Unity, social action and the weakened church of Europe

So what was happening to the church in the early 20th century that allowed it to be mowed down like wet grass by the National Socialists? (see previous entry) My grasp of 20th century history is pretty much limited to what I was taught in school or saw in the movies (i.e., FDR was our savior even though he extended the Depression 8 years; we were the good guys in WWII and bad guys in all following wars) and what I lived through. Keep in mind, I was either a humanist or a Democrat most of my adult life, or too busy raising a family, and working toward academic promotion and tenure to pay much attention to anything beyond the campus and home on Abington. Here’s a brief summary of about the first 40 years of the European Lutheran church in the 20th century from History of Lutheranism by Eric W. Gritsch (Fortress, 2002).

1) Ecumenism
2) Doctrine divides, service unites

Now, I realize it was a bit more complicated than that, but the leader of the ecumenical movement and all the cleverly named organizations and conferences that mushroomed (mostly in Europe with some participation of American churches) was a Swedish Lutheran, Nathan Söderblom (January 15, 1866-July 12, 1931). He was a man of deep longing for unity among Christians, a goal to which he devoted his life and studies, while pursuing eastern religions and dabbling in Marxism. Just skipping through the highlights of his life in Chapter 7, "New Ventures, 1918- :

1890 International Student Conference (New Haven)
1901 Young Church Movement, with links to Swedish socialists; studies Persian religion in Paris
1908 Proposal for Christian unity with Anglicans and mission work in India
1912-13 Professor at University of Leipzig, Germany
1914 Appointed archbishop of Sweden; Declaration of Peace and Christian Fellowship
1914 Unity efforts set aside by WWI with focus on helping orphaned German and Austrian children as head of World Alliance of Churches for Promoting International Friendship as a way to unite Christians in social action despite national and doctrinal differences
1917 Manifesto signed by leading clerics of Europe calling for a durable peace;
1917 International Christian conference--hand picked delegates; unity, life in society, international law were the topics
1919 World Alliance International Committee, 60 attendees from 14 countries (Netherlands)
1920 Negotiations for Ecumenical Council/Conference for unity and renewal of society (Geneva)
1925 Universal Conference of the Church of Christ on Life and Work (Stockholm) with six topics: 1) church’s obligation to the world, 2) church and economic and industrial problems, 3) church and social and moral problems, 4) church and the mutual relations of nations, 5) church and Christian education, and 6) methods of practical and organizational cooperation between Christian communions
1927 World Conference on Faith and Order (Lausanne); seven topics many doctrinal on sacraments, gospel, nature of the church--much tension--no vote taken
1930 Received Nobel Prize for peace
1931 Gifford lectures, honoring his work on world religions and the mystical unity of humankind

With his life, the chapter parallels what was happening in Germany to the church (mostly Lutherans, since this is a book about Lutherans) who have been participating all along in these calls for unity, cooperation, and mission to social causes

1932 German Lutherans who support Hitler (Reichskirche) and “heroic piety” call for a revival of inner mission and a platform to fulfill the intentions of the Reformation of the 16th century
1933 Hitler elected during economic crisis with the Jews blamed for all of Europe’s economic woes (i.e., evil, greedy, capitalist CEOs); he promises a new Germany; rise of secularization, churches lose influence; the government coordinates all sectors of public and private life.
1933 The Nazis first affirmed support of religious freedom, except when public security was threatened, and ties with ecumenism in other parts of Europe are halted
1934 German confessing church (bekennende Kirche) putting the gospel first, repudiates the false teachings of the government and many eventually go to prison camps and death.
1937 Second Conference for Faith and Order (Edinburgh)
1937 Conference on Life and Work (Oxford) Hitler barred Germans from attending
1938 German pastors are required to sign a loyalty oath or lose their ministry and salary
1939-1945 (World War II) The rise of German National Socialism (and Italian Fascism) during which the believing churches are suppressed; those who support the government (majority) allowed to continue.
1945 Surviving leaders of the German Confessing church establish Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany

In an effort to save the environment, I think the churches of today could just dust off a few of these documents (if they can find them), especially that one in 1925 with the 6 main topics has a very familiar ring, don't you think? Works for PAJAMA Christians.

