Dove Mountaineers

This Week's issue

2012-01-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Although it's a bit dated by the time we get it here in the outer fringes of civilization, we will be discussing the cover story of the January 28 th issue in WorldMovers class this Sunday, entitled "Young and Restless." Beginning on p.36, the coverage treats life issues from many different angles: the definition of personhood, current attacks on pregnancy resource centers, undercover exposes of Planned Parenthood, adopting children with special needs, Jewish pregnancy help, new pro-life laws (especially in Arizona!), and the pro-life movement outside the U.S. Lots of good information - come prepared to discuss and pray!

School Bullies of Another Sort

2012-01-23T11:23:00.002-07:00

Here is a link to my latest Presidential Prayer Team article. It will only be up a couple more days.

What he said

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have referenced Chuck Colson's Breakpoint messages several times before. A recent issue, which you can read here, entitled "Breaking the Spiral of Silence," highlights a common problem in our culture. I have seen it affect the political debates, and I have seen it affect decisions by church committees. It is rampant in the media, and even though we suspect it goes on, no one admits how much it controls the direction of our world and lives. I'm not going to define "it" right here, because I hope you will hit the link and read the original - the way he said it.

I will give a quick and current example, however.Yesterday on a local radio talk show, I heard a state legislator tell outrageous (and easily refutable) lies about an organization I am actually employed by. The possible explanations for this are many, but they do not include ignorance. As a legislator he as access to the facts.

He could have been saying what he knows his colleagues and constituents expect to hear (toeing the party line), and he was probably lazily repeating the lies of others without careful thought or research. A likely explanation is that he has heard these lies so often that he actually believes them to be the truth.

As Christians, we often naively assume that others have the same "fear of God" and reverence for the truth that we know we are supposed to have. But we live in a culture of lies, and Satan is the "father of lies." It is more work to find out the truth and speak it strictly, but to those who fear God, consequences of spreading lies are too serious to make negligence worthwhile.

Above all, we should think about how we decide what is true. The gentleman on the radio had a pleasant voice, spoke with the right amount of passion, without seeming to be a nut case. I have seen picures of himand read his biogrpahy. He is visually good-looking, and polished - educated, nicely dressed, nice family, etc. The lies he spouted would be good news to people who have been raised in a collectivist environment of class envy, lack of personal responsiblity, and blame-shifting, where there is no transcendent right and wrong and, above all, no supernatural authority to sort it all out - in other words, twenty-first century American homes and schools, in general.

A good summation of Colson's article would be something like this: is the position I am advocating, or the decision I am voting for, based on a rational analysis of the facts? Or am I more concerned about what people (especially attractive advocates) think about which side I choose?

A reminder for WorldMovers

2012-01-20T09:27:00.001-07:00

I need to remind WorldMovers of two specific assignments I made last week:

1. Rather than my comtinuing to supply you with scriptures regarding economics, I am asking you to bring any scriptural references of your own which speak to you about the handling of money.

2. I asked specifically that everyone read Mindy Belz's editorial, "Unreached People." I also gave Rags a book on a similar subject,and he may be ready to report on it by Sunday.

Hope to see lots of you there!

One more Tebow

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tebow with Zac Taylor, who lives
in constant pain.

When asked if spending time before and after a game with sick and dying people is a distraction, Tebow answered:

"Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."

My turn to Tebow

2012-01-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just a week after my warning that college sports can be an idol (and I stll think that), I read a column that showed how one Christian is using sports for the cause of Christ. It's a very different article about Tim Tebow than most I had read up that point, and you can read in in its entirety here.

In his entire story about Tebow, Rick Reilly never uses the words "Jesus," "religion," or "faith." No mention is made of Tebow's praying on the field or "giving glory to God" for his football skills and victories. This is not just because Reilly is not interested in those details, and he probably isn't. It's because Reilly is overcome by the effects of Christ (unnamed in the article) on Tebow's life.

Here's my take-away from the article. Tim Tebow may be one of the first Christian athletes to seriously think about how to use this enormous wealth and world stage to demonstrate the life of Christ. Not many people can spend the money on these people that Tebow is able to afford (I'm not explaining who these people are, because I want you to read Reilly's article!). Not many people have access to the research and logistics that go into locating the cases, making flight arrangements, and designing gift baskets that I am sure Tebow can pay others to help him with. But Tebow is non-verbally saying, "If I can make this a priority on game day in the NFL, thus putting into perspective the eternal things versus the transient things, then you can take a little time out of your 'busy' life to visit a shut-in, give a small gift of encouragement, make a small sacrifice of service to someone."

We can. We are the Body of Christ on earth. And Tim Tebow is showing us how to be His Body. Thanks, Tim.

New sermon series begins today

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

And here is the text, from I Peter, chapter 1:

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

A Long Way to Go

2012-01-14T15:45:00.002-07:00

This is the cover of the issue we will discuss tomorrow. The cover story, "The Year Ahead," begins on p. 33. For those who may feel (and they seem to be legion) that the status quo in our world is just fine, it won't be easy reading. For those of us who hate sin and love the truth, you will find lots to pray about.

On your way to the cover story, take a quick gander at Joel Belz's editorial on p.3. In our last class we discussed Belz's social experiment, in which he interviewed WalMart shoppers, at some length. For those who missed it, Belz's conclusion was that the response of the "average American" to the question "What message would you like to send to Washington?" ranged from avoidance to shallow vulgarity. Belz's editorial in this issue concerns a reader response to this experiment that I would never have anticipated. Check it out.

Things we worship

2012-01-10T13:49:00.002-07:00

It's always easier to point out other people's idols than

to repent of our own.

I say that first because I love college sports (from a fan perspective) as much as anyone I know. It's entertaining without some of the jaded "standardization" that comes with professionalism. It's still connected (enough) with the world of education that it feels like an extension of what I do as a classroom teacher. It entertains in dozens of different ways, and it provides safe fields of combat for the warrior nature that is latent within most of us.

Nevertheless, it took Pasor Ed referring to sports as idolatry in his sermon this past Sunday to get me to look through a different perspective. No matter how you look at college sports, it has become a religion for most of its adherents: sportscasters who study the stats and playbooks more assiduously than the Council of Nicea or the Westminster divines studied the original autographs of scipture; the millions of dollars expended in both direct expenses (uniforms, stadia, scholarships) and indirect (travel, fan gear, media, etc.); the stature and weight given to the utterances of these (often poorly educated) inexperienced young men and women.

I will still watch and enjoy college sports. But I will add my voice to those who are correcty identifying sports fandom as immature and time-wasting even at the best of times, and sheer and absolute idol worship at the worst.

Better to call on Jesus BEFORE the flight!

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

When an Air Tran flight was delayed at take off because of a maintenance check, some passengers, who realized that most of the other passengers were the choir from Indiana Wesleyan University, asked them to sing something. And here is the beautiful result.

First Sunday after the Epiphany

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Matthew 2:

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

The Latest PPT article: When "freedom" disappears

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest article for Presidential Prayer Team, concerning the most recent attacks on religious liberty in the U.S.

No "WorldMovers" class this Sunday

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's a Potluck Sunday, which means that we won't get to discuss part 2 of the end-of-2011 issue. Last Sunday we didn't get past the opening editorial by Joel Belz, but we had an excellent prayer time over the messages-that-we-would-like-to-send-to-Washington survey. Pictured at the right here is the cover of the next issue, which we will discuss and pray through on Sunday, January 15.

I would like to mention here one interesting item from the December 31 issue. We do not usually discuss the movie reviews, but Rebecca Cusey's review of The Girl with the Dragon tattoo jumped out at me. After pointing out all the moral flaws in the protagonist and emphasizing that the post-modern approbation for this character is that she is 'honest," meaning that each of her sexual partners knows they are not exclusive to her, she adds two thoughtful statements:

"Since redemption isn't possible, revenge takes its place. With redemption and mercy out of the picture, the will to power becomes the ultimate goal of mankind."

It's the Worldview, stupid.

In two sentences, Cusey has given us a succinct statement of the probem with virtually all modern fiction. While it's a healthy thing that we review such movies and do not prudishly "judge" them because of bad langauge and partial nudity, most Christians miss the real point of what is dangerous: the worldview. It is dangerous because fiction manipulates us to identify with and "root for" the protagonist, and if the protagonist is devoid of wisdom or any redemptive character, then we "buy into" the lifestyle and activity of the "hero," no mater how "heathen" it may be.

I have preached this for years, but still thousands of Christian young people support these movies with God-provided money, chanting as they merge with the darkness of the mesmerizing theater, "It can't hurt me....it can't hurt me.."

Thank God for Rebecca Cusey sounding the alarm, anyway. It's is good not to be alone in this battle.

It's not the money, part two

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

It ought to horrify us, but evidently it does not. No outcry has followed the disclosure that the current reading scores are the lowest in SAT history. Nationally, the average reading score for the Class of 2011, including public- and private-school students, was 497, down three points from the previous year and 33 points from 1972. Keep in mind that the scoring system was “re-centered” (dumbed down) in the mid-1990’s, so a straight across comparison to 1972 would be even lower.

Those who make it past high school and are actually enrolled in college are disappointing even more. About 41 percent of students who graduate from a public high school in Ohio take at least one remedial course when they enroll in one of the state’s two- or four-year public colleges, according to the Ohio Board of Regents. Since remedial classes cost as much as other college courses but don’t count toward a degree, they also increase the time it takes to obtain a degree and the likelihood that a student will drop out.

Last year, Ohio spent an estimated $147 million on remedial education — money that could be better spent on other academic programs, said Jim Petro, the state’s higher-education chief. Petro is urging the four-year state universities to phase out their remedial programs over the next six years.

To address this situation, starting in January 10 high school teachers in Columbus will be paired with local college professors in order to “plan and co-teach about 200 sophomores and juniors in English and math, two subjects that give many students trouble. By partnering, the college professors will get a better idea of what is being taught in the high schools. The teachers will gain a better understanding of what is expected of college freshmen.”

Let me see if I understand this:

1. High schools in Ohio (just like every other state) are routinely graduating students who are not prepared for freshman level courses at schools like Columbus State Community College, according to the college.

           Who is being punished, fired, held to account for this?

2. Taxpayers in Ohio are being charged 147 million to “remediate” these high school graduates – who (as a result of being “remediated”) are now more likely to drop out of college.

          Who thinks this is a good idea? The taxpayers? The instructors? The students?
          Is this a costly way to avoid saying to someone, “I’m sorry, you are just not capable of passing college course work”?

3. Are the teachers and professors in the January experiment doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, or are they being paid extra to do this?

           If the latter, where will that money come from, and how much of the $147 million will it save? (Oh, wait – I just realized! It will ADD to the current expenditure of $147 million. Well, that’s good…).

4. How will this be any different from previous remediation efforts? What magic feather will they discover that we (in the field of education) do not already know about how students learn and succeed?

          I can just see the news interview of one of the high school teachers at the end of the semester: “This was so revealing to us as high school teachers! We had no idea that the colleges wanted our kids to be able to write papers with clarity, unity, focus, and subject-verb agreement! Wow! I am really going to change how I approach my high school writing classes!”

