Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation holds Mass of Remembrance for Archbishop Sambi Wednesday

Archbishop Sambi was an avid supporter of the work of HCEF and a champion for peace. In 2009, he was the recipient of the HCEF Path of Peace Award in honor of his lifelong commitment to the cause of Peace in the Middle East.  Through his tireless personal efforts, HE  Sambi promoted peaceful reconciliation between Arabs and Israelis, and/or amongst Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Holy Land. The  Path of Peace honoree is an eminent statesman, clergyman or citizen of any country who is, locally or internationally, recognized as a visionary and humanist for this role.  Truly these words capture the epitome of Archbishop Sambi's character.    HCEF President Rateb Rabie conveyed his admiration for Archbishop Sambi and stated that "The HCEF Path of Peace Award" was also a heartfelt expression of HCEFs appreciation for his work, dedication and truly remarkable personal contributions he made toward building peace in a world troubled by unbelief and indifference. This world has lost a Godly man, great friend and true advocate for peace."   In his honor, HCEF is holding a mass at 8:00 am on Wedensday, August 24, 2011 at the Church of the Annunciation located at 3810 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20016.   A Memorial Massfor Archbishop Sambi will be held on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Greek

Filter

      A Presbyterian preacher yesterday referred to the 'Greek Filter'  in which as evangelism of the apostles spread to

the gentile world, which was 'greek' predominantly from the time of Alexander the Great, some church doctrine or dogma matters took on familiar widely accepted philosophic notions, and I would argue even from 

a governance perspective mutated to take on familiar structures of authority.  The gnostic gospels, considered inauthentic because they far post date the resurrection are case in point in development of incorporation of a greek dualism where

the material world is deemed evil and somehow extrinsic to the spirit world. This is a classically greek notion and Plato wrote on it. The Greek Gods were spirits, the jewish messiah however, deemed Divine, was a human.

The more Greek it became the less Jewish it looked. Jesus, however, is and was and ever shall be a Jewish man. So the more authentically Jewish the closer to the real Christ not the hellenized one.

     In terms of authority structure, the Jewish world had a Sanheidren, a body of Pharisees and Saduccees, which 

was a more consensus oriented structure than an 'empire' with one Ceasar at the top. The roman catholic church 

took on an authority structure which served it's expansion well throughout the world with a model of authority very linear

with only one Ceasar god-like figure at the head to which strict obedience was demanded and free thought 

suppressed- at times, brutally inquisition style .  The priests to this day wear roman aristocratic robes everywhere in the world, nevermind large parts of the world don't put men in dresses or robes any longer. 

The Augustinian monk reformed Martin Luther sought to make it more

like the first century church where Peter was one among many Apostles- and the conception of "petra" or you the rock, Cephas, upon which I build my church, referenced to the sort of building blocks with Christ himself as the 'cornerstone' 

that make a stone church as it were. The reference in that context meant, some argue, Peter as described and named by Jesus, is and was a foundation stone- and the reference to the keys to heaven are given to the collective church, not one seat of peter as it were. The binding on earth as in heaven reference is thus understood by protestants to refer to the ability of the body of christ and each member to bind on earth the same way each member in christ has authority to lay hands on the sick and heal or cast out demons in His name.

    The earlier church, closer to the Jewish authority model  had councils and Bishops and was modeled naturally more after the Jewish spiritual authority structure and it was not until after the fall of Constantinople when the church headquarters was moved to Rome that it took on a more

gentile notion of authority after a Ceasar or Alexander the Great model with near deification of the head as opposed to the priestly hierarchy of Jesus' time in the jewish world--which also had a chief priest, (Caiphas) who was not like a Pope or greek god figure. He was the head of the priests in the same way that there is a majority leader in the US Senate.

     This greekification or hellenization of church structure has caused the church problems- it has in the 'infallibility of the Pope' notion created almost a greek god of him.

     It clearly causes people to be oppressed if they differ in theological approach historically. It creates a blind loyalty to an emperor who is wrong on occasion when no one allows him to be.  It also translated into a royalty model, where the higher up one goes in clerical life, it takes on more worldly status complete with more elaborate robes and accoutrement- something the antithesis of Jesus's preaching.  Blind loyalty to authority structures that disallow free thinking is something that easily allows heresies to take root, and doctrine to evolve to protect the hierarchy. Hence, the 'scandal' and resistance to serious institutional changes to prevent it. 

