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I grew up in the era of headlong evangelism by the LDS church. We were out to convert the world. Back then, it was "every young man on a mission" and "every member a missionary." The church didn't just leave it to our imagination how to accomplish this. Full-time missionaries were expected to memorize verbatim an entire series of official gospel "discussions." Regular members were exhorted to ask acquaintances, complete strangers, or anyone who held still for five seconds, "What do you know about the Mormon Church, and would you like to know more?" I did the first one on...

Psalm 119:47-51 How I Love Your Laws! How I Enjoy Your Commands! "Come, Come to me," I Call to them, For I Love them and will Let them Fill my Life. Never Forget Your Promises to me Your Servant, For they are my Only Hope. They Give me Strength in All my Troubles; How they Refresh and Revive me! Proud men Hold me in Contempt for Obedience to God, But I Stand Unmoved.

THE QUESTION that CHANGED MY LIFE -by David Ryser A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:

A Timeline of Catholic Church history1-500 A.D. This timeline is researched and prepared by Suzanne Fortin Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. Other Timelines: Timeline of  how the Bible came to us  All Popes back to PeterTimeline of Catholic/Orthodox Church relations  AD Event 20s *c. 29 AD Our Lord's Resurrection. The First Pentecost. St. Peter preaches in Jerusalem and converts three thousand people, creating the first Christian community. 30s *c. 35 Saul of Tarsus has an apparition of Jesus Christ and is converted to Christianity. *c. 39 St. Peter baptizes Cornelius. This event marks the beginning of the missionizing to the...

The talk on Death and Resurrection: Gifts from a Loving Heavenly Father can be heard or watched

Don’t Plan Without God "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" —Psalm 37:5 Don’t plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him— that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will...

Darlene Love is a genuine American musical icon. With her powerful singing leads, she began her career in 1959 during the glory days of rock & roll girl groups. She caught the attention of Phil Specter and almost immediately began recording the most popular records of that 1962-1963, era including enormous hits like “He’s A Rebel”, written by Gene Pitney,” Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home”, “ Today I Met The Boy I’m Going To Marry”,” The Da Doo Ron Ron”, “ He’s Sure The Boy I Love”, “Why do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts?”, “Not To Young To Get...

VATICAN CITY (AFP) – Pope Benedict XVI has not escaped the economic downturn, with donations hit by the global financial storm, official figures showed Saturday. The Vatican City ended 2008 with a deficit of 15 million euros (21 million dollars) and had been affected "like other states, by the economic and financial crisis", a statement said. Gifts from churches to the head of the Roman Catholic Church had gone down, particularly at the festivals of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and came to around 54 million euros (76 million dollars), the Vatican said This represented "a small drop due to...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 5 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Called to be saints." - Romans 1:7 We are very apt to regard the apostolic saints as if they were "saints" in a more especial manner than the other children of God. All are "saints" whom God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His Spirit; but we are apt to look upon the apostles as extraordinary beings, scarcely subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as ourselves. Yet in so doing we are forgetful of this truth, that the nearer a man lives to God the more intensely...

DON'T LOOK BACK AT 'SODOM' ONCE WHAT YOU'VE DONE HAS BEEN CONFESSED, CLEARED When we convert -- when we actively go to Jesus -- we leave worldliness.  We leave transgressions. The spiritual blinders lift. We see "backstage" in the dynamics of life and there is no going back -- or shouldn't be. Too often, however, a part of us remains stuck in history. Are you hung up on the past? Do you spend time hovering over what you once did (before conversion) -- past mistakes? Do you have trouble forgiving yourself (even after correcting the impulse that led to...

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE THE MANNER IN WHICH WE MAY EXERCISE THE SAME VIRTUE ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS IN A PRECEDING CHAPTER it was said that application to a particular virtue is preferable to embracing the practice of many at the same time; and it was said that the particular virtue upon which we have concentrated our energies must be cultivated on all occasions. Next to be presented is the manner in which this may be done with great facility. It is possible that on the same day, perhaps in the same hour, you are reprimanded severely for some action, in itself commendable,...

Indefectibility 530. You have often hinted that the Catholic Church is indefectible, and that she will last forever. Is she not rather in her death-throes? No. She has scarcely ever been in a stronger position, and she will last till the end of the world. Even then, instead of going into oblivion, she will merge into the Church-Triumphant in Heaven. 531. You cannot know that the Church will last till the end of time! If I relied solely upon my finite intelligence as you do, I would not know. But I know precisely because the Eternal and Omniscient God who...

