I'm Back After A Long Absence

 It has been a long time!  My last post was in January of 2016...over seven years ago.  Things have dramatically changed...for Trinity Church, Beaver and for the United States.  In fact, the changes have been staggering in magnitude.

We are no longer known as Trinity Church.  We are now New Life Anglican Fellowship.  We no longer own and reside in the Church at 370 Beaver Street.  We meet in the Community Room of Beaver Valley Church of God who graciously allows us to meet there without charge.  There is a huge story to be told here and perhaps one day I will tell it.

The United States has experienced profound change as well.  The Covid pandemic has forever changed the political landscape with the government assuming way more control over our daily lives than ever before.  The gay rights debate has become the trans rights debate.  Race relations have taken a grave turn and the country seems more divided along the liberal/conservative split than ever before.  

I have been alarmed by the shift in the religious/spiritual landscape.  I am also alarmed by the shift in values and morals that determine our direction individually and as a nation.  The landscape is changing so rapidly that it is hard to keep up.  As I witness what appears to be a sort of corporate insanity emerge  I have grave concerns about the long term viability of the nation and I worry for my children and grandchildren and the legacy they are likely to inherit.  And so, I have decided to take my place in the public debate, to make whatever small contribution I can, in the hopes of contributing to the voices of reason and the champions of sanity.  I pray that as the nation awakens to the truth it will turn from the path of destruction it is on and return to following the way of truth, of life and of salvaation.   

So, I'm back after a long absence.  And the blog, once focused on the internal interests of a small parish church in a small town, will be focuses on the essential conversations of the day.  I hope to bring some Christian insight to those conversations and, if possible, to make Christ's voice heard in a land that has become increasingly deaf to his call.

Prayer: Communicating with God

“Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”  –St Theresa of Avila.

A community of God’s friends!  Now that is a simple, efficient way of defining the church: a group of people who are listening to what He says, modeling their lives after His attributes, speaking to Him from the depth of their hearts.  A community comprised of the intimate friends of the King!  

Walter Winchell once penned that, “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.  For God’s part, that is precisely what he has done for us.  He has walked into our lives when the rest of the world was walking out.  When all else failed us, on our most desperate day, Jesus took on flesh to be with us in every respect. To be with us He became frail and vulnerable, to experience our pain and fear he lived a life of deprivation and need, to rescue us from the power of sin and death he suffered and died, to redeem us as God’s beloved children He rose again.  When it seems as though nothing and no one can save us, Jesus walks into our lives even as everyone else is walking out.  Truly, God is our friend but friendship are two way streets.

For our part, being a friend must mean nothing less than greeting and welcoming this divine Visitor.  When He knocks we open the door and invite Him in.  As He walks into our lives we are given the opportunity to greet Him with our finest gifts, to speak to Him in the most glowing terms, and to open our homes to Him completely.  A community of friends communicating with our God is very much what we are called to be.    

I long for us to be a more prayerful community.  “Prayer,” said John Wesley,” is where the action is,” and I long for us to be where the action is.  Daughters of the King have been faithful in leading us into a more prayerful life for several years but it was no longer possible to rely on a few faithful women to pray for the rest of us.  Last October I asked our Senior Warden to form a committee to suggest ways of broadening our commitment to prayer so that it engaged the whole community: men, women and children.   As a symbol of this new commitment a dormant room in the basement was converted into a place devoted to prayer.  You are all invited to make use of that space whenever you want to pray.  In November many of you participated in a teaching designed to improve your ability to pray for others. 

In 2016 I hope that we will become accustomed to opening and closing every meeting in prayer, that we will have several occasions when we come together solely for the purpose of communicating with our Lord, that our desire for a response from God would be keen and we would be looking and listening for his Word as a normal part of our daily lives.    

An Update from Archbishop Beach

Primates Meeting 2016 Update from Archbishop Beach

27

To the members of the Anglican Church in North America,

I am writing to you from Canterbury, England late on the night of January 14th, 2016.  Thank you for your prayers and support this week.  Although I’m tired at the end of a long day, I wanted to send you an update.

