Increasing the Volume 1120

Well, here's the 2012 mix thus far. 
(It's a work in progress)

Of course there will be a mix for those of you on the naughty list as well.
(It's a work in progress as well)

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Did you hear

about the dog who choked on a candy cane last Christmas?

Everyone one who came over got peppermint bark!

It is what it is

As I look back on my life, I have come to see that God doesn't do things to us, he does stuff for us.

We must find the lesson in it, even if it its just to trust.

It seems most often that trusting is the hardest lesson to learn, for me anyway.

At the end of the day...

Jehovah-jireh!

Really, Is It?

Thus past Saturday I was in the dentist's chair, having 3 cavities drilled and filled without the benefit of painkillers.

My dentist office plays music rather loudly, and what should come on but Andy Williams' "Most Wonderful Time of Year".

Its little early even for me, and it wasn't wonderful at all...

Hey Hallmark Here's a Gimme

A birth announcement that plays Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out" when you open it.

In case you forget

Ya es suficiente, pero demasiado nunca es suficiente

That God owns everything, our desire for the same cannot be rationalized as our pursuit of him.

Enough is enough but too much is never enough!

Shortening the Leash in Pursuit of Freedom...

It's not right, and it's certainly not easy, but over the years I have found that if you will not fight to take what is yours, you can rest assured that someone else gladly will. 

For almost every cruelty, injustice and civil violation inflicted, by man upon man, you don't usually have to look to hard to see that ultimately, greed is the driving force of the puppet masters.

Let's face it, across every culture and every generation, the exploitation of those persons that can least afford to resist it, has historically been shown to be the single most effective means by which the greatest percentage of the resources are secured by the smallest percentage of the people.

THINK :: ACT

The middle ground is eroding rapidly beneath our feet, and when it's finally gone, we will fall hard where we failed to stand firm.

d(-_-)b

Originally posted by Roberto Esponja on Friday, January 20, 2012 at 2:34am ·

Oh! The Places You'll Go!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go....

Dr. Seuss, Oh! The Places You'll Go!

Do yourself a favor...

Mothra Chakra

Aye Si'! Dead People

Punny Stuff

Q) How do OB GYNs like their eggs?
A) Ovary Z

Mad as Hell

The following is the entirety of Wayne Grudem's public stance. It is the stance that he and apparently 1,500 other pastors took and preached from the pulpit to their congregations one Sunday.

It makes me angry.
Am I wrong to feel this way?
Read it, and then you tell me.
----------------------

Moral and spiritual issues in the 2012 election
Which view do you favor?
Wayne Grudem, 9-28-12
(more info at www.waynegrudem.com )
1. There are more significant policy differences between the two parties in 2012 than perhaps at any time in American history (except the Civil War).
Here are some suggestions of how to teach people in our churches what those differences are so they can make wise, informed decisions.

2. It is not true that “things will be about the same no matter who wins.” The parties have two vastly different views of the role of government. Life under one party for the next four years will be vastly different than life under the other party (see chart below).

3. In my personal view, far more is at stake than the next four years, for the entire future direction of the nation is being decided. One party or the other will likely solidify control of the Supreme Court, which is now (unfortunately) the ultimate prize in the American political process. I think what is at stake is whether America will continue as it has existed for 236 years, a federal republic of separated and defined powers under the supreme authority of the Constitution, or whether we will come under the essentially unconstrained control of an all-powerful national government.

4. Pastors can choose to teach on all or just some of these issues, seeking God’s wisdom in their decisions.

5. For more detailed discussion of these and other issues, see Wayne Grudem, Politics – According to the Bible (Zondervan, 2010).

MY NOTE: Liberal Views First and then Conservative Views with Grudem's notes in between.
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*1 The Constitution is a living document that changes meaning according to the changes of society. Judges should
tell us how the Constitution is changing, and should have power to decide all the major issues facing the nation.
(4 justices: Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan)

Rom. 13:1-2; Deut. 17:18; Ezek.44:24; Roe v. Wade;, Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971); Kelo v. City of New London (2005); liberal dissent in BSA v. Dale (2000)

The Constitution has a fixed meaning (its original public meaning, what the words meant when it was adopted). Judges should interpret the Constitution, not change it. The people’s elected representatives in Congress and in state legislatures, not unelected judges, should decide the major issues facing the nation. The fixed meaning of the Constitution is our foundational protection against the tendency of governments to usurp more and more power. (4 justices: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito)
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*2 Freedom of religion should be diminished and become freedom from religion in public places (government
events, schools, school buildings, parks, sports). First Amendment means government should not even favor all
religion in general. Freedom of conscience must be nullified if it stands in the way of supporting abortioncausing
drugs, contraceptives, and same-sex “marriage.”

Matt. 28:19:20; Acts 5:29; 1st Amendment – original intent,; 50% of delegates voting “no” to add God to a party platform (people’s “God-given potential”); admin. position in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC (2012)

Freedom of religion means individuals should be free to express their beliefs in public places. First Amendment means government should not “establish” an official national church, but it should have policies that benefit all religions generally. Government should not force people to violate their consciences over widely-disputed moral issues like abortion, contraceptives, and same-sex “marriage”
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*3 Abortion: Laws should protect a woman’s right to abortion on demand throughout entire pregnancy. Only judges who agree with this should be confirmed as federal judges.

Ex 21:22-25, Psalm 51:5 Deut 30:19-20, Psalm 139:13, Health Care Mandate

Laws should protect the life of the unborn child throughout pregnancy. Judges should not create new laws about abortion but should leave this to be decided by elected representatives of the people.
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*4 Same-sex “marriage”: Government should recognize and promote same-sex marriage. Federal courts should declare any other view unconstitutional (even state constitutional amendments such as Prop. 8 in CA should be nullified by the courts). Speaking against this view is hate speech.

I Cor. 6:9-11, Rom. 1:26-28, Gen. 1:27

Marriage: Government should preserve marriage between one man and one woman. The definition of marriage should be decided by the will of the people through their elected representatives and referendums, not by unelected,
unaccountable judges
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5 The national government should have unlimited powers so that it can do whatever Congress and the president
decide.

Deut. 17:16-17; 1 Sam. 8:10-18; biblical examples of kings with too much power going astray; 10th Amendment; liberal 4- justice dissent in Affordable Care Act case.

The national government should be a government of limited powers. Powers not given to the national government are reserved for the states and the people.
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6 The president should be free not to enforce laws he disagrees with.

Deut. 17:18-19; 2 :7-9; non-enforcement of immigration law, Def of Marriage Act, welfare reform work req’s; “recess” apt s like CFBP

The president should enforce the laws passed by Congress and signed in the past by any president.
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7 More government regulation and control makes society better.

Exod. 20:2 (out of slavery); Lev. 25:10

More individual freedom promotes a better society. (But people should not be free to commit crimes.)
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*8 Tax dollars for education should only go to public school teachers who are represented by national teachers’ unions. Government experts know best how to raise children.

