Cold Water

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A moving video on Psalm 88 created by Bart Roberts who blogs at emergentHouston.

Technorati Tags: Water, Baptism, Music Video, Sermon, Psalms

Four

Four Fingers Do Not a Hand Make
Originally uploaded by squishband.

"Four Fingers Do Not a Hand Make."

But four does mean no more ordination exams to take.

Technorati Tags: Ordination Exams, Presbyterian Church (USA)

Friends Overlooking the Earth

I don't think I ever posted this shot of some seminary friends. The picture was made from an amazing viewpoint located above the Monastery at Petra (Jordan). From here, we could gaze into the Negev in Southern Israel. © 2006 by Christopher Drew

Friends Overlooking the Earth Originally uploaded by whatnext.

Technorati Tags: Friends, Middle East, Jordan

The Holy Bath

From Paulgi: "The traditional festival in São Bartolomeu do Mar, occurs through out August and culminates on the 24th with the famous “Banho Santo” (Holy Bath), which the locals believe has the power to protect children’s health and alleviate sickness."

05CD36368 Originally uploaded by Paulgi.

Technorati Tags: Baptism

Sting

Ouch.

In his 1908 masterpiece Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton explored the phenomenon of modern theologians who deny the reality of sin. "The strongest saints and the strongest skeptics alike took positive evil as the starting point of their argument," Chesterton wrote. "If it be true (as it certainly is) that a man can feel exquisite happiness skinning a cat, then the religious philosopher can make one or two deductions. He must either deny the existence of God, as all atheists do; or he must deny the present union between God and man, as all Christians do. The new theologians seem to think it a highly rationalistic solution to deny the cat."

There are no cats in The Conservative Soul, the new book by Andrew Sullivan. There is, however, tautology, narcissism, and enough moral relativism to light Manhattan for ten years.

Technorati Tags: Orthodoxy

Number 37

πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
(Matt 28:19 NRSV)

Today is the 37th anniversary of my baptism into the Body of Jesus Christ.

Technorati Tags: Baptism

Australian Opinion

George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, writing opinion for The Australian:

Australians are entitled to an answer from me on controversial Catholic or Christian teachings. And we Australians are entitled to specific answers from our friends on aspects of Islamic teaching, for example on the Suras of the Sword 9:5 and 9:36 in the Koran. It is disappointing when such requests or criticisms are met only by accusations of ignorance or abuse, while the specific points are studiously avoided.

Reciprocity is a fundamental notion in our dialogue with Islam: not in the sense of promising evil for evil, not an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but as a requirement that the civil rights we extend to all here are also to be extended to Christian minorities in all Islamic countries. This is presently not the case.

More here.

Technorati Tags: Christianity, Islam, Dialogue