Read it.

"Without truth, without trust and love for what is true, there is no social conscience and responsibility, and social action ends up serving private interests and the logic of power, resulting in social fragmentation, especially in a globalized society at difficult times like the present" (5).

"Fidelity to man requires fidelity to the truth, which alone is the guarantee of freedom (cf. John 8:32) and of the possibility of integral human development" (9).

... these are words found in a recent encylical, "Charity in Truth" (Caritas in Veritae) issued by Pope Benedict XVI. They are quoted in an article, authored by Francis J Beckwith. Beckwith reviews the recent Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, commenting on its content and meaning.

It is a very worthwhile read, I think: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/julyweb-only/127-53.0.html. It's a short article, too.

Additional links:

The full text of the encyclical in English: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html

An op-ed piece talking about the difficulty that many have in understanding the full depth and breadth of this encyclical (or of much Christian thought in general): http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0710/1224250386825.html

Return?

I hope that I am on the threshold of a decisive step back towards God.

I too have gone astray, I wish to return to my Shepherd. Yet my desires are impotent and fleeting.

I pray my Shepherd comes and finds me and brings me home.

I am highly skeptical of my authenticity in stating what I have written above.

I need you, God - this is a call.

Sentiment

You are like a beautiful tree
With roots in the ground so deep
That they could never be seen.
I'm a leaf that's ready to fall.
And the wind's going to blow me,
Someday, away from it all.

I just want to write you in a song,
Put your smile on paper so you can sing along.
I just want to bottle the sun,
Keep your light a secret I can find when you are gone.

Jason Reeves, "You in a Song"

...And, yes, I am a softy sometimes.

I don't believe in the power of prayer

I believe in God, attentive to his creation, present in history.

I do not subscribe to the belief that belief itself is credible. It is not. Faith is only as reliable as its object.

"Credulity is no virtue."

Prayer itself has no power.

If there is no hearer...
If there is a hearer who is not interested in responding...
If there is a hearer who has no capacity to respond...
then prayer is a pep talk at best, willful self-deceit at worst.

I think we should not pray for the sake of praying.

I think we should pray as the consequence of the belief (no matter how tenuous) that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - the God of Jesus - is attentive to His Creation and present in our human affairs.

And so I do not agree whatsoever with the statement, "I believe in the power of prayer." For I do not believe in prayer; I believe in God.

More music

It's been awhile since I've posted. I really think I should write more - not necessarily on this blog - but in general.. it is very healthy, I think.

But if you're thinking that this will be some sort of intelligent or clever post, you are wrong. I am just sharing a couple of artists who have really occupied my time the past few days... Current favorite songs in parentheses...

Alli Rogers ("Eden")
Kendall Payne ("I will show you love")

Listen to them. Seriously.

A couple more...
Josh Garrels ("Zion & Babylon")
Jon Foreman ("Again")

Beautiful Music

Check it out. I've met him a couple of times before. He often plays keyboard at our church.

http://andrewrrogers.com/music/

"Word of God" ?

I was asked this question this morning..

"Does it bother you when people refer to that book as the 'word of God'?"

My response was perfectly vague and noncommittal. And I do not think that my response should've been vague and noncommittal. I think it is important that I start to develop an articulation and defense for what I believe. And I think it needs to begin very soon (possibly waiting until the semester and its papers are finished).

So, turning the question back to you...

Does it bother you when people refer to the Bible as the "word of God"?