Thursday, May 28, 2009
Southwest families discover hidden Jewish roots
By Amy Klein
(UNDATED) Growing up in Wyoming to Catholic and Protestant parents, Isabelle Medina-Sandoval watched the women in her family practice strange customs—washing off babies’ baptismal water and setting aside some dough when they made tortillas.
“As a teenager, I always had so many questions about spirituality, I always wanted to figure out the puzzle,” she said from her home in Santa Fe, N.M.
But it wasn’t until she was in her 20s that she heard the word “Marrano,” one of the terms referring to Jews who were forced to convert after the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 and their descendants. They were Catholics who often secretly practiced Jewish customs for generations.
Medina-Sandoval’s family’s quirky practices suddenly made a lot more sense.
“Once I started looking, there was never any question,” said Medina-Sandoval, a poet and writer. She finally understood why she had an uncle who raised hogs but didn’t eat them; why her aunts left aside some dough as with the Sabbath challah bread; why she never really felt like she belonged in the Christian faith.
She was, she discovered, Jewish.
Or at least her family had been Jewish, back in Spain, more than 500 years ago. Through her great grandfather’s journals and other genealogical research, she discovered her Jewish roots and eventually decided to return to the faith of her ancestors.
This year on the Jewish festival of Shavuot (which begins Thursday, May 28), as Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah and honor their most famous convert, Ruth, many Hispanic Christians around the Southwest are rediscovering their own Jewish roots.
Some of these so-called “Crypto-Jews” are interested in the genealogical knowledge but are not planning on leaving Christianity; others practice a dual Messianic faith with both Judaism and Jesus; a few give up their faith of origin and convert—they prefer the word “return”—to Judaism.
“Chances are really good that many people have Jewish ancestors going back 500 years,” said Stanley Hordes, author of last year’s “To the End of the Earth: A History of the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico.”
Hordes estimates there were several hundred thousand Jews when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel decreed all non-Christians must convert. Half fled the country; of those who stayed, half converted willingly, assimilating and eventually blending into Catholic society, he said.
“There were certain families that held onto ancestral Jewish faith and continued to practice,” he said.
Today only a “handful” of people return to Judaism, but hundreds more are investigating their backgrounds. They are people like Blanca Carrasco, who grew up Catholic in Juarez, Mexico, just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. But by the time she reached her 20s, the doctrines seemed lacking and she became an evangelical. It wasn’t until she was invited to a Passover Seder at a Messianic Center in El Paso that she really felt connected to God.
“We felt it was familiar—it felt like home,” she said about herself and her husband, Cesar. “Right in that instance, our life changed. I needed to know more.”
That led her to a decade at the El Paso Messianic Center, where the couple learned about Jewish history, holidays and Crypto-Jews.
“The `anusim’ feel maybe there’s something Jewish in their family,” she said, using the Hebrew word for forced converts and their descendants. Carrasco, 43, researched her family and found names like Espinoza, Israel, Salinas, and a great aunt who said her grandmother spoke Ladino, the hybrid Spanish-Hebrew dialect.
Three years ago, Carrasco and her husband decided to leave the Messianic congregation; last year, they formally converted to Judaism in what they called a “return ceremony.”
“People would tell us, `You don’t have to do it,’ but we just love it and want to learn and want to do it,"she said. “It doesn’t matter if you call it a conversion or a return. What matters is once you go in the (conversion) water, you’re going to come out a different person.”
Others, like Rabbi Stephen Leon of (Conservative) Congregation B’nai Zion in El Paso, see helping people like the Carrascos as a kind of divine mission.
“God said to me, `I cannot bring back the 6 million who were killed in the Holocaust. But there was another group before that who are alive in much larger numbers than Holocaust survivors because it’s been 500 years, generation after generation after generation. Their souls are still alive,” he said. “God told me, `You have to do something about it.“‘
Many, however, who discover some trace of Judaism in their past do not plan to make the leap of faith.
Elay Romero, a retired pipe-fitter from Espanola, N.M., about 25 miles north of Santa Fe, attended a recent “brunch and genealogy” session at the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society to hear Hordes talk about how to trace your family’s Jewish roots.
“I’ve been a practicing Catholic all my life, and the research I’ve done on my family has gone back 400 years or more in New Mexico,” he said. “I’m just curious. I won’t change my affiliation with my church, but it’s nice to know where you come from.”
Medina-Sandoval, whose written a new novel, “Guardians of Hidden Traditions,” based on the information she learned about her maternal grandmothers, says she had no choice but to embrace her Jewish roots. Others, she acknowledged, make different choices.
“It’s very individual,” she said. “For some Hispanics, (a messianic church is) a happy medium. If that works, great. I couldn’t do that for myself.”
(UNDATED) Growing up in Wyoming to Catholic and Protestant parents, Isabelle Medina-Sandoval watched the women in her family practice strange customs—washing off babies’ baptismal water and setting aside some dough when they made tortillas.
“As a teenager, I always had so many questions about spirituality, I always wanted to figure out the puzzle,” she said from her home in Santa Fe, N.M.
But it wasn’t until she was in her 20s that she heard the word “Marrano,” one of the terms referring to Jews who were forced to convert after the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 and their descendants. They were Catholics who often secretly practiced Jewish customs for generations.
Medina-Sandoval’s family’s quirky practices suddenly made a lot more sense.
“Once I started looking, there was never any question,” said Medina-Sandoval, a poet and writer. She finally understood why she had an uncle who raised hogs but didn’t eat them; why her aunts left aside some dough as with the Sabbath challah bread; why she never really felt like she belonged in the Christian faith.
She was, she discovered, Jewish.
Or at least her family had been Jewish, back in Spain, more than 500 years ago. Through her great grandfather’s journals and other genealogical research, she discovered her Jewish roots and eventually decided to return to the faith of her ancestors.
This year on the Jewish festival of Shavuot (which begins Thursday, May 28), as Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah and honor their most famous convert, Ruth, many Hispanic Christians around the Southwest are rediscovering their own Jewish roots.
Some of these so-called “Crypto-Jews” are interested in the genealogical knowledge but are not planning on leaving Christianity; others practice a dual Messianic faith with both Judaism and Jesus; a few give up their faith of origin and convert—they prefer the word “return”—to Judaism.
“Chances are really good that many people have Jewish ancestors going back 500 years,” said Stanley Hordes, author of last year’s “To the End of the Earth: A History of the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico.”
Hordes estimates there were several hundred thousand Jews when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel decreed all non-Christians must convert. Half fled the country; of those who stayed, half converted willingly, assimilating and eventually blending into Catholic society, he said.
“There were certain families that held onto ancestral Jewish faith and continued to practice,” he said.
Today only a “handful” of people return to Judaism, but hundreds more are investigating their backgrounds. They are people like Blanca Carrasco, who grew up Catholic in Juarez, Mexico, just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. But by the time she reached her 20s, the doctrines seemed lacking and she became an evangelical. It wasn’t until she was invited to a Passover Seder at a Messianic Center in El Paso that she really felt connected to God.
“We felt it was familiar—it felt like home,” she said about herself and her husband, Cesar. “Right in that instance, our life changed. I needed to know more.”
That led her to a decade at the El Paso Messianic Center, where the couple learned about Jewish history, holidays and Crypto-Jews.
“The `anusim’ feel maybe there’s something Jewish in their family,” she said, using the Hebrew word for forced converts and their descendants. Carrasco, 43, researched her family and found names like Espinoza, Israel, Salinas, and a great aunt who said her grandmother spoke Ladino, the hybrid Spanish-Hebrew dialect.
Three years ago, Carrasco and her husband decided to leave the Messianic congregation; last year, they formally converted to Judaism in what they called a “return ceremony.”
“People would tell us, `You don’t have to do it,’ but we just love it and want to learn and want to do it,"she said. “It doesn’t matter if you call it a conversion or a return. What matters is once you go in the (conversion) water, you’re going to come out a different person.”
Others, like Rabbi Stephen Leon of (Conservative) Congregation B’nai Zion in El Paso, see helping people like the Carrascos as a kind of divine mission.
“God said to me, `I cannot bring back the 6 million who were killed in the Holocaust. But there was another group before that who are alive in much larger numbers than Holocaust survivors because it’s been 500 years, generation after generation after generation. Their souls are still alive,” he said. “God told me, `You have to do something about it.“‘
Many, however, who discover some trace of Judaism in their past do not plan to make the leap of faith.
Elay Romero, a retired pipe-fitter from Espanola, N.M., about 25 miles north of Santa Fe, attended a recent “brunch and genealogy” session at the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society to hear Hordes talk about how to trace your family’s Jewish roots.
“I’ve been a practicing Catholic all my life, and the research I’ve done on my family has gone back 400 years or more in New Mexico,” he said. “I’m just curious. I won’t change my affiliation with my church, but it’s nice to know where you come from.”
Medina-Sandoval, whose written a new novel, “Guardians of Hidden Traditions,” based on the information she learned about her maternal grandmothers, says she had no choice but to embrace her Jewish roots. Others, she acknowledged, make different choices.
“It’s very individual,” she said. “For some Hispanics, (a messianic church is) a happy medium. If that works, great. I couldn’t do that for myself.”
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Finding a Christian at Christmas By Karen Wolff
They say the most stressful time of year is during the holidays. Why is that?
Thanksgiving.....Christmas....they're supposed to be happy and fun, you know.....almost Norman Rockwell like..... but somewhere along the way the stress, the unrealistic expectations, the unreasonable demands, and all that other negative stuff show ups and the next thing you know.....you're depressed, over-tired, and dreading one more day during the so-called "holiday season".
Amazingly enough, Christians seem to have the exact same issues as non-Christians. There is no apparent difference in the way they act or talk or handle the stress of the holidays. Or is there?
I could tell you that simplifying things to make it easier is a good idea, but then I'm pretty sure tipping over the Christmas tree, throwing out the lights, and using the family egg nog recipe as fireplace kindling wouldn't count in the whole "simplifying" concept.
So how do you prioritize all that's Christian about the holidays with all the other stuff that's creeped in over the years? How do you satisfy your family and friends, and still be able to keep your focus on what's truly important?
Here are some things you can do that may help you start moving in the right direction.
# Start planning NOW. Decide what is truly important and necessary as a family. Having Christian priorities means putting "all that's Christian" at the top of the holiday list. This is a great time to teach your kids the difference between giving and receiving. When your kids see that your priorities are centered around truly celebrating the real purpose of the season, it will get easier and easier for them to be a Christian at Christmas too.