Money is still not the solution.

It's not the money, part one

2012-01-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

In 1988, two Washington, D.C., area philanthropists offered to pay the entire cost of college for any fifth grader from Maryland's Seat Pleasant Elementary School who graduated from high school and got admitted to college. Of the 59 "Dreamers," as they came to be called, 44 graduated from high school, and another 5 got their GEDs, a higher percentage than the overall graduation rate for Prince George's County students at that time. Almost half enrolled in college, and at least 11 got four-year degrees. But most dropped out of college. Among the 59 dreamers are a doctor, an elected official, a policeman, a lawyer, a cellist, two drug dealers, a suicide, and a murderer.

Thinking that these donors may have waited too late, a different set of philanthropists set out to issue golden tickets, starting even earlier. In 1993, there were 73 third-graders at Orr Elementary in the District of Columbia, who were told that their college would be paid for. After 10 years of intensive mentoring, tutoring, summer camps and ski trips, 54 of the 73 Orr Dreamers graduated from high school. Among them was a single mother, a gunshot victim, a violinist, an artist, dozens of honor roll members, scholarship athletes and several aspiring doctors. Starting earlier hadn’t delivered much different results; their high school graduation rate was nearly identical to the first dream class.

This is particularly poignant in light of recent demands for universal, cost-free (except to taxpayers footing the bill) college admission and tutelage. Writer Michael Brooks warns, “At some point, the ubiquity and perceived societal value of a college degree will evolve into an argument for financially supporting it as an entitlement.” And university president Hamid Shirvani adds, “As soon as the word "privilege" enters the conversation, people bring up the subject of access, with the implication that if something is a privilege, only privileged people will enjoy it. But in America, access to higher education is unparalleled. No other country has so many fully accredited colle or has provided such widespread access to student financial aid.” Shirvani concludes, “…as the costs of education rise, [students assume that] government should absorb them. That is no longer possible or desirable.”

Nor is it a guarantee of success, in light of the Seat Pleasant and Orr experiences. It’s not the money, Part Two...next Tuesday (January 3, 2012).

Your spirit booster for today

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I tuned in to the Outback Bowl to root against the Georgia Bulldogs (this sometimes confuses people since I am from Georgia; but like many Georgians on the west side of the state, I grew up an Auburn fan). Didn't know anything about Michigan State, its players, coaches, etc.

Some time in the second half the commentators mentioned a speech the Michigan State quarterback, Kirk Cousins, made at a kickoff banquet representing all of the student athletes of the Big Ten Conference. They seemed pretty
impressed with it, and said it could be found on You Tube. I couldn't resist taking a look.

I was impressed too; so much so I entreat you to push the play button right now!

One of the themes we talk about a lot in WorldMovers is the need for heroes in our time. Usually we are looking for political heroes (I am biased to believe we won't find any in that arena - ever!). But right now I'll take a hero wherever I can find one, even in the world of college sports.

Just after I finished watching the speech on You Tube, Michigan State fell behind by a touchdown with a minute and forty-six seconds to play in the game. It was a joy to watch Cousins calmly engineer a drive that took them 85 yards for a touchdown, sending the game into overtime. The drive employed five beautifully thrown passes and a long quarterback keeper, showing both Cousins' versatility and his indispensible role on the team.

And never mind the interception he threw in the first overtime. His team's defense was staunch in the third overtime, and MSU pulled out a win in the end!

The one I chose

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I provided links to a list of Bible reading plans to encourage Bible reading in the new year. I chose Professor Grant Horner's plan, which is almost identical to a plan I followed forty years ago when I was in the army. After Day 1 I am remembering why I loved it so much! It's even easier to use now because there is a Facebook page here and an updateable chart which links directly to online bibles here.

Try it! You'll like it!

Presentation Day - Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Luke 2:21

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

New Year's Eve, 2012

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Revelation 21:5

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

About this Sunday

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

It will be 2012, and time to discuss World's end-of-2011 issue. The usual columns and departments are still there, but there is no focused "cover story" in this one. End-of-the year coverage begins on p. 16 and meanders on until about p.63 with page by page accounts of major events in 2011. Be prepared to discuss any and all - and to pray a bunch for 2012!

Bible reading in 2012

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Eddie Taylor and some friends from Grace Church, Sierra Vista, have been discussing Bible reading plans on their message board this week, in preparation for new disciplines in the new year. I would like to encourage Dove Mountaineers to recommit to the discipline of Bible reading, as well. Here are a variety of plans to choose from. I'll put in my own plug here for the one identified in the list as Professor Grant Horner's plan. I used it in the 1970's and it was formative in my Christian life. It is time-intensive, but extremely worthwhile. I found it more enjoyable than the usual "read the Bible in one year" and similar plans.

Local Kerfluffle

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Protesting students disrupted a Tucson Unified
School District board meeting in May, 2011

Administrative Judge Lewis Kowal ruled yesterday in favor of State Superintendent of Education John Huppenthal's long-standing quarrel that Tucson Unified School District's "Mexican American Studies" program violates a state law against studies aimed a specific ethnicity. It is expected that the district will file a counter-suit costing taxpayers even more money (when one government entity sues another, it's the taxpayer that loses!). At stake are about $15 million in funds which TUSD will lose unless some court of appeal will overthrow Judge Kowal's decision.

This has been an ugly and vituperative fight, and it's not over yet. There is so much sin on each side that one hardly knows where to begin.

It is true that:
          Generations of white Americans have exploited and mistreated Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, in spite of the fact that they were here long before the whites.

However,
          Even though many of those most protesting the Arizona law are here illegally, Tucson High School endorsed a hard core activist to speak at an assembly last year, leading the (mostly Hispanic) students in chanting, "We didn't cross the border; the border crossed us!"

In addition,
          Students who chained themselves to desks in the school board meeting last spring were more concerned about whether their "right" to study the history of political oppression against Mexicans was being infringed on, than whether or not they might be breaking a law.

It should be noted here that:
           The Mexican-American studies course can substitute as a graduation requirement in place of courses on U.S. history and government.

It's all sin, and none of it is education. It's all political, and none of it is redemptive in any form. Nothing will improve through raw exhibitions of political power, either judicial or legislative. Nothing will improve as long as each side is pointing and saying, "Your sins are worse than mine!" Somebody has to repent of something, some time, somewhere. Somebody has to fear God, and love his own ego less. Somebody has to obey God's revealed will.

Who would like to go first?

Amazing things that people write...

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

And I don't mean amazing in a good way!

Some people know that I do not "suffer fools" lightly (or quietly), but lately there are too many fools to keep up with! Now I have help from my long-time hero, Dr. Marvin Olasky, editor of World Magazine. In his latest article he cites his favorite "mush" from the Media Research Center's anuual awards for "worst journalism."

Here is a sample of the article:

"I didn't realize that Tea Party folks were terrorists, but New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman equated them to Hezbollah, and within a week fellow Times columnist Joe Nocera was writing that 'Tea Party Republicans have waged jihad on the American people" and wear "suicide vests.' MSNBC's Chris Matthews similarly observed that 'the GOP has become the Wahhabis of American government.'"

You can read the whole article here or see the complete list of awards here.

Happy Boxing Day

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

BOXING DAY

by Lee Emmet

Boxing Day is a time of rest
clean up house after Christ-fest

recovering from food overload
put up feet, not the time to hit road

talk about fun of Christmas day
old folk sit around while children play

Happy Birthday, Brad!

Joyous Christmas Day!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Luke 2:
1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

Christmas Eve: The Christ Candle

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 9:
1Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

2The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
3Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
5For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Planning Ahead for WorldMovers

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the cover of the next issue we will discuss - the special year-end issue. Unfortunately, we won't get to it unti the "year-beginning," since there is no Sunday School scheduled for this Sunday, which is Christmas Day.

It might be a good time to reprint the previously stated "essential purposes of WorldMovers class"....

1. To see what is going on around us with understanding: "And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matthew 16:3
2. To seek Biblical wisdom for present day problems and choices: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11
3. To prepare ourselves to speak wisely, according to God's revelation: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" I Peter 3:15
4. To bring the urgent issues of our day before the heart of God in prayer: "Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

Please note that "to promote political activism," "to persuade members toward one political party," and "to prove that transitory, earthly affairs are more important than the eternal, unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ" are not among the purposes.

Just saying.

Today's "morality in America" article

2011-12-22T08:34:00.002-07:00

Read about how 5000 Texans responded to out-of-state atheists who were meddling with their observance of Christmas here.

An excerpt from the article:

"Atheists consistently present their case as “more intellectual” than that of Christianity, as reflected in their deposed banner. Atheism proposes there are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only this natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.

Christians need to be very clear in their thinking when they see this worldview and need not be intimidated. Atheists have no empirical proof that there are “no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell.” Atheists must contend with the evidence of design in the world’s creation, the verifiable history of Israel and, most importantly, the life, teachings, miracles and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God help them!"

Historical Revisionism

2011-12-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

I know that I rant pretty often about stupid things people say on talk radio, but it's hard to stay silent.

Yesterday a caller to Michael Medved asserted that most Americans are not free, because freedom requires wealth, and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a very few. Medved countered (correctly) that freedom is opportunity, and that still exists in abundance in this country, although there are greater government restrictions on freedom every year. He also pointed out that someone else's wealth is not a limitation to your opportunity, and that most poverty in America is among recent immigrants and the very young. Statistically, there are very few people over 40 who qualify as "poor," implying that they had found opportunities, used them, and succeeded.

The caller then went on to extol the "successes" (he actually used that word) of twentieth century leaders like Joseph Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung for "equalizing opportunity" and improving the economies of Russia and China. Medved thought he was joking, at first. Further discussion proved that he was utterly sincere, but completely clueless about the millions of victims these men had slaughtered to achieve their political ends, as well as the fact that economic success did not come to either of these countries until they modified collectivism to allow for free enterprise.

The point is that this caller did not speak in the vocabulary of a high school drop out, nor with the speech inflections of a recent immigrant. So where did he learn such one-sided history? I know the answer, and if you do as well, you should join me in my passion to teach truth to the next generation.

"A Visit to Bethlehem" with Jerry Kindall

2011-12-20T07:50:00.001-07:00

Some Dove Mountaineers remember Jerry Kindall as an elder at Catalina Foothills Church, while others (like Jack Hauschildt) remember him as a second baseman for the Chicago Cubs, (or if you're Steve Johnson) the Cleveland Indians, or (Audrey Johnson and others) the Minnesota Twins. Rabid U of A fans like myself think of him as having won three NCAA baseball championships while coaching here in Tucson. This member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and author of two books has been much in demand in his retirement years as a speaker, and will be speaking to the Tucson Business Fellowship tomorrow morning at the Manning House at 7:00 AM on "A Visit to Bethlehem." You can find registration information here.

Marlene's question

2011-12-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Alan Chambers, Exodus International

Yesterday in our discussion of World's "Daniel of the Year," Alan Chambers of Exodus International, Marlene directed our attention to this paragraph:

"Friends in church met with Chambers regularly, prayed with him, and even retrieved him from a gay bar on Easter Sunday evening when they saw his car in the parking lot. When change didn't happen overnight, they didn't give up."