Deut 6:4-9, Eph 6:1-4 Proverbs 4:1-9

Tax dollars for education should allow parents to have free choice in how their children are educated (using tuition vouchers to pay for any public or private school). Parents know best how to raise children.
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9 The money in society belongs to the society as a whole (or the government), so that tax cuts are government’s
“gifts” to people who are allowed to keep more of society’s money.

understanding of private property in Exod. 20:15;
30:15; 1 Kings 21 (Naboth); Prov. 17:26; 19:14

The money in a society belongs to individuals who own it, so that tax cuts are not government “gifts” but are simply allowing people to keep more of what was always their own money in the first place.
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10 Prosperity is created by government stimulus spending.

Gen. 1:28

Prosperity is created by productive human work.
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*11 Care for the poor: The solution to economic recession is more government spending to “stimulate” demand and get the economy growing again, especially through more government-paid jobs.

I Sam. 8:10-18 I Sam 12:3,4

Care for the poor: The solution to economic recession is less government spending, because this allows lower taxes, which leaves money in the hands of the people who create productive businesses and more jobs.
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12 More government debt (“deficit spending”) is not very harmful and is needed to fund important government social programs today.

Ps. 37:21

More government debt (“deficit spending”) is always harmful because it requires higher taxes now and in the future; it also removes money from the private sector, leading to economic slowdowns. More debt also leads governments to print more money to pay the debt, causing harmful inflation. Inflation hurts everybody.
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*13 The solution to poverty is government giving poor people more money to live on, and hiring more people in
government jobs, paid for by higher taxes on those who are earning money. Any tax cuts should be temporary and
targeted to specific needy groups.

Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; understanding of private property in Exod. 20:15; 30:15; Prov. 17:262 Thess. 3:10

The solution to poverty is lower permanent tax rates for everybody, removing much uncertainty for business planning, and leaving more money in private sector to build businesses which create jobs so that people can support themselves.
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14 Promotes welfare policies that result in more and more people dependent on government.

2 Thes.3:7-10; I Sam 8:10-18; ; Mark 6:3; Acts 18:3; 1 Thess. 4:11- 12;

Promotes economic growth and work incentive policies that lead to more jobs in private sector and fewer people dependent on government.
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15 Economic justice requires more equality of results (more equal sharing of income). Emphasis on equality.

Exod. 23:3, 6; Lev. 19:15; Prov. 17:26;

Economic justice requires more equality of opportunity, and differing incomes will result from different economic values for people’s different work. Emphasis on freedom. Economic justice also means allowing people to keep the fruits of their labor.
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16 Businesses need more and more regulations and taxes, even if they have to downsize or shut down, because they are generally corrupt and make excess profits.

Romans 13:4a I Peter 2:14 Proverbs 17:26

Businesses need less regulation and lower taxes because, while we need laws against fraud and defective products, businesses in general provide jobs and products of value that bring good to society.
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17 The economy should be controlled by the government, who will pick winners and losers in the private economy, supporting some industries and companies and restricting or taxing and punishing others.

Private property in Bible; Exod. 20:15; Lev. 25:10; Deut. 19:14; idea of personal stewardship of money; limited role forgovernment in Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14

“Nobody” should control the economy, but instead the free choices of millions of individuals should direct the market by influencing supply and demand.
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18 Carbon dioxide is causing dangerous global warming. Therefore we should drastically restrict our use of coal, oil, and natural gas, and force people instead to use solar and wind energy. It does not matter that this will cause significant economic loss, and it does not matter that solar energy and wind energy are unreliable, diffuse, difficult to transport, and 2 to 5 times more expensive than carbonbased fuels. Saving the earth is more important.

Gen. 1:31; Gen. 1:28; Job 38:9; Isa. 45:18; Prov. 8:29 Gas prices:(2008) $1.86  $3.83 (today).
Coal plants being shut down. Oil drilling restricted, permits delayed, Keystone Pipeline from Canada blocked

Carbon dioxide is an ordinary and valuable part of nature. The correlations between carbon dioxide concentrations and global temperature change are uncertain and at most bring minimal change. The cheapest, least harmful, best solution to small temperature changes (1 or 2 degrees per century, alternating between warmer and cooler) is human adaptability. Coal, oil, and natural gas are the most abundant, compact, easily transportable, cheap sources of energy in the world and we should continue to use them as good gifts from God. Restricting their use in wealthy nations will lead to prohibitively high energy costs with little if any benefit.
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19 Our military strength is excessive and leads to danger, because the nations who oppose us do so because of the
evil things we have done to them.

Deut 7:1-3, Deut 10:1 Joshua 1:6-9 Romans 13:3,4 Just war theory; US Navy: 588 ships in 1988 to 285 today; missiles cut from over 5000 to 1500; antimissile defenses canceled in Poland, Czech Rep.

Our military should be strong – able to defeat any two enemies at once. Like it or not, we are the world’s peacekeeper and the sole defender of freedom for many smaller countries. Peace through strength.
If US weakens, China  Taiwan, S Pacific; Cuba/ Venezuela  Latin America; Iran  Middle East, Israel;
Russia E. Europe; Islamic terrorism  many countries
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20 Israel should be condemned for all Palestinian deaths caused when it is defending itself, and should go back to its
pre-1967 borders.

Gen 17:8; 1 Chron. 16:16-18; Rom 11:28; Gen. 12:1-3; 15:18-21

Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself within its current borders. Root of Arab-Israeli conflict is 1947 refusal of Palestinian Arabs and other Arab nations to accept UN resolution calling for independent Palestinian state and continuing refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist.
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21 Other nations: We should stay away from influencing other nations or trying to persuade them to have government that are truly democratic, accountable to the will of the people. Trying to spread democracy is arrogant imperialism.

Lev. 25:10; Declaration of Independence that “all men” (that is, on earth) have been endowed by Creator with rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

Other nations: We should try to use diplomacy, foreign aid, dissemination of information, public policy statements, and sometimes financial and military help, to promote democratic movements in the unfree nations of the world. We should not apologize for this.
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22 Immigration: [I’m unsure what the position is but it seems to be:] We should postpone a resolution of this question as long as possible (unspoken: because the presence of more undocumented people in the country gives more political advantage to one party). It is selfish for wealthy Americans to want to close the border. Undocumented people who are here should probably be given an easy path to full citizenship.

Exod. 22:12; 23;9; Deut. 10:19; but also: governments in the Bible always controlled who was allowed to enter, and
sojourners were there legally. Rom. 13:4 and the Constitutional requirement that government “ensure domestic tranquility” and “provide for the common defense” and “promote the general welfare.”

Immigration: (1) We should massively increase the number of people who are allowed to come here legally, but also reform the system of “chain migration.” (2) We should immediately secure the entire border completely, so that we can determine who will enter and who will not. (3) Establish some kind of immediate registration and residency process for people who are already here illegally (but not for felons, who should be deported). (4) After steps (1) and (2) are completed, the American people will overwhelmingly support a compassionate but just solution for those who are here illegally, including a lengthy but possible and fair path to full citizenship. [this paragraph is WG’s own personal
view – various views are all over the map]
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23 Religious freedom: We should not meddle in the internal affairs of other countries, even when their governments
persecute Christians and people of other religions.

