Quotable: Superstitious prayers

RODNEY CLAPP:

...faithful prayer differs from superstition in that it does not presume control. It petitions God, the power at the center of all that is, while it does not presume on God's "answer" or response. Faith­ful prayer is habitual prayer, prayer that does not occur only in crisis and does not end when a crisis is resolved. Faithful prayer is part and parcel of an ongoing relationship, a lifelong conversation, a prolonged attempt not to control God but to discern God's presence and activity in all that befalls us—the good and the bad, the desired and the undesirable. So there may be no atheists in foxholes, but prayers offered only in foxholes are superstitious prayers. 

To put this another way, faithful prayer is first of all about finding and placing ourselves in God's story, and God's story is about the redemption of the world. My prayers are too small if they focus on me. Secondarily, though importantly, prayer is about our personal, individual needs and desires. If this is so, faithful prayer certainly may ask for healing, but it does not ask only for healing. It seeks wisdom to see how Christ is reflected in circumstances—and not just a triumphal Christ but a suffering Christ, a Christ who underwent pain and want before he attained glory. Faithful prayer, then, asks not merely for healing but for patience and discernment and continuing faithfulness. ~ Christian Century

Bishop Wright's case for women ministers

His comments at the end about being able to understand restrictions on women if "the Bible is a second order thing" and that the traditions of the church trump scripture put the debate in perspective.

Random

> WILL BIOFUEL targets starve the world's poor? ~ The Economist

> "ANGRY, ARIZONA, AGAIN" ~ NY Times

> SOME GMAIL users report losing everything. I auto-send a copy of all my gmail into my yahoo account -- just in case ~ link

> I ♥ GIRL SCOUT cookies season -- not just because of the cookies but it's a time when children can talk with strangers and no one feels weird about it. Does the whole "stranger danger" mindset kill culture?

> 6 KILLED IN DR CONGO 'coup bid' -- Lord, those poor people need relief from the violence. Peace please! Amen! ~ link

Random

> THE WORLD'S most confusing flags. My favorite --

> MARICOPA COUNTY Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he won't be running for the US Senate seat being vacated by Jon Kyl. ~ link

> SNOW IN SAN FRANCISCO -- sorta' -- well not really worth mentioning but it drives traffic to the news websites and sells newspapers. ~ link

> OUR FIRST almond blossom started to bloom yesterday. It's a little bit cooler today but no doubt spring will win this one.

> MARYKATE MORSE: How women plant churches ~ link (via)

> 10% OF PROTESTANT senior pastors are women. ~ link

Benny Hinn - Dark Lord of the Sith

~ via

Random

> NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY about the way things are going in Arizona. Some in the south want to secede to form a new state -- Baja Arizona. I suspect that most southerners just want to make it clear that they think and see the world differently than those in Alta Arizona. ~ KTAR

> I'VE NEVER BEEN much of a gum chewer. But the new "Extra Dessert Delights Sugarfree Key Lime Pie Flavored Gum"from Wrigley's may change that. You know that I have this weakness for key lime pie.

> SOME VOTERS really do think for themselves. ~ Chicago Sun-Times

> ANYONE WITH a 5th grade education in American civics would rule this unconstitutional -- "Tennessee bill would jail Shariah followers." Don't expect it to pass -- just a bunch of good ole' boys blowing off steam -- unhappy with their inability to control their world. ~ USA Today

> THE US government is paying an Army veteran $400,000 for wrongfully detaining him for seven months as an illegal alien. Paperwork mix-up -- the consequence of poor spelling skills and inattention to detail. ~ LA Times

> THERE WERE 10.8 million unauthorized immigrants living in the US in January 2010. That's down a million from the same month in 2007. ~ link (.pdf)

> SAID MUSA has been freed from prison and Afghanistan. ~ CT

> FREE ONLINE BOOK -- Value Networks, and the True Nature of Collaboration by Verna Allee with Oliver Schwabe ~ link

> GUAM has adopted legislation protecting sharks. ~ AFP

> I'M HIGHLIGHTING more of Eugene Peterson's new book The Pastor: A Memoir than I'm leaving unmarked -- at least in the non-narrative sections. He's so good at telling the pastoral story.

