In Eckleburg's Eyes - 5/26/2008

I had a good, but very busy, Memorial day weekend - going to a play, preaching, celebrating two special birthdays, and seeing both sides of my extended family.

On Friday afternoon, SMA and I met for lunch at Colonel’s Deli. He is well. On Wednesday he began class in preparation for the bar exam on July 30-31. In the course of his studying, I learned the difference between theft and robbery. As I understand it, theft is the taking of an object while robbery is the taking of an object from a person. Good to know.

He was to meet CST later in the day to view Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. CST seems to be doing well with the loss of his job and the downsizing of Jewelry Television. If there is anything remotely wrong with him physically, it should be detected soon. This week he has seen a general practitioner, eye doctor, dentist, etc. He is getting all of his medical needs met before his insurance runs out. That is really smart.

At the restaurant, an event occurred that could only happen to me. An obnoxious representative from the health department named Melinda inspected the establishment. In the course of her nitpicking, we learned a great deal about the deli. It was first opened in 1982 and she was interested in whether or not the deep fryers had been replaced since then. I could not blame her for asking as I honestly assumed they had not but her shouting that this would “make or break” her report was totally unnecessary. The owner was able to get his rating raised from 81 to 83, but this is far lower than the place usually scores. We know all of this because she was so loud that she could be heard across the restaurant where we were sitting. I may call and complain. Who inspects health inspectors?

This greatly affected me and not just because it offended me that the sweet couple who own the joint was under attack. The poor owner was frazzled, and while trying to multitask, ran my credit card bill as $217.67. Placing that extra two in front of my bill was significant (I owed SMA a meal, hence the large tab). The food was good, but not that good. SMA and I thought about just accepting a couple hundred bags of potato chips as compensation or getting some form of golden ticket. We also thought about making it a down payment on the place, which would have me entering as patron and leaving as the owner. The fact that we would then be the ones dealing with the abrasive health inspector nixed this line of thinking.

After about a half an hour of calls, the owner learned how to reverse the charges. I hated to add to his troubles. I am convinced that if SMA had paid, this would not have happened.

On Friday night, my parents and I went to Westminster Presbyterian Church where I saw two of my neighbors perform in a production of "Once Upon A Mattress." EMJ (aka “Buz”, not a Chan nickname) stole scenes as the mute King Sextimus. His son (older than I) JMJ, played “Sir Studley.” I am relatively certain I will call him by his character’s name the rest of his life.

In 1994, the church, literally situated in my neighborhood, founded the Westminster Players, their own theater company. Each spring, they present their big annual production. They worked for two months to put this on and it was great. “Suggested donations” were $12 for adults and $5 for children. All proceeds went to the youth program’s 2009 budget.

I have been before. The first year I went (2002), I saw my undergraduate New Testament guru DLD in “Fiddler on the Roof.” He was good but I was really glad that I saw him act after I was in his class.

"Once Upon a Mattress" is a musical comedy that opened off-Broadway on May 11, 1959, and then moved to Broadway with Carol Burnett as lead. The play openly admits that it is adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” The play was produced with permission from The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

After the play, I rushed to Applebees to meet SCB, JTH, and JBT. In addition to conversation, we watched the Lakers beat the Spurs 101-71 to go up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals.

GAB joined us later after all four of us simultaneously texted him. He was a little dejected as he had broken up with his girlfriend earlier in the day. He cited the reason as consistent fighting. He did note, “I just call her “Shamu” every now and then...she told me she doesn’t like it” He seemed honestly surprised. I must admit that said in GAB's endearing Filipino accent reminiscent of Fez on "That 70's show", it did not sound as bad as if someone else said it. The ironic thing is that the girl is not even that big.

I also learned of an incident as MoFoS earlier in the day. One of the infamous CDM’s ex-boyfriends made an unwanted appearance. (No word on whether this is the one she is engaged to.) She had Cole, a fellow employee, escort her out of the building. This inappropriate incident was the final straw and she was not scheduled for the next week. She lasted approximately a week at the easiest job in the world.

With their wedding just 64 days away, JBT and SCB have most of their work completed. Actually, JBT insists he is done, leaving the remaining chore of sending invitations to his fiancé. She has done most of the work, but some people have not given her their address. To say she is not pleased with this is quite understated. If hell freezes over and I get married, I think I will just send out invitations via e-mail. Actually, in lieu of gifts, I will include a link to my PayPal account.

Our usual waitress Megan was not there. So we had her sister Amy call her on vacation in Myrtle Beach. Signs we eat there way too much...

We long ago bonded with Megan. When she first met, SCB. she complimented her saying that she looked like she played sports. SCB replied, “Are you trying to say I look like a lesbian?” We have been friends ever since. For the record, SCB did play college basketball at Emory and Henry College.

On our way out JTH and I saw WC, a kid we used to have at the daycare. He will be entering his freshman year in high school. He is bald with a goatee and were he not with his father, we would not have recognized him. We are so old...

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Saturday was RAW's 28th birthday. I visited him and delivered his gifts - a Lego Star Wars AT-AP Walker (Walker, get it?) a McFarlane Kevin Garnett action figure (not a doll) and I am Legend on DVD (I shrunk wrapped it myself) . It was all wrapped in a massive Elmo gift bag, partly because KJW will love it and partly because it was the only bag big enough to hold the Legos. The gift was a hit. How could it not be? Star Wars and Legos represent two of the best things EVER created. I will truly feel old on the day I can no longer shop for my friends in toy departments.

As part of his birthday present, I opted to use stock photos, not requiring him to pose for “one for the blog.” Note: KJW was still at her Nana’s from the previous night's sleepover. She never gets a reprieve from the camera.