Now, let me clarify. Teaching your kids about giving and receiving doesn't mean you can tell your kids to tell Aunt Martha they can't "receive" her favorite fruitcake because it exceeds the airline weight requirement for the trip home, and that she should "give" it to the starving children in a foreign country.
# Let other family and extended family members know well in advance of your holiday season plans. Explain that as a family, you've decided to change your focus to things that can make a difference for someone else. Perhaps that means there will be less gift giving amongst family members and more to needy families. Or perhaps it means you won't be spending every available dollar on decorations and holiday parties, but rather on things that will make your family truly understand and appreciate the intent of the season. It is important to set the example for all those extended family members. You'll be surprised how others will follow your lead.....they just need someone to show them the way.
# As a family, evaluate all your scheduled holiday activities. Only participate in those that you can honestly say you're attending because they bring you joy and contribute to your Christian holiday season. If, on the other hand, you're dreading that party or that holiday event and only attend because you feel pressure to meet the expectations of other people, then perhaps it's time to let people in on your change in direction. It may upset some people initially, but taking back control of your holidays won't always make everyone else happy. Pleasing God and keeping your sanity have got to have the highest priority.
There will always be pressure from other people coming at you from all directions during the holidays. Being a Christian at Christmas means you have to fight your way through the noise to get to all that's Christian about the season. The holiday season is a great opportunity to let others see you "walk the walk" and "talk the talk". Saying you're a Christian is one thing........actually being one at Christmas....shows what you're really made of.
# Give other people a break. Putting pressure on others to meet your expectations puts alot of unneccessary stress on them because they're facing alot of what you're facing during the holidiays. If people can't make it to your holiday gathering, the world won't stop turning. Cutting people some slack will go a long way toward doing what you can to help others reduce their holiday stress level.
# As a family, discuss your financial status and make a commitment not to overspend. There is nothing Christian about getting into debt just to satisfy a lot of unreasonable demands and expectations. God always looks at motive, no matter what you do. Now is the time to re-evaluate what you're spending, and why you're spending it. It may not be easy to change your overspending holiday habits, but it's better to take small steps than none at all.
Of course, gift giving can mean alot of different things to alot of different people. For example, in my family gift giving takes the form of an olympic event. Having received belly-button lights which my brother helpfully described as "great for reading", and slippers made from Kotex pads, and oh yes....let's not forget the talking fish that was already moving under the wrapping paper before I even opened it.....well, let's just say the attempts to out-give each other really do reach olympic proportions.
I'm not really sure what God thinks about the motive in that scenerio.....I'm just glad He has a sense of humor.
Being a "Christian at Christmas" has to be a deliberate, concentrated effort. The world continues to get more and more commercialized, so you can bet God will honor all your efforts to keep the focus where it should be. And you can also bet He'll appreciate your efforts to set the right example for your family and friends.
For more help on this topic, go to "Ways to Live Out Your Christian Priorities"
Karen Wolff is the founder of www.christian-books-for-women.com a place that gives Christian women lots of info, tips, and help with a variety of issues they face every day. Find book reviews, recommendations, and submit your favorite books so you can be a blessing to someone else.
Thanksgiving.....Christmas....they're supposed to be happy and fun, you know.....almost Norman Rockwell like..... but somewhere along the way the stress, the unrealistic expectations, the unreasonable demands, and all that other negative stuff show ups and the next thing you know.....you're depressed, over-tired, and dreading one more day during the so-called "holiday season".
Amazingly enough, Christians seem to have the exact same issues as non-Christians. There is no apparent difference in the way they act or talk or handle the stress of the holidays. Or is there?
I could tell you that simplifying things to make it easier is a good idea, but then I'm pretty sure tipping over the Christmas tree, throwing out the lights, and using the family egg nog recipe as fireplace kindling wouldn't count in the whole "simplifying" concept.
So how do you prioritize all that's Christian about the holidays with all the other stuff that's creeped in over the years? How do you satisfy your family and friends, and still be able to keep your focus on what's truly important?
Here are some things you can do that may help you start moving in the right direction.
# Start planning NOW. Decide what is truly important and necessary as a family. Having Christian priorities means putting "all that's Christian" at the top of the holiday list. This is a great time to teach your kids the difference between giving and receiving. When your kids see that your priorities are centered around truly celebrating the real purpose of the season, it will get easier and easier for them to be a Christian at Christmas too.
Now, let me clarify. Teaching your kids about giving and receiving doesn't mean you can tell your kids to tell Aunt Martha they can't "receive" her favorite fruitcake because it exceeds the airline weight requirement for the trip home, and that she should "give" it to the starving children in a foreign country.
# Let other family and extended family members know well in advance of your holiday season plans. Explain that as a family, you've decided to change your focus to things that can make a difference for someone else. Perhaps that means there will be less gift giving amongst family members and more to needy families. Or perhaps it means you won't be spending every available dollar on decorations and holiday parties, but rather on things that will make your family truly understand and appreciate the intent of the season. It is important to set the example for all those extended family members. You'll be surprised how others will follow your lead.....they just need someone to show them the way.
# As a family, evaluate all your scheduled holiday activities. Only participate in those that you can honestly say you're attending because they bring you joy and contribute to your Christian holiday season. If, on the other hand, you're dreading that party or that holiday event and only attend because you feel pressure to meet the expectations of other people, then perhaps it's time to let people in on your change in direction. It may upset some people initially, but taking back control of your holidays won't always make everyone else happy. Pleasing God and keeping your sanity have got to have the highest priority.
There will always be pressure from other people coming at you from all directions during the holidays. Being a Christian at Christmas means you have to fight your way through the noise to get to all that's Christian about the season. The holiday season is a great opportunity to let others see you "walk the walk" and "talk the talk". Saying you're a Christian is one thing........actually being one at Christmas....shows what you're really made of.
# Give other people a break. Putting pressure on others to meet your expectations puts alot of unneccessary stress on them because they're facing alot of what you're facing during the holidiays. If people can't make it to your holiday gathering, the world won't stop turning. Cutting people some slack will go a long way toward doing what you can to help others reduce their holiday stress level.
# As a family, discuss your financial status and make a commitment not to overspend. There is nothing Christian about getting into debt just to satisfy a lot of unreasonable demands and expectations. God always looks at motive, no matter what you do. Now is the time to re-evaluate what you're spending, and why you're spending it. It may not be easy to change your overspending holiday habits, but it's better to take small steps than none at all.
Of course, gift giving can mean alot of different things to alot of different people. For example, in my family gift giving takes the form of an olympic event. Having received belly-button lights which my brother helpfully described as "great for reading", and slippers made from Kotex pads, and oh yes....let's not forget the talking fish that was already moving under the wrapping paper before I even opened it.....well, let's just say the attempts to out-give each other really do reach olympic proportions.
I'm not really sure what God thinks about the motive in that scenerio.....I'm just glad He has a sense of humor.
Being a "Christian at Christmas" has to be a deliberate, concentrated effort. The world continues to get more and more commercialized, so you can bet God will honor all your efforts to keep the focus where it should be. And you can also bet He'll appreciate your efforts to set the right example for your family and friends.
For more help on this topic, go to "Ways to Live Out Your Christian Priorities"
Karen Wolff is the founder of www.christian-books-for-women.com a place that gives Christian women lots of info, tips, and help with a variety of issues they face every day. Find book reviews, recommendations, and submit your favorite books so you can be a blessing to someone else.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Krumping gives movement to the spirit’s call
Click Here for Original Story
By Steven G. Vegh
CHESAPEAKE, Va.—On a peaceful afternoon in a suburban home garage, Demetrus Leslie, 17, jerked like he was dosed with strychnine. His arms lashed menacingly, then he dropped to the floor, only to rear up smoothly.
His chest popped in and out, convulsing as if an alien larva heaved within. He ranged around the garage, “traveling,” or following the direction of his foot stomps and arm swings.
“Go, go!” admiring friends yelled over the pounding music. In his spontaneity, speed and mesmerized concentration, they could see the tell-tale symptoms.
Demetrus had got krump. Praise the Lord!
Krump is a frenetic dance born on the West Coast, combining flashes of modern dance, break-dancing, tribal-like dance, hip hop, “pop lock” steps and free-form motion, often at blurring speed.
But while some krumpers elsewhere have a nearly religious devotion for the dance, Leslie and his friends say Krump truly is all about God.
“When you going the fastest, that’s when you unleash, that’s when God takes over,” said Demetrus, who belongs to a local krump group, Kreative Mindz Crew: The Syfer Family, that aims to keep kids off the street and in the church.
The origins of the name Krump are obscure, but fans including Demetrus’ older brother, Kreative Mindz manager Danyasius Leslie, give it this definition: Kingdom Radicals Uplifting Mighty Praise.
“How would I describe krump?” said Danaysius, 29. “I would say, because I have a Christian background, that it’s the power of God that moves.”
For Kreative Mindz dancers, to krump is to praise God through movements inspired by the Holy Spirit. “It’s God, man, all we do is give the glory to God,” said Jaren Goodridge, 15.
Krump’s spiritual dimension may not be immediately apparent to the uninitiated spectator, and Leslie conceded it can be hard for outsiders to see the thrashing and jumping as divinely inspired.
In the Leslies’ garage, lithe Goodridge danced like a caffeine fiend, slender arms swinging, bending and jabbing triple-time, one motion flowing into the next, his gaze fixed on the floor.
Alexis Hinton, in contrast, shot wolfish looks, baring her teeth while stamping and clawing the air with outstretching arms. Despite the feminine bows on her red flats, she radiated anger. Krumping, she said, is a powerful emotional release.
Nohnee Purvis, a high school sophomore, said he first krumped for fun but soon, “the whole spiritual thing of it just hit me in the chest,” he said. Now, he even acts differently.
“Sundays, I’d just sit in the house, sleep, talk on the phone,” Purvis said. “Now I get up and go to church. My whole mind has changed. We got Christ up.”
Leslie started the group two years ago with his brother and some friends, inspired by “Rize,” a lauded 2005 documentary on krump by renowned photographer David LaChapelle.
According to Leslie, a hip-hop dancer named Tommy the Clown started krump in California in the 1990s. The expressive, freestyle dance caught on as an alternative to street violence, with dancers competing, or “battling,” one another to display their moves and krumping prowess.
Leslie’s dance practices in his garage fascinated neighborhood kids and he began recruiting, setting conditions for membership.
