Word of the Day - 10/22/2008

Flacon

A flacon is a small bottle or flask with a stopper, especially one used for perfume.

A woman in Bethany lovingly poured the contents of a flacon of perfume on Jesus' head.

a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. (Matthew 26:7, NASB)

Jesus interpreted the action as preparation for his burial.

Note: This interpretation of "The Anoitning" was created by Macha Chmakoff.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 10/22/2008

I spent the first half of the day at the Hope Resource Center. I arrived at 8:45 am for the early morning prayer and did not get home until mid-afternoon. At one point we had four clients simultaneously, which LEB presumes to be a record.

I am slowy catching on to the jargon of the job. For instance, “super pregnant” seems to correlate to how pregnant one is in relation to how pregnant she thought was when she came. I also learned that “I had a really good STD today” simply means that the counseling session was enjoyable and not that the sexually transmitted disease was pleasurable. That explained a lot.

On Tuesday night, Dad and I ate at Calhoun’s. My mother was having a girl’s night out with some friends from church. They went to see the Secret life of Bees. Dad and I had a good conversation. I must note that you know a Tennessee football season is not going well when we are relegated to discussing politics.

After a very brief stop at MoFoS, I spent the evening with KLTW, KJW and RAW at their home. KLTW recently cut KJW’s hair. It looks good. KJW has been habitually sticking her tongue out of late. RAW and I naturally assume it is in homage to Michael Jordan. Well, we are hoping anyway.

In other KJW news, she will do just about any act that is preceded by the words “If you’re happy and you know it...” I use this line to get hugs frequently. Is that wrong? I wish eliciting affection from grown up girls was that easy. I don’t have to ask. That was wrong.

In other stories of us taking advantage of the toddler, we have also learned that KJW will respond affirmatively to any “do you love _____” question. On this night the child confirmed that she does indeed love flux capacitors. Who doesn’t?

KJW is still not close to potty training. KLTW now has told her that she will receive a Dora The Explorer toy once she has successfully gone to the potty. The toy was originally purchased to be a Christmas present but now will be given whichever comes first - Christmas or potty training. KJW has seen the toy, remembers it, and wants it. Still, as I was leaving, there was another dirty diaper to be changed.

Though we have not successfully potty trained the child, we have taught her to say “respect authority” a la Cartman from South Park. I'd say it is a fair trade off.

Associated Baptist Press - 10/21/2008

Associated Baptist Press
October 21, 2008 · (08-100)

David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Acting Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer

In this issue
Poll: Latino Protestants switching back to Democrats this election (705 words)
Evolution critics added to panel that sets Texas school standards (545 words)
Book proposes 'triage' amid lukewarm church giving (987 words)
Baptism remains Baptists' symbol, but 'problems' must be answered (1307 words)
Although Bible says it, Baptists haven't settled it (669 words)

Poll: Latino Protestants switching back to Democrats this election
By Bob Allen(705 words)

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- According to a new survey, Latino Protestants view immigration reform as a moral issue on par with abortion and -- even after overwhelmingly voting for President Bush four years ago -- now lean toward Barack Obama in the upcoming presidential election.

The study of Hispanic Protestants, the vast majority of whom consider themselves "born-again" or evangelical, was released Oct. 16. It found that Latino Protestant voters, who comprise about 25 percent of the total Hispanic vote, favor Obama over the Republican candidate John McCain by a 17-point margin -- 50 percent to 33 percent.

That is a significant shift from a post-election survey in 2004, when 63 percent of Latino Protestants said they voted for President Bush over his Democratic challenger, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Among Latino Protestant voters, 77 percent said their religious beliefs are important in influencing their views on immigration. Nearly 83 percent said a candidate's position on immigration is important in determining their vote this year. Twice as many trust Democrats to pass immigration reform that reflects their values (42 percent) than trust Republicans (20 percent.)

That doesn't mean the demographic is sewn up for Democrats, though. Support for Obama is 18 points lower than the percentage of the Protestant Latino vote that went for Democratic candidate Al Gore in 2000.

In the latest poll, Sixty-two percent of Hispanic Protestants said they have heard public officials speak negatively about immigrants, and 43 percent of those said they associated such negative rhetoric with both parties. A significant number -- 31 percent -- said they would leave their political party if it did not find a more positive way to address immigration reform and welcome immigrants.

Samuel Rodriguez, president of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, termed Latino Protestants "the quintessential swing vote." His group was one of five that commissioned the survey.

"The biblical mandate to welcome the immigrant could not be clearer, and we draw our values from our Bibles," Rodriguez said in conference call with reporters. "This poll powerfully demonstrates that immigration is a profoundly religious issue for Hispanic evangelicals. We will vote our faith, and we will vote our values. It's time that all candidates take notice."

Jesse Miranda of the Jesse Miranda Center for Hispanic Leadership said Latinos are expected to vote in record numbers this year. "To many in this community, we see an awakening of this giant," he said.

With large Hispanic populations in key swing states like Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, Rodriguez said the Latino vote this year could be decisive.

Social issues on which many Anglo Protestants base their votes appeared less important to their Hispanic brethren than immigration. Three-fourths of Latino Protestants ranked abortion as extremely or very important in their voting decisions, and about 55 percent said the same for gay marriage. Rodriguez said while conservative Hispanics are comfortable with the Republican positions on those issues, many feel like the Republican Party doesn't want them because of their ethnicity.

The Democrats, meanwhile, appear more multicultural and have tried to move toward a more centrist stance on abortion and gay marriage. "Elections are won around the margins," Rodriguez said, offering a possible explanation for the pendulum swing toward Obama.

Miranda described the Hispanic conservative as "a political paradox in the United States," conservative in matters of faith and national security but more liberal toward immigration. He described those voters as "uncomfortable with either/or thinking" and said they cannot be taken for granted by either party.

"We are dreamers," he said. "We are the sons and daughters of Don Quixote, seeking the American dream."

Rodriguez said immigration reform "is not a second-tier issue to be considered post facto after abortion and gay marriage," but rather "a Kingdom issue" high on the moral agenda for Latino Protestants.

Miranda said the survey should be "a clarion call" to the next president.
The survey, conducted a month before the Nov. 4 election, polled 500 Latino Protestant registered voters by telephone. More than 80 percent of Latino Protestants self-identified as being born-again or attending an evangelical denomination.

The other sponsors were Faith in Public Life, America's Choice Education Fund and Gaston Espinoza, associate professor of religious studies at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif.

-30-

Evolution critics added to panel that sets Texas school standards
By Bob Allen (545 words)

AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) -- Three of six members of a panel appointed to review proposed curriculum standards for science classes in Texas public schools have criticized evolution.

And the additions could have an impact far beyond the 4.6 million students in the Lone Star State's public schools.

Because Texas is one of the largest markets for textbook sales in the United States, publishers will use the standards in creating new textbooks, and then sell those books in other states as well. The Texas Freedom Network -- an organization that counters the Religious Right -- says the addition could have negative consequences for science education across the nation.

A conservative bloc on the Texas State Board of Education banded together to appoint three curriculum-review panelists critical of Darwinism. One of them, Stephen Meyer, is vice president of the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based group that advocates balancing evolution with teaching about "intelligent design."