RAW and KLTW celebrated his birthday the night before as she had to work on Saturday. They went to the movies and saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. He was pleased with how closely the film followed the book. He would definitely know. They must have as they made a 256-paper paperback book into a 144-minute movie.

On Saturday night, my family celebrated my uncle REN's 55th birthday. He will officially hit the double nickel on Tuesday (May 27th). Fifteen family members and friends attended. We grilled hamburgers on his new grill, purchased the night before. My cousin, DJ, once the chef at the now defunct (and posh) Cha Cha’s Restaurant, handled the cooking. (Note: The restaurant went out of business after he moved, so he clearly had nothing to do with its demise.) The weather cooperated famously and you can tell from our centerpieces, the decor was glamorous.

It was a special night as all four of my cousins - HANW, HANJ, ACN, and HLN were in town for the celebration. All five of us had not been in the same place since HANJ’s wedding on December 30th.

In a family/friend update:

• HANW is doing great. She was to sing at the church the following day, as usual. Two things of note in this photo. Both she and my next oldest cousin HANJ are wearing Madras shorts. Second, note how thin her chin is. She worked very hard for this effect.
  
• HANJ came from Pensacola with her husband to be there. She is enjoying her first job as a nutritionist and has advanced as far as she can in Pensacola. Though it has been a good first job, she hopes for something more challenging in her next position. Her husband, DJ, received a promotion from the Air Force one month ahead of schedule. We are all very proud of him. He moves to San Antonio in October with his wife following in November. At that time, they will have a choice whether to live in Abilene, Texas, (Dyess Air Force Base) or Rapid City, South Dakota (Ellsworth Air Force Base). I cannot imagine picking South Dakota though she assures me it is nice.
  
• DJ stills pays my youngest cousin for back rubs though a new arrangement has been reached. On his last visit, he paid a flat $20 for the entire trip of massages on request. She learned her lesson.
  
• ACN is in for a month before returning to Massachusetts for her summer job at Camp Lenox on June 19th. She is still awaiting her grades from UMass. She has seven of them! She is assured of four A's but fears she earned her first C since her freshman year in high school. I am still hoping for a curve. She is also on the ballroom dance team though an ankle injury prevented her from competing this year. Her partner is a girl. Even after she explained it to me, I do not really understand the concept. I understand team and I understand ballroom dance but I do not grasp the concept of a ballroom dance team. This will not stop me from being proud and bragging on her. In this picture, she is eating a lettuce wrap. For this, she received grief from the entire family, including her sister the nutritionist. She was a great sport letting me take the picture while eating. In her shoes, I would have smacked me...
  
• HLN is getting a ten-day reprieve from Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble before dancing six days a week the remainder of the summer. Though she still hates high school with a passion I reserve for Raven-Symoné, she made straight A’s. Presently, she is house sitting for a family in Farragut who own five poodles. Thus, the Noodle is watching poodles.
  
• Our dear friends LRH & SLH attended. Their son ALH, who was unable to attend, will be married on August 23rd. A blimp will take aerial photos of the event, which will be almost like having their very own paparazzi. They plan to honeymoon in Italy.

It was great to see everyone. I always feel so blessed as I not only love my family, I like them.

Also on Saturday, LBT graduated from Berean Christian School. JTH was once a fixture in she and her sister’s lives. He reports that her graduation was two hours long. There are only 48 people in her class so I am not sure how that is possible unless every kid gave their testimony... I appreciated the invite. Congratulations to all who graduated on Saturday.

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On Sunday morning, I drove to Newport to preached at Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (located at 140 Lincoln Avenue). WAM, the official bodyguard of WC Vinson Ministries, road shotgun. He was announced in the service as my "friend and bodyguard." While this pleased him, he was disappointed that his name was not in the bulletin. This picture of WAM working the punching bag was taken later in the day at CAL’s house.

He is working on his bodyguard nickname. He said, “I’m like 47 (read: Hitman video game reference) except I have hair.” I told him this could be his official job description if he wished. He debated much of the day on his “codename.” He began with 94 (twice as good as 47), then went to 47X (he thought a letter sounded “cool”), then moved to 42 (the mystical number in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). When the trip ended, he was favoring "42X" though this could change. This went on all day. For further WAM insights, check the WAM Quote of the Day.

We arrived at the church in time for a celebration of the church’s two high school graduates - Matthew Winter and Earl “Dusty” Rhodes IV. Yes, I attended a graduation party for Dusty Rhodes. I asked the kid if he was a fan of his professional wrestling namesake and though he said yes I think he was just obliging the visiting minister. In the worship service they asked “all of the graduates” to stand. Both did.

Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church is the home church of CAL and several others I have known much of my life. It is a well-established church, having held its first worship service on October 25, 1942 and being officially recognized on June 20, 1943. The church was founded by the late C.A. Rhodes who saw a need for a Lutheran church in Newport.

This was my first gig at a Lutheran church. I think I have preached for just about every denomination known to man. More importantly, I actually worked with an acolyte for the first time. Her name was Sadie and she is finishing seventh grade this week. I was told that an acolyte is also known as a “worship assistant.” Who on earth would go by “worship assistant” if they could be called "acolyte?" I was pleased Sadie was referenced as the acolyte in the bulletin.

My "aunt" CTL conducted the service and I preached. I was actually hidden behind the pulpit much of the service. Yes, I took a photo from my perch. I considered preaching from there as "the voice of God." I am fairly confident my judgment not to was sound.

I preached on Matthew 6:24-34 in a sermon titled "Don't you fret." It had a solid socially relevant message but was not entertaining enough for my tastes. Fred Craddock preached at Mt. Hermon United Methodist Church in Powell on the same day and I honestly would have rather heard him than me.

En route to lunch, we stopped at my grandmother’s grave site. The headstone has yet to be put in though her plot is still fresh. Why are all the bodies buried facing east?

