Religious people are the happiest

Despite the recent disclosures about Mother Teresa's spiritual struggles, the data suggest that religious people are happier than the somewhat religious and the nonreligious alike:

Americans can be divided into three groups when it comes to religious practice. Surveys indicate that about 30% attend houses of worship at least once per week (I will call them "religious"), while about 20% are "secular"--never attending. The rest attend sometimes, but irregularly. These population dimensions have changed relatively little over the decades: Since the early 1970s, the religious group has not shrunk by more than two or three percentage points.

How do religious Americans compare to the secular when it comes to happiness? In 2004, the General Social Survey asked a sample of Americans, "Would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?" Religious people were more than twice as likely as the secular to say they were "very happy" (43% to 21%). Meanwhile, secular people were nearly three times as likely as the religious to say they were not too happy (21% to 8%). In the same survey, religious people were more than a third more likely than the secular to say they were optimistic about the future (34% to 24%).

The happiness gap between religious and secular people is not because of money or other personal characteristics. Imagine two people who are identical in every important way--income, education, age, sex, family status, race and political views. The only difference is that the first person is religious; the second is secular. The religious person will still be 21 percentage points more likely than the secular person to say that he or she is very happy.

More here from the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal.com.

Abortionist repents, prays for an end to abortion in America

Dr. Patti Gibbink at the recent The Call rally in Nashville

From LifeSiteNews.com:

During "The Call" rally, former Planned Parenthood abortionist Dr. Patti Gibbink stood up and testified, confessing her sins and begging God to end abortion. She told the crowds, "Ten years ago, I did abortions for Planned Parenthood." Here she paused, overwhelmed with tears.

"Oh Lord, oh God, God most holy and just," she continued, quoting Psalm 51, "You hate hands that have shed innocent blood. God, I acknowledge my transgression. My sin is always before me. Against you, you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight."

"God, I repent. I repent for myself and all abortionists all over. We have sacrificed innocent lives to the altars of Baal and Moloch. God, God….Forgive me Lord and other abortionists. God, hear our cry. Be merciful to us. Jesus, I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of this nation."

She then cried out amidst thousands of cheers, "God end abortion and bring revival to America. God end abortion! It's time, it's time."

Others got up and gave their testimony, including one young woman, the daughter of a pastor, who had had an abortion when she was seventeen. She said, "I feared man, my boyfriend, more than I feared the Lord." Referring to her boyfriend, she said, "He set life and death before me, and I chose death."

That's what it comes down to.

A window into the occult in Connecticut

Nothing is more common in Connecticut these days than the local New Age shop.

And although she doesn't push it on customers, she also offers Tarot card readings for $5 — for those who can use a little of her intuitive insight.

In a small room lighted by a white candle on a mantelpiece and closed off with a thick drape, she demonstrated her reading ability for a visitor. Through card-reading, she was able to discern a variety of personal information about the subject, such as how old he was when he first got married. Then, having established a base of credibility for her intuitive abilities, she talked a little about his future.

More here (Connecticut Post).

Pray For America Today: The Call

Today's the day!

Church for Men

You've seen the pews and maybe you've seen the statistics: in the American Church the population is mostly female. How can this be fixed? Now there's something called Church For Men. Before you laugh, watch this video (3m 42s):



What do you think?

Can you be both a Muslim and a Christian?

No, of course not.

But a Seattle Episcopal priest, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding, is now claiming to be both.

Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost demolishes this sort of nonsense by reminding us:

While she rejects such orthodox Christian beliefs as the Trinity and the divinity of Christ, she believes that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected. This belief is, as she readily admits, in conflict with the teachings of the Quran. When it is pointed out that she has violated the law of non-contradiction, Redding responds, "That's something I'll find a challenge the rest of my life."

Of course there is no "challenge" in reconciling the two views since they are completely incompatible. The matter is not one of challenge but of impossibility. The law of non-contradiction is non-negotiable. Just because one wants to feel that the two religions are ultimately compatible does not make them so.

It would be easy to dismiss Redding's unsophisticated beliefs as the confusions of a rather dim dhimmi. But this Episcopalian Muslim is representative of the muddled understanding of pluralism that pervades American culture....

Truth is incompatible with non-truth, which is why we must reject all self-contradictory claims made by others and root them out of our own belief systems. In rejecting contradictory thinking we accept an uncomfortable truth: true tolerance sometimes requires being intolerant of willful stupidity.