National Socialism--could it happen again

A Chinese-American friend was visibly upset by the election of Barack Obama. Thinking perhaps she was remembering her youth in China when Mao came to power and so many capitalists had to flee (my college roommate’s family went to Brazil), we discovered she was going back further than that, to the free and democratic election by the German people of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, the subsequent suppression of the already weakened church, and the collapse of capitalism. And to that perfect storm, I would add race-based myths-- only this time around it’s the idea that by being of African descent Obama is superior, almost messianic in his appeal not only at home but abroad. Only he can expiate the sins of a history of slavery and Jim Crow. Clicking briefly through the news programs since Tuesday, the adulation by the native and foreign press and capitulation even by Republicans have been revolting. Dancing in the streets in Indonesia because he has brown skin? Have they never had a brown skinned despot in Asia? The government will now take care of all your deepest needs ideology? Haven’t we heard this all before? I almost can’t believe my ears and eyes. The spiritualized political language and its mesmerizing affect is breathtaking in its reminder of both the past and its precursor of what’s to come.

Friday Family Photo

There's no date on this photo, but it's a polaroid, so I know it was taken by my father-in-law. They usually came for the kids' birthdays in November. The lapels, wide tie, and pinky-orange shirt scream early to mid-1970s, as does the lime green trim in the living room to match the carpet which was installed about 1973. You can't see them, but my husband's slacks were bell-bottom, also quite popular then. I got that "serf" haircut after my appendectomy in fall 1974--before that my hair was almost waist length. My husband is wearing a leather belt hand tooled by a prisoner at the Ohio Penitentiary whom we used to visit with a church program around 1972-73. (The one who escaped with his girl friend in the garbage truck.) Ned Moore painted that watercolor of us sitting on the beach at East Harbor on Lake Erie in 1974 and we bought it at an art show in September. So I'm going to say it's November, 1974.

Tip: Remove all foral arrangements before taking photos.

Remembering Heather Pick

We were all saddened to learn of the death of Heather Pick, Channel 10 news reporter. Check video here. A few years ago--maybe 2004--we were in a furniture store in Rockford, Illinois, and mentioned to the salesman we were from Columbus, and he said we must know Heather--she'd been on a station there. WREX story. She lost her battle with breast cancer, but she was an inspiration to all who watched and knew her. She will certainly be missed.

Looking for sob stories

"onCampus," the faculty/staff newspaper at Ohio State, is looking for a few OSU faculty or staff who have gone through a tough financial situation and were able to rebound from it. onCampus will choose two or three people and conduct interviews with those willing to share their stories. Please respond to Associate Editor Adam King at king dot 1088 at osu.edu or 292-8419 by Monday (11/10) if you are interested in helping others in a financial crunch learn from your experiences.

I don't think they'll want to hear from me. I've been in four of the five quintiles and have no complaints. I was bounced around by PERS and STRS when I started planning for retirement each saying my time off for children (you can buy a year I think) was the others responsibility so I didn't get it. I was passed over for one position because it was given to the wife of a OSU faculty member, and spent my years there in a department whose average salaries were less than other big 10 institutions. Oh well.

Besides, I'd just give them some ideas on being pro-active not re-active. For instance

1) save one salary and live on the other if you have 2 incomes
2) max out the 403-b (which until September was a good idea, maybe still is, we'll see how long Obama can extend this recession to make people dependent on him)
3) tithe your income
4) learn to say NO to yourself and the kids
5) don't take vacations until you're over 40
6) pay off the credit card in 30 days
7) live below your means
8) don't borrow from friends or family
9) keep your car for 8-10 years
10) one of you stay home when the children are little

There. I'll wait to hear from them.

