150 years ago--Opening ceremonies for the Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia include a long opening prayer

On May 10, 1876, the Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, opened in Philadelphia. Running through November 10, 1876, the exposition celebrated the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. The opening ceremonies on May 10, before an audience estimated at 100,000, included the following prayer by Methodist Episcopal Church Bishop Matthew Simpson. Lengthy prayers, like lengthy political speeches, seem to have been the norm in those days. Like underwater watches in 1878, electronic amplification "had not even been invented," so speakers could be difficult to hear for those in the audience who were too far away.

Were such a prayer to be delivered today, the speaker would probably be denounced as a "Christian nationalist." As reported by The New York Times, May 11, 1876:

...The venerable Bishop arose and lifting his hands offered a prayer, which, unfortunately, was not audible to a thousandth part of the immense throng. All that appeared was a tall, gray headed gentleman, with his eyes and hands lifted to heaven, standing apparently silent and absorbed at the front of the stage. The prayer was occasionally interrupted by voices from distant points in the crowd; but, except for these, there was silence while the Bishop prayed. The prayer was as follows:

Almighty and everlasting God, our Heavenly Father: Heaven is Thy throne and the earth Thy footstool. Before Thy Majesty and holiness the angels veil their faces, and the spirits of the just made perfect bow in humble adoration. Thou art the creator of all things, the preserver of all that exist, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers. The minute and the vast, atoms and worlds, alike attest the ubiquity of Thy presence and the omnipotence of Thy sway.

Thou alone art the sovereign ruler of nations. Thou raiseth up one and casteth down another, and Thou givest the kingdoms of the world to whomsoever Thou wilt. The past, with all its records, is the unfolding of Thy counsels and the realization of Thy grand designs. We hail Thee as our rightful ruler, the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only true God, blessed forevermore.

We come on this glad day, O Thou God of our fathers, into these courts with thaksgiving, into these gates with praise. We bless Thee for Thy wonderful goodness in the past, for the land which Thou gavest to our fathers, a land veiled from the ages, from the ancient world, but revealed in the fullness of time to Thy chosen people, whom Thou didst lead by Thine own right hand through the billows of the deep, a land of vast extent, of towering mountains and broad plains, of unnumbered products and of untold treasures.

We thank Thee for the fathers of our country, men of mind and of might, who endured privations and sacrifices, who braved multiplied dangers rather than defile their consciences, or be untrue to their God, men who laid on the broad foundations of truth and justice the grand structure of civil freedom.

We praise Thee for the closing century, for the founders of the Republic, for the immortal Washington and is grand associates; for the wisdom with which they planned, and the firmness and heroism which, under Thy blessing, led them to triumphant success. Thou wast their shield in hours of danger, their pillar of cloud by day, and their pillar of fire by night. May we, their sons, walk in their footsteps and imitate their virtues.

We thank Thee for social and national prosperity and progress, for valuable discoveries and multiple inventions, for labor-saving machinery relieving the toiling masses, for schools free as the morning light, for the millions of the rising generation; for books and periodicals scattered like leaves of autumn over the land, for art and science, for freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience, for a church unfettered by the trammels of state.

Bless, we pray thee, the President of the United States and his constitutional advisers, the Judges of the Supreme Court, the Senators and Representatives in Congress, the Governors of our several Commonwealths, the officers of the Army and the Navy, and all who are in official position throughout our land. Guide them, we pray Thee, with counsels of wisdom, and may they ever rule in righteousness. We ask Thy blessing to rest upon the President and members of the Centennial Commission, and upon those associated with them in the various departments, who have labored long and earnestly, amid anxieties and difficulties, for the success of this enterprise.

May Thy special blessing, O Thou God of all the nations of the earth, rest upon our national guests, our visitors from distant lands. We welcome them to our shores, and we rejoine in their presence among us, whether they represent thrones or culture or research, or whether they come to exhibit the triumphs of genius and art, in the development of industry and in the progress of civilization. Preserve thou them, we beseech Thee, in health and safety, and in due time may they be welcomed by loved ones again to their own, their native lands.

Let Thy blessing rest richly on this Centennial Celebration. May the lives and health of all interested by precious in Thy sight. Preside in its assemblies. Grant that this association in effort bind more closely together every part of our great Republic, so that our Union may be perpetual and indissoluble. Let its influence draw the nations of earth into a happier unity. Hereafter we pray Thee, may all disputed questions be settled by arbitration, and not by the sword, and may wars forever cease among the sons of men.

May the new century be better than the past. More radiant with the light of true philosophy, warmer with the emanations of a world-wide sympathy. May capital, genius, and labor be freed from all antagonism by the establishment and application of such principles of justice and equity as shall reconcile diversified interests and bind in imperishable bands all parts of society.

We pray Thy benediction, especially on the women of America, who for the first time in the history of our race, take so conspicuous a place in a national celebration. May the light of their intelligence, purity, and enterprise shed its beams afar, until in distant lands, their sisters may realize the beauty and glory of Christian freedom and elevation. We bseech Thee, Almighty Father, that our beloved Republic may be strengthened in every element of true greatness, until her mission is accomplished by presenting to the world an illustration of the happiness of a free people, with a free church, in a free State, under laws of their own enactment, and under rulers of their own selection, acknowledging supreme allegiance only to the King of King and Lord of Lords. And as Thou didst give to one of its illustrious sons first to draw experimentally the electric spark from heaven, which has since girdled the globe in its celestial whispers of "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will to men," so to latest time may the mission of America, under divine inspiration be one of affection, brotherhood, and love for all our race. And may the coming centuries be filled with the glory of our Christian civilization.

And unto Thee, our Father, through Him whose life is the light of men, will we ascribe glory and praise, now and forever.

The "amen" was faintly echoed by the vast congregation, and instantly there came from the orchestral stage a grand burst of music which thrilled and stirred the thousands and thousands of listeners to their hearts' depths. A thousand voices accompanied by organ and orchestra, were singing Whittier's "Centennial Hymn." The words of the opening lines --

"Our Father's God! from out whose hand
The centuries fall like grains of sand,
We meet to-day."--

echoed through the air.

70 years ago--Mainline churches look to worldly music in an attempt to attract young people

The use of worldly methods and appeasement of engagement with popular culture in an effort to attract people--especially young people--to church was adopted by mainline churches long before it became fashionable in Evangelicalism. It may seem hard to believe today, but in the mid-1950s, religious broadcasting was dominated by mainline denominations; Thomas Reeves wrote about this is his book The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity (1996). The surveys cited in the following article provide an interesting glimpse into the popular musical tastes of young people in the United States just a few months before Elvis Presley became a national rock and roll celebrity (he was already becoming known in the field of what was then known as country and western music; a poll of disc jockeys published in the November 12 issue of The Billboard named him as the most promising C&W artist, with both sides of his single I Forgot to Remember to Forget/Mystery Train in the top 10 of all three C&W charts).

As reported by June Bundy in The Billboard, December 24, 1955 (bold in original, several errors corrected by blogger):

Churches May Woo Kids by Rockin' 'Em

Council Polls Teen-Ager Taste as Video Program Guide; Age Preferences Vary

NEW YORK, Dec. 17--Altho religious interests have long frowned on the teen-agers' preference for rock and roll music, the rhythm and blues medium may yet be utilized as a means of bringing youngsters into the church.

National Council of Churches of Christ introduced the idea of presenting jazz in a religious TV context on the "Theology of Jazz" portions of its CBS-TV series "Look Up and Live." A recent survey by the Council reveals the show is attracting older teen-agers with such jazz greats as Dave Brubeck, but kids in the 13-year-old age group don't dig modern jazz yet.

Instead, younger teen-agers polled for music preferences on the show almost unanimously vote for r.&b.-type record artists; thus confronting Frank Nichols, producer for the Council's broadcasting and film commission, with something of a dilemma.

Lyric Problem

The lyrics of many r.&b. tunes make it difficult--if not impossible--to work them into the context of a religious show. Nevertheless, Nichols is wrestling with the problem and hopes to work out some kind of solution.

The NCCC has been conducting extensive surveys on several different teen-age levels for some time now, in an effort to determine the most effective ways of reaching youngsters. At the same time, the teen-age market in general has become more and more a focal point of merchandising and marketing surveys made by the radio-TV industry, record companies and manufacturers of teen-age products.