> DAVID FITCH says that he has been converted by Launching Missional Communities: A Field Guide. ~ link

> BILL KINNON, self-described "Christian gadfly," tells the fascinating story behind his now 6-year-old blog. He's always a good (and challenging) read. ~ link

Random

> THE WORLD'S SMALLEST AQUARIUM ~ via

> THERE ARE TIMES that I really miss living on Guam. Occasionally I don't. ~ PDN

> SKYPE has developed a mobile client for lower-end phones that do not have wifi or 3G. I can't even get Skype to work on my phone which HAS 3G. ~ link

> HIGHER GAS TAXES might help America in the long-run?

Petrol prices in America are substantially below levels elsewhere in the rich world, and this is almost entirely due to the rock bottom level of petrol tax rates. The low cost of petrol encourages greater dependence; the average American uses much more oil per day than other rich world citizens. This dependence also impacts infrastructure investment choices, leading to substantially more spending on highways than transit alternatives. And this, in turn, reduces the ability of American households to substitute away from driving when oil prices rise. ~ The Economist

But what happens if we create a system dependent on higher fuel taxes while we are growing less gasoline dependent? If people are paying more gas tax they'll be less inclined to accept other taxes.

> AMAZON PRIME customers can now get "Netflix-like" unlimited video streaming (in addition to the free shipping). $79 year.

> I JUST BECAME a follower of TF Torrance on Twitter -- which is interesting because he died in 2007. However, I couldn't resist. My doctoral mentor at Fuller Seminary was Ray Anderson. He studied under TF Torrance. Torrance, of course, studied under Karl Barth. (And that's how I trace my theological lineage to Barth.) My Chinese friends will find it interesting that Torrance was born in 汶川县 -- the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China.

Random

> FOR THOSE WHO want to privatize everything, the buses in Manila are all privately run -- and they are considered to be the cause of much of the traffic chaos. New solution -- more female drivers. ~ link

> HOW COME CUBANS live so long? ~ Pravda

> SWEET! The North Lawndale Employment Network in Chicagoland has an urban honey production business, Sweet Beginnings, to employ ex-offenders. ~ link

> SOUTH AFRICAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, best over all value in online theological education, has test-drive courses ~ link

> SCOTT ADAM, one of the hostages killed by Somali pirates, was a Fuller Seminary alum and instructor. ~ link

> RICHARD MOUW asks, why don’t Jews “evangelize” Jews? There is no good answer. ~ link

> RG LEWIS asks, is it possible to have too much vision? Absolutely! ~ link

> JUST IN TIME for spring training -- Sweden mulls legality of the baseball bat. Anti-Americanism? What next, apple pie? ~ The Local

Random

> INCREDIBLE PROGRESS -- "India has lifted 59.7 million people out of slum conditions since 2000. Slum prevalence fell from 41.5% in 1990 to 28.1% in 2010." ~ link

> ALAN HIRSCH'S Q-talk on "Post-Christendom Mission" is now online -- echoes of Ralph Winter. His assessment of the situation is pretty spot on. It's short enough that you could watch it with your church leadership team. Good fodder. ~ link

> WHAT DO you think of rendering υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ as 'The Beloved Son who comes from God'? ~ Christianity Today

> WE CAN EXPECT to see more of this kind of thing. Mt Carmel Ministries (a Lutheran camping and conference ministry) is creating a new Christian campus community in partnership with a local community college. The students will live together in community, take classes at the college, and do online Bible classes together. They're starting in the fall with twelve college freshmen. ~ link

> THE COVENANT CHURCH in Canada has a similar ministry with their Life Together Christian community in Calgary, but have not integrated the academic piece. ~ link