The theory promotes the conclusion that life is too complex to have evolved by chance, but that it shows the hand of a powerful master designer. Critics call it a pseudo-science and an excuse to bring religion into the classroom -- simply an updated form of what used to be called "creation science."

Meyer and another panel member, Ralph Seelke at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, co-wrote a textbook that questions tenets of Charles Darwin's theory of how humans and other life forms evolved. Critics say that is a conflict of interest, because the book, Explore Evolution, could be on the list of approved textbooks when the state board finalizes its decision in 2011.

"It's simply stunning that any state board members would even consider appointing authors of an anti-evolution textbook to a panel of scientists," said Kathy Miller, president and executive director of the Texas Freedom Network. "Are they coming here to help write good science standards or to drum up a market for their lousy textbook?"

Casey Luskin, program officer for public policy and legal affairs at the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, said textbook authors are precisely the type of experts who should have input into curriculum standards. He accused the Texas Freedom Network of "manufacturing a controversy."

"We think the [Texas] Board of Education should be applauded for choosing a diverse group of scientific reviewers," he said. "Getting honest input from science experts with diverse views is imperative if we're going to build a world-class educational system."

Also joining the review panel is Charles Garner, a Baylor University chemistry professor who, along with Meyer and a Seelke, signed a Discovery Institute-sponsored declaration, "Scientific Dissent from Darwinism," that says: "We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged."

Veteran science professors from the University of Texas at Austin, Texas Tech University and Southern Methodist University round out the six-member panel. Two of them, David Hillis at UT Austin and Gerald Skoog at Texas Tech, have signed a "Scientists for a Responsible Curriculum in Texas Public Schools" statement that says "instruction on evolution is vital to understanding all the biological sciences" and "students are best served when matters of faith are left to families and houses of worship."

-30-

Book proposes 'triage' amid lukewarm church giving
By Bob Allen (987 words)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (ABP) -- Christians in the United States could engage every "unreached" people group around the world and stop up to two-thirds of child deaths for pennies a day if only they gave, according to a new book.

Because the church is not being mobilized for either, The State of Church Giving Through 2006: Global Triage, MDG 4, and Unreached People Groups says, a strategy of global "triage" is needed to focus resources on areas of greatest need.

The 18th edition of the report, from the Christian service and research organization Empty Tomb, explores giving trends as an evidence of church members' commitments to their professed Christian beliefs.

It cites evidence pointing to a tepid U.S. church far too similar to the church in ancient Laodicea, condemned in the third chapter of Revelation for being "lukewarm" as opposed to either "hot" or "cold." The authors say the U.S. church needs to change its self-centered indifference or risk separation from the larger body of Christ and marginalization from the culture.

Giving as a percent of income has declined since the 1960s, and the portion spent beyond the local congregation through benevolences, including missions, has declined steadily.

The overall level of giving to international missions work between 2003 and 2006 was about two cents of each dollar donated to the church. That compares to an average of eight cents per dollar spent on denominational overseas missions in the 1920s.

The study proposes a strategy of "triage," not calling for elimination of other activities, but addressing needs in a priority order to maximize the number of survivors.

"In defining triage categories for the church to address, there is sufficient Scripture to support a focus on helping, in Jesus' name, to stop preventable child deaths as a top priority," say authors John and Sylvia Ronsvalle. "These missions of preventable child deaths fit both the medical category of triage -- intervention can prevent death -- as well as the moral and spiritual focus of taking care of the weakest among us (e.g. Psalm 41:1, 72:13, 82:3-4)."

The book uses the benchmark of No. 4 in the Millennium Development Goals. The objectives were established by world leaders to fight global poverty. Goal No. 4 sought to cut by two-thirds the mortality rate for children under the age of 5 by 2015.

An estimated 9.7 million children under 5 die around the globe each year. About two-thirds of those deaths are due to preventable causes like diarrhea, measles, respiratory infections, malaria and malnutrition. The report calculates the cost to each U.S. church member for preventing those deaths: eight cents a day.

If members of Christian churches had chosen to give 10 percent of their income to their congregations in 2006, instead of the 2.5 percent actually given, it would have made an additional $170 billion available for church work. By one estimate an additional $70 billion to $80 billion a year would be enough to address basic needs of the world's poorest people. If the church had given even the same percentage of income U.S. Christians donated in 1968, the difference would have been $5 billion.

The book also says the Southern Baptist Convention has not motivated its 16.3 million members to support missionary efforts adequately.

SBC leaders say 2,800 more missionaries are needed to engage 5,900 people groups with little or no access to a Christian witness. At an estimated expense of $65,000 per cross-cultural missionary, the total cost for these missionaries would be $182 million a year. By comparison, the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV took in about $310 million in its first day of sales.

The 2008 goal for the SBC's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, however, was only $5 million larger than the 2007 amount. Had Southern Baptist leaders included the cost of sending those additional missionaries in the goal, they would have asked for an extra $11.16 per Southern Baptist church member. The average dollar figure per member given to SBC overseas mission work in 2006 was $17.

"There is growing consensus that the resources and methods exist to alleviate the physical suffering of people around the globe," the book says. "Church leaders also consider the task of presenting the gospel to every people group on earth an increasingly attainable goal.

"In both cases the problem is not that the needs are too great. The problem is that the available resources are not being mobilized to implement the available solutions."

Americans gave more than $128 billion to charitable causes in 2006. Most of that -- 70 percent -- went to churches and religious organizations.
In order to respond to global need, the book says individuals need to feel connected to a larger body.

"When church leaders are not providing strategic direction that helps set priorities to solve, not just cope with, global word and deed need, church members feel overwhelmed," it says, using the phrase the book employs to refer to global physical and spiritual needs. "They see the great needs but do not feel connected in a broad way that can help address those needs."

"Church leaders could empower their members by helping to set priorities that give those members permission to care about the entire need," it continues. "In the same way that triage provides battlefield medical units with the ability to respond amidst the chaos around them, a broadly accepted strategy of triage for global word and deed need could help replace hopelessness with engagement among church members."

"The Christian faith teaches that, until the return of Jesus, God's work will be largely accomplished through Christ's body," the book concludes. "If the part of the body of Christ located in the United States chooses not to carry its weight, the work of God will go on. However, if the church in the United States chooses to embrace the opportunities set before it, Christians in the United States could have a great deal to contribute."

-30-

Baptism remains Baptists' symbol, but 'problems' must be answered
By Marv Knox (1307 words)

WACO, Texas (ABP) -- After four centuries, believers' baptism remains the symbol of Baptist identity, historian Bill Leonard stressed during a lecture series at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

But in the 21st century, Baptists must respond to two pressing "problems" with baptism -- the widespread requirement that long-term Christians be immersed before joining a Baptist church and the rebaptism of church members, Leonard urged.

This year's Parchman Lectures contributed to the Texas Baptist school's ongoing celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Baptist movement. It began when John Smyth and Thomas Helwys led a group of English expatriates to start the first Baptist church in 1609 in Holland.

