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Unintended Consequences: How the “relevant” church and segregating youth is killing Christianity. I recently spent six-months doing a rotation as a hospital chaplain. One day I received a page (Yes, hospitals actually still use pagers). Chaplains are generally called to the rooms of people who look ill: People gray with kidney disease, or yellow with liver failure, discouraged amputees, nervous cancer patients. In this room, however, was a strikingly attractive 23 year-old young lady sitting up cheerfully in the hospital bed, holding her infant daughter and chatting with family and friends. Confused, I stepped outside and asked her nurse, “Why...

The faithful must be taught the true meaning of the sacred liturgy: that it is “an instrument of communion with the Lord, allowing the Lord to take hold of you, and the Lord absorbing you into his divine mission, and making you experience what a great and privileged moment of communion this is.�These are the words of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, in an exclusive interview with ZENIT on the sidelines of Sacra Liturgia 2013, a major international conference in Rome this week. The cardinal, who was previously Secretary at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of...

Featured Term (selected at random): HALLUCINATION Any false perception, not deliberately induced, that makes a person accept as objectively real what are only one's own ideas. One of the functions of mystical theology is to help a spiritual director distinguish authentic supernatural phenomena from hallucinations.  All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission. 

THOUGHTS ON HIM Thought on You like the sweetness of most exotic fruit As Love engraves in thoughts like the vibrant colors of Divine masterpiece; Thought leads to life for a soul or emptiness to a brute. Converse with me, Oh Lord, the most heavenly words and tender voice; Suppress my unfaithful thoughts and irrelevant voices Of the world which now becomes far away and detached While my heart rests on You. Dearest Lord, You know that I love You, many times You want me to repeat; I proclaim on the rooftop; I whisper in the wind, Thousands upon thousands...

There has been a good deal of discussion recently about the Praise Team/Praise Band phenomenon, a phenomenon that has become a liturgical commonplace........

The problem with much Christian worship in the contemporary world, Catholic and Protestant alike, is not that it is too entertaining but that it is not entertaining enough. Worship characterized by upbeat rock music, stand-up comedy, beautiful people taking center stage, and a certain amount of Hallmark Channel sentimentality neglects one classic form of entertainment, the one that tells us, to quote the Book of Common Prayer, that “in the midst of life we are in death.” It neglects tragedy. Tragedy as a form of art and of entertainment highlighted death, and death is central to true Christian worship. The...

Archbishop Charles Chaput, currently of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, sees some things a bit differently than I do at times (such as amnesty for illegal immigrants), but I believe he is a sincere, honest, honorable, holy Bishop, and I respect him immensely, and always try to pay attention to what he has to say or write. (He reminds me a little of David going up against Goliath in his new assignment in Philadelphia, with all the problems they've had there!) With that in mind, I wanted to share a link with "ROKU Streaming TV" users, where you can add the...

Your proximity to My Spirit is where the anointing begins to take affect. So be engulfed in "My Will" for it is as I surround you that I AM magnified and miracles exist. "BE" My door mat and welcome ME into your presence for I will not be denied by a true heart filled with "MY LOVE". Psalm 22:3 3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Genesis 29:35 And she conceived again, and bare a son. And she said, This time will I praise Jehovah. Therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing....

Street vendors and souvenir stores across Washington, D.C. are selling posters depicting President Obama as Jesus Christ — and one national news publication called him the “Second Coming.” The poster, which does not have the official endorsement of the White House, features an image of the president in prayer with the headline, “Prophecy Fulfilled.” “Barak is of Hebrew origin and its meaning is ‘flash of lightning,” the poster notes, referencing a passage in in the Old Testament book of Judges. Hussein, they allege, is a Biblical word meaning “good and handsome.” “So you see, Barak was destined to be a...

Featured Term (selected at random):PREFACE The act of thanksgiving, which begins the Eucharistic liturgy. By it the priest, in the name of all the people of God, offers praise and gratitude to God the Father for the whole work of redemption or for some special benefits commemorated in the liturgy. (Etym. Latin praefatio, preface, prologue; literally, a saying beforehand.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not...

Featured Term (selected at random):INDULT A temporary favor granted by the Holy See to bishops to permit them to do something not otherwise allowed. If given for a certain time, it must be renewed by competent ecclesiastical authority. Thus according to the Code of Canon Law, an indult is required for a priest to practice surgery and a cloistered nun needs an indult to travel outside the cloister. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

This was awesome and I thought I'd share for my Jewish and Christian friends.

Love the LORD with all our hearts, and what we ask for will be what HE wants; then believe and receive.

