The First Day in Advent--Is Your Advent Calendar Stocked and Ready?

It is that time of the year again, December 1, 2008, the first day of Advent.

That means it is time to post the picture of the original version of the "Lutheran" Advent calendar (now an annual event here @ the Riddleblog) along with the easy "how to" instructions so that you can make your very own version.

Its pretty simple, really. You make a trip to Bev-Mo, you get a sharpie and some cardboard, and a nice wood or plastic case big enough for 25 twelve oz. (or more) bottles.

Its as easy to make as counting to twenty-five.  But you can't cheat or rush things.  Only one window per day!

"You Must Remember" -- Jude 5-25

Here's the link to Sunday's sermon on Jude (the second in a two-part series).

http://links.christreformed.org/realaudio/KR20081130-Jude.mp3

Who Said That?

"The way forward for theological education will be deeply interfaith, or it will fail.  The fact is our lives are now interfaith, in bone-deep ways.  We live in interfaith families; we eat Middle Eastern food for lunch, kosher for dinner. ... We have hymns on our iPods, yoga mats in our backpacks, Torah prayers by our bedsides. "

OK . . . Who said that?  Leave your guesses in the comments section below.  Please, no google searches.  The whole point is to guess!

Update on Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 09:19AM by Kim Riddlebarger

So, this is the future of theological education.  This is from Dr. Serene Jones's inaugural address as the new president of Union Theological Seminary in New York (Nov. 17).

Proof that the Pope Is All Law and No Gospel

This just confirms my deepest suspicions . . .

Politicians have learned that all-too important lesson not to be photographed in certain situations--like Michael Dukakis doing the head-bob with the tanker's helmet, or John Kerry in his blue sani-suit crawling through the Space Shuttle mock up.

Theologians probably ought to take note of this principle.  It may have seemed like a good idea at the time . . . but the Pope with a cop's hat?  Not a good idea.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy, and blessed Thanksgiving!

The Prayer for Thanksgiving (approved for use in the forthcoming URCNA Hymnal):

Our Sovereign God, who created all things for your pleasure and who gives to all life, breath, and every good thing, we praise you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life. For rain and sunshine, in abundance and in lack, we acknowledge that our times are in your hands. You supply all of your creatures with your good gifts: the just and the unjust alike. Nevertheless, we especially give you praise for the surpassing greatness of your saving grace that you have shown to us in Christ Jesus our Savior. For our election in him before the foundation of the world; for our redemption by him in his life, death, and resurrection; for our effectual calling, justification, sanctification, and all of the blessings of our union with him, we give you our heartfelt thanks. And we look with great anticipation toward that day when you will raise us to life everlasting, glorified and confirmed in righteousness, so that we may sing your praises without the defilement of our present weaknesses, distractions, and sins. As you have served us with these gifts, we ask that you would give us grateful hearts so that through us you may serve our neighbors. In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, Amen.

The Huguenot Were the First to Celebrate Thanksgiving in the New World?

Given the fact that at least 100,000 Huguenot (French Calvinists) were killed in Paris alone during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, and given the fact Queen Elizabeth encouraged Huguenot immigration to the New World (even financing much of it), it would seem that those who escaped France before the Medici terror would have much for which to be thankful.

A good case can be made that French Calvinists, and not the Pilgrims, actually celebrated the first "thanksgiving" in North America. Only the year was 1564, and the location was near Jacksonville, FL.  Click here: Op-Ed Contributor - A French Connection - NYTimes.com

But this group of Huguenots' time in the New World was short.  They were wiped out by the Spanish ("who were looking for Lutherans to burn and hang") the next year.

The Porpoise-Driven Life

Someone sent this my way.  Very clever!  Who has time to put these things together? 

A Nice Review of A Case for Amillennialism

Here's a nice review of my book, A Case for Amillennialism.

The reviewer is Rev. Wes Bredenhof (a co-laborer in the Canadian Reformed Church--who also serves on the CanRC committee on Liturgical Forms, while I chair the URCNA equivalent).  Be sure to check out Wes' fine blog as well.

Click here: Book Review: A Case for Amillennialism | yinkahdinay's Xanga Site - Weblog

Thanks Wes!  The check is in the mail!

So, the Pope is a Prophet?

Pope Benedict, apparently, predicted the current economic crisis back in 1985. Such a crisis, the Pope declared, would be caused by a decline in ethics.  If you ask me, every socialist-leaning European has predicted the collapse of the American economy at one time or another.  Since we have a recession every generation or so, hasn't pretty much everyone predicted the current economic crisis?  Click here: Bloomberg.com: Europe

So, Michael Jackson is now calling himself Mikaeel Jackson, as his "conversion" to Islam continues to develop.  Based on the photo in the news story (see the link)--the reason why is pretty clear to me.  Mikaeel can now wear a woman's veil (instead of a surgical mask) so that no one can see the parts falling off his face.  I wonder, what do the Koran and Sharia Law say about cross-dressing?  Click here: Michael Jackson 'converts to Islam and changes name to Mikaeel' - Telegraph

Now this just might constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Violators of a local noise ordinance in Fort Upton, CO, are sentenced to listen to music from Barry Manilow and Barney the Dinosaur.  Man, that is one cruel judge!  Click here: Noise violators in Fort Lupton sentenced to listen to Barry Manilow : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

Here's another lame attempt to ignore the legacy of Pol Pot, Josef Stalin, and ole Schicklgruber. Did you know that atheists are really nice people, and moral too?  Can anyone say "common grace"?  Or "natural law?"  Romans 2:14-15 comes to mind . . .  Click here: The latest research on the correlation between religion and niceness. - By Paul Bloom - Slate Magazine

"Then Comes the End" -- Promo Video

I'm looking forward to doing this.  I'll keep you posted when I get more info.