This is exactly so. When will people drop the pretense of calling themselves Christians when they refuse to acknowledge the core doctrines of the faith - and most especially who Jesus is?

Ted Baehr talks about "Jesus Almighty"

Dr. Ted Baehr of Movieguide writes this about films... and faith:

People of faith and values are concerned about the collapse of culture. Recent polls from Cornell University and Barna Research found that only one out of 10 children keep the faith and values of their parents. Further studies have shown that this is because parents are not engaged in teaching their children cultural wisdom.

The mass media, however, is advertently or inadvertently teaching children their values, and even when these values are not inflaming lust, greed, violence, ambivalence, and envy, they are all too often undermining the sure salvation that is available only through Jesus Christ. And, all too often, caught up in the publicity machine of the Entertainment Industry, the church and its associates such as Christian magazines, radio and television are promoting the movies and entertainment that undermine its future and true faith and values.

Much has been said about post-Christian culture. Europe is a sad example. There are more Muslims in Europe than there are Protestant Christians. Why does this matter? Because eternal life in the Kingdom of God is only available through Jesus Christ, and if we truly love our neighbor, then we do not want him or her lost forever. According to surveys, fewer and fewer children understand this.

Although we don’t want to be hard on the compelling movie characters Bruce and Evan, who should be commended for helping the audience understand a lot about humility, faith and obedience to God, it is clear that the view of salvation and the view of God presented in the movies featuring “Bruce Almighty” and “Evan Almighty” do not adhere to the Truth. For example, although “Evan Almighty” contains a reference to “alpha and omega,” the Book of Revelation’s designation of Jesus Christ’s divine nature, the movie scrupulously avoids any other identification of its God character with Jesus Christ.

The Truth is, however, that salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ. When God became flesh as one of us, it is only as Jesus Christ. When God appears to Moses or anyone else, it is as Jesus Christ. He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. In that sense, it is important to note that the Hebrew word for Truth means, “to reveal.” Jesus Christ alone reveals completely and totally who the almighty triune God is.

These winsome movies and many others scrupulously avoid the Truth that Jesus Christ is God and that God has a name – Jesus Christ. They present God as a clown of a thousand faces or as just one of us in a manner that is reminiscent of Henotheism at best and Buddhism and Hinduism at worst. In fact, the watered-down view they present of God contains more pre-Christian, unattainable, works-oriented religious views than the clear representation of the very good news that salvation is available to all mankind though the free gift of Grace paid for by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That said, people who know the Truth will not be hurt by this, but children of all ages may buy the lie that God is just a sweet old man. Witnessing to them may not get at the root confusion, and therefore too many of them will fall into the 90 percent of children who drift away from the only Truth that can save their eternal souls.

It is interesting that movies don’t mind using the word "God," "Buddha," "Mohammed," or the names of the saints, but they carefully and politically correctly avoid the positive mention of Jesus, unless, of course, they are taking his name in vain, even though they would never take the name of Buddha, Mohammed, or others in vain. What significance does this have? It shows the almighty power of the name of Jesus because it is only in the name of Jesus, through his death and resurrection, that anyone and everyone can be saved.

Therefore, while we appreciate and applaud allegory, incarnational theology, Jesus types and Christ types, as found in family movies such as “Evan Almighty,” the true story that the church should shout from the housetops and proclaim in every media is “Jesus Almighty.”

After all, there is no other God and no other name through which we can be saved.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . .

“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”

-- John 1:14,18

Well said.

From: Assist News.

I know what Thomas Hooker would do!

Thomas Hooker and Company give thanks upon reaching the Connecticut River. As far as we can tell, there was no discussion of the virtues of homosexual marriage that day.

For those who don't remember their philosophy and logic classes, Princeton's WordNet dictionary defines sophistry as "a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone."

There's no better example of this sort of thing than Hartford Courant writer Susan Campbell, who wonders what Connecticut Puritan Thomas Hooker would think about homosexual marriage.

Hmmm, that's really a tough one! Could be fodder for a graduate thesis.

Ms. Campbell has advice for the pro-family citizens of Connecticut:

Going to the Christian scriptures on this, as opponents seem so wont to do, doesn't work. If you're quoting Jesus on homosexuality, you're making it up. Jesus was silent on the topic.

Attention, Hartford Courant: the New Testament is not a collection of the "Sayings of Jesus."