From Toledo Blade

"The Republican Party is experiencing an "identity crisis" and must "rethink" how it can compete in the future, the state party's deputy chairman said yesterday after watching Ohio complete its transition from "red" to "blue." "

How about they try being Conservatives to compete? No one's doing that one.

Michael Reagan on Obama

Under Bush Republicans we had socialism-lite--with Obama it's the real thing.

“In the case of Barack Obama, I hope during the whole campaign, all the things he promised to do I hope was a lie. I’d hate to actually see him put these things into place… and I’ll fight tooth and nail to stop him from putting these things in place.

“But, do I think it’s good for America that a black man was elected president of the United States? Absolutely. I just disagree with his policies.”

Reagan says that with the most left-wing president in history, coupled together with hard-core liberals controlling Congress, America is on the fast track to socialism.

“If Barack Obama is allowed to institute all the things he talked about, we are in to socialism. But let’s be honest, the Republicans under George Bush have been ‘socialism lite,’” Reagan explains. NewsMax account

All opposition to Obama is being presented as racism. That's ridiculous. It's his ideas, not his color, that will sink us. And his cronies.

Proud to stand

with Dodd and Feingold on FISA in February (aka Patriot Act). Backing Bush in June. Yes, he was for sure against amending FISA to allow the government to monitor more communications without a warrant. But then political expediency (he wasn't actually there for the vote--surprise, surprise!) starts to dawn on him. He might actually get to the White House after defeating Hillary in the primaries, and these powers of surveillance might be very useful, so he flipped on a clear promise to his supporters, stabbing his leftist buddies in the back (although they're loving him for it now).

"Given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program," Obama said in a statement hours after the House approved the legislation 293-129. [WaPo account]

Democrats hated FISA under Bush (1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act under Carter), but they've already learned to love it. Especially our Ohio Democratic administration. They are practicing to be good ObamaToms. So ripping through Joe the Plumber's records in Ohio (standard procedure we were told when someone's name appears in the news) is just a foretaste of what's to come with President Obama and the new, improved FISA. The fact that asking a question about taxes hardly makes one a national security threat, unless questioning Obama is perceived not only as racism, but a security threat.

HT Larry Johnson

White House for Sale

is an interesting web site. You can't track all the money donated to Obama, but you can see a lot of it. McCain's would be a little more straight forward since he didn't weasel out on the campaign funding agreement. Both the bundlers and the mega-donors. Pick anyone at random who's made a hefty donation and google his name (often husband and wife for double the mega-bucks). For instance this guy

Nasser A. Ahmad is chief investment officer and managing partner of DiMaio Ahmad Capital L.L.C. Prior to co-founding the Investment Manager, Mr. Ahmad was previously a managing director of CS Capital, the chief investment officer for the Diversified Credit Hedge Fund Group Prior to that, he was co-head of Global Cash and Derivatives Credit Trading within the Fixed Income Division at CS. Merril Lynch has minority stake in DiMaio Ahmad Capital. Originally, according to Fundrace and Campaign Money websites, Ahmad was covering his bases with an event for Asian Americans for Obama which required $28,500 a piece or $50,000 per couple. He and wife(?) were co-chairs for a Biden event ($50,000). He's been a featured speaker on a summit on Pakistan. That speaker's bio added a bit more:


Mr. Ahmad is on the boards of Breakthrough for Human Rights (a human rights, economic empowerment, environmental
sustainability and political stability organization (new media) which glancing through the report seems to help women in India) and the Soros Economic Development Fund. He is also a board member of the South Asian Action Forum (SAAF), a Political Action Committee (PAC) consisting of community and business leaders that promotes a progressive policy platform with key rising and established U.S. policymakers to which he donated $3,000 according to Fundrace. I assume that also when to Obama.

In 2008, Mr. Ahmad joined the National Finance Committee (NFC) of Senator Obama’s presidential campaign and was appointed co-chair of the Asian American Finance committee.

Isn't it interesting that I select a name at random and he turns out to be on the board of George Soros organization.