One rule is to keep up with school work. “I don’t look for C’s and D’s; I look for A’s and B’s,” said Leslie, who often checks in with parents about teens’ grades.
Leslie also feeds dancers a steady diet of Bible verses and expects them to make Jesus Christ their model. The twice-weekly dance practices start with prayer. Dancers are expected to go to church.
The group has performed about 25 times during Sunday worship at New Light Full Gospel Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, which Leslie attends. Bishop Rudolph B. Lewis said some older congregants initially recoiled when he allowed krumping at services.
Lewis himself said he understands krump dancing no better than his parents’ generation understood Elvis Presley’s risque swivel-hips in the `50s. But he’s told parishioners that teens are more likely to attend church—and to say no to gang-banging—if they know their unorthodox worship styles are welcomed.
“God wants to hear what you want to say, and he don’t care how you say it, and if you say it like this”—Lewis contorted himself, krump-like—“he hears you.”
(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)
Krump’s style is radical compared with typical liturgical or praise dance found in many churches.
“Praise dance teams are very lyrical, ethereal, soft. They follow a modern or jazz structure,” said Norfolk State University dance professor Glendola Mills-Parker. Krump, by contrast, “is a pure street form, being done in church.”
But she said krumpers who feel the “spirit” when they’re absorbed in their dance—“in the zone,” some krumpers say—are no different than worshippers who writhe while “shouting” in church. Both transcend their earthly surroundings.
“When you get the spirit, the Holy Ghost,” she said, “then you give way.”
(Steven G. Vegh is a writer for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.)
By Steven G. Vegh
CHESAPEAKE, Va.—On a peaceful afternoon in a suburban home garage, Demetrus Leslie, 17, jerked like he was dosed with strychnine. His arms lashed menacingly, then he dropped to the floor, only to rear up smoothly.
His chest popped in and out, convulsing as if an alien larva heaved within. He ranged around the garage, “traveling,” or following the direction of his foot stomps and arm swings.
“Go, go!” admiring friends yelled over the pounding music. In his spontaneity, speed and mesmerized concentration, they could see the tell-tale symptoms.
Demetrus had got krump. Praise the Lord!
Krump is a frenetic dance born on the West Coast, combining flashes of modern dance, break-dancing, tribal-like dance, hip hop, “pop lock” steps and free-form motion, often at blurring speed.
But while some krumpers elsewhere have a nearly religious devotion for the dance, Leslie and his friends say Krump truly is all about God.
“When you going the fastest, that’s when you unleash, that’s when God takes over,” said Demetrus, who belongs to a local krump group, Kreative Mindz Crew: The Syfer Family, that aims to keep kids off the street and in the church.
The origins of the name Krump are obscure, but fans including Demetrus’ older brother, Kreative Mindz manager Danyasius Leslie, give it this definition: Kingdom Radicals Uplifting Mighty Praise.
“How would I describe krump?” said Danaysius, 29. “I would say, because I have a Christian background, that it’s the power of God that moves.”
For Kreative Mindz dancers, to krump is to praise God through movements inspired by the Holy Spirit. “It’s God, man, all we do is give the glory to God,” said Jaren Goodridge, 15.
Krump’s spiritual dimension may not be immediately apparent to the uninitiated spectator, and Leslie conceded it can be hard for outsiders to see the thrashing and jumping as divinely inspired.
In the Leslies’ garage, lithe Goodridge danced like a caffeine fiend, slender arms swinging, bending and jabbing triple-time, one motion flowing into the next, his gaze fixed on the floor.
Alexis Hinton, in contrast, shot wolfish looks, baring her teeth while stamping and clawing the air with outstretching arms. Despite the feminine bows on her red flats, she radiated anger. Krumping, she said, is a powerful emotional release.
Nohnee Purvis, a high school sophomore, said he first krumped for fun but soon, “the whole spiritual thing of it just hit me in the chest,” he said. Now, he even acts differently.
“Sundays, I’d just sit in the house, sleep, talk on the phone,” Purvis said. “Now I get up and go to church. My whole mind has changed. We got Christ up.”
Leslie started the group two years ago with his brother and some friends, inspired by “Rize,” a lauded 2005 documentary on krump by renowned photographer David LaChapelle.
According to Leslie, a hip-hop dancer named Tommy the Clown started krump in California in the 1990s. The expressive, freestyle dance caught on as an alternative to street violence, with dancers competing, or “battling,” one another to display their moves and krumping prowess.
Leslie’s dance practices in his garage fascinated neighborhood kids and he began recruiting, setting conditions for membership.
One rule is to keep up with school work. “I don’t look for C’s and D’s; I look for A’s and B’s,” said Leslie, who often checks in with parents about teens’ grades.
Leslie also feeds dancers a steady diet of Bible verses and expects them to make Jesus Christ their model. The twice-weekly dance practices start with prayer. Dancers are expected to go to church.
The group has performed about 25 times during Sunday worship at New Light Full Gospel Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, which Leslie attends. Bishop Rudolph B. Lewis said some older congregants initially recoiled when he allowed krumping at services.
Lewis himself said he understands krump dancing no better than his parents’ generation understood Elvis Presley’s risque swivel-hips in the `50s. But he’s told parishioners that teens are more likely to attend church—and to say no to gang-banging—if they know their unorthodox worship styles are welcomed.
“God wants to hear what you want to say, and he don’t care how you say it, and if you say it like this”—Lewis contorted himself, krump-like—“he hears you.”
(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)
Krump’s style is radical compared with typical liturgical or praise dance found in many churches.
“Praise dance teams are very lyrical, ethereal, soft. They follow a modern or jazz structure,” said Norfolk State University dance professor Glendola Mills-Parker. Krump, by contrast, “is a pure street form, being done in church.”
But she said krumpers who feel the “spirit” when they’re absorbed in their dance—“in the zone,” some krumpers say—are no different than worshippers who writhe while “shouting” in church. Both transcend their earthly surroundings.
“When you get the spirit, the Holy Ghost,” she said, “then you give way.”
(Steven G. Vegh is a writer for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Dear John Letter by Dixie Phillips
I've experienced first-hand the love of a father for his child. I've even known some fathers who have laid down their lives for their children. In fact, I consider myself to be in that number. I can say without a doubt that my four children are my greatest assets. I call them my "monuments." They are by far my greatest earthly achievement. I watched as each one of them took their first breath and at that precise moment I was held captive by the powerful force called fatherhood. I pledged my allegiance to them as I cradled them in my arms for the very first time and gazed into their fresh faces. I would take whatever measures were necessary for each one of them to be safe and protected. A father's love was basic instinct for me, but what I wasn't prepared for was the day when the roles were reversed and my only son laid down his life for me. His sacrifice has given me the gift of life and has left indelible "footprints" in my soul forever.
In April of 2008, I was informed that my fifty-five-year-old kidneys were only functioning at nine percent. I was referred to a team of nephrologists at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After a thorough examination, I was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure. I was given two options. I could prepare for dialysis or I could bypass dialysis completely and begin the kidney transplant process. After discussing the pros and cons of each lifesaving procedure, the doctors felt I would have a better prognosis if I would avoid dialysis altogether and just proceed with a kidney transplant. I opted for an organ transplant and after a few days of intense testing, I was informed that my name was on the National Kidney Registry. The doctors warned me, however, that it may take up to four years, before a kidney from a cadaver would be available. I was running out of time and knew my diseased kidneys wouldn't last but a few more months. My only hope was a living donor.
My three brothers offered to give me one of their kidneys. Being full-blooded siblings, I was confident we would all be a match made in heaven, but after simple blood tests, we were devastated to learn that none of them were compatible with my rare blood type.
My four children were aware that my kidney's time clock was ticking. They called the Mayo Clinic and volunteered to be tested as soon as possible. I struggled with accepting one of my offspring's kidneys. The mental anguish and all the 'what ifs' were much worse than the kidney disease. I worried if the disease was hereditary. 'What if one of my children gave me one of their kidneys and then years down the road they faced kidney disease?' The doctors assured us that the living donor must endure and pass some stringent testing before they would even be accepted as an organ donor. His words gave us enough peace of mind to proceed.
It was twenty-seven-year-old John, who was chosen as our family's M.V.D. 'Most Valuable Donor.' The surgery date was scheduled on June 12th, 2008 at the MethodistHospital in Rochester. It was just three days before Father's Day.
The night before surgery, a flood of precious memories swept over me. Scalding tears stung my eyes as I took several sentimental journeys. The one memory that kept playing over and over in my mind's eye was the day John was born. It was a rainy day on October 27th, 1980, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. We were only at the hospital a couple of hours when he announced his arrival. He had a head full of fine, brown hair and tipped the scales at a whopping eight pounds and ten ounces. As his mother and I examined every inch of his chubby frame, we were shocked to see he had a black eye. We teased that he would surely be a "prizefighter" when he grew up. Our words were prophetic. Thirteen days later, he was in a fight for his life. He woke up one morning with a high temperature and refused to nurse. We rushed him to the doctor and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a deadly bacterial spinal meningitis and his pediatrician informed us that John's life was in danger. We watched as our little champion fought hard and defied death.
It was a full circle moment for me. 'What if John hadn't survived when he was that tiny baby?' I was still having some "what if" moments, but they were no longer filled with fear and negativity. 'What if John's life was spared years ago so he could help save mine now?' Suddenly I was convinced that my son donating one of his kidneys to me was part of his divine destiny. I believed that John, as a newborn, was given a second chance at life and because of the victory he won, he was now able to give me a second chance at life.
I gasped as hope swelled in my soul. "He fought for his life and won and now our little "prizefighter" is in the ring again fighting for my life."
I pulled a pen and tablet from my briefcase and began writing a note of gratitude to my son.
Dear John,
Life can take many twists and turns. Isn't it interesting that twenty-seven years ago your mother and I gave life to you? Now, God is using you to give life to me. Because of your unselfish gift, my life will be extended. I love you, John, and I will never forget your sacrifice. Thank you. Never forget that I will always have a part of you in me.
Dad
PS You are giving me quite a Father's Day gift. I wonder what you'll give me next year. (grin)
Just as I finished stuffing the letter in an envelope, I looked up and saw John walking toward me with a card in his hand.
"Dad, I want you to have your Father's Day card before surgery." he choked.
"I've got a note for you, too." I said as I handed him my letter.
"You read mine first, Dad."
"Okay." I replied.