It also allows some priests once elevated to become authoritarian, even when incredibly ignorantly wrong- to a point of abusiveness. There is no shortage of historic examples or even in modern times. 

     The church is being called to purify its ego. It insults Jesus when it operates from any place other than Love. Because God is not a Pope. God is Love.

    

    

 

Legal Journalism At Its Finest Hour

Watch this-it's all free

It's all good.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/141396/case-for-christ

Je Suis

POUR TOI

Je suis pour toi

mon ame, ma joie

je suis pour toi

n'importe quoi q'ils disent

Je suis pour toi

si tu est proche ou loin

Je suis pour toi

jusq'au fin

du monde

je le jure

main sur 

la bible.

I Love You

LONDON

Well Done!

I pinched that right off HRHs Facebook page.

London Bridges

Burning Down?

  

   Everyone please take a minute and pray for London. All of it. Especially those who feel so 

disaffected they are on a rampage. Pray that all their basic needs are met and everyone is

kind to each other. Just pray. Like this. Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread and Forgive Us

Our Trespasses as We Forgive Those Who Trespassed Against Us (and looted out shops, broke our windows and shot the dog.)

    Heaven help us all.

You First

Say You Are Sorry.

If you have something against your sister, leave your sacrifice at the altar and first make peace. 

How can you say you love God when you hate your neighbor?

  Ever hear of someone being so mad they see purple? Or their face turns purple? They can't imagine that they did anything to provoke what causes them the fury. They just see purple. 

If someone is in that state they need a diffuser mirror. An intermediary. A person who will calm them down, and allow them to self examine and self reflect. Look at yourself. Every energy has a consequence. How did that happen? WHAT DID I DO TO MAKE HER DO THAT?

   The power of life and death is in the tongue, it says in Proverbs.  

If you say -be the change you want to see in the world- say you are sorry. First. 

Don't wait till the other person figures out how they hurt you. 

   Interrupt yourselves with the sorry. Call first. If you can't because you still see purple, get a friend to call for you and schedule a meeting.

Like in Jerusalem. 

How can you say you love God when you hate your neighbor?

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil.
One said to the other, 'What do you think about all this Satan stuff?'
The other boy replied, 'Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out.
It's probably just your Dad.' 


~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother,
'Why is the bride dressed in white?''
The mother replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness,
And today is the happiest day of her life.'
The child thought about this for a moment then said,
'So why is the groom wearing black?' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could,
Trying not to be late for Bible class.
As she ran she prayed,
'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!'
While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell,
Getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress.
She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again!
As she ran she once again began to pray,
'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late...But please don't shove me either!' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers.
The first boy says, 'My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem,
They give him $50.'
The second boy says, 'That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper,
He calls it a song, they give him $100.'
The third boy says, 'I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper,
He calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

An elderly woman died last month.
Having never married, she requested no male pallbearers.
In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote,
'They wouldn't take me out while I was alive,
I don't want them to take me out when I'm dead.' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

A police recruit was asked during the exam,
'What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?'
He answered, 'Call for backup.' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem ..
A small child replied, 'They couldn't get a baby-sitter.' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to 'Honour thy father and thy mother,' she asked,
'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'
Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shall not kill..' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings.
Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him
how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.
Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill,  and she said, 'Johnny, what is the matter?' Little Johnny responded,
'I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife.' 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Women

At the well 

and quietly hemorrhaging. 

     Jesus has an encounter with two different women at two different times who were suffering

in two different ways. 

     One was at Jacob's well minding her own business and he asks her for water. He tells her everything about herself and she senses he must be some kind of prophet. He tells her that

she has had five husbands the guy she is  living with is not even her husband. He must have sensed a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. Why dump five husbands---he tells her he has

something that will completely satisfy and make her whole- and never will she thirst again, which may be a sort of metaphor for a perpetually dissatisfied life. 

