Friday, March 26, 2010

It's a dog's life ...

;
... methinks Flute and Oboe have the right idea
about how to spend a sunny cold morning ...
... find a comfie place and have a nap,
posture and allignment is about
COMFORT, not dignity:
;



Friday, March 19, 2010

A Communist Tract ...

There is a thing called rational discussion.
There is a place in rational discussion for respectful disagreement that furthers the discussion.
And there is ALWAYS a place for oppostion that asks the tough questions in the face of a dominant idea, theology or notion.

BUT, sometimes rational, respectful and intelligent discussion is not only lacking, it is completely lacking. And an example of this has been going on in the United States where hyper-conservative Glenn Beck is hammering hard on Jim Wallis, and on the inclusion of Social Justice in the life and ministry of Churches south of the border.

According to Beck's counsel, we are to run from churches that dare to mention social justice or economic justice, for in his "open-minded" (my tongue is firmly in my cheek here) opinion, these are the buzz words of Communists and Nazis ... This is so far beyond a true and unapologetic WTF??? that I am truly and utterly speechless ...

I first encountered (or noticed) this issue in last night when I noticed a tweet update on Facebook from Aaron from Alma's Soulfood, that mentioned the attack by Glenn Beck on Jim Wallis ... I went looking and had to laugh at the silliness of Beck's contention ...

Then today I started to find more and more material on line supporting Beck ... it would seem the tinfoil crowd have had a busy night sitting up typing at their computers through the wee hours ...

Fortunately though, I have found this afternoon some calm and rational voices that manage to put Mr. Beck's contention in its place, and that remind us ALL that a call to Social Justice, is a call that has resounded through the community of faith since Amos and his Prophetic kin came in out of the wilderness speaking on behalf of the God Yahweh who THUNDERED FOR JUSTICE!!!

I've been struggling to come up with a Sermon for this Sunday, and now, with the swirl of ideas supporting Wallis and the modern Social Justice movement (which is also central to my Masters Thesis which is currently sitting at 39 pages of text !!) whirling through my thinking - I see a direct connection with the story of Jesus having his feet anointed by Mary ... Jesus' response to Judas about the poor is not a call to inaction, but rather is a reminder that the POOR are always among us, and we best not forget them ...

For now though, I have gone back and re-acquainted myself with the writings of Rabbi Heschel, who returned to the ancient scrolls to call the WORLD to a faith focused on Social Justice ... the teachings of Rabbi Heschel undergird the action oriented faith of people from Martin Luther King through to Jim Wallis ... and Heschel is merely echoing the timeless teachings of guys with names like Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, and Micah ... teachings that have called us for millenia to remember the poor and to act with justice and care.

Rabbi Heschel's landmark book The Prophets is ANYTHING but a communist tract.

Yet, for some reason voices persist that claim such an orientation of faith is not consistent with the Gospel ... Not sure what scripture someone like Beck is reading, but when I open my Bible (two of them: New Revised Standard Translation and a New Jerusalem Bible) I hear the Gospel calling us to act on our faith by caring for the widows and orphans, and by not only remembering the poor, but by doing something to show our care and compassion through our faithful action.

Might be me, but I think Beck is just plain crazy ... unfortunately, his is a voice that some actually (and foolishly) take seriously. THANKFULLY there are voices out there speaking out against Beck and his folly ...

For some of the voices speaking out against Beck and his misguided rants check out the links below:

Jim Wallis loves his enemies by Ryan Rodrick Beiler

Glenn Beck and Social Justice from the blog - Philosophy Over Coffee

Jim Wallis' reply on The Huffington Post

I guess this just goes to show the truth of Gandhi's contention that "First they laugh at you. Then they ignore you. Then they fight you. THEN YOU WIN !!!"

We should ALL be sending notes of thanks to Mr Beck ... he's thrown the gauntlet and in the process has announced that Mr Wallis and those of us supportive of Social Justice are the winners before the fight has even begun !!

Tequila and Tantrums ... the Travelling Conservatives !!

It's appropriate and somehow apt, that as I write this about 14 blocks away, Mr Harper is wow'ing the local Conservative Constiuency (the white, middle class vote) with his presence in the Wheat City ... he's the first sitting PM to visit since 1997, when Jean Chretien made an appearance.

