A Dash of Salt

Weekend Wonderings

The sad, untimely death of Anna Nicole Smith.  Diane Butler Bass and Tim Brister offer theological and gospel-centered meditations on the tragic life of the former Playboy centerfold and tabloid celebrity.  (Hat Tips to Scot McKnight and Justin Taylor)

Proof that those afternoon power-naps I sometimes take really do work, and are healthy, too!

For you and the Valentine you're married to: Jim Martin gives wise, pastoral counsel on Marriage and Sex.  Read his thoughtful posts here and here.

Here's a fascinating article in TIME called "The Grassroots Abortion War" on the growth of pro-life crisis pregnancy centers across the country.  They are making a huge difference in stopping abortions, "one life at a time" and in the process attracting a lot of attention and scrutiny.  During our church first ministry, Dawn worked as a counselor at the Hagerstown CPC which was located beside our home.  (HT: Justin Taylor)

And now, a little church history:  Ten Marks of the Early Church.  You might be surprised at what they did and didn't do as they followed Christ in the ancient pagan world, which really was not all that much different than ours today.  (HT: Travis Seitler)

The Royal Telephone

When I mentioned this past Sunday about the iTunes server being overwhelmed with download requests after Christmas and made the analogy that God is never overwhelmed by all of our prayers to Him, it reminded Kay Henson of the old gospel song, The Royal Telephone, which she heard on the radio as a child.  Kay handed me a copy of the words last night at Oasis, and I'll share them now with you.  (Here's a link to the tune.)  It's a quaint and clever little song that uses the telephone (the land-line kind with an operator who connected your call for you) to teach about the Lord's loving attentiveness to his children when they pray.  It also echoes the lessons to be learned from my recent wireless connectivity issues...

The Royal Telephone
Words and Music by Frederick M. Lehman (1919)

Central’s never “busy,” always on the line;
You may hear from Heaven almost any time;
’Tis a royal service, free for one and all;
When you get in trouble, give this royal line a call.

Refrain
Telephone to glory, O what joy divine!
I can feel the current moving on the line,
Built by God the Father for His loved and own,
We may talk to Jesus thru this royal telephone.

There will be no charges, telephone is free,
It was built for service, just for you and me;
There will be no waiting on this royal line,
Telephone to glory always answers just in time.

Refrain

Fail to get the answer, Satan’s crossed your wire,
By some strong delusion, or some base desire;
Take away obstructions, God is on the throne,
And you’ll get your answer thru this royal telephone.

Refrain

If your line is “grounded,” and connection true
Has been lost with Jesus, tell you what to do;
Prayer and faith and promise, mend the broken wire,
’Till your soul is burning with the Pentecostal fire.

Refrain

Carnal combinations cannot get control
Of this line to glory, anchored in the soul;
Storm and trial cannot disconnect the line,
Held in constant keeping by the Father’s hand divine.

Refrain

Weekend Wonderings

Just in time for Christmas...The Talking Jesus Doll, this week's winner of the prestigious "Jesus Junk Award."  Check out Steve McCoy's humorous take on this real toy, it's rejection by the USMC Reserve's Toys for Tots program (thank goodness!), and his alternative idea for how the doll should look.  This just in...the Marine Corps Reserve has changed its mind and is now accepting the dolls.

More than you could ever possibly want to know about Rachel Ray and her TV cooking show.  Here's a live report from her set from the Chapel's entertainment news reporter, Jessica "NYC" Robinson.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's remarks at the dedication of the National Cemetery in Gettysburg.  Did you have to memorize his Gettysburg Address when you were in school?  Lincoln's words still move me.  Here's Wikipedia's article on the Gettysburg Address.

Jim Martin thinks we need to be more honest in our churches.  I think he's right.  Read what he has to say about honest fellowships in his three posts: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.  Honesty is a scary thing, even in the body of Christ, but it is vitally necessary for healthy churches.

And you think I'm boring...meet Lola and Vicki, twin 2 million pound mechancial behemoths that are digging new subway tunnels underneath Los Angeles.  Why does this remind me of Matrix Revolutions?

October 31, 1517

On this date in 1517, a Roman Catholic priest by the name of Martin Luther tacked a document on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, that launched the Protestant Reformation.  Luther's "95 Theses" was a call to debate the validity of selling and buying indulgences for forgiveness of sins to shorten one's stay in Purgatory.  (You could purchase forgiveness and a lesser punishment if you paid the proper price.)  What led this priest to question and confront the Roman Catholic hierarchy?

"Luther, still plagued by his sense of sinfulness and still determined to achieve a right relationship with God through stringent efforts at being 'religious,' was ordained as a priest in 1507...On business for the Augustinians, Luther made a trip to Rome, where the pious, rustic young Saxon priest was shaken by the crass commercialism and ostentatious splendor fostered by the Vatican."

After returning to Wittenberg, Dr. Martin Luther's "intensive studies of the Scriptures, beginning with his lectures of the Psalms from 1513-1515, and continuing with Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and Titus in 1516, convinced Luther that salvation is a a new relationship with God, based not on merit accrued by man's efforts but by complete trust on God's promises...The full meaning of the gospel burst on Luther late in 1516 when the phrase, "the just shall live by faith" from Galatians 3 released him from his haunting sense of guilt to the freedom of relying on God's grace."

"The Theses were intended for academic discussion, not as a revolt against the pope or the Church of Rome.  They were translated into German, circulated throughout Europe and thrust Luther into the maelstrom of controversy."

In the years to come, Martin Luther would face increasing hostility from the Church.  In 1520, he was presented with a papal bull that threatened to excommunicate him from the Church.  Luther burned it along with a copy of canon law in open defiance of the pope's authority.  Luther refused to renounce any of his viewpoints. 

Soon thereafter, Luther was expelled from the Church and was summoned by Emperor Charles V to appear before an Imperial Diet in Worms, Germany.  Before the entire assembly of churchmen, nobles, and princes, Luther was ordered to recant his views.  He refused, saying, "Unless I am refuted and convicted by testimonies of Scripture or by clear arguments, my conscience is bound in the Word of God: I cannot and will not recant anything.  I cannot do otherwise.  Here I stand.  God help me, Amen."

[From Who's Who in Church History, by William P. Barker, pp. 179-181.  More about Martin Luther's life here.]

Middle East History in Ninety Seconds

Here's today's history lesson...I think you'll find this nifty little animated map of the history of the Middle East quite interesting.  It starts 5000 years ago in Ancient Egypt and progressively shows who has controlled the Middle East until the independent nation-states of today, all in about 90 seconds.  How many of these empires and kingdoms had you heard of prior to looking at this map?  Do any of them still have an impact on our modern political and religious situation?  (Hat Tip: Michael Kruse)