Ps. 82:3-4; Lev. 25:10; Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18

Religious freedom: We should use our influence on international public opinion, international organizations, and diplomatic and economic pressures to stand up for persecuted Christians and others in every other country on earth.
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*24 We should apologize for America, because we are primarily responsible for slavery, colonialism, and
exploitation of third world countries. We should be ashamed of America’s many faults.

II Cor. 3:17, Psalm 33:12,greater than any other country in aiding the downtrodden, protecting freedom.

We should be proud of America. It has probably done more good for the world than any nation in the history of the earth and, although it has its faults, they are far outweighed by the good it has done for the world. America is the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the history of the world, but, unlike all previous powerful nations, it has used its power not to conquer other nations but to protect them and to defend their freedom from powerful
aggressors.
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What if you can’t learn about every candidate?

You can still vote responsibly, based on the ideas and policies in this chart, because you are in reality voting for the party more than for the candidate: In the current political system in the United States, every vote for every candidate is much more a vote for one party or another than for the candidate. This is because laws are not passed by individuals but only by one political party the other, under the leadership of that party’s elected officials. Therefore Americans need to choose which column best represents their view, and then vote for candidates in the party that represents that column.

We should not think we have to decide to choose “the lesser of two evils.” The positions in the B column above are not evil positions. They protect rule of law, freedom of religion, life, liberty, sound education of our children, fiscal responsibility, care for the poor, care for overcoming racial discrimination and income disparities, economic growth, a strong defense against evil enemies, and care for protecting freedom in other nations who depend on us, including Israel. Rulers who follow such policies are not doing “evil.” They are doing what Rom. 13:4 says rulers are supposed to do, under God: they are to be “God’s servant for your good” (Rom. 13:4; see also 1 Pet. 2:13-14).

Prepare for Failure

We are short sighted and do our our children a disservice if, in preparing them for success, we do not also prepare them for failure.

d(-_-)b

Increasing the Volume 1109

I love these guys.
I call them the band that's almost Christian...but not.
Amazing insight though, asking all the right questions, they come so, so very close

Here's some links.

You can decide for yourself.

Pay attention to the lyrics.

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True Happiness This Way Lies

Love Is Stronger Than Death
The Violence of Truth

Dogs of Lust

Slow Emotion Replay

This is the Day
The Beaten Generation
Helpline Operator

Armageddon Days Are Here Again

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I'm good with ok

Hey all you awesome people, thanks for picking up the slack!

It takes a lot of pressure off of me to know that awesome is covered in such large proportion.

Faith, Freedom and Failure

Faith flourishes where freedom and money are least available. 


Few people are strong enough to have faith in God's resources when they have the false confidence that they can simply have faith in their own instead.

The ability, for Americans to claim the "freedom of religion" means that we are free to claim a faith that requires of us no commitment and bears no consequence as the result of our doing so. 
It tends to make lazy laymen of us, and often we fail to understand the claims at the very heart of our faith or the deeper implications / impact for truly following it will have on our lives and those of others. 

When our conviction(s) born of faith become difficult or simply inconvenient we are free to walk away, or we can change and choose the parts we wish to (or not to) adhere to. We may change our minds on a whim, we even incorporate conflicting philosophical and theological views with our own, usually without much fear that others might point out the conflicts because most likely they too are in the same religious boat. 

Shrouded in ignorance, we live a misrepresentation our professed faith, confusing others and making it what it never actually was in the first place. However, we would be wise to consider that by avoiding the risks of following our convictions we have also avoided the reward for doing so as well. 

Barring some miracle, we wind up exercising a faith of mediocrity, and consequently experiencing results of mediocrity, we come to worship the God of mediocrity. This is not the God I know, and it is not the God of the Bible.

I can't believe were created simply to achieve mediocrity, I say this especially when I consider how I feel about my own children. I can't imagine saying to any of them, "Go out there and do a mediocre job guys! Settle for less than your potential. Take the road more traveled!" It just doesn't make any sense to me.

The cultural tone in America, and the problem with being a Christian living in that culture, is that we seem to be striving to be a nation of tolerance and acceptance. Not necessarily bad in and of itself as an ideal, but these two things are not always, each with the other, harmonious. 

Even those who would profess no religion at all, usually have some standards about things, which to them, are not acceptable. They are more commonly called laws.  

The disharmony then is all the more evident for those who claim adherence to a predefined religious world view. Religion by its very nature is not as inclusive as it is exclusive, simply by claiming moral and ethical absolutes which are divinely ordained but largely rejected.
 
Freedom to practice a religion means that we are free to follow the resulting convictions thereof. (But not free to impose them on others.) 

Any religion without conviction however is simply wishful thinking and no more, and so we seem bound to follow those convictions if we are claiming to practice a particular faith. In the Christian faith, there is a fair amount of freedom, and how following those convictions may in fact look depends largely on the background and understanding of the individual, and its appearance is as varied as the individual situations of people are.

Obviously those who don't subscribe to the particular faith in question, are bound to be offended at the suggestion that these standards are not only a universally applicable standards but also then bear universal consequences for their rejection and failure to submit, and why wouldn't they be? Certainly, no one wants to believe that they are in direct conflict with God simply by acting as they feel compelled to at any given time.

However, this way of thinking is a direct contradiction in and of itself. By stating that there is an omnipotent trustworthy God in control, orchestrating all things for good in the end, and then conversely stating that simply exercising our desired actions cannot be offensive to God.
Don't see it?

As those who oppose religions or faiths often say, believing something to be so does not at all make it so, and stating the above is basically equalizing ourselves with the position of God, by implying that our will is also God's as the two cannot be in conflict. God does not change because of people, people change because of God.

We seem to believe that being made in God's image, we should be free to respond in kind, making him in ours as well. It doesn't work that way and it is in nature the very thing that most people protest about religion. 
How's that for irony?

Most religions indicate quite the contrary view regarding our will and that of God's. Siting that our wills, simply by their very nature, are noted as being in direct conflict with God's. Being made aware of this conflict we are then forced to choose one over the other. My will be done?

All of this is particularly true of the Christian faith.

The difference however between the Christian faith and those who also proclaim a hope beyond this world (at least those I am aware of) is that Christianity offers a hope very different from that of all other religions.

According to Christianity there is no atonement we are qualified to offer on our own behalf, or acceptable in God's sight. We cannot offer to God that which is not already his and so earning it too is not an option. We are extended (and must choose) grace and mercy in order to receive forgiveness and restore our relationship to God, and so we have Jesus...who according to Christian belief became a sacrifice on our behalf. Not being guilty of sin, his death alone was the only sufficient and acceptable substitute for our own in exacting the price than sin demands.