Thus far voices that would criticize, or critique Mr Harper and his visit have largely been silenced and quelled ... can't have Mr Tweed's grip on the riding questioned, can we??

I like Merv, our current MP, and I think he does a good job for this riding - but - his leader, our PM is someone who needs to remember that criticism and critique is part of the Canadian political landscape. There is a reason why we have Her Majesty's LOYAL Opposition - you can be loyal and opposed simultaneously. Democracy, particularly in the Parliamentary tradition demands the full and vigorous debate of issues from two (or more) sides - not just the blind adherence to the Party line, regardless of where that party falls.

So, to honour Mr Harper's visit to our fair city today ... I would offer the latest installment of the Conservative Watch feature I've implemented here ... This go round presents some absolutely fascinating and amusing examples of the Conservative Party and their utter failure to live by the principles they claim to promote:

I have yet to tire of Ms. Guergis and the soap operatic happenings in her life ... first her hubby gets caught for a variety of offenses while driving one night north of Toronto, then in a single week he gets a slap on the wrist by pleading to lesser charges while the BIG charges are quietly dropped, AND Ms Guergis herself reportedly has a infantile melt-down in the airport in Charlottetown ... but the story isn't yet finished ... I really like Rick Mercer's take on this from his latest rant (click here to read Rick's take on this) - but the cherry on the sundae in this is the little news item that slipped by largely unnoticed this week that announced that the benevolent Ms. Guergis has elected NOT to sue the airline, the employees or any one else for defamation and a violation of her privacy for leaking details of her tantrum. My only reaction is - WTF ??? This only strengthens the contention that Ms Guergis needs to resign her post as Cabinet Minister and spend sometime getting her life in order ... (click here to see CBC's story - Guergis Won't Sue Airline Over Tantrum Details)

Then, not to be outdone, Minister Blackburn - the Veterans Affairs Minister for the Conservative Government tries to circumvent the security screening AND argues with the security personell at the Ottawa airport while travelling last month ... the goal Mr Blackburn seeks?? The exemption of his bottle of tequila from the confiscation we ALL face should we violate the rules. CBC's report on this is amusing and unbelievable ... it would appear that he actually wanted them to let him carry the bottle on board in violation of the rules, THEN he asks them to hold the bottle for him when he returns, and when is unreasonable requests are refused, he then becomes combatant ... personally, I can't help but wonder if an encounter with a tazer might teach some of these MP's a touch of much needed humility ... Obviously though, Conservative MP's are showing the perils of travelling ... (click here to see the CBC story - Blackburn sorry for airport tequila incident)

And finally, on the "denying democracy" front, we have two interesting stories that are floating around out there that cast into doubt the willingness of the Conservative Government to face the people and run a democratic AND transparent process ... First is the 'oops' story of the Police in Saskatoon congratulating themselves at keeping Mr. Harper safe from nasty protestors on a recent visit. Rather then letting protesters exercise their DEMOCRATIC rights of free speech within earshot of the PM, the police kept them out of the way lest, Mr Harper be EMBARASSED. Nice job Officers - you spared Mr. Harper embarassment in the moment, but managed to embarass the hell outta him across the nation - GOOD CHOICE !!

And then, the Afghan detainee issue still won't go away ... this week the Opposition parties asked for a Parliamentary ruling on the request for documents that the Government keeps stonewalling on ... this week no less then three cabinet ministers invoked the phrase - "relevant documents" when addressing the issue in the House of Commons. I might have read far too much Brecht in the past, but moments like this cause me pause and make me wonder what back room pep-rallying has been done to maintain the party line??

Moreover, citing 'national security' concerns when it comes to the House of Commons is complete and UTTER crap. At the end of the day, the House of Commons is the sole entity responsible for National Security - the Prime Minister and his Cabinet answer to the HOUSE.

Looking back over this week, I can't help but wonder if Mr. Harper sees how bad his government is looking with each passing week ... Maybe he should crack open the beer he just got from President Obama, and spend a 'good ole Canadian style weekend' watching hockey, debating politics and getting back in touch with reality, because right now the Conservatives are showing themselves amazingly out of touch ...

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Brother, Sister, ...

Tonight I was getting caught up on entries at the various blogs I follow and found The Laughing Pastor's entry, using a quotation from Bonhoeffer, left me humming a song that has been one of my favourites through most of my adult life and my ministry ... as I am seemingly poised to return home, like the prodigal son we preached on this past Sunday, I pray that God may have the grace to let me be thy servant too ...