Marlene's question for us was whether we, either as individuals or as a church, could or would do the same if there were a person stuggling to overcome homosexuality in our midst. I'm not sure any of the discussion which followed adequately dealt with Marlene's question, so I would like to spend some time with it here.

One of the things that Alan Chambers stressed in the article was that when he began attending the church described in the paragraph, he "...met people who 'didn't looked at me cross-eyed because of what I struggled with. They didn't think my stuff was any different than their stuff. They were just committed to helping me like somebody helped them.'"

I think that is the bottom line to the question. Can we as Christians welcome (fellow) sinners whose struggles just happen to be different than ours? Or those who are at a different place in their journey than we are? If the answer is "no," based simply on the fact that we are "uncomfortable" around "those kinds of people," or because disciplng them might take us down some roads we are unwilling to travel on, then that's sin, too. And as we have said many times in WorldMovers, God doesn't prefer one kind of sin over another.

If the heart attitude is right, and we are willing to "not look cross-eyed" at such people, are we to beat ourselves up because they are not flocking to our doors? That is a missional question that we should discuss thoughtfully as Dove Mountaineers.

I have long been opposed to the "program-based design" model for churches, in which consumers shop around and look for the church that has the most to "offer." We could all give examples of what this looks like. I'm interested in the "people-based design" model. In this approach we look at those whom God has brought together and ask, "What are we to do individually, and what are we to do corporately, in order to be the people of God in the geographical place God has planted us?" Not every church will have a Stephen Ministry, or AWANA, or a Titus ministry, or whatever. But all churches must preach the gospel and provide incarnational examples of redeemed lives.

In his column in the bulletin yesterday, Pastor Ed exhorted us to be "good salesmen" for the church, and we should pay heed to that. And he is right that the services of Christmas coming up this week end ar a good opportunity for that. And if our efforts result in some folks coming who are struggling with...whatever... we must do our best, by God's strength, to not look cross-eyed at them.

Fourth Sunday in Advent: God with us!

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 7:10-14
10Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

11Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Today's Losungen

2011-12-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday, December 17

Nahum the Prophet

Psalm 144:5-8 Nahum 3; Habakkuk 1; Revelation 14:17-15:8

King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty? Nahum 3:18-19

They made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart. 1 Chronicles 29:9

Just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. 2 Corinthians 8:7

Holy Child of God, we contemplate what we will bring to you this season of birth and light. What will we offer you at the manger? Whatever gifts we bring, we will bring them with whole hearts and gratefulness beyond measure. Amen.

Back on track

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Because of the recent potluck, WorldMovers class will not be spending our usual two weeks on the December 3rd issue of World. Instead, we will go straight to the cover story of the Dec. 17th issue about this year's Daniel of the Year, Alan Chambers.

Remember, the discussion is better when class members have read the article in advance!

Immigration update

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

In last Sunday's discussion of the illegal immigration situation in WorldMovers, we agreed that it ought to be reasonable for a strong national government to come up with a rational "guest worker" policy that would effectively protect national security and the economy without being intrusive to personal freedom and liberty. We also applauded the statements made by some of the presidential candidates in last Saturday's debate about what to do about solving the problem of the millions of undocumented immigrants who have already been living here for many years.

This week the Supreme Court agreed to hear the federal case agains the state of Arizona's S.B. 1070,which requires law enforcement officers to inquire as to the legal status of possible lawbreakers, including traffic laws. You can read World's update about this case here.

Unfortunately, the outcome of this case will not really "solve" the present crisis. It is essentially an argument over jurisdictions. Can individual states create laws about immigration, or is that exclusively a federal prerogrative? Either outcome has the potential to uphold the status quo, which is already very ineffective.

Fortunately, we can pray. When we pray about these issues in WorldMovers, here are some of the petitions we make:

1) that individual Christians and churches would have compassion on the "strangers in the land" (Leviticus 19:34 and Deuteronomy 10:19)
2) that God would give us wise and just leaders (Proverbs 8:15)
3) that God will grant us peace within our borders (Psalms 147:14)
4) that God will deliver us from our enemies (Psalm 18:3).

He said it - not me!

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

I recently mentioned Voddie Baucham's book, Family-Driven Faith, and I indicated I will be sharing quotations from it from time to time.

After discussing what family-driven faith looks like in the home, Baucham moves to looking at the role of the church. From chapter nine:

"While I believe the vast majority of those who shepherd segregated portions of congregations are well meaning and would never presume to replace parents in their biblical role, I believe the modern American practice of age group segregation goes beyond the biblical mandate. I believe it is the product of the American education system, and in some cases it actually works against families as opposed to helping them pursue multigenerational faithfulness. I believe the church's emphasis ought to be on equipping parents to disciple their children instead of doing it on their behalf."

Baucham then goes on to make three points about current age group practices in American churches: it isn't biblically mandated, it works against the biblical model, and it isn't working, anyway. Worth reading the book!

Links you can use

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

After WorldMovers this past Sunday, a class member stopped me and asked, "Besides World magazine, where can I learn more about the Republican candidates?" So this blog today is in reply to that question.

But before I answer it, let me respond to a criticism I have received from a fellow Dove Mountaineer, who has alleged that I am too partisan to identify this blog with Dove Mountain Church. For those who are heairng this allegation for the first time, I would simply direct your attention to the disclaimer at the right, which states that I neither speak for the session or for every member of Dove Mountain Presbyterian Church. At the same time, I write to Dove Mountaineers in response to their questions (through WorldMovers and other contacts), and about Dove Mountaineers, as a caring brother joined to the same organ of the Body of Christ.

I reiterate that here, because I am about to provide some links which contain information and views which I cannot fully endorse. The fact that they are all Republican and (mostly) conservative is due to the fact that we already know who the Democrat candidate is going to be in the next general election. Therefore, as a service to my Sunday School class, here are some sources of further information.

For those who are new to this, the words that are colored slightly differentsly are active links, and if you click on them, they will take you directly to a web site.

First, here are the sites for the candidates themselves: Mitch Romney, Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum. Bear in mind that these are very partisan in terms of what they say about their own candidate. Nevertheless, I have found many of the biographical details available on these sites to be quite interesting. I should mention also that most of them begin with obnoxious fund-raising appeals, and you may have to click through several pages sometimes to get to the "meat."

Secondly, you can find some analysis of the recent debate on the web sites of these commentators: Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, and Dennis Prager.

Moving from Passive to Active

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I make it a point not to respond directly to readers’ comments on my articles at the Presidential Prayer Team web site. Any response of any kind could open cans of worms that would be too complicated to put back in order.

But here on this blog I’d like to analyze a recent reader’s comment. Reacting to my assertion that higher education (and most forms of government entitlement) are not a Biblical role of government, the reader wrote:

“However, I must ask how others are to be provided for without any government programs when they are not being taken care of now even with government programs in place (sic) and also how they are to be provided for when the percentage of church people in America who are willing simply to tithe is merely five percent.”

Setting aside, for the moment, the regrettable percentage of tithers, let me play the grammar geek for a minute and analyze what the writer was saying.

“To be provided for” (used twice) and “being taken care” are constructions in the passive voice. Active voice versions would say “X provides for Y (or even for X himself)” or “X takes care of Y (or X).”

This is more than a grammatical accident. We have moved from an “active” society [“I must take care of myself, trusting God for His Providence”] to a passive one [“I must be taken care of – by the government, God, anybody - but one thing’s for sure: my efforts are irrelevant.”]

One of the things I like best about classical Christian education is our emphasis on life in the past - not only in the teaching of history itself, but in the literature we select for the student to read. Stories like Little House on the Prairie, Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Baby Island, Adam of the Road, House of 60 Fathers, and The Yearling (among dozens of other classics) show young people and families living simply, making sacrifices, fearlessly facing the unknown, trusting God, and surviving. Compared to the spoiled expectations of current American culture, it’s downright embarrassing.

As for the writer’s slam about meager numbers of Christians tithing (which is probably true, though possibly not as extreme as only five per cent), the author did not provide any proof or documentation. However, it has been demonstrated dramatically that believers give more time and money to secular charities than non-believers do. For the story behind this statistic, you can read the research here at the Hoover Institute.

This being true, combine that superiority with all the giving that is supporting thousands of churches, thousands of parachurch ministries, and thousands of missionaries, and maybe the problem isn’t just the church. If unbelievers were giving as generously as believers, who also pay taxes, maybe the net outcome would be more favorable to those in need. And this does not even touch on the fact that government systems are notorious for being abused and misused.

I am convinced this country would be better off without any government funds being used for “charity.”

1. Some people would have to wake up and take responsibility for themselves.

2. Defunding all of the government aid schemes would put more money back in the hands of individuals.

3. Local agents (non-governmental) could address local problems without expensive red tape and unwieldy “policies.”

4. We would be blessed for following biblical wisdom, instead of trying to build a Tower of Babel.

Third Sunday in Advent: Joy

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Psalm 98

1 O sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done marvellous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gained him victory.
2 The Lord has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

the world and those who live in it.

8 Let the floods clap their hands;

let the hills sing together for joy

9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming

to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity.

Linking the Latest

2011-12-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to my latest article for Presidential Prayer Team: "The 'right' to Higher Education,and the wrong way to fund it."

"In Scripture, Paul told believers to be faithful in paying taxes for the purpose of upholding justice, as “an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:4) There is no sanction anywhere in the Bible for government authority except for the purposes of national defense and the protection of personal safety and property."

For this Sunday in World Movers: illegal immigration

2011-12-09T07:50:00.001-07:00

This is certainly a "hot button" issue in our part of the world, but let's see what the editors of World have to say about it. Come to class "read up" and prepared for this one; it's more interesting that way. Remember, our goal is not to find the partisan position, but the Biblical position.

And to pray!

December 7 retrospective

2011-12-08T07:42:00.001-07:00

Pearl Harbor Day found me on a road trip to Phoenix yesterday, which afforded me lots of time to listen to talk radio.

It was poignant to hear of the many gatherings of veterans and friends to observe this historic occasion, including one such gathering at our own state capital in Phoenix.

The saddest report was of the annual gathering of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association at the site of the attack in Hawaii. On their fiftieth reunion in 1991, there were several thousand survivors gathered. This year there were only a little over a hundred. They announced that this seventieth anniversary would be their last gathering, since the surviviors are fast becoming extinct.

One member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association said that the last time he spoke at a school assembly, about five eyars ago, a little girl (upon hearing him introdcued) raised her hand and asked, "WHo is Pearl Harbor?" While such cute misundertandings are understandable, and even perhaps excusable in one so young, it underscores the need for each generation to pass this received cultural knowledge on to the enxt. That is why those of us in the classical Christian school movement say that history is the core of our curriculum.

Distressing things I hear in the news

2011-12-07T06:07:00.001-07:00

It is well-known that Tucson is not a business-friendly environment, and in our recent election, the most business-friendly candidates were not elected to the City Council, in spite of the efforts of two men I enjoy listening to in the morning, Chris DeSimone and Joe Higgins. On their morning drive-time show, "Wake Up, Tucson!" (AM 1030, KVOI), they consistently expose the hostility of Tucson and Pima County government towards business, and did a particularly good job explaining the issues in regard to the recent election, as well as interviewing all the candidates.

