With Lent upon us, believers observing the season between Christmas and Easter think of feasting and fasting: the feasting that takes place on Mardis Gras or “Mardi Gras”, and fasting on Ash Wednesday or other days of this season of penance. and reflection.

But there is a misconception about feasting and fasting, as if feasting is just individual indulgence associated with hedonism and self-centeredness and fasting is diligent austerity associated with dieting. Both of these notions are incorrect and keep us and our personal concerns at the center of our thoughts.

Feasting is less the luxury or excess of eating until we are sore than rejoicing with others. When we are in good company, as the Pembroke College sommelier once told me, “No matter what we eat and drink, something wonderful happens. (So ​​much the better for those of us who choose not to drink his wine!)

Likewise, fasting is not about fighting, but about truly being in solidarity with others. It is something that takes on added importance and urgency this year as Lent begins with the devastating events unfolding in Ukraine.

The Catholic Church in England has weekly fast days on Fridays when the money saved is not just added to the household money pot for compensatory treats, but donated to charity to equip the world’s poorest . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also illustrates the importance of being in solidarity with others.

Family fast days show a family the power of fasting and praying for others with the sharper focus that fasting brings and donating the money saved to humanitarian aid. Both make a real difference to others in need. The needs of others are part of our own life; we find that we personally benefit when people fast with us in our pain or isolation – how beautiful.

And when we are invited to the feast, we receive the unexpected and undeserved generous hospitality of others. These moments of feasting and fasting remain my most overwhelming impressions of my recent visit to Provo, Utah.

There are times in life that remind us of our first personal faith experience and how fasting and feasting could figure into our journey. This happened to me last August in Orem, when I badly burned my feet. At the time, I remember that it was a serious situation, which required medical intervention. It would be a time and energy consuming process, and I probably wouldn’t be the same. In the future, it would take vigilance and discipline to regularly check my feet which I soon learned would have no nerve endings for the rest of my life.

This experience brought me back to a realization when I was 13, when I was prompted to delve into my soul, to discover that I was hurt and needed to “come home”. , but I couldn’t do it by myself. It needed a guide, a good shepherd, a strong savior, to free me from the things where I was stuck, trapped like the ram tangled in the thicket by its horns in the 22nd chapter of Genesis.

I had been found by the Good Shepherd who was also that sacrificial lamb; it was a serious and important moment, of discovering the real state of things. I would need regular fellowship with Jesus Christ and regular feasting with all his people. I would also need to exercise my agency and responsibility – choosing the right and relying on its power to feed my own soul – fasting from the paths of destruction, sin and recklessness, and constantly repenting when I didn’t.

Feasting and fasting go together in a pattern. They bring us out of the closed world of self to sit on the bosom of the Lord as the beloved disciples that we are, just as John did at the feast of the Lord’s Supper.

There is a joyful dignity that comes with being commissioned to feast and fast with others, to be allowed to give our lives and our resources to the Christian Church and to the world. Likewise, allowing people to bless us in their poverty brings immense wealth to all of us, and allowing the poor to have enough to give to others is a truly rewarding commitment.

Fasting places us alongside all of God’s children in their wounds. It communicates to those who are isolated that they are not alone. We are with them and, more wonderfully, the Lord is with them and will remain with us.

One of the sisters at Fairacres Convent in Oxford is also a world-renowned scholar. She was in London where she ran into Maria, a prostitute who spoke to her because she was wearing visible religious clothing. In the few minutes they were together, Maris told her that she had a child and was forced into prostitution by people babysitting her child. Men soon arrived and took Maria away in a car, leaving my horrified friend in the depths of such inhuman evil.

She was a learned nun, whose life in a closed convent was as far from the dark world of human trafficking and exploitation as one can imagine. Yet this brief connection had such a profound effect on her that she prays daily for Maria and her fellow human beings, as well as for Maria’s child and her captors. These men, whom my friend says had violence in their faces, like all people in sin, need us to pray for them. Prayer and fasting move us away from a culture of cancellation.

A book my friend produced is dedicated to Maria. The grief of not being able to fix everything feeds my friend’s spiritual life daily. She fasts with envy and her heart breaks with the pain of the world which, like Maria, needs to come home.

Feasting and fasting—and our ordinary life in between—are the means by which we can see the hurt and the lost, not with judgmental distance or disdain, but with love. Let us seek them, support them, feast and abstain with each other until the mercy of God in his power comes upon us all, and together we can know that “all is good, all is good.”

Reverend Andrew Teal was Visiting Scholar and Affiliate Professor at BYU’s Maxwell Institute last fall. He is a chaplain and lecturer in theology at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, England, and a priest in the Church of England.

Five officials at a private Christian academy in Texas are facing felony charges on charges they failed to notify authorities after a ninth-grade student said he was sexually assaulted by an older student during of a hazing incident on “first year initiation day”.

The three trustees and two sports coaches of Midland Christian School are identified in an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by The Daily Beast as Superintendent Jared Owen Lee, High School Principal Dana Elizabeth Ellis, Athletic Director Gregory Neal McClendon, High School Assistant Principal Matthew David Counts, and Baseball Coach Barry Lee Russell.