"Baptists were dissenters from the very beginning," noted Leonard, dean of Wake Forest University's Divinity School. The original Baptists first rebelled against what they saw as the corruption of the Anglican Church and its affiliation with the English government. Next, they split from the English Separatists for not distancing themselves far enough from the Anglicans.

And then they even dissented among themselves, he wryly observed. By 1610, that little Baptist church had split itself over the validity of its baptism.

"Baptists understood conscience and dissent in light of the need for sinners to be regenerated -- made new through conversion to Christ," Leonard said. "Yet in their assertion that conscience could not be compelled by either state-based or faith-based establishments, they flung the door wide for religious liberty and pluralism....

"Believers' baptism, ultimately by immersion, was thus a radical act of Christian commitment, covenantal relationships and anti-establishment dissent."

Their commitment drew from their identification with Christ, Leonard continued. Their relationships reflected the value they placed upon the gathered church. And their dissent against the establishment welled up from their insistence that God alone, not religious or government authorities, is Lord of the conscience.

Historically, "the call to uncoerced faith produced the appeal to conscience and the necessity of dissent," Leonard said. "It was the witness of the permanent minority, a group of people who never dreamed that their views would prevail this side of the Kingdom of God, but who demanded voice and conscience nonetheless."

They embodied their dissent by insisting on believers' -- adult -- baptism, refusing to baptize their infant children, he added. Their stand on baptism dissented not only from the practice of the established church, but also from the government, since at the time, English citizenship and church membership were considered the same.

"Baptism is the outward ... sign that links regenerate church membership, conscience and dissent as the central witness of Baptist identity in the world," Leonard insisted. "In short, believers' baptism does many things for the individual and community of faith."

His list included:

· "It is a biblical act, identifying the believer with Jesus and the movement he called the Kingdom of God."

· "Believers' baptism is a conversion act, demonstrating the new birth of an individual and incorporating that individual into Christ's body, the church.... For those early Baptists, baptism was public profession of faith. It still is."

· "Believers' baptism is a churchly act that marks the entry of believers into the covenantal community of the church. Baptism, while administered to individuals, is not an individualistic act. It is incorporation into Christ and his church."

· "Believers' baptism was and remains a dangerous and dissenting act that frees Christian believers to challenge the principalities and powers of church in response to the dictates of conscience." He cited the Standard Confession of 1660, in which early Baptists acknowledged the need for "civil magistrates in all nations" but pledged they would "obey God rather than men" when conscience so dictated.

The persistent significance of baptism for the Baptist movement presents a vital question, Leonard said: "What are we to do about it on the way through the 21st century?"

Specifically, he asked: "How will we deal with the two most pressing baptismal problems confronting many contemporary Baptist congregations -- rebaptism of non-immersed, long-term Christians and the rebaptism of Baptist church members?"

The requirement of rebaptism forpeople who were baptized as infants and now seek membership in a Baptist church "is perhaps the oldest and most historically divisive question in the history of the movement," Leonard said. "Baptist churches are on 'safe' historical ground if they have either open or closed baptismal policies."

Baptists have not always required rebaptism, particularly when the original baptism was part of the faith-life of the person's family and not a requirement of government, he reported.

Also, the common practice of rebaptism of church members in some congregations should lead Baptists to study issues such as "the baptism of children, the nature of conversion and the theology of baptism itself," he said.

To guide a 21st-century study of Baptist baptism, Leonard presented a set of questions for churches:

· "Do those churches that accept baptism from other traditions have a way of incorporating new members liturgically and 'covenantally' into a believers' church? Might a renewal of baptismal vows become a public profession of long-held faith in a new community of the faithful?"

· "Can churches that require immersion of non-immersed, long-time Christians articulate a clear biblical mandate for doing so, especially when 'New Testament baptism' is given to those who have made immediate profession of faith?"

· "Does immersion given to long-term Christians on the basis of a profession of faith require recipients to repudiate at least implicitly their earlier faith and the Christian tradition that nurtured them to grace?"

· "Should immersion of long-time Christians at least be distinguished from the immersion of new converts?"

· "Given that infant baptism is no longer mandated by state-based religious establishments, are Baptist churches that require immersion of all members prepared to declare that the churches from which would-be members come are 'false churches' or 'mere societies'?"

· "Given that the New Testament knows nothing of child baptism, can Baptist churches that require immersion of all members claim 'the true New Testament baptism' if they baptize children under the age of 12, when Jewish children confirm their faith?

· "Given that many Baptist churches accept children -- some even in the preschool ages -- as members, how will they define the nature of a believers' church?"

· "If Baptist churches baptize children, especially very young children, can they commit themselves to ... helping children remember their profession of faith and baptism? Can they develop clear, intentional methods for 'confirming' the faith of children once they confront the moral and spiritual dilemmas of adolescence and adulthood?"

· "What can some Baptist churches do to extricate themselves from the cycle of rebaptism given multiple times to professing Christians? If baptism is administered in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, when does rebaptism become an act of literally taking the name of God in vain?"

· "As Baptists lose their culture-dominant status, how does baptism become a renewed sign of conscience and dissent in the world?"

· "How might Baptist churches again become 'a shelter for persons distressed of conscience' and a prophetic community that distresses the consciences of members and non-members alike in response to the great issues, ideas and injustices of our times?

· "Might the early Baptists' radical understanding of conscience encourage us to an equally radical concern for voice -- an environment in which everyone can speak even when the differences are vast and irreconcilable?"

· "Might a recovery of Baptist dissent compel Baptists to articulate ideas that inform and challenge the church and the culture, even when they will never secure approval by a majority?"

In a question-and-answer session, a participant asked Leonard about his answers to the questions. He replied that, true to Baptist heritage, they are questions to be worked out by congregations themselves.

-30-

Although Bible says it, Baptists haven't settled it, historian says
By Marv Knox (669 words)

WACO, Texas (ABP) -- Throughout their history, Baptists have uniformly revered the Bible but passionately disagreed about what it means, historian Bill Leonard told a Baylor University audience.

Leonard delivered the annual Parchman Lectures at the Texas Baptist school's George W. Truett Theological Seminary Oct. 14-16. This year, the lectures supported the university's focus on the Baptist movement's 400th anniversary.

Baptists' earliest statements of faith proclaimed their affirmation of Scripture, noted Leonard, dean of Wake Forest University Divinity School.

The London Confession, published in 1644, stated, "The rule of this knowledge, faith and obedience ... is not man's inventions, opinions, devices, laws, constitutions or traditions unwritten whatsoever, but only the word of God contained in canonical Scriptures."

The Orthodox Creed, affirmed in 1679, declared biblical authority does not rely upon "authority of any man, but only upon the authority of God."

"Early Baptists recognized the complexity of reading, using and understanding biblical content, while insisting even the 'unlearned' could comprehend the text's most basic instruction," Leonard said.

But Baptists "often painted themselves into assorted theological and cultural corners" when their avowed loyalty to biblical authority clashed with "piety and practice, culture and conflict," he added.

"When such theological and cultural dilemmas inevitably occur, many Baptists adapt, even change, their theology while clinging to the rhetoric of an uncompromised biblicism," Leonard said. "And, being Baptists, when such differences occur, they often split, creating new communities gathered around diverse interpretations of pivotal texts."

