There are thousands of great religious bands and artists, but song of the most profound religious songs are often by artists from other genres of music.Sometimes, the songs aren’t even meant to be religious, but they turn out to be inspirational and highlight reliance on God. In no particular order, here is my list of the top five “religious” songs.
5. With Arms Wide Open
Some recent news:
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A historic Catholic church in New Orleans, a wellspring of jazz and other riches of African-American culture that has fallen on hard times, is facing down a deadline for survival set by its archbishop.
ADVERTISEMENTSt. Augustine Church was packed and rocking with brass bands and tambourine-shaking choir singers at a jazz Mass on Sunday — an expression of members’ hope and nonmembers’ support as the 166-year-old parish scrambles to meet terms set by Archbishop Alfred Hughes for a reprieve from closure.
Damages from Katrina are still a problem in may sections of the southern states. Unless they can raise enough money and membership, the church will have to close, which is a real shame. Even if you aren’t religious, you can appreciate the architecture and historical significance of the church. Unfortunately, lots of church are in similar situations, and many are not even in Katrina-stricken areas. Supporting your local church, whether you are a member or not, it important to helpings churches stay active and beautiful in our communities.
I’m Christian, and so every weekend I’d like to given anyone who is willing to take it a “homework” assignment. They’ll be Christian in nature, but you can use these as a starting point to reflect you own religious beliefs. Stop back every Friday for your homework!
This weekend’s homework: Talk to a child about God.
Bible verse: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” -Proverbs 22:6
“Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” -Ephesians 6:4
Devotional: This week, I featured an essay about God from a young friend of mine, Rachel. She had a lot to say about God, and truly, many children do. You don’t have to teach your child a specific religion if you don’t want to, but in my opinion, it is important to teach them about God and about all of the different views of God.
If you’re a parent, spend some time this weekend–eve if its only a few minutes–talking to your child about God. He or she might be confused and scared to voice his or her beliefs, simply because no one ever made it “ok” to talk about religion.
At the very least, talk to your child about morals. In Christianity, this starts with the ten commandments, but its important to bring that to a “real” level for your child. You don’t have to use a Christian theology–do with whatever is comfortable to your. Teach your child about respect for others, care, love, and peace. Remember, the children really our our future.
HAYS, Kan. - Sitting on the front row in her college classes carefully taking notes, Nola Ochs is just as likely to answer questions as to ask them. That’s not the only thing distinguishing her from fellow students at Fort Hays State University. She’s 95, and when she graduates May 12, she’ll be what is believed to be the world’s oldest person to be awarded a college degree.
She didn’t plan it that way. She just loved to learn as a teenager on a Hodgeman County farm, then as a teacher at a one-room school after graduating from high school and later as a farm wife and mother.
“That yearning for study was still there. I came here with no thought of it being an unusual thing at all,” she said. “It was something I wanted to do. It gave me a feeling of satisfaction. I like to study and learn.”
In the Bible, Rachel was the mother of Joseph, who you may remember as the brother who was sold into slavery by his older half-brothers. Rachel was only able to marry Jacob after her worked for her father for 14 years. That’s some dedication! She must have been a pretty special lady.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to another Rachel. As part of this year’s celebration of Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day, I’ve invited a high school student from my community to write today’s post. I gave her free reign to right about whatever she wanted…and here’s what she has to say:
The Lord in My Life
By Rachel Fisher, a student from Line Mountain High School
I am a junior in high school who has been a Christian since the age of six and a regular church-goer. I was even raised in a nice Christian home where my parents would read bible stories to us at night when I was younger. This being said, I was very unaware and naive of what middle school, even high school, would be like for me. I could truthfully say that I thought that other people who I would come in contact with would not use profane language and they would be Christians.
I was wrong about that. Things changed as I became more mature and had to deal with tough times in life, such as when my younger sister, who has health problems, is admitted to the hospital. This is where I turned to God in my life and just leave things to Him because He is all-powerful.
My youngest sister was born when I was seven years old, but she was born months early. They had to do a C-section so that my sister would be born, and this was a scary point in my life because even though I did not know it until later, the doctors had lost both my mother’s and my sister’s vitals. Thanks to the Lord, both of them survived and I was given a little sister, even though she has many health problems and was hooked up to the monitors at a young age.
As I grew older, I started to pray to the Lord about my sister–to help her, because among her multiple health problems she has cerebral palsy and asthma. I just wanted her to be able to walk right. Her health problems did not stop her from loving the Lord as best as she could at a very young age. The stories of how delightful she was and how she told people about God made me think about my own life and how I should live my life for the Lord like there is no tomorrow because I do not have major health problems.
God has helped me through all the times my sister has been in the hospital by keeping her safe. This means that the Lord helps everyone through the rough times, but one has to know that sometimes what happens is not what you want to happen. The Lord knows what is right for that you and all you have to do is believe in him and trust him with your life.
HARTFORD, Conn. — A federal judge has ruled that religion has no place in post offices across the country that are run by churches and other private contractors, citing the separation of church and state in the Constitution.
