Well I’m surprised….

I guess not all protestants think Catholics are non-Christians destine for hell.

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=33506

United methodists host 'Theology of the Body: An Ecumenical Introduction to John Paul II's Teaching.'

WASHINGTON (Christian Newswire) - United Methodist renewal groups Lifewatch and Transforming Congregations will host an educational seminar on May 21 in New Bern, NC entitled Paul J. Griffiths, Warren Professor of Catholic Theology at Duke Divinity School, will deliver the keynote address.

He will explore the late Pope's key concepts and discuss such questions as: What is the real dignity of the created human person? Why were we created male and female, and what does that teach us about God? What is the deepest meaning of human sexuality, and how does spousal love reflect divine love?

"United Methodists and other Mainline believers have been arguing over abortion and homosexuality for decades," said Rev. Karen Booth, Executive Director of Transforming Congregations, "but we haven't done a very good job of explaining why the arguments even matter. John Paul II's Theology of the Body has a profound message for all Christians about God's created intent for men and women. It gives us the tools we need to reexamine and challenge our post-modern cultural assumptions about human life and sex."

Delivered from 1979-1984 in a series of Wednesday audiences, Theology of the Body was the first major teaching of John Paul's pontificate. Papal biographer George Weigel described it as a "kind of theological time bomb set to go off with dramatic consequences, sometime in the third millennium of the Church."

The Lifewatch/Transforming Congregations seminar will be held at the New Bern Riverfront Hilton (formerly Sheraton) Hotel and Marina, 100 Middle Street, New Bern NC. Visit the Lifewatch web site at www.lifewatch.org or contact Rev. Paul Stallsworth at 252-726-2175 for more information.

Sky Angel IPTV

Just found out about this not long ago, ordered it and just finished hooking it up. For those not in the know, it's faith based IPTV. I got them because they have CatholicTV, which from what I've seen of it is pretty good. I'm watching it right now, honestly the quality is pretty darn good, very much equivalent to SD analog or digital cable. For $25/mo, can't complain... And I'm only paying that much b/c I wanted NFL network which is on their "family package", you can get it for as little as $15/mo for faith only.

Some politics free faith:

So I’ve been very political on my blog, and a little religious here and there. I think this time I’m just going to share something that’s more faith oriented than anything else. This is regarding a scenario I hardly understand to be perfectly honest. What is that exactly? How my very Christian friends, could be among those saying “I never give money to “hobo’s”, they’re just going to spend it on booze!”

This mystifies me because Christ does teach, quite clearly that Christ can be found in every homeless person looking for shelter, or a little money for food. Basically in a very real sense, that homeless person is Christ, how? Because what you do, or don’t do for him you effectively do or do or do not do for Christ. Of course this isn’t to say the homeless person is Christ in the physical real sense, after all it is quite possible that that particular person might well go spend that money on vice, something I’m sure Christ would not do.

But just the same, it’s quite powerful to consider that what we do or don’t do for that homeless person, equates to how we are treating Christ directly. I write all this, because I happened to be watching some CatholicTV video clips and Father Jeff Bayhi reminded me of this very important reality when he discusses the same issue. I’d certainly invite anyone to watch it and ponder. Oh, and for those of you whom might be wondering about everything I wrote above, about what we do or don’t do for the homeless person. Below the video I’ll quote (and link to) Matthew 25 31- 46, a passage which speaks directly to this.

 

Biblical Reference:

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PVY.HTM

31

14 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,

32

and all the nations 15 will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33

He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,

36

naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'

37

Then the righteous 16 will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38

When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39

When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

40

And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41

17 Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42

For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

43

a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'

44

18 Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'

45

He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

46

And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."