Video: Capital Campaign video 1 - not used

I was asked to put together a video for the Capital Campaign.  I planned three sections.  I began by reworking the initial fire video (posted somewhere in this blog) I put together several years ago in order to add some interviews, and then placed what we've been doing over the last year as the second section.  There is a transition between the sections which I narrated.  I was going to get another person who does this very well to do the narration after I added the second transition.  However, I was told that the fire video was no longer relevant to the current congregation so I scrapped it and made a quick "history" of Gravel Hill, which is posted after this one.  I put an awful lot of work into these videos, so I posted it so if anyone was interested, they could watch it.  I did not blur any clips of children - most of them go by quickly or are covered with text.  Hope you enjoy parts 1 and 2 of a not used video...  

Police: Man Yelled "Liars" Before Killing Three in Church

The article below appeared on CNN.com in August of 2007.  I copied it at the time thinking I would use it as a basis for a sermon at some point. This article is still floating around my paper piles, so I finally decided to post it here.  It continues to bother me, to weigh on my understanding of what Christians claim to believe versus how we act in the world.  Our actions should be a reflection of our beliefs, but often diverge to the point where it is impossible for those watching us to tell whether we are Christians or not.  

In the first century, the world had no problem discerning who Christians were because their words and actions differed greatly from those who were pagans.  Because they stood out they were treated differently from the pagans around them.  They were also treated differently from the Jews (remember that Christianity was a Jewish sub-cult).  Because the Jews had been around since before the Roman Empire their "odd" cultural customs were accepted by the Roman rulers when the land area of Palestine was conquered.  Since Christianity was a new cult that ran against accepted and prescribed behavior of Roman pagan culture, Christian quirks were not appreciated and often not tolerated.  Hence, at times, Christians found themselves scapegoats for events that were not of their doing (e.g. the fire of Rome under Nero), and refused to bend to the requirements of the emperor to worship who and how pagans did, and were therefore singled out for persecution.

Today, however, Christians are so integrated into society that more often than not, one cannot tell Christians apart from non-Christians in America.  I believe that theologically, there is still much that should separate Christians from the majority of people.  However, it is difficult to find differences between how we act as Christians and how non-Christians act.   

So here is the irony: this man accuses church goers of being liars, and I believe he is proven right.  

In the early church many Christians martyred themselves rather than deny their belief.  You don't have to read far in Paul's letters to find references to these self-sacrificing actions, although today we read these sections of scripture and consider them hyperbole.  They are not.  Paul uses real life consequences of being a Christian in his writings.  Yet today, in general, we do not see our Christianity of such consequence that we are willing to die for it.  

When did we stop believing our God was unworthy of the ultimate sacrifice?  When did we become so integrated into society that our belief has taken a backseat to our own self-preservation?  Do we now believe that our profession of faith is inconsequential because we have become such a pluralistic society?  

If so, why bother to believe anything at all? 

An add on question...what part does fear play if we believe in God and life after death? 

NEOSHO, Missouri (CNN) -- A man with a machine pistol stormed a southwestern Missouri church where his relatives were praying, shouting "liars, liars" as he opened fire and killed three people, police said Monday.

Police identified the gunman as Eiken Elam Saimon, 52.

He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault, one count of armed criminal action and one count of felonious restraint for holding the congregation hostage, said Newton County Prosecutor Scott Watson.

A fifth count of assault is pending, Watson said.

Watson told The associated Press Saimon targeted church elders. "It appears that the shots that were fired were not at random," he said.

Saimon entered a not guilty plea during a brief arraignment Monday in Newton County Circuit Court. The judge set his bail at $1 million, reduced from the original $5 million, and set a hearing for September 18, the AP reported.

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland said Saimon is being held in an isolation cell under heavy guard.

Saimon shouted "liars, liars, you're all liars" before opening fire with a semiautomatic machine pistol commonly known as a Tech-9, Police Chief David McCracken said.

When police arrived, Saimon had surrounded himself with 30 to 40 hostages in the sanctuary and "he was holding a female hostage at gunpoint," the chief said.

Witnesses told police that Saimon held a gun to one man's head and asked if anyone in the church was willing to trade their life for the man's, an investigator said. After no one stepped forward, the gunman shot the hostage, he said.

Five people were wounded in the Sunday afternoon attack at the church in Neosho, about 120 miles northeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Killed in the shooting were Kernal Rehobson, 43, Intenson Rehobson, 44, and Jesse Ikoshia, 53, Watson said. They were not friends or relatives of Saimon, Watson told the AP.

