American flag with “Thanks” (“Merci”) at a grave in Normandy American Cemetery, Source Wikipedia (PD-Self)
As of this writing, the US Supreme Court is considering a challenge to legislative prayer.
Legislative Prayer and National Character
Thirty years ago, in Marsh v. Chambers, the Supreme Court ruled that legislative prayer was an expression of the national character, supported by historic precedent [1]. The argument being made in Greece v. Galloway is that the selection of Christian prayers over non-Christian to open town council meetings amounts to the establishment of a state-sponsored religion, prohibited by the First Amendment to the US Constitution [2].
Not all of us are historians or Constitutional scholars. We do though have a stake in the outcome of this case. Greece affords the Court – and, consequently, all of us – an opportunity to reassess whether the American character has changed sufficiently to ban prayer at public gatherings (identifiably Christian prayer, in particular). Read more…
“Cry of the Prophet Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem” by Ilya Repin, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow (PD-ArtlPD-AGE-80)
Do a search on the idiomatic phrase “fire in the belly” and you will find synonyms like “ardor,” “ambition,” “motivation,” and “drive.”
We all know what the phrase means in the context of politics. “He does not have the necessary fire in the belly” refers to a certain strength of character and commitment; a desire to succeed despite obstacles, despite pain, despite unscrupulous tactics by an opponent.
Interestingly, Wiktionary uses the following sentence to illustrate appropriate use of the term: “I felt no conviction of a burning sincerity, of that fire in the belly which made some of the wilder nonconformist parsons of my youth appear almost incandescent.”
That is not a bad description of Jeremiah, the nonconformist prophet, almost incandescent with conviction. Jeremiah has, also, been called the “weeping prophet,” since he agonized over Judah’s sin and God’s impending judgment. Read more…
“Rahab Helping the Two Israelite Spies”, Illustration by Frederick Pickersgill from 1897 Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us, Source http://associate.com/photos (PD US)
New York is the first state to establish a court system designed to assist sex workers in escaping prostitution. Pilot courts have been in operation in Manhattan, Queens, and Nassau Counties for several years.
Eighteen states now provide services to children caught in the sex trade, rather than imposing prison sentences on them. Reuters quotes Georgia State University law professor, Jonathan Todres, on this topic saying, “There’s a real urgency here. We need to recognize as a nation that these children are victims and survivors of violent crimes and abuse, and they should not be treated as criminals [1].”
New York’s specialized court system will link defendants with resources such as shelters, drug rehabilitation, medical treatment, education, and job training. Sex trafficking is already a crime in New York. Read more…
Potter’s wheel at Erfurt, Germany, Photo by Oliver Kurmis (PD-self)
Pottery has been in use for at least twelve thousand years. The composition and design of pottery have become useful tools, enabling archaeologists to date cultures from the pottery shards associated with them. Inferences can be drawn from such shards about diet, social relationships, religion, and economic conditions.
The earliest forms of pottery were made at comparatively low temperatures, in open flame or covered pits, using whatever clays were available locally.
It is likely that the first need pottery served was to store food and liquid for later use, thus reducing waste. As such, pottery is likely to have been the invention of women. In some cases, fingerprints of the women who fashioned them are actually preserved on ancient vessels.
“Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand…’” (Jer. 18: 6).
Father, we are as the clay in Your hands. You know best the purpose for which each of us was made. Shape and mold us into the image of Your Son, Jesus, that we may serve Your ends throughout our days.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
Field of ripe wheat in Gallecs (Mollet del Valles, Barcelona, Spain), Photo by Rafael Ferran i Peralta (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Israel has two primary seasons: summer (hot and dry) and winter (wet). The month of March is known for strong winds which buffet the crops. The latter rains bathe the crops a last time before they are ready for harvest.
The Torah lists what are called the “seven species” of the Promised Land. They are wheat and barley; grapes, figs, and pomegranates; olives, and date palm honey. The seven species relate to three of the Hebrew religious festivals: the grains to Passover, the fruits to Pentecost, the oil and honey to Tabernacles.
The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus (37AD – 95AD) praised the vineyards of Judah and Samaria, the olives of the Galilee, and the date palms of the Jordan Valley.
“ ‘Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!’ ” (John 4: 35).
Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of the harvest, and we Your laborers. We thank You for having called us to join in Your great work. We ask that You call many forward to accomplish this vital task.
Help us to convey Your message of love and Salvation. Help us to win souls for You, that none may be lost.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
“Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze, Source Metropolitan Museum of Art (PD-ARTlPD-AGE-100)
Most of you will recall Thomas Paine’s “The Crisis”. The series of essays was written during one of our country’s darkest hours, with enlistments in the Continental Army about to run out.
Paine must have wondered what he could say to keep the troops from disbanding, and what right he had to ask such a high degree of devotion from them. Remember that he had no assurance the American cause would triumph – far from it, in fact. Read more…
Urban decay in South Philadelphia, PA, Photo by pwbaker, Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/24409978@N00/425965788 (CC-BY-2.0 Generic)
Violence in Philadelphia has been unrelenting over the past ten years. Children as young as three are regularly killed in drive-by shootings. A few horrific incidents stay with us. The rest blur together, one death as meaningless as the next.
Teenage brothers were shot to death during a home invasion. The murders, like many others, were thought to be drug related. The body of a pregnant woman with young children was found in an abandoned lot by vagrants. It had been stripped and smeared with peanut butter to attract rodents.
The horror prompts us to turn away. But that is not what Jesus would have us do. These lives are not worthless to Him, however random and pointless the deaths may seem. Read more…
Army medical personnel treating a victim of the 2010 Salang avalanches in Afghanistan, Photo by Spc. Brandon Evans, Source http://flickr.com/photos/28650594@N03/4346549621 (CC Attribution 2.0 Generic)
In April 2011, a team of British military veterans conquered the North Pole. Amazingly, all were war wounded (two of the team, actually amputees). As members of the group “Walking with the Wounded” http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/, the men were out to demonstrate that nothing is impossible. They did exactly that.
We should celebrate the victory of these veterans, not to mention their sacrifice.
But men and women can be wounded in many ways. Millions suffer from chronic illnesses; have been to countless emergency rooms and lain prostrate on kitchen floors, unable to call for help. Mental and emotional difficulties can be as real (and debilitating) as physical.
The trauma, the illness or injury, may feel overwhelming – so draining we find ourselves wishing, at times, it had been fatal. Read more…
“The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Leonello Spada, Louvre Museum (PD-ARTlPD-Age-100)
Americans applaud a fresh start.
- Lose 20 lbs.? You can buy a new wardrobe, and begin life over.
- Have a little “work” done, around your eyes or middle? Have a couple of saline bags inserted in your chest? You become the poster child for healthy self-esteem.
- Go into drug rehab again? You are cited for your courage.
- Spend 15 minutes in celebrity jail? Declare yourself a sex addict? You are suddenly a model of rectitude.
Change is worth applauding, and should manifest externally. But, first and foremost, change is an internal process. So, too, with repentance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes repentance as “a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil…” (CCC 1431). Read more…
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940-1945 and 1951-1955), Source Imperial War Museums (NYP 45063)
“But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me…” (2 Tim. 4: 17).
Sometimes the challenges facing us as Christians seem insurmountable. Little, however, is achieved without courage.
Winston Churchill knew this. At a time when England was besieged by bombing raids and without allies, he, nonetheless, wrote:
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight in the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. Read more…
A Lawyer's Prayers 