Dad,
You are the best dad a boy could have. You have always been there for me. Now it's my turn to be there for you. I know it is hard for you to accept this gift, but I would rather have one kidney and my dad still alive than have two kidneys and not have my dad here with me. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.
Love,
John Drake
I reached for my boy just as he was reaching for me. We embraced and wept together.
"Happy Father's Day, Dad." John sniffed.
Brushing the tears from my cheeks I replied. "It's your turn to read my letter now, son."
I watched as John devoured every word. Our deepening bond had been cemented by the difficult circumstances life had dealt us. And at that very moment, my prizefighting son, was and continues to be the finest man I know.
John's eyes glistened. Winking at me he joked. "That's the best "Dear John" letter I've ever read." We laughed together as he continued, "If it's alright with you, Dad, next year for Father's Day I think I'm just going to buy you a tie."
Dixie is a pastor's wife, mother of four grown children and a ghostwriter. You can find out more about the ministry she and her husband are involved in at www.floydslighthouse.com. Two of her children's books are published by Guardian Angel Publishing. Three more will be available in Fall of 2009.
In April of 2008, I was informed that my fifty-five-year-old kidneys were only functioning at nine percent. I was referred to a team of nephrologists at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After a thorough examination, I was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure. I was given two options. I could prepare for dialysis or I could bypass dialysis completely and begin the kidney transplant process. After discussing the pros and cons of each lifesaving procedure, the doctors felt I would have a better prognosis if I would avoid dialysis altogether and just proceed with a kidney transplant. I opted for an organ transplant and after a few days of intense testing, I was informed that my name was on the National Kidney Registry. The doctors warned me, however, that it may take up to four years, before a kidney from a cadaver would be available. I was running out of time and knew my diseased kidneys wouldn't last but a few more months. My only hope was a living donor.
My three brothers offered to give me one of their kidneys. Being full-blooded siblings, I was confident we would all be a match made in heaven, but after simple blood tests, we were devastated to learn that none of them were compatible with my rare blood type.
My four children were aware that my kidney's time clock was ticking. They called the Mayo Clinic and volunteered to be tested as soon as possible. I struggled with accepting one of my offspring's kidneys. The mental anguish and all the 'what ifs' were much worse than the kidney disease. I worried if the disease was hereditary. 'What if one of my children gave me one of their kidneys and then years down the road they faced kidney disease?' The doctors assured us that the living donor must endure and pass some stringent testing before they would even be accepted as an organ donor. His words gave us enough peace of mind to proceed.
It was twenty-seven-year-old John, who was chosen as our family's M.V.D. 'Most Valuable Donor.' The surgery date was scheduled on June 12th, 2008 at the MethodistHospital in Rochester. It was just three days before Father's Day.
The night before surgery, a flood of precious memories swept over me. Scalding tears stung my eyes as I took several sentimental journeys. The one memory that kept playing over and over in my mind's eye was the day John was born. It was a rainy day on October 27th, 1980, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. We were only at the hospital a couple of hours when he announced his arrival. He had a head full of fine, brown hair and tipped the scales at a whopping eight pounds and ten ounces. As his mother and I examined every inch of his chubby frame, we were shocked to see he had a black eye. We teased that he would surely be a "prizefighter" when he grew up. Our words were prophetic. Thirteen days later, he was in a fight for his life. He woke up one morning with a high temperature and refused to nurse. We rushed him to the doctor and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a deadly bacterial spinal meningitis and his pediatrician informed us that John's life was in danger. We watched as our little champion fought hard and defied death.
It was a full circle moment for me. 'What if John hadn't survived when he was that tiny baby?' I was still having some "what if" moments, but they were no longer filled with fear and negativity. 'What if John's life was spared years ago so he could help save mine now?' Suddenly I was convinced that my son donating one of his kidneys to me was part of his divine destiny. I believed that John, as a newborn, was given a second chance at life and because of the victory he won, he was now able to give me a second chance at life.
I gasped as hope swelled in my soul. "He fought for his life and won and now our little "prizefighter" is in the ring again fighting for my life."
I pulled a pen and tablet from my briefcase and began writing a note of gratitude to my son.
Dear John,
Life can take many twists and turns. Isn't it interesting that twenty-seven years ago your mother and I gave life to you? Now, God is using you to give life to me. Because of your unselfish gift, my life will be extended. I love you, John, and I will never forget your sacrifice. Thank you. Never forget that I will always have a part of you in me.
Dad
PS You are giving me quite a Father's Day gift. I wonder what you'll give me next year. (grin)
Just as I finished stuffing the letter in an envelope, I looked up and saw John walking toward me with a card in his hand.
"Dad, I want you to have your Father's Day card before surgery." he choked.
"I've got a note for you, too." I said as I handed him my letter.
"You read mine first, Dad."
"Okay." I replied.
Dad,
You are the best dad a boy could have. You have always been there for me. Now it's my turn to be there for you. I know it is hard for you to accept this gift, but I would rather have one kidney and my dad still alive than have two kidneys and not have my dad here with me. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.
Love,
John Drake
I reached for my boy just as he was reaching for me. We embraced and wept together.
"Happy Father's Day, Dad." John sniffed.
Brushing the tears from my cheeks I replied. "It's your turn to read my letter now, son."
I watched as John devoured every word. Our deepening bond had been cemented by the difficult circumstances life had dealt us. And at that very moment, my prizefighting son, was and continues to be the finest man I know.
John's eyes glistened. Winking at me he joked. "That's the best "Dear John" letter I've ever read." We laughed together as he continued, "If it's alright with you, Dad, next year for Father's Day I think I'm just going to buy you a tie."
Dixie is a pastor's wife, mother of four grown children and a ghostwriter. You can find out more about the ministry she and her husband are involved in at www.floydslighthouse.com. Two of her children's books are published by Guardian Angel Publishing. Three more will be available in Fall of 2009.
God’s Wonderful Creation By Ron Boatwright
The only way we can know about the creation is from God who did the creating. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Everything was created by the power of God. The first thing God did was to create light and in Genesis 1:4 "God called the light day and the darkness night. So the evening and the morning was the first day." Each day including each day of the creation has light for day and darkness for the night. Also all six days of creation had both an evening and a morning (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) just like the days today. These six days of creation were literal 24-hour days, not billions of years as some falsely claim.
God told Moses in Exodus 20:11, "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them." God said that everything He created was created in these six days of creation. There was not a progressive creation spread out over billions of years.
In Genesis 1:24 we read, "And God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind; and it was so." God is so powerful that all He has to do is to speak and it happens. Each produces after its own kind. There is no evolution from one kind to another because God said that each was to produce "according to its kind."
In Genesis 1:27& 2:7 we read, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them…and man became a living soul." We are created in the image of God; this is what makes us so special. All people have a soul that will live on forever in eternity either in Heaven or Hell. This is how we differ from the animals. But Psalms 33:8-9 says, "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him, for He spoke and it was done."
God told Moses in Exodus 20:11, "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them." God said that everything He created was created in these six days of creation. There was not a progressive creation spread out over billions of years.
In Genesis 1:24 we read, "And God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind; and it was so." God is so powerful that all He has to do is to speak and it happens. Each produces after its own kind. There is no evolution from one kind to another because God said that each was to produce "according to its kind."
In Genesis 1:27& 2:7 we read, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them…and man became a living soul." We are created in the image of God; this is what makes us so special. All people have a soul that will live on forever in eternity either in Heaven or Hell. This is how we differ from the animals. But Psalms 33:8-9 says, "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him, for He spoke and it was done."
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Laid-off religious workers denied jobless benefits
By Steven G. Vegh
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—God may provide, but the state may not when it comes to unemployment benefits for employees laid off by churches, synagogues and other religious groups.
Carol Bronson discovered that a few months ago after she lost her secretarial job at Temple Emanuel synagogue in Virginia Beach. Bronson assumed she could draw unemployment benefits, but when she filed a claim, she was denied.
It was a hard way to learn that under Virginia law, as in many states, tax exemptions for religious organizations include freedom from paying unemployment taxes, though the IRS requires they pay Social Security and withholding taxes.
“I had no idea that there would not be any benefits for me after leaving my job,” said Bronson, who worked at the synagogue for two years. She’s since found a job with a wholesale flower market.
Neither did Rabbi Howard Mandell of Temple Emanuel. The synagogue had no knowledge of Virginia tax law when it decided on a layoff, he wrote in an e-mail.
Budget cuts, including layoffs, are one way religious congregations are coping with a recession that has slashed their income from investments or contributions.
Earlier this year, a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration showed that 32 percent of responding U.S. churches were having economy-related difficulties, up from 14 percent in August. Twenty percent said they had laid off staff.
For workers who are left jobless, unemployment benefits are a big piece of the social safety net. In Virginia, payments range from $54 to $378 weekly. Benefits are available only to people whose employers paid the unemployment tax.
Not every state bars unemployment compensation to employees of religious groups.
In New York, for example, employees whose work is not religious in nature, such as a cook or a secretary, are entitled to benefits, and their employer must pay the state unemployment tax, said Karen Williamson of the New York Department of Labor.
But in Virginia, the lack of state unemployment benefits surprised Jane Dembert, who was laid off by Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk earlier this year.
Dembert was the church’s director of communications and had worked there 17 years when she lost her job. She filed for state unemployment benefits and was denied.
The Rev. C. Berkley Ford of Christ and St. Luke’s said the cutback was a painful choice. He said the church was grappling with lower revenue and higher demand for services such as its soup kitchen. He gave his own cost-of-living pay raise back to the church.
“We have no say over whether or not an employee who loses their job for economic reasons is entitled to collect unemployment insurance,” he said. “That’s determined by the state agency.”
Dembert is allowed to stay on the church’s health insurance policy for 18 months, though she must pay 100 percent of the premiums.
Coleman Walsh, chief administrative law judge with the state’s employment commission, said his experience is that most people don’t know faith-based groups are exempt from unemployment taxes.
Sarah Scott Thomas, spokeswoman for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, said that’s true in her faith community, which announced on May 15 the layoffs of three employees at the diocese’s headquarters in Norfolk. She said people mistakenly view churches as nonprofit organizations, subject to the same tax regulations covering secular nonprofit groups that pay into unemployment.
Despite their tax exemption, religious groups in Virginia can voluntarily pay unemployment benefits. That’s what the Catholic Diocese of Richmond has done with a self-insurance fund rather than paying into the state fund.