I participated fully in the meeting, where the first and primary agenda item was addressing the Episcopal Church’s changes to the doctrine of marriage.  We spent most of the week discussing this issue and seeking to come to a common conclusion.

We unanimously agreed that these changes “represent a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of our Provinces on the doctrine of marriage,” and we wrestled with what the consequences should be.

The GAFCON and Global South Primates were tremendous in their leadership in the meeting, and made a strong impact in the final decision.  I confess that I have mixed feelings about the sanctions.

The sanctions are strong, but they are not strong enough, and to my deep disappointment, they didn’t include the Anglican Church of Canada as they should.

With that said, it took many steps for the Anglican Communion to come to this current crisis. This is a good step back in the right direction, but it will take many more if the Communion is to be restored.

Thank you again for your incredible prayer support, and let us stay on our mission – to reach North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ!

Your brother in Christ,

The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate 
Anglican Church in North America

Primates Communique from Canterbury

1. We gathered as Anglican Primates to pray and consider how we may preserve our unity in Christ given the ongoing deep differences that exist among us concerning our understanding of marriage.

2. Recent developments in The Episcopal Church with respect to a change in their Canon on marriage represent a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of our Provinces on the doctrine of marriage. Possible developments in other Provinces could further exacerbate this situation.

3. All of us acknowledge that these developments have caused further deep pain throughout our Communion.

4. The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union. The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching.

5. In keeping with the consistent position of previous Primates’ meetings such unilateral actions on a matter of doctrine without Catholic unity is considered by many of us as a departure from the mutual accountability and interdependence implied through being in relationship with each other in the Anglican Communion.

6. Such actions further impair our communion and create a deeper mistrust between us. This results in significant distance between us and places huge strains on the functioning of the Instruments of Communion and the ways in which we express our historic and ongoing relationships.

7. It is our unanimous desire to walk together. However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.

8. We have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a Task Group to maintain conversation among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ.

Thank You Lord for All Your Blessings in 2016

The Lord has showered blessings of abundance, peace, joy, hope, meaning and purpose, confidence, assurance, and love on us once again this year.  "All good gifts and all perfect gifts come from above," we are told and that means that the blessings are too great to number but below are ten blessings I am particularly thankful for this year:

10 Thanksgivings for blessings of 2016

10. Thankful for all the friends the Lord has placed in my life.  Through them I know the meaning of love.

9.  Thankful for Gabriel and Luther my dogs who love me no matter what, and who teach me about unconditional love.

8. Thankful for our group home friends who have helped transform us into more caring and compassionate people.

7. Thankful for the kindness and generosity of so many here at Trinity Church:

Thankful for wardens, Kirk and David and their devotion to the Lord and to this church

Thankful for vestry and their hard work throughout the year

Thankful for the staff:  Patrick, Mickey and Manny who make this place run

Thankful for fellow clergy Glenn and Carl and their service to God and to us all

Thankful for all engaged in ministry who quietly go about the work of the church

6. Thankful the Lord granted me the privilege of serving as a priest in his Church

5. Thankful for the life of my dad who taught me so much and gave so freely to me

4. Thankful for Gwen and Scott my kids, and Laney, Ava, Tessa, and baby boy yet to be born my grandchildren.  They continue to bless Brenda and me with joy and encouragement.

3. Thankful for loving wife Brenda.  She is my rock, my best friend, the love of my life.  Without her I would be completely lost.

2. Thankful that the Lord spared my life.  I cried out to him in my hour of trouble and he answered me.

1. Thankful for my relationship with our Lord that assures me of his goodness and mercy.  Thankful that while I was still a sinner, Jesus came and gave his life for me.  Thankful that no matter what obstacles we face our God is able to see us safely and successfully through.

Thank you Lord Christ.

Let's Go Bucs!

