HIGHER CALLING
By Karen Springen, Newsweek Online

A woman is ordained to the Catholic priesthood. Not surprisingly, the hierarchy does not approve.

Sept. 13, 2007 - Last week 25-year-old Jessica Rowley became one of about a dozen women nationwide to make a highly unusual career move: she was ordained a Catholic priest. Rowley’s ordination—which took place at Eden Theological Seminary, a progressive institution in Webster Groves, Mo.—is approved by the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, a group of churches that decline to recognize the authority of the pope but see themselves nevertheless as Catholic. [Read the interview article].

HOW IMPORTANT IS A BUILDING?
By Thom S. Rainer and Sam S. Rainer III
Excerpted from Outreach magazine, "Surprising Insights," September/October 2007

“What do the unchurched say about church buildings?” Recognizing this tangible aspect of how the unchurched view the Church is crucial to reaching them for Christ.

Researchers Thom and Sam Rainer began the task of interviewing more than 350 people of different age groups from 45 states. The interviewees were all formerly unchurched and had recently joined a local body of believers. Four main insights about church buildings were discovered. [Read the findings here].

BOOK REVIEW: IN A PIT WITH A LION ON A SNOWY DAY (MARK BATTERSON)
Reviewed By George Barna in the Barna Group

Mark Batterson writes about his insights in this simple but helpful book that harps on one theme: we have been called to take risks in our effort to transform the world for Christ. The author, who is one of the emerging voices in the post-Boomer church scene in America, provides numerous succinct thoughts about the real meaning of life and how to make the most of it. [Read the whole review].

PRISONS PURGING BOOKS ON FAITH FROM LIBRARIES
By Laurie Goodstein, The New York Times

Behind the walls of federal prisons nationwide, chaplains have been quietly carrying out a systematic purge of religious books and materials that were once available to prisoners in chapel libraries. Some inmates are outraged. Two of them, a Christian and an Orthodox Jew, in a federal prison camp in upstate New York, filed a class-action lawsuit last month claiming the bureau’s actions violate their rights to the free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. [Read the full story].

REV. JIM WALLIS DESCRIBES THE “NEW COMMANDMENT.”

Christian author, political activist, and founder/editor of Sojourners Magazine
Jim Wallis, was quoted in recent keynote address as saying, “I used to be so proud to be an American. Not anymore, because we lost in the world the moral high ground. We revealed ourselves to be exactly like the people we hate. Because when you do the same thing back, you’ve reached what we call a “moral equivalence” – that killing is supposed to destroy killing for some reason. And Jesus told us 2000 years ago, this will not work, it will only stir the fire. …You and I have to ask ourselves, can we practice the new commandment, and love people back who do not love us? That’s when we will have a new heaven and a new earth.” Listen to the audio clip here. (QuickTime required. Download the free player)

CAN GOD LOVE DARWIN, TOO?
By Sharon Begley, Newsweek

Biologist Richard Colling, a professor at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois wrote a 2004 book called "Random Designer" because—as he said in a letter to students and colleagues this year—"I want you to know the truth that God is bigger, far more profound and vastly more creative than you may have known." Moreover, he said, God "cares enough about creation to harness even the forces of [Darwinian] randomness."

Colling's troubles come as more and more researchers are fighting the "godless" rap, emphasizing that evolution does not preclude a deity (though neither does it require one). One approach is to interpret evolution as the mechanism by which a creator creates.

Anger over his work had been building for two years. Colling is prohibited from teaching the general biology class, and at least one local Nazarene church called for Colling to be fired. [Read the whole story].

BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS REMAIN SKEPTICAL, DIVIDED ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING
~ Written by The Barna Group of Ventura, California

A new survey by The Barna Group shows that a person’s faith is linked to attitudes about one of the hottest environmental topics: global warming. The study shows significant differences of opinion across a variety of faith groups. Half (51%) of the nation’s 95 million born again adults view global warming as a "major" problem facing the country and the other half assign the debated issue less importance (42%) or they are not sure (7%). (Note that the Barna research defines born again Christians based upon a person’s spiritual beliefs and not based upon their use of the term "born again" or association with particular types of churches.) [Read the whole article].

