Rev Bill

BLOG MOVED

2005-06-05T14:07:00.000-05:00

I have moved my blog to http://revbill.blogs.com/revbill/
Please click on the link and visit my new blog!

I'VE MOVED

2005-06-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

I HAVE MOVED MY BLOG TO http://revbill.blogs.com/revbill/
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK AND VISIT. I HOPE TO GET ALL MY GROUPS NOTIFIED SOON SO THE CORRECT LINK WILL SHOW UP ON THEIR PAGES.
SORRY ABOUT THE CONFUSION! Bill

1,000 Today?

2005-06-02T07:26:00.000-05:00

OK -- so I was wrng about yesterday. I thought I'd have 7 more people visit my blog yesterday than I actually did. I'm at 993 now -- keep watching the site meter at the bottom of my sidebar (which is still messed up for some reason) and if you are number 1,000 let me know. As I said yesterday -- no prizes involved -- but I would like to know.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Divine Command Personality

2005-06-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

OK -- I am raised in a very Presbyterian family -- first learned about God in a "Southern" Presbyterian church in South Carolina -- attended a Presbyterian Seminary and have served a Presbyterian Church for 20 years. I should have known this version of QuizFarm's personality test would turn out this way!

You scored as Divine Command. Your life is directed by Divine Command: Your god and religion give you meaning and direction.

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”

--King James Version of the Bible

“Even as a tree has a single trunk but many branches and leaves, there is one religion--human religion--but any number of faiths.”

--Mahatma Gandhi

More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page...

Divine Command

90%

Utilitarianism

80%

Existentialism

70%

Justice (Fairness)

50%

Kantianism

40%

Apathy

40%

Hedonism

35%

Strong Egoism

20%

Nihilism

What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03)
created with QuizFarm.com

Rev Mike -- who, by the way, also has a great Presbyterian personality -- told me about this!

Go ahead -- see how you score!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

John Paul II and Me

2005-06-01T07:21:00.000-05:00

You are Pope John Paul II. You are a force to be
reckoned with.

Which Twentieth Century Pope Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I just found out that my personality fits that of John Paul II!

Wow! That's pretty good!

How about you? See which Pope your personality matches here.

Thanks to St. John's Parish via The Blogdom Of God for this one!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Today The Day I Hit 1,000?

2005-06-01T06:28:00.000-05:00

This may be a big day in the Rev Bill blogosphere! I may have the 1,000th visitor to my blog today. Watch the sitemeter numbers (at the bottom of the sidebar -- which is kind of messed my right now for some reason but it's there) and if you are # 1,000 post a comment so I'll know! I don't promise any prizes -- but I'd still like to know!

Thanks to everyone who reads this blog!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Throwing Down The Church Sign Gauntlet

2005-06-01T06:20:00.000-05:00

It seems that 2 pastors have become involved in a little friendly Church Sign competition. Who says pastors can't have a little fun?

I know this because Rob told me!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Blogcritics

2005-05-31T21:42:00.000-05:00

I have discovered a great way to increase traffic on your blog! It's call blogcritics. It's a site where bloggers post articles that can be linked to books, magazine articles, news articles, books, movies, almost anything you can imagine. Blogcritics uses lists from Amazon for you to link your article to. When people read your article, they see your name and blog address. The more visibility you and your blog address get, the more chances you have of people visting your blog.

I posted my Memorial Day post from this site to the blogcritics site this morning -- adding the codes for different books folks can read to get more information about the things I mentioned.

Read my post to blogcritics here.

If you would like to be a contributor to blogcritics . click here.

Check out blogcritics!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Memorial Day Reflections 2005

2005-05-30T08:43:00.000-05:00

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

This poem – although it was written by a Candaian soldier and physician John McCrae and has become a symbol for the Candian Holiday Remembrance Day,is a beutifully written and moving tribute to those who have given their lives for their country – and very fitting for Memorial Day. I memorised “In Flanders Fields” in the 5th grade – and it has stuck with me ever since. It was a favorite of my Dad’s – a pilot in World War II - - and, I am sure, of many veterans.

