From Episcopal Life:
Hundreds of people—from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Seattle—packed the historic Church of the Saviour in Hanford January 26 in joyous celebration and support for remaining Episcopalians who are "Moving Forward, Welcoming All" and claiming their status as the official Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
....
Cindy Smith, president of Remain Episcopal, said the organization has received generous financial, liturgical and emotional support from all over the country, including from clergy from across the nation who willing to serve congregations on an interim or permanent basis.
Organized in 2003, Remain Episcopal is "planning for the day we cease to exist, a day the renewed leadership of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin can once planning for the day we cease to exist, a day the renewed leadership of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin can once again continue the reconciliation, work and mission of the church," said Smith, who called for patience as the way forward as communities of faith continue to form and grow and the future of the Central Valley churches continues to unfold.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori sent both written and videotaped greetings to the gathering. "We expect to work next to clarify the status of members of the clergy in the Diocese of San Joaquin, and the status of any former diocesan leaders who wish to remain in The Episcopal Church," she wrote in a letter read by the Rev. Canon Bob Moore, the designated interim pastoral presence for the diocese.
....
"Once the ultimate status of John-David Schofield is adjudicated by the House of Bishops, and if he is deposed, I will seek to gather the remaining members of the Diocese in a special convention to elect new leadership and make provision for an interim bishop. I will work with diocesan leaders to clarify ownership of the personal and real assets of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin," the Presiding Bishop's letter said.
On January 11, Jefferts Schori inhibited Bishop John-David Schofield of San Joaquin from continuing to serve after a Title IV review committee determined he had abandoned the communion. He has the options of recanting his position, renouncing his orders or declaring that the Title IV assertions are false.
If a majority of bishops concur with the Title IV review committee's findings during the March 7-13 House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, the Presiding Bishop will depose Schofield and declare the episcopate of the San Joaquin diocese vacant.
....
[T]he Rev. Canon Robert Moore, who was appointed as the interim pastoral presence for remaining Episcopalians, presided and served as homilist.
"It is wonderful to look out here and see so many faces," said Moore who told the gathering they are in the process of recreating and reforming a "new and wondrous" church. "It's happening as we speak," he said amid hearty applause.
"We are not establishing a new Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, we are celebrating, worshipping and working for the continuing Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. You are the Episcopal Church in this part of the world," he said.
What struck me about the service was its fullness of joy and its familiarity. It was so very like the service in my church. I love that they prayed the "Prayer of Humble Access", although the Rite II Eucharist was used. I often say the prayer silently before the Eucharist because of my fondness for it.
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
What a glorious day of celebration for the faithful Episcopalians of the Diocese of San Joaquin. May the Spirit of the living God continue to be powerfully present with them.
Here's a link to the video of the service at the Church of the Savior, Hanford, California.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thought For The Day - Elie Wiesel
The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference;
the opposite of beauty is not ugliness, but indifference;
the opposite of learning is not ignorance, but indifference;
Hatred cannot be anything but evil.
Hatred contaminates me.
We cannot give in to hatred;
To preserve humanity we must fight indifference.
the opposite of beauty is not ugliness, but indifference;
the opposite of learning is not ignorance, but indifference;
Hatred cannot be anything but evil.
Hatred contaminates me.
We cannot give in to hatred;
To preserve humanity we must fight indifference.
Bush Allows Alaska Logging Plan
From the LA Times:
Millions of acres of the country's largest national forest would be open for logging and other development under a Bush administration forest management plan released yesterday, a move critics said will hurt wildlife and destroy pristine lands.
....
"Time and again, these guys have had to rewrite this plan, and they just keep coming back with the same answer," said Franz Matzner, forest and public lands advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Logging levels are way down, and there is just no demand for this timber. The Bush administration is just dedicated in its last months to go after the roadless rule one forest at a time."
Think about it. Housing prices have dropped through the floor. How could there be great demand for lumber for building new houses?
Bush is determined to destroy as as much of our reputation, as many of our institutions, and as much of our land as is possible before he leaves office. He is determined to give big business whatever they want, no matter the cost.
Millions of acres of the country's largest national forest would be open for logging and other development under a Bush administration forest management plan released yesterday, a move critics said will hurt wildlife and destroy pristine lands.
....
"Time and again, these guys have had to rewrite this plan, and they just keep coming back with the same answer," said Franz Matzner, forest and public lands advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Logging levels are way down, and there is just no demand for this timber. The Bush administration is just dedicated in its last months to go after the roadless rule one forest at a time."
Think about it. Housing prices have dropped through the floor. How could there be great demand for lumber for building new houses?
Bush is determined to destroy as as much of our reputation, as many of our institutions, and as much of our land as is possible before he leaves office. He is determined to give big business whatever they want, no matter the cost.