She can't get no satisfaction. Until she met Jesus. She is then turned into an evangelist because she runs and tells the whole town about the guy who knows everything about her and offers something that will quench her soul's thirst forever. 

   This woman was surely the town slut- five husbands, give me a break. Lucky to have one.

After this encounter with Jesus, no longer. She is then the herald of the great news. 

  There is another woman he met not quite on purpose whom he nonetheless made whole. This woman too was a town outcast likely. She suffered a medical condition of the perpetual issuance of blood, which likely was a female disorder, not unknown or even too uncommon, 

in which she perpetually had some flow of a mensus. Probably a light flow that never went away.

     As it was ritually unclean for any man to have relations for anyone in this state she was likely not married. She had the condition for 12 years. If she was at one time married her husband likely left her- and one can only image the heartache she lived with and under.

    She just gets a glimpse of his robe and grabs it with the extreme faith that merely touching him he could make her well. Immediately he felt a power flow from him, an energy, and it cured her. Immediately. She was made whole immediately. Miracle-but also every day stuff for Jesus, because the power of all creation is within him in perfection. 

   So this woman who struggled with heartache, loss probably, disappointment and anger  probably, who spent all her money on doctors, so she was broke, met Jesus and was restored 

to humanity where she could have a family, have a husband and likely then could conceive children.  

   Jesus cared profoundly about making women whole, satisfied, and dignified, restored to places of honor in society and with potential for healthy families.

If we all could only follow suit. Who would ever stop talking about him.

Frozen Chosen

Presbyterian Wisdom

Worth listening to.

Sunday August 21, 2011   10:00 a.m. Worship "Transforming the World" Text: Romans 12:1-8  John Wimberly preaching                         At times, the church has taught a dualism that devalues the reality of the world.   As a result, things such as material possessions, money and human sexuality have  been viewed as temptations rather than gifts.   Can we love God and the world at the same time?

This Week at Western                   Sunday           August 21st      9:30 a.m.         Nursery Care & Childcare Ages 5+                         and Up    Room 101 10:00 a.m.       Worship 11:00 a.m.       Hospitality (N-S) 11:15 a.m.       Summer Documentary Series:  Bullied        On the Horizon   Great Films After Summer Worship August 21st   BULLIED: a Student, a School, a Case that made History is a powerful documentary created by the Southern Poverty Law Center, about the precedent-setting ruling that school administrators have a duty to protect gay and lesbian students from bullying and harassment. In 1993, 17-year-old Jamie Nabozny stood up for his rights and brought awareness and protection to all youth.This story is important for parents, friends and educators who care about LGBT children and teens.  Brought to you by Western's Open Doors leadership.

     

Let the Sun Shine

Let The Sun Shine In

    http://energy.aol.com/2011/08/13/completely-off-the-grid/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%7C87592

Here is an article about a guy in New Jersey. Jersey Guy. He found out a way to put solar cells on a roof and

around his yard that makes enough electricity for his personal consumption and 

more to sell to the grid then stores it for the winter and transfers heat into hydrogen

tanks.

Ingenious. American genius. That's what I'm tawkin about.

Why isn't everyone doing it? Well, not everyone has a house (one in eight remember are in some foreclosure stage)

and not everyone with a house has enough yard for huge hydrogen tanks. Also there is something called the

Oil and Gas Lobby and political will on its won't.

Energy security means we don't have to fight wars over fossil fuel. And really folks, we don't. We have

everything we need here, if only we had capacity to harnass it and allocated R&D funding appropriately.

The cells that now cover a whole roof might someday be able to be much smaller capturing more heat...

No telling, but if we have what we all need here, we don't need to be killing anyone or getting killed digging

in foreign sands.

What happened to the plans for the White House solar panels? AND EVERY GOVERNMENT BUILDING???

What is the American public doing paying for electricity when the government has building square footage such

that the roofs support solar powering the entire government. What is the Fed's PEPCO bill that you are paying?

With this debt we can't afford Not to be Green any longer.

GOT GREEN?

A remarkable story.

Share this. it's inspiring beyond words.

http://www.vishay.com/landingpage/zandman/co_drz_video.html

From someone who admits openly

His best secretary is gay.