On this Memorial Day – as members of the Armed Forces continue to lose their lives in Iraq – there may be questions of the best way to honor those who have died serving their country and those who continue to serve -- but who at any moment may give their lives. This is an important issue for me – just as it is for so many others. I personally have known many who have served – from my Dad and so many of his friends and others I know who served in World War II – to members of my Church and friends who served in the Korean War – to my brother in law (Rob’s dad) and so many others I know who served in Viet Nam – to friends and sons and daughters of friends who have served or are now serving in Iraq.

One way is to support the active troops themselves and their families – regardless of how we feel about war – particularly the war in Iraq – itself. As Jim Wallis of Sojourners wrote in a recent issue of SojoMail:

Even those of us who advocate nonviolence must recognize the humanity of those who, for many reasons, made the hard choice to join the armed forces. As we protest a war and an occupation that has claimed as many as 100,000 Iraqi civilians' lives, we must have compassion for the suffering experienced on all sides.

The human tragedy of war is great. Look at the figures Wallis quotes in his article:

Well over 1 million soldiers have served in Afghanistan and Iraq since September 11, 2001, according to the Pentagon. A full third of those million have served more than once. In addition to the 1,600-plus soldiers who have been killed in Iraq, more than 12,000 troops have been wounded and needed to seek medical treatment. Soldiers who have suffered psychologically are more difficult to count - and often more difficult to treat

If you know families of active military, reserves, or National Guard currently serving in Iraq – let them know you are there for them and want to help them. If you know anyone who has served and is now home, let him or her know of your appreciation and take time to listen to him or her.

Wallis’ article continues to raise the problems of vets who return home after serving. You can read Wallis’ article here.

Being available to help and support active troops and their families is one way to honor those who have died. It is one way of celebrating Memorial Day. Remembering those who have died in prayer is another way – as is praying for those who continue to serve.

On this Memorial Day I offer the following prayer from my tradition – the Presbyterian Church (USA). This prayer is part of our Book of Common Worship:

Righteous God, you rule the nations.
Guard brave men and women
who risk themselves in battle for their country.
Give them compassion for enemies
who also fight for patriotic causes.
Keep our sons and daughters from hate that hardens,
or from scorekeeping with human lives.
Though they must be at war,
let them live for peace, as eager for agreement as for victory.
Encourage them as they encourage one another,
and never let hard duty separate them
from loyalty to your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Until next time – Peace! Bill

The Reforming Problem

2005-05-27T14:55:00.000-05:00

David over at Jolly Blogger has a great post on what he considers to be "the difficulty of being always reformed."

I am not sure who is reading my blog, so if anyone needs some information about what this whole "reformed" thing is you can click here for an article from WikiPedia.

As Daved sees it, when we say "the reformed church is always reforming," or, as David notes the more "highbrow" say:"ecclesia semper reformans, semper reformanda", we come upon something that is easy to talk about -- but hard to put into practice.

This is how he puts it:

This is one of those things that sounds like a great idea until someone actually tries to do it.

Why is it hard to put into practice?

David has many fine points in his post that I am not going to go over here -- I hope you go to his post and read it. For me, the problem is that:

1. Reforming is not always a good thing
2. Not reforming is not always a good thing.

In other words, reforming just for the sake of reforming is wrong. There need to be reasons -- Scriptural reasons -- for the change. Reforming simply to "appeal to a new generation" is not a valid reason for reform. However, saying we will never reform and never even considering change might be refusing to go in new directions God truly wants us to go. If we always reformed with every new idea that came along we might lose our particular identity and witness as a the church. But if we always refused to reform we might not be listening to God's will. Without reform all Christians might still be worshipping in the same way and doing the same things -- or -- to take it even further -- without reform we might not be Christians in the first place!