After the service, I met my family at the Holiday Inn for lunch. We even had reservations. Don’t be too jealous. I am truly blessed as my family always supports me when I preach back home. On this day my grandparents and my aunt MCVD joined myself. CAL sat with us. MCVD's husband, ECD, was ill and could not attend. It was interesting to introduce MCVD to WAM as his mother JLM lived on the same floor as she at Carson-Newman College and was in her wedding.

We then went to the Leibrock farm. CAL is living in her parent’s old home on their massive property. The house was built in the late 19th century. It was the home both she and her father grew up in. She now sleeps in the master bedroom that once was her parents. I asked her if it felt strange sleeping in the room she might have been conceived in. If it hadn’t before...

She has made some modifications. She recently had the bathrooms re-tiled. They look great. There are also new decorations, with Prince William adorning the refrigerator and a “Say No To Crack” poster in the living room. The living room in the back of the house that was too elegant for us to enter as children now houses her father’s pool table. He played ten games of pool every Saturday with his dad. WAM and I got in a game of eight-ball. He beat me by one ball, but we both played absolutely horrible. On the plus side, nothing was broken.

Though she had modernized the bathrooms, CAL still has an antiquated stove and radio in her living room. She jokes at how disappointed robbers will be upon entering her home.

We then ate homemade cake and ice cream at her parent’s house located elsewhere on the property. This is the view from their porch. They own all the land as far as the eye can see. It is one of my favorite places on earth.

Both of their children, my friends, are doing well, other than CAL arriving late to my sermon. She is working for her father's law firm and her family is defending the “good Christian woman” Janet Lee Compton, 52, who shot up Hilltop Baptist Church on March 5th. She is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment involving a deadly weapon, and evading arrest. She was arraigned on Monday, May 12th, in Cocke County Circuit Court. I obtained all of this data from news reports. The only things they told me regarding the case were correcting me that she “allegedly...” shot up a church and my "uncle" insists that the 75 congregants present were mistaken in what they saw.

We discussed another case that their partner WOS consulted on regarding the UT vet school being sued for the death of a horse worth several hundred thousand dollars. Its intestines became tied and since horses are biologically incapable of vomiting, surgery proved difficult. CAL said that she thought they were negligent as she used to convince students that one had to peel a carrot before feeding it to a horse or else its stomach would explode. She would often prank call the university with similar concerns. Is it any wonder we have always been so close?

My “uncle” WL told me that the moral of the story is that if you have an expensive animal make it a cow so that you can qualify for government subsidizing as farm land. He chose the right profession.

Her brother WML is doing well working for Microsoft in Seattle. He completes training Tuesday (May 27th). His eight-man team won a competition this week and was rewarded with complimentary headsets. He is loving working with qualified people excited about what they are doing. His parents are stopping over to see him later in the year en roue to an Alaskan cruise.

Though his cat Elliott made the trip to Seattle, he did leave his 92-pound black lab, Raven, with his sister. She and CAL's little black dachshund, Rip, have become fast friends. Rip is about a year old and full of energy. He has proved very helpful in catching moles. The only problem is that he has dug more holes than the moles themselves would have.

After returning to Knoxville, my parents took RAW, KJW, and I to Ye Olde Steakhouse to celebrate his birthday. The restaurant is almost unanimously recognized as having the best steaks in Knoxville and my prime rib lived up to that billing. It is located in South Knoxville, which means one can get a great steak without a rigid dress code. KJW did dress up in a pink dress for the occasion.

The good news is that KJW was perfectly behaved. That is also the bad news as the pressure to produce grandchildren for my mother increases daily.

We did have one incident at the restaurant. One of the drunken southern boys behind us fell over and landed right where KJW's high chair was. Fortunately, she was coloring in her daddy's lap when this occurred and was unphased by the incident. I mainly tell this story to display another photo of KJW.

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Finally, I received some good news on Friday as I finally heard from Hope Resource Center. You may remember that I interviewed with the non-profit organization on March 3rd. LEB e-mailed with the news that I can begin training on June 4th. (LEB also has a blog that can be accessed here.) Please keep this ministry and my involvement in your prayers.

Prayer Blog - 5/25/2008, #2

JTH's father CEH (aka "Homer") has begun receiving injections due to chronic back pain. The fact that he has even seen a doctor is telling. Please keep him in your prayers.

Prayer Blog - 5/25/2008

JTH has requested prayer for his grandmother, ELT. Her brother, R.L. Lee, passed away Saturday, May 24th. He lived in Georgia.

WAM Quote of the Day - 5/25/2008

WAM graciously drove with me to Newport, Tennessee, today where I preached at Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. As I spent many hours with him there was a wealth of material to choose from. I will present the winner and then just some of the quotes that merited honorable mention.

“Electric cars kill blind people.”

The rationale behind this quote was that the blind rely on their other senses, such as hearing, to detect oncoming cars. Since electric cars are so quiet, the blind cannot hear oncoming cars and might inadvertently cross a crowded street leading to their death. WAM’s hypothesis is that though electric cards are more fuel efficient and might help the oil crisis, the neglected downside would be increased death totals to the blind.

Honorable mention:

• “Golden Wok Chinese Restaurant.” I liked this quote because it was so random. For much of the first half of the trip, WAM played with my GPS. He would often give completely irrelevant information with absolutely no prodding.
  
• On Knoxville’s present interstate closing: “Why is it taking them a year and a half to fix a mile and a half stretch with no traffic?” I got nothing. I would have responded that the estimate is a mere fourteen months, but I have a feeling WAM’s will end up being more accurate.
  
• We discussed a recent book I read entitled 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37). I noted that Michael Moore was #1. WAM’s response: “He’s singlehandedly keeping the restaurant industry in business.” I, naturally replied, “What?” WAM: “Have you seen how fat he is?”
  
