One church’s perspective on the “English Only” charter amendment

TOMORROW, January 22, is voting day on the English Only charter amendment.

Hearing the biblical call to welcome the stranger, the Session invites the congregation to prayerfully consider the following:

On December 18 the Session voted to urge members of Trinity to vote against the “English only” charter amendment in the January referendum. The Session gave the following reasons for its action: The “English only” requirement does not acknowledge the linguistic diversity that has always characterized the U.S. (the result of many factors, including voluntary migration, conquest, employment practices, and compassion toward refugees) and continues today. Furthermore it does not manifest the hospitality toward immigrants and refugees that we have every reason to expect in our public and private life. And it is out of keeping with the future character of our nation, region, and city, which will remain both red and blue, black and white, yellow and red and brown. The Presbyterian General Assembly in 1990 acknowledged “the special claim that immigrants make on Christian conscience and the contributions they make to U.S. society,” and reaffirmed the following principles:

-providing for the human needs of refugees and immigrants;

-non-discrimination in aid and in application of laws and policies;

-upholding constitutional and civil rights;

-protecting lives;

-special consideration for women and children, individuals with special needs, and unification of families;

-provision of adequate resources to communities in order to reduce tensions;

-vigorously combatting expressions of racism in policies and their implementation.

From Trinity Presbyterian Church PC(USA), Nashville, TN

Another Worthy Article from the Wittenburg Door

The 10 Worst Movies About Jesus

05/27/2008

(Not Counting The Passion of the Christ Because That Would Be Too Easy)

By Danny Gallagher

The Robe

Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter

Jesus Christ, the Mini-Series

Zombie Jesus!

In Search of Historic Jesus

The Prince of Peace, a/k/a The Lawton Story

The Gospel According to Matthew

Ultrachrist

The Miracle Maker

The DaVinci Code

So, another fine article featured in the Wittenburg Door. There are some here that I haven’t seen. I might have to present a Jesus movie film festival at the church. Or maybe not. I don’t want to jeopardize the Elder Extroverted Holy One’s future job prospects. I’ll wait until she gets a job and offer the film festival at that church.

Reflections on the Predators

I must say that I’m feeling the post-playoffs-hockey’s-over blues right now. I had hope (more than Barack Obama hope) that the Predators would pull off a win and force a game seven. Alas, no such luck.

As a fan of the game and of the Predators I must say, in my humble opinion, that they did not ‘bring it’ against the Red Wings. They can’t play a period or two of mediocre hockey and turn it on for the third period to play spectacular hockey against a team like Detroit. It’s gotta be all on all the time and the Preds didn’t have it. Which is kind of depressing because I know they are a team that is capable of great things. For now, I must fall back on one of my love-to-hate phrases, “There always next year.” It was a great season of overcoming many obstacles and Barry Trotz and his staff did a great job of keeping it together.

Now, I have the dilemma of deciding on season tickets or not. Not because they didn’t win the cup. Remember, I love the sport of hockey and I dig the Predators a lot. But with the Elder Extroverted Holy One graduating in a couple of weeks with her masters of divinity (I still don’t know how someone as divine as she is with a schmuck like me) and can possibly get a job at a church anywhere. Do I go ahead and get season tickets and then try to sell them if we move? Or should I wait to figure out where we’re going to be. There are some cities that are appealing to her (and me) but I’m not so sure I can obtain season tickets for the Sabres, in one possible scenario. I don’t even think I’m ready  to add a new favorite team to my list. I only have room for a certain number. This is so hard.

On a final note, Dan Ellis has become my new hockey gawd (vague TV reference. any guesses?)! Hats off to him. He worked magic out there but he couldn’t defeat the wings by himself.

Holier Than Thou (or at least Holier Than Me)

Well, the Elder Extroverted Holy One just got a little holier. Back in August(?) she took ordination exams that are required by the PC(USA) to be called and ordained as a minister. After taking those things she had to sit around for a couple of months while Presbyterian monks locked in caves somewhere in Scotland read what she wrote. Apparently, they like what she wrote because she passed!

Now, she just needs to make it through this semester carrying a child (on the inside) and then make it through next semester carrying a child (on the outside) to graduate. Then some awesome church will want to call her to be their minister and by default I’ll end up being the churches a/v geek.

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Eight Years of Bliss

I’ve been known to say this when describing my beautiful bride; “When I say better half, I mean it!”

Happy Anniversary Elder Extroverted Holy One! Eight wonderful years that just keep getting better. Even with the addition of one cat. And then a second cat. And then a kid. And then a dog. Most of the time it is I, the Introverted One, who is more dog-like and kid-like than our dog and kid.

Whenever I look over at her I am amazed that someone like her, a beautiful woman pursuing her masters of divinity degree to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) at Vanderbilt Divinity School, wanted to marry me, an introverted college drop out, techno/movie/TV-geek, with granola/hippie tendencies.

Maybe wedded bliss is more like ignorance is bliss. Hee hee.

Presbyterians and Pop Culture?

winterson.com: episode iii, the backstroke of the west

A big thank you to MTA for finding this one! This is from a pirated version of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith that was found on DVD in China by an American living there. The full story is posted on this blog. The subtitles are re-translations from English to Mandarin Chinese and then back to English. Not really sure why, if the sound is still intact, they would feel the need to make subtitles in English.

Lucky for us Presbyterians this beauty of a screen shot exists!

Maybe it can be a new recruiting tool for the PC(USA).

Or it could hurt the Church.

I’m not really sure. It could go either way. But, how cool is it that the Jedi Council gets translated into Mandarin Chinese and then back to English as Presbyterian Church?

I see a new movement of Jesus was a Jedi Master themed PC(USA) propaganda.

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