Reform definately has it's place. But it has to be done carefully -- and prayerfully. And -- in my opinion -- each reform does not have to be for everyone. Not everyone followed the original reformers (Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox, etc.) -- and not everyone has to follow each reform. In fact, David at Jolly Blogger and I will not agree on everything -- we represent 2 different branches of the Presbyterian Church -- but we can still get along -- learn from each other -- read each other's blogs -- and give the message of Christ to the world.

So -- reforming has it's place. But reforming is not the answer at all times -- and neither is not reforming. On matters of reform, we need to pray for God to lead us -- study scripture -- listen to what God is saying -- and listen to each other.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

A Good Sermon Quote

2005-05-26T06:42:00.000-05:00

Last week I (and others) blogged about preaching -- giving our opinions on the question of whether we should preach to believers or non believers. I really liked the response I got from Rev. Mike :

The answer is that we trust the text, preach it, and then when the Spirit speaks, he speaks to whomever he speaks.

Anyway -- I came across a great quote about sermons this morning. I found it on Andrew Careaga's Bloggedy Blog. He had seen it on Richard Hall's blog -- connexions.

Here's the quote:

“A sermon should be like a woman’s skirt: short enough to arouse one’s interest, but long enough to cover the subject.”

Somehow I don't think my Homeletics professors at Columbia Theological Seminary would have put it quite that way -- but I like it!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Daily Scripture Passage

2005-05-25T06:41:00.000-05:00

I have added another new item to my sidebar -- a daily passage from the New International Version of the Bible. This is provided by the International Bible Society and is updated daily. I've put it directly underneath the "Good News" heading on my sidebar.

The International Bible Society has the Java Script Code for several translations you can add to your site, along with RSS feeds you can add to your RSS feeder.

If you want to add this feature to your blog of website, or have it delivered into your RSS feeder, click here for the instructions and script.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Daily Catechism

2005-05-24T05:33:00.000-05:00

I have added something new to my sidebar -- a Daily Question from either the Westminster Shorter Catechism or the Heidelberg Catechism. Both of these speak to what Christians believe and are important documents of the Reformed tradition.

The Daily Question (today's is from the Heidelberg Catechism)will appear in the "Devotional Materials" section of my sidebar. (I go through the Confessions in the Book Of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church, USA, of which the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism are a part, every day as part of my devotional time, so that seemed to be the logical place to put the Daily Question.)

You can go through each Catachism twice a year following the Daily Question.

Thanks to Tim Challies for providing this service and the script for the Daily Question.

If you have a blog or web site and would like to add the Daily Question to your site, you can get the script here.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Trinity Sunday

2005-05-22T18:25:00.000-05:00

Today is Trinity Sunday -- the Sunday after Pentecost when many churches celebrate The Doctrine Of The Trinity - the fact that we believe God to be three in one -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Doctrine of the Trinity was officially adopted at the First Council of Nicea in 325. In early Christian thought there was much debate about the different natures of God -- and how they were related. Were there 3 different gods -- or one? The Council of Nicea met to discuss these and other issues about the nature of God. The result was -- among other things -- the Doctrine of the Trinity.

While the Doctrine of the Trinity is not easy to understand or expalin (legend has it that St. Patrick used the 3 leaves of a clover to help explain the Trinity)it is a vital doctrine because it helps us understand what we believe about the very nature of God.

There are many ways to celebrate the Trinitarian nature of God. I would like to offer this prayer from my tradition -- the Presbyterian Church (USA):

Gracious Father,
giver of all good things:
For our home on earth
and for your unfailing mercy,
we give you thanks.

Christ, our Redeemer:
For your sacrifice on the cross
and rising from death that we might live,
we give you thanks and praise.

Holy Spirit, giver of life:
For your abiding presence in our lives
and for comforting and guiding us,
we give you thanks, praise, and glory.

O triune God:
To you be glory and praise
now and forever. Amen.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

A Triperspectival Sermon

2005-05-22T17:56:00.000-05:00

I told you I would do it!