• I remarked that former president Jimmy Carter was #6. WAM’s commentary: “I thought he’d be higher...he is just an idiot...he never met a dictator he didn’t like.” This seems like a good time to post the disclaimer that WAM’s thoughts are his alone and do not reflect mine or anyone associated with any known group.
  
• In response to the Lutheran church utilizing an acolyte: “In all the fantasy titles, acolytes usually have strange and mystical powers that usually revolve around evil and demonic rituals.” He then went on to note that “strange” is good while the word “weird” is bad as strange has a mysterious connotation. I have always interpreted both pejoratively to be honest.
  
• In response to a church was passed called “First Christian Church.”: “Now that’s just false advertising.” This was followed by the idea of calling oneself the Only (insert name of denomination here) Church. I commented that it would eventually be difficult to change stationary when another church of the same denomination was built and he refuted this by claiming that you would simply discredit the new church. It is sad how realistic this strategy is...
  
• “You need to start a new genre.” This was followed with the suggestion that I develop garage churches to bring back the days of the circuit riding preacher. The fact that this concept did not seem ludicrous to me was probably a sign I had spent too much time in one day with WAM.

Prayer Blog - 5/24/2008, #2

My uncle ECD's mother MED of Newport had hernia surgery on Friday. She is presently convalescing at Baptist Hospital West in Knoxville. Pray for a speedy recovery.

Prayer Blog - 5/24/2008

JTH’s aunt, GTH began radiation treatments on Friday to treat thyroid cancer. She has other symptoms that remain undiagnosed. The prognosis on the cancer is good as it was caught early, but she will be under quarantine for some time. Keep her and her family in your prayers, especially her two teenage children.

Bible Trivia - 5/23/2008

Question: What does Rabboni mean?

Answer: Master. (John 20:16).

Comments: The exact translation of Rabboni is disputed, but most linguists see it as a derivation of Rabbi. Most interpreters assume that it was one of the few instances in which the spoken Aramaic is used in the New Testament. This is evidenced by John translating it for the reader - as teacher (didaskalos). The root, rabbi, does mean "my master" or "my teacher."

Rabbi was a relatively new term during Jesus' life. It developed around the time of a schism which arose between the schools of Hillel and Shammai. The first historical reference we have to the title referred to Gamaliel (Acts 5:34, Acts 22:3), around 30 CE.

"Rabboni" is seen as an elevated form, the greatest designation of all for Jewish teachers. Once the teacher had seen two generations of disciples he was referred to with this title, and also called by his own name so that he would not be forgotten. In his book Rabboni: The Story of Jesus, W. Phillip Keller (b. 1920) says, “This was the loftiest adulation she could confer upon him.”

Freemasons argue that the word is not a bastardization of Aramaic but rather a reference to a "master builder." Freemason Albert Pike (1809-1891) claimed that the term derives from the Hebrew, 'RB BNI': these two words mean the Master of the Builders, or the Master Builder (Albert Pike, The Book of the Words, modern edition, Kessinger Publishing Company, Montana, p. 107.) Given the internal translation in John 20:16, this is highly unlikely.

The title "Rabboni" is used only twice in the New Testament, each time in reference to Jesus. A blind man named Bartimaeus (Mark 10:51) and Mary Magdalene both use the title (John 20:16). Some argue that the word should be rendered "rabbouni." Edwyn Hoskyns (1884-1937), claimed that the similarly spelled word was used in works of the period as a name for God, and hence that Mary was professing that Jesus was divine. Again, given the gospel's own translation, the derivative of "rabbi" is the best interpretation.

Word of the Day - 5/23/2008

Pilose

Pilose means hairy, covered with hair, especially soft hair; furry.

Esau had a pilose body, even at birth. (Genesis 25:25, 27:11, 27:23)

Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. (Genesis 25:25, NASB)

Note: This highly flattering image of Esau is from a 2001 quilt by Marilyn Belford entitled "For a Mess of Pottage".

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 5/23/2008

I had a great Thursday, spent mostly with my church family.

At 10 am, my Bible Study met as usual. Though we met for over an hour, we convened early as MLM received an SOS from Madisonville, Tennessee. TSC was on a trip when the van broke down. MLM left in another van to save the day. I suppose that is a valid excuse for walking out on a Bible Study...

We will be on hiatus next Thursday (May 29th) as MLM will be serving on yet another mission trip. When our summer schedule begins on Thursday June 5th, we will be viewing movies for theological discussion. Some will be viewed at the theater and others on video. There will also be brief devotionals to begin each session. If you are ever free on a summer Thursday, consider yourself invited. Don’t feel you need a theological background to attend. One movie already on the agenda is The Dark Knight, the lastest in the Batman series. Have I mention that I want to see that film?

After Bible Study, I met my friend and advisor HBT at Eva’s To Go in Franklin Square (located at 9700 Kingston Pike # 5) Eva’s is a frou-frou sandwich shop and the food is delicious. Its caramel cake is consistently voted among the best cakes in town. My mother was friends with the old owner (naturally, Eva) who sold the restaurant to Cindy Lay so that she could retire. The West Knoxville location opened on December 5th, 2006, and seems to be doing well. HBT is clearly comfortable with his masculinity. Not only did he select the locale, but he wore a pink shirt and ordered quiche. I must say he pulled it off. (I am comfortable with my masculinity too.)

HBT is doing well, though he still battles polycythemia. His daily regimen of chemotherapy (via pill) wears him down by 2:30, but it is working. His counts are now in the acceptable range of the 360s. When he began chemotherapy on April 5th, his count was 563! Though I do not entirely understand all of the medical terminology (read: not at all), I am glad he is improving.