Prosecutor Watson also said Saimon also is a suspect in the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl Saturday. The girl is a relative of Saimon's, although authorities did not explain how the two were related, AP reported.

Wounded were Jim Handy, Melihna Tarra, Dahnny Jack and Handy Kendey, Watson said, adding that his office is awaiting the name of a fifth person who was wounded.

The wounded were transported to area hospitals, at least one of them by helicopter.

One of them required surgery, and two others were still in the hospital Monday, McCracken said. All are in fair condition and are expected to recover, the chief said.

Police received a report about 1:54 p.m. (2:54 p.m. ET) that someone was shooting inside the 100-year-old First Congregational Church.

A group of Micronesians was holding a service at the time, McCracken said. Saimon is Micronesian.

Micronesia is a series of islands in the western Pacific Ocean.

Saimon had three guns, including the 9 mm semiautomatic Tech-9 and a small-caliber handgun, McCracken said.

He ordered the children in the church to leave without their parents, McCracken said. The kids were all accounted for and were not harmed, he said.

Saimon is married and has a family, Copeland said.

The shooter was holding as many as 50 people hostage inside the church when officers arrived, authorities said. Police apprehended Saimon without incident after a hostage negotiator spoke with him for five or 10 minutes, McCracken said.

"He made the decision that it was not his day to die," the chief said Monday. "It was hard to tell which way he was going to go until he dropped the weapon.

Source: CNN

Please feel free to leave your comments.  I'd love to know what you think. 

Saint Teresa's Prayer

Christ has no Body now but yours

No hands, no feet on earth but yours

Yours are the eyes through which He looks

Compassion on this world.

Yours are the feet with which He walks

To do good

Yours are the hands with which He blesses

All the world.

Yours are the hands

Your are the feet

Yours are the eyes

Yours are His body

Christ has no Body now but yours

No hands, no feet on earth but yours

Yours are the eyes through which He looks

Compassion on this world

Christ has no Body now on earth but yours.

John Michael Talbot

No One Wants a Gold Star

On this Labor Day, I want to remember a group of people who labor within a particular group of individuals or families who never wanted to be members of that special club.  The mothers of this club are remembered on a specific day every year, September 30th, but no one recognizes that day as being set aside for this remembrance.  This day is known as Gold Star Mother's Day. 

"This is not a club any of us wanted to belong to," says Jan Johnson, whose son, Army Spc. Justin Johnson, died in Iraq in April 2004, "but since we are, we must move forward the best way possible."  A motto Gold Star families live by is, "it's not time that heals, it's what we do with the time."  Many families have found ways to assist others who have been hindered by memories or depression.  There are articles on-line if you want to learn more.     

If you haven't figured it out by now, a Gold Star mother is the mother of a son or daughter who  has been killed during wartime.  You've probably seen the banner - a gold star set against a white field, surrounded by red.  Few people know what this banner signifies, and fewer still know that this special day of recognition has been in place for over 75 years.  If you pay attention you might see this banner hanging in the front window of a house when you drive by, or as a sticker on the back of a vehicle.  Military members know what this banner signifies but it seems as if most civilians don't know and often, don't care, unless the death was in the family of someone they know. 

This little banner represents pain, suffering and sacrifice, and not just by the individual that the star represents.  We all know that losing someone we love is difficult and affects people in some way, for the rest of their lives.  It is also generally felt that losing a son or daughter is one of the greatest blows one can suffer in life.  We should remember the sacrifices of military members and their families, including those who have served and those who continue to serve, as well as those who have lost their lives on this day.  No, Labor Day is not usually used as a military day of remembrance for many people.  But perhaps we can remember the families of those who have served and sacrificed on this day, because they too have given much and sacrificed.  Perhaps on this day, as well as on as many other days you think of it, we can remember families impacted by war.

But please don't limit your prayer to those who have lost family members, whether sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, wives or husbands, or even grandparents or grandchildren.  During an Associated Press recent three-month review of Veterans Administration records, Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans sought care for the following:

• More than 1,600 have lost limbs, some more than one limb
• At least 156 are blind and thousands of others have impaired vision
• More than 177,000 have hearing loss and more than 350,000 report tinnitus
• Thousands are disfigured, as many as 200 of them so badly that they may need face transplants
• 25% of battlefield wounds requiring evacuation were to the face or jaw
• more than 400,000 have been treated by the VA for a mental health problem, most commonly PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

This last figure consists of only those who sought care through the VA.  Many military members do not seek care for mental health problems through the VA due to stigmas or fear that their military careers will be harmed if they do.  These individuals also need to be remembered in prayer.  And wouldn't it be nice if our prayers resulted in our own actions?  In other words, don't just pray, get up and move to make a difference in someone's life.