Blessing to you Brother Blake on your continued journey ... know that you are in the hearts and minds of many ... and that together in faith, we find our way ever closer to the Kingdom of God that has been promised to all, not just a chosen few !!!

Thanks for the posting today ... and thanks for a friendship that has seen me through some deep dark times ... I'm glad to have a Texan brother in MY corner !!!

... and now for the music:


How I spent part of my afternoon ...

Thanks to my part-time job at Pennywise Books in Brandon,
I pulled the task of having to man the book table at
a public lecture being given in town today by Jay Ingram,
host of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet programme,
and author of over a dozen books ...
his talk was amazing, informative and inspiring.
Then immediately following he headed to the lobby and
signed books for the many fans who lined up for
the opportunity of a chat and a signed book.
It was fun!!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

An amazing gesture of kindness and care in the face of tragedy!!



Preston Family Urges Donations to the Phams (cbc.ca/news)


This morning when I found this story item online I had to smile - it's nice to see that the family of Officer Pham is being offered this quiet and thoughtful gesture on the part of the family of his killer.

Given the current emphasis (which I support) on ensuring that the families of our fallen soldiers are given support for education and so on as they wrestle with thier loss, it is equally important to remember the families of fallen police, peace, and other emergency personell who die on duty too.

Frequently, when the media spotlight passes from the family of the fallen on to other new exciting stories, they are left with lives turned upside down, and little support either financial or emotional. The assumption is that these families will be looked after following the death of thier member, but the reality is too often anything but. A little bit of extra help would have likely made a HUGE difference to my own family.

Today though, there are three young boys who have joined a family of men and women of varying ages who have lost their parents to what is easily dubbed the "ultimate sacrifice" and too often they are simply forgotten.

The Preston family have shown great class in this small gesture, that apparently was a request in the funeral notice for donations to the Pham family ... my hope is that it will help remind our Political leadership, and all of us not to forget those of us who have suffered the loss of a parent through the "ultimate sacrifice" on duty.

There are over 730 names etched on the memorial in Ottawa ... and there are dozens of sons and daughters who have struggled every day of thier lives because of a tragic death ... they deserve to be remembered too.

They are our family ...

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Conservative Watch: Mr Flaherty Knows our Pain!!


In Manitoba they call a wet foot that you get while wearing a pair of boots or shoes a "booter" ... today while I was out I got a booter. My shoes, one of the three pairs of outdoors shoes and boots that I currently own, has a split in the sole, and replacing them is simply out of the question any time soon ... so, with the mild temps, the growing puddles and the mushy snow, I have to assume today's booter is simply the first of many I will experience in the coming days ...
.
Last week Mr. Flaherty, as part of the long standing tradition associated with presenting the budget, bought a new pair of shoes before rising in the parliament to share with Canadians his vision for the economic future ... As I stood cursing my bad luck and the discomfort of a wet foot, I thought about how lucky Mr. Flaherty is to be able to enjoy a Emelda Marcos like lifestyle that affords him new shoes on a regular basis, while rising to convince his fellow Canadians that he understand the pain they are experiencing as the economy continues to crush down on more and more people ... despite the assurances of Mr. Flaherty, and the bankers who are stashing away remarkable profits that the economy is turning around - it is a reality that too many of us simply do not see, and are not experiencing ... for too many Canadians today, multiple part time jobs, minimum wages, food support AND utter exhaustion are the economic reality they are facing day in and day out.
.
Fortunately for those of us who are today's working poor, Mr Flaherty wants to share that sacrifice we are experiencing by freezing the salaries of the MP's, Senators and other associated officials for the next two years ... this MILLION dollar savings may sound significant until you take a moment to consider what these folks are taking home already ...
.
For example - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is currently making a salary of $157 731. BUT, his total take home pay is a paltry $315,462 (marking an increase from 142,300 in 2000). I'm sure forgoing a 1.5% salary rise this year and next will be a significant loss for him and his family ... makes me feel badly for him !!!
.
Mr Flaherty himself makes a mere $75,516 per year and took home a mediocre $233,247 at the end of 2009. His predecessor in 2000 was making a mere $117,500. I'm curious to know if Mr. Flaherty is receiving a pension for his 10 years as an MP in the Ontario Legislature, and for his time as Minister in the Conservative government there ... I'm sure the 1.5% increase would have been beneficial to this gentleman who had to give up his legal practise when he entered politics in the 1990's. Hopefully his spouse Christine, who replaced him in the provincial riding he vacated in 2005 to run Federally, doesn't face such an economic set back when the Liberal Government in Ontario sets its budget for the coming year, surely the Flaherty family can't expect to survive solely on Mr. Flaherty's various investments, pensions and the pathetic salary he is expected to take home as Finance Minister during the recession recovery.
.
Looking at other members of the ruling class we are left to scratch our heads about how these folks will be able to make ends meet with the loss of that 1.5% increase this year and next ...
.
The Government Leader in the Senate will have to stretch her annual $207,800 take home pay a little farther because of the wage freeze. Her fellow senators will have to make due with thier $132,300 as well ... it hurts to think that in the year 2000, these folks made only $68,200.
.
Even our backbencher MP's are feeling the pinch with their annual $157,731 salaries frozen ...
.
I guess as I head out this afternoon to deliver the weekly newspapers that helps to add a few extra dollars to my already over-stretched budget, I can be appreciative that the Government in Ottawa understands what it means to make sacrifices. I can be thankful that Mr Flaherty and the rest have felt the pinch of an economy in decline for themselves, and they are more than willing to make amazing personal sacrifices to show us all that they are willing to experience the same pinch as the rest of us. I guess it means that our MP's, Cabinet Ministers, Senators, and our Prime Minister really do understand what it means to be poor and to work for minimum wages ... afterall, from what I see they are really under paid aren't they ????