Featured Term (selected at random):RULE OF SAINT BASIL A rule of life drawn up, from 358 to 364, by St. Basil the Great (329-79). It is still the basis for monasticism in the Eastern Church. There are two forms of the rule, in question and answer form, with 55 and 313 items respectively. Although austere, it consciously avoids some of the extremes of Eastern monasticism before Basil's time. Hours of liturgical prayer were prescribed. Manual and other work were required. Children were to be trained in classes attached to the monastery and given an opportunity to test their vocation to...

Do it! Do it! Do it! Jay-Z is launching the Made In America Music Festival this fall in Philadelphia … but he may not be the biggest name in attendance. The famous rapper told Rolling Stone magazine that he "absolutely" wants Barack Obama to at least make an appearance or even perform! He knows the Prez can belt out a few tunes without breaking a sweat and he definitely fits the festival's theme. Jay revealed to the mag: "I'm gonna give him a call and I'm gonna try to get him to perform – do a little rendition of Al...

Can the combat-hardened OWS shock troops from the bankrupt Obamanation Universities defeat the Mighty Catholic Crusaders in the Spring of 2012? The battle lines are being quickly drawn in a frontal assault on the Robo-Built Fortress Walls of the Un-Constitutional Obama"care" that protects the despised, and cancerous Obamanation. Even now Bolshevik Chairman Obama has dictated that all US Military Chaplins be muzzled, and public discussion terminated as the distant sound of Cyber Bugles wafts through the despised Ditrict of Corruption. At 1600 Entitlement Plantation Avenue, only the token dog is not worried. Yeah, you guessed it, he is a Portuguese...

Restore Communion On The Tongue Only Most Holy Father, We are convinced of the great spiritual harm inflicted on the Catholic faithful, and the profanation of the Blessed Sacrament that often occurs, by the practice of Communion received on the hand. We implore Your Holiness to personally intervene to restore once again the normative practice of reception of Holy Communion on the tongue alone.

5. Midnight Mass is at midnight. One of the hoariest Catholic jokes — “What time is midnight Mass?” — is no longer so funny. Midnight Mass, traditionally the first celebration of the Christmas liturgy, is also when Saint Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus is read aloud. Recently, however, many churches have moved up their celebrations — first to 10 p.m., then to 8 p.m., and now as early as 4 p.m. Why? For one thing, churches are packed on Christmas Day. Second, the elderly and families with children may find it easier to attend services on the 24th,...

GOD BLESS US ALL! PASSAGE TO READ! Thoughts of inspiration!!LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

“No, we don’t worship Joseph Smith,” I explained to the investigator. “We respect him as a prophet.” “You mean, like Mohamed?” he asked. “No, more like Moses, or John the Baptist.” It was a standard comparison that I had used repeatedly on my mission. Joseph Smith is just a prophet. He’s just like John the Baptist, or Moses, or Peter, James, and John. Of course, there are a few problems with that characterization, aren’t there? Chief among them — if Joseph Smith is really just like John the Baptist, then why don’t we treat the two similarly? And despite doctrinal...

Uploader comments: As an ex-20 year returned missionary Mormon i can confirm this is EXACTLY what goes on in the temples. Unless they have changed the ceremony yet again to cover up the free masonry that is sold as "sacred' to the "worthy" members foolish enough to believe it. As i once was!

‘TIS THE SEASON for Smithmas (Originally posted in December 2008) Here we are with another Thanksgiving and Christmas season upon us! I love this time of year for the changing colors of the trees, the air smells like the season’s cold is getting ready to lay itself down upon us, and of course for the food. Yum! Alas, I would be remiss if I were to go about my day in this glorious time without giving my favorite reason…Jesus! While December 25th may not be the actual date of Jesus’ birth, it serves as a great reminder for us as...

Missal 3.0 – Part 2 November 3rd, 2011 by Justin SoutarEditor’s Note: On Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will be implemented in all Catholic parishes in the United States. Here we present part 2 of a five-part series about the new translation–and the reasons behind it. You can read part 1 here. Part 3 will appear next Thursday. The Language of Catholic WorshipBut how did Latin come to be the official language of Catholic worship in the Roman Rite, and why does the Church give it so much importance? To...

This is in response to "People should learn about Mormons before criticizing." This is absolutely true and I have done just that. I am a Christian and have many Mormon friends, family and neighbors that I choose to love in spite of our differences. Just because Jesus Christ's name is on the church doesn't mean it's the same Jesus I worship. Gordon B. Hinckley, on June 6, 1998, in Geneva, Switzerland had stated that Mormons do not believe in the traditional Christ. They believe that Jesus is our elder brother. Brigham Young stated on Feb. 8,1857 that the god of...