“We are motivated in every way by our faith in Jesus Christ, trying to serve as a reflection of God’s unconditional love for all people,” The Midland Christian website proclaims. “We seek to honor the Lord in all that we do by operating Midland Christian School in a manner consistent with biblical principles. It is important to us that every word and deed of Midland Christian School, its employees, representatives, volunteers and students is consistent with and in furtherance of the religious goals of Midland Christian School: both publicly and privately.

But the five school officials apparently failed to live up to those principles following the alleged January attack, which first came to light speak Midland Reporter-Telegram.

On January 28, a detective from the Midland Police Department was notified of a “possible child molestation” that had occurred eight days earlier after a baseball practice at Midland Christian.

In an interview with authorities, the unnamed victim said he had just entered the locker room to change when the lights were turned off. Someone said it was “freshman orientation day”, and a 10th grader started hitting on the ninth grader.

The ninth grader’s hands were pinched and he was rolled onto his back, the affidavit states. He was then sexually assaulted with a baseball bat as other students watched and cheered, he said.

The next day, the freshman told school officials what had happened. And then, nothing.

“The two see each other every day because they are on the same baseball team,” the affidavit continues.

On February 11, police investigators showed up at Midland Christian and spoke with Ellis, the high school principal. She told cops she was aware of the incident and that it had been documented. However, Ellis said Lee, the school superintendent, was the only one with access to the files.

When Ellis told Lee about the horrific incident, Lee ordered McClendon and Counts to “conduct an ‘investigation’ into the incident instead of notifying law enforcement or another state agency”, explains the affidavit.

But when Lee contacted police on Feb. 14, he refused to answer questions or provide the documents Ellis referred to, demanding that cops get a search warrant.

The warrant was granted and executed the same day.

During the search, investigators had access to “notes” written by McClendon and Counts that documented the incident, according to the affidavit.

In the emails between the five that were reviewed by police, “it was very clear that a sexual assault had taken place and that the school had a duty to report it,” the affidavit continues, noting that “there were several e-mails exchanged” and that “several administrators refused to report the incident.”

The five were arrested on Wednesday and released on $5,000 bond. It remains unclear whether they have retained attorneys to speak on their behalf.

Thusday, police have arrested a student involved in the alleged attack, authorities said. No further details have been released and the student, who is a minor, has not been identified.

“Our school officials have cooperated and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and their investigation,” said Midland Christian’s board chairman. say it Journalist-Telegram in a report. “Currently, we have qualified interim administrators to oversee the campus, oversee student activities, support faculty, and maintain the day-to-day running of the school. The physical, spiritual, and emotional safety of our students is the most important responsibility which we assume as educators and take seriously. We appreciate the support and prayers of our Christian parents, teachers, staff and students in Midland as we continue to lead, build and equip for the Christ.

The allegations in the Midland Christian case are eerily similar to those set out in a 2020 civil lawsuit filed by a public school student in the Midland suburb of Greenville. The administrators are accused of covering up the repeated sexual assaults of a student athlete by his teammates, according to court documents reviewed by The Daily Beast, who say the school not only tried to sweep the alleged assaults under the rug, but retaliated by “cutting off a long-standing business relationship” with the victim’s father. the the trial is expected to go to trial in September.

“What will racial reconciliation look like in the church in the United States?

The questioner was a student at Duke Divinity School circa 2005. The stage was a large auditorium-style classroom, and the class was Preaching, a staple of the MDiv program I was in at the time. The teacher at the front was William “Bill” Turner, a black Baptist pastor-theologian. He was loved by the many mainline students who discovered him at Duke almost as much as by the Black Baptists who came to school in part because he was there.

In response to the question, Turner looked the student straight in the eye and said, “One thing it will look like is white people ready to sit under black preaching. You don’t see that very often.

His response, etched in my mind, has challenged and spurred my wife and me over the years. The invitation to submission is compelling to white Christians like me. I have to ask myself, Would I sit and learn the Word of God under the authority of a black pastor?

Of course I wouldthe answer arises in me. After all, I’m not racist.

I suspect that kind of response is one shared by many other white Christians. But my question is not abstract or “in principle”. As Dostoyevsky writes in The Karamazov brotherslove in dreams is easy compared to love in reality.

If I ask the question much more concretely, then, I must ask, Would I find myself listening to black people preach most Sundays for any appreciable amount of time?

Even after leaving Duke Divinity, my own answer to that question would most often have been no. But a few years ago, that changed.

My family and I had recently moved to Austin and moved into an east side neighborhood full of historic black churches. In this space, my wife and I felt the tug of Turner’s words. But we were not quick to submit to black preaching. My wife is Anglican so we had decided to contact the local Anglican congregation first which we had previously attended when we were in town for the holidays.

Yet we have talked a lot about the testimony of Turner and the black churches near us. And then one Sunday morning, after the Spirit moved my wife, she and I with our three children attended worship at Simpson United Methodist Church, a black congregation founded in 1880.

With Simpson, love is not abstract or principled. Anyone who walks through the front doors will hear the phrase “I love you for real!” – a refrain modeled by Pastor Robert Waddle. When we arrived they greeted us and brought us to their midst. We got up and sang. We sat on the love-worn wooden pews and listened to a sermon by Waddle, a wise, generous and larger-than-life man energetic to share the gospel.