104 ... A Hero in Life, not death ...


Today, Constable Vu Pham, a 15 year veteran of the Ontario Provincial Police, died of wounds he received while on duty not far from Seaforth Ontario ... born in Vietnam, Constable Pham gave his life in service to the people of Ontario, leaving behind his wife Heather, and thier three sons ...

Constable Pham is the 104th OPP officer to die on duty.

Words can not begin to describe the sorrow I feel in this moment ... as one who knows all too well the pain associated with the loss of a parent serving in the line of duty, my heart grieves for the young men who face life today without their father ... tonight, I offer prayers for the Pham family, Constable Pham's fellow officers, and all those who understand this loss intimately ...

Tonight we are reminded that not only is Constable Pham a hero in life, not in death ... tonight we are all family ...

Rest in Peace Constable Pham ... and may your family find strength, courage and healing in the journey they find themselves on ...

(The CBC story on the shooting is here)

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Pick your version ...

Tonight standing in the backyard with the waning full moon hanging in the eastern sky, I found myself humming this song ... two versions ... one from the movie An American Tail ... the other with Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram ... take your pick, they are both beautiful, and they are both true ...

Somewhere Out There:




=======

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

A NEW Feature - "Conservative Watch:"

Today I noticed a little story on line that mentioned Jason Kenney's office demanding the exclusion of any mention of Gay and Lesbian rights in the recently republished handbook being given to all new immigrants. Initially, Minister Kenney had tried to dismiss the absence of something so central to the political and social experiences of many Canadians by saying it was simply an editorial oversight, then when Canadian Press learned his office formally ASKED for the omission of any mention of these rights, Mr. Kenney offered up excuses that are both lame and insulting.

As I read this article and the revelation within that Mr. Kenney's office had also appointed a long standing Conservative who has very publicly opposes both same sex marriage and equal rights for gays and lesbians to the Board over seeing refugee claims I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the transparent processes that were promised by Mr Harper prior to his ascendancy to the throne ???

Moreover, I started to think about the many quiet little actions being undertaken by the Conservative Government since Parliament was prorogued for the Olympics ... the list I came up with is pretty long ... AND with the House of Commons due to return this week, it is worth putting ALL of these stories in one place for folks to think about them, and whether our Government is seeing to OUR best interests' or whether they are simply trying to keep themselves in power ...

So, in honour of the pending return of Parliament, I would like to offer the stories I have found that should be considered as we evaluate the job Mr Harper and his merry band are doing in Ottawa ... there are more then a few stories that should cause us to pause and ask - WTF ???