In his first press conference this week as our new mayor, Jonathan Rothschild (pictured) made a sweeping statement about wanting to improve the business climate of Tucson, proving that he at least aware that this is a hot-button issue locally. He then turned right back around and stated that one of his goals is to convince the (mostly Reublican) legislature that it should not cut funds to "education." He actually claimed that these expenditures are "good for business."

A few minutes later on the same news broadcast came a separate story with a quotation from Michael Block, founder of the highly succesful BASIS charter schools here in Arizona. Block was quoted as advocating that public schools follow the economic model of BASIS (Block has a Ph.D. in economics, by the way) in what he described as a "more business-like model." Examples he gave were flexible hiring practices based on enrollment numbers and retention of teachers based on student performance. Such practices are clearly supported by current school choice research.

Neither of those common sense business practices are honored in the establishment that Mayor Rothschild refers to as "education," to which he blindly advocates "more money." Without disgressing into party analysis, it is safe to say that the mayor realizes a powerful voting block that helped him get elected. Lost in this quid pro quo is any consideration of (1) good business sense - the folly of throwing good money after bad, and (2) what is best for children - as opposed to protecting the adutls who are currently failing to educate them properly.

Listening to the news would be much less distressing if I didn't know a thing or two about learning, schools, and business. Not to mention wisdom from God's Word: "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" (Proverbs 1:22)

Family Driven Faith

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a book I will probably be quoting from quite a bit in the near future. I am trying to finish it this week (amid myriad other responsiblities) because Rags Ragland is champing at the bit to read it himself. For those of you who have never been to WorldMovers, Rags gives great book reports!

Here is a taste of its contents, to whet your appetite:

"Ask parents what they want most for their children, and yuo will likely get the same answer whether they are Christian or garden-variety unbelievers. They will likely say, 'I want my children to get a good education.' In fact, that's exactly what George Barna found when he interviewed Christian and non-Christian parents. The number one goal they had for their children was that they would get a good education.

I'm not suggesting there is anything wrong with emphasizing education for our children. On the contrary, my wife and I are fanatics when it comes to our children's education. However, our children's education is not our primary goal. Our rpimary goal for our children is that they walk with the Lord. Unfortunately, [Barna's] study found that only half as many parents (whether Christian or not) conisdered their children's having a relationship with Christ as important as their child's education."

Thoughts while listening to talk radio

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Michael Medved with
his wife, Diane.

Proverbs 23:9
         Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Colossians 2:8
          See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

2 Timothy 4:3
           For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Proverbs 6:2
           Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Proverbs 10:19
            In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Proverbs 19:27
            Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

Note: These thoughts are prompted primarily by the inane and illogical remarks of the callers, not the host.

Second Sunday in Advent: Comfort

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 40:1

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out:
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
6 A voice says, "Cry out!"
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
All people are grass,
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand forever.
9 Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

Today's Losungen

2011-12-03T11:20:00.001-07:00

Give generously to your needy brother and do so without a grudging heart. Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV)

Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 1 John 3:18

Our cups overflow while others' are empty. Steady our hearts and hands, great Comforter, as we share our abundance with the burdened and the broken. Amen.

Looking ahead with WorldMovers

2011-12-02T08:55:00.001-07:00

As promised, I am using my Friday blog to talk about WorldMovers readings. However, as we know, this Sunday will be a potluck so Sunday School will not be in session. If we were keeping with our regular schedule, we would skip the cover story and talk about the rest of the issue the following Sunday, Dec. 11. However, the cover story in this issue has so much relevance for us here in southern Arizona, that we need not to skip it, so on December 11 we will be discussing the cover story of illegal immigration. As always, be prepared to think through this issue scripturally, not just emotionally or politically.

It might be a good time to remind oursleves of the essential purposes of World Movers class:

1. To keep informed: "And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matthew 16:3

2. To seek Biblical wisdom: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11

3. To prepare ourselves to speak wisely: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" I Peter 3:15

4. To bring the urgent issues of our day before the heart of God in prayer: "Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

How do we know that "No two snowflakes are alike"?

2011-12-01T05:52:00.001-07:00

We know because William Bentley published a book of over 2,400 snowflake images in 1931. Using his own miscroscope camera, Bentley was fascinated by snowflakes and humbly studied them in his barn/laboratory in Jericho, Vermont for most of his adult life. He was inspired by the reference in Job 38 to "treasures of the snow," and later said, "...the intricacies of God's design in the world can be seen...God uses his creation to declare his glory to us."

We live in an age when many swear by "science," and scoff at "faith," but it has not always been so. You can read more about "Snowflake Bentley," as he is now known, here

Join us in prayer

2011-11-30T05:59:00.001-07:00

Pastor Ed has called the elders and deacons to a special "fifth Wednesday" prayer this morning. We will be at the church office spending approximately an hour and a half in prayer along these guidelines:

for the families and individuals of Dove Moutain Church
for the vision and ministry of Dove Mountain Church
for the advancement of the Kingdom of God in Tucson
for the spread of the gospel around the world.

Please join us any time today, that we may be "...likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." Philippians 2:2

It's a "longing for Narnia" kind of day...

2011-11-29T06:54:00.001-07:00

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning – either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too wonderful to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

Where we are losing the culture war

2011-11-28T08:24:00.001-07:00

A recent rabbit trail on the internet provided me the opportunity me to review the current student handbook of a large eastern high school. This is, by the prevailing reckoning, a national and state "school of excellence."

I am no stranger to school handbooks, having authored a few myself, and I realize that they are of necessity both dry and rules-oriented. Here's what struck me about this one:

1.  Of the 31 pages, 14 pages were allotted to behavior policies, disciplinary procedures, and consequences; 11 pages to general information (timetables, lockers, driving privileges, etc.); and only 6 pages to anything related to academics.
2.  The item with the greatest amount of information in the entire handbook was the the three-page, five-column chart of consequences for every possible behavior, with resultant consequences, delineated down to the fifth offense.
3.   Missing from the book was anything which connected the world of high school to the real world (except a warning about places where students with open lunch driving privileges were not allowed to go), any meaningful statement of intrinsic purpose in the education offered by the school, or anything that could remotely be considered wise, inspiring, uplifting.

Here's what it reflects to me.

1. A beleaguered administration and faculty have tirelessly enumerated all the creative ways that mischievous students with a fallen nature (and a boatload of repressed angst over the dysfunctinal home lives they represent) may possible misbehave. Subsequently, they are attempting to insulate themselves against the lawsuits and possible criminal charges which could ensue from their merely trying to get through the day unscathed.

2. In terms of their academic mission, they have instituted creative protections to ensure that they only need to deal with the better students - Honors and AP classes, weighted grades for GPA inflation, a favored "professional" track (with others relegated to "skilled" and "entry" track), and so on. Their safety nets for the disinterested include a "credit recovery" scheme, grades based as much on participation as achievement, and provisions for "walking" at graduation even if one is a few credits short.

3.  Granted handbooks are not generally the place for philosophical discussions, it is nevertheless startling to contrast the finely honed disciplinary policies and consequences with the absence of anything encouraging, meaningful in terms of the purpose of education, or even remotely uplifting. Motivation, if it exists, is either within the student or comes from sources outside the system. This is an institution based on self-preservation.

I could say so much more, but I call to your remembrance the fact that this represents one of the "best" of American high schools. Such impoverishment of spirit and substance cannot produce the leaders we need in this nation - and in the world at large. It is an accurate reflection of the lostness of our nation.

First Sunday in Advent: Hope

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7

From Today's Losungen

2011-11-26T11:28:00.001-07:00

The Prophet Joel as imagined
by Michelangelo
(Fresco, Sistine Chapel
Ceiling, 1508–1512)

Be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God.

Joel 2:23

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

Philippians 4:4-5

Lord, we rejoice that you are here! You are with us, in us, and among us! You came to the simple, the ordinary, and the untouchables to establish your kingdom. We pray that your shalom comforts and gives hope to your children who are affected by disease.

Amen.

Week #2 on this issue

2011-11-25T14:32:00.001-07:00

Thoughts to guide your reading of the current issue:

Time for choosing, p. 4, describes a fascinating online experiment by the Tea Party to determine what should be cut formt he federal budget. I have downloaded the results and will have the available tor ead or borrow in class.

Find Your Family First, p. 36, contrasts the decimation of American families (due to divorce, single parenthood, remote job searches and commitments, etc.) with the forced decimation in war-torn Sudan and other locales (due to armed conflict, refugee status, political asylum, etc.).

Holding Fast, p. 50, highlights the work of some organizations we should learn more about: International Christian Concern and Operation World.

Signs of the Times, p. 61, goes beyond summarizing the legal conflict Austin's LifeCare Pregnancy Center to telling about its "Earn while you Learn" program, somethign whih matches well with the economic principles we were discussing last Sunday.

Hostile take-over, p. 66, shows the irony in the city of Richmond, where the The Tea Party is suing the city for a refund of the $8,000.00 fee they paid for using the same grounds that Occupy protestors have used without charge for several weeks. Are all U.S. agencies toothless tigers?c

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. Psalm 9:1

Sources of compassion: what does the Bible say?

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday in WorldMovers we discussed the startling increase of Americans using food stamps in the past decade. In searching for a Biblcal position on thissubject,w e reviewed the scriptures listed here:

Leviticus 19:10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Isaiah 58:7    Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

I Samuel 2:7    The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

Deuteronomy 8:18   But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Exodus 20:17   Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Proverbs 1:14-16    Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Matthew 13:11, 12    He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

A compelling question for us was, "What would a present day application of the gleaning principle look like?" We definitely came away with a concern that we become more responsible, both as individuals and as a congregation, in our provisions for the poor.

Why we read original sources

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

In classical schools such as the one where I teach, we emphasize the reading of original historical sources wherever possible. There is no arguing that the teaching of history is often clouded by myth and hearsay. In our time, "political correctness" also obscures an accurate retelling of the events of our nation's past.

In regard to the observance of Thanksgiving, such myths have been perpetrated at both extremes of the continuum. The original settlers of New England were not always the heroes that American tradition often paints them to be, and the behavior of the native tribes was both more troublesome and also more benign than many of the stories we have traditionally heard.

For those of us who subscribe to Biblical theology, this should come as no big surprise. Both settlers and native inhabitants were plagued with an inherited sin nature. But both were also recipients of God's common grace, and as individuals, both had marks of God's imago dei, the image of God.

In our reading of Governor William Bradford's own journal of the Plymouth Plantation, my sixth graders and I have made these observations:

1. The Puritan settlers of New England truly aspired to establish Christ's "city on a hill" in their New England colony, but their efforts were often undermined by human greed and foolishness. Their worship of God was sincere, but their attempts to be informed by God's Word were colored by the political climate and culture of the authoritarian and hierarchical culture in which they had been nurtured in seventeenth century England.

