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Marvin Orlasky, of World Magazine and The Kings College, gives his
thoughts on the economy in light of the realty of Christmas. I found it very encouraging.
We have often been asked (usually after a mailing or phone calling campaign) by people who have a misinformed idea about the establishment clause of the
Bill of Rights how the Toms River School District can rent to a religious institution such as our church. It was
Child Evangelism Fellowship that won the landmark
case in the United States Supreme Court that established the equal access
rule. Now CEF has won another significant ruling that protects the free speach right of churches and prevents schools and other public institutions from discriminating against them.
Read about it
here. If you are a church renting a school, you need to know about these rulings.
equal access constitution bill of rights cef
I have had a sense that people whose vote is informed by their faith are losing their interest in Obama. This
report by George Barna backs that up.
obama mccain barna election2008
I have been following the sad story of
Steven Curtis Chapman's family tragedy of losing their youngest daughter
Maria in a terrible acciendent. This past week, Steven and his family spoke about the tragedy of the
accident that took Maria Chapman's life and how God has sustained them through it. The videos speak for themselves.
What an authentic testimony of hope in the midst of grief. These people are really "real".
Watch the family's appearance on Larry King Live
here.
steven curtis chapman scc chapman chapman
Caution: there is reference to a donkey in the beginning of this video that some consider a profanity.
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jibjab politics election campaign
I read about something called the Gratitude Campaign this morning.
It is a trend started by a man from Seattle that pays respect to soldiers in uniform when they are in public places like airports. It all starts with a hand signal that you can do anytime you see a soldier in uniform. The signal is a new way to thank soldiers for their service without having to interrupt them or make them feel uncomfortable.
I found this YouTube video about the campaign that was posted by the Gratitude Campaign. I think this is an awesome idea. As the video says, its not about politics its about service
gratitude campaign service militiary thankyou
I believe that the shedding of innocent blood is one of the great sins that our nation must repent of if revival is to come to our land. There are others as well, but this one is high on the list. No societal transforming revival has ever taken hold of a nation without the nation engaging in national repentence for the institutionalized sin that have become part of the nation. If you want to understand this better, read the minor prophets where the prophets rail against the institutionalized sins of Israel and call that nation to repentence. This is why a candidate for President's stand on abortion and other issues regarding a consistent ethic of life are so important to me. With this in mind I came across a timely article that reminds me of the what is really in Barrack Obama's heart regarding these issues. I share experts and a link to the article for your information.
The Audacity of Death
By DANIEL ALLOTT
June 5, 2008
According to Barack Obama, Gianna Jessen shouldn't exist.
Miss Jessen is an exquisite example of what antiabortion advocates call a "survivor." Well into her third trimester of pregnancy, Gianna's biological mother was injected with a saline solution intended to induce a chemical abortion at a Los Angeles County abortion center. Eighteen hours later, and precious minutes before the abortionist's arrival, Gianna emerged. Premature and with severe injuries that resulted in cerebral palsy. But alive.
Had the abortionist been present at her birth, Gianna would have been killed, perhaps by suffocation. As it was, a startled nurse called an ambulance, and Gianna was rushed to a nearby hospital, where, weighing just two pounds, she was placed in an incubator, then, months later, in foster care.
Gianna survived then, and thrives now, because, as she told me recently with a laugh, "I guess I don't die easy." Which is what the abortionist might have thought as he signed his victim's birth certificate. Gianna's medical records state that she was "born during saline abortion."
As an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama twice opposed legislation to define as "persons" babies who survive late-term abortions. Babies like Gianna. Mr. Obama said in a speech on the Illinois Senate floor that he could not accept that babies wholly emerged from their mother's wombs are "persons," and thus deserving of equal protection under the Constitution's 14th Amendment.
A federal version on the same legislation passed the Senate unanimously and with the support of all but 15 members of the House. Gianna was present when President Bush signed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act in 2002.
When I asked Gianna to reflect on Mr. Obama's candidacy, she paused, then said, "I really hope the American people will have their eyes wide open and choose to be discerning. . . . He is extreme, extreme, extreme."
Read more here . . .
obama abortion Gianna Jensen
I traveled this week to western Pennsylvania to pick up my Becca from Grove City College for Easter break. I drove out there with Matt and Bria on Thursday. We arrive in time to attend "Warriors for Christ" with Becca. This organization states its purpose is
"to usher in God’s Spirit of revival on campus" through prayer and praise and worship gatherings. It was really awesome to join 100s of students in the school's beautiful chapel and hear them praising God. One song that I heard before really caught my attention. It is the song "Hosanna" by Brooke Fraser. One line from the song gave me real hope that God is stirring the hearts of our youth.