Holy and Gracious Father, you bestow favor upon all creatures, we ask that you bestow victory on your Pittsburgh Pirates and give comfort and consolation to your Chicago Cubs, in Christ's name we pray, Amen.

Let's go Bucs!

"You First" becoming a Great Commandment, Great Commission Church

In the Name of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.

What are Jesus’ disciples supposed to be doing?  For us today, the equivalent question is what is Jesus’ church supposed to be doing?  It may seem like an obvious question and answer and yet many, perhaps most churches are failing at it.

“What were you discussing on the way?”  It seems like an innocent enough question, doesn’t it?  What are you talking about?  It’s a question we pose all the time.  And yet, the question is met with embarrassed silence, the kind of silence that often occurs when someone has been caught doing something they shouldn’t be doing.  St. Mark lets us in on the secret.  They had argued with one another about who was the greatest.”  Or in other words, “who would end up serving whom?”

As he oftentimes does, Jesus does not answer the question.  Instead he tells them why the question they are asking is the wrong question.  In his response to his disciples Jesus says that those who focus on their own welfare and personal advancement (those who want to be greatest) are going to end up at the bottom of the food chain.  Looking at it from the flip side of the coin, Jesus is saying that those who sacrifice their personal wants and ambitions in order to care for the weak, frail, innocent and helpless ones (like children), they will find themselves living in the blessed company of Jesus himself, and in the center of God’s kingdom.

Here again, Jesus tells us that his Father and He have turned the world right side up.  Contrary to common opinion, the surest way for Christ’s disciples to fail in God’s kingdom is for them to turn inward and design programs to meet their own preferences, wants and needs.  We think that is how one gets ahead but Jesus disagrees.  If we continue to design for self-service we will find the Master taking away from us the little we have left and giving it to the one who is actually invested in reaching out to the needy world around him.

There are thousands of dying churches in America and they all share one thing in common.  They are all focused in taking no risks, not allowing any resources to be directed towards outwardly focused initiatives, choosing instead to use their few remaining resources to meet the demands of their few remaining members.  It is a recipe for certain death.

Now of course, churches are made up of individuals and what is true for the church is true for each of us as well.  If our attitude is “me first,” if the dominant question is “How do I get served” then we can expect to find ourselves on the losing end of eternal life.

But of course, in America the question, “How do I get served” is encouraged.  We are taught from little on to look out for Number 1.  And that means that many of us are behind the spiritual eight ball, and not only that but the churches we attend are also in trouble because if the dominant attitude among church members is “Me First” then that church is dying.

And this is really hard to admit but if “Me First” is the prevailing attitude in a church, then it really needs to die because it has lost the Lord’s Vision!  It no longer serves the Master.  When “Me first” is the attitude of the church that church has ceased to be the Body of Christ and has become anti-Christ.

You can tell churches where “me first” attitudes prevail:

·              They are always sick and ailing

·              They focus on the past instead of the future

·              They focus on serving insiders instead of meeting the needs of outsiders

·              They greedily guard their increasingly limited resources rather than using them to do the Lord’s   bidding

To the extent that this “Me First” attitude prevails in our decision making we are being led, like lambs to the slaughter.  As Jesus looked down on Jerusalem, and lamented their unwillingness to receive him as Lord, Jesus wept.  In Luke 19.43-44 he tells us why he wept.  ‘Jerusalem is facing certain destruction because “[they] did not know the time of [their] visitation.”’  That is to say that the religious leaders and the decision makers were completely focused inward and would not accept King Jesus nor would they acknowledge his command to look outward and to share the Kingdom with the whole world.

The destruction that Jesus laments in Luke 19 is what we call God’s wrath.  It is the consequence of being found wanting in God’s eyes.  It is the worst possible case because we find our eternal hope compromised.  It is to be avoided at all cost.  How, by making a decision to live your life as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and accepting his leadership in all the decisions of life. 