Obama and The PAJAMA Christians

No, I'm not referring to Christian bloggers, of which there are thousands, maybe millions. Or Christians who secretly are watching porn, listening to phone sex or gambling in their home offices at night on the internet. Or baggie pants Christians eschewing or setting current fashion trends chasing hip-hop idols. I'm talking about Peace-and-Justice-and-More-Aid ChristiansThe Christian reformers of the 15th-16th century had two problems with God's Word. First, they had to get it into the language of the people through direct translation and paraphrase from Greek and Hebrew into German, or English or French in a way that people could understand the simple, clear meaning of the Gospel. Second they needed to liberate scripture from the encrusted allegories that spiritualized or created retellings of Greek and Roman myths covering up the clear word of the Gospel, particularly in the Old Testament.

Over the years, scripture again became entangled in a variety of "correct" translations (with some American Christians believing only the KJV is acceptable, which is tough on speakers of French, Russian, Navajo, etc.) and fascination with prophecy with cherry picking of verses for seven dispensations and times of The Rapture, to extreme pietism that requires women to dress or fix their hair in a certain way or men not to use technological advancements (no TV but computers are OK), or scholarly treatises so dull and obscure with multiple editors and authors of various books of the Bible, they send the parishioner fleeing the pew into the waiting arms of the atheists, humanists or government program that promises to save the world.

The gospel preached from Jeremiah Wright's pulpit may have shocked some, but a quieter version of liberation theology has been recycled through American churches for years--actually predates Black Liberation Theology. PAJAMA Christians turn Christ into Moses, and he's not just leading them in some exodus from evil, Satanic capitalism. He's got a long list of rules to create a just kingdom on earth. However, instead of personal belief, behavior or sacrifice, they want the government to bring in the kingdom through our ever more bloated programs supported by taxes. (From my pocket to Washington, to a government employee, back to Ohio, to a government employee, then to a trust fund for the poor, to the pocket of a government employee with a few bucks left over for the poor.)

The Gospel isn't difficult, but you would think so, as seldom as it is preached, taught or sung either by conservatives or liberals. Luther writes in "A brief instruction on what to look for and expect in the Gospels":

For at its briefest, the gospel is a discourse about Christ, that he is the Son of God and became man for us, that he died and was raised, that he has been established as a Lord over all things. . . . Just as there is no more than one Christ, so there is and may be no more than one gospel. . . .Thus when Isaiah in chapter 53 says how Christ should die for us and bear our sins, he has written the pure gospel. And I assure you, if a person fails to grasp this understanding of the gospel, he will never be able to be illuminated in the Scripture nor will he receive the right foundation. . .

You should grasp Christ, his words, works and sufferings in a twofold manner. First as an example that is presented to you which you should follow and imitate. . . However this is the smallest part of the gospel, on the basis of which it cannot yet even be called gospel. For on this level Christ is of no more help to you than some other saint. . . before you take Christ as an example, you accept and recognize him as a gift, as a present that God has given you and that is your own. . . .when you have Christ as the foundation and chief blessing of your salvation, then the other part follows: that you take him as your example, giving yourself in service to your neighbor just as you see that Christ has given himself for you."

Obama has promised to undo the "faith based initiatives" the federal and state governments now use to rebuild and change society by requiring "nondiscriminatory" hiring. This in fact means for Christians, their organizations would become non-Christian. Christian non-profits have become so dependent on the government for funding, using their own funds to build bigger campuses, I suspect most would rather give up the Gospel than give up their own idea of what the gospel is--i.e., helping people through government grants, most of which go to pay their staff, keep their buildings open, and provide an outlet for volunteerism and service for their members to feel more holy.

Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings edited by Timothy F. Lull is google scanned.

What I saw at the coffee shop

Gracious, goodness,
Lord Almighty.
This old gal
got quite a sighty.
Should we object
or bring a law suit
when common sense
we give the boot?

Here.