After our first visit, we started going once a month. I preached here and there and met individually with Waddle, then a few months later he invited me to join the staff as a part-time pastor.

I never anticipated the chance to serve a black congregation. I needed to pray, I told him. I needed to reflect on my important apprehensions. What business had I, a white man with many privileges in his life, to have a place of authority in a black congregation?

White Christians in America have always been very happy to preach to Negroes and exercise all kinds of authority over them. No, Turner had said that racial reconciliation involved white people being willing to submit to black authority. I heard his words echo in my head, I felt the Holy Spirit pull me forward, and I knew this was my chance to do just that.

While serving under Waddle at Simpson, I came to two important beliefs. First, for too long I had ignored a community living alongside me in my hometown.

In his book The Christian Imaginary: Theology and Origins of Race, Willie James Jennings tells the story of his childhood encounter with two white missionaries. They came from the white congregation a few hundred yards down the street, entered the garden where Jennings was playing, then introduced themselves to his mother. One then went on to explain at length his church, his programs for children, and the good things he wanted to do for the neighborhood.

“My mom finally interrupted this future neighborhood missionary’s speech with the words, ‘I’m already a Christian, I believe in Jesus, and I attend New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, where Reverend JV Williams is the pastor,'” writes Jennings.

The author goes on to say, “Experiences like these fueled a question that took on a hermeneutical force for me: why didn’t they know us? They should have known us very well.

During my time at Simpson’s, those two lines were reversed: “Why didn’t I know them?” I should have known them very well. I started to know people I should have known already. After all, I had grown up in The United Methodist Church in Austin, and my first pastoral appointment was at a white church on the same street as Simpson (yet miles away in spirit). A woman at church was even in my high school class.

In a sense, I was submitting not only to a black pastor, but also to a whole community and a stream of my own tradition that I had mostly ignored until then. I will always consider it a great grace to have been able to experience how different the same church calendar and the same scriptures seem to those of the Black Methodist tradition.

For example, and to state the obvious, the Exodus story matters differently – and, I dare say, more – in the American black church than in the white church. The late Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson identified God thus: “God is he who raised Jesus from the dead, having previously raised Israel out of Egypt. Jenson grasped how this parallel of liberation is absolutely essential to our recognition of the God revealed by the gospel.

The people of Simpson, then, by patiently teaching me to worship, pray and preach in their midst, showed me a dimension of our salvation in Christ that I doubt I could have otherwise appreciated. I will be eternally grateful to them.

Second, I was able to understand, in a limited but consistent way, the radical affirmation of our faith that all enmity is finally overcome in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2; Col. 1).

Even if it were possible, it would be undesirable to forget the wounds and the legacy of American racism. But at Simpson, I got a taste of how the death and resurrection of Christ makes a difference in the present. We don’t need to ignore the racism that still shapes our society to have hope or to come together in church. We can worship with those from whom we have historically been estranged because of sin. We can be a body—and still remember our worst sins—in the context of the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection. And we can do this “until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).

In the past, I had seen this truth in the abstract. I had believed the testimonies of others. But Simpson invited me to join the choir: God’s love in Jesus Christ is real.

Not everyone can do what I was lucky enough to do at Simpsons. But the takeaways are similar. Today, the task of predominantly white churches is to humbly begin (or continue) to know people and congregations we should already know well. For some, that means getting to know a nearby black or non-white congregation. For others, it may involve regularly going to a local black church and sitting down to preach.

The grace of God makes the church possible. Even now, in this “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4), or what Augustine called “the land of unlikeness,” Christ is resurrected. His resurrection promises that death has been destroyed and “that God be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

Racial reconciliation imposes itself on us because, in the end, it is assured.

Clifton Stringer is a pastor and theologian in central Texas. Learn more about his writings at cliftonstringer.com.

I am writing in response to the guest opinion piece titled “Several years after officially disavowing conversion therapy, does the LDS Church still practice it in the afterlife?” This argument is troubling because this way of thinking is not only incorrect, it also creates distress and pain in a population that already has too much. Much like coercive and unethical conversion therapy, extreme and overheated rhetoric can also harm the very people it purports to help. I appreciate the opportunity to provide a different way of thinking about this. This question is close to my heart because I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I experience same-sex attraction.

Recently a friend asked me, “What do you think the hunger in the resurrection will look like?” His question really got me thinking. We know that the resurrected Jesus was able to eat (see Luke 24:41-44), so presumably our resurrected bodies will be able to eat. But does that mean we will be hungry? Are we going to crave chocolate or stuff ourselves with potato chips late at night? In the Millennium, will we go for a Taco Bell run at 2 a.m.?

Should we count calories or precisely balance macronutrient percentages? I don’t know, but I doubt it. I don’t know if hunger will even exist in the resurrection, but one thing I’m sure of is that it will be different from the way we experience it now. From this point of view, these questions are not only quite ridiculous, but also irrelevant.