> BLOGGING IS NOT DEAD! Especially if you consider that Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr are blogging applications, too.  ~ The Atlantic

> THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA in Tucson is starting a national civility institute. I was going to make the traditional ASU snarky comment about the U of A but decided to restrain myself. See, the institute is already effective. ~ AZ Capitol Times

Random

> DELAY GETTING ALZHEIMER'S by learning another language. (I wonder if Rosetta Stone has been sponsoring this resaerch.) ~ link

> YES, LAYPEOPLE do start churches. Here is an AMiA example of lay initiative -- and in an episcopal system (!). ~ link

> "IMMIGRATION AS a Mission on our Doorstep" -- Some churches get it! ~ link

> I'M RARELY IMPRESSED with a celebrity's explanation of anything. But Bono, explaining the gospel -- under fire from a reporter, is quite impressive. Not only is the theology good but there is wisdom in the way he speaks. ~ link (via Cindy Hoover on FB)

> I ♥ LIQUID BANDAGES! The only downside is that since it is a transparent layer the wound is often visible -- grossing people out. Of course, you can use it to play the sympathy card if you are so inclined.

> "AMERICA QUIET on the Execution of Afghan Christian Said Musa" -- Mr Musa's apparent crime is that he converted from Islam eight years ago. ~ link

> "FACT-CHECKING the NRA on 'Right to Carry'" ~ PolitiFact

Random

> IS JAPAN really closing down its whaling operation for the season? ~ BBC

> CATHERINE CLARK KROEGER, the tireless advocate for women and biblical feminism, has died. She has been a faithful and solid servant of Christ Jesus. ~ link

> I'M ELATED that Jerome Nelson's kidney transplant went so well yesterday. Love that guy! ~ link

> KENT LIVES in Seoul (GMT +9), Kirk lives in Amsterdam (GMT +1), we in Phoenix (GMT -7) -- each 8 hours apart. And Betsy, of course, is in San Francisco (GMT -8). The sun never sets on the Boydstons.

> COMPANIES ARE HIRING -- but only if you are already employed. People are discouraged. ~ link

> THIS SUNDAY @ MasterPiece Church we're talking construction -- 1 Corinthians 3:9-23. ~ link

> "BE GENEROUS to the poor -- you’ll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses." ~ Proverbs 28:27 (MSG)

Random

> CULTURAL GLOBALIZATION, DOWN-AGING ~ via

> ZINC YOUR COLD:

Scientists still haven’t discovered a cure for the common cold, but researchers now say zinc may be the next best thing. 

A sweeping new review of the medical research on zinc shows that sniffing, sneezing, coughing and stuffy-headed cold sufferers finally have a better option than just tissue and chicken soup. When taken within 24 hours of the first runny nose or sore throat, zinc lozenges, tablets or syrups can cut colds short by an average of a day or more and sharply reduce the severity of symptoms, according to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, a respected medical clearinghouse. ~ NY Times

> WILL TWITTER break the 140 character barrier? ~ link

> TODAY'S LIST of new Facebook competitors ~ link

> SEWANEE cuts tuition by 10%. Counter intuitive move. ~ WSJ

> ASU is dropping 29 degree programs -- mostly in the sciences and engineering. But the PhD in philosophy is included on the drop list. ~ link

> SEVEN BORDERS stores in the Phoenix area, including the one I most often frequent, will close during the reorganization. ~ KPHO

> "MARICOPA COUNTY Sheriff Joe Arpaio's re-election campaign has been fined almost $77,000 for a mailer it sent to voters last fall." ~ KPHO

> I STILL DON'T understand how red light cameras endanger people ~ KPHO

> SCOOPTACULAR, my favorite ice cream place, on TV ~ ABC15

> "A TYPICAL VS. MISSIONAL church foundation" -- interesting chart ~ link

> CYBERMISSIONS.ORG articles on ministry through the internet ~ link

Random

> DO WATCH the whole thing.