Teen-Age Survey

Teen-age Surveys, Inc., this week, for instance, reported on its fourth continuing survey of teen-agers' views on deejays' radio-TV programs, music records and advertising effectiveness, with results again pointing up the differences in tastes between high school and college students.

Cognizant of the growing awareness of the teen-age market by manufacturers, Cleveland's independent radio station WERE is readying a merchandising service, whereby products aimed at the teen-age market will be tested by the station with special groups of teen-agers assembled for deejays' shows.

The survey efforts of the NCCC have been concentrated on three different channels, with a major advertising agency conducting regular tests on a mixed-age audience utilizing electronic program analysis equipment. Another survey is conducted at Columbia University to tap the college group. Still a third is made in the field and generally aimed at the pre-college group.

Qualifications

To qualify as a testee, the teen-agers polled must be "unchurched," since the primary aim of the show is to make converts.

Past surveys have shown that "Look Up and Live" has registered most effectively with the 17 to 23 age group. Consequently, Nichols now feels that somehow they must apply what they have learned about 13 to 17-year-old tastes (notably the rock and roll craze) to future programming.

Interestingly enough, Nichols notes, the 13-year-olds prefer Frank Sinatra (who is liked by all age groups incidentally) to Eddie Fisher, with the latter's name seldom showing up in their request-answers. Bill Haley, the Crew-Cuts, and the Four Freshmen are others showing up strong on their preference sheet, along with Al Hibbler, Count Basie and Joe Williams.

The 13-year-olds have little or no interest in modern jazz. Several students in this group thought Dave Brubeck was a classical musician, and a couple referred to him as blind, evidently confusing him with George Shearing. Also the 17 to 23-year-old group has little interest in r.&b. They responded much more to Brubeck (who has made two appearances on series including one wherein he commented on segregation and how jazz has broken thru the color lines), Eddie Sauter, Stan Kenton, Wilbur de Paris and other jazz greats.

However, surveys indicate that both the 13 to 17 and 17 to 23 age groups have little interest in straight commercial pop singers, and Nichols has programmed the series accordingly during the last year. At first he planned to include country and western artists from time to time, but, according to the surveys, there is virtually no demand among teen-agers generally for c.&w.

Electronic Count

Most scientific of the NCCC's surveys are those conducted by the electronic program analysis equipment, with each person in the audience reporting his responses thruout the show by pressing one of three levers ("not at all interested," "fairly interested," and "very interested").

When these individual reports are out together in chart form, they form a graph, indicating which segs of the show held the most audience interest. Nichols uses them to determine programming schedules on future shows.

The graphs are so detailed that they accurately chart the decline and rise of audience interest on each musical number, thereby enabling a performer to gauge exactly where the lyric or his larynx faltered.

In line with this, Nichols opines that record companies might well utilize such electronic survey equipment to determine which take on a record session is most effective.

Marian and Jimmy McPartland are scheduled to appear on Part 5 of "Theology of Jazz" on "Look Up and Live" January 1. Nichols is also talking of airing a live remote from a Mitch Miller record session early next year. Singer Merv Griffin is the permanent emcee on the "Look Up and Live" which spotlights various members of the clergy (Reverend Alvin "$64,000 Question" Kershaw, etc.) appearing on a rotating basis.

Other music figures who have appeared on the show during the past year include Jerry Jerome's orchestra, Ellis Larkin, Sonny Greer, Lawrence Brown, Jo Jones and Mahalia Jackson.

See also my posts: Today's Evangelicals, Tomorrow's Liberals--A Warning from 1983 (January 13, 2010)

Ambrose University College's "Jazz Day" provides evidence of increasing worldliness in evangelical schools (March 5, 2014)

50 years ago: United Church in Calgary experiments with modern music (June 15, 2018)

Synagogue in U.S. Virgin Islands rewrites Beatles songs for Purim (March 14, 2020)

An Anglican "church" in Winnipeg hosts an alphabet pervert "reimagination" of Handel's Messiah

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 18:22

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:24-32

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. II Timothy 3:1-5

According to the Anglican Church of Canada's own report from 2019, the church will be dead by 2040. The death will be self-inflicted and well-deserved, evidence of which includes the following, as reported by John Longhurst in the Winnipeg Free Press, December 20, 2023 (updated December 21, 2023) (photos in original):

Messiah Queered — that’s the title of a reimagining of Handel’s classic oratorio performed through an LGBTTQ+ lens.

The oratorio, a staple at Christmas time for many people, will be performed by the Rainbow Harmony Project choir, together with soloists and a 16-piece orchestra made up of professional and amateur players at Holy Trinity Anglican Church Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The idea for the performance came up during a conversation between Nathan Poole, a local violin and piano teacher, and Sandra Bender, music director at Holy Trinity Church.

Bender, who is bisexual and the soprano soloist in the performance, thought it would be a great oratorio for LGBTTQ+ people.

“It’s the story of a transient who hung out with marginalized people, who offered love and self-sacrifice and who experienced rejection and betrayal — something LGBTTQ+ people understand in all too real a way,” she said.

Kathleen Murphy, a student and choir director for Rainbow Harmony Project and the mezzo-soprano in the performance, said doing the Messiah through an LGBTTQ+ lens is “a way to push back expectations.”

That includes who does the solos. In a traditional performance of Messiah, a bass sings the aria, “Why do the nations so furiously rage,” but Murphy is singing the part this time.

“It’s fun to sing such a powerful aria,” Murphy, who is non-binary and a soloist at Young United Church, said.

Bender, meanwhile, will sing The Trumpet Shall Sound, which is also usually a bass part, while tenor Kyle Briscoe will sing Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion, traditionally sung by a soprano.

“Nothing musically is altered, but we’re swapping gender roles, subverting them,” said Poole, who is gay and conducting the concert.

For Bender, The Messiah can be seen as “a trans anthem, with its lyrics about people “being changed at the sound of the last trumpet when we will be revealed in our best and truest form. I’m happy to be the one who conveys that message in the concert.”

While singing it, “We can be our full authentic selves, be unapologetic about our queerness,” she said.

The three noted the church at 256 Smith St., which is donating use of the sanctuary for the performance, is a welcoming, safe space for members of the LGBTTQ+ community. That’s important for those who might be cautious about going into a church because of the way they have been treated in the past.

Along with listening to the concert, audience members are invited to bring a score and sing along, said Poole.

“It’s not every day people get to sing with an orchestra,” he said, noting audience members are encouraged to dress in drag if they want.

Tickets for the concert, which is sponsored by the Manitoba Arts Council, can be purchased at the Rainbow Harmony Project site at wfp.to/j44 or with cash at the door. The cost is $25 per person, with all proceeds being donated to Sunshine House, a community drop-in and resource centre focusing on harm reduction and social inclusion.

Bass-baritone Stephen Haiko-Pena takes part in a dress rehearsal Wednesday of Messiah Queered at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. (Brook Jones/Winnipeg Free Press)

Kathleen Murphy, who is a student and choir manager for Rainbow Harmony Project, sings during a dress rehearsal for the upcoming production of Messiah Queered at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Winnipeg, Wednesday. (Brook Jones/Winnipeg Free Press)

Nathan Poole conducts the dress rehearsal of Messiah Queered. The production is a re-imagining of Handel's classic oratorio performed through a LGBTTQ+ lens. (Brook Jones/Winnipeg Free Press)

The reader will note that these agents of Satan can't write their own oratorio, but have to resort to mangling a traditional masterpiece. Some of the perverts of the past were at least capable of producing good music and art, but with present-day perverts, their whole lives seem to revolve around celebrating and promoting their abominations.

Here's an example of a proper performance of Handel's Messiah that you can wash your ears out with:



December 28, 2023 update: If you're wondering why Holy Trinity Anglican Church was hosting this abomination, the following may explain, as reported by Mr. Longhurst in the Winnipeg Free Press, December 27, 2023 (photo in original):

Andrew Rampton, rector at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, is leaving the congregation for another opportunity in Ontario early next year. (John Longhurst/Winnipeg Free Press)

It was a bittersweet Christmas Day for Andrew Rampton, rector at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

On the one hand, he was looking forward to preaching on that special day in the downtown church’s calendar. But since it was his last sermon as rector at the historic 139-year-old church, it was a sad occasion.