There are other banners you might see.  The Blue Star Service Banner represents that someone in the home is on active duty in the Armed Forces.  This includes members of the National Guard and Reserves.  This banner is only displayed during periods of war and may contain up to five stars.  It is a reminder that there is a cost to war.

The Silver Star Service Banner represents those who have been wounded or contracted a serious illness in a war zone.  However, it can also be flown by anyone as a symbol of remembrance of the sacrifice made for them by so many members of the military.  If it is flown as a flag, it must be flown below the U.S. flag and must be of a small size.  The Silver Star Service Banner can be flown during peacetime as well as during a time of war.  

As United Methodists, we believe that war is not the way of God, so please don't take this posting as a glorification of war.  It is not.  However, those who serve do so out of a personal belief that freedom of self and of country is of paramount importance to who we are as Americans, and it requires great sacrifice.  We honor the sacrifice if not the actions.  Also, please keep in mind that the military is an arm of our government, and is necessary because diplomats cannot always find peaceful means to resolve disputes between nations.  If we could do away with greed and the desire for power, perhaps there would be no more gold star mothers.  Perhaps we if could really understand the message of Jesus Christ and live it out, we would beat our weapons into plowshares and study war no more.  As you pray for those who have lost loved ones, that might be something to lift up as well. 

Daily Survival Kit for Serious Illness

Im reading up and cleaning.  Certainly not something I live for, that's for sure.  But as I do so, I come across things I've saved to use "later."  This is one of them...


Daily Survival Kit for Serious Illness
by Thomas L. McDermitt (1989)
a long-time cancer patient and skeptic

(You don't have to agree with all of this all of the time.  But if it generally speaks to you, try to read all or parts of it every day, or have it read to you.  Part of the help is in the doing, regardless of your attitude or emotions of the day.  On some levels the help is gradual and often not evident)

1.  Today I am going to try to live through this day only, and not dwell on or attempt to solve all my problems at once; just focus on the piece that is today.  I can do something for several hours that would be difficult to even think about continuing for several months.

2.  Just for today, I am willing to accept the possibility that there is a  purpose to this suffering; that it can be a source of meaning and growth for myself and others, though I may not always recognize the ways.  And it seems possible that this suffering will not be in vain, because of what may be some kind of existence beyond.

3.  Just for today, let me remind myself that I am basically a worthwhile person, worth loving, despite my faults and limits.  I deserve the efforts of others to help me through my illness.

4.  Just for today, I want to be aware that it is all right to want too much from others at times.  Illness brings out and intensifies the small child in all of us.  And if I feel hurt when those who care for me cannot be there, it may help to remember that they have needs, frailties, and limitations of their own.  A lack of response does not mean that they are personally rejecting me.

5.  Today I may feeel the need to complain a great deal; I may have little tolerance; I may cry; I may scream.  That does not mean that I am less courageous or strong.  All are ways of expressing anger over this mess, or rightly mourning my losses.  Endurance itself is courage.

6.  It is my life at stake now.  So maybe today I can allow myself to be a little less concerned about the reactions or impressions of others.  Maybe I can allow myself to feel a little less guilty or bad about what I did not accomplish or give.  Perhaps today I can be a little more gentle toward myself.

7.  Surviving this is all so difficult.  At times it seems impossible--that I have had evoug.  Down the line I will know if and when I have had enough, when I cannot push the limits any further.  I will have the right to choose to stop, without feeling that I am "giving up."  But today I think I can deal  with this illness.  Sorrow runs very deep, but I think I can rise again.

8.  Just for today , maybe I can give healiing "the benefit of the doubt."  The drugs are powerful; the natureal healing capacity of my body is powerful.  And who knows, perhaps there is healing power in my will to struggle, and in the collective love and will of others.

9.  Just for today, perhaps I can take heart that we are all connected.  And I may still have some things left to contribute to the family of man; some light to add to the light.  Even now my endurance (however imperfect) is a gift, an inspiration for others in their struggles.

10.  It seems reasonable that there is a season for everything, and a time for every purpose.  Pain, weakness and exhaustion may distort my senses and spirit.  Today, however, I can at least find some hope in nature's way, if not in some master plan.  The chances are fairly good, and it seems worthwhile to hope that I will have some cycle of wellness yet.