> AS MUCH of the internet shifts to mobile platforms, Twitter is adding 15 million users a month. ~ link

> KARL BARTH was a missional theologian? ~ link

> CAN YOU follow this line of reasoning?

May I recommend if you're doing your own homework, don't do a Google search. It seems to me that Google is pretty deeply in bed with the government. Remember, maybe this is explaining why Google is being kicked out of all the other countries. Are they just a shill now for the United States government? ~ Glenn Beck

> JEFF BULLAS: "Facebook Hits 500 Million Users: 5 Predictions For The Future" -- Can you say proprietary monopoly of the internet? But, wait, didn't we at one time fear Microsoft? Then it was AOL, then Google (obviously, Glenn Beck is stuck back in the Google-Phobia era), now Facebook. My prediction is that the next future is still on someone's drawing board -- probably not any of the previous players. ~ link

> NEW BOOK on the history of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. ~ KUAM

> "UPTICK IN divorce filings could mean improving economy" -- Cause or correlation? ~ link

> "I READ DEAD PEOPLE...":

So here’s what I’ve learned. If someone has been dead for a while and his book is still in print and widely read, then it’s probably worth reading. And, if we’re honest, there are precious few books written by Christian authors today that will still be read in 24 months, let alone 24 years. I want to use my reading time to immerse myself in powerfully formative material, and not just flash-in-the-pan trends. Does this mean I never read living authors? No, of course not. But if they’re not dead, I like them to be pretty close. I can usually trust that they’re not going to waste what time they have left on this earth writing sappy Hallmark card sentimental Evangelical fluff. ~ Skye Jethani

> "ELEVEN TRENDS FOR 2011 -- Strategist Will Mancini says small, social, and tech-savvy churches will be gaining momentum in the year ahead." ~ Out of Ur

> DIACONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE in Oslo is offering a new English language master's degree in Diakonia and Christian Social Science. Scandinavian Lutherans, in spite of significant weaknesses in other areas, seem to get the whole deacon thing better than the rest of us. ~ link

> PERHAPS I NEED to plant some guayule in the backyard. I did plant some jojoba last fall.

> GENETIC SURVEILLANCE -- English police are using bees to keep an eye out for illegal plants. ~ NPR

> LaVONNNE NEFF: "Ethical business : 10 field marks" ~ link

Random

> MY EYES kept drifting toward the Cricket game on TV in the Indian restaurant during lunch yesterday. And as one of the ads flashed on screen I figured out what became of the old xoom.com domain. That was prime real estate at one point.

> HOW THE INTERNET can unleash acts of generosity and true connection ~ Fast Company

> APPARENTLY INTENDING to shoot a teacher with whom he was having problems, a Goodyear high school student brought a gun to school. ~ KFYI

> THE GODDESS of English:

The Dalit (formerly untouchable) community is building a temple in Banka village in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to worship the Goddess of the English language, which they believe will help them climb up the social and economic ladder. 

About two feet tall, the bronze statue of the goddess is modelled after the Statue of Liberty... ~ BBC

> I CAN'T believe that I missed Charles Darwin day again this year. ~ NY Times

> "SOPHISTICATED drug submarine seized in Colombia" -- amazing. ~ BBC

> "LOVE RECESSION" recession hits Las Vegas ~ link

Random

> HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. My valentine and I will be having lunch together at our favorite Indian restaurant to celebrate.

> "THE GENESIS of World Islamic Christianity" -- Duane Miller of Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary, explores why a record number of Muslims are becoming followers of Christ. ~ link

> SOME PEOPLE are asking me how to grow pineapples using the crowns from store-bought fruit. This website does a good job of stepping people through the process. It's not hard. (Our pineapple losses this year were related to the unusually hard frost a couple of weeks ago. Since our pineapples are in the ground we could not move them inside.)