That has been true from the beginning, he said. "Baptists are really the only post-Reformation Protestant community to begin with two contradictory theological perspectives, one Arminian, the other Calvinist," he added.

Arminians championed human free will, while Calvinists emphasized God's sovereignty. Since the 17th century, Baptists have been found at points all along that theological spectrum, Leonard said.

A century later, Baptist missions pioneers William Carey and Andrew Fuller "stretched popular theology to the breaking point" by promoting what Leonard called "evangelical inclusion." The pair emphasized the biblical mandate to take the gospel to the "heathen" around the world, while other Baptists vehemently disagreed, believing God could save the "elect" without human involvement.

In time, advocates of missions carried the day for most Baptists, a victory that redefined their understanding of God's plan for salvation.

A century after that, Baptists struggled with accommodating their theology to culture, Leonard added. The primary issue was slavery, and both sides claimed the Bible supported their position. This dispute further compounded when Baptist slaves cited numerous biblical references to support their cry for liberation.

In the 20th century, the question of accommodation to Scripture and/or culture focused on the role of women in Baptist churches, and particularly ordination, Leonard said. As with previous divisions, Baptists with polar-opposite positions each claimed to have the Bible on their side.

Even more recently, some groups of Baptists in the United States have debated the use of alcohol and the practice of personal piety, Leonard said. And as before, they all cited the Bible.

All these debates illustrate the fact that biblical interpretation and application "is neither a simple nor primarily an academic pursuit," he stressed. "It is a dangerous necessity undertaken implicitly or explicitly by every Baptist congregation and individual. [It] sent Baptists to jail and to the mission field [and] to the slave auctions. Interpreting the text is terribly dangerous, then and now."

Baptist debates over the centuries also show "no theory of biblical inspiration or analysis is adequate to make 'all things in Scripture plain in themselves' or 'clear to all,'" he said. "Theories about the text cannot protect Baptists -- or anyone else -- from the power and unpredictability of the text itself."

Based on Baptists' 400-year track record, Leonard concluded with a question: "What issues are Baptists currently claiming with biblical ... certainty that they will be compelled to apologize for in a century or two?" he asked.

"You see, the Bible may say it, and Baptists may believe it, but -- historically speaking -- that does not always settle it."

-30-

Prayer Blog - 10/21/2008

One of my co-workers at the Hope Resource Center, JoAnn Genova, left work Thursday as her son-in-law Eddie was involved in an automobile accident which saw his truck collide with a wall. He is prone to seizures and he either had one preceding the wreck or he fell asleep at the wheel. He is in a medically induced coma after sustaining injuries including a broken jaw and broken femurs. Please keep this man in your prayers.

Church Sign - 10/21/2008

Church: Marble City Baptist Church (2740 Sutherland Ave; Knoxville, TN 37919)

Sign: “Be an organ donor/ Give your heart to Jesus/ Worship with us”

Commentary: This cheesy sign reminds its reader that Jesus said the greatest commandment is giving one's heart, soul, and mind to God.

And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'" (Matthew 22:37, NASB)

Jesus cites Deuteronomy 6:5 in this verse.

Bible Trivia - 10/21/2008

Question: Who fell asleep during Paul’s preaching and fell to his death out of a window, but was later revived by Paul?

Answer: Eutychus. (Acts 20:9-12)

Comments: During Paul's third "missionary journey", a young man from Troas named Eutychus fell asleep during one of his sermons and fell from a third story window to his death. Some commentators, including William Barclay (1907-1978) and F.F. Bruce (1910-1990), speculate that he did not die from the fall and translations differ on the point. Regardless of his condition, Paul revives him.

And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. (Acts 20:9, NASB)

Assuming Eutychus died, his is the last resurrection in the Bible.

Note: This oil on wood titled "Fall of Eutychus" was painted by Eric Pervukhin.

For further information on this story from this blog, see the April 1st edition of Bible Trivia.

Word of the Day - 10/21/2008

Poltroon

A poltroon is a wretched coward; craven.

Paul claimed that the Corinthians thought him a poltroon when present but found him bold when writing from a distance.

Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! (II Corinthians 10:1, NASB)

Like many well published preachers, Paul faced the criticism that people would rather read him than hear him.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 10/21/2008

On Monday afternoon, I ate lunch with SMA at Litton’s. I asked if my old friend JLM was working. The hostess looked at me like I was crazy and I feared she had gotten fired. I was soon informed that she never works Mondays as needs at least a “couple days to get over the weekend.” Good to know.

We ran into my church’s youth minister TSC and one of his students, Tanner Fine. It is uncanny how often SMA runs into TSC. We noted this and TSC claimed he did not see SMA that often. We are fairly certain this was an attempt to evade stalking allegations.

SMA and I spent the day discussing politics and religion. It was interesting as he is very conservative and I am...not. My stance using Christian just war theory could not dissuade him from his support of the Iraqi war. He was able to point out some inconsistencies in my politics for which I am genuinely grateful.

We also talked about a religious program he had seen on the History Channel over the weekend. He was surprised to learn Armageddon was an actual location and we discussed traveling there. We thought about putting our names in rocks so that the end of times battle will stop with somebody going, “Hey, SMA was once here!”

On Monday night, I hung out with JTH and TK at MoFoS before JTH and I joined JDM and ANS for dinner. As you can tell TK is a diligent worker. He made this rubber band ball all by himself.

I also finally met RW who works at the Halls branch. She was visiting. I liked her very much. She showed me her tattoos, one of which displays James 4:12. We did have one minor dispute. It seems JBT had also promised her the skill crane at the Halls store at one point. You may remember I too have been promised the broken game. Until said machine is given away, we agreed not to fight over it.

Afterwards, JTH and I joined the former Couple X at Applebees. Marlana was our waitress. As usual, she was wearing a brightly colored shirt. We discussed it and she confessed, “I’m not a black person.” No kidding. She was embarrassed when she realized what she had said.

It was good to see JDM and ANS. We discussed ways to get JDM off of work for our basketball game on Thursday. ANS also educated us on Girls Next Door of whom she is a huge fan. She told us, “Bridget (Marquardt) is the only one that has real boobs.” Good to know. I note this because some day I will reference this in conversation and I will get a really shocked looked from the person with whom I am conversing. Now I have documented my source.

Bible Trivia - 10/20/2008

Question: Which king of Judah had his eyes burned out?

Answer: Zedekiah. (Jeremiah 39:7)

Comments: Zedekiah was the last king of Judah. His given name was Mattaniah (II Kings 24:17). When he became king at age 21, his kingdom was tributary to Babylon and its monarch Nebuchadnezzar, who gave him the name Zedekiah. Zedekiah, in direct defiance of the prophet Jeremiah, opted to make an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, which triggered the ire of Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem fell and Zedekiah was caught while trying to flee.

He then blinded Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in fetters of bronze to bring him to Babylon. (Jeremiah 39:7, NASB)

After seeing his own sons put to death, Zedekiah's own eyes were put out.

Note: This image of Zedekiah being taken captive was taken from a Bible for children, published circa 1900 by the Society for Promoting Christianity.