Rampton, 41, and his husband, Adam Dobson, an architectural technologist, will head to Hamilton, where Dobson has new work opportunities, on Jan. 2. Rampton will be taking up a new job as rector at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church.

Rampton, who was born and raised in Morden, arrived at Holy Trinity in 2020 via a circuitous route.

Although he grew up in a family that notionally claimed to belong to the United Church of Canada, “We went to church very seldom,” he said, adding “I grew up largely neutral or negative when it came to religion.”

While religion wasn’t his thing, he realized in his early teens that he was gay.

Being a gay person in a small town was a challenge, but so was moving to Winnipeg to study at the University of Manitoba in the early 2000s.

“There wasn’t the same kind of LGBTTQ+ community back then like there is now,” he said. “There were gay clubs, but they were private. There was a sense of danger, an underground feeling about it. And most churches weren’t accepting of gay people.”

Going to church wasn’t on his mind until a music teacher told him about an opening in the choir at Holy Trinity Church. Rampton, who had been taking piano and singing lessons, took it — not because he was religious, but because it was a chance to sing and earn a small honorarium.

“It paid half my rent,” he said.

At first, nobody at the church made an issue of his sexuality, but when a new rector arrived things changed.

Rampton admits he was full of opinions about how the church was being run and not afraid to share them — something that didn’t endear him to the new rector. When the rector fired him, “there was no gentle correction or discussion,” he remembered.

“The speculation is it was less about my critique and more about me being gay” he said. “It was a proxy for the real issue.”

His involvement with church didn’t end, though. Almost immediately, St. Luke’s Anglican Church asked him to join them as a singer and organist. Later, he went to St. Paul’s Anglican and then to St. Michael’s and All Angels. where he served as organist and choir master. That is also where he joined the church and fell in love with liturgy.

“The way they did liturgy there really worked for me,” Rampton said. “It was a good place to be. It was a fertile soil for my spiritual soul to grow in.”

Feeling a call to ministry, he left for seminary in Ontario in 2014 where he developed a deep appreciation for the rituals, ceremonies and traditions of the church.

“I’m happy to wear miles of lace, swing incense and sing Gregorian chants” he said.

After graduation, he landed at Holy Trinity, not expecting it would be such a short stay.

One thing he’s loved about being at the church is its ministries, such as the Lunchroom, which serves 250 meals once a week to downtown residents.

“It’s one of the very few food programs downtown where unhoused or precariously housed people can get a meal right away,” he said.

He said he hopes the church, which has between 50 and 60 people in the pews on a Sunday morning, can stay viable and be an active presence downtown.

“The church needs to be here,” he said. “It needs a safe place where people can just be. There aren’t many other places where people can go for free, where nobody wants anything from you.”

As for being a gay priest, his sexuality has “never been an impediment,” to his ministry, Rampton said, but acknowledges not all are comfortable with him being in that role; he’s been called a false teacher and “living in sin.”

He has appreciated the support of Geoff Woodcroft, the Bishop of Rupert’s Land, who has permitted individual Anglican churches to decide for themselves how welcoming and affirming of LGBTTQ+ people they will be.

“Some have never met a gay priest,” he said, of the message his role sends to LGBTTQ+ people who have been hurt by Christianity. Some tell him “If the church accepts you, then I must be OK in God’s eyes, too.”

Rampton’s departure makes Woodcroft sad. But he is grateful for his service.

“His contributions have been outstanding,” Woodcroft said. “He has a rich theology of how to be a priest in the world today.”

He praised Rampton’s work on behalf of downtown residents.

“He knows many of them on a first-name basis,” he said, adding his work as a liturgist has resulted in “solid and alive worship.”

“He is intelligent and gifted, and we are going to miss him,” he said.

I don't know if there are any normal male clergymen left in the Anglican Church of Canada, but there won't be any clergy of any kind in that "church" anymore, the way it's going.

The success of this item from Olivia Newton-John's discography reveals something about modern evangelicalism

British-born Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, one of the most successful performing artists of the last 50 years, died on August 8, 2022 at the age of 73, after several battles with breast cancer. I was sorry to hear of her death, and I hope she came to faith in Jesus Christ before her passing. She supported various causes, including women's health, the environment, and animal welfare.

In 1994, following her first bout with breast cancer, Miss Newton-John released the album Gaia: One Woman's Journey. Gaia, in Greek mythology, is the personification of the Earth, and is regarded as the ancestral mother of all life. According to the Infogalactic entry on Miss Newton-John:

The following year, Newton-John released a healing CD, Grace and Gratitude. The album was sold exclusively by Walgreens also benefitting various charities including Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. The CD was the "heart" of their Body – Heart – Spirit Wellness Collection which also featured a re-branded Liv-Kit and breast-health dietary supplements. Newton-John re-recorded some tracks from Grace and Gratitude in 2010 and re-released the album as Grace and Gratitude Renewed on the Green Hill music label. The Renewed CD includes a new track, "Help Me to Heal," not featured on the original album. The Renewed CD yielded Newton-John's first appearances on the Billboard Christian Albums (No. 36), Christian & Gospel Albums (No. 54) and New Age Albums (No. 2) charts.

The songs on Grace and Gratitude Renewed include Learn to Love Yourself; Grace and Gratitude; Let Go Let God; Help Me to Heal; and The Power of Now. I've listened to these five songs, and I've noticed a few things. Learn to Love Yourself contains the words "Trust the light that shines within," which is far more in keeping with New Age belief than Christian doctrine. Grace and Gratitude contains the words "A thousand names a thousand roads all lead to one simple truth," although the simple truth isn't clearly stated. The thanks expressed are apparently directed toward God, but it's not clear. Let Go Let God is a phrase common among Christians, but the instrumental arrangement sounds increasingly Indian as the song goes on. At about the 2:27 mark of the video for Help Me to Heal, Miss Newton-John is happily pointing to a chart of "The Chakra System," depicting the Hindu teaching that the human body contains nodes of psychic energy known as chakras. The Power of Now is also the title of the first book of New Age author Eckhardt Tolle. The full title of the book is The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (1997); he also wrote the sequel, Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The Power of Now (2001).

The fact that Grace and Gratitude Renewed appeared on both Christian and New Age charts is an indication of the lack of discernment in modern evangelicalism. See and hear for yourself.

60 years ago: The biblically inaccurate movie Solomon and Sheba is released

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. I Kings 10:1-13

Biblically inaccurate movies ostensibly based on the Bible are not a recent phenomenon. Solomon and Sheba, directed by King Vidor, and starring Yul Brynner, Gina Lollobrigida, and George Sanders, received its premiere screening in London on October 27, 1959, and was released in several countries before opening in North American theatres on December 25, 1959. It was a box office hit at the time, but is largely forgotten today. The film contains more inaccuracies than this blogger can enumerate, but the reader can find some mentioned here.

I saw Solomon and Sheba on television some years ago and found it somewhat entertaining, but I definitely recommend reading the book instead. The movie was given a chapter in the book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (And How They Got That Way) (1978) by Harry Medved with Randy Dreyfuss (the book was actually written mainly by Mr. Medved's older brother Michael, who was trying to establish himself as a serious writer in Hollywood, and didn't want to be credited as the author). According to Mr. Medved (pp. 217-218):

Vidor commented that the film was based on "a very simple story, really, about the first kings of the Bible...I applied an artistic, not a technical yardstick; we had no technical experts on this!...used a brand-new idea in the last battle, how the Jews defeated the Egyptians. It was pure movies." And pure silliness. Screenwriter Arthur Hornblow added that the intention was to maintain a reverence for the story as it appeared in the Bible...But to spread the blame around, Hornblow admitted that the biblical story was supplemented by quite a bit of outside material, particularly Arabic and Abyssinian myths. These legends hold that Menelik I, the first King of the Ethiopians and ancestor of Haile Selassie, was born of the union of Solomon and Sheba. Obviously the producers were hoping for a triumphant run in Addis Ababa. At the same time they wanted to protect their revenues in Biloxi, Mississippi, and so studio officials reassured the public about miscegenation. They declared that careful research proved that the Queen of Sheba was not black. This comes as no surprise to most scholars, but the fact that she was Italian has thrown many historians for a loop...