Even with fraud and bussing in the homeless

Obama raised and spent millions more than any candidate in history, much by theft and fraud which will never be investigated, carpet baggers ran around the nation registering Democrats, many states had early voting, and raised the dead, and still . . .

"The report released Thursday estimates that between 126.5 and 128.5 million Americans cast ballots in the presidential election earlier this week. Those figures represent 60.7 percent or, at most, 61.7 percent of those eligible to vote in the country.

“A downturn in the number and percentage of Republican voters going to the polls seemed to be the primary explanation for the lower than predicted turnout,” the report said. Compared to 2004, Republican turnout declined by 1.3 percentage points to 28.7 percent, while Democratic turnout increased by 2.6 points from 28.7 percent in 2004 to 31.3 percent in 2008." CNN

I'm not surprised that Republican turn out was low (or that single women were high); I overheard two older people at the library on Tuesday discussing whether it was worth it to vote. The press and polls tried to build Obama at every opportunity and suppress McCain's support. Conservatives didn't have a candidate until the end of August when Palin appeared, then all the "moderates" jumped ship. The slavish devotion of the press corp and op-ed-ers to expiate their guilt was palpable. I wish them luck, because the race industry is just too huge to be dismantled in the voting booth.

Affordable housing in Ohio--and your state, too

Because the current value of your 401-k, your 403-b, or your private investments and the value of your house are tied directly to the government's interference in the housing market in the past 15 years, it's time for you to take a look around, become familiar with the real estate, as it were. Today I'm looking at the Ohio Department of Development and how many fingers and thumbs are trying to pull out a plum.

Here's some history from the Ohio Housing Trust Fund Annual Report 2008 :

To address Ohio’s housing needs, Ohio’s housing advocates, led by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), began a grass roots campaign to improve Ohio’s housing conditions. The campaign’s first success came in November 1990 when Ohio’s voters approved Issue 1, a constitutional amendment making housing a public purpose. During the following year, the Ohio Legislature passed implementing legislation (House Bill 339) to establish the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF) and an Advisory Committee to work with the ODOD, the administering agency, to develop the fund’s housing programs and policies.

OK, start small with volunteers, get some funding, get established, hire more staff to find more funding.

In the 1992-1993 Ohio Biennium Budget, $5 million of state general revenue was allocated to the fund. Immediately, Ohio’s housing advocates began lobbying for an OHTF permanent, stable funding source.

So that's the beginning. Identify a need, get a small grant to keep you going until you can get more money. No low income person's rent is ever paid, but the goal is set with meetings and workshops--rent, coffee and snacks eat up a lot of budget. Keep the need out front--"affordable housing," but keep expanding what that means. From homeless to poor to low income.

For the next 12 years, the fund’s allocation level struggles with a sluggish economy and the high demand for other state-funded services, including education. During that period, the allocation level fluctuated from $5 million for a biennium to $20 million for one year.

OK, funding is too iffy to pay all the salaries, so let's rethink this. We need to bring in more people at every level of the housing industry for a larger stake.

In 2002, established the Affordable Housing Taskforce, (when the word Trust Fund loses its glow, try Taskforce) recommend an increase in fees to have a permanent, dedicated funding source for the OHTF. Continue to raise fees, while warning about the housing crisis and lauding a public/private partnership to increase affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families.

What started as "homeless" in 1990, is now "moderate-income" housing. Continue to lobby the governor's office and state legislature and broaden your base in the building industry so they can get a piece of the pie. By the early 2000s, you've got so many endorsements, businesses, non-profits (which have also been expanding using the same methods) and financial institutions (which are being threatened for "red lining") plus religious organizations (faith based initiatives), you can go for yet another increase in fees for 2004-2005 for the funding of OHTF. And finally, the pot and the end of the rainbow.

In the 2008-2009 Ohio Biennium Budget, the Ohio Legislature appropriated $53 million each year to the OHTF. Subsequently, the State Controlling Board approved an increase in the OHTF appropriation authority for SFY 2008 to $56 million.

