said, "We must think rightly about God our Father."
And if we are to think "rightly" about what the Church should look like, we must think relationally, not just propositionally.
And when we think "relationally" we then discover our purpose. The Westminster Catechism states, "The chief purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
We best glorify Him in relationship with His, and in relationship with other Christians. These relationships are edifying in the "being"--not just the doing.
I have a friend--I consider him a friend--and the only time I hear from this friend is when he needs me to "do something." I rarely ever hear from him otherwise. I'm profoundly saddened by this. But that's the way it seems to be. Of course my perceptions could be wrong.
Unfortunately, from my perspective "our friendship" is strictly "activity-driven." I have no usefulness to this brother, other than the fact that I can "do something." It seems as though once my "utilitarian value" has been exhausted, that I am a throw-away.
That's not the way Christ has designed our "community" to be lived out.
2) How do we become a "community of saints" instead of a "collection of individuals"?
Again, I have to appeal to the New Testament models of the what "community" looks like. We see an intensity of fellowship and "togetherness" in the newly empowered Church (Acts 2, 3, 4). These believers could face anything because they faced these situations together.
Fast-forward some twenty-one centuries later.
How do we become this "community"?
I believe it is done slowly, methodically, and carefully. We come to a place of trust and confidence, first in God Himself, and then in each other, where we feel a sense of belonging and caring. Knowing that we have something important to contribute to this body of believers we call "our church."
Lanny Wolfe, a great songwriter from the 1970s/80s penned some powerful words that have profoundly shaped my view of the "community of saints." Here's what he said:
"When a brother meets sorrow
We all feel his grief.
And when he's passed through the valley
We all feel relieved.
Together in sunshine,
Together in rain.
Together in victory,
Through His precious name."
And yes, we are together in victory. A victory is shallow if it is not "shared."
So what do you think?
Pope John Paul II...Pray for him.
As a non-Catholic, I have always admired the vigor and stamina of Karol Wotyla (John Paul II). This son of Poland has revolutionized, in many ways, the (then) rather stagnant face of the Roman Catholic Church during his pontificate which began in the late 1970s.
Known for his sharp intellect, wonderful sense of humor, linguistic abilities, Pope John Paul II is loved by the millions, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Few religious leaders, with the exception of Dr Billy Graham, has earned the respect and admiration as has the current Bishop of Rome.
I remember reading Crossing the Threshold of Hope (one of his many encyclicals) several years ago, and being absolutely amazed at the clarity and discernment this wonderful Christian possesses in light of contemporary culture.
Dr Billy Graham once labeled the Pontiff as the "greatest pope of my lifetime"--and he has seen many of them, I'm sure.
I remember seeing Pope John Paul II twice during his pontificate.
The first in 1989 when I was privileged to be in Rome (actually Vatican City) and he was doing some type of blessing on the crowd (can't remember the exact event...I was on vacation in Europe, and spent the day at the Vatican).
The second time was in 1993 during World Youth Day in Denver, and along with multiplied thousands of others, I lined the streets along the "parade route" where the Pontiff would be traveling.
It was a special time...and one that I will cherish for a long time.
Even though I have some strenuous disagreements with the denomination that he leads, I have much, much respect for this tender servant of the Lord. A precious Catholic priest once told me, "The Pope is fiercely loyal to Christ. Unfortunately, many Catholics are more loyal to the Pope than they are to Christ....which the Holy Father would not approve of..."
Let's pray for this good, good man.
Known for his sharp intellect, wonderful sense of humor, linguistic abilities, Pope John Paul II is loved by the millions, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Few religious leaders, with the exception of Dr Billy Graham, has earned the respect and admiration as has the current Bishop of Rome.
I remember reading Crossing the Threshold of Hope (one of his many encyclicals) several years ago, and being absolutely amazed at the clarity and discernment this wonderful Christian possesses in light of contemporary culture.
Dr Billy Graham once labeled the Pontiff as the "greatest pope of my lifetime"--and he has seen many of them, I'm sure.
I remember seeing Pope John Paul II twice during his pontificate.
