Heart of New England
Not heard around these parts much.

A poem has been in circulation since 1998 about a child murdered by her/his father. Snopes has more information about the original poem

Child abuse is something we need to be more aware of. However, sending out what amounts to a chain letter that attempts to guilt-trip people into forwarding it isn’t really the best way to do it. Why not get involved with a charity that actively helps abused children and really make a difference?

More on chain letters and their problems:
http://breakthechain.org/reasons.html

It’s recently come to my attention that the Gary & Cindy Hogan e-mail has been making the rounds again. While initially a prayer request for a Cindy Hogman who really does exist, she now seems to be in remission. More can be found on her here

While it’s always a blessing to pray for others in need, outdated or misinformation-riddled prayer requests can make people skeptical of e-mailed prayer requests in general and disregard them. While I pray for all those in need, I do restrict prayer requests that I publicly post or distribute to those where I’ve received the request from the person in need of prayer or someone who knows them. This also eliminates misunderstandings that can occur when the person the e-mail is sent by never had anything to do with the request in question.

Letter from an Ex-Pentecostal
Long, but beautifully explains some of the problems within Oneness Pentecostalism, including coercive techniques used in a worship context

Slate.com

A thought-provoking and humorous look at the silliness of the 2012 apocolyptic frenzy

2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 2:7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 2:8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 2:9 not of works, that no one would boast. (World English Bible)

We humans have a lot of burdens placed on us. Some of them are self-imposed ones that we shouldn’t worry about. Those self-imposed ones are the ones that will drag us down fastest. Did you take on that other person’s shift when someone else could’ve covered it? Take on extra volunteering hours because things were slow?

No matter how good your intentions are, all your extra “busy work” won’t secure you a place in heaven. A lot of people wear themselves out trying to obtain eternal salvation through extra prayer services, taking on extra ministries, and giving more of their income to their church. Don’t be fooled, all our good works as Christians are a result of our faith, not a means of salvation.

The good news: God loves us in spite of our fallen nature. He showed this in the best way possible by Jesus’ sacrifice. There’s no need for boasting, since it’s all because of Jesus.

This is the teen boy known as the “Sky Angel Cowboy”, who offered a great bit of insight on KSBJ.

I wholeheartedly agree with him. We can certainly be welcoming of non-Christian visitors without diminishing the importance of communion.

Read it here

2 Kings 2:1-12

Uncertainty is never a good experience. It’s probably a “nightmare” scenario for one with a mission of as much importance as Elisha had. He was set to take over the office of one of the Bible’s most important prophets.

While our own lives are much different from Elisha’s, change, especially in a pastoral situation, can seem catastrophic. Change is one thing that’s constant in life, yet many aren’t willing to deal with it. I’m aware of at least one situation where members of a congregation followed their pastor halfway across the country when he left. Such is NOT the way of a healthy relationship.

What can we learn from Elisha being faced with such a drastic change? God never leads us into a period of transition without equipping us to deal with the next phase. If we could only see God’s hand in the changes we go through!

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Poor Namaan. Back in his day, being a leper was like having HIV or AIDS today-a life of exclusion for many. It’s no wonder he sought healing so desperately. However, when presented with a solution, he pretty much threw a fit for himself. The prophet Elisha’s instructions for healing weren’t what he was hoping for.

All of us are in need of spiritual, physical, or emotional healing. The solution is usually right in front of us, yet we often miss it. May we all be more in tune to what God has to offer to us.