Good Morning!
Today’s header photo is from me.
On this day in 1791 Congress passed a resolution that created the U.S. Mint.
In 1845 Congress passed legislation overriding the U.S. President’s veto. It was the first time the Congress had achieved this.
In 1923 the first issue of Time magazine was published.
In 1931 the “Star Spangled Banner” was adopted as the American national anthem.
And in 1991 Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers.
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Quote of the Day
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”
Alexander Graham Bell
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This seems appropriate. From New York Philharmonic
It’s Doc Watson’s birthday, so here he is with some friends. From David Hoffman
And it’s Duncan Phillips’ too. From Vitaly Eve
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Wandering Views 
UNO?
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Good morning, Janice!
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It has a tail so it must be a monkey! A Chipper Monkey. Nice picture, AJ.
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L. Is sick with a violent vomit virus. Today is Becca’s ninth birthday. We were supposed to go to the American Girl Doll store today…but…may have to postpone now that sissy is sick
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Good morning, Annms! It’s a rainy day in Georgia and I wish I could funnel it over to CA. Son said it was sleeting in Waco yesterday after being around 70 the day before.
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That awful vomiting virus is here in GA, too. Not sure how long it lasts. Hope it will be gone quickly from your abode.
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Good morning everyone. Off to face a busy day. Lots to get done. We are off tomorrow for Mardi Gras Day. Mr. P and I are getting our taxes done at 2 tomorrow. Hopefully I will not have to pay much. I did have some 1099 income last year. Thursday our Marketing Director is having shoulder surgery and will be out about a week so there is lots to get done at work before that happens.
Yesterday was not a good day. I woke up sideways and stayed that way most of the day. I didnt sleep well last night, but this morning life is better so…here’s to today.
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“Woke up sideways…” Does that mean a crik in the neck or just out of sorts? Literally or figuratively?
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My church is going to an earlier Sunday service meeting time of 10:30. Does anyone have experience with a change like this? It is fine with me, but it happens just before Easter so I envision those who only go to church for Easter will be 30 minutes late.
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Janice- maybe those non-Christians who think they are doing God a favor by showing up once a year will be embarrassed enough to come more often?
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Janice also reminds me of one time after the ridiculous change to Daylight Saving Time, a young woman entered our church an hour late because she didn’t know it was “that weekend”. After that, she always made sure to announce the time change at the Wednesday before, and she was never late again (or early when we switched back to standard time in the fall).
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Peter, that would be nice if it happened that way. Somehow I don’t think that is the message that will get through. I guess we have to be grateful they do choose to honor God on that most special day of the year. I suppose for those who have young family members they at least get to see the congregation on its best behavior so the young may leave with a favorable impression of church that will bode well for their future.
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We miss church at our own church often enough to have that happen to us, PeterL. We attend our daughter’s churches when we stay with one or the other.
I see people in church who are very uncomfortable with the whole thing. It is very difficult for those who must come alone, for whatever reason. Then there are the strange customs. Our church does a handshaking thing that has gotten longer and longer. People walk all over shaking hands and talking. New people are greeted, but then they stand there looking awkward for everyone else to settle down again.
Yesterday we had a few who were not sure what to do at communion. Yes, everyone tries to put them at ease. However, they feel like they stick out like a sore thumb. For those who are at least used to going to church services, it is one thing. Think how someone, who has never had that be a part of their lives, feels. For the very shy, the introvert or the insecure it can be excruciating.
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Sideways in every way. Neck and shoulders hurt. Angry at the world. Just in a foul mood all around. Then talking about perhaps buying a house this year set me out of sorts. Mr. P is an optimist in what we can afford and I have been to the brink of bankruptcy and back. I even asked the guy at the mortgage company to knock about 10K off the approval he gave us and then I will talk Mr. P down from there. I have spent a number of years feeling like I didn’t have two nickels to rub together. I like knowing that I got paid this past Friday and there is still money in my checking account and I will have more in two weeks.
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Wise thinking, Kim. Being house poor is no fun. Most women would rather have the security and men do not think the same. Plus, past history makes a big difference. I hope you can find a happy medium, that will benefit you both.
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AJ…Can’t pull it up at work, but I’m sure the Doc Watson is worth it. Lucky enough that I got to see him at the local Bluegrass/Gospel venue before he died. What a national treasure…
Oh yes…Good Morning, Y’all!