When I consider the life of Jesus, one of the greatest and inspiring things I find was his ability to speak frankly, honestly and without offense to people about their spiritual condition. I suppose when I say without offense, I mean without judgement, but not without moving people to the sort of deep conviction toward facing their own convictions. The refusal to address it though would in deed cause offense. The offense however is/was not with Jesus and the truth he states, but it is an offense of one's pride.

With love, grace, mercy and compassion Jesus both inspired and required repentance. He did so without dispensing condemnation while retaining the ability to be frank about the spiritual condition of people's hearts. He knew a good deal about people.

At the same time though, he clearly conveyed the divine judgement that people would bring upon themselves should they reject the truth and refuse to change. Not a judgement that God would prefer to exercise but a judgement that our own actions demand by virtue of claiming for ourselves the authority that is God's alone in directing our lives.

In the parent / child relationship it is rebellion, in the government / citizen relationship it is called criminal, and so too it is called both by God as well.

While Jesus certainly didn't take, or speak of sin and its consequences lightly, he also did not shun sinners or refuse to associate with them, for he knew their needs would be met through relationship. Ultimately relationship with their creator, and usually preceded through relationship with others.

Unfortunately today we seem to dispense the grace we have been generously afforded in decreasing measure as we seem to think that we must choose between the relationship with our creator or relationships with those who may not believe the same as we do. 

What we apparently miss (and should clearly see if we examine the ministry of Jesus) is that in large part, the evidence and effectiveness of the relationship with our creator is evidenced and exercised in our relationships with others.

So why, and I ask myself as well, do we withhold those things we have been so generously given and so too we should be generously dispensing of?

Many, many reasons I suppose, but I think in large part, here we have returned to original point. We are busy pursuing the security of stuff over security in God, and we are constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to choose that which makes us comfortable in doing so. We have confused the kingdoms of our citizenship.

I have to think that our prosperity and freedoms have somehow seduced us and have now become our poverty and prisons instead.

Think about it, like something big depended on it...because it most certainly does.

d(-_-)b

Increasing the Volume 1108

Wovenhand
(See Increasing the Volume 1107 for background info)


Here are some video links for you to sample:
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Sparrow Falls

As I Went Out One Morning

Dirty Blue

Singing Grass

Winter Shaker

Glass Eye
Lyrics:
Deeply shaken see I come that way
ill at ease in my own skin
I hum along to the down home drone
down in my soul to stay
ain't gonna listen to my own noise
even though I love the sound
it come back hollow on hollow
when it come back around
back around

Quick to anger and quick to speak
afraid to lose these things not mine to keep
the spirit is willing the flesh is weak

How long have you been standing there
only here a lonley man
I do
I get behind myself
grieved in my spirit by my hands
seemes he has turned his head
this collector of useless clutter
somethin now has caught his eye
now his words only stumble out in stutters
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Wovenhand History (As stolen from Wikipedia)

The band began in 2001 as a solo project for Edwards while 16 Horsepower was taking a temporary hiatus.[2] Woven Hand's first live shows were performed by Edwards and multi-instrumentalist Daniel McMahon; the self-titled debut album was released in 2002 on Glitterhouse Records. Performances following this record featured Edwards, McMahon, drummer Ordy Garrison and cellist Paul Fonfara. 2003 saw the release of Blush Music, the score to a dance performance mostly composed of reworked material from the first record. Touring behind this album featured Shane Trost replacing Fonfara.

In 2004, Consider the Birds was released on the Sounds Familyre label, which has also released the previous Woven Hand releases domestically. Edwards performed the bulk of the instrumentation in the studio; he and Garrison toured behind the record as a two-piece. 16 Horsepower disbanded the following year, and Edwards further focused his attention on Woven Hand. Peter van Laerhoven, a Belgian guitarist, was added to the lineup, while McMahon and Trost became inactive with the group.

After 2006's Mosaic, Pascal Humbert, a founding member of 16 Horsepower, became the band's bassist. 2008's Ten Stones was the first record from the group written and performed collaboratively – the project had thus evolved into a proper band, albeit with Edwards firmly at its head. In 2009, the band operated as a three-piece, sans Van Laerhoven.

Their fifth studio album, The Threshingfloor was released in June 2010. Shortly thereafter, the group announced touring plans opening for the alternative metal band Tool.[3]

September 2012 saw the release of Wovenhand's sixth studio album, The Laughing Stalk, produced by Alexander Hacke (who along with Edwards is participating in the reunion of Australian post-punk band Crime And The City Solution). Wovenhand's lineup for the album was changed once again, as Humbert quit and new bassist Gregory Garcia Jr. along with second guitarist Chuck French were brought in. The resulting record was described as being "the most heavy incarnation that ever existed of Wovenhand"


Web Site:
http://www.wovenhand.com/
or
http://www.16horsepower.com/

There's an A in prAyer

As long as there are tests in school, there will certainly be prayer in school.

Legal or not, its not going to stop.

I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Maybe, just maybe, what it's really about is making other people adhere to the religious rites of those who are most strongly advocating it.

As though a hollow motion through religious ritual would create a change of heart?

Yeah, that's exactly how it works...just don't read your Bible and you should be fine with that.

The End is Near

Now, I know there are those of you who would love to dismiss the idea that the end is nearing, and I was among you until I considered the following observation.

Hear me out I'll be brief.

As I think about a zombie apocalypse, I also thought to myself:

OBaMa or rOMnEy

Do you see what I see?!
That's right, they each have three letters in common with the word zombie!

This leads me to believe that no matter who won in the election, a zombie apocalypse was inevitable.

I'm scared....

Increasing the Volume 1107

16 Horsepower, one of my all time favorites.

I discovered them accidentally, when I was a member of a record club.
I liked the name and the description and took a chance. Glad I did.

If you like this, check out a band called Woven Hand.
That will be Increasing the Volume 1108

Here's some video links for you to sample:

Black Soul Choir
Lyrics:
Ain't none ever seen the face of his foe no
He ain't made of flesh & bone
He's the one who sits up close beside you
An when he's there you are alone

Every man is evil yes an every man a liar
An unashamed with the wicked tongues sing
In the black soul choir

Yes an no man ever seen the face of my Lord no
Not since he left his skin
He's the one you keep cold on the outside girl
He's at your door let him in

O I will forgive your wrongs
Yes I am able
An for my own I feel great shame
I would offer up a brick to the back of your head boy
If I were Cain
 
Haw

Hutterite Mile


American Wheeze [HQ]

Wayfaring Stranger


Splinters



16 Horsepower History (Stolen from Wikipedia)

David Eugene Edwards and Pascal Humbert formed 16 Horsepower in 1992 in Los Angeles, California, where they had met building movie sets for Roger Corman’s Hollywood Studios. Friend, co-worker and trained jazz drummer Jean-Yves Tola joined shortly after. The trio performed once as Horsepower before they parted ways with Humbert as Edwards and Tola re-located to Denver, Colorado.