2. Having come as part of a trading company agreement, they were remarkably unreflective about their displacement of the native populations already present in the land they settled. They blindly accepted their trade charter as somehow giving them the right to claim and settle a land that was already occupied by someone else. While some of them treated the native Americans with respect and reciprocity on an individual basis, as a whole they seem to have accepted the notion that these were suspect "heathens," whose presence they were privileged to ignore, in terms of legal rights.

3. While some of the natives did treat the settlers generously and open-handedly, far more were brutish and individually cruel to the settlers, apparently motivated by both envy and fear. Although they have been painted as idealistically not believing in the possession of private property, it is clear from the historic accounts that the natives who plundered and stole from the settlers were aware that they were taking that which did not belong to them.

4. The settlers were more preoccupied with competition with other European settlers than with their relationship to the natives. Much of Bradford's journal details conflicts between the Plymouth colony and later arrivals, often of a seemingly petty religious nature. Bradford was quick to identify someof the later leaders as "heathenish Christians," whose effort at colonization were marked by "disorder" and greed.

5. Despite many failures, the accounts in Bradford's journal record many times of humbing and repentance, as the colonists tried to make sense of the trials they were suffering on what they believed to be a commission from God. There is also evidence that, in spite of apparent racial prejudice toward the natives on the part of some settlers, the church leaders themselves were concerned about gratuitious violence toward the natives, and spoke out against it in no uncertain terms.

6. One of the most enightening sections of the journal was Bradford's account of their abandonment of communalism. "The failure of this experiment of communal service, which was tried for several years, and by good and honest men, proves the emptiness of the theory of Plato and other ancients, applauded by some of later times - that the taking away of private property, and the possession of it by the community, by a commonwealth,would make a state happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For in this instance, community of property (so far as it went) was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment which would have been to the general benefit and comfort." Bradford goes on to detail all the ills that this approach inflicted on the welfare and general productivity of the colony. "Let none argue," Bradford concluded, "that this is due to human failing, rather than to the commnistic plan of life in itself. I answer, seeing that all men have this failing in this, that God in His wisdom saw that another plan of life was fitter for them." We would do well to heed this lesson in our nation today!

Analyzing "Occupy"

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me while reading Nancy Pearcy's excellent Saving Leonardo to try to apply her worldview formula to what seems to be the worldview of the Occupy Wall Streeters. I must say "seems" because their message is really incoherent, as anyone who has tried to make sense of it can testify.

Here template is;

Creation (where does the worldview say we come from, and by extension, to what end or purpose?),
Fall (how does the worldview account for evil, or thngs that don't work?), and
Redemption (what are we supposed to do about it?).

So as I see it, here is the worldview of th Occupiers.

Creation: random evolutionary chance, which means that survival is the end-all and be-all.

Fall: It can't be just "greed," because they are so covetous of the greedy (which might be greed, right?. It must be "inequity."

Redemption: If inequality is the only sin, then redistribution is the only solution. It's a pity they don't know about all the places that didn't work, already. Oh wait, they don't CARE.

I remember that during the Cultural Revolution in China, everyone was required to wear the same blue "Chairman Mao" jacket. Newsphotos of those days showed seas of blue-jacketed people in the streets of Peking and Shanghai. Within weeks, members of the Party and government cadre were sporting thickly lined brand new silk blue jackets, while workers trod to factories in beat-up, thin blue cotton blue jackets. Needless to say, the idea was scrapped.

Remember the lesson of Animal Farm:

All animals are equal, but pigs are more equal than other animals.

Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

We plow the fields, and scatter the good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all His love.

He only is the Maker of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower, He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey Him, by Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all His love.

We thank Thee, then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest, our life, our health, and food;
No gifts have we to offer, for all Thy love imparts,
But that which Thou desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all His love.

42% of us are not the 99%

2011-11-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, you gotta smirk at things like "We are the 99%." Some things are just too ludicrous to say, and we need a whole host of naughty little boys out there pointing out that the Emperor is naked.

Then you have to reckon with the fact that there is no wisdom out there. For the covetous thousands to gripe about the greedy four hundred is to say that there is some strange hierarchy which elevates some sins as more heinous than others.

Then you have to fight the urge not to panic about the state our country is in. We are ignoring the massive debt problem. We are giving up any semblance of a free market and individual liberty on a daily basis.   And most people are too preoccupied with just staying alive (and too distracted by mass entertainment) to give any of it any serious thought. Except the Occupiers, who still don't know what their agenda is.

Actually they have issued way too many agenda statements. A chilling one that came out this week, between "unionize everybody" and "six hour work days" was that homeschooling should be outlawed, because it allows religious fanatics to teach propaganda to their chidlren without the mighty hand of government sanction.

I'll repeat it until somebody pays attention:

1. Look around with eyes wide open.
2. Acknowledge the foolishness with fearless tenacity.
3. Feed yourself on God's wisdom daily.
4. Repent of personal sin.
5. Repent of national sin.
6. Cry out to God for mercy.
7. Warn others.
8. Trust God anyway.

Food Stamps Surge

2011-11-18T10:07:00.001-07:00

For this Sunday's WorldMovers discussion of the cover story in the November 19 issue of World, please read the following:

Food Stamps Surge, p. 38
Helping by Hurting, p. 42
Changing Atittudes, p. 43
Punching Paper Walls, p. 88

Pay special attention to Olasky's question, "Is emphasizng work unfair in a year featuring nine per cent unemployment?" and his suggested answer in the following paragraphs.

Already Gone?

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the first books ever reviewed after the formation of the World Movers Sunday School class was Ken Ham's Already Gone. Since that initial review, I have had numerous occasions on which it was relevant to quote some of the results of the survey by Bob Beemer which forms the statistical basis for that book. Here is a summary of some of the most interesting findings:

• nearly 50% of teens in the U.S. regularly attend church-related services or activities.
• More than three quarters talk about their faith with their friends
• Three out of five teens attend at least one youth group meeting at a church during a typical three-month period
• one third of teenagers participate in Christian clubs at school

A majority of twenty-somethings—61% of today’s young adults—had been churched at one point during their teen years but they are now spiritually disengaged (i.e., not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying). 20% of those who were spiritually active during high school are maintaining a similar level of commitment. 19% of teens were never reached by the Christian community, and they are still disconnected from any Christian activities.

• Those who faithfully attend Sunday School are more likely to leave the church than those who do not.
• Those who regularly attend Sunday School are more likely to believe that the Bible is less true.
• Those who regularly attend Sunday School are actually more likely to defend that abortion and gay marriage should be legal.
• Those who regularly attend Sunday School are actually more likely to defend premarital sex.

Top reasons 20-somethings stopped attending church

Reason and %

Boring service 11.9
Legalism 11.7
Hypocrisy – leaders 11.1
too political 9.8
self-righteous people 9.2
distance from home 7.5
not relevant personally 6.3
God would not condemn to hell 5.7
Bible not relevant 5
not finding preferred denomination in area 5
not feeling worthy 4.2
no time 2.9
don’t know 2.4
hypocrisy of parents 2
Bible not true 1.6
Unfriendly people 1.1
Music is poor 1
Miscellaneous 0.6

Comment: I am publishing these because WorldMovers may have occasion to quote some of these stats in our minsitry of "sound bite sowing." I should mention that Ham's compelling conclusion for these stats is that middle school and high school aged young people want more meat in their preaching and teaching: doctine (first and foremost), controversial topics like origins and eschatology (Where did I come from? Where am I going?), and immediate relevance (as we attempt in WorldMovers). I have always maintained that we "dumb down" our faith too much for the young people in our midst.

I also find it amusing that "poor music" is almost a non-factor, since so many churches are falling all over themselves trying to be "cool" with their music.

The Great Economic Debate

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Many times in our discussion of current events, we have paused in WorldMovers class to review the scriptures on the use of money. There is no doubt that (1) our culture is obsessed with the economy; (2) much of the motivation is individual greed.

A recent debate at Messiah College pitted Jim Wallis of Sojourners against Arthur Brook of the American Enterprise Institute on the question "Is Capitalism Moral?" You may remember that Brooks' book The Battle was World's "Book of the Year" last year, and that we reviewed it in our class.

You can read a summary of this debate here.

Born Again Mormon

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this link for some time, and the discussion in WorldMovers this past Sunday about Mormon political candidates made me think of it.

Shawn McCraney was a typical LDS young man...served a mission at nineteen, came back home to California to hold several offices in his local Ward and Stake, married a Mormon girl, etc. But he was empty inside spiritually and knew it. One day he heard a sermon on the radio by Dr. Charles Stanley, pulled off the freeway, bowed his head, and surrendered to Christ.

Eventually Shawn attened Calvary Chapel Bible College, and currently is planting a Calvary Chapel at the Unviersity of Utah. But he is best known for his weekly television program, "Heart of the Matter,"which you can see here. While you are on his web site, take a look at his books. His first, I Was a Born Again Mormon, is interesting because of its account of his efforts to say within the Mormon church after becoming a believer. As you could expect, it didn't work.

Since WorldMovers emphasize prayer as our "first response," let me encourage you to pray for Shawn and his family. It will come as no surprise that they are under constant attack from the Mormon faithful. Father, have mercy!

For the Glory of Old State

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

A rant for sports lovers, education lovers, and lovers of truth:

1. Nobody wants to “pile on” after a tragedy like that at Penn State, but it’s hard to be silent when it's constantly before us in the news.

2. As good a man as I think Joe Paterno actually was and is, he chose to abide by an old dictum that needs to die: the code of silence. It isn’t right on the elementary school playground, and it isn’t right in the faculty offices of a major university.

3. Without Christ, there is no repentance and no redemption; hence the mixed reactions by those want either the extreme of absolving (in light of his many successes) or the extreme of vilifying (in spite of his many successes).

4. I am sick to death of the way we countenance the pretense of secular institutions. Penn State’s vaunted “Victory with Honor” motto is tarnished, but so should be the “faith” of those who believed that an institution of purely human and frail origins could guarantee any kind of purity or truth.

5. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in these words from the Penn State Alma Mater (sung to the tune of a Christian hymn, by the way): “…our hopes that, bright and free, Rest, O Mother dear, with thee, All with thee, all with thee.” And people think we’re “over the top” when we say we are trusting Jesus and Him only for our eternal security. Make no mistake, American universities are religious organizations…perpetrators of a gospel with no forgiveness, no repentance, no redemption (and a sometimes arbitrary list of sins).

6. Speaking of the Alma Mater, it was sung with reverent enthusiasm by the 100,000+ fans at the Penn State-Nebraska football game Saturday. Did they sense the irony of the words, “May no act of ours bring shame to one heart that loves thy name…”?

7. As heavy as the burden may be, we are not just sports coaches, academic and life skill instructors, birth fathers, breadwinners….we must ALL be men who fear God. That means protecting the innocent, not the perpetrator.