I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees
My prayer is that God usher in his Spirit at Grove City and on campuses across the nation.
Almost 20 years ago Christine and I moved down the shore from North Jersey to plant a church. I had been involved in starting up two other ministries while continuing to pastor our local church. Neither of them involved putting it all on the line as this new venture would. This time we left the security of a parsonage, a church building, a salary and a group of people that loved us for the pioneering of a new church from scratch--no people, no money, only a dream. The denomination that we were part of at the time gave us their blessing and said, if you come up with anything maybe we'll throw some support your way.
It was the right time to start a church in Northern Ocean county. At that time, the county was one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S.A. We could have picked up property in our target area for about $150,000 that is now going for over a million. We packed all our earthly belongings and our two preschool age children into the moving van and made the treck down the Garden State Parkway. I didn't have a stable job, or even a permanent place to live. We moved into my sister's house in Ocean Grove which was vacant for the winter, and I was a "tent-maker", making a few bucks to put food on the table by being a public speaker for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
We started the church on Palm Sunday about six months after our move down the shore. Three years later, the congregation met on another Palm Sunday to vote the church out of existence. It was the painful culmination of three years of conflict, missed opportunities and failed leadership.
Why, you may be asking, are you dredging up all this painful stuff up after all these years. Well this morning I opened the paper and stumbled upon the obituary of one of the primary leaders of the faction in our church plant that opposed the direction our church was going and lead to its closure. This individual had written a letter that circulated around our congregation that had been very critical of me in the most personal way, focusing on such things as my struggle with my weight and the kind of clothes I wore.
The individual was not even 60 years old at the time of death. As I read the obituary, I realized that this person's life had been visited by some profound tragedies after their brief time in our church. I also realized that my interactions with this individual had been based on assumptions about the person's spiritual condition that may not have been true.
I think the most interesting thing about this obituary for me personally is that it came across my desk the Sunday after I gave a talk on the subject of "relationship fitness" which focused on our need to forgive people who have hurt us. I talked about how unforgiveness puts up a wall in our hearts and hinders revival and the presence of the Holy Spirit. As I read about the individual's life of triumphs and sorrows, I realized that the person probably rarely thought about me or the pain that was caused by the actions taken 20 years ago even though i have thought about the individual and those painful events many times over the years. I came to understand in a very personal way how true it is that unforgiveness hurts us more than it hurts the person who has wronged us.
I felt God was saying to me, "Find the unforgiveness that still lives in your heart and kill it once and for all--tear down the wall that keeps you from having true intimacy with Me." After I read the obituary I thought about the Psalms of David in which he prays down judgment on his adversaries. I suppose I could have had a feeling of vindication about this person's tragedies and untimely death. I did not. I just felt sad. I was sad for all kinds of reasons, but mainly because I never really reconciled with this person while they were still on this earth. Maybe we will have the chance to do this in heaven.
I suppose it is a risky thing to post such a personal expose' of my feeling and failures, especially if you are a member of SonRise reading this or someone who is thinking of visiting our church. All I can say is, this is me--warts and all. Please be patient with me--God is not finished with me yet.
Read why the Giant's winning the Super Bowl tonight staved off the Apocalypse
here.
NY Giants Super Bowl champions
Dozens of people were killed in a suicide bombing attack in Baghdad yesterday. The method of attack illustrates the depth of evil human beings can sink to when under the kind of demonic delusion afflicting the Jihadis the west has been at war with for the past decade of so. As quoted by the
Washington Post:
Two mentally disabled women strapped with remote-control explosives _ and possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers _ brought carnage to the two pet bazaars, in attacks Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said sought to "turn Baghdad back to the pre-surge period."
God have mercy on us!
Iraq mentally challenges bombers terrorism
Today I have learned the reality of this truth--God Is An On Time God. Chrisitne and I have been faced with a financial deadline and God has provided in a miraculous way, just in time.
One of my favorite people is Cathy Benjamin, the music director for
Camp Spofford, a wonderful place we go each summer that has played a huge roll in our family's spiritual development. Cathy lost here husband suddenly to a heart attack a few years ago. I have a vivid image of her standing in front of chapel the summer after his death, joyfully singing the song "He's An On Time God." When God met this need for us, out of the blue, it brought this song to my heart! May you find that He's an on time God for you as well.
He's An On Time God
Chorus:
Lead: He's an on time God, Yes he is Oh.........
Choir: On time God...... Yes he is
Lead: Job said
Choir: He may not come when you want him
Lead: But He'll
Choir: Be there right on time
Lead: I'll tell ya he's an
Choir: On time God, yes he is
Lead: You can ask the children of Israel, trapped at the red sea, by that mean old Pharoah, and his army. They had water all around them, and Pharoah on their track. From out of nowhere, God stepped in and cut a highway, just like that, now let me tell you he's an...