The New Testament is a collection of 27 books, none of which was authored by Jesus. The New Testament books, mostly authored by Jesus' apostles, condemn homosexuality in strong terms and, by the way, we learn in 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 that some Christians used to be homosexuals before coming to faith in Christ. It seems that Jesus Christ has the power to free people from homosexual desires, or so the New Testament writers seem to have thought!

Jesus Himself, being Jewish, was raised in an environment where the Law of Moses (the Torah) forbid homosexuality on pain of death.

There was therefore no reason for Jesus to give sweeping discourses on the desirability of homosexual "marriage." All Jews and Christians who have the least shred of interest in following the sacred texts of their religions of course accept as a given that God is opposed to the practice of homosexuality.

As for Thomas Hooker, people should read what he had to say instead of suggesting that he might have lacked guidance on the matter. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, which Susan Campbell calls "a progressive piece of writing" and which Hooker helped to author, suggests that society should be ordered according to Christian teaching and morality.

For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God by the wise disposition of his divine providence so to order and dispose of things that we the Inhabitants and Residents of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield are now cohabiting and dwelling in and upon the River of Connectecotte and the lands thereunto adjoining; and well knowing where a people are gathered together the word of God requires that to maintain the peace and union of such a people there should be an orderly and decent Government established according to God, to order and dispose of the affairs of the people at all seasons as occasion shall require; do therefore associate and conjoin ourselves to be as one Public State or Commonwealth; and do for ourselves and our successors and such as shall be adjoined to us at any time hereafter, enter into Combination and Confederation together, to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess, as also, the discipline of the Churches, which according to the truth of the said Gospel is now practiced amongst us; as also in our civil affairs to be guided and governed according to such Laws, Rules, Orders and Decrees as shall be made, ordered, and decreed as followeth:

How very interesting! It seems that early Connecticut residents believed their government was formed in order to maintain the liberty and purity of the Gospel.

But, one may ask, on what basis did these Colonial Progressives make decisions and laws? It seems that in Hooker's world the Governor and Magistrates had

"the power to administer justice according to the Laws here established, and for want thereof, according to the Rule of the Word of God..."

In other words, if there was no law applicable to a given situation, the Word of God would tell them what to do. (Attention Courant - that would be the Bible!)

And so, finally, we know what Thomas Hooker would think about two men getting married. He would think the same thing about it that everyone in the Judeo-Christian tradition has always thought about it: it's wrong.

Please stop saying that we can't tell what Christianity teaches about this, or worse, that it teaches that "gay marriage" is OK.

What's in a headline?

As I was scanning the news this morning, I noticed this irony: right after the headline which said, "Falwell's Death Draws Mixed Editorials" was another one stating, "Gay Episcopal bishop to enter civil union with partner."

While Evangelicals would say that Jerry Falwell's church and university ministries have done much to advance the Kingdom of God, it's clear that his societal mission was a failure. When I was a younger man and there was a lot of noise about the Moral Majority, no one could have imagined that 25 years later there would be "gay weddings." (Not to mention gay bishops.)

Even our recent pro-life and pro-family victories (for which, lest I be misunderstood, we give thanks) are not victories in the true sense - they were holding actions in which some holes in the dike have been plugged.

Although there are hopeful signs in many places, for the most part the moral tide is still working against traditional Christian morality. Within the past one or two years a new and vociferous atheism has taken the field. Other powerful opponents such as militant Islam are vying for supremacy through political intimidation and skillful use of the language of rights and discrimination.

Let's continue to work and pray for the salvation of men and women and the transformation of society. I'm hopeful because I believe Christians have seen the limits of what political action per se can do in our nation.

Call for 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting for America

From the ministries of Francis Frangipane and Lou Engle comes this call to fasting and prayer for our nation. We urge you to read and act!



Lou Engle is a radical man of God, a man committed to seeing America transformed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Lou and Pastor Frangipane are good friends, and Francis serves as an advisor to Lou's ministry. Lou's message about prayer and fasting during this time is significant and appropriate. Francis also encourages Christians to individually hear from the Lord as they seek how the Lord would have them fast, that it would be with vision, grace and sacrifice, without opening the door to legalism. Pastor Francis will be participating with Lou Engle July 7, 2007 at The Call Nashville.


40 Days for 40 Years
Lou Engle

There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these divine moments, key men and women and even entire generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.