Articles for discussion: November 13, 2011

2011-11-12T15:13:00.001-07:00

1. Editorial by Joel Belz, "Defining the 'Test' Clause," p. 3

2. review of the movie Footloose, "Banned Behavior," p. 23

3. report and commentary on Occupy Movement, "A cause wihtout solutions," p. 46

4. personal sketch of Gary Varvel, "No Laughing Matter," p. 57

5. book review of Give Them Grace, p. 61

6. an examination of tithing, "Turning Inward," p. 68

Tomorrow: Afghanistan issues and looking toward 2014

2011-11-05T10:35:00.001-07:00

Summary:

Since U.S. forces have occupied Afghanistan in post-9/11 efforts against the Taliban, other Americans have more quietly been bringing civilian aid in the form of community centers and educational services. With the upcoming U.S. withdrawal in 2014 young Afghans are hopeful that this pipeline of freedom and hope from the West will not be closed to them.

Scripture References: Acts 16:9-10; John 4:9; John 4:39; Romans 15:26-27
Texts:

A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem. Yea, it hath been their good pleasure; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them in carnal things.

Discussion question:

Where do efforts such as these fit in the Christian Great Commission strategy? Are they fulfilling Christ’s Command? What should be our position toward their efforts?

Tomorrow's discussion topics

2011-10-29T20:04:00.003-07:00

1. Capitols and Capital, p. 36

2. Following the yellow brick road, p. 50

3. Road to Recovery, p. 54

4. The Smiths and the Browns, p. 3

5. Into the Upheaval, p. 30

6. Battling Class Envy, p. 76

7. Annette's new baby

Not necessarily in that order....

Looking into Steve Jobs

2011-10-22T18:30:00.005-07:00

The cover story in this week's issue of World purports to examine in depth what this man was like. If you haven't received your copy yet, come to class anyway. I will have extra copies of the main story available.

Next Up

2011-10-08T16:40:00.003-07:00

This is the issue we will be discussing in WorldMovers tomorrow. First week: cover story; you know the drill.

It was great to see all the new faces in class last Sunday! Please join us again tomorrow! For those who don't know our mantras, let me review the basics of World Movers:

We pray our way through a review of world news events and issues, as reported in World magazine. Prayer is how we move the world. Our own hands are too short, but God's reach is not.
We "get smarter" about the world we live in. We discuss additonal information, point out insights and questions, and practice analytical thinking.
We hold eveything to a Biblical standard. We cannot live in the next world yet. We have to figure out how to be Christians in this one for now. We need to "prove all things."
We look for communicable concepts..."sound bites" that we can use in our conversations with others. There is way too much bad thinking going around. We can speak God's truth into it.
We look for action points, some for ourselves as individuals, and some for Dove Mountain as a body. Through our commitment to the Manhattan Declaration and the additional updates we get from World Magazine, we have become much more passionate for pro-life issues, for example.
But the most important thing we do is pray.

One More Week

2011-10-01T06:58:00.004-07:00

This will be week two in WorldMovers for the issue with the cover story, "All Tied Up," (September 24, Vol. 26, No. 19). Since we discussed and prayed for the cover story last week, ay article in the issue is fair game to discuss.

Link to my latest

2011-09-22T06:05:00.003-07:00

Christian Groups Call for Cooperation
But when does it become compromise?

You can read the text here.

WorldMovers resumes tomorrow!

2011-09-17T07:25:00.001-07:00

After a break for our anniversary celebration last week, we will be resuming WorldMovers Sunday School class tomorrow.

Rarely would I repeat a forward here on my blog, but I received a compelling one this morning from CFC friend Diane Reilly that bears repeating and thinking about. I'm sharing it here for WorldMovers because we are pretty familiar with Marco Rubio, ever since the cover story we read about him back before the elections last fall.

The Ticket Obama Fears Most

Bruce Walker
August 29, 2011

Governor Rick Perry

The talking heads on Fox News Special Report this Friday concurred that Marco Rubio will be on the Republican ticket next year as the vice presidential nominee. I agree.

There is virtually no downside to Rubio and the advantages to the ticket are prohibitive. He is youthful, attractive, and articulate. Rubio won a tough three-way race in Florida last year. His life story is compelling as the child of Cuban parents who worked up the hard and legal way. His conservatism on social and economic issues is unwavering. Rubio is slightly too young and inexperienced to run as president, but eight years as vice president would make him ideal presidential timber.

If Senator Rubio becomes the running mate of Governor Perry, which I believe is increasingly likely, President Obama could face his worst electoral nightmare. At the outset, both men are excellent campaigners -- articulate, likeable, attractive, and accustomed to winning elections in the diverse and large populations of Texas and Florida.

Senator Marco Rubio

Unlike Republican nominees since Reagan, Rick Perry knows how to work crowds. Perry, like Rubio, has never lost a political race. Although it is a relatively small section of his resume, his time successfully selling Bible reference books door-to-door may be as important as background in running for president.

Both Perry and Rubio have life stories, which demonstrate that the American Dream really works. Perry grew up on a cotton tenant farm in the middle of nowhere and worked hard up every step in his path to success. Rubio's parents worked in menial jobs so that their son could have a better life.

Imagine Rubio campaigning in Las Vegas, where his parents worked like so many Hispanics today, cleaning rooms and tending bars. The greatest impact of these life stories is that the Republican ticket could say just how poor people need not stay poor if government gets out of the way.

Perry and Rubio are both social and economic conservatives.The left tries to downplay the appeal of social conservatism, but to take just a single social conservative issue, abortion, the latest Rasmussen Poll shows that 55% of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong while only 30% believe that abortion is morally acceptable and 41% of Americans believe that it is too easy to get an abortion in America while only 14% believe that it is too hard to get an abortion.

The vanilla question about whether Americans are "pro-choice" or "pro-life" is meaningless, if Republican candidates have the gumption to ask Obama in a debate whether he believes abortion is moral or immoral -- leaving the question of federal policy on abortion aside.

This particular ticket would also have profound appeal to Hispanic voters, whose support for Obama has dropped a dramatic 36 points since he took office. The impact of Rubio on the ticket, of course, is obvious: he would be the first Hispanic on a major party ticket in American history. Big chunks of Hispanic voters in 2008 voted for Obama because he was a "person of color." Reelecting a black man president has much less psychological value to Hispanic voters than electing a Hispanic who could easily be president in eight years.

The impact of Rick Perry is real, but underestimated by Beltway punditry, which listens more to high-ranking Hispanic organizational leaders rather than ordinary Hispanics. Perry has won many statewide elections in Texas, including three as governor. Almost 40% of the state is Hispanic. Governor Perry speaks Spanish, but more than that, just as a New York City or Chicago politicians grasp the nuances of European ethnic differences, so Perry understands the largely Mexican-American minority and has steadily improved his percentage of the Hispanic vote in Texas elections.

Politically savvy Perry with the first Hispanic on a national ticket as his running mate could disarm the traditional skittishness that some Hispanics have had about voting Republican. Combine that with the very real success that Perry has had in creating jobs in Texas -- compared with Obama nationally or California Democrats -- and he could make a strong argument that Perry-Rubio is precisely what most Hispanics really want in Washington.

This could be complemented by the rise of Hispanic Republicans in 2010. Susana Martinez, the conservative Republican governor of New Mexico, next door to Texas, is a prime example. The first female Hispanic governor in American history could travel throughout the Rocky Mountain region touting a Perry-Rubio ticket. It is not just Hispanic "people of color" that could connect with Hispanics. Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley, both articulate and strongly Republican governors could both show that conservatives welcome immigrants from lands as distant as India.

Black voters will go overwhelmingly for Obama, but black voters vote overwhelmingly for Democrats no matter what Republicans have tried. If Hispanic voters, already accustomed to conservative Republicans senators and governors, vote in substantial numbers for conservative Republicans at the national level, then not only is Obama in trouble, but so is his party. That is why Perry-Rubio could be the ticket Democrats fears most.

It's all Steve's fault

2011-09-16T07:53:00.001-07:00

Back on August 25, I reported in this blog a letter Steve Johnson wrote to the Star in reply to a scurrilous slam by a pro-abortionist. I linked to it as well.

Today the fun continues. Since there is some kind of moratorium on how often one can get a letter printed in the Star, Steve twisted my arm to reply to the latest irrational screed published by a pro-deather. You can read my reply in Star just by clicking here. You have to scroll down a bit. Refuting the rhetoric of baby-killers was not as important as a reminder to Tucsonans to remove dead plants from their yards.

In the midst of our busy lives: taking care of ourselves w/o government handouts, "bearing one another's burdens" in the Body of Christ, keeping the car running and the clothes clean, and communing with the Creator of the Universe, it's fun to take a few pot shots every now and then at the witless tools of enemy.

"This is the day the Lord has made..."

2011-09-11T07:26:00.001-07:00

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Today, September 11, 2011,

is the 34th annual National Grandparents' Day;
is the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks;
is the 4th annniversary of Dove Mountain Church;
is the 13th Sunday after Pentecost.

Personally, I find the last one the most compelling.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness today!

My message to Gian Paul Gonzalez

2011-09-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. G,

I really appreciated the article about you in the latest issue of World. I am sure I would enjoy knowing you, and that, as teachers, we have a lot in common. But I am also pretty sure there is a lot we don't have in common. The article implies that you are a Christian (in one direct quote you mention Jesus), so as a brother in Christ, I have the freedom to ask you some hard questions.

You said, "My students want purpose; they want to know that their lives have value...that they mean something." How do you answer this, Mr. G?   Do you tell them that there really is no enduring meaning outside of life in Christ? Or would that be too negative? Too intolerant? Do you present Christ as one among many ways to find meaning in life - all equally valid and undifferentiated? Or do you honor the implicit contract you have made with the state to be totally silent in matters of faith?

If you do say that meaning is found in Christ, are you above-board with your employer about this? Does your immediate supervisor know that you may be proselytizing on government time? Are you afraid of being found out? Does it cause you to behave deceitfully at times? What does that demonstrate to your students?

You said, "If a student feels his life matters. [he's] willing to fight for it." On what basis do you tell a student his life matters? Do you tell him it matters because Gian Paul Gonzalez says so? Will that be enough when the student has moved on and forgotten you? Do you tell him his life matters because he's "special," like most public school teachers do? Do you not think he will eventually see through this...see that no one is citing an impeccable authority for such an assertion? Or do you tell him his life matters because the Bible says God formed him in his mother's womb and has plans of eternal consequence for him? If that's what you say, see the paragraph above about integrity before your employer.

Your advocates cite as one of your successes a former student who visits you every day and runs an anti-drug campaign. What is the message of the campaign? Is it "Just say 'No!'"? Because I'm pretty sure that failed twenty years ago. Or is it "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"? If that's it, then I know a lot of other folks who are fools working for half the salary you make because they thought they would not be able to teach that message in a public school.

When you advocate "staying in school" and "getting your education," are you saying that education alone can redeem? When students see you pulling down a government tax-based pay check, ought they assume that you believe the government controlled public schools teach all that one needs to know for success in life? I notice you wear a dog tag that says "Truth or Die." Are you sure that the state standards you teach by in history class represent God's truth from a Biblical world view? Or is the Biblical approach only one among many "truths." Does it even matter?