Likewise, sexual desire is an appetite (like hunger) that exists at least in part to ensure the reproduction and survival of the species (since food is necessary for the survival of the individual). Do these concepts apply to glorified and resurrected beings? I doubt it, but at the very least we should be humble enough to recognize that concepts like sexuality and reproduction will be vastly different and probably staggeringly different in the exalted resurrection. Not only does this include mundane and limiting constructs like LGBT identity, but I strongly suspect that many fallen aspects of heterosexuality will also be ignored.

In “The Great Divorce,” CS Lewis wrote, “Nothing, not even the best and noblest, can continue as it is now. Nothing, not even the lowest and most bestial, will be resurrected if it submits to death. He is sown as a natural body, he resurrects a spiritual body. Flesh and blood cannot come [heaven]. Not because they are too senior, but because they are too weak.

I guess you could consider that a loss, but I prefer to see it as a gain. For example, we know that other animals and insects perceive more of the electromagnetic spectrum than we do, seeing in the near infrared and up to the ultraviolet. Some animals hear wider frequencies and smell with more insight than humans. What abilities will our resurrected bodies have? What kind of art could we create and enjoy with multispectral vision?

What symphonies will we compose and enjoy with augmented hearing? What beauties, even of the present world, are we unable to perceive and appreciate? I can’t wait to find out. Even if that also means that some of the great works of art and music that we now revere as masterful works of genius might then seem a little lackluster and inadequate by comparison.

I suppose if you thought this event was a great tragedy, you might wish to refuse such an “upgrade”, and God might even honor such a request. But that would be limiting and tragic in my opinion. Exaltation means being in the presence of God, and to endure it we must learn to love the laws he loves and associate with those who love him. We must also allow Him to change us and let go of those things that separate us from Him.

The process is both additive and subtractive as we learn to become what we are not yet and let go of those things that separate us from the divine nature. This process can begin now, in this lifetime. This process is called repentance and conversion: “And it is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).

This attempt to impose a distorted, mundane narrative framework (“conversion therapy”) on a glorious, transcendent afterlife reminds me of Lewis’ fictional account of the last days and the second coming in his latest book on Narnia. It is there that dwarves, fooled by a false messiah, persist in not allowing themselves to be fooled. Fearless and loyal, they are exactly the kind of allies Aslan (the true figure of the messiah) would like to have.

But in their determination not to lose what they have won at the cost of a great fight, they are unable to perceive a world much more different, beautiful, abundant and joyful than the one to which they have locked themselves. Refusing to see the light, they call it darkness. Unable to appreciate a delicious banquet, they esteem it as a tasteless straw. Invited into a beautiful community, they instead retreat into low tribalism, shouting “dwarves are for dwarves!” (see chapter 13 of The Last Battle).

Dwarves could open their eyes and join others as they raced “higher and higher” to discover new wonders and renew old friendships in the bustling paradise. If they did (and at least one did), they could lose some or all of their tribal identity. But what they have to gain is so much greater!

There are indescribable glories and unimaginable joys awaiting us “higher and higher”, but if we are more attached to the material and temporary aspects of our identity, then we will never discover them.

Jeff Bennion is a marriage and family therapist and co-founder of North Star International, an organization dedicated to supporting members who experience sexual and gender diversity (and their family and friends) who wish to live faithfully to the teachings and practices of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Newsletter

Richard Lee Matthews, Sr., 67, of Chattanooga went to join his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on February 2, 2022.

His family meant more to him than anything else in the world, as evidenced by the way he lived his life. He was infinitely proud of his five children, Melissa, Rick, Ryan, Reed and Rob. Richard was a devoted and loving husband to Terry, his college sweetheart. Richard earned his Bachelor of Science degree from West Georgia University. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He spent his entire career with Thermo King of Chattanooga.

Everyone who knew Richard knew he was the most loving father and husband a family could ask for. He enjoyed coaching his children’s sports teams and watching his grandchildren participate in sports. Richard loved to travel, taking surprise midnight trips to Disney World and making his kids laugh by singing “Oh, My Darling Clementine.” Richard loved the simple things in life, including Little Debbie’s for breakfast, milk on his ice cream, flashlights, Bea’s Restaurant, Krispy Kreme, and chocolate covered cherries. Whenever possible, Richard made trips to The Varsity and always remembered to bring his wife a chili dog and a Frosted Orange. Richard was active in the Chattanooga Jaycees and Rock Steady Boxing at the North River YMCA.

For over 30 years Richard served and worshiped with his family at Hickory Valley Christian Church. At HVCC, he served as chairman of the board of trustees, alumni chairman, and chairman of the Hickory Valley Christian School Board. For the past few years, Richard and his wife Terry have worshiped at Silverdale Baptist Church, where he was a member of the small Austin group.

Richard was predeceased by his father, Curtis Lee Matthews and his grandmother, Willie Pearl Matthews. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Terry Stynchcombe Matthews, and his loving children and their families; Melissa Matthews Colter, her husband Justin and their children Kendall, Rhett and Sloane “Boots” Colter; Rick and Kara Matthews, and their children Noah and Ava Matthews; Ryan and Lisa Matthews, and their children Henley and Nora Matthews, and Regis Okungu; Reed and Anna Matthews, and their son Henry Matthews; and Richard’s youngest son, Rob Matthews. He is also survived by his mother, Sandra Matthews, and his siblings Tammy (John) Forehand, Tommy (Patricia) Matthews, Billy (Margret) Coleman and Mark Matthews.