In Edwards's hometown of Denver, the band once again became a trio with the addition of Keven Soll, a luthier and accomplished double bass player. Frustrated by misconceptions about the name Horsepower being related to heroin and inspired by a traditional American folk song about sixteen horses pulling the coffin of a beloved to the graveyard, the name was changed to 16 Horsepower. The band spent the following years rehearsing and gaining a reputation for their intense live performances while touring extensively across North America and eventually they released a seven-inch single, "Shametown", in 1994 on Ricochet Records. By this time they had gained the attention of A&M Records, and recording of Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes began in 1995. For various reasons A&M decided to postpone the release of the album, and so the band returned to the studio and recorded their eponymous debut EP which was released the same year.

The debut full-length studio album Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes was eventually released in 1996, garnering praise from the international music press. At this time Pascal Humbert had re-located to Denver and joined the band as a second guitarist, although his primary instrument is the bass. Following differences about the musical direction, Soll was asked to leave and was replaced by Rob Redick, later known as the bassist for Candlebox. Redick did not last long because of what the band has referred to as "kind of a mutual unhappiness", and Humbert took over the bass duties. Jeffrey-Paul Norlander joined on second guitar shortly before recording began on the second album, Low Estate, with John Parish as producer. Edwards and Norlander had previously been in several bands together, most notably The Denver Gentlemen.

Norlander departed in 1998 and was replaced by Steve Taylor, the band's guitar technician, who had already been performing on a handful of songs on the bands European tour in 1996.

Spending two years touring and writing new material, 16 Horsepower’s third full-length album Secret South was not recorded and released until 2000. The album marked a distinct change in sound and tone from earlier releases as the up-tempo rock influences had all but vanished completely and left room for a more melodic folk-inspired sound. A planned European tour during the summer of 2001 was canceled because of what seemed like internal conflicts within the band, and rumours of a break-up began to circulate shortly after. This rumour was further fueled by the fact that the band members had begun to focus on solo and side-projects. Humbert had released his solo-debut with his project Lilium the previous year and Edwards had begun recording and performing live with his new project Woven Hand.

16 Horsepower, short of Steve Taylor, returned in 2002 with Folklore. As hinted by the title, this fourth studio album took the band further into traditional folk territory and featured only four original 16 Horsepower compositions. While the band went on several tours in support of the album, their creative output was focused on Woven Hand and Lilium, Tola having also joined the latter. Olden, a compilation of previously unreleased versions of early material was released in 2003. This release was supported by a tour in early 2004, including their first US dates in three years, featuring a set split between early material and Folklore-era songs. In April 2005 the band announced their official break-up, as a result of personal, political and spiritual differences as well as finding the constant touring incompatible with their daily lives.

Alternative Tentacles Records, a San Francisco-based record label run by former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra absorbed American distribution of the band's latter records shortly before their breakup. Since the band's demise, the label has released two DVD-format retrospectives, and in 2008 released a two-CD set Live March 2001. Humbert joined Woven Hand in 2007.
Styles and themes

It has always been difficult to describe the band's music in simple terms as it borrowed just as heavily from folk music, country, bluegrass, and traditionals as it did from rock music. 16 Horsepower and Edwards' later project Woven Hand were described by one critic as "incendiary gospel, hallowed folk and mordant tones infused with a high, dark theatricality worthy of Nick Cave." [1]

Edwards' grandfather was a Nazarene preacher and young Edwards often went along as his elder preached the gospel to various peoples. This experience coloured his approach to songwriting as well as the instrumentation employed to develop the band's unique sound. On several tracks over the course of the band's career, Edwards evoked decisive Christian imagery, particularly that of the redemptive capacity of Jesus Christ.

16 Horsepower, especially in their early days, saw themselves first and foremost as a rock band. David Eugene Edwards, however, had an interest in all things from past times, including musical instruments. One instrument that was paramount during the nascent days of 16 Horsepower was the Chemnitzer concertina.[citation needed] It was erroneously credited as a bandoneon (a closely related instrument) on Sackcloth 'n' Ashes. The antique instrument used on the early tours and recordings was falling apart and quite cumbersome to tour with; some time before the sessions for Low Estate, it was replaced with the more modern American-made Patek brand instrument. 

Web Site:
http://www.wovenhand.com/
or
http://www.16horsepower.com/
 

Friend of mine shared this with me

My dog: the paradox - The Oatmeal

Its funny because its true.

Madame Blueberry

That's what we call her, and she's home.

It's too bad car insurance doesn't work like health insurance. We're about $1,600 in to it, half of which we have to come up with in a month. That should prove interesting.

Not to mention that after four years of sitting in the driveway, the tires are dry rotted as well, and she can sound like an old sailing vessel. I suppose that's to be expected.

Based on a promise of a loan, we had her towed to the mechanic, only to find at the end of it it all, oops, that money no longer exists.

We had the brother of a good friend of ours working on it, and he cut us some really good deals. I can't imagine how much it would have been otherwise.

No one particular thing was wrong but a myriad of little things.

We took her home last Thursday, with the instruction that we'd need to drive her for a week so the computer could cycle through all its tests. So far we're good as no check engine light had come on yet.

Now we just need to figure it how we're going to pay for emissions and tags as well.

For now though, I haven't driven the 64' Ford in the last week which has really cut back on gas costs.

It'll be nice to be able to return the Ford that or friend Don and his wife, as they've been so generous to let us borrow for quite a long time now, since I totaled the Honda in a wreck last year.

Not only has it cost them quite a bit, since they've also been picking up the insurance, but its been a stress to drive someone else's car, all the while waiting for some big problem to occur and really screw me.

The Ford's been a champ though, and it's been the impetus to meet quite a few people I wouldn't have otherwise had occasion to talk to. The down side it's that misty of those people think I should know all about trucks. I get it, but I don't know squat.

Thanks Don and Debbie.
You're truly faithful servants.
You've been a blessing more than you can imagine.

Hope to have truck back to you soon.

d(-_-)b

WWJD?

About Right Wing Watch | Right Wing Watch

Not this....

Wanes Word

What are the moral and spiritual issues in the 2012 election? - Wayne Grudem - Wayne Grudem

Wow, that's all I can say here. I can't tell if I'm severely unenlightened or just evil....either way I'm in dumb struck with disbelief.

Sincerely I thought Mr. Grudem was above and beyond rubbish like this.

The implication here is that Democrats are evil, and Republicans are good which is then supported with untrue statements about what either believes.

That it's ok to vote for a candidate you don't believe in because you're really voting for the party anyway.

That freedom of religion does not include freedom from religion...

Wanes Word?
                   ...be excrement to each other.

Tell me, am I wrong?

Increasing the Volume 1106

WARNING: For those who are offended by inappropriate language, no worries here. However there are a lot A LOT of swear words you might not like, I just don't think that they're inappropriate.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kshqj1rIyEo&sns=em

From Wikipedia:
"America Kicks A**" is a song by avant-garde band King Missile. It was the only single from the band's 2004 album Royal Lunch.

In "America Kicks A**," frontman John S. Hall, backed by an ominous string section and sporadic bursts of white noise, assumes the persona of an enraged American aggressively in favor of American jingoism and militarism.