As I said, I would probably like you if we could hang out. But I can't wish you "godspeed" without knowing your answers to these questions.*

Sincerely,

Tom Askew, Ed.D.
Educator for Christ

* 2 John 1: 10-11

Back to School issue(s)

2011-09-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is the issue we'll be discussing tomorrow at WorldMovers, along with a hot book that was delivered into my hands this week : Why America Needs School Choice. Written from a secular perspective in order to influence legislators, this small volume by Jay Greene is chock full of quotable one-liners, such as: "Asking the teachers' unions about what voucher research shows is a bit like asking the Tobacco Institute about the research on smoking and cancer." See you in Sunday School!

The Pearl of Great Price

2011-09-01T06:55:00.001-07:00

Wisdom from Pastor Luke Evans:

God created that which is of

Surpassing Value

which we may now obtain through

Surprising Simplicity

which ought to motivate us to behavior of

Supreme Sacrifice

(such as selling a whole field to obtain a single pearl - of great value!).

Thanks, Luke!

Off to a great start!

2011-08-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

My son Samuel posted this photo of our grandson Noah on his Facebook page today, because he was so proud of Noah earning his Awana vest Sunday night by saying three verses with no help. I am thrilled that they are encouraging Noah to memorize God's Word because that is something I have always valued in my own life, and in the way Linda and I raised the boys.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Happy Birthday, mi esposa!

2011-08-29T08:58:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 18:22

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

I like this photo of Linda because one of the bravest things she has done in recent years was to accompany me on my "return to Hong Kong" trip in 2009. Here we are standing in front of the church I attended for the two years I was in Hong Kong.

I feel as though I have "dragged" dear Linda around a lot in our married life, and she has been an amazing good sport through it all. Last night, through the wonders of technology, we were able to simultaneously video chat with the two sons in Texas plus the son and grandchildren in Colorado while sitting in the room of my son here in Tucson. All three locations were on the screen at the same time! I credit Linda with the way these four young men have turned into responsible adults who love the Lord and have a great sense of humor!

She is faithfully teaching five-year-olds today on her 65th birthday. We both plan to keep pursuing our calling to teach as long as we are physically able. Happy birthday, dear Linda!

Something to shout about

2011-08-28T06:00:00.019-07:00

Remember Steve's letter to the Arizona Daily Star (see Thursday's blog)? It drew fire - a tasteless, vituperative e mail full of venom from a local who hates God. And all because he signed the letter as a staff member at Dove Mountain Church. I don't know whether we will see full-scale persecution of the church in America in my lifetime, but such viciousness should serve to make us all the bolder, especially on the Lord's Day when we gather for worship of Almighty God. As you prepare for worship today, be inspired by the bold notion of what it means to shout "Jesus is Lord" to the North and to the South!

And now for Round Two....

2011-08-27T06:00:00.006-07:00

This is the issue we'll be discussing in WorldMovers tomorrow, virtually anything except the cover story.

Items I recommend include:

The tribute to John Stott on p. 13
Cheaney's article on computerized dating, p. 22
the book reviews, p. 28
the interview with Tony Early, p. 31
Belz's editorial on famine-struck Somalia, p. 34
"Fetal Attration," p. 49
the two closers by Andree Seu and Marvin Olasky (pp. 79-80).

Taking aim at Bachmann...and her God

2011-08-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

One thing that pundits like Charles Krauthammer, politicos like Donald Rumsfeld, and academics like Judith Liu can all agree on: “Democracy is messy.” It’s also noisy, and nothing brings out the noisy mess like the anticipation of the next national election.

In the recent Iowa straw poll, the landscape of challengers to unseat incumbent President Obama was pruned somewhat as Congresswoman Michele Bachmann surged to a surprising first place finish. Both Bachmann and second place finisher Ron Paul nearly doubled the votes received by third place Tim Pawlenty, causing the latter to remove himself from the race for the nomination.

Although some of the media “noise” had begun before the Iowa vote, it has clearly escalated since then, and not very favorably for Bachmann. Read more...

Hot off the presses!

2011-08-25T06:00:00.006-07:00

Following up on our Manhattan Declaration commitments and the discussion last Sunday in WorldMovers class, our own Steve Johnson had this letter published in yesterday's Star:

Planned Parenthood wants to punish babies

Re: the Aug. 22 letter to the editor, "Abortion cutbacks punish women."

Since the safety of women is the abortion machine's favorite smokescreen, wouldn't a bill forcing trained doctors to do the procedures offer the safest path for the "hundreds of women" seeking them? I know when I go in for a major surgery, I want a doctor holding the scalpel.

As for "religious fundamentalists" alleged to be behind this, 51 percent of Americans find abortion morally wrong, according to a May Gallup Poll (hardly a minority). Accusing legislators of being "happy anytime they can punish a woman for being pregnant" is ridiculous.

Planned Parenthood wants to punish the baby for a woman being pregnant.

Steve Johnson

Director of families, Dove Mountain Church, Oro Valley

(Should have read, as we know, Director of Family Discipleship; but discipleship is a concept the Star would not understand).

Just for Fun

2011-08-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

Okay, it has nothing to do with most Dove Mountaineers, but my video-producing son has done it again! Thought you might enjoy the videos he created so my science students at Veritas can learn taxonomy.

Incremental victory for life!

2011-08-23T06:21:00.002-07:00

Planned Parenthood has chosen to end their services rather than raise the standard of care they provide women to be at the same level as all other medical care in the state. For years, life advocates at the legislature have been saying that Arizona women deserve better than the substandard care Planned Parenthood provides.

The fact that Planned Parenthood can’t find doctors to work at their clinics is telling. Caring healthcare professionals, particularly doctors, don’t want to be a part of an industry that harms women and takes the lives of preborn children.

Thanks to the many pregnancy care centers throughout our state, women in rural Arizona will be able to find the support they need from loving individuals.

This news came to us in WorldMovers tlast Sunday via Steve Johnson and was seen as a tremendous answer to prayers we have been praying since the former Manhattan Declaration Sunday School class. We realize the war is far from over, but this was a significant "battle" victory. Let us together give thanks to Almighty God!

You can read more about this here.

Lessons from the Monarch Butterfly

2011-08-22T06:00:00.001-07:00

Today at Science Monday at Veritas Academy of Tucson, I will be teaching about the monarch butterfly. All butterflies are remarkable because of their complete metamorphosis. In addition, the monrch is exceptional because it migrates up to 2,500 miles per year to the same spot in Mexico that its ancestors have gone to since time immemorial, can fly as fast as a racehorse (25-30 mph), and can cross the entire Caribbean Sea without a rest stop.

One of the many lessons the monarch can illustrate is the way it protects itself. Because it ingests large quantities of milkweed in its larval stage, the monarch retains the toxin of the milkweed the rest of its life. This makes it poisonous to most birds, allowing the monarch to escape many predators. The viceroy butterfly, which looks a lot like the monarch, does not ingest milkweed, is not noxious, and yet benefits from the same protection!

This reminds us that bitter experiences can be used by the Holy Spirit to conform us to the image of Christ.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son..." Romans 8:28-29.

It's Dancing Day!

2011-08-21T06:00:00.008-07:00

Although technically a Christmas Carol, I play this song year round on a CD by the Kiev Symphony. The lyrics remind me of the delight the Son takes in the Father, and, reciprocally, with the Holy Spirit. Then I delight in the communion we will experience witht the Trinity during divine worship on the Lord's Day.

So, enjoy as you prepare for worship!

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day:
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,

Refrain:

To call my true love to my dance:
Sing O my love, O my love, my love, my love;
This have I done for my true love.

Then was I born of a virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance;
Thus was I knit to man's nature,

Refrain

In a manger layed and wrapped I was,
So very poor this was my chance,
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass,

Refrain

Then afterwards baptized I was;
The Holy Ghost on me did glance,
My Father's voice heard from above,

To call my true love to my dance:
Sing O my love, O my love, my love, my love;
This have I done for my true love, for my true love.

This is the one

2011-08-20T06:00:00.005-07:00

Last Sunday Betty Hill kicked off our WorldMovers class with a stunning answer-to-prayer story. Her ninety-seven-year-old dad, who live in California, has bladder cancer. Betty's brother in Arkansas wanted to come to see him, but the prospects looked bleak. Betty had been asking God for a miracle, and last Sunday morning her brother David and his wife showed up at her dad's house! They had rented a car and driven straight through from Arkansas in twenty-four hours! It was a total surprise to everyone, and her dad was overjoyed!

We will keep our commitment to discuss the cover story of each successive issue of World magazine, even though this one is dated now that the Iowa caucus has come and gone. Be prepared to discuss the latest developments with Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman, and Herman Cain.

And pray.

It's official!

2011-08-19T06:00:00.003-07:00

Rev. Ed Eubanks of Tennessee has accepted our call to become Pastor of Dove Mountain Church. He will most likely visit the area again next month prior to the move for his family.

Since prayer has been our mainstay through this search process, let me remind Dove Mountaineers not to stop praying yet.

1. for Marcie, his wife, and their children, as they prepare for and experience the emotional challenges of a cross-country relocation.
2. for Pastor Ed and the elders as they seek God for the next steps for Dove Mountain Church.
3. the the growth and financial provision that will be needed to support this new staff salary.

Meanwhile, we say "Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!" (Psalms 118:26)

Personal Faith, Public Policy

2011-08-18T06:00:00.024-07:00

Personal Faith, Public Policy

7 urgent issues that we, as people of faith, must come together and solve

a book review by Marlene Luartes,
as presented in WorldMovers Sunday School class

Is the Religious Right really dead? Ever since the Moral Majority was founded in 1979 the liberal media and liberal Christians have been proclaiming the death of the religious Right. While some in the liberal press continue to pen eulogies for our movement, the major story still is being missed: the religious Right is not fading away; it is transforming, broadening its base and its focus, sharpening its arguments, and honing its tactics for a new generation of cultural engagement.

To successfully navigate the transformation: 1. We must keep the core values that have defined the movement: the sanctity of life, the defense of marriage and religious liberty. 2. We must also reshape the message and agenda to include others; such as immigration, poverty, the environment and racial reconciliation.

God has a plan for our nation, which begins with the principles of Scripture, requires involvement of the church, and will be empowered by the Holy Spirit. But many in the secular community will also embrace this approach for America because of its fairness, simplicity and clarity. The issues are:

Rev. Harry Jackson, Jr.
author

Value human life, both abroad in our wars against terrorism, and at home.

Reform immigration policy.

Reduce poverty and ensure justice, including health care.

Cultivate racial harmony and diversity.

Protect religious freedom.

Restore marriage and family.

Care for creation.

Tony Perkins
author

Who is the religious Right? All different races, cultures, ages and religions…”values voters”. America wants moral values in their public policies—a common morality based on the Christian faith. Many paint the religious Right as the aggressor, assaulting the freedoms of a secular culture, with a driving desire for power, wishing to establish a theocracy. However, it’s made up of people who are concerned over government policy and cultural initiatives that were being influenced and shaped by a worldview that was radically secular and hostile toward the Christian faith.