Richard gave in death as he gave in life. His legacy lives on in his children and in his contribution to Lewy body dementia research through his organ and tissue donation.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hickory Valley Christian School or Silverdale Baptist Academy.

Family will receive friends Sunday, February 6 from 2-4 p.m. at Hickory Valley Christian Church, 6605 Shallowford Road, Chattanooga, Tn. 37421. A celebration of life service will begin at 4 p.m. with Gary Armes officiating.

Arrangements are made by the East Brainerd Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist.

Please share your thoughts and memories on www.ChattanoogaEastBrainerd Chapel.com.

They prefer villages and schools with crowded stadiums, their audiences are mostly workers and bricklayers, and their songs are inspired by Sufis and revolutionary poets. In addition, their concerts are free.

Meet Laal (Red), the only rock band to perform Christmas concerts in Pakistan’s Punjab province since 2016.

The band’s lead guitarist Taimur Rehman plans to host seven concerts this Christmas season.

On December 19, more than 400 villagers from Chak 11 4L gathered on the grounds of Al Qalm Girls’ High School on a cool morning. Among them, Emmanuel Masih, 70, visibly excited, was waiting to attend the very first Christmas concert in his village.

“This is the first live concert we are attending. The kids have been preparing all week to find Santa hats and practice dance steps, ”Masih told UCA News.

The whole family came to watch the show. “For us, Christmas arrived early this year,” he said.

We are all brothers and sisters and part of a family. Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad both spoke on behalf of all mankind. Beware of hate makers

The village of Okara district, Punjab province, 119 kilometers from Lahore, is home to some 350 Christian families.

The welcome banners featured photos of local priests, including Father Bonnie Mendes, former executive secretary of the National Commission of Catholic Bishops for Justice and Peace, as well as Rehman, who is also general secretary of the Mazdoor Kissan Party (labor and farmers).

The musical event began with readings from the Bible and the Koran. The students also recited naat (a devotional hymn to the Prophet Muhammad) and Christian songs.

“We are all brothers and sisters and part of a family. Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad both spoke on behalf of all mankind. Beware of hate mongers, ”Rehman said, concluding with slogans for farmers’ rights. “Jehra Wahway, Ohee Khavay“(Those who cultivate the land should reap the produce),” chanted the farmers.

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Okara is one of 10 districts in Punjab province that have struggled for land ownership rights since Pakistan’s creation in 1947. At stake is 27,000 hectares of agricultural land currently held by the military. Farmers from 22 neighboring villages have worked hard on the land for generations.

In 2018, old Masih was jailed for refusing to share his performance with the military. He was released four months later.

“It was a question of property or death. Rehman helped mobilize the movement and changed the focus of our fight against religious discrimination. We are now a political force. With just one guitar, he toured 10 villages and spread radical slogans, ”Masih.

In 2000, the military changed the nature of their agricultural lease, reducing sharecroppers to sharecroppers without occupancy rights.

Two decades later, Rehman and his band are greeted with the same unfailing love and affection.

The ongoing struggle has claimed the lives of 14 peasants, including a young Catholic, in clashes with the security forces. Christians and Muslims organize joint memorial services for these “martyrs” every year.

Our popular music campaign is entirely new while being as old as the Sufis who have performed their poetry and songs from village to village for centuries.

The Christmas concerts are part of the Laal “Music for Peace campaign” launched in 2016. This year alone, the group has organized more than 300 concerts. The songs are punctuated with messages about peace, tolerance and unity as well as the importance of education.

“Our popular music campaign is entirely new while being as old as the Sufis who have performed their poetry and songs from village to village for centuries. For me, it’s a homecoming, ”Rehman told UCA News.

He said the Church should hire traditional artists to spread the message of interfaith harmony. “The Church should invite artists and athletes. These celebrities can amplify the message further through social media, ”he added.

Father Mendes, who attended Laal’s concert in a nearby village last week, wished the band every success.

“Laal moved from human rights to interfaith harmony. Their songs inspire us. We thank them for reaching out to Christians who live on the margins of mainstream society, ”he said.

The concert ended with the cutting of cakes and the distribution of gifts, including the traditional mehndi or henna paste (applied to the hands and legs especially by women to draw temporary tattoos), a memory of the wonderful time they spent this Christmas.

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Gospel singer and songwriter Leina Daniels said more Christian record companies are needed to spur the growth of gospel music in the country.

Speaking about some of the challenges he faces in his career, Daniels said, “I think it’s more of a prayer point. I pray that God will raise up more men and women who will sponsor the work of God through the ministry of worship. We need more Christian record companies for gospel music. There are many gifted anointed music ministers who have a lot to offer but are not heard. We’re one body in Jesus Christ, but somehow we’ve allowed denominations and doctrines to divide us. It really affected the unity, flow and growth of the ministers of gospel music. Some gospel ministers have powerful songs but don’t produce them properly with the right producers. We are in the 21st century where excellence is a necessity. We really need to improve the quality of the music we produce.