> MARTIN MARTY, interpreting the revolution in Egypt, nuances the word "secular":

Critics ask: What’s so good about “secular,” whether in Egypt and the Muslim world or in America and the Western-influenced Christian or “Judeo-Christian” world? Not everything by any means is “good.” The “secular” can turn ideological, as in “secularism.” It can represent a beliefless, soulless spiritual landscape that leaves whole publics in the shallows. The downsides are obvious, but . . . 

If Europe and North America are turning ever more secular, it is not just because governments are not legally privileging religion. The zones of voluntary expression in life within these spheres are enormous, and the freedom to make use of religious symbols and arguments is almost limitless in those zones. “Secular” in the legal sphere can be liberating. The downgrading of the “religious” in the secular-turning orbits, be it noted, results chiefly from indifference, distraction, spiritual laziness, or godless free choice by citizens. Fearful as we are that Egypt in its post-revolution might turn officially “religious,” one hopes that it can become “secular,” in ways we were intended to be. ~ link

Might it be that we need two different words? There is the kind of secularism that aims to be neutral of sectarian endorsement. And then there is the kind of secularism that aims to be indifferent to religion at its best and anti-sectarian at its worst.

Why don't they learn English?

Scot McKnight had this sign as a fun item on his blog yesterday. And it is a bit humorous -- that someone so obnoxiously passionate about English can't spell in English. Also the sign is pointless since you can't expect people who don't know English to understand that this sign in English is telling them to learn English. It's a silly circle.

In a sense though, this sign goes beyond silly. It is an indicator of something quite troubling. The problem is in the tone -- the tone which has become all too common -- and not just in Crestwood, Illinois.

Yes, of course, people should work on learning the language of the place and the people with whom they live. And since English is the "lingua franca" of the 21st century (at least the first part of it) there is added incentive to learn it.

Of all the immigrants and international students with whom we've worked in the US over the years -- almost all of them have really really wanted to improve their English. A few older people have given up, figuring that they're past the age of learning. So, why try? But on a whole, people do want to learn the language. However, they struggle to squeeze language learning into their already overloaded survival schedules. Some of them don't know how to go about learning. Many come out of situations with sub-par education -- where they didn't really learn how to learn. And some of them just keep putting it off in the same way that most Americans put off mastering an additional language.

The point being -- it is ineffective to harangue immigrants over their language skills. It's certainly not motivating. Perhaps the village might better use its sign to advertise language classes or to welcome immigrants. People who feel welcome are much more likely to learn the language because they WANT to fit in. They want to be a part of a society that is positive, welcoming, and engaging. The more we harass people for their weak English skills the less likely it is that they'll want to learn the language.

In other words, the sign, even if it were written by someone with a command of the English language, is self-defeating and counter-productive. If we want people to learn the language we have to treat them like we care.

"Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you." ~ Jesus, Luke 6:31 (CEB)

Random

> DAVID FITCH has a new book, The End of Evangelicalism. It is at the very least worth talking about. ~ link

> YES, it's possible for an unarmed populace to overthrow a repressive regime. Once again a united, persistent, but non-violent approach succeeds. Next?

> I DO MISS having CNN International on TV. Is that even a cable option in the US?

> "GOOD NEWS! The US is not actually falling from the world's top spot for academic achievement. The bad news, though, is that America was never really number one to begin with..." ~ The Atlantic

> PHOENIX celebrates Chinese New Year this weekend ~ link

> MISSIONAL LUTHERANS:

...We’ve written before that ministry progress is not measured by numerical growth, but by the creation of disciples who make other disciples. But this post is exposing the double standard, those who would “have their cake and eat it, too.” 