The rebellious generation of the 60’s seized its moment, and history crashed into the deep abyss of drug addiction, sexual immorality, hatred for authority, and a rejection of the law of God. 1967 was a culminating and defining moment in that rebellion. In 1967, 100,000 young people, aged 15 to 25, flocked to San Francisco to experience the hippie movement. This mass convergence was sparked by the hit song, "San Francisco" (Wear a Flower in your Hair). Once there, they experimented with LSD, pot, casual sex and Eastern mysticism in what became known as the “Summer of Love.”

When these newly recruited Flower Children returned home at the end of the summer, they brought with them new styles and ideas, flooding the cities of the US and Europe with a message that opposed authority and scorned conservative morals. This counterculture rebellion was fueled by music and art, and it rapidly shifted global culture.

For 40 years we have been falling headlong into a black moral morass in America and all through the West. We are reaping the waves of destruction in every sector of our post-Christian society. Can America survive another 40 years? We are declaring NO! A thousand times NO! Unless a massive spiritual shift occurs at this moment, our children will live under an antichrist system and Godless enculturation that will bring about the demise of America, as we know it.

But God has a prescription for such a massive shift, and it is revealed in the power of the great transitional 40-day fast. God in His sovereign control over the parade of history delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. Longing to release a moral code that would give foundations for righteousness, for time and eternity, God summoned Moses to a 40-day fast on Mount Sinai. In that fast all of history changed, and the law of God was delivered from heaven to earth. If America is going to return to God, it must recover that law again as its foundation for truth.

Elijah, at the height of Jezebel’s cultic dominion over Israel, fasted 40 days, broke the spell of Jezebel off of his own life and received a mandate to anoint the next generation. That fast unleashed a movement that toppled Jezebel’s regime of hell, which perpetrated the destruction of family, the killing of innocent children, the silencing of the voice of God’s people and the widespread culture of sexual immorality. The fruit of that fast culminated in the utter destruction of Baal worship in Israel.

Also, in the fullness of time, the glorious gospel era was born when Jesus fasted 40 days, and those who sat in darkness saw a great light. Clearly the 40-day fast is heaven’s great transitional prescription, moving nations from failure to fulfillment of promise. Is it any surprise that when Jesus was to enter into His great sacrifice where death would be swallowed up in victory, Elijah and Moses appear with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration? All three of them were together as the 40-day fasters. They presided over the great transitions of history.

When the Israelites were poised to move into the Promise Land, spies were sent out for 40 days. When they returned carrying an evil report, a whole generation was infected with unbelief, and they turned their backs on the Promise Land. God’s sentence on that generation was, “And your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land 40 days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely 40 years, and you shall know my rejection” (Numbers 14:33-34). It was 40 years of judgment for 40 days failure.

Conversely, the great prophet Ezekiel received a 40-day prayer assignment for a 40-year failure of Judah’s iniquity. “Lie again on your right side, then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, 40 days I have laid on you a day for each year” (Ezekiel 4:6). It was clearly 40 days prayer for 40 years of failure.

When Jesus fasted 40 days and was tempted of the devil, He quoted from the book of Deuteronomy saying, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” And again, “You shall not tempt the Lord thy God” and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you worship.” Jesus, in His victory over Satan, was quoting the book of Deuteronomy, the portion of Scripture delivered by Moses to the generation who failed in the desert. Jesus in His 40-day fast was clearly identifying with that passage of Scripture and that generation that came out of Egypt. As an intercessor, in His 40-day fast He was fulfilling what a generation had failed in for 40 years.

Forty years are up! Could the church of America in a 40-day fast deliver a nation out of a 40-year curse? We have scriptural precedent to believe for such a turning! Therefore, we are trumpeting a call to 40 days of fasting--like Moses, like Elijah, like Ezekiel, and like Jesus. We must bear the iniquity in 40 days of fasting and intercession for the past 40 years of divorcing God in America, embracing a culture of sexual immorality, hedonism, materialism, abortion, and the rejection of Christ in the public place. But we are also calling for 40 days of fasting and prayer for the greatest outbreak of kingdom power in signs and wonders, and a spiritual awakening in America that will collide with this present darkness and topple its cultural dominion over our people. Thousands went on 40-day fasts in 1946, and in 1947 the great healing revivals broke out. In 1948 the latter rain outpourings began. Bill Bright and Billy Graham’s ministries were born at the same time, and Israel became a nation. Could it be that the 40-day fast preceded this explosion of power by the Spirit? After Jesus’ 40-day fast, the Scripture says He returned in the power of the Spirit. Yes, the promise of Joel 2 is that after the fast, "I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh."