Word of the Day - 10/20/2008

Hebdomadal

Hebdomadal means taking place, coming together, or published once every seven days; weekly: hebdomadal meetings; hebdomadal groups; hebdomadal journals.

Manna was gathered by the Israelites six days a week with a double portion available on a hebdomodal basis.

"On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." (Exodus 16:5, NASB)

The double portion was so that the Israelites would not need to seek food on the Sabbath.

This oil on canvas, "Gathering of Manna", was painted by Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665). It hangs in the Louvre Museum.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 10/20/2008, Part 4

I spent Sunday night, with JTH. We drove while waiting for ALK to complete handbell practice at her church, St. Mark United Methodist Church. There were two things of note from the drive. We past a dying deer howling in the westbound lane of Northshore Drive. It was a horrific sight that touched both of us. The only positive was that we called 9-1-1 to have someone tend it. I would venture that JTH calls 9-1-1 more than anyone in the city.

In more positive driving news, I hit 82 miles per hour across the “Hazzard Hump” as optimum conditions presented themselves. That is a record in Chanana II. The landing was amazingly smooth. I attribute it to excellent skill behind the wheel and the fact that Chanana II is not equipped with four wheel drive.

We arrived at the church at the designated time but ALK’s practice was not over. Unbeknownst to us, it was not close to being over. We tried to enter the church through each of its entrances and discovered that they were all locked. I prefer to think of it as us securing the premises.

One of the doors was marked SMEEP. I learned that this acronym stands for St. Mark Early Enrichment Program. Personally, I think it would make a great curse word and plan on using it as such.

When ALK finally met up with us, we ate at Calhoun’s. There was a debate over this mayonnaise bottle which was placed on the table. ALK doubted the wisdom of it being kept unrefrigerated. JTH defended the restaurant and the bottle’s description supported him. I document this as it is one of the few times he will ever be right when debating her, not because he is incorrect but because he is the man in the situation.

Shortly after I returned home, my parents came back safe from a National Kidney Foundation meeting in Minneapolis. Thank you for your prayers regarding their safety.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 10/20/2008, Part 3

After church, I went to the Lady Vols’ volleyball game. This last sentence presented a logistical nightmare. I drove JTH from Bearden United Methodist Church to Lenoir City to pick up CRF at his home. The three of us then went back to Bearden to pick up ALK from McAlister’s Deli where she was eating with her mother. We then picked up food from McDonald’s as the rest of us had not had time to eat before the game. We worried about sneaking food into the game. This was foolish as we could have carried a loaded bazooka into the building and no one would have stopped us.

We were joined at the game by PCR and Amber and sat in our usual seats. I never dreamt I would have standard seats at volleyball games. We paid $3 for tickets and they charge the same price for a normal sized pack of M&M’s. There is something wrong with that.

We saw the Lady Vols defeat Arkansas 25-21, 25-18, 17-25, 25-21. (Is their team the Lady Hogs?) This was my third game of the season and we have won each one I attended. For the second straight game, the opponent had a large Asian on the front line- Yun Tang. I do not know why I document this only that it seems strange in the south.

In my opinion, our best advantage was at libero. I am incredibly biased as I think Chloe Goldman is gorgeous. (She has a boyfriend, mom.) Arkansas’ answer was Phoebe Bautista. Though it was amusing to hear her name on the p.a. (she have the same surname as JTH’s favorite wrestler), she was perhaps the least athletic looking person I have ever seen involved in SEC Sports. She eerily resembled our Filipino friend GAB. She favored him so much that had she had the name “Glenda” I would have smelled a rat. Not only was Chloe superior, but she got two aces on service points, which was an unexpected bonus to say the least.

If anyone from the Lady Vols’ marketing department reads this, give out a date with Chloe as the prize. That would be a draw!

The big topic of a conversation was who needed a beat down more: the emcee or the cheerleaders. The latter won by a wide margin. We no longer ask why they are necessary. Them tapping their megaphones to the beat of the band's songs may be the most unmasculine thing EVER! Public castration might be less emasculating. I am fairly certain they could evoke homicidal thoughts from Gandhi. As an aside, their lone cheer, “Point Lady Vols” sounds fittingly like “I have no balls".

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 10/20/2008, Part 2

On Sunday morning, JTH and I visited Bearden United Methodist Church. ALK was performing with the church’s handbell choir (“Rings of the Lord”) during the service. The group played three songs, including the special music “Cadenzato” arranged by Tim Waugh. (Note: ALK is wearing a pink top on the end.)

ALK was great! The conductor Les Beaver apologized that the choir now only plays two octaves due to low membership. Compared to the last cultural event I attended in support of one of JTH’s love interests (the notorious Great Clogging Debacle of 2007), this was a triumph of epic proportions. I was disappointed that ALK did not wear the white gloves throughout the day.

I had a brilliant idea during the service. I never carry cash so I had nothing to place in the offering plate. I wondered how many people were in the same situation. I developed a new offering plate, complete with with credit card swipes! What do you think?

The sermon from “Preacher Mike” (aka Michael Sluder, MGS) was titled “Prayer” using the text Matthew 6:5-15 (The Lord’s Supper). He based his sermon on Richard J. Foster’s 1992 book Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. He accentuated the three movements of prayer: upward, inward, and outward. The only thing I found odd was that he pronounced “hallowed” with three syllables. Is this a Methodist thing?

I spoke to MGS for awhile after the sermon. His last pastorate was at St. Mark United Methodist Church, ALK’s home church. His children still attend there. He is a graduate of Duke Divinity School where he took a preaching course with Will Willimon (WHM). I talked his head off but really enjoyed him.

I also got to see two former teachers Katherine Stooksbury (KBS) and Pat Orr (IPO), who taught me in third and first grade respectively at Sequoyah Elementary School. KBS had both hips replaced twelve weeks ago but was showing no ill effects. It was great to see both wonderful ladies.

Just to reiterate, the choir’s name is the “Rings of the Lord”.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 10/20/2008, Part 1

I had a relatively light Friday-Saturday. This means I got a lot of work done.

I did spend Friday night with the MoFoS crew. When I arrived JTH and TK were outside talking. They were distancing themselves from CTH, who was in the store with some acquaintances. (In this surveillance photo, CTH is hugging a man, a common sight these days.) CTH’s erratic behavior has alienated him from the rest of the store's staff. In fact, TK deleted him as a friend from the store’s MySpace friends. Likewise, JBT shorts his paycheck up to five hours as he does little work. Which is more harsh?

I must note that my surveillance photos have shown dramatic improvement over the past year. How long will it be before I get beaten down for these improvements?

JTH, TK, and I met JBT at Applebees. JTH requested a children’s menu to color. (I have no explanation.) Every crayon the restaurant has is green. While that is my favorite color, this seemed odd.

We spent the night discussing JBT’s girlfriend’s brother (who lives with him) JB’s vocabulary. He uses the words grimey, live, and wet repeatedly with meanings far from their original intent. We are attempting to develop a jargon of our own. The one thing we are certain of is that something that is horrid will be described as “electric eel”.

