Rev. Smith takes on the Gospel Coalition (The Gospel-Industrial Complex)

In the aftermath of the grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri and the more recent grand jury finding in New York City that police did not use excessive force to arrest Eric Garner, much has been said and written about "white privelege", racism, and the shortcomings of our legal system.

Earlier this week this issue became front and center at The Gospel Coalition. Thabiti Anyabwile posted an essay entitled 3 Reasons Why I Stand with the Protestors. I have my own opinions on this topic but will refrain from offering my own comment at this juncture.  Instead I will
point you to another essay challenging his perspective on the matter.  The Rev. William H. Smith also known as the Christian Curmudgeon, has been around long enough to see this sort of thing play out before.  Is this a topic to be addressed from the pulpit or when our churches gather in assemblies (for Presbyterians that means Presbytery and General Assembly)?   I'll allow Rev. Smith answer that question for you:

Thabiti Anyabwile Is Wrong

Family Roots

Trailer: A Thousand Dollars and Back from Town Square Television on Vimeo.

Some time ago I posted an entry on my father's side of the family on this blog which is available here.  The above video builds upon that knowledge.

The Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota (HORA) along with The Romanian Genealogical Society and Town Square Television have partnered to tell the story of Romanians who settled in Minnesota in the early 20th century.  The film will have its premier  later this month. Featured in the film are some of my own relatives whom I personally know.  In the above trailer photos of my grandfather can be found around the 3:00 mark.

I wish that I would be able to attend the premier and interact with those who will be in attendance. Hopefully this project will spur others to come forward with photos and stories to help fill in the gaps of our heritage.

So You're Presbyterian???

Earlier this summer news broke confusing one Presbyterian denomination for another.  In this case it involved confusing the larger and more theologically liberal Presbyterian Church USA (PC-USA) for the smaller and more conservative Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).  I am a minister in the latter denomination.  This confusion quickly led to a retraction and correction about the breaking news.  Shortly thereafter one writer took some time to formally list the differences between the two denominations.  That article can be found here.

Presbyterian denominations aren't the only ones who get confused with each another: It happens all the time among Lutherans.  Here is a witty video that highlights the tension members of conservative churches feel when they discuss church matters with people unfamiliar with the teachings of Scripture.

UPDATE - Endless winter: Yes, there's still ice on Lake Superior

UPDATE 6/10/14

Winter continues to hang on around Lake Superior. Check out this story about icebergs that have collected around some of the islands in northern Wisconsin.

Original Post on 6/4/14

It has been a long cool spring in our area following the hard winter.  Last weekend we were treated to temperatures in the upper 80s.  It is graduation season and on nearly every street it seems that there is another open house.  Folks are busy with their yards or enjoying the great outdoors.  Our local paper reported that a teenager caught a 35 lb muskie on one of the area rivers.  

Believe it or not, there is still ice on parts of Lake Superior.  Go here to see photos and read more about it. Here is another story with even more photos.  

Joining and Receiving - June 3rd, 1981

From the website of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, This Day in OPC History:

June 3

Joining and Receiving

On June 3, 1981, the last full day of the 48th General Assembly of the OPC that met at Geneva College, the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations brought its recommendation regarding “Joining and Receiving.” “J and R,” as it was commonly abbreviated, was an ambitious plan to unite into one body three churches, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in America, and Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. Bypassing a protracted process of negotiated merger, the plan called for the OPC and the RPCES to join and be received by the larger PCA. Noting that the RPCES had approved "J and R" three days earlier, the CEIR emphatically urged that the OPC could only come to one conclusion regarding this plan: it “must unite with these churches.”

Go here to read the rest of the story and to learn who kept the PCA, RPCES and the OPC from uniting.