From grass roots, rag-tag volunteers for the homeless to $56 million dollars in just 18 years. Not bad. Of course, we still have homeless; we still have decaying housing stock in the older neighborhoods like Hilltop and near East side and over there south of Children's Hospital. But we have an unending stream of funding, the non-profits and religious organizations have places to put staff who might not otherwise have jobs, the volunteers have a place to go to feel good, and it certainly is reducing the gap between the rich and the poor--by helping indirectly to destroy the wealth of the middle class.

The bigger the housing trust funds became, the bigger the crisis grew--the more funding was needed. Take a look at this explanation by Fannie Mae, that sweet thing who was stealing from you all along while her front man Barney said everything was just fine.

And we've just elected a guy who claims we aren't doing enough!

Tickled Pink

You can take a look at it here, and it won't let me copy the cover, which is not worth scanning. However, be forewarned if you see one (free-circ, usually in lobbies of stores or supermarkets), it's just a package of ads with a few articles in the margins. That's actually how women's magazines got their start in the 19th century, but they have come full circle. Anyway. . . the all out dumbest thing I've ever seen in a woman's magazine is on p. 15. An advice column for women by a gay man--on sex and relationships. Truly, it was beyond dumb, it was disgusting. I'm glancing through to see if there's anything else you couldn't find in the stack you have waiting to go to the trash. . . breast cancer, skin spots, exercise tips, fall weddings, safety tips for halloween, Thanksgiving tips, and so forth. One thing worth reading, however, is a very short piece on p. 37 that looks like a scanned diary, called Soul Searching. If I would have known then. . . addressed to a 21 year old into the clubbing life.

"This drinking and smoking, the stress you are under, trying to take on the world's problems, it's a ridiculous way to live, The risks the doctor is talking about with this disease. . . pregnancy complications and skin infections and heart attacks. . . all very real things that will happen to you.

The daughter you think about having one day that will look just like you? Gone at 8 days old, when you are 26, from complications of open-heart surgery to correct a heart defect your uncontrolled diabetes gave to her. The body you are abusing with the Alabama Slammers and the Marlboro smokes? Riddled with scars from a staph infection that gets into your bloodstream because you are too stubborn to go to the doctor. Think you are going to live forever? Think again. . . you are lucky to survive the massive heart attack that almost kills you on January 2, 2004.

Please. . . listen to what the doctors are telling you right now. . .Oh that guy you think is perfect for you right now? Drop everything and Run!!!"

Not exactly me, but close

After seeing the less than flattering article about bloggers' brains in Scientific American, I decided to check PubMed (National Library of Medicine). I had a little problem with my search strategy--it kept changing "blogging" to "logging," a topic I don't care much about. So finally I went for KISS and typed in, B L O G, and it took that. So of course, I found an article about medical bloggers (I have a list of my own favorites, too). "Examining the medical blogosphere: an online survey of medical bloggers." J Med Internet Res. 2008 Sep 23;10(3):e28.

A total of 80 (42%) of 197 eligible participants responded. The majority of responding bloggers were white (75%), highly educated (71% with a Masters degree or doctorate), male (59%), residents of the United States (72%), between the ages of 30 and 49 (58%), and working in the healthcare industry (67%). Most of them were experienced bloggers, with 23% (18/80) blogging for 4 or more years, 38% (30/80) for 2 or 3 years, 32% (26/80) for about a year, and only 7% (6/80) for 6 months or less. Those who received attention from the news media numbered 66% (53/80). When it comes to best practices associated with journalism, the participants most frequently reported including links to original source of material and spending extra time verifying facts, while rarely seeking permission to post copyrighted material. Bloggers who have published a scientific paper were more likely to quote other people or media than those who have never published such a paper (U= 506.5, n(1)= 41, n(2)= 35, P= .016). Those blogging under their real name more often included links to original sources than those writing under a pseudonym (U= 446.5, n(1)= 58, n(2)= 19, P= .01). Major motivations for blogging were sharing practical knowledge or skills with others, influencing the way others think, and expressing oneself creatively. CONCLUSIONS: Medical bloggers are highly educated* and devoted blog writers*, faithful to their sources* and readers*. Sharing practical knowledge* and skills, as well as influencing the way other people think, were major motivations for blogging among our medical bloggers. Medical blogs are frequently picked up by mainstream media; thus, blogs are an important vehicle to influence medical and health policy.