I said in my post early last week that the word triperspectival
would appear in my sermon for today. And it did -- in the title and several places throughout the sermon!

I have just gotten around to posting today's sermon. It's based on Genesis 1:1-2:4(a)), II Corinthians 13:11-13, and Matthew 28:16-20, and is an attempt to make the Doctrine of the Trinity more "heart stuff" than "head stuff".

Here's part of the sermon:

Many of you know that my nephew, Rob, works for Campus Crusade for Christ in Orlando, Florida. He has a Blog (that’s short for Web Log – a place on the Internet where he posts about different things – and people can log on to his Blog and read the information he’s sharing. I also have a Blog.) Anyway – Rob posted on his blog the other day about a new word he had learned from one of his co workers. The word is: Triperspectival
(If you want to know how to spell it look in your bulletins – it’s in my sermon title.)
I’ll define the word the way Rob did – because it is so new there are no dictionary definitions.
The way Rob defined it – triperspectival means talking about something from 3 different but related perspectives. Or triperspectival means that you can't fully understand one without an idea of the other two.
The more I thought about this new word Rob had learned the more I thought “that’s what the Doctrine of the Trinity is all about!”
It’s triperspectival!

And here is more:

Through the Father - Son - and Holy Spirit - the Triune God - God is always at work in our lives - always creating and re-creating us - always loving us - always working for peace among us - and always strengthening and guiding us.
To fully understand God we have to have an understanding of this triune nature of God.
We can not fully understand God if we only see God as a creator.
We can not fully understand God if we only see God as a loving God.
We can not fully understand God is we only see God as a strength and guide for our lives.
We have to see God as the creating, loving, and strengthening God that God is to fully understand God.
We have to see all three natures of God to fully understand God.
We have to understand the Doctrine of the Trinity to fully understand God.
The nature of God is triperspectival – we have to understand all 3 to truly understand each one.

You can read the entire triperspectival sermon here.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

When Tragedy Strikes

2005-05-22T05:31:00.000-05:00

My nephew Rob posted about attending the funeral of a co-workers daughter. The post stirred up a lot of emotions in me -- and others.

Here's a part of Rob's post:

She was 18. She's been on mission trips, had a lot of friends who really loved her, and a family that is in a lot of pain.

Nicole had been driving for 3 weeks. She didn't have on her seat belt Saturday. She met Jesus face to face moments after being thrown from her car as it rolled down the highway at 70+ mph.

It's tough to see teens have to weep, wail, mourn, and grieve like that. It's tough to see a mother lean into a coffin to kiss her daughter for the last time.

As I responded to Rob's post, it is tough indeed to be in situations such as these. Part of my resonse to his post was:

No death or funeral is easy -- but funerals such as the one you posted about are extreemly hard. Your faith and your head says one thing and your heart says another.

No matter how strong our faith, we are all human.
No matter how strong our faith we all have emotions.
No matter how strong our faith we all grieve when loved ones die -- especially under particualarly tragic circustances.
No matter how stong our faith we all have questions.
In this case, Nicole was not wearing a seat belt. Would wearing one have saved her life? Maybe -- but we can not be sure. Questions such as these are common -- human nature -- when we are faced with events such as the tragic death of a young girl. I know many families who -- under similar circumstances - have had very similar questions. Some have had their faith in God strengthened -- others have seemed to turn away from God.

What are the answers to such questions?
That's the problem -- there are no easy answers.
All you can do is pray.
Try to be open to the praying, supportive community of believers who are there for you.
Try to be a part of the praying, supportive community of beleivers for the others who are hurting.

Yes -- death hurts. Even in the midst of rejoicing in the eternal life we have in Christ -- we still hurt and grieve. But -- even though we might not feel it at the moment -- God is with us -- and we can reach out to each other.