Forty years ago, in 1967, the Jesus Movement broke out--a youth revival starting on the streets that swept across the country, exploding in college campuses and coffee houses. People were being saved everywhere. Now, 40 years later, we are crying, do it again God, way beyond the Jesus movement!

In 1967, in a war and obviously by the supernatural hand of God, Jerusalem was taken and once again brought under the control of the state of Israel. This was a monumental signpost in the shifting of eras. The dispensation of the times of the Gentiles was now beginning to shift to the times when Jerusalem will become the last days focus for God’s activity in the earth. For 40 days we are joining Israel in a 40-day fast, crying out to God that they would see their Messiah and begin to receive their greatest spiritual awakening since the days of the Apostles.

Brothers and sisters, moments like these come only once in a lifetime. To miss such a moment could be to miss the purpose of God for a generation. The generation that refused to cross over the Jordan did not know that they had only one day to make the decision, and missing that day meant 40 years in the desert.

Even now we are receiving reports that other countries are calling 40-day fasts. Could we, like Jesus, be in a global 40-day season of fasting to see a global outbreak of light when great darkness is covering the earth? Beginning the evening of May 28, we are calling two generations to 40 days of fasting and prayer culminating on 7-7-07, the perfection of time, in a massive national gathering of fasting, intercession, repentance and worship, declaring we want to remarry the Lord. We want to cross over into the promise land of national revival. We want to break this 40-year curse. May thousands seek God in water, juice and Daniel fasts from May 28 through 7-7-07, The Call Nashville.

What would happen in America if for 40 days we sealed the electronic cultural sewer that flows nightly into our living rooms and spent our strength seeking the Lord? What if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers across our nation fasted for 40 days repenting and cleansing themselves of inward toleration of sexual immorality, pornography, addiction to food and entertainment, and materialism? What if they prayed daily for their spiritual and physical children to see them converted to Christ and freed from rebellion, addictions, depression, and suicide? What if the young generation fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, media addiction, and rebellion toward their parents, believing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit would come upon there lives?

Moses fasted 40 days and mentored a spiritual son named Joshua, which means "the Lord saves." Elijah fasted 40 days and threw his mantle on a double portion son, Elisha, which means "the Lord saves." And John the Baptist fasted in the desert and prepared the way for a double portion son named Jesus, which means "the Lord saves." Jesus fasted 40 days and unleashed the apostolic glory of the eternal Son of God into the earth. What If we are preparing a generation for the greatest day of salvation in history? And, what if tens of thousands of both generations fast together and gather on 7-7-07 for The Call Nashville in LP Field to cry out to God in a Joel 2 moment for a great national returning to the Lord?

The parade of history has brought us into a profound generational landmark, and a great vacuum has opened again. If the church does not seize this moment, Muslims will! Antichrist rage will! Sexual perversion will! Anarchy will! But now is the time for key men and women, even an entire generation to risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point which determines which way the door will swing in America and in the nations of the earth. It's 40 Days or 40 Years! Seize the Day!

We will be launching this fast with a worldwide simulcast on God TV on May 26. For all information on the 40-day fast and The Call Nashville please visit www.fastandpray.com and www.thecall.com.

(Republication courtesy Ministries of Francis Frangipane.)

Vision New England President to speak on evangelism that works

Rev. David Midwood, President of Vision New England, will be speaking on Saturday, May 12 from 9:00am to 12:00 noon at the Advent Christian Church, 217 New Harwinton Road, in Torrington.

In this meeting Rev. Midwood will

A. Share the results of an extensive study on evangelism that works in New England.
B. Explain how Vision New England intends to help local churches mobilize for evangelism.
C. Address the issue of breaking church growth barriers.

This is a great opportunity for clergy, lay people & church evangelism committees interested in building the Kingdom and the local church. Registration is free but please do RSVP at ron4sqch@worldnet.att.net if interested. Light refreshments will be served.

National Day of Prayer a great success

Although one town which I won't mention by name reportedly refused to let attendees use any municipal electricity, on the whole it seemed that public officials were glad to join Connecticut residents in asking God's blessing on our State and nation yesterday during the National Day of Prayer.