(Chorus)
Lead: You can ask the five thousand, hungry souls he fed, on the banks of the river, with two fish and five loaves of bread, what a miracle, he performed for the multitude, Oh what he did, way back then he'll do today for me and you.
Repeat Chorus
Lead: He's on time
Choir: On Time
praise provision Jehovah Jireh
An interview with Barack Obama was published in
Christianity Today. Here is what he says about the issue of abortion in the C.T. article:
I don't know anybody who is pro-abortion. I think it's very important to start with that premise. I think people recognize what a wrenching, difficult issue it is. I do think that those who diminish the moral elements of the decision aren't expressing the full reality of it. But what I believe is that women do not make these decisions casually, and that they struggle with it fervently with their pastors, with their spouses, with their doctors.
Our goal should be to make abortion less common, that we should be discouraging unwanted pregnancies, that we should encourage adoption wherever possible.
Compare this statement with his other public statements posted to this blog
here and
here.
Which begs the question, so which is Obama? I am sick of being pandered to by dishonest politicians.
obama pro-abortion roe v. wade christianity today pro-life
These are the sad words of Barrack Obama. affirming for all who have ears, his commitment to assure the continued dominance of the culture of death in America.
Thirty-five years after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, it’s never been more important to protect a woman’s right to choose. Last year, the Supreme Court decided by a vote of 5-4 to uphold the Federal Abortion Ban, and in doing so undermined an important principle of Roe v. Wade: that we must always protect women’s health. With one more vacancy on the Supreme Court, we could be looking at a majority hostile to a women’s fundamental right to choose for the first time since Roe v. Wade. The next president may be asked to nominate that Supreme Court justice. That is what is at stake in this election.
Throughout my career, I’ve been a consistent and strong supporter of reproductive justice, and have consistently had a 100% pro-choice rating with Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America.
When South Dakota passed a law banning all abortions in a direct effort to have Roe overruled, I was the only candidate for President to raise money to help the citizens of South Dakota repeal that law. When anti-choice protesters blocked the opening of an Illinois Planned Parenthood clinic in a community where affordable health care is in short supply, I was the only candidate for President who spoke out against it. And I will continue to defend this right by passing the Freedom of Choice Act as president. . . .
But we also know that Roe v. Wade is about more than a woman’s right to choose; it’s about equality. It’s about whether our daughters are going to have the same opportunities as our sons. And so to truly honor that decision, we need to update the social contract so that women can free themselves, and their children, from violent relationships; so that a mom can stay home with a sick child without getting a pink slip; so that she can go to work knowing that there’s affordable, quality childcare for her children; and so that the American dream is within reach for every family in this country. This anniversary reminds us that it’s not enough to protect the gains of the past–we have to build a future that’s filled with hope and possibility for all Americans.
Yes, I know that abortion is not the only issue believers should be concerned about, but how any person praying for a return to a consistent ethic of life in our country could support for this man is beyond me.
obama pro-abortion roe v. wade consistent ethic of life pro-life
I heard on the radio today that today, the Monday of last fall week of January, is know as
Blue Monday. According to the psychologsit who invented Blue Monday, it is the most depressing day of the year. The reason for this is the convergence of a bunch of bad stuff, including: "weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action."
I woke up this morning feeling blue not realizing that today was indeed, Blue Monday. In addition to all the bad stuff listed above, Christine and I are feeling blue because our two oldest kids are heading back to college after an awesome Christmas break. Becca left yesteday and Rob leaves this evening.
We really had an awesome time with the whole family, and both Rob and Becca were really engaged with the family. It seems like our relationship has reached a new and more adult level.
The circles of life keep turning and I know that it always comes around to wonderful days of joy and laughter. However, I miss the days of little kids running around and bed time songs and prayers and today especially, I am not too thrilled about getting older and seeing my house be a little bit emptier. Happy Blue Monday!
blue monday
For the two or three of you who read this blog that are not from New Jersey, let me explain. Governor Corzine has proposed a
solution to New Jersey's fiscal problems that involves raising the current 35 cent Parkway toll to close to $2.00 over the next 6 years. That means for me to visit my wife's family in North Jersey it will go from $2.40 round trip in tolls to $16.00 round trip in tolls. What? Is he crazy?
The benefit of this toll increase will be to cut the state debt in half and fund the Transportation Trust Fund for the next 75 years, or so we are told. Of course it will also mean the creation of New quasi-government agency (similar to the current regional water authorities that are in most parts of the state). The start up cost to this agency is $35 million dollars.