This is good news.  Jesus has not come to condemn his disciples this morning.  Rather he has come to bring them to the abundant life.  God’s blessing—being found in God’s good favor—living for eternity in our blessed heavenly home is to be desired above all things.  We can hope, we can even have some assurance, that we will hear the most blessed words anyone can possibly hear: “Well, done good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your Master.”  Matthew 25.23

We can live the rest of our lives in blessed assurance.  We really can know that Jesus is ours!  It begins with a very simple attitude adjustment from “Me First” to “You First.”  In our Anglican spirituality we speak this every time we say the Creed—with conviction.  We say the world is God’s not mine.  We say we live and thrive because of Jesus Christ.  We say that we believe in the right and the ability of God to direct our lives, the Church and the world.

Finding yourself in God’s good favor does not require a seminary degree.  These guys with collars on are no better able than you but what many priests have that many lay people do not is a commitment to follow.

You don’t have to pray for hours with flowery language but you do need to be able to talk to God honestly and sincerely. 

You don’t have to become a nun or a monk:  you don’t have to take vows of poverty, chastity or silence but you do need to take a vow of servitude and determine that Jesus will be the director of your life.  And that means Jesus has the right to manage your finances, guide your moral decisions, and teach you how to live the “You First” life.  For us in the church, the blessed life hinges on our commitment to being Great Commandment and Great Commission motivated.

·         It means we seek God’s will in all things through prayer. 

·         It means that when we think we have landed on God’s will we act on it, no matter how scary it might seem.

·      It means that our talents, time resources and money resources do not exist in order to protect ourselves or provide for ourselves—rather they are tools to complete Christ’s mission in the world.

How many of you remember when you first heard Jesus’ call to follow and you did follow?  For many of us that decision came decades ago.  And we have been walking in “the way” followers of Jesus for a long time.  We have become comfortable in the path we walk.  We don’t like the prospect of a new or different path.  For those original 12, sometimes they fell into traps set by the enemy, and they were embarrassed to admit that they had fallen into a “Me First” mentality.

Jesus’ question to us this morning is:  ‘As we walk in the way, what is it that we are discussing?  Are we discussing strategies for taking the Gospel out into the towns and villages?  Are we discussing our testimony and how best to present it?  Are we taking Jesus’ teaching on prayer and learning to speak to God authentically and often?  Are we discussing how we can multiply?  How we can bless?  How we can receive the weak, the innocent and the frail and serve them?  Is that what we are talking about?  Or have we fallen into the trap set by the enemy?  Have we succumbed to “Me First”…take care of me…please me…serve me…only let people in here that look and act like me... spend what you have left taking care of me? 

The statistics are clear.  Thousands of churches in America are sick and many, in fact, most will die in the next few years.  Will Trinity be one of them?  It the dominant voices in the parish are demanding “Me First,” if we are unwilling or incapable of assuming a “You first” mindset we may very well become a statistic.  But our story does not have to end as a tragedy.  God’s desire, most of your leadership’s desire and my desire is that we will renew the Lord’s Vision; that we will become a Great Commandment and Great Commission Church and we will find new life and new hope as the church heals, grows and fulfills its calling.

There was a time when Trinity was deeply mired in “Me First” attitude but in recent years we have begun to see “You First” initiative take root and succeed.  They were hard won victories.  Some of us had to really fight for them.  There was real resistence...guess from whom?  But they succeeded:

·         Mustard Seed Café is not only feeding people.  It is blessing them with a word from the Lord and enriching their lives with real Christian friendships.

·         Thousands of Africans, men, women and children, are benefiting from clean water.  Their crop yields are better and their herds are protected against drought because of the Kajire Well Project.

·         Intercessors are praying for others at every Sunday Service.

·         Financial Peace University is teaching people to live debt free and to become responsible stewards of God’s riches.

·         We have launched three successful home groups that are leading everyone who participates closer to Christ.

·         But what’s next?  Where is Christ calling?  Where is the Spirit leading?  That must always be the question for God’s church.  