When asked to define what gospel music means to him, the singer said, “It is a movement whose mandate is to reveal Jesus Christ to the world and to spread his message of hope through music for the redemption of souls for the kingdom of God. ”

Daniels also said that while there had been some challenges along the way, he had no regrets. He said, “I have no regrets because nothing is too big for God to handle. There might be challenges but with God’s help we would surely overcome them. There is no room for regret when doing God’s work.

On how he handles the admiration of female fans, the singer said, “As ministers of the gospel, our mandate is not just to entertain but to preach the gospel to everyone, that either male or female. There have been cases of people falling into temptation, but the most important thing is to create scriptural standards and back them up with personal decisions that would serve as a guide. With the help of the Saint -Mind, we can handle any form of distraction.

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Dr John Mohan Razu

As Christians, we are in the season of Advent, waiting to commemorate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The whole of 2020 was focused on COVID-19. The whole world has been influenced by the dictates of the coronavirus. He dominated humanity in such a way that all activity came to a screeching halt. No one dared to challenge and those who challenged had to pay the price. Everyone has been urged to follow appropriate behavior for COVID, which means our role models must be consistent with ways to protect our lives. Christmas services and festive activities had to be canceled because the coronavirus was in a devastating mood.

In 2021 people thought they would be much better than the last one, but the passage has never been so definitive, but had to be walked with care. In recent months, church services and other activities have proceeded as before COVID-19. Little by little, other activities were gradually relaxed and thus signaled to normality. Christians everywhere wanted to celebrate Christians with joy. Many have made huge plans, but the Omicron variant of the coronavirus suddenly appeared and gradually picked up its speed and spread to countries like India.

In such a context, the WHO says that the new variant Omicron VOVID-19 could become a dominant potential threat because, although it is considered benign, it is considered to be highly transmissible and therefore travels faster and further. Whether or not the new Omicron variant virus is fatal remains to be seen in the coming weeks. Experts now consider not knowing exactly its characteristics. Booster doses could to some extent prevent serious illness in those infected. However, many experts say it is early to say or comment anything on the matter. Nonetheless, it is predicted that Omicron is likely to further infect children.

Nevertheless, overall, everyone is wondering whether to proceed as planned or not. Currently, the West is hit hard by the coronavirus. The Omicron variant is spreading like wildfire around the world and infecting anyone who crosses its path. Travel plans, entertainment, large gatherings and many more can be badly affected over time as the intensity and severity of the new variant is so horrifying. Some questions that emerge are: are we back to square one? When are we going to be completely out of the COVID-19 variants? Is the new normal a permanent way of life or will we be affected by another variation?

As a backdrop, for Christians, what does Advent mean? How are we going to build on the coming of Jesus Christ as the most important and meaningful as the context in which humans live continues to change? In tracing some of the Messianic prophecies we find different types such as time-limited, person-centered, fulfillment-based; while there are others having an application of the New Testament of the Old Testament by candidly mentioning specific individuals, thus leaving no guesswork, while there are others which specifically identify individuals as Christ.

The Messianic predictions that have been reported on the whole were vague and filled with uncertainties, except for a few that came so close. However, one or two nuanced predictions identified who this Messiah was. As we are a few weeks away from the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ who incarnated as a human identifying himself with humans by being born in a manger. Humanity is thus authenticated and essentialized by this act in which the Messiah is found, Lord of All and Prince of Peace, so that the world of humans who live there is thus redeemed and saved.

Advent 2021 is indeed an innovation that opens up new perspectives to the world in which we live to reflect, reinterpret and meditate. Humanity is in a desperate situation, totally abandoned and has withered its resolve and resilience, not knowing how to cope with the fluidity of its times. The times they live in pose the most compelling questions and a totally bleak future. Four Sundays that culminate with the coming of Christ to earth will have to reflect on a large world population going through an unprecedented series of moments that haunt their very existence, not only theirs, but also their children and grandchildren.

The future of the planet is now in dire straits, as humans have devastated planet Earth for their selfish gains and personal interests. We have experienced erratic weather conditions – heavy flooding, rains, droughts and forest fires. We live in a time of nature’s fury and therefore the dialectic between planet Earth and the existence of humans depends solely on how we take care of our Mother Earth. Likewise, those who want to have a quality of life leave their countries torn by wars, conflicts, poverty, hunger and squalid conditions by sea routes by boats, on container routes and rough terrain on foot, facing all kinds of obstacles.

We are in the Advent season which should prompt us to consider those whose lives remain bleak and hopeless. Those who have been severely touched and affected by the actions of others of their greed and selfishness are among us. These are refugees and migrants for environmental, social, economic, socio-cultural and religious reasons as well. There is a huge section that has lost parents, friends and relatives and loved ones to pandemics. Never in the recent history of mankind has humanity been faced with such serious and grueling problems. Crossing by sea, on foot and by road, many died, especially young millennials and children.

This is the time of survival for many of those who have been cast down and slaughtered by the forces of humans as well as nature. Their hope and confidence must be rekindled and reassured as they continue to simmer. Humanity is in a state of shock, despair and utter chaos. What then is the exit? Where does hope come from? Hope in a time of Advent is the coming of the Messiah to us. God in Jesus coming into the human world to be with us. This is the saving moment for humans as God in Jesus taking human form to live in a world of humans.

