Jolly Digest 1-23-05

Yesterday we had the biggest snowstorm of the year here in the Baltimore area which means that church is canceled today.  Here in the Baltimore area it often takes a few days to get the neighborhood roads plowed so we can all get out.  My road hasn't been plowed yet so I'll be staying put today.  We'll have some family devotions and then later I plan to posts a few excerpts from my sermon, which I didn't get to preach today - so I may as well share some of it with you.  In the meantime, here's a digest I started yesterday.

A modern holocaust . . .

LaShawn Barber, Wittenberg Gate, and blogicus, are a few of the LORB members who are blogging on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.  Tulip Girl, another member of the LORB puts a human face on the tragedy of abortion.

It's Carnival Time . . .

I am sure that everyone knows that the Christian Carnival is now up at Sidesspot.  Mark Sides needlessly apologizes for being late, he was sick all week for crying out loud, and there was a tremendous number of entries.  Don't apologize Mark, just accept our thanks for doing a good job hosting it.

Neil Uchitel is hosting the Christian Carnival next week.  And, if you need to know an extended schedule, check out Patriot Paradox.

What I most wanted to mention though, is that the King of Fools has a post every Wednesday with links to all of the major carnivals.  The King should be on your blogroll anyway if he isn't already.  I also found out about the new Jib-Jab from him.

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Nah, we don't have a problem with racism anymore today, now do we . . .

According to Amanda, who comments on the Boars Head Tavern, we apparently do.  She speaks of the trials and tribulations endured by those who enter into an interracial marriage.  Why is it so hard to understand that the bible prohibits inter-religious marriage, not interracial marriages.

Is church really all about the kids . . .

What should a family do when the kids love the children's program, complete with Pokey the Gospel Pony, and yet mom and dad find it to be less than spiritually satisfying?  This is the dilemma that confronted Bob, in Michael Spencer's post, "What's Best for the Children? A Story About Bob."

An interesting story about Jay Bakker . . .

Amy Wellborn highlights a NYTimes story about Jay Bakker, son of Jim and Tammy Fae Bakker, and Jay's church, Revolution.  Amy was most struck by the following words from a member of the church:

Bethra Szumski, 33, a tattoo artist, said she came to Revolution in 2002 with a low opinion of Christians, whom she found judgmental. She told me she believed in God, not in church or religion. But she was drawn to Bakker because he was wrestling with his own problems and because he did not judge her. ''Under my own resources, I'm incredibly ineffective to do anything except self-destruct,'' she said. ''He said salvation wasn't anything I could find on my own. Jesus had atoned for me.'' At Revolution, she said, the teaching never strayed far from this core idea of grace. ''We hear that a lot, it's really repetitive, but I need to hear that every single week.''

It's the words ''We hear that a lot, it's really repetitive, but I need to hear that every single week," that really got to Amy.  Check her out and see why repetition is so important in the Christian life.