Hall screams the lyrics, including such sentiments as:

“ America totally kicks a**.
Strongest nation on Earth.
Nobody can kick our a**
And we're not really criminals,
because there's no international law.
No international law,
because there's no international courts. And there are no international courts because we refuse to recognize any court that might ever try to stop us from doing whatever the **** we want....
We don't have to justify ourselves.
We don't have to tell the rest of the world s***.
We do whatever the **** we want for one reason, and one reason only:
because we can.

The lyrics satirize this jingoistic mindset.

Here are the complete lyrics, although you have to hear the sing to get the real intonation and sentiment.

(spoken)
America totally kicks a**.
Strongest nation on Earth.
Nobody can kick our a**.
Nobody can intimidate us, because we don't give a f***.

We are motherf***ing hard like a gangsta with a nine by our side.
Except there's no five-O gonna roll up and beat our a** down.
And we're not really criminals, because there's no international law.
No international law, because there's no international courts.
And there are no international courts because we refuse to recognize any court that might ever try to stop us from doing whatever the f*** we want.
No trials, no courts, no laws for America. So we can do whatever the f*** we want. And we're not even criminals.
Doesn't that f***ing kick a**?
What an excellent country!
And we've gotten rid of the hypocrisy too. We used to make bulls*** excuses for whatever it is we wanted to do.
We would tell the world it was 'cause of human rights, or because the country was a dictatorship, or attacked first – we don't do that anymore.
We don't make bulls*** excuses, because we understand now.
We don't have to justify ourselves.
We don't have to tell the rest of the world shit.
We do whatever the f*** we want for one reason, and one reason only: because we can.
And all those other countries, they can suck our d***.
They can bend over and take it up the a**, because the rest of the world is America's b****.
Half the world works for pennies a day to make us fat and rich.
The deal is, maybe they get to eat, and we get cheap clothes, cheap oil, whatever we want, and if they don't like it they can suck on it, because the rest of the world is America's b****.
Because we are the lone superpower.
And all the other little countries and continents are mere mortals at best.
They are like the homeless: we just step over them on the way to steppin' on somebody else.
They aren't worth the time it takes to piss in their mouth.
We don't care.
We're America.
We kick a**!
What are they gonna do?
Arrest us?
Ostracize us?
Gang up on us?
Let them f***in' try; we are America and we will f*** them up!
If they ever f*** with us, we will just shake it off and use it as an excuse to f*** them up some more.
And the more they try to hurt us, the more medieval on their a**es we will get.
Because we can.
Because America is all-powerful.
America kicks a**.
And America doesn't have to answer to anybody.
Unless, and until, God or the space aliens come to kick our a**.

Well Crap

It's True

The Narrow Gate

It seems to me that for even the most well intentioned people, sometimes, somewhere along the way we can get lost.

It's easy to do because as with most sins it occur over time rather than immediately, and it's full effects aren't realized until well after we're deep in them. So too our focus and passion can slowly and easily shift.

If we are honest with ourselves however, I think we would all have to admit, at times, it becomes easy to confuse the righteousness that comes from the effort of being on God's side with the self righteousness that comes with believing that God is on ours.

We become very certain, and self assured in our views that our direction then becomes turned 180 degrees as we become preoccupied from making sure  that we're actually right to making sure that others know that we're are irrefutably right.

That's when things get really ugly, as our true selves, as we are apart from the grace of God is revealed. Usually to others first and then to us.

We must, when confronted with these things, either repent and apologize, or continue moving ever further away from God in our certain stances.

At that point we create God in our image, rather we who are created in his.

Twilight Honesty

I was just thinking about how nice it was when the Twilight movies were popular that none of the fans pretended to be elitist by saying things like,"Oh, the books are so much better." and things like that.

Burning Desire

So, nothing set in stone, but I was thinking about having a small fire tonight.

Might start a little late, and it's usually an open invite.

Let me know if you're interested 

There are a few rules though....

1) Mostly guys come to these, rarely women, and more rarely kids. I'm not sure why but allow me to say this...

Foremost, my wife and kids are allergic to smoke, so me even having these fires is a little rude. Now that you know I'm rude it gets worse...This was never intended to be an event that forced my wife to do housework in order to entertain guests. That said, don't anticipate that you'll be visiting anything except the exterior of my house. I know what you're thinking, and we have an alley if needed.

2) These fires are spontaneous. There's no planning involved and so there's no commitment involved either. Not on my end, and not on yours. If it happens it happens no pressure since that's contrary to the whole point of the fire.

I do them in front (instead of in back) of my house as it was my hope that it be conducive to the feeling of an open invite. In other words, it's not a private party.

3) I have a very intelligent and diverse group of friends and there's large potential for offense but no one's going be "that guy" right? Be cool.

4) I don't have much money, and besides that it promotes a more communal feeling to have the following rule: If you want to drink it, eat it smoke it, bring it, and bring enough to share.

5) You can bring wood if you want, but I usually foot the bill for that. I figure I'm burning stuff whether or not anyone shows up, so that's entirely my obligation.

 

Investing the Volume 1103

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFz8EYLH2Ts&sns=em

Lyrics:
Narrator: "Larry will be performing the traditional Argentinian ballad,

'The Dance of the Cucumber,' in it's original Spanish. Bob the Tomato

will translate."

Larry: "Miren al pepino"

Bob: "Watch the cucumber"

Larry: "miren como se mueve"

Bob: "see how he moves"

Larry: "como un leon"

Bob: "like a lion"

Larry: "tras un raton."

Bob: "chasing a mouse."

Larry: "Miren al pepino"

Bob: "Watch the cucumber"

Larry: "sus suaves movimientos"

Bob: "Oh, how smooth his motion"

Larry: "tal como mantequilla"

Bob: "like butter"

Larry: "en un chango pelon."

Bob: "on a ... bald monkey."

Larry: "Miren al pepino"

Bob: "Look at the cucumber"

Larry: "los vegetales"

Bob: "all the vegetables"

Larry: "envidian a su amigo"

Bob: "envy their friend"

Larry: "como el quieren bialar"

Bob: "wishing to dance as he"

Larry: "Pepino bailarin, pepino bailarin, pepino bailarin"

Bob: "Dancing cucumber, dancing cucumber, dancing cucumber"

Larry: "Baila, baila, ya!"

Bob: "Dance, dance, yeah!"

Larry: "Miren al tomate"

Bob: "Look at the tomato"

Larry: "no es triste?"

Bob: "Isn't it sad?"

Larry: "El no puede bailar."

Bob: "He can't dance."

Larry: "!Pobre tomate!"

Bob: "Poor tomato!"

Larry: "El deberia poder bailar"

Bob: "He wishes he could dance"

Larry: "Como el pepino"

Bob: "like the cucumber"

Larry: "libre y suavemente."

Bob: "free and smooth."

Larry: "Pero el no puede danzar."

Bob: "But he can't ... Okay! Stop the music! What do ya mean I can't

dance? I can dance! What about Uncle Louie's polka party? Didn't you see

me dancing at Uncle Louie's polka party?"