From My Daughter
A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old news reel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its content s to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was...my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.
I'm requested to pass this on to 15 people. I'll pass it on this way.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old news reel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its content s to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was...my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.
I'm requested to pass this on to 15 people. I'll pass it on this way.
Catholic School Students Discplined
From the Daily Comet:
When her daughter was suspended from E.D. White Catholic High School, it was for actions taken in a realm seemingly beyond the reach of administrators.
Along with more than 20 seniors, Deneen Spinella’s daughter was suspended from the school for joining an online discussion group where administrators say students posted profane comments and attempted to share coursework answers.
According to a letter sent to one parent, school officials said students violated a policy outlined in the campus code of conduct that prohibits them from engaging in online activity -- on or off campus -- that could harm the school’s image.
Hmmm, "...harm the school's image."
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
"She was trying to collect information, put it on a CD and hand it over. The teacher would use it because they didn’t have a guide," she said. "Because she took it upon herself to put the school first, they persecuted her for it."
I found myself smiling as I read the story, but I feel bad for Deneen Spinella's daughter, because she was stripped of "her academic titles, including a high-ranking position in the Key Club and her membership in the National Honor Society". I only know what I read in the newspaper, but what the students did does not seem that bad to me.
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
The group was removed from the Facebook website for a brief period, but it is now back up. I wasn't able to gain access to it.
Near the top of the page, a description for the group reads "MAYBE I DON’T WANT TO DEFEND THE CATHOLIC FAITH!?" A photo of local Catholic Bishop Sam Jacobs appears in the top right corner.
The group also includes this statement, with no mention of an author: "(This site) was not a way to cheat and if the school administrators would have taken a chance to look at this page then they would no (sic) that no cheating actually occurred on this page."
I don't know the motivation of the student organizer nor the motivation of the students who participated, but it doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Maybe I'm missing something.
I know that rules are rules, and the parents signed statements, etc., etc., etc., but the teen years are a time of questioning, a time for the young people to find their way. What message do the suspensions send to the students about exploring their faith and addressing their doubts, instead of squelching them? A very wrong message, I'd say. Maybe some of the students don't want to defend the Catholic faith as it's being presented to them. Maybe that's OK.
I attended Roman Catholic schools for 17 years of my life. It was a long time ago, but it seems not much has changed. My only "C" grade in college was in a course called "Christian Marriage". I am convinced that the reason I made that "C" was because I argued with the priest who taught the class about Matthew 19:9, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." I said that it seemed to me that Jesus was saying that one was permitted to divorce one's spouse and marry another if the spouse was unfaithful. He said that was not the meaning of the statement. I persisted in my questioning. I argued with him. I wouldn't let it go, with the end result that I made my "C" in the course.
Once, during a job interview, the interviewer said of my college transcript, "All "A's" and "B's". No wait; here's a "C". Let's see what subject the "C' is in. Oh! 'Christian Marriage'." He and I both laughed. And I've only been married for 46 years.
There is questioning, and there is QUESTIONING! QUESTIONING gets you in trouble. Is it possible that the teachers were truly not equipped to deal with the questions of the students? I believe it is. In the courses which prepared them to teach religion classes, perhaps the future teachers were not encouraged to explore their own doubts and questions.
In my humble opinion, the school authorities were harsh in their response. Do the school authorities have a clue about offline conversations among high school students?
"Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources". That's pretty funny.
UPDATE: I have been told that the student who was suspended for nine days would have lost a full scholarship to a private university of good reputation, if she had stayed to serve her suspension at E. D. White.
UPDATE 2: Further discussion on this matter may be found at the website of the Daily Comet Forum.
When her daughter was suspended from E.D. White Catholic High School, it was for actions taken in a realm seemingly beyond the reach of administrators.
Along with more than 20 seniors, Deneen Spinella’s daughter was suspended from the school for joining an online discussion group where administrators say students posted profane comments and attempted to share coursework answers.
According to a letter sent to one parent, school officials said students violated a policy outlined in the campus code of conduct that prohibits them from engaging in online activity -- on or off campus -- that could harm the school’s image.
Hmmm, "...harm the school's image."
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
"She was trying to collect information, put it on a CD and hand it over. The teacher would use it because they didn’t have a guide," she said. "Because she took it upon herself to put the school first, they persecuted her for it."
I found myself smiling as I read the story, but I feel bad for Deneen Spinella's daughter, because she was stripped of "her academic titles, including a high-ranking position in the Key Club and her membership in the National Honor Society". I only know what I read in the newspaper, but what the students did does not seem that bad to me.
Though administrators suspended her daughter for attempting to cheat, Spinella said, they misinterpreted her intentions. She said her daughter created the group -- titled "Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources" -- in hopes of gathering information for teachers who couldn’t answer questions posed to students.