Monday morning 7/6Kohen--Numbers 25:10-12Levi--25:13-15Yisra'el--25:16-26:4 Thursday 7/9--Shiv`ah `Asar beTammuzMORNING Kohen--Exodus 32:11-14Levi--Exodus 34:1-3Yisra'el--Exodus 34:4-10 EVENING Kohen--Exodus 32:11-14Levi--Exodus 34:1-3Yisra'el/Maftir--Exodus 34:4-10Haftarah--Isaiah 55:6-56:8 Strday 7/11--Shabbat Parashat PinechasMORNING Kohen--Numbers 25:10-26:4Levi--26:5-51Shelishi--26:52-27:5Revi`i--27:6-23Chamishi--28:1-15Shishi--28:16-29:11Shevi`i--29:12-30:1Maftir--29:35-30:1Haftarah--Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 EVENING Kohen--Numbers 30:2-9Levi--vs. 10-13Yisra'el--vs. 14-17

July 5, 2009                                 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Ez 2:2-5 As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into meand set me on my feet,and I heard the one who was speaking say to me:Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites,rebels who have rebelled against me;they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day.Hard of face and obstinate of heartare they to whom I am sending you. But you shall say to them: Thus says the LORD...

Sola Scriptura for Charismatics vs. the Madness of Mysticism by K. Jentoft The ministry of the Holy Spirit is central to living Christianity. Charismatics have emphasized the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives and see His power as what separates them from "dead religion." It is true that he Holy Spirit must be present and active in the life of a believer; this is the very claim that the Reformers made, especially Luther. The reformers and Charismatics agree on this. They disagree, however, on something just as crucial – their understanding of how the Holy Spirit comes and...

Richard Foster—Celebration of Deception In February 2008, Christianity Today ran a glowing cover story about Evangelicalism's recent embrace of medieval Roman Catholic mysticism entitled The Future lies in the Past.1 The article traced the beginning of the movement as follows: "The movement seems to have exploded in a 24-month period in 1977-1978, which saw the publication of Richard Foster's bestselling Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth and Robert Webber's Common Roots: A Call to Evangelical Maturity."2 The article views Foster as one who continues to guide the movement: "From Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and living practicing monks and...

The 500th birthday of John Calvin has gotten me thinking about the influence the 16th-century Reformer has had on my own life and thought. I grew up in a subculture immersed in Calvinism. My family attended a Christian Reformed church in New Jersey, and I went from kindergarten through 12th grade in schools that were founded on Calvinist thought. I'm also a graduate of the college in Grand Rapids that bears Calvin's name, and I've known of that name since my earliest days: My oldest brother began attending Calvin College when I was only 3 years old. But as with...

A baby boy, 3 months old, name unknown, was injured in a freak accident today. His grandmother, a fellow employee of my wife's, was carrying the baby in her arms on an outside patio, when she tripped, fell, and dropped the baby on the concrete. Due to the softness of his skull the bones in his skull were injured and he was rushed to the premiere Trauma Hospital in WA state. He is unconscious and there are concerns about possible brain damage. This is the 4th attempt by his parents to have a baby. The first 3 pregnancies ended in...

This month of June will mark my eighth anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. What you are about to read is a simple, yet sincere, reflection of some privileged moments which God has blessed me with. There are other beautiful events which I would like to share, but the confines of this paper prevent me. Let me go back to June 2001, right before my ordination to the priesthood. About a week before presbyteral ordination, I received an emergency phone call from my Dad: "Son, you need to hurry up and get home. Your little sister has some rare kind...

Prayer request from a Catholic missionary in Honduras Received this morning via e-mail: Dear Friends, I realize that the current political instability in Honduras may not seem like a big deal, and maybe to the rest of the world, it isn't a big deal - but what happens over this weekend will determine the fate of this small country, and more specifically, the fate of the Church in this country, and the fate of our mission here in Comayagua. Over the past ten months, I've put down roots here, which is why when I was faced this week with the...