There. That sounds more like me*. Except for being picked up by the mainstream media and I don't think I've influenced any health policy. But I am a published author in both the science and library fields; I use my real name; I verify my facts and link to sources. However, I am a tad older than the survey median. That must be why. No one's called or contacted me.

Palin and Jindal

That's my plan for 2012. By then the American people should know you can't tax your way out of a recession and they'll be ready for another pretty face, or two. Right now, the trashing of Palin will continue because 1) the Democrats are afraid of her and will need to diminish her accomplishment, intelligence, clothes, etc. and 2) the McCain staffers don't want to admit to their huge error, which was always chasing the middle. The only smart thing they did was to select Sarah. You go girl.
Lots of buzz and buttons on the internet.

Martin Luther on baptism

Somewhere I'm sure there is a collection of just this topic. Luther had a lot to say to the "blockhead" reformers who followed him, because he wouldn't budge on this one. When we were in confirmation classes in 1976 our pastor said a wise thing, and I paraphrase, "We can argue all you want on matters of theology or polity, or meanings of different verses, but if baptism is going to be a problem for you, you'll need to find another church." Because we attend the traditional service and not many young families do, we don't participate in as many baptisms as we used to. Many years ago when our son was very small (the children at that time were always called to the front to sit around the font while the baby was baptized, our little guy returned to the pew and whispered to me, "Mommy, I can still feel the water of my baptism on my head." Visually, it's a beautiful experience of grace, like no other. The baby has done nothing, said nothing, accomplished nothing.

"Our baptism, thus, is a strong and sure foundation, affirming that God has made a covenant with all the world to be a God of the heathen in all the world, as the gospel says. Also, that Christ has commanded the gospel to be preached in all the world, as also the prophets have declared in many ways. As a sign of this covenant he has instituted baptism, commanded and enjoined upon all heathn, as Matt 28:19 declares: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father," etc. In the same manner he had made a covenant with Abraham and his descedants to be their God, and made circumcision a sign of his covenant. Here, namely, that we are baptized; not because we are certain of our faith but because it is the command and will of God. For even if I were never certain any more of faith, I still am certain of the command of God, that god has bidden to baptize, for this he has made known throughout the world. In this I cannot err, for God's command cannot deceive. But of my faith he has never said anything to anyone, nor issued an order or command concerning it.

True, one should add faith to baptism. But we are not to base baptism on faith. There is quite a difference between having faith, on the one hand, and depending on one's faith and making baptism depend on faith, on the other. Whoever allows himself to be baptized on the strength of his faith, is not only uncertain, but also an idolator who denies Christ. For he trusts in and builds on something of his own, namely on a gift which he has from God, and not on God's Word alone. So another may build on and trust in his strength, wealth, power, wisdom, holiness, which also are gifts given him by God. . .

If I were baptized on my own faith, I might tomorrow find myself unbaptized, if faith failed me, or I became worried that I might not yesterday have had the faith rightly. But now that doesn't affect me. God and his command may be attacked, but I am certain enough that I have been baptized on his Word. . . nothing is lacking in baptism. Always something is lacking in faith. However long our life, always there is enough to learn in regard to faith."

Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings, (Fortress, 1989) ed. by Timothy F. Lull, p. 364-365. The 2005 ed. has been google scanned.

Great Orators of the Democratic Party--From Best of the Web

Too funny not to share.