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Kathaleena, it is hard for people “visiting” a church, whether on Easter or another time, if they’re not accustomed to it. We don’t do the hand-shaking but I’ve been in churches as a visitor where people are walking all around, etc., and it seems to go on forever. It can become awkward when you just don’t know anyone. I think greeting those around you where you’re seated is fine, though we don’t do that either. But we’re a relatively large, friendly church, no shortage of greetings going on before the service starts; and we try to be sensitive to new faces, I think.
So I guess the time changes next weekend, huh?? Early this year. We used to meet at 10:15 and moved it to 10 a.m., not a lot of difference and frankly easier to remember. But it always seems too “early” for a few weeks when Daylight savings time hits.
I took the dogs out to the park along the cliffs yesterday afternoon to check out the ocean, it was still very choppy and foamy, lots of waves crashing on the rocks. Beautiful, though, in sight and sound. Quite a few people were out there to appreciate the vastness and awesome power of nature at the edge of the continent. 🙂
This week we’ll see sunny skies and temperatures back up well into the 70s. I love spring, but I appreciate it so much more in years when we’ve had a winter with more rain. This winter was very strange even for us, with nearly 80-degree temperatures through much of January. 😦 I think it rained in November, but really, that was about it until this past weekend. At least we got a good rainy blast toward the end of it all. And I don’t think the mudslides in the hills were as bad as some feared they might be, thankfully. We got a lot of rain. I think since the land was so parched, though, it just soaked it all up.
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Good morning…cute little chipmunk there AJ…and what is it about a rock with moss growing all about it that I love…perhaps it gives me hope that the cold will soon go away and green will appear into our lives once again?!
The “meet and greet” time on Sunday mornings can be very awkward…..like shaking the hand of the guy behind you who has been constantly sneezing and coughing…sometimes you’d just rather not! 🙂
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InButNotOf,
You’ll like it, I did. 🙂
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Nancy,
Oh, I know what you mean.
I’m a greeter, and I can see the sniffly, sneezy ones comin’. But I shake their hand anyway. I wash my hands about 3 or 4 times every Sunday morning. We also have a bottle of hand sanitizer in the back. 🙂
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That stomach thing is probably Norovirus? Three days? Some kind of bad cold/respiratory virus is going around our office now. A co-worker’s doctor told her it lasts basically for 10 days. 😦
Cute little chipmunk!
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http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/
Sounds nasty — and it’s very contagious
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We have the time of greeting where people can walk around, shake hands and hug si that is the main reason I did not go to service for the past three weeks. I did not want to chance spreading germs to the older ladies I sit near. One of the dear ladies just called to check on me. 🙂 I have been at Sunday School which does not reauire being in anyone’s space. I have missed being at church.
Our church pretty quickly offers some music to sing along to for any who do not feel comfortable wandering around during the meet and greet. I did hear of one single lady who left the church partly because she found the meet and greet time to be too distracting from worship for her preferred style.
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I’ve posted this before, but will again if it will help Kim. Dave Ramsey (a very wise man) says you should only buy a house when you have absolutely no other debt, have an emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses, have 20% to put down, and get a 15-year fixed mortgage where your payment is no more than one-quarter of your monthly income. He says that if you don’t go into it under these circumstances, the house will become a curse instead of a blessing.
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I hate the greeting-thingy during a worship service (note WORSHIP).
Regarding friendly (or not so) churches, I thought you might get I kick out of this. When we first moved here we all visited a nearby (ELCA) church. That’s four adults with an infant and a toddler. Because of the kiddies, we sat in the last pew. At the end of the service my husband spotted someone he knew and went up to chat. The rest of us stayed standing in that last pew while the entire church filed out past us and not one person made eye-contact or said, “hi,” much less stopped to greet us.
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Yeah, Linda, that is pretty bad.
When I lived in Chicago, I occasionally attended a monthly event at a large (and fairly wealthy) Lutheran church a few miles from my home. It was a Bach cantata. It was maybe the first time I went when I didn’t arrive early enough to get a good seat. In fact, I almost didn’t get a seat at all. Though the church seated several hundred, there were no seats left. Finally a few minutes before it started I saw one seat up near the front. Since there was only one of me, I figured there was enough room for me. So I asked the lady next to the empty seat, “Is that spot taken?” She said it wasn’t, so I came in to sit down, as she said frostily, “You could sit in the balcony.”