I was thinking about some of the other down sides of this proposal as a person living at the Jersey Shore. One area that will have will be greatly impacted is
shore tourism. Will the increase in tolls result in fewer people coming down the shore for a summer weekend or for a day trip? Day trippers will need to put $16-30 out of pocket just to get to the beaches and the boardwalks. That is before paying for parking and beach access. They will have that much less money to spend on rides, arcades and food during their evening boardwalk stroll. There will be that much less money per car load going into our local economy.
Of course we locals love to complain about the
bennies and look forward to September every summer when we can get our beaches back. Let's face it though--our economy does depend on that annual influx of North Jersey and New York money.
Another negative impact is that the toll increase will result in a major shift in travel patterns. People who hop on the toll roads for a one or two exit ride as a way of getting off congested local roads will stop doing that. Already over burdened local roads will become even more overloaded. For instance in my town, which has a terribly congested local road problem, I hop on the parkway and pay 35 cents every morning to take my kids to school. If that toll gets hicked to $2.00, no way will I do that anymore. So you can add to the local roads every parent who is taking that short cut (and I know quite a few of them) at a time when our roads are most congested.
There has got to be a better way to solve our states problems. I have grown very appreciate for the insights of Steve Lonegan's Americans for Prosperity organization. Today he published an article entitled
Governor Corzine Asked for a Better Plan--Here It Is! I would really encourage you to read it. Even if you do not agree with Lonegan's political philosophy, at least this article shows that there is another way to fix the problems of our state rather than increasing the cost of living and working in this state dramatically, the net result of which will be to drive even more people out of this state.
I have lived in New Jersey all my life. I love our state. I don't want to to have to leave.
corzine
toll hikes
New Jersey
taxes
Garden State Parkway
For the past five or so years I have likened my position regarding renewal and revival as being like a surfer. (Guess it is because of where we live). Anyway, a surfer paddles around out in the deep scanning the horizon for signs of a wave. When he spots it he waits for it to role in, paddles down the front and catches the wave. For the past five years, I have been in the paddling around face of surfing the "wave of renewal". Having been profoundly touched by God almost ten years ago now during the "Father's Blessing" move, it would have been tempting to ride that wave into the shore line and just chill out on the beach, but I paddled back into the deep and have been scanning the horizon for the next move of God.
In the past few months I have felt deeply moved to begin praying earnestly for revival. Revival for me personally, for our church in Toms River and for the church in the US and around the world. I have found out that I am not the only one. J. Lee Grady's January 2, 2008 Fire in My Bones newsletter was entitled:
A Desperate Cry for Revival in 2008. I would encourage you to read it (click on the link and get the January 2nd issue from the dorp down menu). In it he outline five things that he is praying toward in 2008:
- The fear of God
- Integrity and purity in the church
- A return to evangelism
- Godly leadership
- A national spiritual awakening
Lee began this year by participating in a 21 day "Daniel Fast" along with thousand of other leaders and ministries around the country under the
Awakening America Alliance, a new organization dedicated to pursuing Spiritual Awakening in America.
So I am asking myself the question as I paddle around in the deep. Is a new wave of renewal on the horizon? May it be, Lord!
renewal revival prayer daniel fast awakening america alliance
Here is the meat of the article:
Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion presidential candidate ever.
He is so pro-abortion he refused as an Illinois state senator to support legislation to protect babies who survived late-term abortions because he did not want to concede -- as he explained in a cold-blooded speech on the Illinois Senate floor -- that these babies, fully outside their mothers' wombs, with their hearts beating and lungs heaving, were in fact "persons."
"Persons," of course, are guaranteed equal protection of the law under the 14th Amendment.
Read the whole thing here:
He is the most pro-abortion candidate ever.
Tomorrow I will be part of a team to launch a new campus of King of Kings community church. I'll let you know how that goes. I am doing the music via what I call "iPod Worship". Since we don't know who is showing up we are including a couple of restylized hymns. I found a version of "Just As I Am" done by
Brian Doerksen, my all time favorite worship leader. Anyway, as I was working on it I became aware of the words of this profoundly simple gospel hymn for the first time all over again. Ever have that happen to you? Here are the words.
Charlotte Elliott
Just as I am without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me to come to Thee
O Lamb of God I come I come
Just as I am and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot
O Lamb of God I come I come
Just as I am though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt
Fighting within and fears without
O Lamb of God I come I come
Just as I am poor wretched blind
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need in Thee I find
O Lamb of God I come I come
Just as I am Thou wilt receive
Wilt welcome pardon cleanse and relieve
Because Thy promise I believe
O Lamb of God I come I come
brian doeksen hymn lyrics
Peace on earth?
Seven people were injured on Thursday when Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests came to blows in a dispute over how to clean the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Following the Christmas celebrations, Greek Orthodox priests set up ladders to clean the walls and ceilings of their part of the church, which is built over the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born.