I will keep Rob, Nicloe's family, and their friends in my prayers.
Maybe you can join me in that. That way at least the praying community of bleieivers will expand some!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Mongerism Books

2005-05-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

Most bloggers I know are avid readers, also. I fall into that catagory. I love to read -- and whenever I find books at discounted prices I go into a buying frenzy!
It's not really that bad -- but you get the point. I enjoy reading good books.

Which brings me to the reason for this post.

I found out about Mongerism Books today and put an icon on my sidebar to advertise the site. They have a lot of Christian books -- books on theology, preaching, doctrinal books, reference books, books by classic Christian authors, and books on the Christian life -- at greatly reduced prices. They also have other media -- CDs, DVDs, and more.

If you like books as much as I do, check out Mongerism Books.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

The Week In The News

2005-05-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

2 of the news items that have caught my attention this week are:

1. The Newsweek "report" of the desecraton of the Quaran
2. The attempt to end use of the fillibuster in Congress

1. Newsweek magazine made the headlines this week for a brief mention in the "Periscope" section of it's May 9 edition that US Soldiers holding Muslim prisoners at Guantanimo Bay, Cuba had desecrated the Quaran in an attempt to get confessions from the Muslims. This report sparked riots in many parts of the Muslim world deadly riots broke out. In Afghanistan at least 17 Afghans were killed and dozens injured. US troops were put in harm's way. Now the story has been called into question -- and Newsweek has retracted it.
Why could Newsweek have not done some better investigating in the first place?
No one seems to know.
What we do know is that once again a news source has misinformed the public -- this time with deadly consequences.
Will the media begin to be more careful about the stories it runs?
I somehow doubt it.
The real problem, as I see it, is that people in positions to inform the public should be very careful with the information they dispense. The public is not in the position to check out stories like the media is, and depends on the media to give them correct information.

2. Congress is debating doing away with the fillibuster. This would be, in my opinion, a mistake. The fillibuster is one way to get opinions that are contrary to the majority opinion expressed. Without the filibuster the people who have the majority opinion can have their opinion acted on without much interference from those who disagree with them.
I believe we need the filibuster to ensure that diffenent opinions are at least heard.

Both of these stories touch some of the more essential tenents of democarcy. Democracy depends upon a public that is informed with the correct information. Demorcarcy also depends upon everyone at least being listened to. Without these, democracy is at risk.

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

From My Perspective: To Whom Do We Preach?

2005-05-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

Several bloggers -- Adrian Warnack and Jollyblogger, to name a few -- have had a discussion in The Blogdom Of God and the League of Reformed Bloggers groups about who we preach to.

The question is -- do we preach to non believers or to believers?

I would have to say that I agree with a number of posts I have now read that we preach to both non believers and believers.

Preaching needs to speak to non believers in the hopes that they will become believers.

Preaching needs to speak to belivers in hopes that they will be strengthened in their beliefs.

It is not an either / or propostion -- but a both / and.

Every time I preach I pray that if someone has not come to believe in Christ, that God would somehow speak to them through my words. I also pray everyone who believes will have their faith strengthened through what God says to them in my sermon.

Preaching is one of the most awesome responsibilities anyone faces. Every week I look at the passages I plan to preach on for that Sunday and wonder --

What does the congregation need to hear?
What word can I share with them that will give them a better understanding of God's will for their lives and the world?
How can I connect God to their experiences -- theier lives?

These are not easy questions -- and do not have easy answers. The best I can do is study the passage -- pray -- study some more -- pray some more -- study some more -- pray, pray, pray -- then write what I feel God is saying.

And hope that it is truly what God is saying.

And pray that what I say will somehow speak to others -- including those who believe in Christ and those who don't.

Until next tme -- Peace! Bill

Click For A Chance To Win A DVD

2005-05-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

Tim Challies at Challies Dot Comis having a contest -- and the prize is the DVDs pictured above -- The History & Theology of Calvinism DVD set -- and the movie Luther on DVD.