---

On Saturday, I watched the Vol Network’s pay-per-view telecast of the Tennessee football team's 34-3 victory over Mississippi State 34-3. The game pitted the last place team in the SEC East against the worst team in the SEC West. This would probably explain why none of the networks picked the game up. The game was closer than the score indicates. Coach Phillip Fulmer gained his 150th victory in his 200th overall game. Sincere congratulations.

Despite Tennessee's woeful season, defensive back Eric Berry has been amazing. His 72-yard interception return gives him 397 career return yards. This broke a conference record that had stood since 1949. He is only a sophomore.

In more important sports news from Saturday, it was announced that my church league basketball team will play at 6:30 pm on Thursday, October 23rd. At 1-5, we are still the #3 seed and play the second-seeded squad captained by MDR. We hope to see you there.

Prayer Blog - 10/19/2008

My church is having a "Join the Church Emphasis", which is a campaign to get people who are attending but have not joined to join. They sent out form letters to all on role who were not members.JTH's father CEH (aka "Homer") was the only one to respond today. He has attended the church for approximately thrity years without ever joining. LWF sent him a personal note with the letter and he and his wife met with the pastor early this morning. Homer will be baptized on November 30th in a private ceremony. I am uncertain that even I can attend.

Praise God for this turn of events as it means so much to the family.

Bible Trivia - 10/17/2008

Question: To whom does the term "The Lion that is from the Tribe of Judah" refer?

Answer: Jesus. (Revelation 5:5)

Comments: In Revelation 5:5, the "lion from the Tribe of Judah" is deemed the only one worthy to open a sacred book and its seven seals. The verse speaks of Jesus. The terminology comes from Jacob's blessing of his children. When speaking to his son Judah, the eponymous ancestor of the tribe, Jacob compares his son to a lion. (Genesis 49:9). The lion came to symbolize Judah.

and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." (Revelation 5:5, NASB)

Today, the lion of Judah is on the emblem of Jerusalem (as pictured).

Word of the Day - 10/17/2008

Trencherman

A trencherman is a person who has a hearty appetite; a heavy eater.

Proverbs speaks of the dangers of being a trencherman. (Proverbs 23:2)

And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite. (Proverbs 23:2, NASB)

Note: This photo is of legenday competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi.

In Eckleburg's Eyes - 10/17/2008

I had a great Thursday, spending most of the day with JTH.

JTH and I ate lunch with CMU. We met at the church and I drove from there. CMU made oatmeal cookies for JTH and myself. He is quite the cook and brought them in Ziploc bags. I noted that I would call mine a dime bag and both LBC and ALC, who work at the church, noted that I had far more than a dime bag’s worth. I was glad I did not know that. I was also not surprised that they did...

We at the Food Court in West Town Mall. Both CMU and I ate at the Cajun Café. It perplexed us both as to why the restaurant is titled “Cajun” when it serves predominantly Asian cuisine. You even get fortune cookies with your meal. Our only guess was that the Cajun name differentiates it from Sakkio Japan or Asian Chao, situated in the same vicinity. JTH suggested that they just drop the C and make it “Ajun” Café. I am sure they would take that under advisement. My fortune you ask?

“Tomorrow your creative side will shine forth with exceptional ideas.”

Inspiration struck over lunch. (Perhaps my fortune was a day early.) JTH and I decided to record a Christmas album using the church’s broadcast booth as the studio. We will let twelve loved ones pick their favorite Christmas carols and we will sing versions of them under the name “Tone Deaf and Monotone”.

On Thursday night, JTH and I went to Pigeon Forge with ALK. I got deep into conversation and missed the I-640 exit (forgetting that I-40 is closed) and cost us quite a deal of time. We did make it to Pigeon Forge in plenty of time to eat and shop.

The trip began where all of my trips to Pigeon Forge begin - at the Christian Book Warehouse. While I shopped, JTH and ALK made a mess trying to spread out this Bible Atlas. They did not realize that this one was already on display.

We went to another branch of the book store while we waited for seating at the Apple Barn restaurant. I could not believe that there was a forty-five minute wait on a random Thursday night in the fall. The food does justify the wait. We ate there in celebration of ALK’s recent birthday.

After dinner, we went to Wal-Mart on our way home. ALK had been building up the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer all night. A movie based on the book is set to open on November 21st. Somehow, she convinced me to read the book beforehand. As most of you know, I seldom read fiction much less fiction geared towards teen girls. We stopped by Wal-Mart to pick up the book and this may be the only branch that does not carry it. JTH and ALK both found books that they were interested in. I tried to subtly catch the moment of the two reading side by side. Subtlety was never my strong suit...

Associated Baptist Press - 10/16/2008

Associated Baptist Press
October 16, 2008 · (08-99)

David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Acting Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer

In this issue
Candidates spar over abortion in final presidential debate (806 words)
Everett sermon at Southwestern may be sign of thaw in relations (421 words)
Pastor says he's 'poli-ticked' about election (854 words)
CBF field personnel minister among Middle Eastern group (408 words)
Billy: The Early Years falls flat in box office (240 words)
Opinion: Remembering how to be Jesus' people (862 words)

Candidates spar over abortion in final presidential debate
By Bob Allen (806 words)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (ABP) -- John McCain and Barack Obama differed sharply over the legality of abortion in their third and final presidential debate Oct.15 at Hofstra University, in one of the only mentions in this year's presidential debates of a divisive cultural issue.

While both candidates said they oppose using abortion as a litmus test when appointing federal judges, each made it clear that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to choose an abortion, would weigh heavily in determining whom they would nominate to fill any vacancies on the Supreme Court.

McCain, the Republican candidate, said Roe v. Wade was a "bad decision" and that as president he would find judges with a record of "strict adherence to the Constitution" and not "legislating from the bench."

The Arizona senator repeatedly said he would base nominations on qualifications and not any "litmus test," but he added that he did not believe anyone supporting Roe v. Wade would meet those qualifications.

Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, also said he opposes applying a "strict litmus test" for judges, but agreed that Roe v. Wade probably hangs in the balance during the next presidency.

"I am somebody who believes that Roe v. Wade was rightly decided," Obama said.

"I think that abortion is a very difficult issue, and it is a moral issue and one that I think good people on both sides can disagree on," Obama said. "But what ultimately I believe is that women -- in consultation with their families, their doctors, their religious advisers -- are in the best position to make this decision.

"And I think that the Constitution has a right to privacy in it that shouldn't be subject to state referendum, any more than our First Amendment rights are subject to state referendum, any more than many of the other rights that we have should be subject to popular vote."

Obama sought to stake out some common ground between the two sides of the abortion debate.

"This is an issue that -- look, it divides us," he said. "And in some ways, it may be difficult to reconcile the two views."

"But there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, 'We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby.'

"Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation."

It was the first time in three presidential debates for the abortion issue to surface. Americans United for Life praised moderator Bob Schieffer for asking the question.

"In many ways, this is one of the most significant issues for our country that has received the least amount of attention in this campaign," AUL Action said in a prepared statement.

"Sen. Obama made it clear that his approach to judicial appointments -- which goes beyond the Supreme Court -- involves a pro-Roe, pro-abortion litmus test," the statement said. The pro-life group also accused Obama of twisting the facts about his abortion policy.