But the ladders encroached on space controlled by Armenian priests, according to photographers who said angry words ensued and blows quickly followed.
For a quarter of an hour bearded and robed priests laid into each other with fists, brooms and iron rods while the photographers who had come to take pictures of the annual cleaning ceremony recorded the whole event.
A dozen unarmed Palestinian policemen were sent to try to separate the priests, but two of them were also injured in the unholy melee.
via
Stand Firm
christmas bethlehem palestine church of the nativity violence
What a great pre-Christmas piece of news. Peter Jackson will direct a motion picture production of "The Hobbit". Read about it
here.
As many of you know who attend SonRise know, Gary, our associate pastor came back from the Values Vote Summit jazzed for Mike Hukabee. As a matter of fact, as I write this Gary and Joan are sitting in the snows of New Hampshire helping out with the
Huckabee Campaign.
I myself have felt pretty burnt out on politics. I have had a sinking feeling for a number of years now that the conservative values voters represented by the "evangelical vote" have been used by the Republican Party to promote an agenda that is not particularly moral in terms of economic and foreign policy.
However, I have to say now that the more I get to know Mike Huckabee, the more he exicites me. This quote from a
Time Magazine article, that was not particulary pro-Huckabee sums up my interest in him.
Part of the reason for his campaign's success may be that it reflects new currents in evangelical thought. Younger Evangelicals oppose abortion even more than their elders do, but they are also more likely to believe that the protection of the environment and the alleviation of poverty are moral concerns that demand a political response. While Huckabee is the most ardent social conservative of the top Republican candidates, he is also the one who takes the economic anxieties of the lower middle class most seriously.
A wonderful interview that really makes the case for Mike Huckabee for anyone who espouses a "
consistent ethic of life" was published today in
Catholic Online. It is a great read not only for the insight it provides on Huckabee, but also because the interviewer, Deacon Keith Fournier, give an excellent overview of Catholic (and I would say Christian) social teaching. One of the great passages from Deacon Keith is this:
We were recently instructed by our Bishops to inform our conscience with the truths presented to us in Catholic social teaching and then to exercise our citizenship accordingly.
This Social teaching is not “left” or “right”, “liberal”, “conservative” or “neo-conservative.” It is also not only for Catholics, other Christians or even just “religious people”. It is for all people, offered by the Church to all who seek to build a truly just society. It is called “social” because it speaks to human society and to the formation, role and rightful place of social institutions.
This provides a wonderfully instructive way forward for clergy who are concerned about morality as to how to help their congregations exercise the obligations of citizenship.
A touching insight into the Governor's personal life is found in this passage:
My wife, Janet, and I celebrated our thirty-third wedding anniversary this past May. For us, every anniversary is a miracle. When we were both twenty and married just over a year, when I was in my last semester of college, Janet was diagnosed with cancer of the spine.
I can't tell you what a stunning blow it was - two kids just starting out, you don't think something like that can happen when you're so young. Yet there we were, staring death in the face.
At first, they told us that even if she lived, she might be paralyzed from the waist down, so I'd be a young man with an invalid wife. After I learned she wouldn't be paralyzed, I was told that because of the radiation she had to receive following surgery, we'd probably never have children. I wanted children very much, I couldn't imagine never being a father.
During that time, a lot of things went through my mind. But one thing never did - the thought of leaving her. If Janet were in a wheelchair today, if we'd never had children, I can tell you this - she would still be my wife.
We have a loving and merciful God, and I want you to know that Janet and I did have three children – John Mark, David and Sarah."
I am beginning to believe that Governor Huckabee. One of the things that has been interesting to me over the years is to see how the elites of this country on both the left and right really do not understand what motivates people of faith. They have characterized us a backwoods bumpkins who are motivated by hate and fear. What Huckabee is exposing who the real haters and fearful ones are. Here's a clue--many of them live on the Upper East Side of a nearby city and get a paycheck with initals NRO on it.
huckabee primary prolife republican consistant ethic catholic
I enjoy Norwegian Christmas Eve by adoption rather than by heritage having married into a Viking Clan. In our family, as in most families of Scandinavian decent, Christmas Eve is a time for the extended family to gather, usually at Grandma Glady's house, to enjoy the family, sing Christmas Carols, read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke and enjoy a delicious Christmas smorgasbord. As our family has grown to include other ethnic groups (including me) the smorgasbord has come to include lasagna, salad (for the vegans in our midst) and other non-Scandinavian recipes, but there is always some Norwegian sole food. Christine usually brings the Creamed Herring and Carol the Kjottkaker (meatballs) which are highlights among other main dishes. Thankfully, we have never had to endure the horror of Lutefisk, a dish made from dried cod fish reconstituted in a solution of water and lye. Although it is traditional in many Norwegian families, it never was in Pierce home. The main attraction for Christmas Eve is the sweets. There is always a grand assortment of cookies including Sandkaker, Spritz, Serinakaker, and Krumkaker. Lingenberry jam and whipped cream are on hand to enrich the cookies. Sometimes someone has made it over to Brooklyn to pick up a Kringle, which is a special treat. The main event for the sweets is the Risgrǿt (Norwegian Rice Pudding-see recipe below). It always has an almond buried inside and the lucky person to get the almond in their dish is the winner of a marzipan pig. For some reason this honor is usually won by our nephew Daniel.