...Granville Heathway...receives prominent billing in the film as "Orgy-Sequence Adviser." Mr. Heathway, according to a studio official, "is an egghead Englishman who has studied every book and treatise on the subject of orgies." If he says that they did the bunnyhop as part of Sheban fertility rites, then it must be so.

The orgy in Solomon and Sheba was filmed at an estimated cost of $100,000, and was choreographed by Jaroslav Berger, ballet chief of Switzerland's Bern State Theater. Miss Lollobrigida rehearsed for a month to prepare for the dance, with among other things, a hula hoop...

Submitted for your approval, the trailer for Solomon and Sheba, which emphasizes the extrabiblical aspects of the movie; to see it in its wide-screen glory, right-click on the video and copy the address:

Barcelona's nativity scene attracts criticism

As reported by The Local (Spain), November 29, 2019:

(photo)

You know the Christmas season is here when social media becomes awash with criticism for Barcelona’s Belen – the Nativity scene installed by City Hall in the Plaça Sant Jaume.

Continuing a tradition that began when Ada Colau became mayor five years ago, the Nativity scene unveiled on Friday immediately divided opinions and left many scratching their heads as to the meaning it was supposed to convey.

This year’s offering may at first glance appear not to have been unpacked properly as the figures one expects to find in a traditional depiction of the Christmas story all appear in old wooden storage boxes.

Baby Jesus in his crib takes pride of place in the centre ( in a wooden crate) and piled in boxes around him it is possible to spot Mary, Joseph, the odd farm animal, visiting shepherds, a wise man astride a camel and even an angle.

So the elements are there.

But the characters are joined by other boxes containing the detritus of Christmas; a poinsettia, boxed up baubles, a turkey roasting in a tin, tangles of tinsel and a Christmas hamper.

“When I think of the nativity scene, what comes to mind is Christmases spent living at my parents' house. For me, the most notable thing was not setting up the scene, arranging the elements of the stable on a table and placing the figurines around the manger, but rather all the previous preparation that led up to it,” said artist Paula Bosch explaining her inspiration for the installation.

“It started with a visit to the attic and rummaging through all the storage boxes.”

But although her reference is clear, her artistry hasn’t been appreciated by everyone.

“Instead of a nativity scene, it looks like a storage room,” said one detractor on Twitter.

Another joked that Ada Colau had set up a new ‘Punto Limpia’ in Plaça Sant Jaume. “You can take your old tat to throw away and recycle”.

Someone else said it looked “like a rummage sale”, while another said it was like a “kitsch stall at a flea market”.

Another cleverly announced that it was Black Friday in Plaça Sant Jaume - meaning everything was going cheap.

Josep Bou Vila, a city councillor for the conservative PP branded it "a disgrace" and pointed out that the installation that cost €97,000 looked like a recycling dump.

In 2016, the elements of the traditional stable scene were placed individually in their own snow globe, including a cow on skis emblazed with the Catalan flag.

The following year, in 2017, the scene was represented by white cardboard cutouts on stilts.



Even more bizarre was the effort in 2018 when giant chairs set around a Christmas table represented the holy figures.

London's Southwark Cathedral hosts fashion show featuring scantily-clad models

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them...
...And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. Ezekiel 22:26, 44:23

If church leaders want their buildings to be filled, I suggest preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ; if they know what the gospel is. As reported by Jack Hardy and Gabriella Swerling of the London Daily Telegraph, September 17, 2019 (links in original):

Southwark Cathedral has been accused of promoting the “antithesis of the Christian gospel” by allowing its nave to be used as a catwalk to sell clothes.

British designer Julien MacDonald brought his collection to the place of worship on Monday night as part of London Fashion Week, turning the aisle into a parade of scantily dressed models.

It was described by the 48-year-old British designer as a “celebration of women” and attracted celebrity guests including the actor Ed Westwick and socialite Lady Victoria Hervey.

However, a leading Anglican clergyman has questioned whether the cathedral should be “giving a platform” to an event which promotes “a narcissistic self-referential display for the very rich”.

High-profile catwalk shows are big money-spinners for fashion houses which build the reputation of designers and cement their links with wealthy and influential customers.

Last night, Rev Dr Gavin Ashenden, the former chaplain to the Queen, urged the diocese “think twice” about whether its holy buildings were being used in a manner fitting for a faith that renounces materialism.

The grade-listed south London church, which has stood since the 12th century, is available for hire for “special events”, from formal dinners to drama and musical productions.

The cathedral has charged money for the use of its buildings since 2000, using the money to help fund the upkeep of the building and costs of worship, as well as ensuring it stays open to the public free of charge.

It comes at a time when church leaders across the country are attempting to combat shrinking congregations with increasingly inventive methods to stump up cash.

Earlier this year, Norwich Cathedral installed a 55-ft helter skelter, available for just £2 a ride, while Rochester Cathedral opened a crazy golf course in its 11th-century building.

Dr Ashenden, who was ordained at Southwark Cathedral, told The Daily Telegraph: “Southwark Cathedral has made its premises available for fashion in the past and one of the things they try and do is build a bridge between secular society and the Christian church and that's no bad thing.

“The problem comes comes when the ethical content of what they are trying to host is in direct contradiction to Christian values. It's like what happened with Rochester and Norwich - it's the Disneyfication of entertainment.

“The cathedral should ask itself to see if the complaints about the fashion industry - as promoting a narcissistic self referential display for the very rich - is indeed conducive with the values of the Christian gospel.

“I think the fashion industry is the antithesis of the Christian gospel. It's about the exposure of the poverty of our souls and that’s about hiding the state of the soul in an excess of glamour.

“A cathedral ought to think twice before it provides a platform to a cultural venture like this.”

London Fashion Week has previously been embroiled in controversy over the use of churches by some of the shows on its schedule.

In 2017, Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu prompted outrage by dressing models in satanic costumes for their appearance at an event in St Andrew Holborn church in central London.

Officials at Westminster Abbey were similarly accused of selling their soul “for a pair of trousers” after allowing a Gucci show to take place in 2016.

The British Fashion Council, which organises London Fashion Week, said it did not allocate venues to designers to stage their shows, apart from the main hub on the Strand.

A spokesman for Southwark Cathedral said: “Southwark Cathedral has over many years been used for a variety of different events, including those related to the fashion industry. We were pleased to be invited to work with the British designer Julien MacDonald as part of this year’s London Fashion Week.

“His show brought many people into the Cathedral who might not otherwise have come, and many recognised it as a beautiful and special place. The show was delivered in a professional, respectful and energetic way.

“Fashion and its impact on the environment, how we use clothes as part of daily life and what clothing is appropriate are important issues for Christians and others to engage with as aspects of modern living.”

Representatives of Julien MacDonald did not respond to requests for comment.

Dr. Ashenden is unbiblical in his attempt to "build a bridge between society and the Christian church" and in saying that "that's no bad thing." On the contrary, God's instruction to His people is to build walls of separation, as stated by the apostle Paul:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. II Corinthians 6:17

Amusement park ride at Norwich Cathedral draws criticism

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; II Timothy 3:1-4

If the following item seems familiar, it's probably because it's an excellent companion piece to my recent post Rochester Cathedral provides more evidence that the Church of England is beyond the possibility of satire (August 3, 2019). As reported by BBC News, August 9, 2019 (link, video in original):

The clergy at a cathedral has been accused of being unprofessional and "poisoning the medicine" a church offers by installing a fairground ride.

A full-size helter skelter has been put in the nave of Norwich Cathedral to give people a different view of the inside of the building.

The Right Reverend Dr Gavin Ashenden, former chaplain to the Queen, said the cathedral had made a "mistake".

The cathedral said it was a creative way to share the story of the Bible.

It took four people two days to build the 55ft (16.7m) fairground ride in the Norman cathedral.

The cathedral said it allowed people to stand close to its medieval roof, believed to be the largest display of its kind in the world.

Dr Ashenden, Missionary Bishop for the Christian Episcopal Church, said the clergy at Norwich Cathedral had been "unprofessional" and were "making a mistake about what a cathedral is good for".

He said there was no evidence that tourists become Christians and "just to put in entertainment is naff".

