ok my friend Vincent pastors a church is south africa and needs a tent which should costs about $20,000. I have made a simple little web site about is church and will be putting up a link to a paypal account the take donations. Vincent is one of the wisest people i know and loves God to no end he has a desire to transform the township of Vereeninging and we can help him so consider giving for the tent fund. thank you
trinity community church
::..:: gathering my way ::..::
May 22, 2008
|May 08, 2008
check this out, the evangelical manifesto. it seems that things are beginning to stir
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April 12, 2008
ok i saw this commercial on tv tonight and my daughter made a comment when it was over that "so white babies don't need these vaccines" i may be wrong but when i watched it again i realized she was right. so is this commercial wrong? is it racist? at best it is bad, presumptive, supports stereotypes that any one who isn't white is in need of help. maybe i am wrong but i do not think so, privilege, entitlement, racism are all alive and well in our little paradise, i wonder if they are running this commercial in other countries. so i ask that you write proctor and gamble the company that made my hometown rich a little note here to let them know how you feel about their little package of presumption. now i am not saying we should not help people in need but can we please stop the assumption thats whites are the ones who always help others who are less fortunate.
so tell bryan mccleary at mccleary.be@pg.com and let his company know what you think
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so tell bryan mccleary at mccleary.be@pg.com and let his company know what you think
April 08, 2008
smitty had an excerpt from an essay by howard zinn which said something about the government and i made a comment but after reading the entire article, i have to say i should have before i made my comment. zinn makes a salient point about what really makes our system work or not. read the article and then you will need to make a decision, stand up or shut up. i struggle with rescuing everyone who made a bad investment in housing individual or bank. but is the church ready willing and able to take a stand to do the kinds of things zinn mentions in his essay. is the church in america even capable of risking our big house and five car life styles to create a change in our culture of ever dwindling compassion and grace. we must take some personal responsibility for our world and how it treats others no matter who or where they are. we must begin to stand up and speak out about injustice, oppression and greed, so we can do what micah said so long ago, He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
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March 25, 2008
when all the noise about jeremiah wright was swirling i heard a story on NPR about the roots of his theology. black liberation theology has always interested me for obvious reasons. I once read "god of the oppressed" by james cone and was shaken to the core by what he said in that book. to me cone asserts that to be christian you must have been or are oppressed or are helping to end oppression if not how can you be a follower of a savior who had a desire as Jesus stated as he read from the scroll of Isaiah in Luke 4:18-19, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." I know wright's words sound hostile and harsh to a person who has never felt or witnessed oppression but they are based in a truth that GOD came to help those the world would push down for whatever reason. As a parent of several black and biracial children i have experienced that stares and silence and ignorance and whispers and bad service that can only scratch the surface of what so many in our country experience everyday. racism is a real thing in the 21st century in america and if we think it has ended we are only fooling ourselves. so if cone is right what are you to do as a follower of a LORD who came to set the oppressed free.
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March 22, 2008
my perpetual state of almost.
i woke this morning thinking about how i am in a state of almost in my life. almost 50, almost adopting again, almost enough money to buy or build a house, almost enough to pay all my bills this month, almost caught up with all the little things i need to do, almost starting the books i want to write, almost a better husband, almost a better father, almost a real friend, almost there.
as i think about this weekend i realize the only cure for almost is GOD. without GOD i will almost be accepted, almost forgiven, almost loved, almost rescued, almost there. how many people will be almost with JESUS someday, almost there but not because they thought almost was enough. my prayer is that we would realize that almost is the best we can do and without GOD almost is where we will end. GOD didn't almost send JESUS he went all the way and our lives should be a reflection of that. so rejoice, celebrate, dance, sing, yell with an abundance of joy that GOD has released you from the almost to be transformed into fullness. full of the holy spirit, full of love, joy and passion to live your life for others the way GOD did for us.
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i woke this morning thinking about how i am in a state of almost in my life. almost 50, almost adopting again, almost enough money to buy or build a house, almost enough to pay all my bills this month, almost caught up with all the little things i need to do, almost starting the books i want to write, almost a better husband, almost a better father, almost a real friend, almost there.
as i think about this weekend i realize the only cure for almost is GOD. without GOD i will almost be accepted, almost forgiven, almost loved, almost rescued, almost there. how many people will be almost with JESUS someday, almost there but not because they thought almost was enough. my prayer is that we would realize that almost is the best we can do and without GOD almost is where we will end. GOD didn't almost send JESUS he went all the way and our lives should be a reflection of that. so rejoice, celebrate, dance, sing, yell with an abundance of joy that GOD has released you from the almost to be transformed into fullness. full of the holy spirit, full of love, joy and passion to live your life for others the way GOD did for us.
March 19, 2008
so i was listening to all the rhetoric about jeremiah wright and barack obama's connection to him and was struck with the thought what will the evangelical church do if obama gets the nomination. will the evangelicals support mccain who as far as i know is not a professing follower of Christ. obama no matter his theological bent or his pastors words still claims Christ as his savior and publically committed his life to Christ. my question is as a follower of Christ am i bound to vote for a fellow follower if the other candidate is not a follower. any thoughts?
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