For now, here's what I found with a reading of the CBC, CTV and MSN news sites today

- Mr Kenney and the quiet mention of equality rights for gays and lesbians in the new immigrant handbook

- Mr. Baird quietly raising the airport security costs to be paid by travellers just prior to the pending budget that has been promising "NO NEW TAXES" ... reminds me of the first Bush - remember?? "read my lips - no NEW taxes" ... just increase the old ones, and pass off user fees to pay for stuff as a non-tax solution ... a tax is a tax whether it is called a user fee or not !!

- Ms Guergis' now infamous temper tantrum ... seriously, this one is like shooting fish in a barrel ... I will actually just leave it alone ...

- Mr. Bernier expressing the need for skepticism on the issue of Global Warming ... yeah, tell me that Mr Bernier doesn't represent the dominant opinion of his party ??

- Mr. Harper continuing to appoint senators while we still WAIT for his promised Senate reform that would put an end to political patronage appointment ...

- the awarding of 25 MILLION dollars to build and maintain wilderness trails across Canada - a noble project on the surface, until you realize that OVER a third of that money has been given to Snowmobiling clubs to build and maintain their trails ... hmmm, a couple of issues arise here - one is the whole global warming-greenhouse gas thing ... second is the issue of snowmobiles and the environment and the third is - isn't this simply a straight and blatant attempt to win votes ???? I mean - who is represented in the sledder demographic ???

- speaking of government funding - the Feds have announced the provision of 9.4 BILLION dollars for infrastructure funding - again a noble goal designed to get the economy rolling (almost a socialist ideal) - when it is matched by funding from all three levels of government it amounts to over 27 BILLION dollars being invested into the Canadians economy ... the problem arises with the lack of transparency in the whole process and the preference SHOWN to Conservative ridings over regions, areas and ridings that have been hardest hit by unemployment and job loss ... even something as helpful as infrastructure funding has become a political patronage opportunity !!!!!

- and today the Conservatives are already becoming belligerent on the issue of the Afghani detainees ... there is a formal request for information and paper work to allow us to get to the bottom of this, and the Conservatives are already stonewalling ... Come on Mr. Harper - with the stories of a soldier in Afghanistan allegedly executing a wounded Taliban soldier, the murder-rape investigation in Trenton, and the murder investigation here in Brandon, our Military deserve to have the truth revealed!!! The issue of mis-treatment of the detainees is not reflective of our troops in Afghanistan - the issue is about the BUREAUCRATS and their political task masters. Mr Harper - support our troops and release the necessary documentation to get to the bottom of this issue !!!!!

So, there you have it - a partial list of the questionable things our Governing party is up to while Parliament takes a break ... stay tuned. Conservative Watch is about to become a regular column here ... in addition to raising questions about the actions of our Government, Conservative Watch will also be about advocating for issues like housing, poverty and homelessness to be raised in political circles. I don't expect everyone to agree with what I might post here, but I will raise issues that pop up in the media and might otherwise slip away under-noticed.

For now ... I wonder if Mr Harper even realizes how bad lists like this look for him and his government, and if he does realize if he even cares ...

I guess time will tell.

Monday, March 01, 2010

The future is now ... paperless pulpits and online musings ...



I can remember the argument like it was yesterday ... we were busily connecting remote ministry points through the ecunet - an online, email, chat room and message board service that once linked churches around the world.

Ecunet represented an amazing resource for small isolated ministry points like Bella Coola BC ... I was, through the ecunet able to connect with people and resources around the world. One Christmas Eve, prayers were exchanged between our community and a small rural point in the deep south of the US ... mutual tragedies meant we held one another in prayer as the full moon rose, and we listened for the brush of angel wings ...

Earlier that year, a local Hereditary Chief sustained devastating burns in an accident on a fishing boat, and as he fought for survival and his family gathered by his bed side, he was remembered in prayer LITERALLY around the world ... my request for prayers on behalf of he and his family was met with responses from almost every corner of the planet ...

The power of the internet and the world wide web was just beginning to stir in our society 15 years ago, but some of us saw HUGE potential looming on the horizon ... I could see on-line committee meeting for far flung corners of our church - rather then investing enormous amounts of money to bring us together once or twice a year, I dared to dream that through emails we could hold committee meetings with members spread across vast territorial distances ... I could see the opportunities skype represented long before online video streaming was even dreamt of ... I saw unbelievable possibilities looming in the strange electronic boxes that were becoming ubiquitous in our offices and churches ...