"For such a place, steeped in mystery and marvel to buy in to sensory pleasure and distraction, is to poison the very medicine it offers the human soul," he said.

The Reverend Canon Andy Bryant, from Norwich Cathedral, said he could see why people would be surprised to see the helter skelter.

But in addition to showcasing the roof, he said it was "part of the cathedral's mission to share the story of the Bible" and was a "creative and innovative way to do that".

Norwich Cathedral is not the only place of worship to use unconventional methods to attract members of the public.

The central aisle of Rochester Cathedral has also been converted into a crazy golf course.

The apostle Paul, writing under divine inspiration, didn't tell Timothy to find a "creative and innovative" way to "share
the story of the Bible." He said, merely, "Preach the word..." (II Timothy 4:2). The Church of England and its clergy don't seem to believe in the truth of Hebrews 4:12:

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Presbyterian community service centre church in Philadelphia offers eight-week sermon series on Harry Potter

As the old saying goes, what you win people with is what you win them to; put another way, what wins them is what keeps them. If a church attracts people with worldly entertainment, that's what they're being won to, and what will keep them coming back. It's apparent that the lead goatherd of the community service centre church mentioned in the following article doesn't trust in the power of the gospel and the sufficiency of the Bible to bring people to church.

The church mentioned in the following article claims to be in the Reformed tradition, but their commitment to Biblical truth doesn't seem to be to the extent of offending non-Christians. A glance at their events page reveals a schedule that looks more like that of a community service centre than a Christian church (and yes, it includes yoga). As reported by Stephanie Farr of the Philadelphia Inquirer, June 17, 2019 (links in original):

The large banner on the lawn of Leverington Church in Roxborough has been raising eyebrows as if it were a Wingardium Leviosa spell.

"If I read 'Harry Potter meets Jesus,' I'd probably think it was cheesy, too," Pastor Langdon Palmer said. "But I didn't know how else to put it."

Palmer's unconventional eight-week sermon series at the Presbyterian church, which started May 12, has raised something else, as well: attendance. He said weekly attendance has risen 10% to 20%.

"People are literally saying, 'I came because of Harry Potter,' " he said. "It's a little bit of pressure because hard-core Harry Potter fans know everything."

Palmer, who has been pastor at Leverington Church for five years, almost didn't do the series. He was afraid religious people who are skeptical of Harry Potter would think he was trivializing the Gospel. And he was worried that Harry Potter fans who are skeptical of the Bible would believe he was distorting the books to fit his own ends.

But as a man who loves both and as a pastor who sees a generation of people more familiar with the stories of Harry Potter than those in the Bible, he decided to go for it.

"I think if we're going to be good teachers, we start with what people are familiar with to teach them about what they're not familiar with," said Palmer, 60.

In his sermons, which are available as podcasts on the church's website, Palmer uses audio and visual clips from the "Harry Potter" films to illustrate his points. He equates the unexpected and mysterious letters Harry receives to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to unexpected and mysterious messages people might be receiving from God.

And he likens the relationship between Harry and Professor Albus Dumbledore, the wise but often inscrutable head wizard at Hogwarts, to his own relationship with God.

"It's so parallel," he said. "God is so good and so kind, but there are times he seems arbitrary, where he leaves, where he doesn't explain himself – just like Dumbledore."

Palmer said he's encountered "both Christians and Harry Potter fans who are definitely not happy that I'm doing this," but on the whole, the reaction has been positive.

Despite his passion today, Palmer hasn't always been a fan – of Harry Potter or of God. For much of his adult life, Palmer was an electrical engineer and a self-proclaimed atheist, though looking back now he thinks he was probably "more of a hard-core agnostic, calling myself an atheist to be cool."

"I'm a born skeptic, and I've had many conversations with God about this: 'Why would you have me be a pastor? I question everything all the time,' " Palmer said. "I came to the conclusion that if this is the way that God wired me, maybe I could relate to other people who struggle with doubt."

As for Harry Potter, Palmer had heard the stories of religious leaders who denounced – and in some cases, even burned – the books because they believe the series promotes the occult and satanism.

"When it first came out, I was not impressed. I was not a fan," he said. "I assumed it was kid stories or promoting dark magic and stuff."

But when Palmer read the books with his children at their urging, he found they offered opportunities to talk with his kids about right and wrong and good and evil.

"I went from someone who was very skeptical to thinking it's really a significant piece of literature," he said.

Harry Potter isn't the only pop-culture touchstone that Palmer has invoked in his sermons. He once did a series on the science-fiction movie "The Fifth Element," and you'll hear him referencing Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons," "Star Trek," "The Lord of the Rings," and "The Matrix" in his sermons.

He even dreams of doing a sermon series on "Nacho Libre," the Jack Black movie about a monk who follows his dream to become a Mexican wrestler.

For those who question why he mixes pop culture and religion, Palmer pointed out that even Jesus used cultural artifacts and current events to explain ideas.

"I think it can really help the church, but if you try to be hip, if you're trying to be relevant to the kids, it's all over. People can smell fake right away," Palmer said. "But if there's something that moves a pastor deeply in culture, he or she should be free to use that."

Jeremiah 29:11 is becoming more popular on social media than John 3:16

As reported by Laura FitzPatrick of the London Daily Telegraph, February 25, 2019 (links in original):

In the beginning - and for centuries that followed - God’s sacrifice of Jesus to express his love on Earth was the most-adored Bible passage for many Christians.

But that is changing, thanks to messages of hope and prosperity being favoured on social media.

“Whereas once John 3:16 was the ‘poster-boy’ text of the 20th century, the latest star is Jeremiah 29:11”, said Rev Dr Peter Phillips, Director of CODEC Research Centre for Digital Theology of St John's College at Durham University.

“In print culture, John 3:16 has been the most popular Bible verse ever, but it has been knocked of its pedestal by the social age. People don’t want to put a verse about Jesus’ death upon the cross on social media, it’s a bit heavy,” he added.

The Bible is made up of more than 30,000 verses and one has historically captured the popularity of Christians above all others, appearing on fast-food and clothes brand packaging.

John 3:16 is famous for being the Bible’s most popular verse, according to Rev Dr Phillips and the Bible Society, and it was famously the late prominent evangelical Christian Billy Graham’s favourite.

Gotta channel my inner Helen Keller, and one of my favourite bible verses. #positivity #jeremiah2911 pic.twitter.com/muV4lbY1lx

— Ashley (@laviebella8) February 21, 2019

But the verse, which reads: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life,” has now been overtaken in popularity by an offer of hope and prosperity, in Jeremiah 29:11.

Instead, Jeremiah 29:11, is the UK’s favourite passage, according to digital Bible provider YouVersion, who’s platform has 350 million users.

It reads: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

It also tops the charts in nine other countries, including Canada and Australia, where religious individuals pick verses concerning personal feelings, rather than the glory of God.

According to experts, the switch is a product of social media and young people’s social performance of the Bible, in line with the trend of displaying wellness and spirituality online.

With apps like Bible Lens - which allows users to create new images using their own photos overlayed with quotes from the Bible - and YouVersion’s search-by-emoji function soaring in popularity, millennials have drastically changed how they approach the Bible’s teachings.

Rev Dr Phillips, who’s book titled Bible, Digital Culture and Social Media is published later this year, said: “We find that millennials tend to share therapeutic messages - it’s far more about their own identity and how faith can help them in their future.

“The result is a shift in public display of the Bible.”

He claims that it fits the general notion that digital-savvy people tend to cherry pick what they share online.

He added: “Users engage in social media to present something about themselves to the audience they themselves curate.

“Social media engagement with the Bible is itself part of the so-called photoshopped self - a form as front staging a person’s Bible engagement.”

But the popularity of Jeremiah 29:11 also comes down to the context of social media, according to the Bible Society, who claim the brevity of social media posts causes problems for passages like John 3:16.

“Passages like John 3:16 concern an eternal perspective and hope beyond death,” Rachel Rounds of the Bible Society told The Telegraph.

“These are not easy concepts to convey on social media which doesn’t really do context or nuance and that’s a challenge for politicians, scientists and the church alike.”

But YouVersion bosses pertain that John 3:16 is an important verse and “remains extremely popular”, as it usually falls in the top 20 verses globally each year, according to their data.