Featured Term (selected at random):SOLEMN VOWS Public vows pronounced in a religious order and recognized as such by the Church. The term has become technical since the recognition of simple but public vows in religious congregations and societies of common life. In practice, a solemn vow of poverty means the actual renunciation of ownership and not merely the independent use of material possessions; and a solemn vow of chastity invalidates attempted marriage. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

KALAMAZOO -- For the Rev. Margaret "Meg" Jenista, of Third Christian Reformed Church, a self-confessed "theology nerd," this weekend promises to be a happy, fulfilling time. "I'm nerdy enough to be excited about John Calvin's 500th birthday," said Jenista about an event being celebrated worldwide -- the birth on July 10, 1509, of a pillar of Protestant faith and one of the founders of the Reformed church movement. Calvin's influence on Christianity and on society in general endures for a variety of reasons, said Kalamazoo-area pastors who serve denominations that trace their roots back to his teachings. For Jenista, the...

John Carroll, SJ (1735–1815) John Carroll was born in Maryland, the fourth son of seven children. First instructed in the Catholic faith by his mother, in 1748 Carroll was sent to the Jesuit school of St. Omer in French Flanders. In 1753 John entered the Jesuit novitiate and was ordained in 1761. Carroll taught in Europe after 1761 and took final vows in 1771. His happy Jesuit life ended, however, when Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuit community in 1773. John Carroll returned to Maryland, where he resided with his mother. Since Catholics were forbidden public worship, a chapel was...

If Mormons’ “HBO moment” was not bad enough, it seems that Hollywood, Broadway and the publishing world aren't likely to give up on portrayals of Latter-day Saints on screen, on stage and in books any time soon. Such Mormon portrayals, often stereotypical, have been showing up since the 1800s. For example, When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced detective Sherlock Holmes in the story, “A Study in Scarlet.” It was set against the backdrop of anti-Mormon inaccuracies about Latter-day Saints and their beliefs popular in England at the time. On a later visit to Utah he apologized for the inaccuracies. Here...

Is There No Help For The Widow's Son? By Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr.There are two concepts I need at this point to reiterate. Firstly, I said that Joseph Smith had no qualms about using Masonry. This letter, I think, is evidence of that. One historian has described this use of Masonry as the "grabbing on" principle employed by Joseph Smith. This was explained to me that whatever was in his surroundings, being preached, professed, or practiced, he sometimes borrowed it and incorporated it into his ideological theology and system.The second concept I wish to reiterate is that the...

Is There No Help For The Widow's Son? By Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr.Someone has said that a historical convention like this - all of these papers that we have heard - are like a pair of steer horns, with a point here and a point there and a lot of bull in between; and in my case, a lot of "Bull Durham."One thing we won't have to put up with though is the wind blowing - just hot air. And I know the disadvantage that we are placed in, with the dimness of the room, the delightful meal...

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. (Psalm 62:5-7)

Be honest, now: As we celebrate America's birth today, who among you will light a special sparkler for John Calvin? Don't all raise your hands at once. But some say we should celebrate the great Protestant reformer as an honorary Founding Father for his stalwart defense of law, ethics and religious liberty. Hmm, really? I suspect the sin-monitoring church police of Calvin's 16th-century Geneva strike most of us as more Taliban than American. Yet there is more of Calvin in our national and theological heritage than most of us know, or would care, to admit. I think it's time to...

Have you ever wondered why Americans drink coffee and British tea? In 1773 the Boston Tea Party went down in history as a revolt against the unfair taxes, fines and fees of King George. Secret meetings were held throughout churches in the New World seeking the wisdom of God and discussing strategies to throw off the unrestrained thievery of liberty from Britain and its cronies. The colonist believed that something had to be done and there came a time when our Founding Fathers said enough. It is said that history often repeats itself. Are we getting close to that time...

Dear John Calvin, I pray this letter finds you well even at 500 years of age. Next week our church, named after you, will celebrate your birthday. Granted, your birthday was on July 10th, and even though many things have changed, most churches still worship on the Lord's Day. So we're going to honor your achievements during worship on July 12th. To be honest, if we held a celebration on the actual date of your birth, we probably wouldn't get anybody out to church on a Friday night. Sorry about that. You may be surprised to know (even horrified knowing...