Authors like George Barna like to use statistics showing the decline in church attendance to damn the church, but then quickly defend the 5-person house church because “progress is not measured by numbers.” So if the institutional church is losing numbers, it is always because they are doing church wrong. But if organic churches are not growing, then it’s for some other reason. All I’m asking for here is fairness. Isn’t it possible that a particular church isn’t growing because it is rightly teaching Law and Gospel and people don’t like to hear it? Isn’t it possible that a particular organic church isn’t growing because of the home leader’s pride? It works both ways, which is why numbers are not a good indicator of spiritual maturity nor ministry progress, no matter what church model we’re discussing. ~ link

> 58% OF AMERICANS think climate change is a serious problem. Here is why the rest are "in denial." ~ The Economist

> KURT WARNER to run for John Kyl's senate seat? "Just a rumor..." ~ link

Random

> WE'VE BEEN working on this song and plan to sing it during worship at MasterPiece Church this Sunday.

> 50% DECLINE in the amount of study time. Critical higher-order thinking skills down -- "A Lack Of Rigor Leaves Students 'Adrift' In College" ~ NPR

> MEDICAL INNOVATION leap-frogging America -- too much bureaucracy for device approvals. Europe, China, Canada, and Brazil benefit. ~ NY Times

> THE GOOGLE wedding planner ~ link

> THE CALIFORNIA "Supreme Court ruled unanimously that California retailers may no longer collect ZIP Codes from credit card customers..." ~ LA Times

> ARIZONA is now the "Grand Canyon State" -- officially -- well, as soon as the governor signs the bill. ~ AZ Capitol Times

> IF YOU worry about germs, add mouthwash to the laundry. How would we have ever known this without the internet? ~ link

Planting

I planted the first zucchinis and tomatoes this morning. In addition to what I put in the ground I am experimenting with grow bags this year. I'm hoping that this will give me more flexibility to move things around as seasons change. The spots where they need to be now for winter/spring sun are way too hot once we shift into the spring/summer bake mode. I have no idea as to whether it will work but it's worth a try.

Random

> THE BRITISH "supergranny" who thwarted a jewelry heist by beating the six robbers with her handbag was caught on video by CCTV and bystanders. ~ Global Post

> WHY the Chinese church has grown so much -- viral without the cultural baggage of Christendom ~ link

> APOPHIS ASTEROID could hit Earth on April 13, 2036, according to Russian scientists. ~ Huff

> "RESEARCHERS found that people who said they drank diet soda every day had a 48 percent higher risk of stroke or heart attack than people who drank no soda of any kind." ~ link

> WEIRD AND TRAGIC -- a 10-year-old Seattle area boy suffocated and died after he got stuck headfirst in a 40-inch-tall box that was about two-thirds filled with packing peanuts. He was playing hide-and-seek with a friend. Something else to watch out for. ~ link

> THE MISSION OF GOD'S PEOPLE: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission by Chris Wright is a great read. I saw that it received the "Award of Merit" in Christianity Today's annual book awards.

> SUPERBOWL fans set a new tweeting record. During the final moments of the game, fans sent 4,064 tweets per second. ~ link

> SHERIFF'S DEPUTY saves two lives in two different scenarios -- in under an hour. He must have some adrenal gland. ~ ABC15

Random

> PRESIDENT Obama quit smoking nearly a year ago. ~ MSNBC

> CONFIRMED sighting of an ocelot in southern Arizona -- very cool ~ link

> THAT'S one hot roll-over 40,000 pounds of chili peppers spilled in I-10 ~ ABC15

> PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE -- "Report says Arizona isn't doing enough to prepare for new health care reform law" ~ ABC15

> PHYLLIS TICKLE -- beyond denominations, "the hyphenated church":

If scholars are right—or even in the ballpark– by 2050, emergence Christianity will be the largest group among church cultures, says Phyllis Tickle in an interview with ThinkFwd host, Spencer Burke. That means larger than any particular denomination, and this change is occurring fast. Phyllis says she became aware of the “emergence church” only about two years ago, and the phenomena of emergence-, emergent-, emerging-church has only been around about four years. But Tickle believes that traditional churches have only about 18 months before the window of opportunity to reach out to emergence churches changes into a door of urgent, mandatory response to the changing paradigm of church as we know it. ~ The Ooze

