Breaking News: Nikki and the UMC

"Breaking" News:

Former South Carolina Governor, former U.N. Ambassador, and current candidate for President of the United States Nikki Haley is a member of Mt. Horeb church in Lexington, South Carolina. This 5,000 member church voted this Sunday to leave the United Methodist Church (UMC). It wasn't even close. A member reported to me that the vote was 1,243-42 to separate from the UMC.

In a post at "Get Religion", Richard Ostling tells us why this could be important if she wins the nomination.

This doctrinal dispute may not matter in Republican primaries, but it’s easy to imagine Democrats highlighting religious affiliation and LGBTQ concerns if underdog Haley manages to win the Republican nomination for president or vice president. 

Already, LGBTQNation and People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch are on the warpath. Note the targeting of Haley’s friend Pastor John Hagee, who prayed at her campaign launch. As a candidate, she will need strong support from cultural conservatives, which will require clear stands on issues linked to parental rights, religious liberty and abortion.

Born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa and raised in Sikhism, Haley was encouraged by her parents to visit varied churches and understand the surrounding culture. She married husband Michael in both Sikh and Methodist ceremonies and soon after converted to Christianity. She occasionally visits Sikh gurdwaras out of respect for her family’s heritage, and has toured the religion’s holiest site, the Golden Temple in India.

During her rapid rise to be a South Carolina legislator and governor and then Trump’s United Nations ambassador, Haley has endured religious potshots from both right and left. 

I like Nikki. I have met her a couple of times, and I think she has the stuff to be a great President of the United States some day. She is way behind in the polls, but it is very early. 

I haven't seen any comment from her about her church's recent decision, but I am certain that will come up. 

Fasting and Praying Safely

 In this Sunday's reading from Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. Details as to his exact method are not revealed, but it must have been pretty severe because in the end angels had to care for him.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,

“One does not live by bread alone,

   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

“He will command his angels concerning you”,

   and “On their hands they will bear you up,

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’

Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

“Worship the Lord your God,

   and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. 

Today, we know that normal humans must have water in order to fast for long times. Witness the pastor in Mozambique who died recently after 25 days without food and water when he tried to duplicate Jesus' fast. 

Intermittent fasting is one current trend in weight loss schemes. A good article on it can be found at the John's Hopkins site. There are many variations of this type of fasting, I read about combining exercise with fasting, but one never reads of combining prayer with intermittent fasting. 

My personal method that I have used for the past twenty years is to skip lunch. Breakfast is a small bowl of cereal with added dried fruit. On Sundays, I can break my fast by indulging in one of those "coffee hours" that we discussed in an earlier post. 

I do combine this with an hour and a half of vigorous exercise three days a week.

None of this works unless I combine my method of fasting with prayer, and prayers come naturally and usually around lunchtime sounding something like this,

"Lord help me stick with this!"

The other day heard this response,

"Better get on your bicycle and ride, and don't peek in the refrigerator on your way out!"

Ashes, Ashes All Fall Down and Pray

For those wanting a brief history of Ash Wednesday, I present to you from Catholic Straight Answers,

 The liturgical use of ashes originated in the Old Testament times.  Ashes symbolized mourning, mortality, and penance.  For instance, in the Book of Esther, Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes when he heard of the decree of King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes, 485-464 B.C.) of Persia to kill all of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire (Esther 4:1).  Job (whose story was written between the 7th and 5th centuries B.C.) repented in sackcloth and ashes (Job 42:6).  Prophesying the Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem, Daniel (c. 550 B.C.) wrote, “I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3).  In the 5th century B.C., after Jonah’s preaching of conversion and repentance, the town of Nineveh proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, and the king covered himself with sackcloth and sat in the ashes (Jonah 3:5-6).  These Old Testament examples evidence both a recognized practice of using ashes and a common understanding of their symbolism.

Jesus Himself also made reference to ashes:  Referring to towns that refused to repent of sin although they had witnessed the miracles and heard the gospel, our Lord said, “If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have reformed in sackcloth and ashes long ago” (Matthew 11:21).