On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox
Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22,
and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.

The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a U.S.
man, and posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have
learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that
knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the
homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them
that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of
debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of
God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female,
provided they are from neighboring nations.
A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians.
Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus
21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her
period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24.
The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take
offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors.
They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2
clearly states he should be put to death.
Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do
it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality.
I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a
defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses.
Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around
their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27.
How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me
unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different
crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments
made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend).
He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we
go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them?
Lev.24:10-16.
Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do
with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable
expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus,
Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
University of Virginia

P.S. It would be a damn shame if we couldn't own a Canadian.

jesus saves

and so do these people.

http://www.afsp.org/

Did you know that there is an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

They hold walks across the country and they are advertised in the DC -Maryland subway.

Priests might consider joining this effort and promoting it in their parishes.

Run for your Wives!

The Anglican ordinariate married episcopalian priest is

  an "aberation?"    http://www.patheos.com/community/deaconsbench/2011/05/04/married-priests-a-temporary-aberration/

Try telling that one to your wife over dinner. Sorry honey, the Pope says

we are an aberation. pack your bags, I am sending you off to live with

your mother because we can't be 'conjugal' any more. The latent

homosexual cardinali fighting gay marriage litigation don't like it.

    

Yet another reason to like Church-State non establishment principles in 

the US Constitution.  This revenge for Becket's death on the Church of 

England can only travel so far across the pond.

The Mis-Universality of Accommodationism

And the Rules that Bind Unholily

     I go to a parish often that some might call somewhat 'preppy' where the nun wears a suit, 

sometime a nice donated designer suit and the priests wear what you would see anyone

wearing at a yaght club sometimes without their collar, because that is what the rest

of the people they serve wear. It is an accommodation to more easily reach people and

not put distance unnecessarily between them. 

   

  There are other parishes which are largely hispanic where the social hours and festival events

are met with the finest TexMex foods, because that pleases the people and accommodates 

their tastes. Why serve up Lasagna if they prefer Quesadillas?

These people listen to priests who look like traditional priests and have a firmly fastened white collar on.   If you sent one of my yaght going pretty priests to them they might not think he conveys the same authority.

     If you served up Foie Gras, frogs legs and ducks livers to a parish of El Salvadorans or Guatemalans they would think you are trying to poison them or at least, that's not particularly

nice. 

   The communication of God's love for people is culture sensitive. 

The Albigensians who followed an ancient form of dualistic gnostic denial of matter's worth, deeming-- a la platonic realm of the forms, --the material world the creation of the evil master of the universe and the spirit world only the creation of God thus disdained procreation and marriage wouldn't listen to a married priest. So for the sake of 'the kingdom' then, it is appropriate to not be married to missionize to such a group. That particular group. As is the case in lots of institutionalizations, a practice becomes a dogma then even a theology. It is improper  extension of an accommodation into a universality or worse, some universal truth that can then be exploited for institutional ends. 

It is not however a proper or effective communication of God's love to win hearts, minds or souls, of communities prospering in marriage in procreation to plant a priest with firm convictions that the 'kingdom of god' is served only in celibacy. It is a theological mis-transplantation. 

      It is a theological mis-transplantation that has gone around the world. 

Until a former Augustinian Monk decided he had enough and knew it was a crock, and half the Christian world threw it off as inappropriate-you know who he is- Martin Luther. 

   Stop serving Lasagna instead of Quesadillas, he essentially felt.  And he married a former Nun and had five children, and started a reform movement that claims now half of Christendom in some denominational form. 

 Bout time someone woke up there in Citta Vaticani 

     

Lets assume that the verse in Matthew has not be tailed retranscribed by the dominican scribes and is an accurate translation of the eunichs for the kingdom principle that some can accept. It still does not mandate the universality of cross the board eunichfication of everyone serving the kingdom as priests. There is an appropriateness qualifier implicit in it. No one told the Ethiopian eunich that he was the new  model of priesthood. We don't even know his name. He isn't a saint because he is a eunich. 

     Mutiliation is what the prophets of false Baal were famous for.   God had Elijah slay them all.

It mocks circumcism demonically.