The arrangement allows a laid-off parish staffer, parochial school employee or diocesan worker to file a claim with the unemployment commission. If the commission approves the claim, it bills the diocese for the total amount of benefits the worker will receive.
The diocese reimburses the state and then recovers that sum from the school, parish or Catholic entity where the employee formerly worked. The diocese adopted the self-insurance model in 1981 to match working conditions of secular nonprofits, said John Barrett, the diocese’s finance director.
Rex Frieze, an Orlando, Fla.-based expert on church accounting and taxes, said religious groups should tell workers during hiring that they won’t qualify for unemployment benefits.
“If they leave the church, they won’t be covered, and that is a shock for many churches,” he said.
(Steven G. Vegh is a writer for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.)
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—God may provide, but the state may not when it comes to unemployment benefits for employees laid off by churches, synagogues and other religious groups.
Carol Bronson discovered that a few months ago after she lost her secretarial job at Temple Emanuel synagogue in Virginia Beach. Bronson assumed she could draw unemployment benefits, but when she filed a claim, she was denied.
It was a hard way to learn that under Virginia law, as in many states, tax exemptions for religious organizations include freedom from paying unemployment taxes, though the IRS requires they pay Social Security and withholding taxes.
“I had no idea that there would not be any benefits for me after leaving my job,” said Bronson, who worked at the synagogue for two years. She’s since found a job with a wholesale flower market.
Neither did Rabbi Howard Mandell of Temple Emanuel. The synagogue had no knowledge of Virginia tax law when it decided on a layoff, he wrote in an e-mail.
Budget cuts, including layoffs, are one way religious congregations are coping with a recession that has slashed their income from investments or contributions.
Earlier this year, a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration showed that 32 percent of responding U.S. churches were having economy-related difficulties, up from 14 percent in August. Twenty percent said they had laid off staff.
For workers who are left jobless, unemployment benefits are a big piece of the social safety net. In Virginia, payments range from $54 to $378 weekly. Benefits are available only to people whose employers paid the unemployment tax.
Not every state bars unemployment compensation to employees of religious groups.
In New York, for example, employees whose work is not religious in nature, such as a cook or a secretary, are entitled to benefits, and their employer must pay the state unemployment tax, said Karen Williamson of the New York Department of Labor.
But in Virginia, the lack of state unemployment benefits surprised Jane Dembert, who was laid off by Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk earlier this year.
Dembert was the church’s director of communications and had worked there 17 years when she lost her job. She filed for state unemployment benefits and was denied.
The Rev. C. Berkley Ford of Christ and St. Luke’s said the cutback was a painful choice. He said the church was grappling with lower revenue and higher demand for services such as its soup kitchen. He gave his own cost-of-living pay raise back to the church.
“We have no say over whether or not an employee who loses their job for economic reasons is entitled to collect unemployment insurance,” he said. “That’s determined by the state agency.”
Dembert is allowed to stay on the church’s health insurance policy for 18 months, though she must pay 100 percent of the premiums.
Coleman Walsh, chief administrative law judge with the state’s employment commission, said his experience is that most people don’t know faith-based groups are exempt from unemployment taxes.
Sarah Scott Thomas, spokeswoman for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, said that’s true in her faith community, which announced on May 15 the layoffs of three employees at the diocese’s headquarters in Norfolk. She said people mistakenly view churches as nonprofit organizations, subject to the same tax regulations covering secular nonprofit groups that pay into unemployment.
Despite their tax exemption, religious groups in Virginia can voluntarily pay unemployment benefits. That’s what the Catholic Diocese of Richmond has done with a self-insurance fund rather than paying into the state fund.
The arrangement allows a laid-off parish staffer, parochial school employee or diocesan worker to file a claim with the unemployment commission. If the commission approves the claim, it bills the diocese for the total amount of benefits the worker will receive.
The diocese reimburses the state and then recovers that sum from the school, parish or Catholic entity where the employee formerly worked. The diocese adopted the self-insurance model in 1981 to match working conditions of secular nonprofits, said John Barrett, the diocese’s finance director.
Rex Frieze, an Orlando, Fla.-based expert on church accounting and taxes, said religious groups should tell workers during hiring that they won’t qualify for unemployment benefits.
“If they leave the church, they won’t be covered, and that is a shock for many churches,” he said.
(Steven G. Vegh is a writer for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.)
Sharing Your Faith
There's nothing worse than somebody trying to preach to you about something going on in your life when all you can think about is finding a way to make it right. At that moment, the last thing you want to see is somebody carrying a Bible, acting like they know exactly what you need and how you feel. And truth be told, when they ask you to read from their Bible, you're thinking you'd rather hit them over the head with it!
This is the very scenario that makes the concept of sharing your faith so intimidating. Most people would like to help others, but knowing what to say and how to say it stops you in your tracks. So how do share your faith without making people run and hide from you?
People can spot a phony from a mile away. The absolute worst thing you can do is say one thing and do another. If you aren't committed to applying Christian principles in your own life, you will not only be ineffective, but will be seen as insincere and phony. People aren't as interested in what you say, as they are in seeing how it's working in YOUR life.
Here are some practical things you can do where you don't have to say much at all:
1. One of the best ways to share your faith is to demonstrate the very things you believe by staying positive and having a good attitude even in the middle of a crisis in your own life. Remember the story in the Bible about Peter coming out onto the water when Jesus called to him? He kept walking above the water as long as he stayed focused on Jesus. But once he focused on the storm, he sank. When the people around you see the peace in your life, especially when it seems like you're surrounded by storms, you can bet they'll want to know how to get what you got! On the other hand, if all they see is the top of your head as you sink into the water, there's not a whole lot to ask.
2. Treat people with respect and dignity, no matter the circumstances. Whenever you have the opportunity, show how you don't change how you treat people, no matter what. Jesus treated people right, even when they mistreated Him. People around you will wonder how you're able to show this kind of respect for others. You never know, they may even ask.
3. Find ways to be a blessing to others. This not only plants amazing seeds for a harvest in your own life, it shows others that you're not a phony. It shows that you live what you believe. Saying you're a Christian is one thing, but living it in tangible ways every day is something else. The Word says "they'll know them by their fruit."
4. Don't compromise your beliefs. Situations happen every day where compromise is not only possible, but many times is expected. Show people that your Christianity means living a life of integrity. And oh yes, that means you tell the sales clerk when she undercharged you for that quart of milk!
5. The ability to forgive quickly is a very powerful way to show how Christianity really works. Become a model of forgiveness. Nothing creates division, hostility, and turmoil more than an unwillingness to forgive the people who hurt you. Of course, there will be times when you are absolutely right. But being right doesn't give you a free pass to punish, humiliate, or embarrass someone else. And it most certainly doesn't eliminate your responsibility to forgive.
The best way to share your faith is be an example. People will want to know how you can be peaceful in the storm, why your kids are doing so well, why your marriage is so great, and how you know for sure about your purpose in life. And when they ask, you'll have all kinds of great stuff to share.
Karen Wolff is the founder of http://www.christian-books-for-women.com, Women will find info, tips, and help with issues like overcoming fear, jealousy, and building self esteem. Find book reviews, recommendations, and submit your favorite books so you can be a blessing to someone else.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Wolff
This is the very scenario that makes the concept of sharing your faith so intimidating. Most people would like to help others, but knowing what to say and how to say it stops you in your tracks. So how do share your faith without making people run and hide from you?
People can spot a phony from a mile away. The absolute worst thing you can do is say one thing and do another. If you aren't committed to applying Christian principles in your own life, you will not only be ineffective, but will be seen as insincere and phony. People aren't as interested in what you say, as they are in seeing how it's working in YOUR life.
Here are some practical things you can do where you don't have to say much at all:
1. One of the best ways to share your faith is to demonstrate the very things you believe by staying positive and having a good attitude even in the middle of a crisis in your own life. Remember the story in the Bible about Peter coming out onto the water when Jesus called to him? He kept walking above the water as long as he stayed focused on Jesus. But once he focused on the storm, he sank. When the people around you see the peace in your life, especially when it seems like you're surrounded by storms, you can bet they'll want to know how to get what you got! On the other hand, if all they see is the top of your head as you sink into the water, there's not a whole lot to ask.
2. Treat people with respect and dignity, no matter the circumstances. Whenever you have the opportunity, show how you don't change how you treat people, no matter what. Jesus treated people right, even when they mistreated Him. People around you will wonder how you're able to show this kind of respect for others. You never know, they may even ask.
3. Find ways to be a blessing to others. This not only plants amazing seeds for a harvest in your own life, it shows others that you're not a phony. It shows that you live what you believe. Saying you're a Christian is one thing, but living it in tangible ways every day is something else. The Word says "they'll know them by their fruit."
4. Don't compromise your beliefs. Situations happen every day where compromise is not only possible, but many times is expected. Show people that your Christianity means living a life of integrity. And oh yes, that means you tell the sales clerk when she undercharged you for that quart of milk!
5. The ability to forgive quickly is a very powerful way to show how Christianity really works. Become a model of forgiveness. Nothing creates division, hostility, and turmoil more than an unwillingness to forgive the people who hurt you. Of course, there will be times when you are absolutely right. But being right doesn't give you a free pass to punish, humiliate, or embarrass someone else. And it most certainly doesn't eliminate your responsibility to forgive.
The best way to share your faith is be an example. People will want to know how you can be peaceful in the storm, why your kids are doing so well, why your marriage is so great, and how you know for sure about your purpose in life. And when they ask, you'll have all kinds of great stuff to share.
Karen Wolff is the founder of http://www.christian-books-for-women.com, Women will find info, tips, and help with issues like overcoming fear, jealousy, and building self esteem. Find book reviews, recommendations, and submit your favorite books so you can be a blessing to someone else.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Wolff
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Heavenly Help is on the Way by Dr. Johnson Cherian M.D. PhD.
We drove to Kottayam (a town in South India) from our home (around 40 kms. away) to get my camera repaired one Friday evening hoping to get it fixed in a day’s time and do some shopping too as time permitted and return home by Saturday evening. We relaxed in the hotel room after giving the camera for repairs leaving the shopping for the morrow as time didn’t permit us to go ahead with that part of our plan. We relaxed in the hotel room and after prayers talked about our plans for the next day.
As we approached the restaurant for breakfast the next morning everything seemed to be unusually quiet.
What’s the matter I asked the manager? Don’t you know? Some political factions have called for a 24 hour strike starting last midnight, he said.
‘So much for our plans, I thought in my mind.”