Jesus teaches his disciples to give their lives for the benefit of others.  Eventually they would understand but it would not be until after Jesus died and rose again for them.  Even then they would not really get it until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would come in power and transform them. Jesus told his disciples to stay together and pray.  I think we need to pray.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in this Church, in each of our hearts and that we will be transformed. 

Will you pray with me?

·         That the “Me First” voice in each of us would hear God’s word and be convicted and fall on your mercy.

·         Holy Spirit will bring healing, restoration and transformation

·         Trinity Church becomes a wholly committed Great Commandment and Commission church

·         Time, talent and treasure wholly committed to healing the broken and saving the lost

·         That God would have mercy on us in our weakness, build us up in strength and infuse us with his Holy Spirit power and glory so that we might become light and salt to the world

·         That God would break down the barriers that prevent us and would use us to reach thousands

·         …Amen.

Virtue: The Missing Link to Freedom

"No people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous."
Samuel Johnson

A Prayer for Independence Day

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations yet unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.
from the Book of Lesser Feasts and Fasts

No King but Jesus (the motto of the American Revolution)

  There is an often quoted rallying cry from the American Revolution:  "No King but Jesus!"                                 Happy Independence Day and may you exhaust your liberty serving the King!

Redefining Marriage -- Some Background

I am posting the below information so that our Congregation has some background information on the Supreme Court ruling on redefining marriage when it comes.  The implications for us remain to be seen.  Over time we will need to navigate the consequences as our leadership and membership deem appropriate. --Scott+    

Background on the Supreme Court Marriage Cases

Why is the Supreme Court presently considering marriage cases?

After the Court's 2013 decision in U.S. v. Windsor striking down the federal definition of marriage in the Defense of Marriage Act, many state marriage laws were challenged in federal courts.  Mostly as a consequence of judicial action - federal and state - marriage has effectively been redefined in 37 states and the District of Columbia.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth District Circuit, however, upheld the marriage laws in the four states in that court's jurisdiction - Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.  In January, the Supreme Court granted petitions to review the Sixth Circuit decision.

What are the questions before the Supreme Court?

1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex?

2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state?

What are the consequences in each scenario?

If the Court answers in the negative on both questions, states will be allowed to define and recognize marriages as the union between one man and one woman.

If the Court answers the first question in the affirmative, then marriage will be constitutionally redefined throughout the country, requiring same-sex "marriage" everywhere.

Even if the court were to answer no on the first question but yes on the second, the net effect would be the same - persons could simply travel to states that license same-sex "marriages" and their home state would be required to recognize them as "married" there.

Those who continue to advocate the true definition of marriage (a union between one man and one woman) will be viewed as proponents of discrimination and will be increasingly marginalized in law and society at large.

When is a decision expected?

The Court heard oral arguments on April 28.  A ruling is expected by the end of June.

What is our Church's position on the Marriage Cases? 

The ACNA College of Bishops will meet in the next couple of weeks.  This will certainly be on their agenda.  It is safe to say that the ACNA will continue to support the right of states to maintain and recognize the meaning of marriage in law as the union of one man and one woman.  Leadership of the parish will respond accordingly.

 (adapted from the US College of Catholic Bishops)

The Prophet Still Speaks...Is Anyone Listening?

by Fr Scott Homer

The prophet defined: 

In the Bible, the prophet is a spokesperson for God.  He is named “prophet” because he speaks prophecy—that is the Word of God.  The prophet does not speak his own message.  He speaks the message God gave him to speak.  So oftentimes the prophet begins to speak by saying, “Thus says the Lord.”  And attributing the message to God carries down to our own day.  Today preachers still begin homilies with “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”  Done well, and in accordance with God’s design the preacher serves as prophet.  He speaks the Word of God, and not his own because only the Word of God has the power to transform lives and save souls.  Of course, the message must be heard and the hearer must act on it. 

When God’s word—let’s call it the prophetic word—when the prophetic word is heard and acted upon God’s people find themselves enjoying God’s blessings but the blessing is always related to a positive response to the call.