The group was removed from the Facebook website for a brief period, but it is now back up. I wasn't able to gain access to it.
Near the top of the page, a description for the group reads "MAYBE I DON’T WANT TO DEFEND THE CATHOLIC FAITH!?" A photo of local Catholic Bishop Sam Jacobs appears in the top right corner.
The group also includes this statement, with no mention of an author: "(This site) was not a way to cheat and if the school administrators would have taken a chance to look at this page then they would no (sic) that no cheating actually occurred on this page."
I don't know the motivation of the student organizer nor the motivation of the students who participated, but it doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Maybe I'm missing something.
I know that rules are rules, and the parents signed statements, etc., etc., etc., but the teen years are a time of questioning, a time for the young people to find their way. What message do the suspensions send to the students about exploring their faith and addressing their doubts, instead of squelching them? A very wrong message, I'd say. Maybe some of the students don't want to defend the Catholic faith as it's being presented to them. Maybe that's OK.
I attended Roman Catholic schools for 17 years of my life. It was a long time ago, but it seems not much has changed. My only "C" grade in college was in a course called "Christian Marriage". I am convinced that the reason I made that "C" was because I argued with the priest who taught the class about Matthew 19:9, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." I said that it seemed to me that Jesus was saying that one was permitted to divorce one's spouse and marry another if the spouse was unfaithful. He said that was not the meaning of the statement. I persisted in my questioning. I argued with him. I wouldn't let it go, with the end result that I made my "C" in the course.
Once, during a job interview, the interviewer said of my college transcript, "All "A's" and "B's". No wait; here's a "C". Let's see what subject the "C' is in. Oh! 'Christian Marriage'." He and I both laughed. And I've only been married for 46 years.
There is questioning, and there is QUESTIONING! QUESTIONING gets you in trouble. Is it possible that the teachers were truly not equipped to deal with the questions of the students? I believe it is. In the courses which prepared them to teach religion classes, perhaps the future teachers were not encouraged to explore their own doubts and questions.
In my humble opinion, the school authorities were harsh in their response. Do the school authorities have a clue about offline conversations among high school students?
"Screw Apologetics and yo wonky ass sources". That's pretty funny.
UPDATE: I have been told that the student who was suspended for nine days would have lost a full scholarship to a private university of good reputation, if she had stayed to serve her suspension at E. D. White.
UPDATE 2: Further discussion on this matter may be found at the website of the Daily Comet Forum.
Friday, January 25, 2008
A True Friend Of My Beloved City
Kirstin at Barefoot and Laughing has been in New Orleans for several weeks doing interviews for a book on survivors of Katrina and the federal flood. She will take leave on Sunday. Her farewell gift is a beautiful and moving post on my beloved city of New Orleans. She is among the best of the best of those who attempt to describe the nearly ineffable attraction of the city for those who are natives and for those who are New Orleanians by adoption. Not all natives of the city love it. Not all who visit or move to the city like it, but those who fall in love, fall hard.
I have not lived in New Orleans for over 40 years, but, as yet, I feel like a New Orleanian living in exile. There is much to like about the town that I live in, but the home of my heart is, and will always be, New Orleans. For me, to be a New Orleanian is part of my nature, part of who I am, whether I live there or not.
You can imagine my joy when a visitor sees what I see and feels what I feel about my beloved and writes something like this:
There is hope here. I heard it yesterday in the voice of a woman who had organized a neighborhood renewal, since spread throughout the city, based on cooperation and sharing resources. I saw her love for her home, and this city, shining in her eyes, as she talked about how she has been blessed in the gifts she’s been able to give.
I hear it over and over, in the stories people tell me of their lives in this city since the storm. They tell me why they love it here, why they came home, why they stayed. They stayed because it is their home. Because Houston or Mobile or wherever, just wasn’t. Because this is New Orleans. There is a vivacity here that is unique to this place. So much in the culture is about relationships, and about acceptance. You can be whoever you are—not only in the Mardi Gras, crazy way portrayed in the media (though there is that), but in your dailiness as well. The violence, and crime, are of course awful. But life is celebrated here, too.
I am in love with the spirit of resurrection I see and feel all around me. I’d give anything to be able to stay, longer than I can. I’m hoping and praying to come back. The spiritual rebirth is as apparent as the physical, and everything in me wants to be part of it.
Please go read her entire post. Kirstin has a wonderful gift for writing, and this piece is from her heart.
I have not lived in New Orleans for over 40 years, but, as yet, I feel like a New Orleanian living in exile. There is much to like about the town that I live in, but the home of my heart is, and will always be, New Orleans. For me, to be a New Orleanian is part of my nature, part of who I am, whether I live there or not.