HBT has many professional successes recently. In addition to teaching at Carson-Newman College, he has almost completed his commentary on the Book of Revelation, tentatively titled “The Control of History: Studies in the Book of Revelation.” The title is based upon a poem. The book is geared toward the pastor and layman and the parts I am familiar with are excellent. I will be reading chapters soon and providing feedback.

The only snag thus far is that HBT’s radically conservative publisher, Broadman & Holman (B&H), has rejected the book as it does not reflect Premillenial Dispensationalism. (Do not get me started on how this line of thought is against historical Baptist thought.) His contract with B&H precludes his working with another publisher until they first reject his manuscript. This is just another way the SBC engages in censorship as they will not even sell Smyth & Helwys books (another Baptist publisher) at their Lifeway bookstores. HBT next hopes to peddle the book to the respected Methodist publisher Abingdon Press. It will be yet another loss for the Baptists. I apologize for the rant. In any event, keep his work in your prayers. I will let you know when the book is released so that you can check it out.

I also learned that HBT's former student Keith Manuel published a dissertation on him at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: "The Text-to-Sermon Relationship as Rhetorical Invention in the Theory and Practice of Harold T. Bryson". That is quite an accomplishment.

HBT is always encouraging and as usual, he made my day. Plus, he paid for my meal. Thanks, HBT!

Associated Baptist Press - 5/22/2008

Associated Baptist Press
May 22, 2008 (8-53)

IN THIS ISSUE:
IRS clears United Church of Christ of wrongdoing in Obama speech
McCain rejects Hagee’s endorsement over televangelist’s Hitler comments
Texas court rules against seizure of polygamist sect’s children
Appeals court again overturns Virginia ‘partial-birth’ ban
BWA, Samaritan’s Purse make inroads to assist storm survivors
IMB regional director resigns over policy disagreements

IRS clears United Church of Christ of wrongdoing in Obama speech
By Robert Marus

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Barack Obama’s denomination did nothing wrong in hearing a speech from the Democratic presidential candidate, the Internal Revenue Service has told officials of the United Church of Christ.

The denomination announced the move on its website May 21, releasing a May 13 IRS letter that cleared the church of violating the law for a speech the Illinois senator delivered at the UCC’s biennial General Synod last June. It closed an investigation that church officials first made public in February.

The letter said the UCC’s response to the investigation “established that the United Church of Christ had verbally communicated to those in attendance that Sen. Obama was there as a member of the church and not as a candidate for office, that the audience should not attempt to engage in any political activities, and that the church's legal counsel had advised Sen. Obama's campaign on the ground rules for the speech.”

Churches and other non-profit groups organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code are barred from endorsing or opposing candidates and political parties. If they do so, they risk losing their tax-exempt status. The prohibition extends to activities that would appear to endorse a candidate, including allowing the politician to speak in his or her capacity as a candidate at a worship service or church meeting.

The UCC is generally considered the nation’s most liberal large Protestant body. Obama, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, has been an active member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago for more than two decades. Trinity is the UCC’s biggest congregation.

In February, UCC officials received a letter from Marsha Ramirez, an official in the regional IRS office in Cleveland, where the denomination is headquartered. The initial letter informed the UCC that it was under investigation for potential violations.

In it, Ramirez said the agency’s concerns “are based on articles posted on several websites” that described Obama’s June 23 appearance at the meeting, held in Hartford, Conn. The senator -- by then an announced Democratic candidate for president -- spoke to about 10,000 church members, according to denomination and news accounts.

But UCC officials said they took pains to ensure that the speech was not perceived as a campaign event or an endorsement of the candidate.

Obama was invited “as one of 60 diverse speakers representing the arts, media, academia, science, technology, business and government. Each was asked to reflect on the intersection of their faith and their respective vocations or fields of expertise,” a UCC news release issued at the time said. It also said church officials invited Obama as a church member rather than in his capacity as a candidate. In addition, it noted, they first invited him to speak a year before he declared his intention to run for higher office.

The exoneration letter, also signed by Ramirez, appeared to vindicate those claims. “Based on your response to the inquiry, we have determined that the activity about which we had concern did not constitute an intervention or participation in a political campaign … and that the United Church of Christ continues to qualify as an organization described in section 501(c)(3),” she wrote.

In their May 21 announcement, UCC officials hailed the letter as a “complete vindication.”

“We are pleased that the IRS reviewed the complaint quickly and determined, as we expected, that the church took every necessary precaution and proactive step to ensure that Sen. Obama’s appearance at General Synod was proper and legal,” said John Thomas, the denomination’s chief executive. “This is very good news.”

James Hutchins, a UCC member from suburban Cleveland who is a frequent critic of the denomination’s stances on secular politics via his blog (ucctruths.blogspot.com), said May 21 that he could live with the ruling. But he said he still contends that the denomination did break at least one IRS guideline for church-related campaigning, because it mentioned Obama’s candidacy in some of the promotional materials that led up to the speech.

“Clearly, from the IRS response to the UCC, these guidelines are not firm and it opens up the spectrum of accepted political activity that churches may participate in and still be compliant with the IRS,” he wrote, in a May 21 post.

However, he said, the exoneration made more sense than the agency’s recent clearing of Southern Baptist pastor and activist Wiley Drake. The IRS dropped its investigation of him -- announced shortly before the UCC inquiry -- even though he had endorsed then-GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in a press release written on church letterhead and through comments on a radio show that Drake said was conducted under the auspices of his First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, Calif.

“The offenses identified by the UCC complaint to the IRS are arguably peripheral next to the complaint against Drake, but that doesn't mean that the UCC didn't walk into a gray area by identifying Obama as a presidential candidate in promoting his General Synod speech on the UCC web site,” Hutchins wrote.