This year our celebration is changing to meet the realities of changing family circumstances. Grandma is having trouble walking this year so the celebration will be moved to Aunt Margie and Uncle Richard's house. Also, our celebration will not be on Christmas Eve but the night before as growing families now have to be in different places to share themselves fairly with the in-laws. Whenever it takes place though, the gathering of as much of the extended family as possible around the Christmas tree is one of the most looked forward to events of the year. The warm conversation, the joyful singing, the reverent recounting of the Christmas story and food filled with memories gives us a perspective on what this time of year is all about.
Grandma Glady's Risgrǿt
4 cups long grain white rice
8 cups whole milk
1 t. salt
4 T. unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
4 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla
In a heavy sauce pan, cook rice with milk and salt over very gentle heat until rice is thick and tender, stirring frequently. Keep an eye on the rice as it cooks and if milk is absorbed add more milk. When finished rice should be tender (taste it to be sure it is not al dente) and it should be a very thick porridge almost like a soft ball of dough.
Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cooked rice. Chill.
Serve risgrǿt in a large bowl with an almond hidden in the bowl. Allow people to serve themselves. Serve risgrǿt with lingonberry jam. The person who finds the almond wins a prize.
christmas norwegian
traditions recipes scandinavian risgrot
This video speaks to something very disturbing that is happening to our culture.
Why is it that people would stand on line for hours in the dark to be first in the mall in order to save MAYBE a hundred dollars on an electronic gizmo or 20% on a designer tee shirt? I can only conclude that there is a terrible spiritual emptiness in the USA that people are desperate to fill with the consumerism and materialism that has come to define what it means to be an American. What is most sad about this phenomenon is that this is now the "official" kick-off to the time when we celebrate God giving up the riches of his glory in order to assume the poverty of humanity so He could give himself as the final sacrifice for sin.
black friday consumerism shopping_frenzy
Yesterday Christine and I took the trek up to North Jersey to drop Becca off to her aunt's house where she was hitching a ride back to Grove City for her final three weeks of the semester. We decided to stop back to my mother-in-law's to check on how she was doing. (She hasn't been well lately). Afterward we made a detour to drive through our old neighborhood in Kearny, NJ. Kearny was the town in which I served as Pastor during my first years of ministry at "First Evangelical Free Church".
It is a place with very special memories for us because our first two children were born while we served this church. It is also the church in which I was ordained to the ministry. When I was at Kearny the church enjoyed a small season of growth as we were just starting our family and it was easy for us to reach out to others in the same circumstance. We attracted a number of younger families with kids and revitalized the nursery. However, Kearny was going through some signigicant demographic changes. The town was tranforming from a working class town of Scottish and Scotch-Irish immigrants and their kids to a first generation Latin American and Portuguese community. In response to what I saw as the hand writing on the wall our church began an English as a Second Language ministry and eventually planted a Spanish speaking congregation.
We left after serving the church for five years. The Anglo congregation was in decline and the Spanish congregation was growing. It was a peaceful and bitter sweet parting. I loved my little anglo flock and the folk loved me. However, I knew that unless I learned spanish I would not be an affective pastor long term to the community. Also, I was very aware of the southward migration of young families that was taking place during the late 80's to the newly urbanizing areas of the Jersey Shore. Christine and I felt very drawn to this area and the idea of planting a church in Northern Ocean County. My recommendation when I tendered my resignation was that the church call a bi-lingual pastor. I truly felt that the future for this church was with the Latino congregation and eventually their children.
What transpired after I left was disappointing. The church hired an anglo pastor and after several years the anglo congregation was nearly dead. When the anglo church voted to close, their desire was to have the latino congregation continue the work. Unfortunately, cultural misunderstands arose between the latino congregation and the district representatives of the denomination. There ensued a five year fight between the Latino congregation and the denomination. I never heard how the fight was finally resolved.