Larry: "No comprendo."

Bob: "No comprendo? I'll show you 'No comprendo'!"

Jr.: "Mom! Dad! Look over here! Get a picture of me next to the cucumber

in authentic Argentinian garb!"

Dad: "Okay, Junior. But we'd better hurry--I think the dwarves have your

mother confused with someone else! Say 'Peas!'"

All: "Peas!"

Larry: "Escuchen el pepino"

Bob: "Listen to the cucumber"

Larry: "oigan su voz fuerte"

Bob: "hear his strong voice"

Larry: "como un leon"

Bob: "like a lion"

Larry: "listo a devorar."

Bob: "about to eat."

Larry: "Escuchen al pepino"

Bob: "Listen to the cucubmer"

Larry: "que dulce as su canto"

Bob: "oh how sweet his voice"

Larry: "la voz de su garganta perece un triar."

Bob: "the breath from his throat is like a chorus of little birdies."

Larry: "Escuchen al pepino"

Bob: "Listen to the cucumber"

Larry: "los vegetales"

Bob: "all the vegetables"

Larry: "envidian a su amigo"

Bob: "envy their friend"

Larry: "como el quieren cantar."

Bob: "wishing to sing as he."

Larry: "Pepino cantador, pepino cantador, pepino cantador"

Bob: "Singing cucumber, singing cucumber, singing cucumber"

Larry: "canta, canta, ya!"

Bob: "sing, sing, yeah!"

Larry: "Escuchen al tomate"

Bob: "Listen to the tomato"

Larry: "?No es triste?"

Bob: "Isn't it sad?"

Larry: "El no puede cantar."

Bob: "He can't sing."

Larry: "Pobre tomate."

Bob: "Poor tomato."

Larry: "El deberia poder cantar"

Bob: "He wishes he could sing"

Larry: "fuerte y ducle como el pepino"

Bob: "strong and sweet like the cucumber"

Larry: "Pero no puede ..."

Bob: "But he can't ..."

Larry: "!Ni siquiera da un silbido!"

Bob: "Can't even ... whistle! All right! That's it Senor! Come over here and let me sing YOU a song!"

Larry: "Adios, amigos!"

Narrator: "This has been Silly Songs With Larry. Tune in next time to

hear Larry sing ..."

Larry: "Bob is really angry! I hope he doesn't catch me! It's so hard to

run with this sombrero on my head

Legally Wrong

Being legal doesn't make it ethical
That it is not wrong doesn't make it right

Being Born

...it's like receiving a death sentence.

Increasing the Volume 1102

Kodo Drummers of Japan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOUi5fDm0KE&sns=em



Yoshida Brothers


Yoshida Brothers: Storm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7FPL3J0-ng&sns=em

Yoshida Brothers: Inside the Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=G8t0KTOeMPw&sns=em

Who doesn't really?

I read to be right

I write to be read

I love to be loved

Myth of a Christian Nation Intro

This could be a copyright issue, but I just wanted to give you some insight as to what it is i am reading, and why you should read it as well.

HOW THIS BOOK CAME TO BE AND WHY IT MAY IRRITATE SOME READERS

Like many evangelical pastors in the months before the 2004 election, I felt pressure from a number of right-wing political and religious sources, as well as from some people in my own congregation, to "shepherd my flock" into voting for "the right candidate" and "the right position." Among other things, I was asked to hand out leaflets, to draw attention to various political events, and to have our church members sign petitions, make pledges, and so on. Increasingly, some in our church grew irate because of my refusal (supported by the church board) to have the church participate in these activities.

In April of 2004, as the religious buzz was escalating, I felt it necessary to preach a series of sermons that would provide a biblical explanation for why our church should not join the rising chorus of right-wing political activity. I also decided this would be a good opportunity to expose the danger of associating the Christian faith too closely with any political point of view, whether conservative or liberal. I had touched on this topic several times in the past but never as deeply, clearly, and persistently. The series was entitled "The Cross and the Sword," and it forms the foundation for this book.

The response surprised me. For one thing, I had never received so much positive feedback. Some people literally wept with gratitude, saying that they had always felt like outsiders in the evangelical community for not "toeing the conservative party line." Others reported that their eyes had been opened to how they had unwittingly allowed political and national agendas to cloud their vision of the uniquely beautiful kingdom of God. But neither had I ever received so much intensely negative feedback.

I felt as though I'd stuck a stick in a hornet's nest! About 20 percent of my congregation (roughly a thousand people) left the church. Many who left sincerely believe there is little ambiguity in how true Christian faith translates into politics. Since God is against abortion, Christians should vote for the pro-life candidate, they believe—and the preacher should say so. Since God is against homosexuality, Christians should vote for the candidate who supports the marriage amendment act—and a Bible-believing pastor should proclaim this. Since God is for personal freedom, Christians should vote for the candidate who will fulfill "America's mission" to bring freedom to the world—and any American pastor, like myself, should use his "God-given authority and responsibility" to make this known. "It's that simple," I was told. To insist that it's not, some suggested, is to be (as I was variously described) a liberal, a compromiser, wishy-washy, unpatriotic, afraid to take a stand, or simply on the side of Satan.

Some readers undoubtedly share these convictions and may already be responding negatively to this book. Like many American evangelicals, you may assume that espousing a certain political position is simply part of what it means to be Christian. It may be difficult for you to fathom how an evangelical pastor could, for theological reasons, refuse to use the pulpit to support a pro-life, pro-family, pro-Christian values, pro-American political platform. Aren't we supposed to be trying to take America back for God?

Consequently, you too may be tempted to write me off as liberal, a compromiser, wishy-washy, unpatriotic, afraid to take a stand, or on the side of Satan. If so, let me assure you that, for all my shortcomings,

I don't believe any of those labels accurately describes me.

And I'd ask you to hear me out.

At the outset, I want you to know I appreciate and respect your convictions. I understand the consternation you may feel, but at the same time, I challenge you to keep an open mind and to consider this book's arguments. I know how difficult it is to take a book seriously when it confronts one's most cherished beliefs. I also know that few things in life are as intellectually and spiritually beneficial as forcing ourselves to consider ideas different from our own—even ideas that may irritate and offend.

This book may well irritate and offend you at times. You may never agree with me. But I believe that wrestling with these issues will benefit you nonetheless. I only ask that you hear me out.

THE CENTRAL THESIS OF THIS BOOK

My thesis, which caused such an uproar, is this: I believe a significant segment of American evangelicalism is guilty of nationalistic and political idolatry. To a frightful degree, I think, evangelicals fuse the kingdom of God with a preferred version of the kingdom of the world (whether it's our national interests, a particular form of government, a particular political program, or so on). Rather than focusing our understanding of God's kingdom on the person of Jesus—who, incidentally, never allowed himself to get pulled into the political disputes of his day—I believe many of us American evangelicals have allowed our understanding of the kingdom of God to be polluted with political ideals, agendas, and issues.