I heard Danbury's Mayor Boughton on the radio this morning speaking of the virtues of the NDOP. This was a blessing.

Literally scores of Connecticut towns and cities held observances:

This report from todays' Norwich Bulletin:

Tom Girard, 44, of Voluntown attended for the first time.

"We desperately need prayer. Without prayer, we cannot create a relationship with our lord, Jesus Christ," said Girard, a computer technician at Connecticut College.

Barb Young, 57, Les Young's wife, said she comes every year.

"It's important to gather publicly and pray for our nation's leaders and for all our governments," Young said.

In the city of Groton, Mayor Dennis Popp said the lawn of the City Municipal Building is made available to churches on National Day of Prayer.

"They have used our front lawn for many years. If needed, we have a small tent they can use," Popp said. "This year, six churches were represented. It began at noon and lasted an hour. I was able to attend for 20 minutes or so."

The Plainfield Area Churches' Ecumenical Ministry put on its sixth annual National Day of Prayer breakfast at Plainfield Congregational Church.

About 35 to 40 people attended, according to First Selectman Kevin Cunningham.

"Different ministers from the Plainfield area were there. The people gathered and talked on this day of reflection," Cunningham said. "This was a nice way to communicate with the community."

And in Middletown, the Press reported:

Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano declared Thursday Day of Prayer in the city of Middletown. A ceremony, titled "America, Unite in Prayer," was held in front of City Hall around the flagpole that afternoon.

"In the city of Middletown and that this day signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning," the proclamation read.

Let's work together to make NDOP grow year by year!

Prayer for our Nation, 2007

This is the 2007 Prayer for our Nation, written by Dr. Charles Swindoll, the 2007 National Day of Prayer Honorary Chairman:

Almighty God, we pause to reflect on Your character as we seek wisdom for such a time as this.

In these unsafe days, You remain all-powerful and able to protect;

In these uncertain times, You remain all-knowing, leading us aright;

In the unprecedented events we're facing, You remain absolutely sovereign.

Our times are in Your hands.

Therefore, our dependence on You, is total, not partial . . .

our need for Your forgiveness is constant . . .

our gratitude for Your grace is profound. . . our love for You is deep.

We ask that You guard and guide our President and all who serve the people of these United States. May uncompromising integrity mark their lives.

We also ask that You unite us as truly "one nation, under God." May genuine humility return to our ranks.

And may that blend of integrity and humility heal our land.

In our Lord's name we pray, Amen.

Photo by JimmyOK

Governor Rell's National Day of Prayer Proclamation

I haven't been able to find the Governor's proclamation on the State website, but here it is from the National Day of Prayer site. It reads:

By Her Excellency M. Jodi Rell, Governor: an Official Statement

Whereas, May 3, 2007 marks the 56th annual observance of the National Day of Prayer, and the theme of this year's nationwide celebration is "America, Unite in Prayer;" and,

Whereas, in 1988 legislation was unanimously ratified by both houses of Congress, and signed by President Ronald Reagan, stating that the National Day of Prayer was to be observed on the first Thursday of every May; and,

Whereas, it is fitting that we should give thanks for the freedom and prosperity enjoyed by this State and our Nation and to pray for continued guidance and comfort, which has graciously been bestowed upon this Nation since its inception; and,

Whereas, as caring citizens of this great State, we recognize prayer to be both powerful and peaceful; now

Therefore, I, M. Jodi Rell, Governor of the State of Connecticut, do hereby proclaim May 3, 2007 as the

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

in the State of Connecticut, and urge all citizens to observe this day in ways appropriate to its importance and significance.

s/s M. Jodi Rell
Governor

We thank the Governor for issuing this proclamation and may God bless our State tomorrow and always.

The DaVinci Code is nonsense - mysterious carvings are probably musical notes

Mysterious church carvings in that spooky church in Rosslyn, Scotland? They must reveal the secret truth about the children of Jesus and Mary Magdalene! Or perhaps a medieval Scottish UFO crash!

Ummm, no... turns out it's probably just musical notes, actually. The wire services are buzzing today with the news that mysterious carvings in Rosslyn Chapel are actually musical notation. Britain's Sunday Mail says:

Music teacher Thomas Mitchell, 75, strived for 27 years before he and pianist son Stuart, 41, deciphered symbols in the chapel which featured in the Da Vinci Code book and film....