You can imagine my joy when a visitor sees what I see and feels what I feel about my beloved and writes something like this:
There is hope here. I heard it yesterday in the voice of a woman who had organized a neighborhood renewal, since spread throughout the city, based on cooperation and sharing resources. I saw her love for her home, and this city, shining in her eyes, as she talked about how she has been blessed in the gifts she’s been able to give.
I hear it over and over, in the stories people tell me of their lives in this city since the storm. They tell me why they love it here, why they came home, why they stayed. They stayed because it is their home. Because Houston or Mobile or wherever, just wasn’t. Because this is New Orleans. There is a vivacity here that is unique to this place. So much in the culture is about relationships, and about acceptance. You can be whoever you are—not only in the Mardi Gras, crazy way portrayed in the media (though there is that), but in your dailiness as well. The violence, and crime, are of course awful. But life is celebrated here, too.
I am in love with the spirit of resurrection I see and feel all around me. I’d give anything to be able to stay, longer than I can. I’m hoping and praying to come back. The spiritual rebirth is as apparent as the physical, and everything in me wants to be part of it.
Please go read her entire post. Kirstin has a wonderful gift for writing, and this piece is from her heart.
About The Man Who Licks His Comb
From Juan Cole on the State Department re-hiring Paul Wolfowitz as an adviser on arms control:
Hiring Paul Wolfowitz to advise the State Department on arms control is like hiring Lindsay Lohan as a driving instructor.
Besides, when someone is consistently wrong and always vastly exaggerating the threat from abroad, it isn't normal.
....
And we need him to vastly exaggerate the threat from Iran, why? Maybe because no one reputable would take it on.
Take Cole's "trip down memory lane" on Wolfowitz's mistakes from the long-ago past.
Read the rest of Cole's post for the day and for days past, if you like. I try not to miss his daily reports on the Middle East.
Riding On The Road To Damascus?
An illumination depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul from "Livre d'Heures d'Étienne Chevalier" (c. 1450–1460) by Jean Fouquet.
In the church calendar, we celebrate the conversion of Saul of Tarsus from a persecutor of Christians to a follower of Jesus. He then became known as Paul.
Acts 22:6-11
Paul Tells of His Conversion
‘While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered, “Who are you, Lord?” Then he said to me, “I am Jesus of Nazareth* whom you are persecuting.” Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked, “What am I to do, Lord?” The Lord said to me, “Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.” Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.
In most depictions of the event, Paul is shown on a horse, but in his own account in "Acts", there is no mention of a horse. My question: Was Paul riding a horse?
Won't some biblical scholar help me out here? Would a person in Saul's position in Roman-occupied territory have been traveling on a horse? I want to know.
Readings:
Psalm 67
Acts 26:9-21
Galatians 1:11-24
Matthew 10:16-22
PRAYER
O God, who by the preaching of your apostle Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Image from Wiki.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Gov. Bobby Jindal Watch - Two
From the Baton Rouge Advocate:
Gov. Bobby Jindal faces state ethics charges for failing to timely disclose more than $100,000 in campaign aid he received from the state Republican Party.
The Louisiana Board of Ethics ordered a public hearing to explore charges that Jindal and his governor’s campaign committee violated the state’s Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.
Timmy Teepell, Jindal’s chief of staff, said Thursday night that Jindal would pay the fine.
Jindal failed to “accurately disclose in-kind contributions” from the state GOP, according to a Tuesday letter notifying Jindal of the reporting problem.
Well, that didn't take long. Our new governor ran on the promise of change, the promise of bringing ethics back to government in Louisiana. He'll have to start with himself, won't he?
Thanks to Oyster for the heads-up.
Gov. Bobby Jindal faces state ethics charges for failing to timely disclose more than $100,000 in campaign aid he received from the state Republican Party.
The Louisiana Board of Ethics ordered a public hearing to explore charges that Jindal and his governor’s campaign committee violated the state’s Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.
Timmy Teepell, Jindal’s chief of staff, said Thursday night that Jindal would pay the fine.
Jindal failed to “accurately disclose in-kind contributions” from the state GOP, according to a Tuesday letter notifying Jindal of the reporting problem.
Well, that didn't take long. Our new governor ran on the promise of change, the promise of bringing ethics back to government in Louisiana. He'll have to start with himself, won't he?
Thanks to Oyster for the heads-up.
"Through the Eye of Katrina"
The current issue of the Journal of American History focuses on Katrina.
This special issue of the Journal of American History, “Through the Eye of Katrina: The Past as Prologue?” provides a compelling first take on the history surrounding the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Twenty articles and essays, written by scholars who specialize on areas that surround this topic, discuss the Katrina disaster through multiple lenses, including political, urban, environmental, architectural, and musical history.
The articles, pictures, audios, and videos are available online. Scout Prime at First Draft beat me to this one.
Image from the Journal of American History.
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