Oh. Nice to meet you too. Are you a member here?
The thing is, I didn’t even know they had a balcony, or I might have tried that option instead of going for the last available seat. But at that point, it was about to start, and I wasn’t going to traipse back up the entire aisle to get to the balcony. Nor was I inclined, after having taken the effort to go out, find the place and find a parking space, to turn around and go back home instead of attending the event I came to attend. As I recall, parking was a bit tricky, so it took me longer to get in than I expected, and then several minutes to find a place to sit, and then to have that kind of greeting–it was not at all a good start to an evening of music!
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I sometimes hate the greety thing at church. But after having had no church to attend for 4 years, when our new church had a greeting time, I was very bold and introduced myself to so many people 🙂 This is not something I would normally ever do, but I was so desperate for Christian fellowship and I wanted it to start right away, not several weeks or months down the road when they realized we were staying.
Now I try and look for those who are standing awkwardly and go and greet them and introduce myself and, if they have kids, let them know about the nursery and kids church options. I’ve usually chatted with all my friends before the service and will again afterwards, so if more people tried to find the newcomers it wouldn’t be quite so awkward (and I carry wipes in my purse so I can clean my hands after we’ve all sat down) It just goes to show that everyone can change – my instinct would be to go and hide 🙂
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Cheryl, that is not a good experience to have.
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We have a church a few miles from where I live–I have friends who have been attending–they quit and are looking for a new church. Even with 2-4 policemen directing traffic they can’t find a parking space and get a seat.
Good or bad problem?
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Both really.
It’s wonderful that the church is full. I imagine this happens more in high population areas. Around here, a 2-3 hundred is considered big.
But personally I prefer a smaller venue/setting. We have about 120 a week for the morning service, parking is just right, and there’s a municipal lot across the street for overflow. And we have enough seating for plenty more for holidays/cantatas. This size allows you to literally know the names of everyone. I like that.
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We have 4 of us who greet/usher everyone as they come in. Meet and greets inside I could take or leave. I’ve discovered that most people have their “regular seats”, or close to the same area. Unless you move your seating every week, you always seem to greet the same people. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it kinda defeats the purpose. 🙂
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Like many of you, I am introverted, & can feel awkward during the meet-&-greet time. BUT, I realize that we are brothers & sisters in Christ, & it should be normal for us to want to shake hands or hug (we’re a huggy church, which I like). It is part of brotherly/sisterly affection, isn’t it?
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The meet and greet has helped me to be a bit bolder in saying hello to people and trying to see if there is some info about the church I may help them with. When son and I were first visiting it was at yhat time that a young man came up to us and intoduced himself and invited my son to be a part of youth group. It was a factor in our becoming more involved. I also was invited to Sunday School classes. It made me want to get to know the people better.
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Meet and greet typically has a joyful spirit about it, and I do like that because it can be quite different from what one encounters during the work week.
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Meet and greet is what you make of it. Many years ago, I sat back and watched. Then I realized that when I am new to a church, I have no idea who else is new so it gave me freedom to run around shaking hands everywhere. Now I tend to shake and watch children or help children practice shaking and looking in the general direction of the body attached to the hand. Most people are okay with me sitting it out if necessary. As a huge introvert, it was difficult until I realized the truth.
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Janice, were you inviting everyone over to play UNO?? 🙂
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Just to clarify – the reason I don’t like the shaking hands thing during the service is not because I’m shy or don’t like to shake hands. It’s because I don’t think it belongs in a WORSHIP service. Our Pastor doesn’t even say “Good morning” or anything like that when the service starts and I really like that.
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When we have our meet and greet it is usually right at the beginning of the service. Then we get down to the business of worship 🙂
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When I lived in Tucson, I attended a large, fast growing church. I started when it had 400. 5 years later when I left there were over 2000 in two services (the building held ~1200). I was in the choir and the puppet ministry, as well as sang a solo now and then. One day, as I was leaving, an usher whom I had seen almost every time, came to me and asked if I was new there. I think I had been there longer than he had! I like smaller churches now because of the ability to at least know everyone by face, if not first name.
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Ours is between the singing & the sermon.
Linda – The argument can be made that showing affection towards our fellow believers is an act of worship, as everything we do in & for the Lord is an act of worship. I’m curious – Why do you think it is a good thing that your pastor doesn’t say “Good morning”?