THINKING ABOUT MISSIONAL LIVING
By Aaron Telian in Sojourner's Song

Underneath its current high-strung status as a "buzzword," the term missional is a good word that can be put to good use. We as a Church are called to share - and to live - the Gospel, and missional is a strong, pithy adjective that crisply captures the essence of this calling. Missional living is active, radical, communal, culturally informed, and humble. This is not your typical knock-down-drag-out evangelism - we shouldn't be kicking in our neighbor's door trying to get him interested in Jesus. Our calling is to attract our neighbors by our love and way of life, not to intimidate them with our rhetoric. [Read the article].

JUST PASTORS: CONVERSATIONS BEHIND THE PULPIT
by Marcel Schwantes, AToday Assistant News Editor

What happens when you mix three progressive pastors who have never met in person and let them run loose in cyberspace with free reign of their keyboards?

Self-dubbed the “Three Blogsketeers,” pastors David Hamstra, Josue Sanchez and Marty Thurber write for Just Pastors - a refreshing hangout for some very real and relevant dialog about pastoral journeys “behind the pulpit.” You’ll get raw and honest commentaries about applying practical theology in “Confessions of a Pastor,” advice on applying practical theology to daily life and an assortment of discussion series on such topics as the emerging church, time management and 10 Laws of Cyberdynamics. Most recently, Thurber compares his role to that of The Force of Star Wars fame. He writes:

“The Force, as it came to be known in the Star Wars Saga, was a powerful presence that divided itself into two sides, good and evil. This dual view fits well with how I see my work as a pastor.” [Read the whole posting].

THOUGHTS FROM A HARRY POTTER AGNOSTIC

Nathan Brown, editor of the Australia/New Zealand edition of Sign of the Times, argues that perhaps God does reach people in their own (pop) culture and language. Maybe even in Harry Potter books? Nathan states in Re-inventing the Adventist Wheel: “As a result of reading Harry Potter, I am encouraged as a believer in God and in His purposes and plan for goodness in a world that often doesn’t look like it.”

Read Nathan’s thought-provoking article and reader reactions from both sides of the spectrum.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY BLOG LAUNCHED
by Alan J. Reinach, Esq.

The North American Religious Liberty Association launched a new blog this summer, featuring four bloggers. Each brings a unique background and perspective to the running commentary on the religious liberty issues of the day. Recent blogs have discussed Supreme Court decisions, the presidential election campaign, Christians and war, whether the war on terror is undermining religious freedom, hate crimes and hate speech, and several other topics. [Visit their blog here].

BLOGGER RESPONDS TO MOSTERT

In response to Pacific Union Conference President Tom Mostert's recent editorial called "0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 0, Lorelei Cress uses the platform of her blog, The Cress Chronicles, to publish a “reader response” letter she sent to the Recorder (which has gone unpublished). She writes,

"Pastor Mostert’s article '0+0+0+0=0' was extremely disheartening to read, and is a good example of why so many intelligent believers have left our church. It is downright insulting for him to suggest that Adventists whose beliefs and/or practices differ from his own have modified their faith purely to suit their own convenience, thus insinuating that there are no legitimate reasons for differing from 'traditional' Adventist teachings. Can he truly be claiming that it isn’t possible for Adventist believers to come to a new understanding of their faith through a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ?" Read the whole unpublished letter here.

Emergence 2007, October 19-20, 2007, Austin, TX

This weekend conversation will feature many of the key leaders in the emerging church movement such as Dan Kimball, John Burke, Doug Pagitt, Scot McKnight, Andrew Jones, Karen Ward, Danielle Shroyer, and Mark Driscoll. More info here.

Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program, Level II, October 14-19, Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland -- www.plusline.org

Vervent Worship and the Arts Conference, October 25-27, Denver, Colorado – www.denverfirstsda.org/worship

Reviving Our Spirits ~ Transforming Our Politics (October 19-21, Cleveland, OH)
- a weekend of inspirational speaking, music, teaching, learning, and sharing with Jim Wallis, Richard Rohr, and Naomi Tutu. Hoested by the Center for Action and Contemplation in association with Sojourners/Call to Renewal.
More details here http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/conferences/ros/