ADVANCE YOUR WORSHIP TO ADVANCE IN ME( JESUS) ! I desire to see an advance in your worship for Me to advance you in My spirit , for as My Word I inhabit the praises of My people but it is in your true worship of Me that I move and dwell and you have "My being" as Samuel and David , for they knew Me "AS ONE" and it is in this oneness I desire for you to inhabit , Yeah ~ " Dwell " . So be as little children and as My spirit moves you " DO...

Firefighters in Wisconsin had an unusual task in front of them when they appeared on the scene of a house fire Tuesday. A fire had started on the second floor of a home while the family's 17 year old son Dwight Brochardt was out walking one of their dogs. He returned to the house and was met by clouds of smoke stemming from upstairs.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- On the same day President Barack Obama will visit Orlando, the city unveiled the first part of a roadway project named after him. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony that showcased President Barack Obama Parkway, near the Mall at Millenia. Phase I connects President Barack Obama Parkway north of Conroy Road to Metrowest Boulevard, a mile-and-a-half stretch that includes lighting, sidewalks and on-street bike lanes. Shingle Creek Trail, used by pedestrians and bicyclists, was also extended.

Presidential candidate Rick Perry tells the Brody File that he’d be “lost” without God and prays for the “Holy Spirit to guide” his tongue. The Texas Governor also talked with me about whether he has Sarah Palin’s phone number on speed dial and reacts to Herman Cain’s meteoric rise. I spoke with Governor Perry Friday afternoon at the Values Voter Summit in Washington DC. Watch the four clips below. MANDATORY COURTESY: CBN NEWS/THE BRODY FILE The Brody File also talked to Herman Cain and Rick Santorum. Those clips will be published later today. A full report on the Values Voter...

I pose this, not as a trick question, but sincerely. To me, a non-Mormon, there are a couple of things that just don’t add up. The one is that Mormonism teaches that the Father and Son are separate Beings. It interprets their oneness that the Bible talks about as a unity of purpose or something similar, but never as a unity of being. But what trips me up is a LDS Scripture like D&C 20:19. “And gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only...

(JESUS)"I AM" THE FIRST DOOR YOU MUST WALK THROUGH ! Obession with people is not where I desire my children to be but I must be your first fruit in all you do and seek after for I AM THE FIRST DOOR you MUST walk through to receive anything Godly and of the Kingdom for I AM THE PATH as well as THE LIGHT that illuminates MY WILL FOR YOU in all things. So SEEK MY FACE and THE EYES OF UNDERSTANDING shall open unto you as I become paramount in all you seek after using MY HEARTS DESIRE for...

The following is notes taken by a member of Joel Osteen's church on a day a substitute was preaching. That's not really the point. What is the best worship experience you ever had? For me, I can think of a few: 1. The Cincinnati Billy Graham Crusade in Jul 2002. Third Day and Gaithers sang. Third Day was clearly led by the Spirit. Graham gave a simple sermon about the prodigal son that touched thousands of hearts. The simplicity of the message and appeal stunned me. An amazing event. 2. The year I was ordained Deacon in our denomination, the...

FRANKFORT, Maine — The mother of a 7-month-old girl mauled to death by the family dog in April was arrested Wednesday night and charged in connection with the death. Maine State Police Detective Adam Kelley arrested 29-year-old Katrina Mitchell at her home on Town Hill Road and charged her with endangering the welfare of a child. Mitchell was taken to Waldo County Jail and was being held in lieu of $1,060 bail. The charge was filed after police consulted with the District Attorney’s Office. Annabelle Mitchell was mauled to death on April 12 in the living room of her house...

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has sued Texas Gov. Rick Perry because he has called for a day of prayer and fasting on August 6. The event, sponsored by the American Family Association, will take place in Reliant Stadium – home of the NFL Texans – in Houston. (For more information, go to TheResponseUSA) FFRF is trying to convince a judge to keep this event from happening at all. First, secular fundamentalists kicked prayer out of school. Now they are trying to kick it out of the public square altogether. The folks at FFRF are like the Puritans of...

One church leader says worship services today are too time consuming, speaking out during an era when discussions about long church services seem to be a touchy subject for many Christians. The Rev. Jonathan Gledhill, the Bishop of Lichfield, told a group of clergy in a speech in his London diocese this week that church services have become too long, recommending “clergy should aim to keep the time of worship to no more than 50 minutes.” The bishop continued to say that worship has become “too complicated, leaving people who are not regular churchgoers feeling confused and excluded.” "One of...