Well, I have to go take care of my little guy now for the evening, as his mommy is about to leave for her “first day of school”. We’re gonna take a picture of her with her backpack, like when she was little. 🙂
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But before I go…One of the things I loved about my old church was that it was a small one where we all knew each other. The problem with that was that it eventually died as people moved away or left.
I have heard it said that there is no such thing as a good small church. If it stays small, it means souls are not being saved. (Of course, I’m sure there are exceptions, such as in very small towns or such.) I bristled at that, but he does have a point.
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Me again (you can’t get rid of me so easily, can you?)…One of the things my current church does, that is important to the spiritual growth of the congregants, is that we put a strong emphasis on small groups, where people can really get to know each other & delve into God’s word together. We have about 90% of our people involved in the small groups.
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That is so sweet, Karen O, about Forrest getting to see his mommy off for her first day of school.
Some people like “high church” as in the more formal where the clergy wear robes. There may be a bit more awe and even mysticism about the service that keeps the focus more on things above. I think some people probably need that transcendent feeling to their worship service depending on their daily routine existense. My church is more informal but not casual. .Just being around genuinely kind-hearted and loving Chrristians who are friendly is transcendent to me. We have different age groups and nationalities so the meet and greet probably helps those who might otherwise feel like outsiders feel included. But there are some who are not use to feeling their quiet worshipful time invaded by people who are gung ho in being friendly. I expect for those the friendliness might appear to be insincere or even worse it might appear to be nosiness as in checking someone out to see if they would fit into the social climate.
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Our church also suggests just bumping elbows during the flu season. Some want to do that and others just want to shake hands. Since we handle the books in the pew, I think we are getting germs anyway. That doesn’t count any door knobs etc. we also touch.
I find it interesting that we have praise music before the service begins. This is nice and it does set the tone and keep all the before church chat to a minimum. It has also helped to get the people to church earlier. OTOH, as soon as the announcements are over the meet and greet begins and we lose the mood. Just seems ironic to me. We are a very small church. I greet the people around me, but usually do not wander all over unless I have a reason to do so. Greetings can mean something or nothing. If the person really isn’t paying any attention to you, but only fulfilling a ‘requirement’, it means little. That is true with lots of things. None of this is a really big deal for me.
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On the meet and greet question: A few years ago, I went to a large city for some more education. I didn’t own a car, so I relied on public transport and my own two feet to get around and the public transport didn’t run very regularly on Sunday. I did some looking online and took some advice, and I found a church that I could walk to. Well, it took 19 blocks, but I’m from the country so I am used to a long hike. The church had a time to get up and greet the people around you, and several people took that opportunity to introduce themselves to me. As a result of those introductions, I ended up joining the choir, which led to joining a bible study and then helping with an outreach – the members gave me rides when I needed them, and invited me to dinner and even gave me food and money when I needed it (and I hadn’t said anything about the need). Needless to say. I attended that church for the duration of my stay in the city. I left the city and went back to my family home for over a year; but the church didn’t forget me – they supported my stay in Africa. They continue to take an interest in me now. So, when I think of meet and greet time in a church, I have some wonderful memories.
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Meet and greet: as a regular, I can have mixed thoughts on it. Sometimes it really seems like an interruption to worship, especially if it is extended and people have conversations, or use it as a chance to give a friend something she wanted to borrow, or whatever. And then people can end up all over the sanctuary and needing to go back to their spot. As a visitor or someone new to the church, I hate greeting time, as it seems to spotlight new people, and of course it also highlights the fact that no one knows you yet. The service is interrupted for people to ask you about yourself, or to ignore you, neither of which is my purpose for being there. In fact, as a person who’s bad with faces, one other thing I hate is that you’re expected to “know” whether someone is new or not, and respond to them accordingly. You may be only two months at that church yourself, but you’re supposed to know they are new, and represent the church to them (they assume you’re a member). And generally the children (even children of members) stand there looking awkward since it’s mostly an adult thing, so I always made a point of greeting all of the children.
Overall, I’m very glad my current church doesn’t interrupt the service with a greeting time. We can speak to people before the service, we can smile at them if they slip into the pew after it has started, and we can worship with them, but we aren’t embarrassing them–and we certainly aren’t calling out their names in front of the whole church or asking them to stand up or stay seated while all the members do the opposite.