“The only logical conclusion I can make is that the IRS is giving churches great latitude in their freedom of speech before threatening their tax-exempt status. That may be the more prudent approach. As long as they are consistent, I can live with it, although I think it should be clearly reflected in their guidelines.”

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McCain rejects Hagee’s endorsement over televangelist’s Hitler comments
By ABP staff

(ABP) -- After months of pressure to reject the endorsement of conservative televangelist John Hagee, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain finally did so May 22 after the preacher’s views on Hitler raised new controversy.

In a decade-old sermon, reported by the Huffington Post website, Hagee said Hitler was doing God’s will by forcing Jews to return to Israel, saying “the Nazis had operated on God's behalf to chase the Jews from Europe and shepherd them to Palestine.”

"Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them," McCain told CNN in a statement. "I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well."

McCain describes himself as a Baptist and attends North Phoenix Baptist Church when home in Arizona. He said Hagee is not a “spiritual advisor,” although some news reports and pundits had described him that way when the preacher’s controversial statements first became widely publicized.

McCain, who sought the San Antonio-based evangelist’s endorsement, had earlier expressed disagreement with some of Hagee’s other past comments on the Catholic Church. However, he did not reject the endorsement at the time. But the latest revelation about Hagee’s views on Hitler proved more than McCain could handle.

After the Arizona senator made his announcement May 22, Hagee withdrew his endorsement.

Hagee, an adamant Christian Zionist, also has said Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on New Orleans for allowing a gay-pride festival, and has cited the Inquisition and the Crusades as evidence of anti-Semitism within the Roman Catholic Church.

After his comments became controversial, Hagee apologized to Catholics in a letter to William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights. He wrote, "Out of a desire to advance a greater unity among Catholics and evangelicals in promoting the common good, I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful."

He also quietly retracted his New Orleans statement, saying he should not have presumed to “know the mind of God concerning Hurricane Katrina.”

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Texas court rules against seizure of polygamist sect’s children
By ABP staff

SAN ANGELO, Texas (ABP) -- The state of Texas had no right to remove more than 460 children from their polygamist parents, a state appeals court ruled May 22.

It was unclear if or when the children -- some held in Baptist children’s homes -- would be returned to their parents, who are members of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, church. The sect is led by controversial polygamist Warren Jeffs, who is himself in jail on unrelated charges.

A district judge in April ruled in favor of the state of Texas, which seized the children during an April 4 police raid on the church’s 1,600-acre Yearning for Zion Ranch compound near Eldorado. Thirty-eight FLDS mothers filed suit against the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to have their children returned.

A three-judge panel of the Texas 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled May 22 that the state failed to prove the children are in immediate danger: "Evidence that children raised in this particular environment may some day have their physical health and safety threatened is not evidence that the danger is imminent enough to warrant invoking the extreme measure of immediate removal prior to full litigation of the issue," the court’s majority wrote.

After the April 4 raid, several Baptist churches and agencies were among those asked by the state to help care for the children. Baptist Child and Family Services, an agency affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, was charged with coordinating care for hundreds of the children.

The appeals court instructed the lower court to vacate its ruling, but did give instructions for returning the children, according to several news reports. Attorneys for FLDS said they will seek the children’s immediate return. The state could appeal the case to the Texas Supreme Court.

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Appeals court again overturns Virginia ‘partial-birth’ ban
By Robert Marus

RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) -- Despite a recent Supreme Court decision upholding a federal ban on a kind of late-term abortion procedure, a federal appeals court has again overturned a similar statewide ban in Virginia because it could limit far more abortions than intended.

A divided three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va., issued the ruling May 20. The judges said the Virginia law banning so-called “partial-birth” abortions was sufficiently different from the federal ban that the Supreme Court upheld last year’s Gonzales v. Carhart decision that it remained unconstitutional.

The Gonzales decision was the first time since legalizing abortion nationwide in 1973 that the Supreme Court has upheld a nationwide ban on a specific abortion procedure. The court had previously declared any restriction on abortion unconstitutional if it did not allow exceptions to preserve the mother’s life or health.

But in Gonzales, a narrow majority of justices said Congress had the right to ban the procedure -- which involves the partial delivery of a fetus, whose skull is then crushed and its contents evacuated to facilitate easier passage through the birth canal -- because of disagreement over whether it was ever medically necessary to protect a mother’s health.

The 4th Circuit had earlier declared the same Virginia law unconstitutional because of its lack of a health exception. But last year, the Supreme Court asked lower courts to review such decisions in light of the Gonzales ruling.

Nonetheless, in the latest ruling the appeals panel’s majority said the Virginia law differed from the federal one in one crucial area: It did not contain an exemption for physicians who don’t set out to perform the banned dilation-and-extraction procedure, but are forced to do so. Some such procedures result when the far more common -- and still lawful -- dilation-and-evacuation procedure fails. That method of abortion involves dismembering the fetus while still in the womb, then removing it in pieces.

Unlike the federal law, Judge Blane Michael wrote in the panel’s majority opinion, the Virginia ban penalized doctors who set out to perform a legal procedure, “but who nonetheless accidentally deliver the fetus to an anatomical landmark and who must perform a deliberate act that causes fetal demise in order to complete removal.”

Those landmarks are reached when the fetus’s “entire head” or his or her “trunk past the navel” has emerged from the mother’s body.

To ensure that they avoid criminal prosecution, Blane said, Virginia abortion providers would have to stop performing the most common second-trimester abortion procedure. The effect of that would be an unconstitutional curtailment of abortion rights across the commonwealth.

But, in a strongly worded dissent, Judge Paul Niemyer said that the majority was simply trying to ignore the Gonzales decision.