The prophetic message has three components:

1.     A warning is issued

a.     John warns the crowd:  “You vipers, who warned you of the wrath to come.”

2.     Action is called for

a.     John calls them to action:  “Produce fruit worthy of repentance.”

3.     Blessing is promised

a.     John promises a future blessing:  “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

But let’s look at how this works “on the ground” as they say.

The Illustration:  Mount Pinatubo, the Philippines, June 15. 1991

·        30,000 people lived on the side of an active volcano, although most did not know it.

·                    The volcano had not erupted for 500 years and no living soul thought it would erupt during their lifetime.

·        Scientists started to see disturbing signs that the volcano would soon erupt

·        Warnings were issued:  In April of 1991 they began to warn the people living in the danger zone that the volcano was deadly dangerous

·        The people were called to action:  The people were told that they would have to evacuate their homes and set up new homes in a strange place

·        The Promise of Blessing was made:  They were promised that if they evacuated that they would escape the terrible disaster the volcanic eruption would cause and they would be able to continue with happy and productive lives.

·        On June 15^th, 1991 Mount Pinatubo erupted—exploded really—spewing rock and ash across a huge expanse of countryside.  The eruption occurred during a tropical storm and the ash combined with the rain and the skies rained down black mud that crushed homes and destroyed livestock, and killed anyone who had not heeded the warning nor taken the action to flee.

·        But for tens of thousands, the warning had been heard and despite all the upheaval it meant for their lives, they packed up what they could and they evacuated to a new home. 

God’s prophets serve the same function as those scientists and government workers performed in the lives of the people living on the side of Mt. Pinatubo.  The prophet warns us that a disaster is on our horizon.  The prophet calls each of us to take action by abandoning our old lives and by getting right with God.  He calls us to repent—that’s just another word for “turn around,” or “change direction.”  The prophet says, ‘the ground you walk on may seem safe enough but underneath it is molten lava.  It will not support you any longer.  A disaster is coming.  So, take action, stop following your own ways and trusting in your own strength.  Turn away from your old way of life and turn towards the Lord.  Live life his way.‘  Personal power won’t help.  You need God power.  The Lord is able to fill you with God power (the Holy Spirit).  Pulling yourself up by the bootstraps won’t work.  The Lord will refine you with holy fire so that you will be pure and holy in his eyes.  Through the Lord’s grace and power you will be empowered to survive the disaster.  You will know the Lord’s blessing even in the midst of life’s greatest trials.  You will know the Lord’s blessing forever.  No disaster will be able to pry you out of His hands—none –not even death itself.  That is the promise of Jesus’ empty tomb.

I don’t mean to frighten you but it is good to live in the real world, free from delusions and denial.  So, I need to tell you (with 100% certainty) a disaster is going to occur in each of your lives.  But kids, moms and dads, everybody here listen…don’t be afraid!  God sends his prophets to warn us in order to save us, not to cause us fear and worry but to provide us with the way to safety.  Tornados happen to some.  There are tragic car accidents every day.  Some of us will be diagnosed with dread diseases.  All of us will face the grave.  The warning is given so that we can decide to take action, so that we can join the Lord’s evacuation plan. 

God loves you.  He does not want you to fall victim, to be overwhelmed and destroyed.  He loves you and he wants to save you.  He wants to move you out of the danger zone, to relocate your life to the safe place.  The Lord’s evacuation plan is simple.  In the Philippines people needed to get on board the helicopter and let themselves be carried to safety.  We need to get on board with Jesus and allow him to carry us to safety.  We need to give him our obedience.  We need to acknowledge his ways.  We need to confess him as our Lord.

It is really simple to do.  It requires only an act of the will, the same sort of willpower that the Philippine person used to get on the helicopter.  Determine that the threat is real.  (The prophet is telling you the truth!)  Acknowledge that the Lord is the only true source of safety.  (God is good and he cares about you!)  Then turn your life and your will over to Jesus.  And when you do that your life is transported to safety…once and for all times.  If you are confused about how to do this, if you have questions, please ask a pastor about it.  He will help you to take the required action.