Mormonism and Theocracy

Based on dates of postings it appears that I've been ignoring my blog.  Actually, that is far from the truth.  Some time ago I finished a book about Mormonism and I've been working to try to pull together information concerning Mormonism's theology, which can be a bit difficult to do.  If you look back over time since Mormonism's conception you'll find that their beliefs and theology have changed frequently and therefore, at times,  it is difficult to discern exactly what they believe.  Also, the church may support one view or belief internally but deny that view publicly so they will be "accepted" by Christians.  Janis Hutchinson states, "What began as a strategy of secrecy to avoid persecution has become over the course of the 20th century a strategy of minimizing discussion of the  content of theology in order to avoid being treated as pariahs" (Scott, Latayne.  The Mormon Mirage, 3rd ed., 251).  My last comment may make you think, "But Mormons are Christians."  Although they claim to be Christian, their "Christianity" would probably not be considered as such by Protestants and Catholics. 

What you will find when you read what I will post about the Mormon faith will no doubt surprise you if you've never read or studied anything about Mormonism.  Although as a Christian I find their theology strange enough, there is one issue I find a bit disconcerting: the Mormon goal of taking over the United States government.  No, I am not a conspiracy theorist, for this is a documented fact of the church.  

The following are some quotes from The Mormon Mirage by Latayne Scott, a former member of the church, as well as Janis Hutchinson, another member.  I will use quotes so no one thinks I am making anything up or reading anything into their words, though I will not copy the full 3-4 pages.  (253-255)

"Hutchinson documents from LDS and former LDS historians an organization formed by Mormon leadership under Joseph Smith called The Kingdom of God (or, alternately, The Government of God) that was to be ruled by a Council of Fifty who were sworn to secrecy about the organization and its aims and very existence...The express aim of the organization was the takeover of the United States government, not by violence, but by the grooming of Mormons to run for and win political office.  In sufficient numbers, such lawmakers and policy makers would transition the government from a democracy to a theocracy.

Brigham Young had even more far-reaching plans for 'the complete overthrow of the nation, and not only of this nation, but the nations of Europe'  The aim of the subsequent one-world government would be to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ and a thousand-year, literally theocratic kingdom.  At one point LDS leaders were quite open about his agenda...any LDS priesthood holder seeking political office was required to first garner permission from Church authorities.  As recently as the late 1960s, Mormon historian Klaus J. Hansen said of the Council of Fifty that Church leaders of his time were not likely to do away with it.  And as late as 1985...that 'though the ceremony of coronation continues to this day, it is not publicized outside the Church...'

Another  disturbing, and well-documented element...called the 'strategy of secrecy' is the blood oaths that were part of the LDS temple ceremony up until at least 1927.  In these oaths, temple ordinance participants swore enmity to the United States government and promised to avenge the blood of LDS persons who died in conflict with the government.  While there is no evidence that any man in current LDS leadership took that oath, its effect was intended to be ongoing, as noted by author Richard Abanes: 'It required Mormons to promised that they would teach their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to take vengeance on ''this nation.''  (Did current LDS leadership teach this to their children and grandchildren?  The fact that their own fathers would have sworn that oath gives reason for pause.)

In addition to these elements of LDS history...was the firm belief in a prophecy of a future date in which the US Constitution would be in serious trouble, and only saved by the LDS Church.  As a people, it was our aim to produce as many LDS lawmakers, judges, politicians, and legal experts as we possibly could, so as to fulfill and satisfy prophecy.  

Any faithful 'temple Mormon' politician has a dilemma to which Mitt Romney responded in his well-publicized speech about his loyalties.  The issue wasn't just in the minds of potential voters; it is a real dilemma for an LDS politician.  If Romney, for instance, were to be elected president of the United States, he would be asked to swear a solemn oath to protect the Constitution of the United States as a priority over any other loyalties to any other earthly entity.  However, when Mitt Romney 'took out his endowment' (participated in a secret rite in an LDS temple prior to going on his LDS mission and later before being married in such a temple), he swore another oath before God and witnesses...to keep the 'Law of  Consecration': a vow to consecrate time, energy, talents, and material possessions to to the Church for the purpose of  'building up of the Kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment of Zion.'  In addition, Romney's 'calling' to be a bishop in the Mormon Church required that he render absolute loyally to the LDS Church and its prophet."

If you want to learn more about Mormonism I'd urge you to read my upcoming blog post concerning Mormons and their theology.

The Cross and the Flame: Faces of Gravel Hill

Here is an ad I made for the church to use, but we have decided not to use it.  I wanted to share it anyway.  I picked the best smiles I had of people, nothing more.  So if you don't see yourself here it's nothing personal.  I might have a photo of you with a great smile, but I tried to use men and women as well as younger and older folks.