After the service is over, we go downstairs for coffee and cookies, so we invite the visitors to stay for that. If we are having a church dinner, they are not only invited, but urged to stay, and they usually do. So we don’t “lose anything” by dropping the greeting time.
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Re small churches; Is most church growth by conversion? Not in my experience. But even if a church experiences a lot of conversions, new people to the area, and so forth, it can still stay a manageable size: because it can choose to stay a manageable size, and birth a daughter church once it is getting past that. I would like to see that happen at about 125-150 people, because past that you’re going to have it hard for the pastor and elders to know and shepherd the whole flock, or for all the people to know each other. Small groups are nice, but aren’t really the “answer” to the church family not knowing one another. A better answer is to stay small enough so that they can.
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6 Arrows, what an encouraging link you put up last night. I am familiar with the blogger and think she offers good educational advice as an elder woman. However, I didn’t realize that she had come out of ATI. Good to know there are people out there wise enough to maintain their balance.
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We don’t have chipmunks or squirrels here. I always found that interesting as there are so many in the woods and in Kamiah. I have not seen them in Nezperce. Perhaps we are just far enough from their habitat that the hawks and coyotes don’t let them reach us. We get the rare raccoon or porcupine, once in a while a weasel or badger. Never noticed a skunk. Lots of rattlesnakes though.
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I don’t care for mega churches, but churches can also be too small, at least from a single person’s perspective.
We’re at about 300 (maybe a bit more) with about 280 average Sunday attendance. For me it’s perfect — especially after my last church dwindled (due to problems) to a mere handful. It felt very ‘ingrown’ to me as many of the people also were related.
To be honest, my preferred way to begin right before the service is more of a quiet time. But that’s me.
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We have coyotes, skunks, BIG raccoons and rattlesnakes. And some two-legged weasels.
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What Cheryl said.
Karen, the reason I like not saying “good morning” is because it’s not about us. However, please understand that I don’t think it’s wrong. I just like it the way my church does it. I’d be curious to hear if Donna’s Pastor does it, as her (PCA) church sounds very much like my (PCA) church. We follow an order of worship but are not “high” church.
Funny that JaniceG mentioned the robe. I remember learning that the reason the priests wore robes was so that their apparel would not be a distraction to the congregation. I can SO relate to that. One of the things I don’t like about classroom learning is that I usually spend the first half-hour totally evaluating the instructor’s wardrobe and trying figure out what it all means instead of paying attention. Just can’t help doing that. Our Pastor wears a robe.
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Rattlesnakes? Yikes! ~~◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇|°>
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Our church is probably thirty to fifty, with eleven of them being us. It is a small community that is in decline. Though many grown children are moving home. It suits us and our needs. No to few other children is a huge plus. Lots of old folks, another huge plus. They are all very prompt as well so there is no greeting time before or after. We greet at the beginning and the children are all loved and welcomed by name.
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At the church where my husband attends and where I was previously a member robes are used. That is a Methodist church. Where I attend now, Baptist, robes are not used. I have never beendistracted by the pastor’s or worship leader’s attire. Somehow the robe seems a bit distancing to me, but that is just my personal take on it. Maybe it relates to how judges wear robes or something.
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My guess is my church has 150 to 200 who attend on Sundays. Husband’s church is smaller, maybe 75. I do like the little bit larger size church because there are more options for people to befriend and serve.
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FYI, Donna is not PCA, though I am (more or less, not committed to the denomination but do want a conservative Reformed church).
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Janice and Donna, I used to attend churches in the range of 250-400 and couldn’t really imagine a church of 100 or fewer. But the last ten years my churches have been smaller than 150 people and the difference is amazing to me. First, and one of the most important points, the pastors are free to really shepherd. (An elder-led church really helps with that too, as opposed to a church with multiple pastors or with one pastor who has all the “authority” with the elders under him.) The pastor or pastors truly know and love the flock, and furthermore they do not need to be worn to a frazzle trying to know us. The pastor’s family doesn’t suffer if he actually makes it to the hospital each time a parishioner ends up there, because the church is small enough to be manageable. (Though if the elders each have care for a few families and you know your shepherding elder, he might show up at the hospital and you will still have received pastoral care.)