Thomas, of Edinburgh, said: "The music is the result of years of painstaking research, recreating secret notes hidden for almost 600 years in carvings on the arches within the chapel itself.

"We believe this is the Holy Grail of music and, unlike the Da Vinci Code, it is absolutely factual...."

Using skills learned as an RAF code-breaker during the Korean War and his lifetime knowledge of classical music, he finally realised they depicted the vibrations of musical notes. He said: "It was a Eureka moment to end all Eureka moments.

"Many angels were carrying musical instruments and some were even grouped as if they were a choir.

"But one angel gave me the biggest problem. He was carrying something and at first I thought it was musical instrument which had been lost in the mists of time.

"It was only when I realised that he was carrying a musical stave, the blueprint for all musical composition, that I knew I was looking at a secretly coded piece of music.

"By recreating the patterns on each of the carved cubes, with Stuart's help, we unlocked the notes to find a haunting piece of music had been hidden in the arches for centuries.

"For the choral sections, we've used the words from the hymns to St John the Baptist taken from Matthew in the Old Testament which is fitting because the chapel itself is dedicated to St Matthew."

Stuart, a classical composer and pianist, used computers to decipher the carvings' secret music.

He has named the mediaeval music the Rosslyn Motet.

He said: "I also used authentic mediaeval instruments to recreate the music exactly and it truly is a masterpiece.

You can hear a snippet of the music here. Interesting stuff, and quite haunting actually (mp3 file about 45 seconds long).

To me, the discovery of music hidden for many centuries is more interesting than the Da Vinci Code because the Da Vinci Code is fictional and this is quite possibly very real.

Internet Evangelism Day

I dropped the ball on this one even though I had every good intention of talking about it. Internet Evangelism Day was this past Sunday and although it's still not on many folks' radar, the concept seems to be taking off.

Be ready for next year or just pick up useful hints on how to make your church website more evangelistic and less "churchy" all year around by visiting Gospelcom's Internet Evangelism homepage.

Anyone who hasn't yet appreciated the potential of this medium to reach those who need a relationship with God needs to re-think a lot of things. All Christian webmasters and bloggers know, or should know, that their product is read by all sorts of people in all sorts of places. I can't explain why our humble blog, which mostly focuses on Connecticut, is well-read in Australia and New Zealand relative to our total numbers, nor why we've picked up a reader or two in Kansas. But it shows the power of the Web for good as well as for ill.

One suggestion for our friends at Gospelcom: they need to call it something other than IE Day. There is a famous product in the computer world which I used to use and which is often referred to as "IE." They're up to IE7 at the moment. :)

National Day of Prayer Events in Connecticut

This coming Thursday, May 3, is the National Day of Prayer. Please join Christians around the State in asking the Lord's favor and blessing on our nation and our public officials.

Find Connecticut National Day of Prayer events here.

President Bush's Proclamation of the day is as follows:

A prayerful spirit has always been an important part of our national character, and it is a force that has guided the American people, given us strength, and sustained us in moments of joy and in times of challenge. On this National Day of Prayer, we acknowledge God's grace and ask for His continued guidance in the life of our Nation.

Americans of many faiths and traditions share a common belief that God hears the prayers of His children and shows grace to those who seek Him. Following the tragedy at Virginia Tech, in towns all across America, in houses of worship from every faith, Americans have joined together to pray for the lives that were lost and for their families, friends, and loved ones. We hold the victims in our hearts and pray for those who suffer and grieve. There is a power in these prayers, and we can find comfort in the grace and guidance of a loving God.

At this important time in our history, we also pray for the brave members of our Armed Forces and their families. We pray for their safety, for the recovery of the wounded, and for the peace we all seek.

The Congress, by Public Law 100 307, as amended, has called on our Nation to reaffirm the role of prayer in our society and to respect the freedom of religion by recognizing each year a "National Day of Prayer."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 3, 2007, as a National Day of Prayer. I ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or her own faith, for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for God's continued guidance, comfort, and protection. I invite all Americans to join in observing this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Hispanics Changing American Christianity

Here's an interesting profile piece on religious trends among Hispanics in the U.S., based on a recent survey of 4,600 people. A casual observer would probably have to say that these trends are at work in Connecticut as well:

'Evangelicalism as we know it in this country is fast disappearing in many places,'' said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, which conducted 4,600 interviews for the survey with the Pew Hispanic Center. ``Not surprisingly, we're beginning to see some of that in the immigrants who are coming to this country. They're helping to transform American Christianity.''