NARAL Pro-Choice America applauded Obama's "long-standing commitment to women's reproductive freedom and privacy" and "common-sense" approach to reducing unintended pregnancies.

"McCain, on the other hand, restated his call for the overturn of Roe v. Wade," said NARAL president Nancy Keenan. "That's no secret: McCain has voted against a woman's right to choose for more than 25 years, and he has even voted against birth control, which is one of the best ways to reduce the need for abortion. McCain's hypocrisy represents the divisive political attacks that Americans are tired of."

McCain criticized Obama for opposing a bill in the Illinois senate to provide immediate medical care to an infant "born alive" as the result of a failed abortion and voting against a ban on a late-term procedure that opponents call "partial-birth" abortion.

Obama said he opposed the Illinois legislation because there was already a law on the books requiring lifesaving treatment and the new bill would have undermined Roe v. Wade. He said he supports a ban on late-term abortions, including partial-birth abortion, but only if it includes exceptions for the mother's life and health. Abortion-rights opponents have repeatedly attempted to pass bans that did not include health exceptions.

McCain dismissed the necessity of health exceptions, saying the "health of the mother" has been "stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything."

"That's the extreme pro-abortion position, 'health,'" McCain said.

-30-

Everett sermon at Southwestern may be sign of thaw in relations
By Bob Allen (421 words)

FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) -- In a sign that once-frosty relations between the Baptist General Convention of Texas and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary may be thawing, the BGCT's new executive director, Randel Everett, spoke there Oct. 15.

"I have, as you would guess, gotten a little criticism about having Dr. Everett here, and he's gotten some criticism about coming," Paige Patterson, president of the Southern Baptist Convention-run school, said in introducing Everett during a chapel service. Everett became executive director of the 2.3-million-member, moderate-dominated BGCT in March.

"That always amazes me, because the theory is we disagree, and I shouldn't have anybody in who disagrees," Patterson said.

"That's kind of interesting, isn't it?" he continued. "Because we haven't even talked enough to find out if we do disagree about anything."

Relations between the state convention and seminary grew chilly when fundamentalist trustees fired the seminary's popular moderate president, Russell Dilday, in 1994. The distance grew even wider when Patterson, one of the acknowledged architects of the SBC's "conservative resurgence," became Southwestern's president in 2003.

In 2004 the BGCT banned Southwestern Seminary and other SBC entities from having displays at the state convention's annual meeting, saying they were not supportive of BGCT's mission. Texas Baptist leaders lifted that prohibition in June, approving both Southwestern Seminary and the SBC's publisher, LifeWay Christian Resources, as exhibitors at next month's convention meeting in Fort Worth.

Everett opened his chapel remarks by describing the seminary as "an important part of our heritage as Texas Baptists."

"I'm sorry Dr. Patterson received some flak about this invitation," Everett said. "It was a gracious act for him."

"One of the things I hope we can understand is that we all 'see through glass dimly' and one of these days we'll be able to see Jesus as fully and clearly, because we'll be seeing him face to face," Everett said. "As we struggle with what God's word is saying with us, in deep conversations with each other, and often times in disagreements, we need to love each other as Christ loves us."

Everett preached a sermon on forgiveness based on Matthew 18, closing with, "Wouldn't it be something today if God brought healing to our Baptist family?"

"You really only have two choices," Patterson said in response. "You can either be bitter and when you get to be my age ... then you are just a bitter old man. You can either do that, or you can practice the fine Christological art of forgiveness. You only have two choices."

-30-

Pastor says he's 'poli-ticked' about election
By Bob Allen (854 words)

GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) -- At a time when polls indicate growing distaste for politics in the pulpit, one Southern Baptist mega-pastor is launching a high-profile sermon series aimed at getting Christians off the bench and into political action.

"There's a game going on for the heart and soul of our nation, yet so many of us have been drinking deception for so long that we don't understand the implications and the seriousness of the game," Ed Young Jr., pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, said in a televised sermon Oct. 12.

"There's a game going on and it's time for us to sober up, to step up and to get into the game -- to not merely remain as spectators, but to be participators.

"I don't know about you, but I'm poli-ticked," Young said. "I'm ticked at what is happening on the field. I'm ticked as I look at the scoreboard and as a responsible citizen, as someone who should be under God -- because we're one nation under God, not alongside God or above God. We're one nation under God, but as people who love God and who want the best, we should be ticked."

Among things ticking him off, Young ticked off a litany of what he considered social ills affecting the United States:

-- Homosexuality. "God made man and woman to be together as husband and wife," Young said. "God did not create Adam to be with Steve but to be with Eve."

He said people at Fellowship Church love homosexuals but do not approve of their sexual behavior, "because God has said from cover to cover marriage is for one man, one woman in this covenant, in this commitment.

"I cannot believe that our nation is trying to redefine marriage," he added. "I'm all for everyone having equal rights, but when it comes to this institution called marriage, give me a massive break."

-- Abortion. Young recalled walking on a beach and reading a sign listing penalties for disturbing a nest of sea-turtle eggs. "We're really into protecting developing baby sea turtles," he said. "So our government is into that, but it's OK to take the lives of developing babies? It's OK to take the lives of 3,200 developing babies every 24 hours? What's right is now wrong. What's wrong is right."

-- Big government. Young said government is supposed to protect the people, but the U.S. bureaucracy has grown into a monster that he has nicknamed "Fedzilla."

"If you do something well, Fedzilla takes the profit, and then gives the profits ... to this big monster, and then hands out the profits to people, many of them who are able-bodied Americans, many of them who can work, who should hold a job, but who don't want to, who want to sit around, smoke weed, drink six-packs and play with their iPhones."

-- Immigration. "We have the Congress worrying about steroid use in baseball, when you've got terrorists crossing the border who want to blow us off the face of the map," he said.

-- The economy. "We're drowning in a sea of debt," he said. "This $700 billion bailout: I'm no economist, but isn't that sort of like giving booze to a recovering alcoholic?"

-- Socialism. "So many people in the media, the cultural elite, they like applaud, for example, Cuba," Young said. "Cuba's a wreck. Talk to anybody. Talk to a Cuban American who was there when a young man smoking a cigar took over.

"Socialism has wrecked and ruined that beautiful land," he continued. "Socialism is non-biblical. It scares me to death as I see this slide toward socialism."

Young urged listeners to tune in for the following week's sermon, in which, he promised, "I'm going to tell you who to vote for.

"Here's what a lot of people don't understand," Young explained. "The church has become more and more of a 'non-prophet' entity. But I'm excited. A lot of churches are becoming 'for-prophet.' The prophets of God -- the men and women of God -- are standing up and saying, 'Thus sayeth the Lord.'"

Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said he saw nothing wrong legally with Young's Oct. 12 sermon, but that Young would make a mistake if he endorses a candidate by name on Oct. 19.

Walker criticized the Alliance Defense Fund's recent "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" for endorsing candidates as "divisive, corrosive and unnecessary."

Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics, faulted Young for "preaching a low-sacrifice gospel, prioritizing a moral agenda for his church members, which costs them very little.