Today, almost every ministry personell in the United Church has at least one email address ... resources are regularly sent out via email, pdfs and jpegs, churches have web sites, and many of us have plunged head long into the new media of blogs, tweets, and social networks ... everywhere we turn in the Church the computer has become a tool of ministry that fills some with awe and wonder, and fills others with gut-wrenching fear ... The generational divide in the Church is looming before us like never before. The use of technology can launch the Church to exciting new forms of ministry, which stretch far beyond the hour and half gathering once a week in a vast physical building ...

Through online communities, social networking, information sharing and a myriad of other applications, programmes and other online undertakings the Church stands on the verge of reinventing itself as something dynamic and truly inclusive on a global scale.
Yet, the voices of doubt that border on the luddite, remain.
15 years ago standing on the steps of a remote west coast church a group of us debated strongly the possibility of having a committee "MEET" online by using emails and computer resources ...

"Nope," came the reply, "can't do it. We have to meet face to face ..."
"You mean that we have to spend THOUSANDS of dollars to meet face to face instead of just trying to do this by the private chat room?"

The debate that followed drew battle lines between those who couldn't see how a committee could function without meeting, and those of us who couldn't see how a committee could rely ONLY on meeting face to face in a time of economic restraint ... the outcome was a proclamation that one day in the not too distant future, everything we need to do as a Church and as ministers will happen on computer, and I went even further to say that the computer will be something that we will be able to carry under our arm to and from any place we find ourselves.

"IMPOSSIBLE!!" came the retort.

Looking back it was one of those moments when you see the continental divide between what has been and what will be ... since that fateful afternoon 15 years ago, we have witnessed and explosion of technology and resources that is simply staggering. Computers have gone from enormous desk top computers with tiny memory capacity measured in double digit K's, to giga-byte memory in computers you can tuck into a pocket and carry with you ... Being online, no longer requires waiting for the dial up to connect and beep its way through a slow down load of a massive file ... instant messages, tweets, blogs, and downloads are a norm for cell phones, portable computers and home entertainment systems alike.

The potential of sharing The heart of the Gospel in this high-speed universe is immense. Being able to keep up, is a challenge, but offering a whisper of security and a foundation of tradition and heritage that is both contemporary and current, means the Church is poised to be the best of both worlds ... the old and the new, meet within the context of the Church, when it remembers its true calling is to feed the hungry - the physically hungry, the emotionally hungry, the intellectually hungry, and the spiritually hungry ... with modern technology, and an openness to playing with whatever tools that lie before us, we can embrace that challenge and feed the sheep God has sent out way ...

This week I personally took a new step in the use of technology ... I am a child of paper. My sermons and my writings are all recorded in a hard copy somewhere. When I step into the pulpit, my sermon is largely written out on paper.

While I don't necessarily simply read what I have written, I do stick fairly close to the themes outlined on those pages.

This week however, I made the conscious chose to be paperless in my preaching. Rather then printing out my sermon and carrying the paper copy into the pulpit, I instead simply carried with me the electronic notebook I had purchased a couple of weeks ago for an online interview with a pastoral charge. Having priced online cameras with microphones, I had realized that for almost the same money, I could buy a notebook to replace my defunct laptop. Counting pennies, and using money set aside for other purposes, I bit the bullet and invested in a small 10.5" notebook that would let me continue the research work with the University, write my thesis, and do a variety of online tasks that I find myself engaging in.

On Sunday as I opened the notebook, called up the sermon and began to preach from the screen, I stepped into a new realm ... the tiny computer that is not much bigger than a thin hard cover book has become my portal to the world. Emails, my writings, my resources, and most of the work I am doing currently sits within the various memories and drives of this petite electronic resource.

As I began to preach yesterday I recalled the heated conversation on the front steps of that west coast church ... today, less then 2 decades later, my entire ministry can and is and will be carried under my arm ... my preaching resources, my emails, and my connection with the greater church can be closed up, tucked in a brief case or back pack, and carried with me where ever I go ... any wifi connection will link my portable office to the world ...

Today rather then preaching with the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other, we would do well to consider preaching with our Bible in one hand, and our electronic notebooks and all that they offer and represent in the other ... The Church is called to share the Gospel with all people, and today increasing numbers of these folks are found on line ... and we have some work to do to catch up ...

May it be so ... thanks be to God !!