We are waiting for the moment of the coming of God in Jesus into the world – the Messiah, the Messenger of Hope and the Prince of Peace. Advent means to wait in hope and with the hope that our Lord and Savior will come to us – this is the Moment of Truth – God in Jesus Coming into the human world is the zenith, the penultimate and gasoline. As we read in John 10:10b “… I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly. Jesus coming to us offering abundant life is the knot of Advent that instills hope in the present and the future.

Editor’s Note: Below is a transcript of a message, posted to YouTube on December 9, 2021, from Adventist Church President Ted NC Wilson. You can see past messages here

Hello friends! Over the past two years, as the COVID pandemic has swept the world, people have become more health conscious and have looked for ways to improve and maintain good health.

Sadly, sickness, sickness, and death are a part of life in this fallen world, and ultimately, unless the Lord comes in our lifetime, we will all face death one day.

However, Jesus said, as recorded in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it more abundantly. Jesus aspires not only to give us eternal life, but also to give us abundant life here on earth.

The very first chapter of the magnificent book, The Ministry of Healing, opens with these words: “Our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world as the tireless servant of man’s need. could serve all the needs of mankind. . . The burden of sickness and misery and sin, He’s come to take away. It was His mission to bring men a complete restoration; .17).

While on earth, Jesus healed many illnesses, and in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy he gave us many tips on how to live healthy lives. While studies have shown that Seventh-day Adventists tend to live at least 7 years longer than the average population, we aim not only for quantity of years, but also for quality! We seek that abundant life that Christ came to give us, not only for ourselves, but in this way we will be able to do the work that he called us to do.

So, for the next few minutes, let’s take a quick look at some of the health habits God has given us through his inspired writings.

When we think of health, it’s important to remember that God created us as holistic beings – mind, body, and spirit are interdependent, and the way we treat one affects all. others. Having a clear mind, for example, helps us have a healthy body. This is why we are told to stay away from harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, street drugs and caffeine.

Unfortunately, many people like to drink caffeinated beverages for short-term relief from fatigue or drowsiness, but that does not solve the fatigue problem. In fact, it can lead to or worsen other health problems, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, restlessness, osteoporosis, headaches, etc.

Rather than drinking harmful substances, what could be better than drinking fresh, pure water! Did you know that water makes up around 60 to 70 percent of your body weight ?! Every system in your body depends on water, so it is very important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. The ideal amount of water will vary depending on individual circumstances, such as a person’s weight, activity level, and climate. However, a good rule of thumb is to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day.

Exercise, preferably in the sun and fresh air, is one of the most important things we can do to gain and maintain good health! Here are some of the many benefits of exercise: lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, lower risk of many cancers, better bone health, better quality of sleep, reduced symptoms of depression and better cognitive function, healthier body weight, healthier skin, less flu and fewer colds, and much more!

And while we all recognize that exercise is important, sometimes it is difficult to fit exercise into our busy lives. One thing I love to do is walk in the morning listening to inspired material, like the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy.

It’s important to find a type of exercise that you enjoy doing, and then try to do it at the same time each day. But to be really beneficial, I encourage you to lead an active lifestyle, incorporating as much movement as possible throughout the day.

The food we put in our bodies has a huge impact on our overall health, and the Bible encourages a balanced plant-based diet consisting of grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and legumes. Numerous studies confirm that a plant-based diet is much healthier and safer than eating meat. Here are some results of these studies:

• Vegetarians were 24% less likely to die from coronary heart disease than non-vegetarians.
• A study in Japan showed that women who eat meat daily are 8 1/2 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who rarely or never eat meat.
• Studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians were around 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat eaters.
• Those who ate “white meat”, especially chicken, are about 3 times more likely to develop colon cancer than vegetarians.
• No wonder Ellen White wrote over 100 years ago that “Many die from diseases entirely due to eating meat, when the real cause is not suspected by themselves or by others” ( The Ministry of Healing, p. 315).

Friends, I want to encourage you, if you haven’t already, to prayerfully consider adopting a healthy, balanced, plant-based diet. There are plenty of resources available online for delicious recipes and menu plans, and I think you’ll be surprised how great you feel!

Getting enough regular rest is essential for good health. Doctors recommend a minimum of 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Without enough rest, we are at risk of facing a number of health issues including obesity, diabetes, reduced immune response, mood disturbances, increased risk of injury, and impaired function. mental. So let’s make sure we make sleep a priority.

And in addition to the nightly rest, it is also important to practice the weekly God-given rest provided for the seventh-day Sabbath. It’s a very special time to refresh and rejuvenate from the work of the week as we worship our Creator and connect with our friends and family. Take time to enjoy the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual rest that God provides on His Sabbath day.

And finally, we are invited to trust in divine power. Studies show that those who have a strong relationship with God experience less stress in their lives, have lower blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease, and reduced incidents of depression. No wonder Jesus invites us to, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light “(Matthew 11: 28-30).