The above article illustrates why we always need to read scripture in context. Jeremiah 29:11 is not a message from God to humanity in general, and especially not to the unsaved, upon whom His wrath abides (John 3:36). This verse isn't even a message to the church, although I've often heard it used as such.

In Jeremiah 27, God is telling the people of Judah to submit to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and go into exile in Babylon. However, the Jews are receiving mixed messages about what's to happen. In Jeremiah 28, Hananiah, claiming to be a prophet of God, tells the people of Judah that within two years, the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar will be broken, and they'll be brought back from exile. Jeremiah has a public dispute with Hananiah, and then the LORD, through Jeremiah, denounces Hananiah as a false prophet, and prophesies that he will die within the year. Hananiah dies two months later, providing evidence that Jeremiah was a true prophet of God--and Jeremiah has been prophesying that the people of Judah will be sent into exile in Babylon as punishment for disobeying God.

In Jeremiah 29, the LORD inspires Jeremiah to write a letter to the Jews in exile, which includes the following (verses 4-14):

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

The Jews, who've been told by false prophets that they will soon be delivered, are now being told by a true prophet that they're going to be in Babylon for 70 years. They're not the vanguard of a liberating army, but most of them are going to be there for the rest of their lives, so they may as well make the best of it.

Those who prefer Jeremiah 29:11 to John 3:16 seem to like the thought that God loves them, but are unwilling to accept His terms. God demonstrated His love for us in sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8); to have peace with God (Romans 5:1-2) is possible only through belief in the work done by Christ in shedding His blood for our sins on the cross. The cross is, however, an offense to the natural man (Romans 9:33, Galatians 5:11, I Peter 2:8), and that's just as true in the 21st century as it was in the 1st century.

British pagans approve of Royal Mail stamp of Thor

People who had accomplished things of note used to be honoured on postage stamps; now postage stamps, like movies, are mainly about comic book characters rather than people. As reported by Patrick Sawer and Olivia Rudgard of the London Daily Telegraph, February 23, 2019 (links in original):

Thor superhero stamp

There cannot be that many things in national life to celebrate for those who still worship the Norse gods.

Pagan druids and their followers might gather at Stonehenge every solstice, but there is no special national holiday to celebrate either Odin and those who live with him in Asgard, the home of the gods.

But now, after years of being ignored, the Odinists and those who still look to Norse mythology for inspiration and guidance, have finally got something to smile about.

The Royal Mail is to issue a ‘pagan’ stamp next month, depicting the Norse god Thor, the hammer wielding god of thunder and protector of mankind.

Admittedly it forms part of a set of stamps commemorating Marvel Comics superheroes - of whom Thor is one, enjoying his own comic series and film spin offs - rather than the original figure of Germanic mythology.

But the Odinist Fellowship are pretty pleased all the same.

They are a registered charity that exists to "promote the original old religion of the English people and the native faith of the northern lands", so they naturally welcome any celebration of Norse mythology.

Ralph Harrison, the director of the Odinist Fellowship, said: "Considering how the Christian church tried so hard to eliminate the images of the Gods, it is with some satisfaction that we will be seeing people of all religions and none, who use this stamp, acknowledging, in a small way, the God Thor's continued presence in our nation's cultural life."

The Odinists - who worship at a Grade II listed former almshouse in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, dating back to the Tudor period - are so pleased they aren’t even complaining that the Thor shown in the stamps is the one created by an American comic publisher rather than the traditional depiction of him.

He’s still their man (or god), they say.

Mr Harrison said: "We recognise that the Marvel Comic depiction of Thor differs somewhat in its iconography from descriptions given in ancient sources, such as the Eddas; but Marvel seem to have based their image on that of Marten Eskil Winge's famous painting, ‘Thor Fights the Giants’, now on display in the Swedish National Museum in Stockholm.”

The fellowship points out that under the terms of the Postal Services Act 2011 the design of all British postage stamps must be approved by the Queen, and this is the first time that the Monarch has approved a design depicting one of the Gods of pre-Christian northern Europe on a stamp.

The Royal Mail has been previously criticised its choice of imagery for stamps.

It was attacked by Boris Johnson last year for not issuing a commemorative set of stamps to mark Brexit and in 2008 its decision to include the family planning pioneer Marie Stopes in a set commemorating women’s achievement was criticised by those who accuse of her being a eugenicist and Nazi sympathiser.

But on this occasion even the Church of England, of whom the Queen is the head and Supreme Governor, appears to have no complaint about the choice of a pagan god for a set of stamps carrying her mail.

Asked to comment the Church of England declined.

The Royal Mail said the series depicting Thor and other Marvel superheroes, including Spiderman and Black Panther, celebrated the impact of the comics in Britain and the contribution made to their distinctive look by British artists and designers.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “The Marvel Comics stories have been enjoyed for decades by generations of UK fans, and in the 1970s Marvel launched a UK imprint of its comics.

“The 1980s, in particular, saw US comic publishers heavily recruiting British writers and illustrators, who increasingly worked on the American publications and began to inject darker storylines and widened the appeal of the characters. One such artist is Alan Davis, who designed the new Special Stamps, and has worked with Marvel since the early 1980s and first illustrated Captain Britain in 1985.”

Old church in Louisville morphs into an entertainment complex

Many evangelical megachurches have already morphed into entertainment complexes while still ostensibly maintaining their identities as churches. In the case of mainline churches, declining membership and revenue increasingly lead them to abandon their properties. As reported by Maggie Menderski of the Louisville Courier Journal, December 18, 2018:

What was once a place of worship on E. Market Street is about to become an entertainment complex complete with two restaurants.

The old Market Street United Methodist Church in NuLu is in for a makeover.

The building, which was most recently home to The Refuge in Kentucky Church, sold to Weyland Ventures for $800,000 in February, according to a deed filed with the Jefferson County Clerks office.

Renderings filed with Louisville Metro late last month show the old church itself will be transformed into a dining room, a bar and a VIP lounge. There are also plans for a courtyard.

The gymnasium that’s already located on the south end of the building will be maintained and joined by a “sports court lounge.”

Weyland Ventures owners weren't immediately available Tuesday for comment.

The company has already restored the steeple, and it has plans to spruce up the exterior doors and stained glass windows, according to documents filed with Louisville Metro.

Weyland also has plans to build a neighboring two-story building that will hold a second restaurant, according to the documents.

See also my post: An example of a dead church morphing into a community centre (January 26, 2014)

69-year-old Dutchman wants to legally alter his birthdate in order to get more dates on Tinder

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Psalms 90:10

Submitted for your approval, the following excellent example of what Rush Limbaugh calls "illustrating the absurd by being absurd." I can't argue with the man's logic: if someone can claim to be a different sex an be recognized as such in contradiction to biological fact and observable reality, why can't someone then claim to be a different age than that which is officially recorded?

As reported by Jeremiah Rodriguez of CTV News, November 8, 2018 (updated November 9, 2018):

A Dutch motivational speaker, 69, has kicked off a battle to legally lower his age by 20 years in order to boost his employment chances and, he says, stop being discriminated against on Tinder according to him.

Emile Ratelband said he wants to change his birthday to March, 11, 1969 — 20 years to the day after he was actually born in 1949.

He told the Dutch court in the small town of Arnhem, 96 kilometres east of Amsterdam, that his wish was comparable to people changing their sex if they identified as transgender.

Last Monday, he says city officials told him it was “impossible because it’s never happened before” and laughed at him. But Ratelband contends that there is no law “forbidding him” from changing his age.

“If you don’t like your name, you can change your name. If you don’t like your sex, you can change your sex. So I thought we also have to do this with age,” Ratelband told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Thursday.

He argued that if children of the Dutch soldiers who alongside the Nazis could change their name, why shouldn’t he? The former TV personality said he’d be willing to renounce his pension if he won his case.

He says his doctor told him his biological age was closer to 40 to 42 years old because he has lived a “fairly healthy” life the past 40 years -- no smoking or drugs, including caffeine, and regularly playing sports.

Ratelband says his doctor even called him a “young god.”

“I’m so vibrant, so active and so healthy and I was suffering the pain that I felt like I was 48 but I didn’t have the guts to change my birth certificate,” he said. “I think this is a very good example of changing the world.”

