Dr. Albert Mohler has a new book out called "Atheism Remix." In it he examines and destroys atheist attacks on Christianity. (Let's face it. Atheist attacks on religion in general or non-Christian religions are largely attacks on Christianity by proxy.)
This mp3 is a lecture introduction with Q&A that he gave as he introduced his book at the Campus Church, U of Louisville.
the campus church - atheism remix from the campus church on Vimeo.
This news story fed into my curiosity of how reverse engineering from nature proves that nature is designed and contains information embedded by our Creator:
(Nanowerk News) Researchers in Australia and the UK are flying the idea that insect wings could act as a model for making self-cleaning, frictionless, and superhydrophobic materials....The process of analyzing a design to extract information and replicate features is called Reverse Engineering. For example, the Soviets produced nearly identical copies of Boeing's B-29 Bomber after WWII.
Insects are incredible nanotechnologists. The surfaces of many insect wings have evolved properties materials scientists only dream of for their creations. For instance, some wings are superhydrophobic, due to a clever combination of natural chemistry and their detailed structure at the nanoscopic scale. This means that the wing cannot become wet, the tiniest droplet of water is instantly repelled. Likewise, other insect wing surfaces are almost frictionless, so that any tiny dust particles that might stick are sloughed away with minimal force.
Now, Gregory Watson of the James Cook University, in Townsville, Queensland, working with colleagues there and at Griffith University, and the universities of Queensland, and Oxford, are hoping to mimic these properties by using the surface of insect wings as a template...
If they are successful, they might then develop self-cleaning, water-resistant, and friction-free coatings for a wide range of machine components, construction materials, and other applications...
Soviet Tupolev Tu-4Some Christians criticize Historic Churches for their use of "man made creeds." Chris Rosebrough has an excellent, biblical defense of the Nicene Creed, showing it to be entirely scriptural in its teaching and confession.
Click here to see it.
1st Sunday of Advent, LSB Series C
Liturgy: LSB Setting 4 (the Gloria in Excelsis is not included for Advent)
341 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
Choir: Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending (in the place of the Gloria in Excelsis)
332 Savior of the Nations (Sermon hymn)
343 Prepare the Royal Highway
334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
333 Once He Came in Blessing
Scientology is gaining the attention of Australian ministers of parliment who are calling for a deeper investigation:
Does Scientology still look like a harmless self-help organization?
(LSB Series B)
Come, Thou Almighty King 905
Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying 516
The Son of God Goes Forth to War 661
I don't think this is a spoof.
I hope it is,
but I don't think so.
R: Good Lord, deliver us.
UPDATE: God be praised, according to The Anchoress it is a spoof, but it was just tacky enough to pass off as genuine.
LSB Series B, Proper 28
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less LSB 575
No Temple Now, No Gift of Price LSB 530
The World is Very Evil TLH 605
Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense LSB 741
In Thee Is Gladness LSB 818
In our casual culture, we have lost most of the vestiges of civilized formality and ceremony. One place, however, that has maintained the use of dignified ceremony is the U. S. Navy. Since moving to Whidbey Island I have grown to love the Naval Air Station's sailors and the way they present themselves in accordance with the traditions of the US Navy. I have had the blessing of being invited to naval ceremonies ranging from the memorial for the techs from EODMU 11 to the induction ceremony for a class of Navy Chiefs to serving as chaplain for a change of command ceremony. Formal wording, gesture, structure, movement and action are all not just parts of these events, but are the heart of them.
Watching the precision drill work of the US Navy Ceremonial Honor Guard shows that ceremony and even drilling have value in transforming the ordinary work of walking and carrying a weapon into something beautiful.
Compare this to liturgy. At the beginning of the service, the pastor has to get to the front of the church. He could stroll up the aisle chatting with the latecomer who is taking her seat near the front, but the church has wisely followed the dictate of St. Augustine that there should be no movement in the worship service without music. So the pastor processes in while the congregation sings a Hymn. So also when he bows, kneels, turns, gestures, approaches the altar as the Introit is intoned, makes the sign of the cross, raises the chalice, holds a book, and raises his hands in blessing, he displays the proper dignity to match what is going on here. God himself comes to serve us in the worship service. Heaven and Earth come together. The people of God eat the Bread of Life. Lost sons of perdition receive the name, sons of God and are given a token of the inheritance they are soon to receive.
Our ceremony, liturgy and careful presentation of the Word confirm the truths the church presents. It is nice to see that the wisdom of formality is not lost in all parts of society, and it is a joy to serve in a place where such wisdom is still treasured.
Planned Parenthood is suing Abby Johnson and Coalition for Life for something (perhaps embarassment?) Johnson was the director of the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Bryan, Texas.
Ed Morrissey reports:
What pushed Johnson out was both an ultrasound of an abortion and a renewed emphasis on the cash-generating business in the failing economy. After being told to deemphasize prevention and market for abortions, Johnson finally had enough:When employees are told to stop promoting contraceptives in order to keep the money from abortions coming in, you can not say that PP is a not-for-profit community service organization. It is all about making money, no matter who must suffer nor how many must die.According to Johnson, the non-profit was struggling under the weight of a tough economy, and changing it’s business model from one that pushed prevention, to one that focused on abortion.
“It seemed like maybe that’s not what a lot of people were believing any more because that’s not where the money was. The money wasn’t in family planning, the money wasn’t in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that,” said Johnson.