“The majority’s selective use of statutory language and its rationalizations represent nothing less than a strong judicial will to overturn what the Virginia Legislature has enacted for the benefit of Virginia’s citizens and what, in materially undistinguishable terms, the Supreme Court has upheld as constitutional.”

Virginia’s attorney general, reacting to the decision, indicated that he may ask for a re-hearing before the full complement of 4th Circuit judges, or may appeal the panel’s decision to the Supreme Court.

The appeals court’s decision is Richmond Medical Center v. Herring, No. 03-1821.

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BWA, Samaritan’s Purse make inroads to assist storm survivors
By ABP staff

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) -- Baptist World Aid, the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance, is working through six relief camps in cyclone-devastated Burma (also known as Myanmar), while a United States-based organization readies an airlift to earthquake-shocked China.

BWAid Rescue24, a search, rescue and relief effort, is working through the Myanmar Baptist Convention and one of its smaller entities, the Karen Baptist Convention, to minister to displaced individuals in camps near Yangon, Burma’s largest city and former capital.

The team reported that “the assistance is literally saving lives at this point, with situations of widespread diarrhea, and serious electricity and water shortages.”

With the total death toll at 134,000, team members noted the cyclone had devastated rice fields and agricultural animals, virtually wiping out future food sources.

Fishing, another major food source in the stricken Irrawaddy Delta region of Burma, also has been brought to a standstill.

The high death toll has hindered burial efforts. As a result, many bodies have been thrown into rivers. Locals are reluctant to fish in contaminated waters.

Baptists in Myanmar were among those hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis, which struck the country May 2-3. More than 10,000 Myanmar Baptists died, according to BWA, with some 94,000 additional members suffering property loss. Many church buildings were destroyed, and the convention’s headquarters in Yangon was badly damaged.

The Myanmar Baptist Convention organized a cyclone relief committee to assist with relief efforts.

Meanwhile, U.S.-based Samaritan’s Purse has chartered a plane to take supplies to Chengdu, China. That city is the largest in the Sichuan region, devastated by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck May 12. As of May 22, according to official statistics, it had killed 51,151 people and injured 288,431. Nearly 30,000 remained missing.

The organization, founded by evangelist Billy Graham’s son, Franklin, plans to airlift 90 tons of supplies, including temporary shelter material and water filtration systems, from Charlotte, N.C., on Friday.

It already has sent 45 tons of supplies to Burma.

Contributions for Myanmar and China relief efforts can be made online at www.thefellowship.info/give (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship); www.abc-oghs.org/give (American Baptist Churches, USA); www.bwanet.org/bwaid (Baptist World Alliance); www.baptistglobalresponse.com (Southern Baptist Convention); and www.samaritanspurse.org (Samaritan’s Purse).

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IMB regional director resigns over policy disagreements
By ABP staff

RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) -- A high-ranking Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board employee resigned May 5 because he disagrees with policies governing missionary qualifications.

Rodney Hammer, IMB’s regional leader for Central and Eastern Europe, cited disagreement with policies disallowing missionary candidates because of disagreements about their mode of baptism or the fact that they practice a “private prayer language.”

In a personal letter to missionaries in his region, Hammer noted he also disagreed with the IMB’s “unnecessary, extra-biblical narrowing of parameters for Southern Baptist cooperation in the Great Commission they represent.” Former IMB trustee Wade Burleson of Oklahoma posted the letter on his blog.

In 2005, board trustees adopted policies that ruled out appointment of candidates who practice either speaking in tongues in public or as a private devotional act. They also determined that candidates must have been baptized in a Southern Baptist church or in a church of another denomination that practices believer’s baptism only by immersion, and without regenerative or sacramental connotations. The policies were revised in 2007 and called “guidelines.”

In his letter, Hammer affirmed the Baptist Faith and Message, the Southern Baptist Convention’s doctrinal statement. However, he added, board trustees should not exceed those doctrinal parameters.

According to an IMB press release, Hammer and his family began a stateside assignment on May 5, and they plan to be reassigned to a field assignment as missionaries after finishing their domestic service.

Hammer was appointed in 1990 as strategy coordinator for China with Cooperative Services International, the IMB’s former relief and development arm. He served in that position until 1996. Trustees named him leader for Central and Eastern Europe in 1999.

Before joining the IMB, he was a pastor and church staff member in Missouri. He earned degrees from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo.

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Prayer Blog - 5/22/2008

Contemporary Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman lost his five year old daughter in a tragic accident on Wednesday (May 21st). Maria Sue Chapman was playing in her Franklin, Tennessee, driveway when her teenage brother inadvertantly struck her with the Toyota Land Cruiser he was driving. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Tennessee Highway Patrol spokeswoman Laura McPherson said several members of the Chapman family witnessed the accident.

Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman's completion of high school.

The child was the youngest in the family and one of three daughters adopted by Chapman and wife Mary Beth. The entire family was home at the time of the accident. Steven Curtis Chapman, 45, has won 51 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association and five Grammys. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Bible Trivia - 5/22/2008

Question: What is the middle verse of the Old Testament?

Answer: II Chronicles 20:17.

Comments: There are 23,214 verses in the Old Testament. The middle verse is II Chronicles 20:17.

'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem ' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." (II Chronicles 20:17, NASB)

Word of the Day - 5/22/2008

Fallacious

Fallacious means containing a fallacy; logically unsound.

Though Paul affirms that where sin exists, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20), he deems the dovetailed notion that it would be wise to continue sin to mass produce grace to be fallacious. (Romans 6:1-2)

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2, NASB)

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 5/22/2008

I had an absolutely wonderful Wednesday, speaking at church and then relaxing with JTH and Mr. X’s family at their home.

I spoke at church in reference to the Gulfport Mission trip, April 28-May 1. I arrived just in time to sit with the DAT family and for a patented ALF (his real initials) prayer. His prayers are known for their length. In fact, in my younger and less reverent days, I famously timed one of his prayers with a stop watch. Now, I appreciate their sincerity. That being said, they are still really long.