For some evangelicals, the kingdom of God is largely about, if not centered on, "taking America back for God," voting for the Christian candidate, outlawing abortion, outlawing gay marriage, winning the culture war, defending political freedom at home and abroad, keeping the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, fighting for prayer in the public schools and at public events, and fighting to display the Ten Commandments in government buildings.

I will argue that this perspective is misguided, that fusing together the kingdom of God with this or any other version of the kingdom of the world is idolatrous and that this fusion is having serious negative consequences for Christ's church and for the advancement of God's kingdom.

I do not argue that those political positions are either wrong or right. Nor do I argue that Christians shouldn't be involved in politics. While people whose faith has been politicized may well interpret me along such lines, I assure you that this is not what I'm saying. The issue is far more fundamental than how we should vote or participate in government. Rather, I hope to challenge the assumption that finding the right political path has anything to do with advancing the kingdom of God.

THE FOUNDATIONAL MYTH

What gives the connection between Christianity and politics such strong emotional force in the U.S.? I believe it is the longstanding myth that America is a Christian nation.

From the start, we have tended to believe that God's will was manifested in the conquest and founding of our country—and that it is still manifested in our actions around the globe. Throughout our history, most Americans have assumed our nation's causes and wars were righteous and just, and that "God is on our side." In our

minds—as so often in our sanctuaries—the cross and the American flag stand side by side. Our allegiance to God tends to go hand in hand with our allegiance to country. Consequently, many Christians

who take their faith seriously see themselves as the religious guardians of a Christian homeland. America, they believe, is a holy city "set on a hill," and the church's job is to keep it shining.

The negative reaction to my sermons made it clear that this foundational myth is alive and well in the evangelical community—and not just in its fundamentalist fringes. That reaction leads me to suspect that this myth is being embraced more intensely and widely now than in the past precisely because evangelicals sense that it is being threatened.

The truth is that the concept of America as a Christian nation, with all that accompanies that myth, is actually losing its grip on the collective national psyche, and as America

becomes increasingly pluralistic and secularized, the civil religion of Christianity is losing its force. Understandably, this produces consternation among those who identify themselves as the nation's religious guardians.

So, when the shepherd of a flock of these religious guardians stands up—in the pulpit no less—and suggests that this foundational American myth is, in fact, untrue, that America is not now and never was a Christian nation, that God is not necessarily on America's side, and that the kingdom of God we are called to advance

is not about "taking America back for God"—well, for some, that's tantamount to going AWOL. I respect the sincerity of that conviction, but for me, it simply confirms how badly the church needs to hear the message of this book.

The myth of America as a Christian nation, with the church as its guardian, has been, and continues to be, damaging both to the church and to the advancement of God's kingdom. Among other things, this nationalistic myth blinds us to the way in which our most basic and most cherished cultural assumptions are diametrically opposed to the kingdom way of life taught by Jesus and his disciples.Instead of living out the radically counter-cultural mandate of the kingdom of God, this myth has inclined us to Christianize many pagan aspects of our culture. Instead of providing the culture with a radically alternative way of life, we largely present it with a religious version of what it already is. The myth clouds our vision of God's distinctly beautiful kingdom and thereby undermines our motivation to live as set-apart [holy] disciples of this kingdom. Even more fundamentally, because this myth links the kingdom of God with certain political stances within American politics, it has greatly compromised the holy beauty of the kingdom of God to non-Christians. This myth harms the church's primary mission. For many in America and around the world, the American flag has smothered the glory of the cross, and the ugliness of our American version of Caesar has squelched the radiant love of Christ. Because the myth that America is a Christian nation has led many to associate America with Christ, many now hear the good news of Jesus only as American news, capitalistic news, imperialistic news,exploitive news, antigay news, or Republican news. And whether justified or not, many people want nothing to do with any of it.

TWO CONTRASTING KINGDOMS

In the pages that follow, I'll suggest that the kingdom Jesus came to establish is "not from this world" (John 18:36), for it operates differently than the governments of the world do. While all the versions of the kingdom of the world acquire and exercise power over others, the kingdom of God, incarnated and modeled in the person

of Jesus Christ, advances only by exercising power under others.

It expands by manifesting the power of self-sacrificial, Calvary-like love. To put it differently, the governments of the world seek to establish, protect, and advance their ideals and agendas. It's in the fallen

nature of all those governments to want to "win." By contrast, the kingdom Jesus established and modeled with his life, death, and resurrection doesn't seek to "win" by any criteria the world would use. Rather, it seeks to be faithful. It demonstrates the reign of God by manifesting the sacrificial character of God, and in the process, it reveals the most beautiful, dynamic, and transformative power in the universe. It testifies that this power alone—the power to transform people from the inside out by coming under them—holds the hope of the world. Everything the church is about, I argue, hangs on preserving the radical uniqueness of this kingdom in contrast to the kingdom of the world.

THREE PRELIMINARY WORDS

But three preliminary words need to be said. First, my thesis applies as much to Christians on the political left as on the political right.6 While I'm concerned about the fusion of the two kingdoms from both sides, the focus of this book is more on the political right, since that political orientation is far and away the dominant one among evangelicals at this point in history. The political right currently has far more religious and political clout—and has captured far more of the media spotlight. For that reason, it warrants more attention. Second, to insist that we keep the kingdom of God radically distinct from all versions of the kingdom of the world does not mean that our faith and moral convictions shouldn't inform our participation in the political process. Of course they should—but that is true of all citizens in a free country. Whether we're aware of it or not, all of us, whether religious or not, vote our faith and values.

What the distinction between the two kingdoms does imply, however, is that citizens of the kingdom of God need to take care to distinguish between their core faith and values on the one hand and the particular way they politically express their faith and values on the other. While the way of the kingdom of God is always simple,

Straight forward, and uncompromising, the way of the kingdom of the world is always complex, ambiguous, and inevitably full of compromises. Hence, kingdom people who share the same core faith and values can and often do disagree about how their faith and values should inform their involvement in the kingdom of the world. (' Finally, this book is written to help us get a clear vision of the unique kingdom of God as revealed in the life of Jesus, to see how its Calvary-like way of bringing about change in people's lives and

in society is completely different from the world's, and to see the great harm that results when Jesus' disciples fail to preserve the uniqueness of that way. This book does not attempt to resolve all ambiguities between these two kingdoms The purpose of this book, rather, is to cast a broad vision of the kingdom of God and show its stark contrast to the kingdom of the world. If it helps some readers see how wonderfully different God's kingdom is from the world; if it helps some place more trust in God's unique "power under" mode of operation; and if it motivates some to become more committed to living out the radically alternative, countercultural life of this kingdom—it will have served its purpose.

Misfortune 500

I was thinking they ought to have misfortune cookies...

and then I found this.

They do!

DNR Democrats N Republicans

Who else but a politician could feel like it's OK to send me email after email, telling me how much they want me to choose them, 

that they care about and understand me, 

that they will listen to me and represent my best interests, 

and then close email after email with the words,

" Do Not Reply".

Doesn't that tell us what we should already know about the system?