All shops closed, vehicles running sparingly and I had to be back home by 6 pm.
I called the camera shop but no one answered the phone. We just walked here and there casually and then retired to our hotel room. I just about managed some snacks for lunch from a shopkeeper who dared to keep his shop open despite the strike. Time seemed to be dragging and the children were restless. By 4pm we just made up our minds- Strike or no strike-let’s go home-we all said.
We prayed yet another prayer (there were several that day) just before we left the hotel room. Half an hour on our journey and I sensed some problem with our car. Something was wrong somewhere and it came as no surprise to me when smoke billowed from the bonnet and the car came to a sudden halt. We were stranded in the true sense of the word with no people around and only an occasional vehicle passing by. I opened the bonnet and let all the smoke escape, looked around but couldn’t spot the trouble. I walked for a distance, found some houses and enquired if there was a workshop or a mechanic nearby.” Strike, no mechanic, workshop closed, only tomorrow” was the reply.
I left my wife and kids and walked off to find someone who could fix the problem. It was getting late and I put up my faith sail high to see where it would lead me. I found an auto rickshaw(3 wheeler vehicle)fellow who was willing to join me in my search and he gave suggestions of people he knew of who could probably help me. We searched for half an hour but couldn’t find anyone. I was returning to the place where I left my wife and kids and was wondering what course of action to take. Couldn’t possibly leave the vehicle here in the midst of nowhere. What else? My mind gave no suggestions as the auto neared the place where I had left my vehicle .I signaled a thumbs down sign to the three who were anxiously waiting for me.
AS YOU HAVE READ TILL HERE CAN YOU GUESS WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
No guesses.
O.K. Here’s the climax that Jesus arranged.
Just as I walked dejectedly towards my wife and little ones a van zoomed past us. It went quite a distance from where we were and then it stopped and came in reverse in great speed and stopped just next to us. Out stepped 10 guys. It was already dark and a small fear crept into me. Good or Bad, don’t know; trust in Jesus my mind said. One of them approached us and asked” What’s the problem? I gave him a brief history.” Let’s see, he said and quite a few of them examined the gadgets under the bonnet.
In no time he proclaimed the diagnosis-fan switch is not working-water got heated excessively so the car stopped because of overheating.
So what’s to be done? I asked meekly.
No problem ,he said and he and his friends set about fixing the thing, giving a direct connection from the battery to the fan, filled the radiator themselves by drawing water from a nearby well ,put the key to the ignition and in no time brought the car back to life. All 4 of us heaved a sigh of relief.
My mind shouted Halleluiah and I smiled and thanked him.
I took some money and gave it to the guy who did most of the work but he did not accept it. He and his friends walked back towards their vehicle. I went after him.” Who are you and how do you’ll know so much about the vehicle, I asked.
Oh! Sorry for not introducing ourselves he said. We all are car mechanics and we had come to Kottayam for a wedding and we were returning after attending the reception. We are getting late, Bye he said and got into their vehicle and took off.
I stood there stunned and speechless for a moment.
All I needed was 1 mechanic and Jesus sent 10.Can you believe it?
And what timing! Just when I had tried my best finding a solution and had failed.
No wonder then that Abraham said-JEHOVAH JIREH
“The Bible says-Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8)
Help is already on the way dear friend, in whatever difficult situation that you are in.
Jesus says,” I will never leave you nor forsake you”(Hebrews 13:5)
My reasoning is this-Before a child of God falls into a problem, God has already arranged the solution. So be strong and courageous.
Just to make this point clear-Think of Joseph. His brothers threw him into the pit. And after a while the Ishmaelites were there and he was sold to them and taken to Egypt. God had already sent the Ishmaelities while Joseph was being thrown in to the pit.
A God who prepares in advance.
Praise the Lord.
To end the story, we drove back safely home praising God for His faithfulness.
“Remember Heavenly Help is on the way”. So do not worry.
“Great is His faithfulness”
As we approached the restaurant for breakfast the next morning everything seemed to be unusually quiet.
What’s the matter I asked the manager? Don’t you know? Some political factions have called for a 24 hour strike starting last midnight, he said.
‘So much for our plans, I thought in my mind.”
All shops closed, vehicles running sparingly and I had to be back home by 6 pm.
I called the camera shop but no one answered the phone. We just walked here and there casually and then retired to our hotel room. I just about managed some snacks for lunch from a shopkeeper who dared to keep his shop open despite the strike. Time seemed to be dragging and the children were restless. By 4pm we just made up our minds- Strike or no strike-let’s go home-we all said.
We prayed yet another prayer (there were several that day) just before we left the hotel room. Half an hour on our journey and I sensed some problem with our car. Something was wrong somewhere and it came as no surprise to me when smoke billowed from the bonnet and the car came to a sudden halt. We were stranded in the true sense of the word with no people around and only an occasional vehicle passing by. I opened the bonnet and let all the smoke escape, looked around but couldn’t spot the trouble. I walked for a distance, found some houses and enquired if there was a workshop or a mechanic nearby.” Strike, no mechanic, workshop closed, only tomorrow” was the reply.
I left my wife and kids and walked off to find someone who could fix the problem. It was getting late and I put up my faith sail high to see where it would lead me. I found an auto rickshaw(3 wheeler vehicle)fellow who was willing to join me in my search and he gave suggestions of people he knew of who could probably help me. We searched for half an hour but couldn’t find anyone. I was returning to the place where I left my wife and kids and was wondering what course of action to take. Couldn’t possibly leave the vehicle here in the midst of nowhere. What else? My mind gave no suggestions as the auto neared the place where I had left my vehicle .I signaled a thumbs down sign to the three who were anxiously waiting for me.
AS YOU HAVE READ TILL HERE CAN YOU GUESS WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
No guesses.
O.K. Here’s the climax that Jesus arranged.
Just as I walked dejectedly towards my wife and little ones a van zoomed past us. It went quite a distance from where we were and then it stopped and came in reverse in great speed and stopped just next to us. Out stepped 10 guys. It was already dark and a small fear crept into me. Good or Bad, don’t know; trust in Jesus my mind said. One of them approached us and asked” What’s the problem? I gave him a brief history.” Let’s see, he said and quite a few of them examined the gadgets under the bonnet.
In no time he proclaimed the diagnosis-fan switch is not working-water got heated excessively so the car stopped because of overheating.
So what’s to be done? I asked meekly.
No problem ,he said and he and his friends set about fixing the thing, giving a direct connection from the battery to the fan, filled the radiator themselves by drawing water from a nearby well ,put the key to the ignition and in no time brought the car back to life. All 4 of us heaved a sigh of relief.
My mind shouted Halleluiah and I smiled and thanked him.
I took some money and gave it to the guy who did most of the work but he did not accept it. He and his friends walked back towards their vehicle. I went after him.” Who are you and how do you’ll know so much about the vehicle, I asked.
Oh! Sorry for not introducing ourselves he said. We all are car mechanics and we had come to Kottayam for a wedding and we were returning after attending the reception. We are getting late, Bye he said and got into their vehicle and took off.
I stood there stunned and speechless for a moment.
All I needed was 1 mechanic and Jesus sent 10.Can you believe it?
And what timing! Just when I had tried my best finding a solution and had failed.
No wonder then that Abraham said-JEHOVAH JIREH
“The Bible says-Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8)
Help is already on the way dear friend, in whatever difficult situation that you are in.
Jesus says,” I will never leave you nor forsake you”(Hebrews 13:5)
My reasoning is this-Before a child of God falls into a problem, God has already arranged the solution. So be strong and courageous.
Just to make this point clear-Think of Joseph. His brothers threw him into the pit. And after a while the Ishmaelites were there and he was sold to them and taken to Egypt. God had already sent the Ishmaelities while Joseph was being thrown in to the pit.
A God who prepares in advance.
Praise the Lord.
To end the story, we drove back safely home praising God for His faithfulness.
“Remember Heavenly Help is on the way”. So do not worry.
“Great is His faithfulness”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Family Resemblance by Alan Allegra
"That's your brother? Funny, you don't look alike!"
I hear that often when people see my brother's picture. Trust me, we have the same parents, and the same number of components. God just used different parts when He put us together.
God has a family as well, and He expects His children to look like Him. Of course, God has no physical form or features. However, He expects his family members to act like Him and to resemble Him in character. In fact, He even sent His Son in human form to show us, in a spiritual sense, how He looks.
Most of us are familiar with the concept of salvation: God sent His Son into the world to pay the penalty for our sins and secure us a place in heaven. But that's not the whole of it. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God adopts that person into His family, as the Bible tells us: " . . . those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. . . . (Y)ou received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:14, 15). God doesn't just want to save people from hell; He wants to have a family relationship with the people He created.
God loves healthy relationships. He, the Son, and the Spirit have enjoyed perfect rapport from eternity past. They live in perfect harmony. God wants the same relationship with people; He doesn't just want to supply fire insurance and leave it at that.
Salvation is chiefly the entrance into God's family. It's called being "born again" or "born of God" (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9). When one receives Jesus as Savior, he inherits all the rights of a child of God (John 1:12, 13). And with rights comes responsibility: the responsibility to bear the image of God.
The outworking of that image-bearing is stated in Ephesians 5:1, 2: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Notice that imitating God (and we all know how children imitate their parents!) requires loving others to the point of sacrificing our lives if necessary! God doesn't want superficial relationshipsHe expects total dedication as exemplified through the sacrifice of Christ for our sins.
Man was not meant to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God ordained that people live and work and worship together. In fact, God is so concerned with intimate relationships that the Trinity actually indwells the child of God (John 14:17, 20)! With God living in you, how could you not live for Him and be like Him?
Loneliness can be excruciating. And loneliness doesn't just mean being alone. One can feel lonely in a crowd of strangers or, worse still, in a crowd of familiar faces. Two places where loneliness should not be allowed are family and church. For a brief time, Jesus was separated from the Father and experienced an eternity of agony on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Separation from loved ones, whether physical or church family, can lead to despondency, which is certainly not God's will for His children.
How are your relationships? Are you a child of God through faith in Christ? Are you getting along well with your family? Your church family? If there are broken or stressed relationships in your life, imitate your Heavenly Father, who gave all He could to repair your relationship with Him. Reach out to heal the broken ties that bind; be a peacemaker.
