Breaking Bread: Not My Own

As you come to this table today, you don't bring your own bread. This is not a potluck. The bread you eat is provided for you. Your cooking skills don't amount to much when compared with God's provision. This bread and wine is God's provision. Trust in it. We would not presume to eat of our own bread when His bread is delivered to us. Neither would we rob others of the opportunity to share in fellowship with us by bringing our own provision. No, we must partake of the community bread and cup. It is in this practice of…

February 28, 2006  |  Permalink   |  Comments (1)   |  TrackBack (0)

The Value and Impact of Stay-at-Home Moms

Last evening I was on the Al Mohler Radio Program with the topic of Stay-at-Home Moms. Some of you may have seen Linda Hirshman who appeared on ABC Good Morning America on this same topic. Unfortunately, she was coming from the other side of the issue. Hirshman believes that feminism has failed, in that it has not resulted in its real goal to empower women to attain the "elite" jobs that they had hoped. She says the reason for this is the rise in women who stay at home to raise their children. Mohler quoted Hirshman with this quote that…

February 24, 2006  |  Permalink   |  TrackBack (0)

Charlottesville PigFest

Charlottesville will be having it's first PigFest on the evening of Saturday, March 4th. Are you curious about what a PigFest is? This idea of a PigFest arose out of other small groups throughout history like Wilberforce's Clapham Sect, Franklin's Junto and C.S. Lewis' Inklings. These small groups brought about change in the world through their understanding of the times and their discussion of ideas that led to action. It is in this spirit that we will gather for our PigFest. More information on this historic movement is available at the PigFest Society website. What is required? Each person that…

February 22, 2006  |  Permalink   |  Comments (1)   |  TrackBack (0)

Mikveh

Repent for the Kingdom for God is here! As we hiked out into the desert on that hot September day, we did not know where we were going. We were like the Israelites wandering but for us it had only been 40 minutes not 40 years. As we continued to walk, we heard the rush of the water. It was a violent yet soothing sound in the hot desert. When we arrived at the water's edge, our Rabbi, RVL stepped in. He wait for everyone to gather at the edge of the water and began proclaiming the Kingdom. In those…

February 18, 2006  |  Permalink   |  TrackBack (0)

Contending, Not Defending

If Jesus is on the throne, should we be defending the doctrines or dogma or even our faith? Do we need to defend the King? Or are we called to be on the offensive? Pushing back darkness with Jesus' glorious light? I am now at the point where I no longer take it upon myself to defend the words of Jesus, after all, he is the King. When the King is on the throne it means he is ruling. In the case of Jesus, He is ruling. We must remember it isn't the infant, that Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes…

February 16, 2006  |  Permalink   |  TrackBack (0)

How Many Jesuses Do You Know?

As has been the topic of many chapters in McLaren's A Generous Orthodxy, there are many distortions of the true, whole, historic and real Jesus as well as His Message. McLaren details the various facets that people focus on with their Jesus. This is helpful to understand how people of diverse faith understand Jesus and the message that he brought 2000 years ago. What we really are after though is a realization of the true historic Jesus, the message that he brought 2000 years ago and how the listeners would have heard it then. That must be the primary goal…

February 15, 2006  |  Permalink   |  TrackBack (0)

Worldview: It Ain't What You Think...

How often have we reduced our worldview to what we think? To a catalog of intellectual assertions about various segmentations of life? Doug Wilson writes: Christians are accustomed to think that a worldview consists of the things that you think. What are your "views" about the world? What are your opinions about this and that? I am afraid that this is a very truncated view of what it means to have a worldview. We need to develop this at length some other time, but a worldview consists of your dogma, your manner of life, your story, and your symbols. What…

February 14, 2006  |  Permalink   |  Comments (7)   |  TrackBack (0)

Breaking Bread: The Exodus, New and Old

This Supper is a time of remembrance. We come together to remember the New Exodus. And, of course, we keep in mind the Old Exodus. That archetype of the Exodus we find ourselves in today. We eat the meal of the Paschal Lamb remembering the covenant promises of our God to take His people into a new land. This is not a land of weeping but a land of rejoicing. The table is not a table of weeping. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. Rejoice! Take heart, fellow sojourner; we are on our way to the…

February 09, 2006  |  Permalink   |  Comments (1)   |  TrackBack (0)

National Prayer Breakfast Closing

This is a continuation of my previous posts about the 54th Annual Prayer Breakfast... As the Prayer Breakfast drew to a close, Norm Coleman introduced the closing song by Point of Grace. The song they sang was Love is Waiting in the Wings. The main chorus of the song is : I believe – though God is out of sight He's working in the middle of all things Evil may have its time in the spotlight But love is waiting in the wings Love is always waiting in the wings When the finished singing there was heavy applause. Norm Coleman…

February 05, 2006  |  Permalink   |  Comments (1)   |  TrackBack (0)

54th Annual Prayer Breakfast continued...

This is a continuation of my previous narrative of the 54th Annual Prayer Breakfast... After Salazar and Vitter had spoken, Lincoln Davis gave a brief history of the Prayer Breakfast. One item of note was that in 1970 the name changed from Presidential Prayer Breakfast to National Prayer Breakfast to reflect the focus on the gathering and not the individuals involved. Lincoln Davis said that at this gathering we come together to celebrate faith. Again there was no mention of what we place our faith in. Davis is a co-host of the weekly congressional prayer breakfast and mentioned that the…

February 03, 2006  |  Permalink   |  TrackBack (0)

54th Annual Prayer Breakfast

I arrived at the event around 6:40 am. The early arrival was necessary to get all 4000 people through the security perimeter. Security was relatively easy to make your way through. They were well organized and did not have to put stuff through any X-Ray machines. Everyone packed fairly lightly and they had a coat check on the outside of the perimeter. No cameras were allowed in the event so I will not be providing any of my own photos. After meeting everyone at my table, we were seated and served a light continental breakfast at our seats. the event…

February 02, 2006  |  Permalink   |  TrackBack (0)

54th Annual Prayer Breakfast

This morning I am attending the 54th Annual National Prayer Breakfast. I will be updating later in the day with my observations. Norm Coleman will be hosting the Prayer Breakfast. FOX News is covering the story of the first Jew in memory to host this event. USA Today voices some of the concerns that people have expressed. Personally, I look forward to beseeching the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob along with Senator Coleman. May the Spirit move in our midst and guide our prayers. Unfortunately, Billy and Ruth Graham will not be in attendance this year. …

February 02, 2006  |  Permalink   |  Comments (3)   |  TrackBack (0)

My Experience in the Wilberforce Forum's Centurions Program

This evening I spoke at the Wilberforce Forum's Wilberforce Award Ceremony. The topic of my speech was on "How Did the Centurions Program Influence Me and Contribute to My Growth Over the Past Year?" I have included a transcript of my remarks below: Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman. I am privileged to tell you a bit of my story over the past year. During my time in the Centurions program I experienced growth and development within this community of fellow disciples. But I am getting ahead of myself; let me go back to the beginning of this part of my…

February 01, 2006  |  Permalink   |  TrackBack (0)