The first in 1989 when I was privileged to be in Rome (actually Vatican City) and he was doing some type of blessing on the crowd (can't remember the exact event...I was on vacation in Europe, and spent the day at the Vatican).
The second time was in 1993 during World Youth Day in Denver, and along with multiplied thousands of others, I lined the streets along the "parade route" where the Pontiff would be traveling.
It was a special time...and one that I will cherish for a long time.
Even though I have some strenuous disagreements with the denomination that he leads, I have much, much respect for this tender servant of the Lord. A precious Catholic priest once told me, "The Pope is fiercely loyal to Christ. Unfortunately, many Catholics are more loyal to the Pope than they are to Christ....which the Holy Father would not approve of..."
Let's pray for this good, good man.
One man with enormous courage..
http://www.marriageofsamesex.com/
Dr Erwin W Lutzer, Senior Pastor, The Moody Church here in Chicago, has done a marvelous service to this country as well as the rest of the world in his book, The Truth About Same Sex Marriage.
I have included the link above because of the vital importance of this message for our society, both believing and unbelieving alike. The "everyone has the right to marry whomever they choose" crowd hasn't examined all the implications that such "liberties" would force on everyone including themselves.
"Liberties" that are forced are not liberties--they become bondages.
Get a copy of the "Truth about Same Sex Marriage." Read it all the way through and then pass it on.
Dr Erwin W Lutzer, Senior Pastor, The Moody Church here in Chicago, has done a marvelous service to this country as well as the rest of the world in his book, The Truth About Same Sex Marriage.
I have included the link above because of the vital importance of this message for our society, both believing and unbelieving alike. The "everyone has the right to marry whomever they choose" crowd hasn't examined all the implications that such "liberties" would force on everyone including themselves.
"Liberties" that are forced are not liberties--they become bondages.
Get a copy of the "Truth about Same Sex Marriage." Read it all the way through and then pass it on.
Terri is dead...May God have mercy on all of us!
Terri Schiavo died just a few minutes ago according to the news reports.
This nation literally starved this person to death.
This is a national shame....and every single person in this nation bears some of the responsibility.
May God, our All-loving, All-merciful, All-holy, and ALL-Just Heavenly Father have mercy on each of us.
This nation literally starved this person to death.
This is a national shame....and every single person in this nation bears some of the responsibility.
May God, our All-loving, All-merciful, All-holy, and ALL-Just Heavenly Father have mercy on each of us.
When you pray...please remember these people..
Just wanted to ask my "blog readers" to remember these people when you speak to our Father God. These are special people to me....and only a representative sample of God's blessings in my life:
Christian Nass: getting ready to graduate from college, and becoming an Army officer.
Janet Paschal: Battling Breast cancer...and living like a trooper.
David Seleb: My friend here in Chicago..wonderful Christian, wonderful man.
Pastor Al Toledo: My shepherd at Chicago Tabernacle. With a sheep like me, he can certainly use all the prayers you want to offer up.
Thanks for remembering to pray for them.
Christian Nass: getting ready to graduate from college, and becoming an Army officer.
Janet Paschal: Battling Breast cancer...and living like a trooper.
David Seleb: My friend here in Chicago..wonderful Christian, wonderful man.
Pastor Al Toledo: My shepherd at Chicago Tabernacle. With a sheep like me, he can certainly use all the prayers you want to offer up.
Thanks for remembering to pray for them.
When the pain is too much to bear...
Someone I know, a Christian, recently decided to end his own life. I'm profoundly saddened that such a tragedy happened first and foremost, and also grieved that he didn't feel that anyone...not even God...cared about him.
So, what happens when a Christians commits suicide?
What about the ones left behind?
What about the family, friends, coworkers, and others who are left to ask "Why?"
Please let me encourage you...
If you are reading this "blog" and you feel that you have reached the "end" of what ever may be happening in your life, talk to someone.
PLEASE...talk to someone. There isn't anything happening in your life that is worth ending YOUR LIFE--because that really solves nothing...and it creates much, much, much pain and disappointment for so many others.
And, taking your own life grieves, may I even suggest, BREAKS, the heart of God.
You can email me if you want to...I will keep all contacts confidential...and I will pray.
onechicagoman@yahoo.com
God is good! He has created life within you...therefore, Life is good...