Despite having a relatively successful career as a positivity guru and self-described “consciousness expander,” he says his age gets in the way of getting more matches on dating apps.

“When you’re 69 on Tinder, nobody reacts. And a friend told me you can change your birthday and do a little bit of Photoshop-ing,” he said. “But I’m not going to lie on Tinder.”

So if he’s legally 49, he said wouldn’t be hoodwinking any prospective dates.

He says he noticed that most of the unemployed people in his town were over 50 years old and claims that citizens older than 60 years rarely get mortgages.

“(For) many people around the age of 50-55, life is already over,” Ratelband said. He says the whole case boils down to “making the most of your life.”

More than half a century ago, a person’s path in life and identity was more locked in, Ratelband argues. Ratelband says he told the court that the world has changed and people are “more independent” too.

Ratelband says he has a “great hope” of winning his case and having the judges tell him: “Mr. Ratelband, it is completely right what you say, you’re free to do so.”

He sees himself as a pioneer and expects “a lot of people” to follow his example. But if the case doesn’t shake out the way, he says he’ll simply take it to a higher court.

Mr. Ratelband has lost the first round of his court battle, but he's young enough to continue the fight; as reported by U.S. National Public Radio, December 4, 2018 (links in original):

A 69-year-old Dutchman who lost a court case on his request to reduce his official age by 20 years says he plans to appeal.

Emile Ratelband says he feels younger than his real age and, as NPR previously reported, he maintains his life, and performance on dating apps, would improve if his legal age were 49. He said he would be willing to delay receiving a pension.

A district court in the eastern Dutch city of Arnhem was not convinced.

"[U]nlike the situation with respect to a change in registered name or gender, there are a variety of rights and duties related to age, such as the right to vote and the duty to attend school," the court wrote in a statement. "If Mr Ratelband's request was allowed, those age requirements would become meaningless."

There was no evidence that Ratelband had experienced age discrimination, the court said. And it rejected his argument on the basis of free will, writing that "free will does not extend so far as to make every desired outcome legally possible."

"Mr Ratelband is at liberty to feel 20 years younger than his real age and to act accordingly," the court continued. "But amending his date of birth would cause 20 years of records to vanish from the register of births, deaths, marriages and registered partnerships. This would have a variety of undesirable legal and societal implications."

Ratelband was not discouraged by the decision. "The reaction of the judges is fantastic, is great," he said.

"You know why? Because we have a strategy," he added, referring to his plan to address on appeal the specific reasons the judge gave in rejecting the age change.

Ratelband says he expects his appeal to be heard in the coming months.

Ratelband denied bringing his case in order to criticize or discredit transgender people, although he has repeatedly compared his quixotic crusade to their battle to have their gender identity recognized.

In the Netherlands, Ratelband's actions, and the international exposure he's garnered, have been met with mockery and bemusement.

"The Netherlands laughs at the crazy Emile, who meanwhile gives interviews around the world," wrote the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

It called Ratelband's claim that he's younger than his true age "absurd."

Norwegian rapper curses Jews at concert celebrating "diversity"

I don't know which is more disgusting--a performer publicly cursing Jews, or the fact that even Norway isn't immune to the moral and "musical" American ghetto garbage known as "rap." As reported by Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 18, 2018 (links in original):

A Norwegian rapper hired by the City of Oslo to sing at an event intended to celebrate diversity cursed the “f***ing Jews” during his performance.

In response to the profane statement Friday by Kaveh Kholardi, the leader of the country’s Jewish community has threatened to take legal action against the 23-year-old performer.

Kholardi wished Muslims “Eid Mubarak,” a greeting in Arabic for the Eid al-Fitr holiday that on Friday marked the end of Ramadan, Dagen reported. He went on to ask if there were Christians present, smiling upon hearing cheers. Then he asked if there were any Jews, adding “f***ing Jews … Just kidding.”

Christine Thune, a spokeswoman for the Oslo municipality, told the Verdens Gang daily that the organizers had complained to Kholardi. Anne Christine Kroepelin said the whole “point of the event was diversity and inclusion,” and that Kholardi’s apparent expression of anti-Semitism was “exactly the opposite of what the organizers wanted to promote.”

On June 10, five days before the concert, Kholardi wrote on Twitter: “f***ing Jews are so corrupt.”

On Facebook, Kholardi wrote following criticism by the Jewish leader, Ervin Kohn, that he is “neither a racist nor anti-Semite,” and that the reference to Jews during the concert was taken out of context” and was only a joke.

Kohn demanded an apology from Kholardi, threatening a complaint to police for incitement to hate if Kholardi does not comply with the request.

Kholardi’s Facebook account has become inaccessible following the incident.

50 years ago: United Church in Calgary experiments with modern music

Submitted for your approval, more evidence that not only are today's evangelicals tomorrow's liberals, but yesterday's liberals are today's evangelicals. Substitute the name of almost any "Evangelical" church for the United Church of Canada in the following article, and it would be true of 21st century Evangelicalism. Increasing worldliness in church music is part of generally declining standards of holiness.

A few things have changed in the 50 years since the following item appeared. The United Church of Canada was in the early years of its decline in prestige (membership peaked in 1965, the year after the news Sunday School curriculum was published, making the church's apostasy clear), but the mainline churches in Canada were still generally respected and influential. A United Church "couple" in ministry consisted of a husband, i.e., male, and his wife, i.e., female. The mainline churches hadn't yet gone full speed ahead into promotion of alphabet perversion, but once a church falls into apostasy, it drops into a bottomless abyss, and it will become ever more apostate until it either destroys itself or is destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ in the brightness of His coming.

As reported by Edythe Humphrey in the Calgary Albertan, June 15, 1968:

Blues, brass and bongos may seem to most people alien in a church environment, but for a young Bowness United Church clergyman, they're part of his regular service of worship.

As a leader in church music experimentation, not only in Calgary, but across Canada, Rev. D.W. Hyde is in tune with the changes taking place in the church of today, and adding to the impetus with some innovations of his own.

He's not alone in his work, for while he possesses the musical training, his wife Marilyn has the enthusiasm and love for the experiment, and their growing congregation has the courage to accept the blues, jazz, guitars and drums they've introduced as a regular part of the service.

Other Calgary churches, too, such as Rev. Bob Wallace's Parkdale United, have adopted some of his arrangements.

And recognition has come to the young English-born minister and his wife from the national level, in the form of an invitation to the United Church's conference on evangelism, to be held at Whitby, Ont. Aug. 20 to 23.

The Hydes are the first to admit their adaptations are experimental. "Not everything we use is good, but we believe these things are being written and deserve to be heard."

The "things" they refer to are a wealth of new poetry and music by British writers Peter Firth, Geoffrey Beaumont and Patrick Appleford, as well as other composers.

This modern young couple, parents of two small children, contend the new theology is not a matter of choosing the old hymns and jazzing them up, however, but adopting an appreciation of those who are writing the new music and words which contain much less ecclesiastical language than before.

To illustrate, Rev. Hyde, at this point in a recent interview, turned to the piano in his living room and demonstrated with a blues version of Just As I Am. Though this particular hymn has been tried a couple of times at a workshop, it hasn't been used as yet in a service of worship.

But a lot of others have, most of them joyful. At a recent Easter service in their church, the Hydes said they sang Jesus Christ Is Risen, and they discovered to their great delight, that the congregation responded enthusiastically to the light, happy approach, regarding it as an apt expression of the season.

Many old hymns advise people to escape from the world and seek their own spiritual satisfaction. But the church's modern day approach is one of going out into the world and facing the social problems and challenges, and the Hydes are convinced this is what the music, too, must emphasize.

It's no wonder attendance dwindles in churches where people are expected to sing outmoded hymns, they argue. It's condescending, self-centred attitudes that are a major cause of loss of interest, confusion and apathy in the church, and not the experiments and changes people are trying.

Though some of the things they try will be discarded, something of value is bound to emerge, they believe, and by bringing the new approach into the church, they see a narrowing of the gap between holy and secular.

Theirs is a wide-open approach in which they believe all available tools ought to be used to express today's faith. "Not too long ago, the organ was considered an abomination to the Lord" by many churchgoers, but now it is the accepted instrument in the most conservative of cathedrals, the Hydes point out, so why should people balk at the use of the guitar, drums and other instruments.