I see you as a Psalmist unto Me(Jesus) , So do not lose your joy to the enemy , For the song in your heart is fragrant and true , So come to Me when things are askew , Just raise your voice in worship as a cup unto Me , And as I drink it in I shall release your glee , For truly you are a song in My heart broken open and true , A vessel filled with the Oil of Gladness of Me in you , So let Me rise up and sing as you go...

Long before the sun rose over the Shiloh Baptist Church, people were passing through metaldetectors at the historic African American congregation where President Barack Obama and his family will celebrate Easter. [Snip] Rev. Wallace Charles Smith, in the church's program, said, "We are honored to welcome to our 10 a.m. Easter service President Barack Obama, First LadyMichelle Obama, and daughters Malia and Sasha. Shiloh prays for the first family every Sunday and we thank God for the wonderful inspiration they provide to our nation." [Snip] The 3,000-member D.C. congregation [was] started by freed slaves.

Chris Tomlin - How Great is Our God (video)

....Mr Fu said 47 Shouwang members who tried to worship in an open-air public space on Sunday were detained and all the church's pastors and leaders were put under house arrest or in detention. In an earlier statement, Mr Fu said some church members had lost their homes or jobs amid an official campaign to shut down the church. While China's Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Christians are required to worship in churches run by state-controlled organisations, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association for Catholics. However, more than 60 million Christians are believed to...

My sufferings are growing through you , All that I AM growing anew , The blood , the stripes , the words you know , Persecution that just seems to grow and grow , My very essence speaking and flowing through you , Oh ! but as you suffer I become new , For it is heaven in you I desire to prolong , For as you suffer your flesh falls behind , And all your words now become mine , A beautiful tapestry sung just for me , Each stitch woven in perfect harmony , My kingdom then comes...

…And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be...

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:8-9)In...

Rise, Shine, Give God The Glory - Georgia Mass Choir

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.(Revelation 4:9-11)The Apostle John has been ushered into the very center of reality, the throne room of Almighty God. God is there,...

Have you ever wondered why one of the Ten Commandments seems null and void – notably the one calling on believers to observe the Sabbath? Ask your pastor or priest and you will probably hear it's because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday... (or because the disciples broke bread on Sunday morning--after a daylong sermon that extended into the night hours the preceding Sabbath Day) And then there's the little problem of this switch of worship days not being mentioned in the Bible – and the historical fact that most Christians continued observing the Sabbath for hundreds of years...

Rev. Peterson: Why Are Christians Allowing Muslims To Worship In Their Churches? As reported on FoxNews.com, two Protestant U.S. churches are creating a stir by opening their church buildings to Muslims for worship. According to the report, Heartsong Church in Cordova, Tenn., let members of the Memphis Islamic Center hold Ramadan prayers there. And the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Va., allows the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) to hold regular Friday prayers in their building. Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, Founder and President of BOND, the Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny, called this a dangerous and foolish...

My name is Edward L. Daley, and I'm what's known as a deist. That is to say that I embrace no particular religious faith, yet I do believe in an eternal creator of all life and existence... as best we understand those terms. I simply do not claim to know the motives or methods of our creator.

While entering into a oneness of worship with a small body of worshippers I heard The Spirit of The Lord release these words for your discernment . . . Do you see My children now you HAVE found your " FIRST LOVE " " WORSHIPPING ME " John 4:23 (Amplified Bible) 23A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. Revelation 2:3-5 (New American Standard Bible) 3and you have perseverance and...

....I come from a conservative background of the Protestant church tradition. My friends and family tend to be non-demonstrative lot at church, with little more than the occasional “A-men!” when we are REALLY moved. So, it has bothered me to see a particular phenomenon from the charismatic/pentecostal tradition starting to appear in church – the raising of hands. This action, usually done during singing, always seemed showy to me and distracting. But, it is important to separate “it bothers me” from “it is wrong.” So, I decided to do some research into the phenomenon, and see what the Bible had...

The "liberal media's" unprecedented 24/7 gushing over a controversial and divisive president caps a quarter-century of fawning The media's weeklong coverage of the passing of President Reagan has produced some of the most rapturous remembrances in modern times. Given Reagan's long illness, few expected the gloss to be pierced by examinations of his past as an FBI informant, his support for the apartheid regime of South Africa, America's covert alliance with Saddam Hussein, or the killing fields of Central America. Nonetheless, the sheer volume of media-stoked adoration has been a bit startling to those who are keepers of the flame...