> CONFLICTING VISIONS of the future church -- "...In Soong-Chan’s view, it is not Christianity that is collapsing but rather the Western-, White-culture Christianity that’s rooted in suburban, upper middle-class, politicized culture—whether the mega church or emerging church..."  ~ The Ooze

> BILLIONAIRE giving away milk in NYC ~ Huff

> TEETOTALERS ROCK! "A new study shows that record numbers of incoming college freshman are entering their undergraduate careers as teetotalers... Outside the Classroom, a non-profit organization focused on alcohol education on college campuses, found that between 2006 and 2010 the number of incoming students who'd never imbibed jumped from 32% to 62%." Those are significant numbers. ~ Time

> CILANTRO SOUP looks interesting ~ link

> NEW COOLER iPad now in production ~ WSJ

> SRP is giving away an old-style iPad. ~ link

Farmacia

Doc Cindy had this on FB. It works even better in Spanish where the word for drugstore is farmacia.

Random

> TIME VIDEO interview with Jake Shimabukuro ~ link

> I SPENT a couple of hours today in the MVD with friend Jeffrey who is trying to get an Arizona driver's license. (Unfortunately, the secondary ID and his birth certificate were inadequate -- in spite of what they had told him on his last visit -- bureaucratic nightmare.) There were hundred's of tense adults and a fair number of unhappy children packed into this huge room waiting to be called. I got to thinking that the thing they most needed in there was a flash ukulele mob. But there was only one of me and I wasn't packing the uke. Next time.

> YESSSS... Kindle books getting page numbers ~ NY Times | WSJ

> YESSSS... 72° days in Phoenix & beautiful sunsets

> INCEPTION -- finally found a Red Box with it. At least I think I did - unless I was dreaming.

> TODAY'S 2ND amendment story ~ link

> THE GAME was better than average. The half-time show made me yawn. And other than the Darth Vader kid VW commercial, there was a noticeable shortage of creativity in the advertising department. We seem to be doing okay with football but otherwise we are a nation in crisis. And it has nothing to do with the economy and everything to do with the implosion of national imagination.

> WELL, OKAY, at least we can laugh at ourselves. -- The Malcolm Gladwell Book Generator

> AGREED -- Mike Elgan: "AOL loses mind, pays $315 million for HuffPo" ~ link

> IS IT JUST because I flew on United Airlines last week that I'm now hearing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" on the radio so often? It's nice that he has a corporate sponsor.

> MARTIN MARTY on Brian McLaren's approach to evolutionary Christianity ~ link

> FINALLY, AFTER 50 YEARS, the "Der" is back in "Wienerschnitzel." I love hot dogs but admittedly that restaurant must be confusing to Austrian tourists looking for a nice cut of veal. ~ link

Random

> THE COLD has dipped down into Mexico -- not what they're used to, either. ~ BBC

> "ARIZONA SENATE President Russell Pearce says it's OK for State Senators to carry guns inside the Senate building..." in spite of the state law passed by the Senate prohibiting weapons inside the Arizona House and Senate. ~ link

> SOUTH AFRICAN Theological Seminary, my favorite accredited distance education theological school, has released their 2011 Prospectus. ~ link (.pdf)

> THE LAVEEN Community Parade starts at 11 a.m. this morning. ~ link (.pdf)

> HOW IS IT that even though I now pastor a smaller church than before, the mail pile is just as high after returning from nine days away? In spite of the blizzard this was among the top three Covenant Midwinter Conferences I've attended over the past 25 years.

> WE HAD Supper at Federico's Mexican Food, which opened in Laveen while I was in Chicago. It is definitely a winner.

> IF I'D realized how much confusion I'd create by handing the clerk $1.01 for an 86¢ transaction... He probably needs a new line of work.

> OUR CITRUS and bouganvillas took bad hit from the frost over the last few nights -- even though covered. The weeds fared well, though.