Alan Allegra, Executive Administrative Assistant of Faith Church in Allentown, Pa. More devotionals at http://www.faithefc.com/includes/Alan-Devotionals.htm. More articles at Lifestyles Over 50: http://www.lifestylesover50.com/ and the Morning Call: www.mcall.com. Available for writing.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
I hear that often when people see my brother's picture. Trust me, we have the same parents, and the same number of components. God just used different parts when He put us together.
God has a family as well, and He expects His children to look like Him. Of course, God has no physical form or features. However, He expects his family members to act like Him and to resemble Him in character. In fact, He even sent His Son in human form to show us, in a spiritual sense, how He looks.
Most of us are familiar with the concept of salvation: God sent His Son into the world to pay the penalty for our sins and secure us a place in heaven. But that's not the whole of it. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God adopts that person into His family, as the Bible tells us: " . . . those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. . . . (Y)ou received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:14, 15). God doesn't just want to save people from hell; He wants to have a family relationship with the people He created.
God loves healthy relationships. He, the Son, and the Spirit have enjoyed perfect rapport from eternity past. They live in perfect harmony. God wants the same relationship with people; He doesn't just want to supply fire insurance and leave it at that.
Salvation is chiefly the entrance into God's family. It's called being "born again" or "born of God" (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9). When one receives Jesus as Savior, he inherits all the rights of a child of God (John 1:12, 13). And with rights comes responsibility: the responsibility to bear the image of God.
The outworking of that image-bearing is stated in Ephesians 5:1, 2: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Notice that imitating God (and we all know how children imitate their parents!) requires loving others to the point of sacrificing our lives if necessary! God doesn't want superficial relationshipsHe expects total dedication as exemplified through the sacrifice of Christ for our sins.
Man was not meant to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God ordained that people live and work and worship together. In fact, God is so concerned with intimate relationships that the Trinity actually indwells the child of God (John 14:17, 20)! With God living in you, how could you not live for Him and be like Him?
Loneliness can be excruciating. And loneliness doesn't just mean being alone. One can feel lonely in a crowd of strangers or, worse still, in a crowd of familiar faces. Two places where loneliness should not be allowed are family and church. For a brief time, Jesus was separated from the Father and experienced an eternity of agony on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Separation from loved ones, whether physical or church family, can lead to despondency, which is certainly not God's will for His children.
How are your relationships? Are you a child of God through faith in Christ? Are you getting along well with your family? Your church family? If there are broken or stressed relationships in your life, imitate your Heavenly Father, who gave all He could to repair your relationship with Him. Reach out to heal the broken ties that bind; be a peacemaker.
Alan Allegra, Executive Administrative Assistant of Faith Church in Allentown, Pa. More devotionals at http://www.faithefc.com/includes/Alan-Devotionals.htm. More articles at Lifestyles Over 50: http://www.lifestylesover50.com/ and the Morning Call: www.mcall.com. Available for writing.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Joanne Lowe`s Inspirations
AMAZING LOVE OF JESUS
I don’t think any of us have any concept or grasp of the Love of Jesus that He extends to us. Do you realize or have you even thought about what a privilege it is just to be able to say the Name of Jesus?
There is a song "What A Friend We Have In Jesus". There is no other Friend like Jesus. He is dependable, compassionate, loving, understanding, giving, protecting, and always with us.
I am sitting here in awe as I think about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reaching down His Hand to me and lifting me up and placing me in His Lap of Love, Mercy, Grace, and Tenderness. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I think of where I was even last year and how Jesus forgave me all my failures and unfaithfulness to Him. I do not deserve such Amazing Love that he showers upon me, none of us do.
One day, He looked down upon the earth and saw all the wickedness and evil and His Heart broke as He saw His children living the way they were and sent His Own Beloved Son knowing that Jesus would die the worse death than anybody would ever experience.
Why did He do that? Why would God send His Son to die for us? He loves Jesus much more than any earthly parent could love a child. He did it because He loves us and desires to fellowship with us.
O’ that we would turn our hearts to Jesus and give Him all of our attention, loyalty, and life! We have no guarantee of tomorrow. Tomorrow may not come for some of us and yet you and I let each day slip by without fully comprehending this. I challenge all of us to start living each hour of every day for Jesus.
If we ever come to the realization that when we hurt others we hurt Jesus, I think we will stop treating others the way we do. I think we will stop saying the harsh, critical, and condemning words we say to others. We will stop doing things that hurt others and make them doubt that Jesus Loves them.
Jesus has done so much for us. Think about it! Every breath that we take is from Him. He supplies every need and protects us from harm and what do we do? We ignore Him most of the day and continue on doing what we want to do.
I wonder how many of us, including myself, ask Jesus the first thing every morning what He want us to do that day. His plans may not fit in with our plans. He may want us to do something that will involve a lot of time away from our schedule for the day. Perhaps, He just wants us to take an hour or so to call people on the telephone and let them know Jesus Loves them.
May God forgive us for taking Him for granted! His heart must break many times over the way we treat Him and His children. Let’s take the time to ask Jesus what He wants us to do each day.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
1 John 3:1
King James Bible
I don’t think any of us have any concept or grasp of the Love of Jesus that He extends to us. Do you realize or have you even thought about what a privilege it is just to be able to say the Name of Jesus?
There is a song "What A Friend We Have In Jesus". There is no other Friend like Jesus. He is dependable, compassionate, loving, understanding, giving, protecting, and always with us.
I am sitting here in awe as I think about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reaching down His Hand to me and lifting me up and placing me in His Lap of Love, Mercy, Grace, and Tenderness. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I think of where I was even last year and how Jesus forgave me all my failures and unfaithfulness to Him. I do not deserve such Amazing Love that he showers upon me, none of us do.
One day, He looked down upon the earth and saw all the wickedness and evil and His Heart broke as He saw His children living the way they were and sent His Own Beloved Son knowing that Jesus would die the worse death than anybody would ever experience.
Why did He do that? Why would God send His Son to die for us? He loves Jesus much more than any earthly parent could love a child. He did it because He loves us and desires to fellowship with us.
O’ that we would turn our hearts to Jesus and give Him all of our attention, loyalty, and life! We have no guarantee of tomorrow. Tomorrow may not come for some of us and yet you and I let each day slip by without fully comprehending this. I challenge all of us to start living each hour of every day for Jesus.
If we ever come to the realization that when we hurt others we hurt Jesus, I think we will stop treating others the way we do. I think we will stop saying the harsh, critical, and condemning words we say to others. We will stop doing things that hurt others and make them doubt that Jesus Loves them.
Jesus has done so much for us. Think about it! Every breath that we take is from Him. He supplies every need and protects us from harm and what do we do? We ignore Him most of the day and continue on doing what we want to do.
I wonder how many of us, including myself, ask Jesus the first thing every morning what He want us to do that day. His plans may not fit in with our plans. He may want us to do something that will involve a lot of time away from our schedule for the day. Perhaps, He just wants us to take an hour or so to call people on the telephone and let them know Jesus Loves them.
May God forgive us for taking Him for granted! His heart must break many times over the way we treat Him and His children. Let’s take the time to ask Jesus what He wants us to do each day.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
1 John 3:1
King James Bible
When Christians Sin By Ron Boatwright
Click Here for Original Story
When we are baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38), in order to be saved (Mark 16:16), God takes away every sin we have ever committed (Acts 22:16). He wipes our slate clean (1 Corinthians 6:11). He gives us a new beginning and we are born again (John 3:3,5) and we are raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
But after we have been baptized and God has taken away all of our sins, what do we do when we commit other sins? How do we get forgiveness of these sins? For the answer to this let us look at the Epistle of First John. First John was written to Christians who had been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, just as you and I have been.
1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Here this verse says we must be doing two things so that the blood of Jesus Christ will continue to cleanse us of all our sins. 1) We must "walk in the light", that is we must be following God’s word in the Bible. 2) Also must "have fellowship one with another", that is we must be regularly worshipping God in His church and working with other Christians. The original Greek word that is translated "cleanses" in this verse means that there is a continual cleansing going on. Herein lies the problem with those who have become unfaithful in their worship. Because they are not having fellowship one with another, they are not longer receiving forgiveness of their sins.
Then we continue to read the next verse 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We must repent and ask God to forgive us, and He will. When we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day we will have no sins and we will go to Heaven. This is very comforting to know that we are being continually cleansed.
When we are baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38), in order to be saved (Mark 16:16), God takes away every sin we have ever committed (Acts 22:16). He wipes our slate clean (1 Corinthians 6:11). He gives us a new beginning and we are born again (John 3:3,5) and we are raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
But after we have been baptized and God has taken away all of our sins, what do we do when we commit other sins? How do we get forgiveness of these sins? For the answer to this let us look at the Epistle of First John. First John was written to Christians who had been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, just as you and I have been.
1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Here this verse says we must be doing two things so that the blood of Jesus Christ will continue to cleanse us of all our sins. 1) We must "walk in the light", that is we must be following God’s word in the Bible. 2) Also must "have fellowship one with another", that is we must be regularly worshipping God in His church and working with other Christians. The original Greek word that is translated "cleanses" in this verse means that there is a continual cleansing going on. Herein lies the problem with those who have become unfaithful in their worship. Because they are not having fellowship one with another, they are not longer receiving forgiveness of their sins.
Then we continue to read the next verse 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We must repent and ask God to forgive us, and He will. When we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day we will have no sins and we will go to Heaven. This is very comforting to know that we are being continually cleansed.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Parents face charges in healing deaths of children By Lucky Severson
Click here for original story
MADISON, Wis.—When the 911 call finally came from Kara Neumann’s mother, it was too late to save the 11-year-old girl suffering from juvenile diabetes.
Dr. Norman Fost, a pediatrician and ethicist at the University of Wisconsin, says too many children like Kara suffer and die needlessly because their parents refused to take them to a doctor, and instead put their faith in the healing power of prayer.
The Neumann’s reportedly subscribe to the teachings of the Unleavened Bread Ministries, an online religion that practices faith healing.
Now Kara’s mother, Leilani Neumann, will stand trial Saturday (May 16) on charges of reckless homicide, and her father, Dale Neumann, will face trial in July. Fost said Kara’s death could have been prevented.
“Millions of Americans have diabetes and most children with diabetes are living reasonable normal lives,” Fost told Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. “There are complications later in life ... but Kara Neumann had many, many decades of happy life ahead of her.”
Shawn Peters, a University of Wisconsin religion professor and author of the book, “When Prayer Fails,” said there are a surprising number of religious groups that preach faith healing based on a literal interpretation of the Bible and a fervent belief in the power of a loving God.
