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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/06/2016 in all areas

  1. bonnie

    All politicians know we have short memories

    Politicians also have short memories Clinton is running against Donald Trump,not the Bush administration or the mistakes and wrong doings of that presidency Hillary Clinton had quite a bit to say on the Bush e-mail scandal as did others. Obviously she was not ignorant of the ramifications of what she was doing. Nor would it have been necessary for her to lie concerning Colin Powell.
    2 points
  2. Gail

    Shepherd's Rod?

    Depends on how much time you feel like wasting. Ask him what his motivation is for sharing his new ideas.
    1 point
  3. CoAspen

    Shepherd's Rod?

    If SR or an off shoot of them, He will argue with you using EGW most exclusively. I would doubt that he will stay for long since you will be the opposite of him. Maybe he is on a mission, who knows! Treat him like any other person.
    1 point
  4. BillCork

    Lutherans & Catholics unite

    Commentary I wrote about this elsewhere. We’re a year away from the five hundredth anniversary of Luther’s “95 Theses on Indulgences,” whose posting generally marks the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. In light of that, ecumenical dialogues are hoping for irenic celebrations of dialogue and consensus. Towards that end, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have produced Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist. While this is an official statement of the ELCA, approved by a majority vote of delegates at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly, it has merely been approved by a committee of the USCCB, and so is not an official statement of either the USCCB or the Catholic Church. Further, only the “32 Agreements” in this “Declaration” are the substance of the matter, so I’ll focus on them. What are we to make of “Declaration on the Way”? The document says this: A modest claim. But let’s be clear, too, that “Lutherans” is used as shorthand for the headquarters of the “Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” and, by extension, the headquarters of those Lutheran bodies that are part of the Lutheran World Federation. “Confessional” Lutherans, such as those in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, as well as some theologians and pastors within the ELCA, would have a more pessimistic assessment of the level of agreement. Looking over the text of the “32 Agreements,” it’s hard to see why they think this such a remarkable achievement. Historic disagreements are ignored. Vague statements replace precise terminology. Let’s look at the example of the Eucharist (statements 27-32). They agree that Holy Communion is a good thing. Through it, we participate somehow in the life of the Trinity. Through the Spirit we have access to the glorified Body and Blood of Christ, and are united to the Father and one another. Already here we see it worded so vaguely that Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli could have agreed with Rome. What isn’t mentioned are the disagreements that actually split the Church. It is a curious “agreement” that simply chooses to ignore the disagreements. Rather than go point by point through this theological cotton candy, let’s look at the section of the document that spells out remaining disagreements. Is the church “congregation of the faithful,” or “sacrament of salvation”? Can the church be “holy” and “sinful” at the same time? Is “sola Scriptura” enough, or is the Church itself an authoritative teacher? Can “infallible” teachings be questioned? Which aspect of the church has its fullness, the local congregation, or the diocese, in union with its bishop? Catholics do not recognize the apostolicity of the Lutheran ministry. What is the relationship between the ministry of the baptized and that of the ordained? Catholics insist on an “essential” difference between the two, and without properly ordained ministers, there can be no sacraments. Is ordination a sacrament? Can women be ordained? What is the distinction between bishops and presbyters? Is the office of Bishop of Rome essential to the unity of the church? Is the Eucharist a sacrifice for the living and the dead? How is Christ present in the Eucharist? Is Transubstantiation a legitimate concept? Do the consecrated Bread and Wine remain the Body of Christ, and are they to be reserved and worshipped? At the end of that litany of disagreement one wonders why they even bothered. This is no agreement. These were the issues of the Reformation. They still divide the church.
    1 point
  5. CoAspen

    All politicians know we have short memories

    I'm sure this can all be explained away! Just because GWB did it, and others....., makes no matter we must pillory HC and send her to jail for it. Oh, the horror of it all!
    1 point
  6. Bravus

    All politicians know we have short memories

    1 point
  7. Gregory Matthews

    Adventist Chaplains

    Many SDAs, probably, do the realize the extent to which Adventist chaplain minister. Presently the denomination has Chaplains serving in hospitals (both SDA and non-SDA), the military, SDA Colleges and schools and prisons. These are the ones that are most commonly known. The Church is expanding its chaplain ministry to non-SDA universities, to corporations and to employees working in secular environments. In addition, Adventist chaplaincy outreach is rapidly exp0anding to countries outside of the United States, and sometimes in ways that are new to us. AS part of meeting the needs of this expanding ministry, ACM (Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries) publishes a 32 page magazine, quarterly, named THE ADVENTIST CHAPLAIN. If you wish to read that magazine, it is on the Internet and you may access it at the following URL. Simply click on the issue that you wish to read. Over time this publication covers a wide range of Adventist chaplain ministry. http://adventistchaplains.org/index.php/adventist-chaplains-issues/
    1 point
  8. Gail

    Ever been to an AA meeting?

    I have personally experienced the laughing of church members regarding alcohol and it turned me right off. It actually ticked me off, coming from people who probably never touched a drop nor had to suffer the effects upon their families. The small groups at church or those in homes may provide both the support and the courage to speak out in more public venues such as SS. Mark, I share with you the dependence on the power of God as a help. I have an ongoing problem with spending- out of boredom, having a history of poverty, or just fascination with the pretty things being offered. What has helped the most is first realizing that 1) those things will all be swept away when Jesus so I should be ready to give them up if need be NOW, and 2) praying for contentment in my heart. It is the prayer for #2 that has been answered the most profoundly. Self is a big issue for me, a continual one.
    1 point
  9. Aliensanctuary

    Ever been to an AA meeting?

    My thinking is that some Sabbath School classes should be modeled after the AA methodology. Discussing the canned SS lessons will probably never affect a person's life in the way that baring your pain, your sorrows, your failures, and your successes to your peers can. SS is merely repetitive, external fluff, but sharing the secrets of your life and being held accountable for changes in behavior and attitude in a small group can transform you, sometimes requiring tears and hankies. One wouldn't necessarily have to meet on Sabbath in small groups, but it would be more convenient. This has already occurred in the past. Just put the SS lesson on the back burner and get on our hands and knees and cry out to God to change us for the better. Although we can't read minds like Jesus Christ did, we can affect others by keeping and eye on them and encouraging them to be overcomers of the addictions that plague so many of us. Yes, I have attended a few AA meetings in the past, not because I was addicted to harmful substances, but as a part of marriage counselling. At the time, I couldn't really relate to the type of people who attended. I might do better, now, after having a body grinder take off a few of my rough edges. Those meetings tend to create networks of encouragement. It's a great benefit to add a spiritual dimension using scripture and the teachings of Christ.
    1 point
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