• "One man with courage makes a majority."--attributed to Andrew Jackson

• "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."--Franklin D. Roosevelt

• "The buck stops here."--Harry S. Truman

• "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."--John F. Kennedy

• "You know why I think [my wife] Jill likes Claire McCaskill so well, Sen. McCaskill? Jill is one of five sisters, Claire is one of three sisters. And I tell you what, you women raised with sisters are different than women raised with brothers. My sister is smart, runs every one of my campaigns; is beautiful; graduated with honors from college; is homecoming queen. But she's a . . . she is what I call a 'girl-boy' growing up, you know what I mean? And I tell you what? Girl-girls are tougher than girl-boys. But there's one important thing I noticed.The great thing about marrying into a family with five sisters, there's always one that loves you. 'Cause you can count on splitting them a bit. You know what I mean? I shouldn't be going off like this, but--hey, folks, 37 more hours, 37 more hours."--Joe Biden

What's another term for free lance writer?

Unemployed. Whether they call themselves writers, journalists or free lancers, they are really threatened by bloggers. Some bloggers make a lot of money with ads (I've never been interested in that.) Some writers solve the problem by just starting a blog and double dipping! The June 2008 Scientific American has an article by Jessica Wapner on brain research of bloggers. The on-line title is different than the print. I have 11 blogs. If I played golf on the senior circuit like Salley or exhibited quilts in arts shows like Mary, or worked 24/7 for Obama like Lynne, I would be praised. But I like to write. I think free lancers like Wapner who write for a living, hate us.

She says blogging (writing about personal experiences) serves as a stress-coping mechanism, might aid sleep and reduce viral load in AIDS patients. Possibly could help cancer patients. But on the darker side, look out! It just could be uncontrollable like hypergraphia, or an out of control drive like eating or sex or a type of lobe lesion like aphasia! There must be some neurological underpinnings at play, considering the explosion of blogs (I think blogging is actually decreasing has young people move on to the next tech widget and ad-on).

Since no one knows how much people used to write, doodle or create scrapbooks before blogging, or if this fascination with the brain of bloggers is influenced by an over supply of grant money and the need for promotion and tenure, just how will this be judged? How to weigh the influence of the computer, or broad band, or improved templates and access, or boomers entering retirement and having no other talent than stringing together sentences, posting photographs of their travels, or writing poetry? There's a lot of fudge words in this article, but "several researchers are committed to uncovering the cluster of neurological pathways," reports Wapner.

I can hardly wait. Meanwhile, I'll blog.

Dewey, the library cat

You'd think being a librarian and a cat lover, I'd have heard about Dewey Readmore Books, but I just noticed the book about a library cat (they aren't uncommon) at JoAnn's blog, Every Day Matters who had read it on a trip. So I looked at Amazon, which no longer lets me down load cover photos, and I read the PW review,

From Publishers Weekly One frigid Midwestern winter night in 1988, a ginger kitten was shoved into the after-hours book-return slot at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. And in this tender story, Myron, the library director, tells of the impact the cat, named Dewey Readmore Books, had on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself. Through her developing relationship with the feline, Myron recounts the economic and social history of Spencer as well as her own success story—despite an alcoholic husband, living on welfare, and health problems ranging from the difficult birth of her daughter, Jodi, to breast cancer. After her divorce, Myron graduated college (the first in her family) and stumbled into a library job. She quickly rose to become director, realizing early on that this was a job I could love for the rest of my life. Dewey, meanwhile, brings disabled children out of their shells, invites businessmen to pet him with one hand while holding the Wall Street Journal with the other, eats rubber bands and becomes a media darling. The book is not only a tribute to a cat—anthropomorphized to a degree that can strain credulity (Dewey plays hide and seek with Myron, can read her thoughts, is mortified by his hair balls)—it's a love letter to libraries. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Then I checked around and it also had some other nice reviews, this one from USAToday. I just may have to take a look.

My cat loves books. If I have one in my lap, she wants to sit on it. If the light is dim, she will sit right at my elbow blocking the light. She loves to walk around on the bookshelves checking out the latest gap or space, to see if she can fit into it.