This Side of the Pulpit » Entries tagged with "news"
75th Anniversary and Oktoberfest Weekend
Redeemer’s 2nd Annual Oktoberfest begins tomorrow at 11am and goes until the food is gone. It’s shaping up to be tremendous fun. This year we sold advance tickets and have already sold the same number of meals that were served last year, and the committee has done an exemplary job in planning, decorating and putting everything in place. This is day one of our 75th Anniversary celebration. Sunday brings a guest preacher, Rev. Richard Peckman, the longest-serving pastor and oldest active pastor in our history. Between services we will be enjoying a continental breakfast, video slideshow of pictures throughout Redeemer’s history and a few letters of congratulations. All our choirs will be singing as well. I can’t say enough good things about the groups that have planned these events. Glory be to … Read entire article »
Filed under: The World
Deflation in Bionics
Just heard a blurb on NPR that a British company estimated the $6 million dollar man, if built today, would cost $250,000. … Read entire article »
Filed under: The World
Happy Birthday, Mom and Suz!
Our American Flag is out and we remember. But I also remember my sister who turned 21 eight years ago this day, and my mother who turns a year older today. Happy Birthday to you two! … Read entire article »
Filed under: Personal
Enid School’s Weak Decision
This was published apparently Monday night on our district’s website: On September 8, President Obama will deliver a national address directly to students on the importance of education. Enid Public Schools students will have class as usual that day. EPS will address this event the same way that we do other special presentations, assemblies and programs that require instructional time: we will review the content and determine how it can best be used as a teaching tool. Rather than participating live, teachers are asked to review the broadcast once it is complete to determine the PASS objectives (state learning standards) to which it aligns. As with many documented historical events, portions of the address may later be used as a teaching tool to meet state learning standards. Shawn Hime, Superintendent In other words, Mr. Hime … Read entire article »
Nitpicking is the Currency of Hell
I watched President Obama’s speech to school children when I was at home for lunch. I am shocked and disgusted that his speech actually encouraged children to do homework, to learn from mistakes and to work hard. Such socialism! How dare the President suggest that all children can work and discover something at which they excel! How dare he suggest that education is important, that hard work is always good and even necessary! How dare he invade my children’s privacy for such a subversive and anti-God message! How dare his office prepare a lesson plan to help teachers supplement the speech with actual education! How dare teachers want to lead discussion on such virtues! Sarcasm off. The conservative reaction to this speech–rather, reactionism–is more telling of the hellishness of the days in which we … Read entire article »
What is Right in Their Own Eyes
They finally did it. It took them years of statements and votes and new statements and drafts but the ELCA finally got it passed. Here’s what the AP is reporting: The nation’s largest Lutheran denomination took openly gay clergy more fully into its fold Friday, as leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to lift a ban that prohibited sexually active gays and lesbians from serving as ministers. Under the new policy, individual ELCA congregations will be allowed to hire homosexuals in committed relationships as clergy. Until now, gays and lesbians had to remain celibate to serve as clergy. … Read entire article »
It’s Tough to Interpret Signs
UPDATED: I just read an AP report wherein an ELCA official called the tornado a symbol of the Holy Spirit. See, the title above is not incorrect….Never mind that Elijah’s theophany “the LORD was not in the wind…” And in Acts when the Spirit came the sound was as “a great rushing wind” but there was no actual wind reported…. The prophets of the Old Testament could make predicitions. They could say without reservation that this or that disaster will come because of the people’s sin. They could say without reservation that such-and-such a disaster happened because of sin. They could speak without reservation because they were prophets–they had received the Word of God. By and large, this doesn’t happen today, and Jesus discounts speculating on whose sin caused whose disaster. He … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
My Rocking Alma Mater
By MURRAY EVANS, Associated Press Writer – Wed Aug 12, 4:42 pm ET OKLAHOMA CITY – The so-called School of Rock celebrated its grand opening Wednesday in a way that might be expected — with a free concert. Shortly after a brief ceremony to open the University of Central Oklahoma’s Academy of Contemporary Musicin the Bricktown entertainment district, a concert was set to start a few blocks away featuring Oklahoma City bands The Uglysuit, Mama Sweet and Rainbows are Free. Classes begin Monday with about 160 students enrolled. Scott Booker, the manager of Oklahoma City-basedalternative rock band The Flaming Lips, is the school’s chief executive. The academy will offer training in both music performance — with programs in guitar, bass, drums and vocals — and production. Students will go through a two-year degree program and could work later toward a four-year degree at … Read entire article »
Filed under: Personal
BTW, Whatever Happened to Falco?
The Enid News and Eagle published a story on July 27, 2009 about the closing of a nearby rural church. Ringwood (OK) Presbyterian Church, established in 1895 closed its doors on Sunday. Only 12 active members remained for its last service on Sunday. Many factors contributed to its decline, most notably the loss of population in Ringwood itself. What struck me about the story was this paragraph: Most of the members started going because it was the most popular church at the time and their children wanted to go with their friends. Barbara Percy said it was an active church at the time, and the congregation still numbered in the 90s as last as 1995. We denied it in Elementary School, in High School and now. We deny it when it comes to movie … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Death of Small Towns
In the last post I may have implied that my town is one of the many that are slowly dying. Is that true? Enid certainly has seen more prosperous days. In many ways we have never recovered from the oil bust of the mid 1980s, at least compared to Oklahoma City, which today is growing by leaps and bounds. Compared to surrounding towns, Enid is thriving. They are textbook cases of rural decline. I think Enid is holding its own. What I wrote about yesterday can be seen in every large city, if you look in the right neighborhoods. In small cities like Enid (pop. 45,000ish) you just don’t have to look as far, and the strories of the golden years are closer, just next door. That the way of men, of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
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