The early Church continued the usage of ashes for the same symbolic reasons.  In his book, De Poenitentia, Tertullian (c. 160-220) prescribed that the penitent must “live without joy in the roughness of sackcloth and the squalor of ashes.”  Eusebius (260-340), the famous early Church historian, recounted in his The History of the Church how an apostate named Natalis came to Pope Zephyrinus clothed in sackcloth and ashes begging forgiveness.  Also during this time, for those who were required to do public penance, the priest sprinkled ashes on the head of the person leaving confession.

In the Middle Ages (at least by the time of the eighth century), those who were about to die were laid on the ground on top of sackcloth sprinkled with ashes.  The priest would bless the dying person with holy water, saying, “Remember that thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return.”  After the sprinkling, the priest asked, “Art thou content with sackcloth and ashes in testimony of thy penance before the Lord in the day of judgment?”  To which the dying person replied, “I am content.”  In all of these examples, the symbolism of mourning, mortality, and penance is clear.

Eventually, the use of ashes was adapted to mark the beginning of Lent, the 40-day preparation period (not including Sundays) for Easter.  The ritual for the “Day of Ashes” is found in the earliest editions of the Gregorian Sacramentary which dates at least to the 8th century.  About the year 1000, an Anglo-Saxon priest named Aelfric preached, “We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth.  Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast.”  As an aside, Aelfric reinforced his point by then telling of a man who refused to go to Church on Ash Wednesday and receive ashes; the man was killed a few days later in a boar hunt.  Since the Middle Ages, the Church has used ashes to mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, when we remember our mortality and mourn for our sins.

So repent all ye sinners like me, and get thee to a priest today.

Years ago, the Grateful Dead recorded this song, Ashes, Ashes All Fall Down not with Ash Wednesday in mind, but I thought I would cue it up today,

 

Climbing Mt. Sinai

In October of 2022, I hiked up Mt. Sinai through the night to reach the summit before sunrise and was treated to this wonderful sight,

We were cold and tired but blessed. Moses encountered a cloud and more when he made the ascent in todays reading from Exodus 24:12-18,

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

We were not stuck up there for forty days and nights thank God.

 

Abortion as a "sacrament" ?

One thing can be said about Satan, and that is the fact that he has been showing himself much  more openly these days. From performing at the Grammys, and "after school Satan clubs", to this from Samantha Kamman at The Christian Post,

The Satanic Temple, an organization that claims abortion bans violate religious freedom, has announced plans to operate a telehealth abortion clinic in New Mexico. 

"TST Health's first telehealth clinic will provide medication for safe abortions through the mail for members and for those who wish to perform TST's Abortion Ritual...

According to a news release, the clinic will be named "The Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic," referring to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Alito, who authored the 2022 decision ruling that the U.S. Constitution doesn't contain a right to abortion. 

As CP reported, the group made similar claims following the passage of the 2021 Texas heartbeat bill, which banned most abortions in the state after six weeks gestation. TST argued that the law infringes on the group's religious freedom by imposing an "undue burden" on its "satanic abortion ritual." 

In a letter at the time to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Matthew A. Kezhaya, a TST attorney, asked for a religious exemption to access the abortion-inducing drugs mifepristone and misoprostol without a prescription as part of its "sacramental" abortion ritual. 

"TST's membership uses these products in a sacramental setting. The Satanic Abortion Ritual is a sacrament which surrounds and includes the abortive act. It is designed to combat feelings of guilt, doubt, and shame and to empower the member to assert or reassert power and control over their own mind and body. The REMS prescription requirement substantially interferes with the Satanic Abortion Ritual because the Government impedes the members' access to the medication involved in the ritual," the letter noted.

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follower her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman

Indeed to some, abortion is a sacred thing. Think back to Episcopal priest Katherine Ragsdale who considered abortion to be a blessing and praised a slain abortionist as a saint and martyr. Remember the priests and ministers blessing abortion clinics? I recall the the two Episcopal priests who came up with a liturgy for abortion years ago. Not to be outdone, Methodist Rev. M Jade Kaiser (they/them) has an updated prayer which in part reads,

"God pulls us in every direction that serves love and life.