Blessings.
Phil Hoover
Chicago
So, what happens when a Christians commits suicide?
What about the ones left behind?
What about the family, friends, coworkers, and others who are left to ask "Why?"
Please let me encourage you...
If you are reading this "blog" and you feel that you have reached the "end" of what ever may be happening in your life, talk to someone.
PLEASE...talk to someone. There isn't anything happening in your life that is worth ending YOUR LIFE--because that really solves nothing...and it creates much, much, much pain and disappointment for so many others.
And, taking your own life grieves, may I even suggest, BREAKS, the heart of God.
You can email me if you want to...I will keep all contacts confidential...and I will pray.
onechicagoman@yahoo.com
God is good! He has created life within you...therefore, Life is good...
Blessings.
Phil Hoover
Chicago
An Update on Janet....
From Janet Paschal's website:
www.janetpaschal.com
Her husband John writes about a recent chemotherapy treatment that Janet endured:
Pressing on.....Yesterday was a good day for Janet. She was physically, emotionally, and spiritually charged. Words are simply inadequate in describing how proud I am of Janet. Not once, I mean it, not once has she indulged in self pity. In fact just the opposite.
Allow me to relate a recent event. This latest visit, after Janet and her Oncologist finished reviewing the lab work and other information garnered from that mornings work up, Janet headed upstairs to the chemotherapy room. I waited in the checkout line (that is correct...you wait to check in and you wait to check out, with patience not being a virtue but an absolute necessity!) and about 20 minutes later I joined up with Janet in the chemo room.
I entered Janet's little corner of the room just as Angela was inserting the catheter. Janet had tears in her eyes and I could tell she was really fighting the urge to cry. I waited until Angela walked away for a few minutes to re-supply her cart. I then asked Janet if inserting the catheter had hurt. She assured me that was not the case, but that she was crying because the gentleman sitting across from us had gotten ill during his chemo treatment and had vomited. She was crying for him....that my friends is Janet.
*****************************************************************
Please continue praying for this wonderful servant of the Lord.
www.janetpaschal.com
Her husband John writes about a recent chemotherapy treatment that Janet endured:
Pressing on.....Yesterday was a good day for Janet. She was physically, emotionally, and spiritually charged. Words are simply inadequate in describing how proud I am of Janet. Not once, I mean it, not once has she indulged in self pity. In fact just the opposite.
Allow me to relate a recent event. This latest visit, after Janet and her Oncologist finished reviewing the lab work and other information garnered from that mornings work up, Janet headed upstairs to the chemotherapy room. I waited in the checkout line (that is correct...you wait to check in and you wait to check out, with patience not being a virtue but an absolute necessity!) and about 20 minutes later I joined up with Janet in the chemo room.
I entered Janet's little corner of the room just as Angela was inserting the catheter. Janet had tears in her eyes and I could tell she was really fighting the urge to cry. I waited until Angela walked away for a few minutes to re-supply her cart. I then asked Janet if inserting the catheter had hurt. She assured me that was not the case, but that she was crying because the gentleman sitting across from us had gotten ill during his chemo treatment and had vomited. She was crying for him....that my friends is Janet.
*****************************************************************
Please continue praying for this wonderful servant of the Lord.
People dear to my heart...(link)
http://www.windwardworship.com/
Pastor Gary Langley was my youth leader in Huntsville, Alabama thirty years ago. He is now the Senior Pastor of Windward Worship Center in Kaneohe, Hawaii, where he has served for almost 23 years in various capacities, before becoming the Senior Pastor.
He is quite a character. Great sense of humor, good music, good speaker, and a very loving, and gracious man (most of the time).
Visit the link site, and tell him that Phil Hoover says "howdy."
Pastor Gary Langley was my youth leader in Huntsville, Alabama thirty years ago. He is now the Senior Pastor of Windward Worship Center in Kaneohe, Hawaii, where he has served for almost 23 years in various capacities, before becoming the Senior Pastor.
He is quite a character. Great sense of humor, good music, good speaker, and a very loving, and gracious man (most of the time).
Visit the link site, and tell him that Phil Hoover says "howdy."
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