Reacting to aggression of the Left, and to organizations that were formed: the ACLU, 1920; Americans United for Separation of Church and State, 1947; and to many court decisions (p. 18-19), the following were founded: the Moral Majority, 1979; the Family Research Council, 1983; and the Christian Coalition, 1989.

The church isn’t called to be a mouthpiece for a political party, but a moral voice to the nation; and the public role of Christians is to be a sort of moral conscience to society.

To regain our voice, we should ask collective forgiveness for: aligning too closely with one party, failing to show a unified church, and being silent on matters concerning the poor. Christians are called to perform a ‘prophetic’ role in modern day culture—we should act and believe as though each one of us has a prophetic assignment to the nation that begins right where we live and work. We must live right, do right, move right, pray right and speak right. Pray for revival in the church...and when revival becomes reformation, the personal becomes public.

Core Value #1 The Value of Life

Part 1—Terrorism, War & the Sword. A ‘just war’ fights terrorism, defends innocent life. We cannot rely solely on our military to fight Islam.

Part 2—Abortion, Cloning, Stem Cell Research, Child Abuse & Neglect, Elder Care, Euthanasia, Slavery & Sex Trafficking, Capital Punishment

Core Value #2 Immigration—The New Slavery

They recommend seven major facets of immigration reform:

1. Enforcing security at our borders.
2. Facilitating assimilation.
3. Recommending source country reform.
4. Establishing a “families-first” approach that includes permanent anchor baby reform.
5. Curtailing chain migration.
6. Sponsoring guest workers.
7. Negotiating third-country resettlement.

Core Value #3 Poverty & Justice

Part 1—Slashing Poverty (PR problem for the religious Right). The working poor need to be directed into life skills and practices to help escape the intergenerational trap of lack. Those in abject poverty, those too young, too old or handicapped, need immediate to long-term help. They talk about the reasons for poverty (p. 103) and the ways it can best be remedied. Mt 25:34-36 (p. 117)

Part 2—Health Care Reform. Goals we agree with (p. 124) Problems (p. 125). We need personal accountability for our health.

Core Value #4 Racial Reconciliation

Moving together, realizing the equality of believers...our brotherhood. (p. 138, top par.) The church can change America...but we must first change the church. Our unity could very well transform our nation!

Core Value #5 Religious Liberties

Cross Purposes, the shaping of public policy

Core Value #6 Rebuilding the Family

Part 1—The New Configuration. Everyone recognizes that in certain ways the institution of the family is fraying at the edges...but, there is also clear recognition today, perhaps more than at any other time in the past several decades, that marriage and family are fundamental to the future of our society. Young people today seem to be avoiding marriage, and there is increased cohabitation—still they’re more favorable to long term committed relationships. (p. 187, last par.)

Part 2—Fatherhood and Education (p. 189, 3rd par.) Nine dimensions to a father’s involvement (p. 190). To restore and assist fathers (p. 192). America’s educational policy should (p. 199) Strategic actions we recommend (p. 199, bottom).

Core Value #7 The Environment & Global Warming

Can We Beat the Heat? Our positions (p. 205, 2nd par.) Scientists are not the enemy. We are conservationists.

Conclusion: Taking the Land

What kind of government do you want? (p. 221, 3rd par.) (p. 222, 2nd par.) Biblical worldview defined (p. 224, 225)...and poll results!

If there’s one concept to grasp from the book: We must defend truth, but must defend it in love. The key to the religious Right’s success is unity in absolute truth. Moral relativism leads to disunity.

How to make a difference:

Pray: for revival, for community and country problems and needs. Make prayer a priority!

Prepare: Be ready for what God would have you to do.

Participate: Don’t just curse the darkness, turn on the light!

It’s ours to decide!

Not a TV Survivor!

2011-08-17T06:00:00.002-07:00

Many thanks to Pastor Allen Cooney for his encouraging message from Ephesians 2:1-10 this past Sunday. We actually quoted from it several times in our Sunday school class immediately following the service. I had heard bits and pieces of the dramatic story of Louis Zamperini a few times before, but Pastor Allen's "teaser" is no doubt going to drive many of us the read the "rest of the story." I'd like to challenge any Dove Mountaineer to read either the book pictured here, Devil at My Heels, ot the one from which Pastor Allen quoted, Unbroken, give a complete book report in our WorldMovers Sunday School class soon! Zamperini's story is not only amazing because of what he has survived, but because of how he has turned it into a powerful testimony for Christ. To God be the Glory!

Back to school

2011-08-16T06:00:00.005-07:00

Veritas Academy of Tucson opens today for its second year. God has provided "increase" in several ways: enrollment, staff, funds, etc. Those of us directly involved in this mission are thrilled with the amazing results we saw in the first year of Christian classical, university-model schoolling here in Tucson.

These are tough days for those who understand and value Christ-centered, discipleship-oriented education. Veritas is one of the few Christian schools in the whole state which has an increase in enrollment this year, from 25 to 38 - a pitifully small increase by the world's standards.

Not only is the number of children receiving Christian education "small potatoes" in our increasingly secular and God-hating world, but the fact that we elementary teachers spend our days with very young children causes many people look down on our labors as "babysitting." But I thrill with the anticipation of each day that I am allowed to motivate, enervate, inspire, challenge, and astonish the next generation of Christian leaders. I love helping them put in order and master the elements of their universe, and I savor the essence of Christ in every corner of the curriculum.

As my French book in college said, "Ah, j'aime beaucoup le commencement d'une nouvelle annee scholaire!" (Oh, how I love the beginning of a new school year!)

Continuing to trust in God's leading

2011-08-15T06:00:00.004-07:00

We elected a search committee and trusted God to lead them.

Following their wisdom, we invited a candidate, and voted to extend him a call. Then God sovereignly spoke when, after waiting several weeks for his reply, he turned down the call. The search committee went back to work, and prayer. We invited another candidate. We grilled him with tough questions. We had a long meeting in which many frank opinions were expressed - not just about the candidate, but about who we are as a congregation. We prayed for a week. We voted to extended a call, again.

We had to trust the congregation to elect the right search committee. We had to trust that the first candidate made the right decision when he turned us down. We had to trust the search commitee's next choice. We had to trust the testimonies of those who spent time with the new candidate. We had to trust in our own wisdom and discernment when we voted. We had to trust int he process outlined in the Book of Church Order.

All this trusting is not a stretch for those who trust in a Soverereign God. As we well know, the process is still not over. Now we need to trust God's guidance in his heart. Don't stop praying yet!

As you prepare to gather for worship

2011-08-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

The relevant question

2011-08-13T06:00:00.001-07:00

WorldMovers know how much I do not like to miss Sunday School. And we have also had an extra measure of congregational meetings, which have cut into Sunday School time in recent months. Last Sunday we managed to still get in a decent class time, even after the congregational meeting (including the excellent book report by Marlene!). Yet the voting meeting tomorrow may take even longer than usual. Therefore, here is our new "rule of thumb":

If a congregational meeting lasts later than 11:40 at any time, WorldMovers class will not convene.

If we do meet this Sunday, we are still in the issue pictured here - any article other than the cover story (discussed last week). I particularly like the editorial by Mindy Belz on p. 30.

Pray for the vote!

2011-08-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:4

Note to non-Dove Mountaineers: This Sunday our congregation will be voting on a candidate for senior pastor. In Presbyterian polity, this is a sacred responsibility.

Conspiracies - intentional and otherwise

2011-08-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

What was it the Left raged against in the Cold War? "the vast military-industrial complex"? Then in the Clinton era it became the "vast right-wing conspiracy." And for the apocalyptically minded, it's always been the "Illuminati-Rothschild-Rockefeller" triumvirate.

In the past I have always maintained that no matter how much these entities seem to be working in tandem, none of these so-called conspirators are really "together" enough to have thought it all up and pulled it off intentionally, at least not on a human level. All such earthly alliances are corrupted by sin nature; one of the most common themes of literature is the betrayal of betrayers. And Scripture, of course, warns us: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12). I can believe that demons thought all this up, but humans are just too flaky.

That groundwork having been laid, my current favorite conspiracy is the "vast pseudo-intellectual media/academia/entertainment alliance." Their favorite causes defy reason on a cosmic scale: loving whales and hating unborn humans, creating an ever-increasing welfare dependency as a sign of a healthy nation, maintaining a porous border and fostering self-loathing for America's history and heritage...I could go on and on.

But my little corner of the "rage market" concerns education, and last week the New York Times, as a public service, came out with a convenient lesson plan for American teachers to use in teaching children how to understand and relate to the current debt crisis. Someone at the Times has done his homework: the lesson plans are classroom-ready, leave little work for the teacher to do, supply relevant news articles from the Times itself, correctly state objectives for the lesson in "educationese," show alignment to national and state standards, provide appropriate interactive participation techniques, and even spell out exactly what "open-ended" questions to ask. The problem is, (Surprise! Surpirse!) it's a bit slanted:

1. For an emotional "opener," the teacher is instructed to tell the story of a Cowboy Poetry Festival in Nevada that will now lose its federal sponsorship. Poor cowboys! Poor Nevada! How do the mean Tea Party folks expect poetry to survive without government funding?
2. In naming the areas where cuts were not made, the lesson uses the word "successful" to describe President Obama's resistance to cutting Planned Parenthood. Clearly something all school chidlren should rejoice about!
3. Other cases of "non-neutral" language abound: "Newly empowered Republicans" have agencies with benign -sounding names in their "cross hairs." Planned Parenthood provides "family-planning services." Students are directed to links to such "non-neutral" groups as the National Priorites Project, which educates citizens on how to help government "create budget priorities" (without a word about eliminating any budget categories). The board of the National Prioirities Project, by the way, is a Who's Who of the most liberal universities in America.
4. Now it gets fun! Students are asked to name all the ways that life will be affected (read "worse") when and if further cuts are made to: Pell Grants,the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Head Start, Planned Parenthood, Medicare, Medicaid, Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts, along with home-heating aid, high-speed rail financing, housing assistance programs, discretionary money for education and clean energy programs
5. Finally, and most importantly, no mention is made of: the Constitution, what constitutes a budget, the consequences of indebtedness, the history and purposes of taxation, or the American traditions of self-reliance, thrift, and hard work. And certainly no mention of the sacrifices made by past generations for the sake of liberty.

Without expensive support from the New York Times Learning Network, here is a snapshot from the lesson plan I will be using with my students (in the "free world" of private education):

"If the US Government was a family, they would be making $58,000 a year, they spend $75,000 a year, and are $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget and debt, reduced to a level that we can understand." (from Dave Ramsey).

Coming Live to Tucson!

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ballet Magnificat, America's premiere professional Christian ballet, is coming to Tucson! The Ballet will be held at Victory Worship Center on October 13, 2011 at 7:00 PM. Their beautifully renovated venue is located at 2561 West Ruthrauff Road.

Book your tickets ($25 for floor seats and $15 for balcony) right away at:

http://www.myeasytix.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=512

I have followed and enjoeyd this company for years. I hve especially appreciated using their videos in music appreciation classes with children. Included in the unit which will be eprforming here at Victory is Tucson's own Ashley Edgerton, who formerly taught at Trinity Dance and Ballet.