My friends, Jesus provided a way to have a more abundant life here on earth, and in the future life an amazing eternity with Him! I invite you to claim His promises and His power now as you practice these wonderful health principles the Lord has provided to us. If you would like more information on healthy living I invite you to visit: adventist.org/health/

Let’s pray together. Heavenly Father, please guide everyone as they consider these beautiful principles of health to keep them healthy and strong to keep their minds in good condition, so that they can be in touch with you. So that the Holy Spirit can influence the frontal lobes of our brain and guide us in all the decisions we need to make. And in our relationships with others, helping them come to know this wonderful, wonderful God who is not only our Creator, but our Savior, our Redeemer, and our coming King. Thank you Lord for hearing us in this prayer. Help us take seriously a wonderful promise that you want us to live life in abundance, in all its aspects physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. We ask all this In the name of our mighty Savior, our Creator, our Master Physician and our future King Jesus Christ, amen.

A former leader of Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., Who is often criticized for some of her charismatic practices, broke her silence by writing a response to some of the mega-church’s most common criticisms.

Carrie Lloyd was both a student and teacher at Bethel Church’s School of Supernatural Ministry. Over the years, she has refrained from commenting on the speculations and critical attacks that have been leveled against the Pentecostal ministry.

For the sake of “unity,” Lloyd said she felt compelled to speak out in an editorial published by Early Christianity.

“But in the midst of the silence, and since my transition from Bethel to the newly founded pastures towards social justice, I have seen a great breach create within the unity of the body of the church,” he said. she writes. “This was caused mostly by misinformation and untruths. Perhaps then, this play could be seen less as a statement of defense, and more as a deliberate hope for clarity and reason.”

Senior church leaders Bill and Beni Johnson have both been accused of heretical acts.

Bill Johnson’s book, Jesus Christ is the perfect theology has come under scrutiny for promoting the belief that it is always God’s will to heal someone. And Beni Johnson has been criticized for his insistence on angelology. She allegedly once suggested in a blog post that is no longer accessible, that there are “different types of angels: messenger angels, healing angels, fire angels” who have “fallen asleep”.

She was also charged with “grave-soaking” – which was later called grave-sucking – after posting photos of herself lying on the graves of iconic Christians such as CS Lewis.

“The serious sucking accusations date back to 15 years ago,” Lloyd wrote in the editorial. “Based on a photograph where someone was lying on the grave of a legend of the faith, a legacy they deeply admired.”

“They expressed their cherishing of their existence by lying down in a state of wonder,” she continued. “There was no sitting, no reminder of the dead, no anointing soak, and certainly no (not even durable) straw present.”

The students of the church, she adds, are the ones who took it a step further after “another influential preacher” said, “I would suck the anointing out of this place if I could!

Lloyd attributed it all to “gossip and distant guesses.”

“[I]It leaves no room for questions, ”she wrote. “Especially not with those who posted the photo in the first place. I quickly learned that as pastors in a diverse environment, we should not be controlling student response but quietly asking them for Bible talks on how they got there. “

In his editorial, Lloyd also touched on other criticisms exploited at Bethel, including “buckets left in the spotlight to vomit” and the “refusal of ambulances when a person is in cardiac arrest, as we teach students to pray for healing. ”

Lloyd said the buckets are “actually for our offering” and while she prays for healing she also calls 911 in an emergency.

One of Bethel’s best-known critiques, however, is the claim that gold dust mysteriously fell from the ceiling during corporate worship events. Bill Johnson described this phenomenon as a “cloud of glory” and a supernatural sign of the presence of God.

Lloyd supported this claim and said she “cannot explain”.

“Gold dust that we still can’t explain, even after my extensive search for hidden air vents or pickled drum kits in glitter (both missing from the shrine). After one hour interrogations by friends and family, I gave up explaining, ”she added.

“A year after being a student here and witnessing this golden essence hovering over the congregation, ascending upwards, in numbers eight, and then swaying across the room, the leaders watched in bewilderment, as I found myself on my knees in the middle of it. cloud, crying out to him, “Lord, forgive me for my unbelief.”

Lloyd said it was “nice” to meet the wonder of God’s “playfulness”.

Bethel is said to have 11,000 members, including students at her school. The school claims to be run by “apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers” and has also been the source of much criticism.

The ministry made headlines in 2019 after Bill Johnson and the congregation prayed for the resurrection of his worship leader’s 2-year-old daughter.

Johnson said at the time that he and his church family believed God called them to follow the precedent Jesus set by commanding his followers to raise the dead.

Bethel Music cult leader Kalley Heiligenthal launched the charge after asking followers in an Instagram post to pray for her 2-year-old daughter, Olive, after she stopped breathing and was pronounced dead by medics .

The church’s controversial teachings prompted cult leader Mackenzie Morgan to reveal that she would no longer sing their popular worship songs.

“Theology matters,” she wrote in a social media post in July. “I can’t even stress this enough. It is important that a song be weak in theology and not accurately show the holiness of our God. It matters if churches spread prosperity [g]ospel which is different from the gospel found in scripture. It IS IMPORTANT that every Sunday churches pay royalties to those churches so that they can sing their music, promoting [their] evangelism and their false evangelical message.

The singer said she regretted “supporting these churches” by singing their songs and “opening doors for others to discover their false teachings.”

“What if the majority of the church leads its people astray by singing music less than worthy of a sovereign and holy God? ” she asked.