Mughsayl: Another Candidate for Land BountifulFor the past ten years I have been associated in some capacity with the search for Lehi's trail from Jerusalem to Land Bountiful, where Nephi was commanded to build a ship and sail to a promised land in the New World. I have never been to Saudi Arabia or to Yemen and have never received permission to go there, so I will leave that part of Lehi's journey to those who have. I have traveled most of Oman from the Yemen border to Musandam, on the Straits of Hormuz, and have traveled the south...

Spurgeon's Morning & Evening - July 4 -------------------------------- Morning Devotional "Sanctify them through thy truth." - John 17:17 Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God infuses into man that new living principle by which he becomes "a new creature" in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways-mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh are subdued and kept under; and vivification, by which the life which God has put within us is made to be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. This is carried on every day in...

Local Presbyterian churches won't be putting candles on a birthday cake for John Calvin--500 wouldn't fit anyway. But church members recognize the importance of July 10. Sunday school classes and study groups at the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Presbyterian Church have been reading the works of the man whose principles eventually founded the Presbyterian faith. "Calvin would be unimpressed that people were celebrating his birthday," said the Rev. Allen Fisher Jr. of the Presbyterian Church downtown, "but deeply edified that people were still reading his works." John Calvin was born July 10, 1509, in France. During his 55-year...

There is a paradox at the heart of liberty, a tension between our desiring what is good and our willingness to sacrifice true happiness for fleeting satisfaction. “Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom,� abolitionist Wendell Phillips said. Lord Acton echoed the idea, calling liberty, “the delicate fruit of a mature civilization.�The delicacy of freedom cannot be explained without recourse to the realities of good and evil. Freedom is both universally sought and everywhere in jeopardy because of the imperfection of human nature. We are beings who seek what is good, but are tempted by what is evil. Freedom–the capacity...

One of God’s Great "Don’ts" "Do not fret— it only causes harm" —Psalm 37:8 Fretting means getting ourselves "out of joint" mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, "Do not fret," but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It’s easy to say, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" ( Psalm 37:7  ) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people. Is it possible to "rest in the Lord" then? If...

July 4, 2009                                Saturday of the Thirteenth Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Gn 27:1-5, 15-29 When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him,he called his older son Esau and said to him, "Son!""Yes father!" he replied.Isaac then said, "As you can see, I am so oldthat I may now die at any time.Take your gear, therefore–your quiver and bow–and go out into the country to hunt some game for me.With your catch prepare an appetizing dish...

I learned last night that my high school track coach, Mr. Dennis Walker, was hit by a car and is currently in a coma at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. Right now, the doctors are not expecting him to live and are saying it would take a miracle for him to come out of the coma. Well, I am praying and hoping for that miracle. Please add Coach Walker to your Church Prayer lists. Coach Walker is one of those individuals who help make me the person I am today. He is a great father, husband, teacher, coach and mentor....

The Five First Saturdays Devotion How to Precisely fulfill the Five First Saturdays Devotionas Requested by Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Fatima Promises all the Graces Necessary for Heavenif a Catholic Finishes the Five First Saturdays Devotion "Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven." -Sr. Lucy (March 19, 1939) During her July apparition at Fatima, Our Lady said to...

But let us return once again to the common points in the philosophical foundations of Marxism and capitalism taken strictly. The second point in common-as will already have been clear in passing-consists in the fad that determinism includes the renunciation of ethics as an independent entity relevant to the economy. This shows itself in an especially dramatic way in Marxism. Religion is traced back to economics as the reflection of a particular economic system and thus, at the same time, as an obstacle to correct knowledge, to correct action-as an obstacle to progress, at which the natural laws of history...

SAN ANSELMO, CA — Elizabeth Liebert will become the first Roman Catholic sister named as dean of a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seminary this summer when she takes over the position at San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS). With more than two decades of teaching experience at the 138-year-old seminary, Liebert will replace the Rev. Jana Childers, who will step down June 30 after nearly eight years as dean. “We are particularly pleased to be attaining a historic ecumenical milestone,” SFTS President Phil Butin said. “Dr. Liebert's deanship is a sterling example of SFTS's thoroughgoing commitment to ecumenical theological education.” “This seems...