In addition, the church is small enough actually to function as a family, to truly know one another. In Nashville, I once looked around the sanctuary and realized that for every single household in the church, no exception, I could name at least one deep heartache (infertility, miscarriages, child in sin, cancer, etc.). We didn’t only have 40 people in a small house church; we had about that many families. But we knew one another deeply. And several times I had a specific need that my church came alongside to help meet (including support when I had foster children), and they loved me enough that I really trusted them in their judgment when I was courting my husband–I knew that multiple eyes are better than just one pair, and I knew that quite a few people (including several of the elders) were going to take it very seriously.
Finally, I personally have come to think more and more that most church programs / ministries are “extra” and the church would be better off without them. Yes, a church with two thousand people is going to have puppet ministries and all sorts of areas in which to “get involved.” But those are extra to the work of the church, and one is freer to engage in one-on-one relationships (where the real ministry happens) if not kept busy with programs.
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Our priests wear robes. They are a black robe with a shorter white over it. For special occassions the robes are a little more ornate. We have the “peace” after the sermon and before the communion. It is a time to greet your fellow worshipers or to make peace with them before going to the Lord’s table. I usually greet those who are special to me. There is one older gentleman that I will cross the church to hug.
I like it. If I don’t have the peace and communion, I don’t feel like I have had fellowship with other Christians.
Beyond that my church is quite casual. It took me a long time to get to that point. I was raised that a female wore a dress to church and preferably a nice dress. Now? I don’t worry too much about it. It was one of those judgemental things I have to get over.
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My comment went to the land of lost comments. 😦
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Sometimes there’s a ‘good morning’ from the pulpit, more ofte not necessarily, I don’t think we have any rule is thumb. Our elders and deacons (and the pastor) take turns for the opening prayer of confession.
We do follow a set order of worship which I also like — no robes, but it’s true that they were originally worn to make the person disappear, if you will. But then they started adding stripes and stoles and other fancy and colorful accessories which did just the opposite. 🙂 We’re funny people.
I’m OPC (spell check just wanted to change that to OPEC 🙂
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Hello, all — hope you’ve had a nice day today!
Happy Birthday to Becca! And I hope L. is feeling better, Ann.
Roscuro, glad you enjoyed that article I linked last night. I’ve read at that site a little bit in the past, and find the author to have some refreshing ideas.
Interesting church discussion today. We have almost 1500 people in our church. There is a smaller church in the same synod that is in the town where we live, but my husband wanted to go to the church in the city south of us precisely because there were a lot more people, and he liked to, in his words, “blend into the woodwork.” 😉 Hard to do that in a tiny church.
We’re still at the same church 25 years later, and hubby isn’t concerned about blending into the woodwork anymore. (That stopped happening after our special-needs boy came along — we were attracting a lot of attention there for a while in the difficult years, but things have improved a lot in the last year or two, praise God.)
We don’t have a meet-and-greet during the service, but after the service, two of our three pastors announce for people to greet those around them and encourage us to ask the names of people sitting nearby if we don’t know them. Our youngest pastor does not say that, though. I’m not sure why not; if he forgets, or if he doesn’t want to carry on that tradition for whatever reason, or what. Oh, and we also have greeter teams at the door before each Sunday service.
Robes — yes. White all year except black during Lent. Easter Sunday it’s back to white, which is nice.
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I played piano again today — first time since Friday. Ten and a half minutes to play through the two movements of the sonata I’m doing. I hadn’t forgotten the music, except for one tiny memory slip in an area that that sometimes happens, but it wasn’t a big deal — my LH was off for about one or two measures, which doesn’t take long to get through in an Allegro (fast) movement.
Both of my upper arms had a slight ache in them afterwards, but now my arms feel better than they did all weekend. Definite improvement.
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And 62!
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Glad to hear you were able to play without so much discomfort, Six.
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Thanks, Mumsee.
I just noticed that Chas hasn’t been around today. I went back and checked, and it looks like the last time he posted was Saturday at 1:39 on Rants & Raves. Did he make an announcement about something coming up where he would be gone for a while, and I missed it?
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Or maybe it’s computer troubles.
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You are right, he usually tells us. Unless it is his computer.
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I emailed him. He will probably say I should pay closer attention because he told us he was going to MB or some such place.
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“some such” — now that really reminds me of Chas. 😉
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Thanks for emailing him, Mumsee.
I remembered something I was going to say up in my church post — yesterday in church in the back row one section over from ours sat a young woman who looks somewhat like our Roscuro. 🙂 I didn’t hear about any border crossings she’s been planning lately, so I didn’t think it was her, but with her darker, curly hair and her approximate age, it sure got me to wonder for a second. 😉
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Hmmm. Oh Chas? Where art thou?