It is impossible to calculate the exact number of lives that were saved from Mt. Pinatubo but the number is in the tens of thousands.  They were saved because scientists had the courage and determination to warn people, and because they provided an effective exit strategy.  But those lives would not have been saved if the people had scoffed, and labeled the workers as “prophets of doom.”  Those tens of thousands were saved because they heeded the warning and took action to save themselves.  O how I long for the day when all of God’s children will listen to God’s prophets and take action to save themselves from the coming disaster.  Amen.

Mission Trip Begins

Follow our trip at kajiremission.blogspot.com

Today a small mission team travels to the Kajire village in Southeastern Kenya.  The journey will take us across nine time zones and span three days.

We will be visiting individual homes witnessing to Jesus Christ, conducting Bible studies, dedicating the water well we have been drilling, and preaching and teaching.

Please keep us, and the villagers in your prayers.

Scott+

Alabama Judge Booted over 10 Commandments Returning to Bench

Published November 08, 2012

FoxNews.com

The Alabama judge removed from office a decade ago for refusing an order to remove a monument of the 10 Commandments from a state building is returning to the bench. 

Roy Moore on Tuesday was elected as the state's next Supreme Court chief justice. 

"What can I say," Moore said Tuesday night, according to MyFoxAL.com.  "God is great, God is good. It's been a wonderful victory." 

Democratic opponent Bob Vance entered the race late after another candidate had to leave the contest over an ethical issue. 

Moore previously served as chief justice, but was removed in 2003 after refusing the federal order on the 10 Commandments monument. 

He won Tuesday with 52 percent of the vote.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/08/alabama-judge-booted-over-10-commandments-monument-returning-to-bench/?cmpid=cmty_other_Alabama_judge_booted_over_10_Commandments_monument_returning_to_bench#ixzz2BecbigMh

Virginia Supreme Court Accepts Falls Church Appeal

Court to review 'neutral principles' standard for church property disputes

ARTICLE | OCTOBER 29, 2012 - 3:18PM | BY GEORGE CONGER

A three-member writ panel of the Virginia Supreme Court has voted to review the case of the Episcopal Church v. The Falls Church. 

On 26 October 2012 the court’s website stated it had “granted” The Falls Church’s petition for appeal of the March 2012 order issued by Virginia Circuit Court Judge Randy I. Bellows granting trusteeship of the property and control of the congregation’s assets to the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia.

On 16 Oct, attorneys for the Northern Virginia congregation were permitted 10 minutes of oral argument before the writ panel, to state why they believed the court should review their case.  Under Virginia law, civil cases have no automatic right of appeal.  The state’s Supreme Court may accept civil cases for review at its discretion.

The office of the Diocese of Virginia was closed on 29 Oct due to the approach of Hurricane Sandy and unavailable for comment.  However, The Falls Church released a statement saying it welcomed the court’s decision.

The church stated that their petition asked the court to “review the entire lower court decision for failing to follow U.S. and Virginia Supreme Court decisions applying ‘neutral principles’ of secular property and contract law to resolve disputes about church property. Our Petition also sought review on several other grounds, including some specific to the Historic Church building, where our deed pre-dates the existence of both the Episcopal Diocese and the entire Episcopal denomination, and to the "non-consecrated" property.”

The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia filed a brief with the Supreme Court in support of one of the issues raised by the congregation.  The Falls Church asked that the Supreme Court review the “lower court's decision to override the expressed desires of a substantial majority of our donors that their contributions should not go to the Episcopal denomination or Diocese.”

“Let's all be thanking and praising the Lord for this answer to our prayers. We look forward to presenting our case to the Virginia Supreme Court, but this is just one step in what has obviously been a long process, so please continue to pray for the next steps,” the church statement said.