In South Florida, Pentecostal and evangelical worship is growing among Hispanics as storefront churches multiply and megachurches draw thousands of Hispanic worshipers with lively worship and extensive social programs.

Calvary Chapel, a 20,000-member church in Fort Lauderdale, has about 4,000 Hispanic congregants, said Guillermo Novoa, Calvary's Spanish ministry assistant. The church's Hispanic outreach includes English classes, live Spanish translation of services and Bible study, discipleship and marriage counseling in Spanish.

Attendance in the Spanish-language services has grown to 300 people, up from 40 people when the church launched its Hispanic outreach seven years ago.

''The majority of them are Latin American immigrants who are Roman Catholic when they come here,'' Novoa said. ``They see it's a huge difference to be a Christian in this country.''

At El Rey Jesus, a 7,000-member church in West Kendall, worship services are punctuated with Pentecostal practices such as casting out demons and hands-on healing.

Some Spanish-speaking Pentecostal megachurches -- such as Alpha and Omega Church in south Miami-Dade County -- are offering live English translations of their services for second-generation Hispanics who prefer English.

What's the best outreach and evangelism resource for churches?

We're not sure... it depends on the DNA of your church and your location, among other things.



However, Outreach Magazine has named Bill Hybels' book Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith as the "Best Outreach Resource of 2006."

With more than 100,000 copies sold since its August 2006 debut, Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith by popular Christian author and megachurch pastor Bill Hybels continues to affect its readers and transform the way churches approach evangelism.

The book, and its related resources, center on the power of Christians to fulfill the Great Commission through intentional friendships, faithful prayer and the ability to share the Gospel by telling their own spiritual stories. Hybels writes: “When you communicate your personal faith story with sincerity, you will see supernatural sparks fly as God uses it for His glory and your listener’s good....”

Building off the book’s foundation, Hybels and co-author Ashley Wiersma created a four-week churchwide evangelism campaign by the same name, which more than 1,000 churches have already completed. The “Just Walk Across the Room Experience” has allowed church members to learn and respond to Hybels’ teaching through a small group DVD curriculum or through 90-minute satellite broadcast events held in October 2006 and January 2007—with more simulcast events planned for this fall.

Hat tip: Christian Post.

Catholic Church abandons the concept of limbo

An interesting religion story today as the Roman Catholic Church abandons the idea of limbo. The Catholic News Service reports that "[a]fter several years of study, the Vatican's International Theological Commission said there are good reasons to hope that babies who die without being baptized go to heaven."

In a document published April 20, the commission said the traditional concept of limbo -- as a place where unbaptized infants spend eternity but without communion with God -- seemed to reflect an "unduly restrictive view of salvation."

The church continues to teach that, because of original sin, baptism is the ordinary way of salvation for all people and urges parents to baptize infants, the document said.

But there is greater theological awareness today that God is merciful and "wants all human beings to be saved," it said. Grace has priority over sin, and the exclusion of innocent babies from heaven does not seem to reflect Christ's special love for "the little ones," it said.

"Our conclusion is that the many factors that we have considered ... give serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptized infants who die will be saved and enjoy the beatific vision," the document said.

"We emphasize that these are reasons for prayerful hope, rather than grounds for sure knowledge," it added.

The 41-page document, titled "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized," was published in Origins, the documentary service of Catholic News Service. Pope Benedict XVI authorized its publication earlier this year.

The 30-member International Theological Commission acts as an advisory panel to the Vatican, in particular to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Its documents are not considered expressions of authoritative church teaching, but they sometimes set the stage for official Vatican pronouncements.

The commission's document said salvation for unbaptized babies who die was becoming an urgent pastoral question, in part because their number is greatly increasing. Many infants today are born to parents who are not practicing Catholics, and many others are the unborn victims of abortion, it said.

Limbo has never been defined as church dogma and is not mentioned in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states simply that unbaptized infants are entrusted to God's mercy.

But limbo has long been regarded as the common teaching of the church. In the modern age, "people find it increasingly difficult to accept that God is just and merciful if he excludes infants, who have no personal sins, from eternal happiness," the new document said.

Read more here.

Tags: Connecticut, Christian, Christianity, Catholic, Evangelical, religion, faith, spirituality, God, Bible, Jesus, limbo, Vatican, Pope