Featured Term (selected at random):DEDICATION OF THE MONTHS Traditionally each month of the liturgical year is dedicated to some mystery of the faith or special saint, as follows: January, the Holy Name of Jesus; February, the Passion; March, St. Joseph; April, the Resurrection; May, the Blessed Virgin; June, the Sacred Heart; July, the Precious Blood; August, the Assumption; September, the Holy Cross; October, the Rosary; November, the Poor Souls; December, Advent, or the Coming of Christ. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Pope Benedict clears way for Cardinal John Newman to become first English saint in 40 years By SIMON CALDWELL 03rd July 2009 Cardinal Newman, pictured in his study chapel at the Birmingham Oratory in 1889, will be given the title 'Blessed' Cardinal Newman, the Anglican vicar who shocked Victorian Britain by converting to Roman Catholicism, is a step closer to becoming the first English saint for 40 years. Pope Benedict XVI yesterday announced the beatification of John Henry Newman, meaning he will be given the title 'Blessed'. It follows the recognition by the Vatican of the healing of an American...

In response to Joe Feuerherd’s question about whether the president might “write off the bishops,� President Obama had this to say. He said that he would not “write off the bishops,� and gave his reasons. “Number one, one of the strengths of our democracy is that everybody is free to express their political opinions, and I take people’s opinions seriously. I’m the President of all Americans, not just the Americans who happen to agree with me,� said the president. “The American bishops have a profound influence in their communities, in the church, and beyond,� he continued. “What I will...

President Obama wrapped up his interview with the Catholic press with a question on the Middle East and how his administration plans to address the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. “We have been very clear that we think settlements should stop ...,� said the president. “On the other hand, it’s not just the problem of Israeli settlements. The Palestinians have a set of obligations, some of which the Palestinian Authority have met, some of which they have not been as strong on. We want to encourage them to clamp down on violence, to end the incitement that you still hear, unfortunately, in...

In response to a question about statements made by those affiliated with the president’s administration, President Obama offered his position on homosexual rights with regard to the Church. “For the gay and lesbian community in this country, I think it’s clear that they feel victimized in fairly powerful ways and they’re often hurt by not just certain teachings of the Catholic Church, but the Christian faith generally,� said the president. “And as a Christian, I’m constantly wrestling with my faith and my solicitude and regard and concern for gays and lesbians.� “To the extent that I weighed into these debates,...

We reported earlier on the president’s meeting with the Catholic press and his promise regarding conscience-clause protection. For his exact words on the subject, read on. “I think that the only reason that my position may appear unclear is because it came in the wake of a last-minute, 11th-hour change in conscience clause provisions that were pushed forward by the previous administration that we chose to reverse,� said President Obama. “But my underlying position has always been consistent, which is I’m a believer in conscience clauses. I was a supporter of a robust conscience clause in Illinois for Catholic hospitals...

In response to a question from The Washington Post regarding finding a home church, President Obama had this to say: “Michelle and I decided that we would wait a few months after arriving before we made a decision on this, partly — let’s be blunt: I mean, we were pretty affected by what happened at Trinity and the controversy surrounding Reverend Wright,� said the president. “That was deeply disturbing to us, and it was disappointing for us personally. It made us very sensitive to the fact that as president the church we attend can end up being interpreted as speaking...

The divide in practicing versus non-practicing Catholic voters (Gallup). Another questioner asked the president if he felt as if he had been dragged into a longtime family feud among Catholics, liberal and conservative. For the second time during the discussion, President Obama mentioned the influence of Cardinal Bernardin. “When I was first becoming interested in social justice issues, the American bishops were talking about nuclear freezes and sanctuary for illegal immigrants and protesting U.S. policy in Latin America,� said the president. “And there was, I think, a very different set of perspectives that were represented, arising out of the Second...

The buzz on the Internet seems to be interested in what questions were asked of the president at his meeting with members of the Catholic press, and who asked them. Given the press’ recent grilling of White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, it should be known that the questions were not pre-packaged. Here’s a rundown on who asked what… Joe Feuerherd, of the National Catholic Reporter, who was sitting on the president’s right, asked the first question. He asked, “Outside of your partisan political opponents – the Republicans – there’s one group that has also been critical of you in perhaps...

At the Roman Synod on the Bible in October 2008, which I covered for HPR, the most common topic mentioned was the need to recommend “Lectio Divina” as a pious practice among the faithful. You have probably seen the phrase mentioned in recent articles about the synod.“Lectio Divina” (LD) literally translated means “divine reading.” What it really means is praying with the Bible by selecting a passage and meditating on it. It can be done alone by an individual and it can also be done in a small prayer group. LD has a long history of being practiced in...