On Reformation Weekend

As a movement that began to reform the Roman Catholic Church, the Protestant Reformation is one of the most influential events in human history. Reformers as Charles Wesley, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and others led the way to changes that have anchored roots in many churches today. Yet one’s perspective continues to drive understanding of the times; for instance did the Church of England leave the Roman Catholics or did they get kicked out?

Although many of the issues that drove the reformers and society have been resolved, issues today still divide denominations – both within and between. As many Christians strive to find common ground as opposed to emphasizing differences, modern-day riffs still exist and churches seemingly adjust to societal response. For example, just this week the Roman Catholics placed a new welcome for Anglicans. Of course the driving force behind this action is subject to debate.

This weekend the sounds of Luther’s A Mighty Fortress will fill many churches. Our Lutheran church is no different as our handbells will have a role. Since YouTube doesn’t have the version we’re playing, handbell enthusiasts will have to listen to this audio.

Meanwhile, here’s an energetic version of A Mighty Fortress from the St. Olaf College Handbell Choir.

On Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 40

On the Loud Mouths
The other day while at my car dealer, Glenn Beck was on the customer lounge’s tube. I watched a little bit and wondered – Why does anyone watch this buffoon? Even worse, what companies are paying advertising time and what is their target audience?

Here are a few reasons why Kathleen Parker and David Brooks are two of my favorite columnists: They are intelligent, they make sense, and both the left and the right don’t like them. Here’s a recent Parker column about the way the White House is handling the loud mouths.

On What Politicians Do
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is the representative from an adjacent district to me. Being in the Cincinnati metro area, Mr. Boehner is a frequent news item. I’ve made my share of criticisms of him, and this Cincinnati Enquirer article confirms my thoughts – John Boehner’s main priority is his party – not his country or his constituents.

It’s sad to say, but he aims his time and effort to his party, his political action group, and his special interests. Even worse, his chief lieutenant (Eric Cantor, R-VA) is following Boehner’s lead and Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and her #2 (Steny Hoyer, D-MD) are do the same thing. Here’s the evidence.

On an OchoCinco Deed
I may be a Bengal fan, but I’m not a fan of Chad OchoCinco. On the other hand, I commend the way he stepped up and got the job done to achieve a sellout – thus last week’s game was shown on local television. With his help, 1200 tickets were given away. Good job Chad.

On Church and State
The wall between church and state has been getting weaker the past 20 years or so. Plus, the case on the Supreme Court docket may continue the trend. Nonetheless, here’s an interesting dialogue between a Republican and a Democrat in the biweekly column: “Common Ground” in USA Today.

On the BCS
Upper division college football is the only sport without a legit national champion. I’m not a fan of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), so the creations by the Global Sports Fraternity team is priceless. I posted their episode of a BCS meeting earlier this week (click here) before the second episode (shown below). Again – priceless!