The rules of the contest are simple -- all you have to do is click on the pictures and you will be taken to his blog -- where you can enter to win. Also -- when you go to the contest from this site -- I will get credit for sending you -- giving me a greater chance to win!

So -- help yourself (and me)! Click on the picture!

But hurry -- dealine is midnight May 19 (tomorrow night)!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

My Other Groups

2005-05-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

Last night I blogged about being a part of the Homespun Bloggers . I have now updated my sidebar to show other groups I am a part of, and other groups I am "following" -- which means I do not actually belong or contribute but like to read the posts of those who do belong.

Going down the sidebar you come to the heading: Groups I Am A Part Of. Along with Homespun Bloggers you will find links for The Evangelical Aggregator, Blogs4God, Pro Life Blogs, The Blogdom of God, The League of Reformed Bloggers, and The North State Blogs.

You will note that some of these (The Blogdom of God, The League of Reformed Bloggers) have the "blogroll" -- or list of others who are a part of that group. As I pointed out in last night's post, Homespun Bloggers also has a "blogroll". The ones who do not have a "blogroll" are ones I could not find the script for adding the "blogroll" to my site!

To access these groups, you can click on their names in this post, click on their names in the sidebar, or -- in some cases -- (Homespun Bloggers, The Evangelical Aggregator,Pro Life Blogs
and The Blogdom of God) I have icons at the bottom of the sidebar that link to them.

Go ahead -- click on the names in this post, the names on the sidebar -- or the icons -- and see what "my groups" are all about!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Homespun Bloggers

2005-05-16T21:02:00.000-05:00

I am now officially a member of the Homespun Bloggers -- a group of bloggers who have joined together to -- as they say on their membership page:

allow amateur bloggers to provide support (both moral and traffic related) to one another.

They have technical support (something I need a lot of), and perodically post "best of" blogs of their members.

I appreciate them letting me join -- and am looking forward to being a part.

There are several ways to link to Homespun Bloggers from this page.

1. You can click on the words Homespun Bloggers in this post -- they are linked to the homepage.

2. You can click on the Homespun Bloggers icon in my icon section of my sidebar.

3. You can click on the name Homespun Bloggers under the heading "Groups I'm A Part Of" section of my sidebar.

You can link to other members of the Homespun Bloggers by clicking on the names in the blogroll underHomespun Bloggers under the heading "Groups I'm A Part Of" section of my sidebar.

Check them out -- and tell them Rev Bill sent you!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

Learning Something New: Triperspectival

2005-05-16T05:42:00.000-05:00

Well -- let's start the week with a new word:

triperspectival

As my nephew Rob explains, triperspectival basically means talking about something from 3 different but related perspectives. Or triperspectival means that you can't fully understand one without an idea of the other two.

I'm blogging this to help out Rob with his quest to corner the Google market on triperspectival, and also besause I think I just found a great illustration for my sermon for Trinity Sunday! Look for something triperspectival in a sermon on my Sermon Blog site next weekend!

If I can figure out how to pronounce it! :)

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

A Pentecost Prayer

2005-05-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

Today is the Day of Pentecost -- one of the most important, if not neglected and misunderstood, days in the Christian year. Pentecost is the third most important day in the Christian year -- only lacking in importance to Christmas and Easter. It is the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples (as the passage in Acts 2 has it -- the Gospel of John has Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit upon them in one of the post -
resurrection appearances). The event in Acts 2 is considered the birth of the the church by many because it was the first time after the Jesus' ascension that the disciples acted decisively and began to spread the news of God's actions through Jesus. Pentecost is indeed an important day!

Pentecost -- like Easter -- is what is called a "moveable feast" because the date changes every year. Pentecost is celebrated 8 weeks after Easter, so as the date of Easter changes every year, so does the date of Pentecost.

But -- Pentecost is not given a lot of attention in many churches now. If it is mentioned, many times it is only with a passing reference. Even many churches that condiser themselves "Pentecostal" fail to really grasp what happened at Pentecost.