It was with all this historical background that I headed up Wilson St. to drive past my old church and see the old neighborhood. As I drove past the side of the church I could see that things had changed. The church looked beautiful from the side--a new red roof and vinyl siding. As I rounded the corner, I was astounded at the positive changes that had been made. The front of the church had a beautiful new stone face. Their were new leaded class doors and a wonderful lighted carved sign. "First Evangelical Church of Kearny" read the sign. The parsonage next door also had been rehabed. In the driveway between was a church van. I said to Chrisitne, "I am going to get out and look through the windows". The neighborhood was not very safe when we lived there sixteen years ago, and Christine was scared for me to leave the car, but insisted. When I looked in the windows of the doorway, I saw that the old dark woodwork had been stripped, lightened up and refinshed. It looked great.
I was toying with the idea of knocking on the pastor's door and introducing myself. There was a big scary dog on his steps and a "Beware of Dog" sign. The dog decided for me. His barking bought the pastor's wife to the door and when I told her who I was she went and got her husband, Pastor Sebastian Estrada. I was happy to meet the Pastor who seemed to be a gracious and Godly man. He said, "Would you like to see the church?" To which I replied, "That would be great!" So I called Christine for the tour of our old church. I was thrilled to see what the folk had done with it. The entire interior had been improved. When I was pastor there the church had dark, dark wood everywhere and a tin ceiling which we had to repaint every couple of years. Under Pastor Estrada's leadership, the woodwork had all been refineshed lighter which gave it a much more open feeling. They also gilded parts of the tin ceiling, bringing out the decorations. They had extended the platform and on the platform now were all kinds of musical equipment, including amps, drums, congas and all kinds of other instuments. I asked Pastor Estrada how the church was doing. He told me very well, and that they had over a hundred attending with about seventy committed families. I asked him how the situation with the district was resolved. He said they fought and fought until finally the church decided to buy the property from the district out right. He also told me they were sticking with the distinctives of the denomination and were looking for another denomination or movement to get connected to.
I was very happy to hear that God was prospering the old place. It was a difficult road that the group had to walk, but in the end the outcome I had anticipated what seems like so many years ago came about. The pastor and I exchanged cards and wishes for God's blessings on each other's lives. I went back to the car and Christine and I were just thrilled to see that the seeds that we had planted so many years ago had grown and reaped a harvest. It helped me realize that sometimes it takes patience and time to see dreams be fulfilled. Yesterday at our annual Thanksgiving "Praise Fest" my Dad shared this verse with our congregation: It gave me renewed hope for SonRise:
Thus says the LORD:"Keep your voice from weeping,
and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,
declares the LORD,
and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
There is hope for your future,
declares the LORD,
and your children shall come back to their own country.
Jeremiah 31:16 & 17
Sometimes all the hard work and dreams that we birth do yield themselves to tears. This has been the case more often than I would like in my own life an ministry. But how great it is to know that there is a reward for our work, that God is in control and that there is hope for our future. The children we have birthed weather it be our natural offsring, our spiritual sons and daughters, our dreams or our ministries will come back to their own country is God's promise.
kearny ministry
Well, the turkey has been put in the fridge, the Cowboys are killing the Jets with one quarter to go and Thanksgiving 2007 is winding down. We cooked at our house and the North Jersey crowd arrived at around 2:00 PM. My turkey was especially excellent. I brined it for the second year in a row. Brining is a pretty new technique for me, but trust me, if you have brined your Thanksgiving Turkey your are missing a treat. Here is a link to a video of Alton Brown of food network explaining
why brining makes a such a positive difference. Anyway, the center piece to the annual feast was a big hit.
The real high light of the day though was a "cousin's" project. Brenton, my grease monkey nephew led the team of guy cousins and uncles in an investigation of why Rob's blue 78 VW Bus has not started for a year. Just before sitting down for the feast the guys had gotten the hippie bus running on 2 cylinders. After dinner they kept working and as the sun was setting the guys where headed around the corner in the bus with it all four cylinders humming to get air in the tires and fill up the tank. You could almost hear "Shambhala" playing on the eight track they drove off. Only 4 of the signal lights and headlamps are working but we'll work that one out later. I think I just heard a sucking sound in my son Matt's bank account. He wants to get the bus inspected an one the road for his Brick high transport.
It was great to see all the guys working together and I was thinking that this will be a memory that will be shared around the table at future feasts.
This year has been a really challenging one both personally and for our church, but it is the simple joys of working and playing together that I experience today that I am most thankful for.
Here is a little video I would like to share with you all in honor of the resurrection of the bus. (warning: there is a brief utterance of cuss word on the video)
thanksgiving family vw bus
I have been asking myself the question for several years now, "Where will the next great move of God be?" I had heard about six months ago of a new move of God in India. Today I came across this video. Looks like this part of India is one of God's hot spots.