MLM served as the emcee, TAM presented slides and a video, and then I spoke. All went well but MLM hopes that the church at large will one day have the opportunity to experience the presentation. The Wednesday night service was in its first week of summer reconfiguration due to schools now being out and programs presently on hiatus. As such, after the DAT family left, the next youngest person (after me) in the room was still collecting social security.

After church, JTH and I met up went to America’s Cuts where JTH had his already short hair trimmed down to next to nothing. The photo on the left was taken immediately before the trim and the photo on the right afterwards. Can you sense the vast difference?

His hairdresser is very nice. We discussed the fact that the customer ahead of JTH owned a Maine Coon. These are a breed of cat known for their ability to trill their meows (sounding like a chirp) and using their front paws extensively like a human. They are named for the state they were bred in. I had never heard of one before.

I must also note that earlier in the day I had my hair cut at Ross the Boss by JLH. When I mentioned that my last haircut was documented on the blog, JLH wanted her work chronicled as well too. Mission accomplished.

We then went to Mr. X’s for an evening with his family. We began by playing basketball with Mr. X’s brother-in-law, JAH. After shooting around, the goal was lowered for a dunking exhibition. Naturally, I was documenting the event with my camera phone which inspired Mr. X to have his girlfriend Ms. X to procure a digital camera for better quality. His “posterizing” of JTH will now serve as his screen saver and potentially as his Christmas card. That alone made this quite a productive night. (Note: This photo was clearly taken with my camera phone. I will not record the height of the goal when this picture was taken so as not to embarrass the parties involved.)

Mr. X’s sister, JMMH, graciously ordered the family pizza from Papa John’s. After briefly eating, the guys continued to play ball while I entertained Mr. X’s niece, PH. She was to complete her last day of kindergarten the following day. On this night, I counted how many times she could Skip-It and Hula Hoop. Then we played catch. Her uncle had gotten her a pink baseball mitt earlier in the day and we toss a ball standing approximately one foot apart. With time and experience, we are hoping for a greater distance in the future. With each event I noted that though she was good, her first cousin Cheyenne is better. (She is infinitely competitive with her cousin.) The joke never got old. To me.

I must note that Tuesday was Ms. X’s 22nd birthday. While the boys played, she watched her fabulous dog, Hemingway (“Hemi.”) The dog is so sweet. She got him after he had been abused. His malicious owners tied his legs together. Why would anyone do that? Though excessively bowlegged, he shows no ill effects and is very friendly.

We then went in the house and played Mr. X’s PlayStation 3. We first played Rock Band. Rock Band allows players to perform in virtual bands playing three different peripherals modeled after music instruments (guitar, drums, and a microphone). I played drums on Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” and Faith No More’s “Epic.” Though I have not picked up the sticks in some time (and never on Rock Band), I was graded at 85% on the “easy” setting for both pieces. I really think with a little work I would be able to handle the more difficult levels.

Two little known Chan facts: (1) I played drums in the school band from 4th to 8th grade. (2) I attended the same high school (for one year) with Weezer’s guitarist Brian Bell. His father Tom (TLB) is a geography professor at UT and his sister Leia (LSB) was in my grade and rezoned to West Hisgh with me. She is now a nationally recognized poster artist specializing in silk-screen prints of many modern rock groups. She has a web site here. Check out her art. It is really cool.

Afterwards we played Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA4). The game was released on April 29. The highly controversial and violent game is set in New York City. The only thing unrealistic about its depiction is the fact that the streets of the Big Apple are never uncrowded. I spent many minutes watching JTH and Mr. X attempt to generate a motorcycle on top of the Empire State Building and drive from its rooftop. This proved problematic as one first had to get on top of the Empire State Building. This took many, many tries. I personally consider it time well spent.

Around 11, we went to Applebees for half-priced appetizers and to watch the conclusion of Mr. X’s beloved Lakers’ 89-85 comeback victory over the Spurs in the first game the Western Conference Finals.

Any night where I both speak at church and play the vulgar GTA4 is a good evening.

In other Wednesday news, my next-door neighbors, the KMG family, opened The Carson (named for their youngest son) downtown. Had I not been at church, I would have attended the open house. The Carson, located at 713 S. Central Street, is a building that KMG remodeled into four condo units. He bought it in 2005 for $221,260. If you are in the market for a nice downtown pad, check it out. Congratulations to my great neighbors.

Finally, I must note that the wallpapering saga finally concluded. Finally!

Prayer Blog - 5/21/2008

Tomorrow, WRK leaves for a trip touring Italy and Greece. Please pray for her safe travel.

Bible Trivia - 5/21/2008

Question: Zechariah took two staves naming one "Bands". What did he name the other?

Answer: Beauty. (Zechariah 11:7)

Comments: The NASB renders the names of Zechariah's staffs "Favor" and "Union" respectively.

"So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock." (Zechariah 11:7, NASB)

Zechariah used the staffs as a sign act as he first cut "Favor" (v. 10) and then "Union" (v. 14). The breaking of "Favor" represented the symbolic breaking of Yahweh's covenant and the destruction of "Union" signified the broken union between Judah and Israel.

Note: This painting is "The Prophet Zechariah" by Michelangelo (1475-1564).

Word of the Day - 5/21/2008

Dissemble

To dissemble is to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of: to put on the appearance of; feign.

David's wife Michal used a dummy to dissemble royal officials into thinking her husband David was in bed ill. (I Samuel 19:13) The chicanery was implemented because her father, king Saul, sought David in hopes of killing him.

Michal took the household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats' hair at its head, and covered it with clothes. (I Samuel 19:13, NASB)