Fist of all -- why is Penctecost not celebrated?

Well -- I am not really sure -- although it could be that some feel the Holy Spirit is something almost dangerously powerful -- good if viewed from a distance like a caged lion or tiger but scary if we are too close to it. Also Christmas and Easter have their marketable qualities -- which Pentecost does not have. I have never seen a "Happy Pentecost" card!

But -- what about the misunderstanding of Pentecost?

Some think that at Pentecost the disciples began "speaking in tongues" -- or speaking in unintelligible but ecstatic speech (the spiritual gift of glossolalia). While I do not argue that glossolalia is not a spiritual gift, I do not think that the event at Pentecost was a case of glossolalia.

Look at Acts 2:1-13:

1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Verse 4 seems to say that the Holy Spirit gave them the abillity to speak in other languages -- and verses 5-12 seems to indicate that these languages were understood by others who were gathered in Jerusalem from many countries for the Jewish celebration of Shavuot (or Pentecost to the Greek speaking Jews). So -- to me -- this is not a case of glossolalia as much as it was a case of the disciples given the ability to speak in languages they had not been able to speak in before so others could hear about what God had done through Jesus Christ.

So -- Pentecost is a very important day for Christians! Maybe we all should seek out ways to become more -- do I dare say it -- "pentecostal"! Or at least more in tune with the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

For more about Pentecost, click here for the article on Pentecost from WikiPedia and here for the text of my sermon from this morning.

I want to offer a prayer for Pentecost from my faith tradition. This is a Litany For Pentecost from the Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA):

Christ has gathered the church in unity through the Spirit.
With sure hope, let us pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
Maker of all things,
in the beginning, you created heaven and earth.
In the fullness of time, you restored all things in Christ.
Renew our world, in this day, with your grace and mercy.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Life of the world,
you breathed life into the flesh you created.
Now, by your Spirit, breathe new life into the children of earth.
Turn hatred into love, sorrow into joy, and war into peace.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Lover of concord,
you desire the unity of all Christians.
Set aflame the whole church with the fire of your Spirit.
Unite us to stand in the world as a sign of your love.

Lord, hear our prayer.

God of compassion,
through your Spirit you supply every human need.
Heal the sick, and comfort the distressed.
Befriend the friendless, and help the helpless.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Source of peace,
your Spirit restores our anxious spirits.
In our labor, give us rest;
in our temptation, strength;
in our sadness, consolation.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Amen!

Until next time -- Peace! Bill

God Is Not A Republican Or A Democrat

2005-05-14T15:59:00.000-05:00

It seems that my blog is increasingly becoming a place where I post about the problems I see happen when political parties try to say that "God is on their side" and if you do not agree with them, you are not Christian. Well, that's ok -- because I believe this is a subject that needs to be addressed.

It also seems that I am commening a lot about what Jim Wallis of Sojourners is writing. That's ok too -- I like what Wallis writes and the way Wallis pushes me to think about the theological implications of things.

All this leads me to --

I was reading the article by Jim Wallis in this weeks Sojomail ( with an intro like I just gave I'm sure you knew what was coming :) ) about the dangers of polical parties claiming to be "God's party". It is an excellent article. Here Wallis cites the problems at East Waynesville Baptist Church in Waynesville, NC as an example of what can happen when you begin believing that "God is on your side". You may remember that this was the Church I blogged about several days ago where several members claimed they were forced to leave because they did not agree with the pastor on political issues. (You can read that previous post here.)

Wallis concludes the article with these words:

The Republican Party is not God's own party, as the Religious Right and some Republican leaders seem to be suggesting. And, of course, neither is the Democratic Party. We must say it again and again until it is heard and understood: God is not partisan; God is not a Republican or a Democrat. When either party tries to politicize God, or co-opt religious communities for its political agenda, it makes a terrible mistake. God's politics challenge all our politics. Our faith must not be narrowed to the agenda of one political party.

You can read Wallis' article here.