Politically Direct
When Judas Iscariot agreed to deliver Jesus to the chief priests on Maundy Thursday some 2,000 years ago, he was betting that Jesus was not who He claimed to be – the son of God. Judas’ payoff was 30 pieces of silver. However, that betrayal cost Judas his life. History has shown this wager was against impossible odds.
Today, many are going against the odds and making that same wager.
Just what are the odds that Jesus was God’s son? Continue reading “You Bet Your Life”
“Select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
– Exodus 18:21
“You brood of vipers!” Those harsh words were those of Jesus as he ran the money changers out of the temple. They were robbing the people and making a mockery out of their sacrifices.
Over 2,000 years later, we have our own brood of vipers. They’re in Washington. They aren’t simple opportunists who showed up to prey on the sacrificial tax contributions of hardworking Americans. We sent them there to mind the store as our representatives. Continue reading “The unfaithful Faithful”
What does it mean to be truly thankful? It is an attitude of gratitude toward our Maker.
Gratitude is not passive. It is more than offering up a traditional prayer before you sit down to a feast, followed by an afternoon of watching football in front of the television. It is an acknowledgment that all that we have, our very existence, is a gift from God – a God who made man in His image in order to have communion with him.
Communion is more than a conversation. It is a relationship. A relationship requires communication to be sure, but have you ever tried to have communion with a rock? Continue reading “What Does It Mean to be Truly Thankful?”
The revolt in the Republican ranks over the nomination of Harriett Miers to the Supreme Court is extremely significant. For the first time since George W. Bush was elected president, the leading conservative watchdog groups, even many from the religious right, are showing some backbone and are not blindly walking the plank for this man.
However, there is another revolt within conservative ranks that finally has caught fire. You must fan these flames because it is equally as important as a seat on the Supreme Court. Continue reading “Needed: Religious Conservatives with Backbone”
Have you ever wondered why abortion remains the most controversial issue in America today? It’s been over three decades since Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in all 50 states, for any reason, through all nine months of a woman’s pregnancy, yet it remains unsettled. Why else would this issue now be the “litmus test” for appointments to our highest court?
Abortion is both a political issue and a moral issue. However, many politicians want it treated only as a religious issue and many religious leaders won’t touch it because it is political. It has become a Catch-22, a highly controversial, highly visible stepchild. Continue reading “The Issue that Won’t Go Wway”
No one is quite sure how the custom of giving and receiving gifts on the anniversary of Christ’s birth actually began. Some say it was a holdover from a celebration the Romans held at the end of the year to honor Saturn, their harvest god.Some say it came from Saint Nicholas, a kind-hearted Christian bishop who lived around 300 A.D., who is said to have given gold to each of three girls who did not have dowries, so they could get married. Continue reading “Exchanging Gifts with Jesus”
Jane Chastain 