“They look to passages from books of the Bible such as the Epistle of James ... that says, `Are any among you sick?’ And it seems to spell out treatment, and it’s treatment that doesn’t include secular medicine. It’s treatment that includes prayer and anointment with oil.”
Across the country, in a small cemetery outside of Portland, Ore., there are at least 75 tombstones of children whose parents belonged to a small church, The Followers of Christ, which relies on faith healing in lieu of medical treatment.
Church members Carl Brent Worthington, and his wife, Raylene Marie Worthington, are facing charges in the death of their 15-month-old daughter, Ava, who died in 2008 of bronchial pneumonia and blood infections after she was denied conventional medical care.
Raylene Worthington’s parents, Jeffrey Dean Beagley and Marci Rae Beagley, are also facing charges of criminally negligent homicide in the death of their 16-year-old son, Neil, who died last June of heart failure triggered by a urinary tract blockage.
In both deaths, state medical examiners said both children could have been treated with routine medical procedures or medicine.
Russ Briggs left the Followers of Christ after he buried two baby sons in the Oregon cemetery. “There’s something about holding your child in your arms while it dies,” he said. “It’s ... it’s just ... it’s terrible.”
Peters said the Wisconsin and Oregon cases that have come to public attention are only the tip of the iceberg of children who die because of a reliance on faith healing.
“It’s sort of a hidden tragedy in communities that are not part of mainstream America,” he said. “We just don’t know what’s happening to the kids in those church communities.”
Until 1999, parents whose children were buried in the Followers of Christ cemetery were not prosecuted because Oregon law had a religious faith healing exemption. Oregon ended the exemption, but more than 30 states, including Wisconsin, still allow them.
But that hasn’t stopped the district attorney in Wisconsin from charging the Neumann’s parents with reckless homicide.
That’s when Joe Farkas, the legislative affairs representative for Christian Science Churches in Wisconsin, stepped in. The church helped write the law that includes the exception, which after the Neumann arrest was viewed as protecting reckless parents. Now the church is proposing new legislation which Farkas said will give children more protection.
“We never intended it to be in any way perceived as a shield for reckless behavior,” he said. “So as people very much involved in that law, we always had wanted to protect children and we felt that we had to step in with a solution.”
(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)
Christian Science is the largest and best known of all the faith healing traditions. The church has full-time paid practitioners who pray for the sick; Farkas is one of them. Healing, he said, represents a fundamental connection Christian Scientists have with God.
“We expect a good outcome because we are praying to an all-good God,” he said. “We don’t believe that suffering is ever the will of God or that someone should die because it’s God will. We see that the outcome from successful prayer is always good.”
(END OPTIONAL TRIM)
Farkas said the legislation the church is proposing is designed to protect children while outlining a number of factors for juries to consider in deliberating such cases.
But Rita Swan, founder of the group Children’s HealthCare is a Legal Duty, said the proposed new Wisconsin law would make it more difficult to prosecute faith healers.
“There is one condition about the child’s age,” she said. “Well, what does that mean? Does it mean parents have no legal duty to get medical care for a teenager? The conditions are vague, they are contradictory. They are confusing to the jury. There is no state in the country that has a law like this.”
Farkas insists the church would never dictate that Christian Science parents shouldn’t seek medical care. “Our church does not have any strictures about seeking medical treatment, and it also does not shun any of the members that do seek medical attention,” he said.
But Farkas said the church is opposing another proposed law—one that Swan supports—that removes all religious faith healing exceptions.
Fost, of the University of Wisconsin, said he would never discourage spiritual healing, that prayer plus medical care is probably better than either alone. The point of the prosecution, he said, is not to punish the Neumanns but “is a way of the state saying we care about our children, we will protect them.”
MADISON, Wis.—When the 911 call finally came from Kara Neumann’s mother, it was too late to save the 11-year-old girl suffering from juvenile diabetes.
Dr. Norman Fost, a pediatrician and ethicist at the University of Wisconsin, says too many children like Kara suffer and die needlessly because their parents refused to take them to a doctor, and instead put their faith in the healing power of prayer.
The Neumann’s reportedly subscribe to the teachings of the Unleavened Bread Ministries, an online religion that practices faith healing.
Now Kara’s mother, Leilani Neumann, will stand trial Saturday (May 16) on charges of reckless homicide, and her father, Dale Neumann, will face trial in July. Fost said Kara’s death could have been prevented.
“Millions of Americans have diabetes and most children with diabetes are living reasonable normal lives,” Fost told Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. “There are complications later in life ... but Kara Neumann had many, many decades of happy life ahead of her.”
Shawn Peters, a University of Wisconsin religion professor and author of the book, “When Prayer Fails,” said there are a surprising number of religious groups that preach faith healing based on a literal interpretation of the Bible and a fervent belief in the power of a loving God.
“They look to passages from books of the Bible such as the Epistle of James ... that says, `Are any among you sick?’ And it seems to spell out treatment, and it’s treatment that doesn’t include secular medicine. It’s treatment that includes prayer and anointment with oil.”
Across the country, in a small cemetery outside of Portland, Ore., there are at least 75 tombstones of children whose parents belonged to a small church, The Followers of Christ, which relies on faith healing in lieu of medical treatment.
Church members Carl Brent Worthington, and his wife, Raylene Marie Worthington, are facing charges in the death of their 15-month-old daughter, Ava, who died in 2008 of bronchial pneumonia and blood infections after she was denied conventional medical care.
Raylene Worthington’s parents, Jeffrey Dean Beagley and Marci Rae Beagley, are also facing charges of criminally negligent homicide in the death of their 16-year-old son, Neil, who died last June of heart failure triggered by a urinary tract blockage.
In both deaths, state medical examiners said both children could have been treated with routine medical procedures or medicine.
Russ Briggs left the Followers of Christ after he buried two baby sons in the Oregon cemetery. “There’s something about holding your child in your arms while it dies,” he said. “It’s ... it’s just ... it’s terrible.”
Peters said the Wisconsin and Oregon cases that have come to public attention are only the tip of the iceberg of children who die because of a reliance on faith healing.
“It’s sort of a hidden tragedy in communities that are not part of mainstream America,” he said. “We just don’t know what’s happening to the kids in those church communities.”
Until 1999, parents whose children were buried in the Followers of Christ cemetery were not prosecuted because Oregon law had a religious faith healing exemption. Oregon ended the exemption, but more than 30 states, including Wisconsin, still allow them.
But that hasn’t stopped the district attorney in Wisconsin from charging the Neumann’s parents with reckless homicide.
That’s when Joe Farkas, the legislative affairs representative for Christian Science Churches in Wisconsin, stepped in. The church helped write the law that includes the exception, which after the Neumann arrest was viewed as protecting reckless parents. Now the church is proposing new legislation which Farkas said will give children more protection.
“We never intended it to be in any way perceived as a shield for reckless behavior,” he said. “So as people very much involved in that law, we always had wanted to protect children and we felt that we had to step in with a solution.”
(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)
Christian Science is the largest and best known of all the faith healing traditions. The church has full-time paid practitioners who pray for the sick; Farkas is one of them. Healing, he said, represents a fundamental connection Christian Scientists have with God.
“We expect a good outcome because we are praying to an all-good God,” he said. “We don’t believe that suffering is ever the will of God or that someone should die because it’s God will. We see that the outcome from successful prayer is always good.”
(END OPTIONAL TRIM)
Farkas said the legislation the church is proposing is designed to protect children while outlining a number of factors for juries to consider in deliberating such cases.
But Rita Swan, founder of the group Children’s HealthCare is a Legal Duty, said the proposed new Wisconsin law would make it more difficult to prosecute faith healers.
“There is one condition about the child’s age,” she said. “Well, what does that mean? Does it mean parents have no legal duty to get medical care for a teenager? The conditions are vague, they are contradictory. They are confusing to the jury. There is no state in the country that has a law like this.”
Farkas insists the church would never dictate that Christian Science parents shouldn’t seek medical care. “Our church does not have any strictures about seeking medical treatment, and it also does not shun any of the members that do seek medical attention,” he said.
But Farkas said the church is opposing another proposed law—one that Swan supports—that removes all religious faith healing exceptions.
Fost, of the University of Wisconsin, said he would never discourage spiritual healing, that prayer plus medical care is probably better than either alone. The point of the prosecution, he said, is not to punish the Neumanns but “is a way of the state saying we care about our children, we will protect them.”
Friday, May 15, 2009
Going To Heaven
By Ron Boatwright
Our number one priority in this life must be to go to Heaven. Nothing else is as important. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Our soul is the most precious thing we have. There is nothing that can equal its value. We read in Matthew 16:26, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" One certainly does not profit in the tragic loss of his soul.
It is easy in today’s materialistic society to get caught up in the pursuit of materialism if we are not careful. Our Lord says in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also." Our bank account needs to be in heaven.
Everyday we need to tell ourselves that the main thing in this life is to go to Heaven. We read in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." We should regularly think about going to Heaven.
Heaven is a prepared place (John 14:2-3) for a prepared people. It will be such a wonderful place, which is beyond our wildest dreams. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." There is no way that Heaven can be described so we as mortal human beings can understand how wonderful it will be.
A person will not accidentally go to Heaven. Going to Heaven is a lifelong race as we read in Hebrews 12:1, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Going to Heaven requires endurance, patience, and persistence. We must finish the race.
Our number one priority in this life must be to go to Heaven. Nothing else is as important. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Our soul is the most precious thing we have. There is nothing that can equal its value. We read in Matthew 16:26, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" One certainly does not profit in the tragic loss of his soul.
It is easy in today’s materialistic society to get caught up in the pursuit of materialism if we are not careful. Our Lord says in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also." Our bank account needs to be in heaven.
Everyday we need to tell ourselves that the main thing in this life is to go to Heaven. We read in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." We should regularly think about going to Heaven.
Heaven is a prepared place (John 14:2-3) for a prepared people. It will be such a wonderful place, which is beyond our wildest dreams. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." There is no way that Heaven can be described so we as mortal human beings can understand how wonderful it will be.
A person will not accidentally go to Heaven. Going to Heaven is a lifelong race as we read in Hebrews 12:1, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Going to Heaven requires endurance, patience, and persistence. We must finish the race.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Israel: pope to urge universal religious freedom
The pope will speak not only human rights and freedom of religion, but will denounce forgetfullness in the face of the horrors of the Holocaust.
Click Here for Full Story
Click Here for Full Story
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
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