At a recent service, a brass fanfare was employed as the call to worship. Guitars are often used, and the junior choir has used flute accompaniment.

While Rev. Hyde is keen on experimentation in church music, and his wife is equally enthusiastic, their daily life is no different than that of any other young couple whose experience is similarly church oriented.

The young clergyman has found, however, that experimentation in church music has forced changes on the rest of the service as well. They occur almost on a Sunday-to-Sunday basis. A good example is the takeover by the Senior Hi-C of the entire ushering duties of the congregation.

"But it's not a case of pushing the older ones out. On the contrary, the older members seem proud and pleased at the interest of the younger generation," he says.

His congregation is approaching a 50-50 division in percentage of youth and middle-age, and no one knows at this point what the future may bring. It may require separate services to satisfy both tastes, or it may mean a skilful blending of half mod and half traditional music in each service.

So far, Rev. Hyde says acceptance has been encouraging, as evidenced in the enthusiasm of an elderly woman who maintained "this new idea of singing the blues away makes a person forget their troubles for a while."

Instead of sermons, they've experimented with discussion groups, and Rev. Hyde frankly admits at first he felt "quite threatened" but he has since discovered that out of each panel has come something of value.

The first discussion, on the role of the church and the new evangelism, received such a response from the congregation that it led to a second, on theology and the new morality. New plans are underway for a third, also on the new morality.

The Hydes, with Karen, now 4, and David, 2, came to Calgary less than a year ago, with no preconceived notions of what would happen. Rev. Hyde received his arts degree with a music major from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, after coming to Canada from England in 1957, then studied theology at St. Andrew's College in Saskatoon and graduated from Pine Hill Divinity Hall in Halifax in 1963. They came to Calgary in September, 1967 from Aneroid, his first charge.

During the years in Saskatchewan, their interest in new church music evolved gradually. The new folk masses, sessions at the Prairie Christian Training Institute, camp musical programs, all had their influence, so by the time they arrived at Bowness, a pattern was evolving.

Whether those who are involved in their experiment heartily endorse the idea, reserve judgment or feel somewhat critical, they find it impossible to deny that the atmosphere their new music creates is lively and thought-provoking. And the Hydes are determined to make it more so.

See my post 50 years ago: United Church of Canada unveils Sunday School curriculum denying the truth of the Bible (August 1, 2014)

Roman Catholic school chaplain mixes Star Wars into his messages

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8

This may be regarded as a companion to the post immediately preceding. What passes for evangelicalism in the second decade of the 21st century isn't alone in mixing truth and error--which always produces error. Submitted for your approval, the following item about a Roman Catholic school chaplain in Alberta who thinks he can build a bridge between Christianity and Hinduism. As reported by Janet French in the Edmonton Journal, March 12, 2018 (bold, link in original):

A school chaplain’s penchant for pop culture has become a mainstay in his religion lessons to Catholic students near Edmonton.

Mike Landry, a Spruce Grove-based chaplain in Evergreen Catholic Schools, turns to the Jedi, the First Order and the Resistance to teach about the Bible and talk to students about their problems.

“When you’re sitting in a religion class, you’ve got people from all these backgrounds who come from all these different perspectives, and you’re trying to see how you can meet all of them where they are without them feel pushed, or judged, or forced, but inviting them into something that I believe will help them,” Landry said in an interview last week.

The chaplain made his case to teachers for drawing meaningful parallels between the Star Wars movies and Christianity at the Greater Edmonton Teachers’ Convention last week.

Not the first Edmonton chaplain to take advantage of these corollaries, Landry said he’s continuing the work of the late Father Michael Mireau, a beloved Edmonton Catholic Schools chaplain who died of cancer at age 42 in 2014. Mireau was known to wave a light sabre around from the pulpit and weave Star Wars references into his homilies.

Landry, who is based at St. Peter the Apostle School and visits the other nine schools in the division, said he works in collaboration with counsellors, a social worker and other support staff to help students with personal or family problems.

Some students come from devout families and others know little of Catholicism, he said.

Trust the Force
Star Wars creator George Lucas borrowed generously from Christianity when creating the first two movie trilogies, Landry said.

The Jedi Council is like popes and bishops making decisions for the collective good, and the Jedi Academy is a bit like seminary school, he said.

The Force — an energy that binds the galaxy together and that both Jedi and their foes, the Sith, wield in the movies — is somewhat like the Holy Spirit in Christianity, Landry said.

In the more recent movies, characters implore one another to “trust The Force.” Students, like some characters, can be skeptical of religion. Discussing that doubt is a way to begin teaching about the historical evidence documenting Jesus’ existence, Landry said.

Star Wars characters who turn to the “dark side” out of fear and anger, like Darth Vader, can stimulate discussion about how power can be abused for evil, he said.

When kids make choices that make teachers “want to pull our hair out,” they can discuss the character Kylo Ren, the son of Princess Leia and Han Solo, whose conscience nags at him while he works for the dark side.

Said Landry: “I don’t think they have trouble understanding (religious teachings). I think they have trouble wanting to understand. They want to see that it’s relevant to them. A Jewish carpenter from 20 centuries ago, what does he have to do with what I’m doing in Spruce Grove today? And sometimes these stories become a nice bridge.”

Rabi Maharaj, who grew up as a Hindu guru in Trinidad before coming to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, was interviewed by Dr. Emil Gaverluk for a series of broadcasts of Southwest Radio Church, airing in January 1982. Mr. Maharaj's comments show that Mr. Landry is very wrong when he tries to point out the similarities between Star Wars and Christianity, especially when it comes to the Force:

Christians told me how very much they enjoyed these movies, and how great they were. I really get worried when Christians tell me how much they are excited about these films, seeing them several times, without realizing how much antichrist philosophy these films are propagating. Quite honestly, the most powerful presentation of Hindu philosophy I have seen anywhere in the West is the film The Empire Strikes Back!

I am not a cinema fan. I do not have time to go to the cinema, because I work especially among students on the campuses. I do go maybe once a year to see an appropriate film, one that the students are seeing and that I think is fit to view. So I went to see The Empire Strikes Back. I was astonished at how much Hinduism was propagated in that film from start to finish. I have not seen a more powerful presentation of Hinduism. It was an impressive film, beautiful photography, sensational and all of that, but the philosophy that the film was plugging was Hinduism. People were accepting this philosophy of life. People want to know what I have against Star Wars. In this movie a person comes away forgetting all about the science fiction elements in the film, but comes away with that one thing in mind, the nucleus of the film, the Force--"May the Force be with you!" Just weeks after the film was released there were bumper stickers, buttons and T-shirts with this statement on them. Weeks after it was released, I went to see it in Colorado, and I discovered that there were hundreds of young people in the mountains worshiping the Force. Some of them were saying the Force was the Holy Spirit. I had to say to them very clearly, I even said it on television, that it was an insult to God to call Him a Force! God is not a force. God is a person! A force is impersonal, but God is personal. Satan wants modern man, western man to have a wrong concept of God--for man to think of God in terms of a force. That is what Satan really wants.

Emil Gaverluk and Rabindranath R. Maharaj, Hinduism and Other Satanic Deceptions, 1982, pp. 19-20

Here's what the Lord Jesus Christ had to say about the Holy Spirit (it should be noted that the word "of" in the Kings James Version often means, as it does in this passage, "from"):

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:7-13

A force doesn't convict anyone "of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment," and no one is morally accountable to a force.

For further reading, I recommend Death of a Guru by Rabi Maharaj with Dave Hunt (1977, 1984); Hinduism and Other Satanic Deceptions by Emil Gaverluk and Rabi Maharaj (1982); and Peace, Prosperity, and the Coming Holocaust by Dave Hunt (1983). I have tapes of the six broadcasts that Mr. Maharaj and Dr. Gaverluk recorded, as well as the four broadcasts (in April or May 1983) of conversations between Messrs. Maharaj and Hunt, followed by four broadcasts of Mr. Hunt speaking alone, on the occasion of the publication of Peace, Prosperity, and the Coming Holocaust. Southwest Radio Ministries probably doesn't make them available anymore, but the reader is encouraged to get them anywhere they can be found. Despite being 35-37 years old, the material covered in those broadcasts remains relevant--maybe more now than ever.