"while on others thou art falling, do not pass me by"
revival meghalaya india bill newman
This past month I attended the Metropolitan District prayer conference. We have a new District Superintendant, Bruce Terpstra. He is doing a great job and being the big picture person that he is and organizer that he has already started to add his own flavor to the District. As long as I have been part of the C&MA I have only know one DS, John Soper, who last year moved out to our denominational headquarters. John is a very visionary man. He developed a succinct expression that captured the reason we minister in the tough mission field of the Greater New York City area--"If you want to change the world, start here". Bruce has big shoes to fill, but I am excited about some of the new things he is doing here.
One of the things that Bruce introduced to us at this years conference is the use of the "eneagram" as tool for self discovery, self improvement and discipleship. Years ago I was exposed the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (I am an ENFP in case you are wondering) and was qualified to use the MBTI through training by the Association for Psychological Type. Being interested in the subject of personality, type and why people are different I had taken a look at the Eneagram, but had never delved into it very deeply. The Eneagram is a forced choice sorting instrument that uses several different paragraphs to determine which one of nine different personality types you prefer and how your type relates to the nine others.
The type that I prefer is called "Peacemaking". It was interesting because I asked my regional district guy, Dick Borg, which one he though I preferred and he guessed "peacemaking" right off the bat. I was little bummed, because in terms of the today's ministry culture, being a peacemaker is not a highly valued type. I think the preferred type for Pastors in today's market is an 8 "The Challenger" or 3 "The Achiever". So I was beating myself up a bit that I am not the "church growth" type personality that I need to be.
Then I got to thinking . . . Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sonsof God." The Bible says, "So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding", and it says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." The Bible has lot's to say about peace. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit.
So being a Peacemaker is a good thing. My challenge is to learn to be a the highest level peacemaker I canbe and not be derailed by the weakenesses that are part of this type.
It is interesting that much of my ministry has involved trying to bring to sides together. One of my first ministry expriences occured while I was in Bible College. I was a youth leader in a church that was coming unglued over the influx of young street kids into the church. I can remember a really terrible congregational meeting where I pleaded for the "people of God to live in Peace." Of course I have learned in the ensuing years that there is a time for peace and a time for war. Sometimes we must stand up for righteousness and the cost of that stand is peace.
Most recently in our church I am being confronted with a relationship situation that requires me to be a peacemaker. I am still in the midst of it, but my prayer is that through a challenging situation we might all come to be called "sons and daughters of God". There is nothing I would rather do than spend the second half of my career learning to be a skillfull minister of reconciliation and applying these skills where they are needed. So it will be interesting to see what God does with this "peacemaker".
metro district eneagram c&ma type 9 peacemaker enfp mbti
Well, if I was doing this essay for a class upon my September return, I guess I would get a "0" for it being late. However, it has been a long time since I blogged and I wanted to catch you up on what is going on in my life and then hopefully I will be posting something significant every 14 days or so and small, interesting stuff in between. That's my goal anyway.
The theme of my summer was "Rebecca". She is my oldest middle child and every one who knows her considers her a "stand out". (Of course that is true for all four of my children.) Rebecca graduated from high school this past spring and my summer revolved around all the stuff connected with ending high school and getting her settled at
Grove City College.
The excitement began the months earlier with here college search with took us all over the country, from Wheaton to Nashville and places in between. After the whole search and application process, (I am happy to say she was accepted at all school's she applied for), she decided on GCC. There was trip to Spain for her in April, then the fun and excitement surrounding her Senior Ball, numerous award assemblies and dinners and finally Graduation weekend.
After Becca's graduation we snuck in a week at
Camp Spofford. Becca, Matt, and Bria were all at Spofford either on staff or for extended camper programs so the beginning and middle of our summer was spent with one day runs up and back from Jersey to New Hampshire.
O I forgot about the big event--the gathering of the Nordic clans for wedding of Christine's nephew on Cape Cod. That is a whole story in and of itself.
Well summer came to a close early for us, because we of course colleges want their freshmen to report in mid August. So around the middel of that month we backed the van and made the treck out to drop our daughter off. It was one of the bitter sweet times of my life.
It was so weird, because the weekend we dropped her off the younger kids were still at camp and Rob was off playing a gig. We came home to an absolutely still and empty house. It was a preview of a future time in our lives which we will have to adjust to.
So this what I did over my summer vacation and why blogging has been on the back burner. As I said at the beginning of this post, hopefully with life a bit more back to normal I can get back to blogging on a more regular basis. There is lots to talk about.
or what my excuse for not blogging the last three months.
Just wanted the few of you who read my blog to know. Two graduations, a prom, visits to Grove City (my daughter's prospective college) have all conspired to make these past four weeks the busiest in a long time.
