| Exploring CCM's beliefs
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Theology professors from three Presbyterian Church (USA) seminaries explored the three essential tenets of the Confessing Church Movement (CCM) during its national celebration here Feb. 25-27
Full text of Dr. Mark Achtemeier's address: The Holiness of Christ |
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| That All May Freely Serve response to defeat of 01-A
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"...A large number of churches have said that this decision is immoral, and that they will not abide by it! We salute them!... The church's exclusionary policy betrays Christ's welcome..." |
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How the Church failed by reinventing Christianity
By Edward Norman
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"...England, like other liberal Western societies, is becoming deeply secular, and the signs suggest that nothing is going to change the situation. For what is occurring is not merely the secularisation of the prevalent moral culture, but also the secularisation of the Church's understanding
of its own mission..." |
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Pope says abortion could lead to downfall of democracies |
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The pontiff warned against the "grave danger that the false interpretation
of human rights poses in not taking into account the reality of human nature,
which can drive democratic regimes to transform themselves into totalitarian
regimes."
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| Players praying on the field an 'uncovered story'
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As the final seconds
tick off the clock, players stream off the sidelines and the two waves of
team jerseys meet at midfield.
Football fans watch this colorful scene Sunday
after Sunday on television. Many combatants trudge together to the locker
rooms while others rush to embrace former teammates. Soon, a circle forms
as players from both teams kneel in prayer.
"That's when we pull back to that wide shot
of the stadium and cut away as quick as we can to the studio in New York,"
noted Pat Summerall, who recently called his last Super Bowl with John Madden,
his professional partner of 21 years. "For years, I've been trying to tell
people up in the booth that something interesting was going on down there
and we ought to show it. ..."Those players praying together on the field
stand for something. This is one of the uncovered stories in sports today." |
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Blinded rapper brings God to the people
By Don Mayhew, Fresno [CA] Bee
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Loto stands at the World Harvest Church pulpit wanting
to know the answer to that age-old religious question: "Who's your daddy?"
He quickly apologizes for his vernacular. He may use rap in his ministry,
but Loto means no disrespect to any easily offended Christians in the audience.
"We have youth in the house, right?" he asks.
Indeed he does. About 100 teens, preteens,
their parents and church leaders sit in the blue padded chairs in this
Fresno, Calif. church. It is the youngsters that Loto, a former gang leader
who has been blind since he was shot in the face more than seven years ago,
wants to reach.
"Whose eyes do you have?" Loto says, asking
them to see beyond artificial pleasure and instant gratification. "Why settle
for cloud nine when you can have heaven?" |
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| "I Hate You!" - Helping stepfamilies cope
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Pastor Dick Dunn of Roswell, Georgia, didn't pay much attention when a couple in his church asked for help in dealing with hostile stepchildren. After all, the husband and wife were strong Christians. Surely, he thought, they could work out their problems with their two kids... |
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The vote on Amendment 01-A: 41 yes - 110 no (2/28)
Details on our acclaimed, fast-loading Vote chart
See Graph: Cumulative Presbytery Votes by month (updated 02/28)
and the Chart of votes per Synod (updated 02/28) |
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Results of this week :
YES: Monmouth (switch, voted "no" on 97-A)
NO: Savannah; South Dakota; Detroit (switched sides, a big surprise); Philadelphia; Charlotte; Cherokee
If the remaining presbyteries vote on 01-A as they did on 97-A, amendment 01-A will fail by 46 yes - 127 no (latest adjustment: 2/28)
(See our analysis "Will results be close to those of 97-A?")
Please,
to us. Thank you!
Official tally on all 8 amendments
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| Letters from readers |
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Mike Riggins "Now we see it starkly. No further doubts can remain that the witch hunts have begun... I refer, of course, to the PJC case in the Presbytery of Central Florida... The loose coalition of people promoting the ordination of self-affirmed, unrepentant gays and lesbians are bullies. When they cannot have their way by appropriate means they resort to intimidation." |
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Jim Harper "The PJC of the Central Florida Presbytery has just fired the first shot of the last great battle of the PCUSA..." |
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Paul Ogne "I observed the trial of the case of Norman Blessing vs. the Session of First Presbyterian Church in Sebastian, Florida in person... as one who was there and having read the letter written to the Sebastian church I strongly disagree with their findings..." |
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Jeffrey W. Winter "...In the late 1970s I witnessed several of my friends leave this denomination because they had biblical scruples against women's ordination... Unlike our former PCUSA leadership that had the courage to ask ordained clergy to leave the denomination some within our present leadership have deliberately allowed and even encouraged local sessions, pastors, and presbyteries to push forth an agenda that clearly goes against our denominational standards..." |
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Philip H. Warren It has been fascinating reading the letters in response to Rev. Waldt's February 20th letter, but frankly, I am disappointed that no one except Rev. Brundage has endeavored to counter his position. |
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Tim Cahn "...Rick [Pellafone Jr.] is correct in part. I did not respond "adequately" to points made in his earlier letter; in part, because I don’t think that it does much good to rehearse and rehash arguments concerning Biblical interpretations that have been advanced, and refuted, many times on this web site over the years..." |
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Bruce Byrne responds to Hal Porter’s “Straight or Gay” Viewpoint:"...Hal, the God who loves sinners like you and me says no to our sin because he loves us. God set forth in his Word the boundaries outside of which human sexual expression is self and other destructive. This boundary setting is an expression of the love which you celebrate in your commentary on Matthew 23. Who would block such love?" |
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Robert Austell asks, What is love anyway? "I love my daughter. She is three years old and the sweetest, dearest gift from God that I can imagine... It is agonizing to discipline my daughter. I'd love to give her every cookie she ever wants to eat in life.." |
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Conrad Pitts "Amendment A has been defeated but the Church must continue to address a larger theological issue: Will the Church recognize apodictic truths or will it embrace nescience?..." |
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