"Condemning gay marriage and abortion, denouncing the straw man of socialism and linking -- falsely -- immigration with terrorism require nothing from his audience," Parham said. "It simply feels good and feeds prejudice."

Jesus called for a "high-sacrifice gospel" of pursuing the Golden Rule, loving neighbor and seeking justice, Parham said. He hopes that in future sermons Young "will make those who are at ease in the Zion of negative uncomfortable with the broad, proactive moral vision found in the Bible," he added.

-30-

CBF field personnel minister among Middle Eastern group
By Carla Wynn Davis (408 words)

ATLANTA (ABP) -- Frank Morrow was in the Middle East doing relief work after a natural disaster when a local official asked, "Why do you do what you do? Why did you come?"

Morrow opened a paperback Bible and shared the story of Jesus. "Those moments are the open doors," Morrow said. "That's why we're there."

As Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel, Morrow and wife Karen have had many opportunities to share Christ among one of the most unreached people groups in the Middle East. Commissioned as strategy coordinators in 1996, the Morrows began ministering in Germany, where large numbers of Middle Eastern refugees had sought asylum.

The Morrows helped the refugees in whatever way they could, while learning their language and more about this people group, once strong but now repressed, persecuted and nearly forgotten. Their land had been stolen and their culture outlawed.

After 10 years in Germany, the Morrows returned to the United States, with their work based in Fort Worth, Texas. They concentrate on building partnerships with other ministry organizations and helping provide translated media, books and Bibles for distribution in the Middle East.

They also connect with CBF partner churches about ways in which congregations can connect with ministry in the Middle East. Churches can partner with the Morrows through prayer, financial support, or by going to a Middle Eastern country to serve among a largely unreached people group, where the gospel is slow to spread.

"We don't see mass conversions or quick change. It's a long process," Karen said. "For them to come to faith is a cutting off who they are. It's a disgrace to their family. They risk their life to [come to Christ]."

One husband and wife became Christians in Germany and have returned to the Middle East to start a church among their own people. Even though they're thousands of miles apart, Karen keeps in contact with the wife, a dear friend.

"I encourage her to keep the faith and to testify that God is at work and that God is alive. [She told me] 'I don't have another person like you who can share my deepest feelings and hurts with.' We're there to be that with people and to be that [presence] in their life," Karen said. "I feel the biggest part of our work is enabling others to do the work."

Editor's note: Specific names and locations of people groups are not included for security reasons.

-30-

Billy: The Early Years falls flat in box office
By ABP staff (240 words)

(ABP) -- A biopic about evangelist Billy Graham hit theaters with a thud its opening weekend Oct. 10-12, earning far less than other religion-themed movies like Fireproof and Bill Maher's agnostic comedy documentary Religulous.

Billy: The Early Years, directed by former teen-heartthrob actor Robby Benson, grossed an estimated $199,938 from 282 locations, an average of $709 per screen, according to Variety.

Another specialty film geared toward Christian audiences, meanwhile, enjoyed a third successful weekend at the box office. Fireproof, produced by a movie-making ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., grossed an estimated $3.2 million, bringing its total earnings to about $17 million. That's double the earnings of the last movie by Sherwood Pictures, Facing the Giants, in 2006.

Maher's Religulous, which takes a skeptical look at religion in general but is particularly hard on Christianity, fell 35 percent in its second weekend, but still managed to gross an estimated $2.2 million from 568 theaters. That brought the cumulative box office gross to $6.7 million.

Released by the Christian distributor Rocky Mountain Pictures, Billy: The Early Years focuses on Billy Graham's life as a teenager growing up on a farm in North Carolina. It continues through his young adulthood, when he burst onto the national scene as an evangelist who could draw thousands of people to his meetings, called "crusades."

It stars Armie Hammer, the 22-year-old great-grandson of industrialist and philanthropist Armand Hammer, in his first major acting role.

-30-

Opinion: Remembering how to be Jesus' people
David Gushee (862 words)

(ABP) -- This morning I was reading in 1 Peter 2, "Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk."

Think of every political ad you have watched in the last month. Think of the nature of some of the exchanges between John McCain and Barack Obama in last night's debate. Think of the hateful scenes emerging from the political rallies as the speakers whip up the anger of the true believers in the crowd. Think of the fierce and hateful shouting on talk radio. Consider the malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander you have witnessed. Try to find a trace of Jesus in any of it.

Or consider these words from Romans 12: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Live in harmony with one another. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Consider the vengeful, unharmonious, political knife fights that happen each day during this election season. Consider the escalating negativity and viciousness. Try to find a trace of Jesus in any of it.

The Bible places very high value on truthful speech. When Jesus taught us to "let your yes be yes and your no be no" (Mt. 5:37), he meant it. He was calling for his followers to speak the truth without manipulation, distortion or deceit. Political campaigns, especially this one in its late stages, attempt to gain some slight advantage by constant resort to manipulation, distortion and deceit, whether in the form of guilt-by-association, exaggeration of some small kernel of truth or character-defaming innuendo. Try to find a trace of Jesus in any of it.

Consider the claims of all four of our major candidates that they are Christians. That means they are all part of the Christian family, all brothers and sisters in Christ. Then consider these words from Philippians 2: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Secular politics has no tenderness and compassion. The rivals demonstrate no like-mindedness, no common love, no unity of spirit and purpose. Precisely because of selfish ambition and perhaps even vain conceit every effort is made to portray the self as better than the other, and to advance the interest of my party over the interests of the other party. Secular politics is most often the antithesis of the self-emptying love of a Savior who would leave heaven, assume the form of a servant and die a cruel death for his enemies. Just try to find a trace of Jesus in it.

Jesus said: "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Political campaigns at least in these waning days of the American Empire are most often about learning more and more reasons to hate our political enemies. We learn not just to disagree with our opponents' policies but to degrade their character and hate them. Just try to find a trace of Jesus in that.

The Christian Right organized itself a generation ago to "take back America for Christ," and eventually settled on a political strategy for winning its battle. Electing the right kind of Republicans would do it. Today one can find a smaller but parallel Christian Left organized to take back America from the (Republican) Christian Right, with a political strategy for winning its battle. Soldiers of Christ in truth arrayed, for God, Country and Party. And Jesus is nowhere to be seen.

This politicized strategy has swallowed up the mission of the church. It has repeatedly defamed the name of Christ. Its ugliness has obscured the beauty of Christ -- and slimed the Bride of Christ, his Church.

In attempting to use worldly means to achieve Christian goals the church has adopted the spirit and tactics of the world and lost its mission and identity. In the end, we did not make America more godly; we made the church more ungodly, thus hurting both the church and America. Just try to find a trace of Jesus in that.

The early church "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6) not by playing the world's game better than the world but by forming faithful communities that obeyed and imitated Jesus Christ. They embodied a better way to live (Jesus' way) and thus transformed their culture.

Insofar as "Christians" are just another political tribe playing the world's game in the world's way, we are the most wretched of people, and will face the sternest of judgments. We must leave this path behind and rediscover our original calling and identity as followers of Jesus.

-30-

-- David Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University.