> DEALS OF THE WEEK: Dollar General, Cheez-It, and Barnes & Noble... ~ CSM

> I'M STILL AHEAD on my 2011 Bible reading plan. At this pace I will finish on November 22nd. I'm not especially faithful at this but the combination of reading the engaging Message paraphrase and having it online, with access from a number of different devices, helps.

St Ansgar's Day

from AmericanCatholic.org:

The “apostle of the north” (Scandinavia) had enough frustrations to become a saint—and he did. He became a Benedictine at Corbie, France, where he had been educated. Three years later, when the king of Denmark became a convert, Ansgar went to that country for three years of missionary work, without noticeable success. Sweden asked for Christian missionaries, and he went there, suffering capture by pirates and other hardships on the way. Less than two years later he was recalled, to become abbot of New Corbie (Corvey) and bishop of Hamburg. The pope made him legate for the Scandinavian missions. Funds for the northern apostolate stopped with Emperor Louis’s death. After 13 years’ work in Hamburg, Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading Northmen; Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism. 

He directed new apostolic activities in the North, traveling to Denmark and being instrumental in the conversion of another king. By the strange device of casting lots, the king of Sweden allowed the Christian missionaries to return. 

Ansgar’s biographers remark that he was an extraordinary preacher, a humble and ascetical priest. He was devoted to the poor and the sick, imitating the Lord in washing their feet and waiting on them at table. He died peacefully at Bremen, Germany, without achieving his wish to be a martyr.

Sweden became pagan again after his death, and remained so until the coming of missionaries two centuries later.

And today is also Lunar New Year

aka -- Chinese New Year




Congratulations and be prosperous during this year of the rabbit!

Covenant Midwinter Conference

• In Christ Alone 00:16:15
• Humor @ 00:22:40
• Al Tizon @ 00:31:16

Snow day in Chicago

Random

> HAPPY GROUND HOG DAY! What happens if the ground hog is snowed into his hole?

> WE'RE in the middle of a mega blizzard here in Chicago. I'm ready to head back to Phoenix, flying on Friday. The airport is supposed to be reopened by Thursday.

> DOMINOES -- the top ten autocrats in trouble ~ Time

> COVENANT Midwinter Conference Highlight:


It's all good. But the skit at about 00:19:27 should put anyone who has been around the Covenant for awhile into stitches.

> NYC HIRED INVESTIGATORS to run gun sting in Phoenix ~ AZ Central

Random

> THE SNOW HAS STARTED. Get out of Chicago now or wait until after Wednesday. There should be enough time to shovel out before I fly out for Phoenix on Friday.

> RACE REMIXED: "Black? White? Asian? More Young Americans Choose All of the Above" ~ NY Times

> QUOTABLE FROM THE COVENANT MIDWINTER CONFERENCE:

• "Conversion is when you attempt to love God back..." ~ John M Perkins 

• "Bigness might be better for those who are there but it is not necessarily good for the mission." ~ John M Perkins 

• "Justice is how we steward God's resources in the world to benefit the poor." ~ John M Perkins 

• "The gospel changes everything it touches." ~ Gary Walter

> FREE KINDLE BOOK: Welcoming Justice: God's Movement Toward Beloved Community by John M Perkins ~ link

> THE WAITRESS spoke to me in English, to her friend in Polish, and to another employee in Spanish. I feel woefully inadequate.

> IT LOOKS LIKE A CATEGORY 5 Tropical Cyclone is going to slam into Queensland, Australia -- which is already flooded. ~ link

> THE CHINESE are totally getting into the whole rabbit thing. So, if we exported our Easter bunnies this year perhaps we could cancel out the trade deficet. ~ WSJ

> TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE QUEEN'S WAY? The new Superman is a Brit. It just doesn't seem quite right -- although I suppose the earliest Euro-Americans sounded a bit Brit. ~ Time