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This surprised me, although maybe it shouldn’t have … From Rick Warren regarding the “Son of God” film that opened this weekend:
“Rick Warren of Saddleback Church is one of many religious leaders urging churchgoers to become moviegoers. ‘In fact, I told my church, ‘If you have to choose between church and movie, go see the movie this weekend,’ he told CBS News’ John Blackstone. … ”
Huh???
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pastor-rick-warren-wants-to-send-hollywood-a-message-with-son-of-god/
Reminds me of hearing a Christian radio broadcaster years ago suggest that seeing “The Passion of Christ” could be seen as akin to “taking Communion.”
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I’m here late, again. I go to sleep earlier in the evening and then get up late when husband gets home from his taxing work. We watched some of the Late Show with Jimmy Fallon. Tina Faye was on tonight. She’s the lady who does Sarah Palin imitations. She is most recently stsrring in a Muppets movie. This is not typically the type of thing that interests me. I prefer the discussions here on the blog.
I am thinking that Warren may have made his statement about going to the movies in the sense of, “put your money where your mouth is,” Christians are always complaining about media and when good Christian films are produced and we don’t support them then it is a poor Christian witness. It makes it appear that we are not truthful in what we desire from media. More people will take notice of people lined up to see a Christian film than they will ever take notice of going into a church building on Sunday morning. I think that is the point he is making. I am sure he is not meaning to go see a movie every week instead of going to church.
Probably I am writing all this and Jo may be the only one to see it. 🙂 Then again, there may be others with reason to be up in the night. Anyways, “Hi, Jo!”
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Even to suggest that people skip church to see a movie for one week sends a wrong message in my mind. I just don’t get that.
And I suppose I’m weary of the “Bible movies” that everyone gets in a tizzy over. It’s so typical of our culture right now, though. It’s all about the buzz and the hype and the emotion. I’m just sorry to see it swallowed by those in the church so completely. 😦 Sigh.
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Hi Janice. Nice to have someone on here when I am, but I hope you are able to get some sleep. Time to make apple crisp for the Bible study potluck tonight.
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Wow, I didn’t know what time it was for you. we really are on at the same time.
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I will go to sleep soon, but it takes a bit of time to wind back down.
Donna, I guess because of where you live you probably get an overdose of Hollywood hype. We are seeming to have a lot of movies made in this area. Remember the Titans was filmed at the school in my neighborhood. That was a number of years ago. As much as we may prefer to keep using our hard bound Bibles and hymn books, people today may only want to relate to films and similar media. Those people may only be reached in that manner. The movies provide an opening into some otherwise closed hearts. So I hope those who can afford the movies will attend. At least the movies that accurately portray the truth of Christ. This opening to seeking hearts should not be wasted on less than excellent films.
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Jo, I’d love to have some apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! I will dream of that and be assured of sweet dreams!
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Signing off…z,zzzz…..
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crisp is in the oven now. Enjoy your zzzzz’s
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Hi Janice! Becca just threw up. So, I just got done changing sheets, and now she’s in my bed watching cartoons…oh, how I loathe the stomach bug! Hubby can’t remember ever having the vomit virus–he’s pretty sure this is is first time to succumb. So, it’s obviously highly contagious. I feel terrible because we probably exposed every kid who was at the party on Saturday.
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Hi, Jo!
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Janice, I’m not saying God can’t or doesn’t use movies — or any other media — to reach people. He can and does.
I guess my gripe with Warren is specifically urging Chrisrians to forgo church (or he’s at least saying there’s nothing wrong wih that) to see this film on a Sunday morning instead. Huh? How about going on Saturday night or even a Sunday afternoon — to make sure you get to church (which is or should be more of a priority than a movie you can see any time)? It was a very strange thing for a pastor to say.
The movie has received poor reviews, by the way, not sure why exactly but some of it has to do with the technical quality?
Then of course there’s the 2nd commandment issue that many of us have with these productions but I think we’ve discussed that here before.
Generally I just think ‘Bible’ movies are touted as having much more of an influence than they have in reality.
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Poor Becca! That bug sounds miserable. 😦 Hope it’s gone soon from your house soon!
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Thanks, Donna!
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praying for health Ann
and endurance for Mum!
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