Sometimes that direction is abortion.

When a woman

or a trans man

or a nonbinary person with a uterus

becomes pregnant

and must decide how best

to foster life:

Their own,

and that of their family,

and that of this earth breaking under our burdens,

God knows, for many, there are such few “choices”

available in this

racist

classist

(cis)sexist system..." 

etc, etc, etc... 

Read the rest at "Enfleshed" if you dare. 

Satan's presence is becoming clearer by the day. 

Pray that these people come to Jesus.

The judgemental Jesus

We say, "Jesus lives!", but if he was walking down the street today speaking the words found in today's reading from Matthew 5:21-37, or if he dared to "tweet" them, some offended person would surely report him to the hate police, and the Archbishop of Canterbury would chastise Him as Justin Welby did recently to a Synod member who tweeted something negative about same sex blessings in the "Wayward Sect in England".

‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

I am surprised the Revised Common Lectionary included that one in their suggested readings. 

I bet revisionist preachers avoided that this morning and talked about their grandchildren in the sermon. 

 

Is CBS in league with Satan?

This week 12.4 million viewers reportedly watched the Grammy awards show on CBS. I was not one of them as the only thing I ever watch on CBS is an occasional sports event. Pewsterspouse is known to watch CBS Sunday Morning, and I always walk in on that show as it is profiling a homosexual, a transgender, or some other such thing. I always take the opportunity to ask, "That sounds like CBS is it not? Then I give my reason for making that assumption. 

So I was not watching the Grammys when Sam Smith as Satan took his turn on stage, 

According to The Blaze, before the show,

In response to a tweet from Sam Smith ahead of the Grammy Awards on Sunday, CBS declared that it was "ready to worship!"

"This is going to be SPECIAL," Smith tweeted.

CBS replied, "....you can say that again. We are ready to worship!"

CBS apparently deleted the tweet on Monday evening. 

 Ready to worship Satan CBS? You already did that on Sunday morning. Do you have to do it again?

So what happened on stage?

The story from "The Christian Post",

 The music industry’s biggest night took an “Unholy” turn Sunday after Kim Petras became the first trans-identified artist to win a Grammy and delivered a dark performance of the hit song.

Sam Smith joined Petras for a Hades-inspired performance in which, at one point, he donned a top hat with devil horns as dancers gyrated around him while Petras sang from inside a cage as flames roared behind.

Clad in all-red leather, Smith was flanked by dancing demon-looking figures as Petras was locked in the cage behind chains as several more sinister figures wearing satanic headgear stood guard outside...

After the show, Petra told reporters backstage the performance was inspired by “not being able to choose religion.”

“I think a lot of people, honestly, have kind of labeled what I stand for and what Sam stands for as religiously not cool, and I personally grew up wondering about religion and wanting to be a part of it but slowly realizing it didn’t want me to be a part of it,” she said. 

“So it’s a take on not being able to choose religion. And not being able to live the way that people might want you to live because, as a trans person, I’m already not kind of wanted in religion. So we were doing a take on that, and I was kind of hellkeeper Kim.”

 CBS/LGBTqrs+/Satan all came together on Sunday night.

Coincidence?

 Matthew 5:13-20

"‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'"

Pure salt (NaCl) cannot lose its taste, but salt can lose its taste when it contains impurities. As we are full of impurities, we are in danger of being thrown out. What are we to do? We need a savior because we cannot purify ourselves. 

Jesus is the Savior who restores the savor to the salt of the earth.

Shine it out to the world!

There Won't Always be a Church of England

 I am sure that everyone has heard that the Church of England (CofE) will probably approve blessings of same sex couples in the very near future. We all knew this was coming, issued warnings, but the die was cast. There is nothing left to do except wait for the next shoe to drop.

This is the same slope that the Episcopal organization went down a few years ago. In time the Church of England will be disenfranchised, split asunder, one group will perform same-sex marriages, and the other will try to remain orthodox in belief and practice. 

From henceforth I shall refer to the CofE as the "Wayward Sect in England". 

Pray for the faithful in England who will be faced with the same choices that we had in the United States.