U.S. District Judge Dominic J. Squatrito, in a case involving a church-run post office in Manchester, ordered the U.S. Postal Service to notify the nearly 5,200 facilities run by contractors that they cannot promote religion through pamphlets, displays or any other materials.
Read more here.
Ok, ok…I’ll admit it. I can throw quite a temper tantrum when I’m angry. Being upset about something often leads me, like most other people in the world I’d imagine, to say things I don’t mean and do things I wouldn’t normally do. One time, when mad at my boyfriend, I whipped a plastic cup across the room. Not at him…but haha, come on, Allison, grow up!
Even Jesus threw a temper tantrum or two in his day, though–remember that time he threw over the tables of the money collectors in the temple? Simple put, anger is a normal human emotion, and yes, you have to learn to deal with it in a healthy way, but it doesn’t need to be avoided in your life complete. If you’re angry, be angry!
Anger only becomes sin when we are selfishly anger or when we allow anger to linger in our hearts. “Don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.” Ephesians 26-27.
For advice about stopping unhealthy and sinful anger, read Neel’s post here.
Interesting and sad news I read today:
The Dallas Morning News recently received the Religion Communicators Council award for the nation’s best religion section. It was the 10th time in 11 years that the News had won, and it has reaped similar prizes in annual Religion Newswriters Association contests.
Unfortunately for the News, there’s no chance for another title. In January the newspaper discontinued the section, citing economic concerns.
It isn’t the only publication deciding to drop sections devoted to religion. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently combined religion with its “living” pages, while the Wichita (Kansas) Eagle dropped its religion editor and downsized the beat.
No one has sensed yet that great numbers of religion reporters and editors are losing their jobs, though specialty news beats such as religion, science and education often suffer during times of economic cutbacks.
Read the rest of the story here.
I’m Christian, and so every weekend I’d like to given anyone who is willing to take it a “homework” assignment. They’ll be Christian in nature, but you can use these as a starting point to reflect you own religious beliefs. Stop back every Friday for your homework!
This weekend’s homework: Pray.
Bible verse: “But if you pray to God and seek favor of the Almighty, if you are pure and live with complete integrity, he will riseup and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end with much” -Job 8:5-7
Devotional:Prayer is a strong medicine, simply because it can help you stay calm in the face of danger. With all that has happened this week in the country, it can be easy to ask God “Why?” and not so easy to simple pray for the future. Get back to the basics–pray. Are there times in your life when you feel unhappy with yourself or your life? Are you constantly stressed and upset? Starting this weekend, try to get into the groove of praying regularly. Pick a quiet time of the day to do this, such as when you are in the shower or right before you goto bed.
Remember A.C.T.S. to help you pray:
Adoration–Praise God, appreciate God, and love God. Take notice of the spectacular world around you.
Confession–Talk about your sins and ask for forgiveness. Ask for help with future sins.
Thanksgiving–Look at the things in your life that make your thankful. Express gratitude. Thank God for forgiveness and for listening to your prayer.
Supplication–Ask God for what you need in life, whether that be material possessions or peace of mind.
If you aren’t comfortable praying free-style, you can always use the Lord’s Prayer to help you get started.
If you do this weekend’s homework, leave me a comment here to let me know how it went or send me a private comment using the contact box!
When unexplained violence takes center stage, we tend to turn to modern psychology to explain it.
But there is an alternative explanation, one that has been played out in film, stage and writings since the beginning of history.
Was Cho Seung-Hui schizophrenic … psychotic … manic-depressive? Or were the shooting deaths of 32 people, including Cho himself, at Virginia Tech University part of the ongoing struggle between God and Satan … good against evil … lightness and darkness?
Could Cho have been possessed by the Devil? Could that explain the massacre at Virginia Tech?
Dr. Richard Roberts, president of Oral Roberts University, shouts an unequivocal “Yes!”
“Based on what I’ve seen in the news,” Roberts said in an interview, “there’s no doubt that this act was Satanic in origin.”
Interesting. I’m not saying this is valid or invalid…just interesting. Thoughts?
(thanks to Lyndsey for the link)
Satan, VA Tech, Virginia tech, VA Tech shootings, school shootings
Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund
April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.
To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.
The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:
If you plan to give, please click the link below:
Earlier this week, I wrote a post about one of the professors, and ultimate victims, of the Virginia Tech shootings, who opted to stay behind to hold off the killer rather than fleeing. His actions allowed others to live. As the story unfolds, there are more and more heroes emerging–a boy, shot in the arm, who helped to barricade the door so others wouldn’t get hurt as well. Another student, who used his own shirt to try to stop the bleeding on a wounded student. And still others, who helped carry out the wounded or helped others jump out windows to safety.
What is a hero? We read about these stories, and we see Heroes, the television show, every week, but really: What is a hero?
Were these students and professors heroes, because they made split-second decisions to help others before themselves? What about the English teacher who attempted to connect to the killer earlier in the year through an independent study course? She may have failed at saving him…but was she a hero for trying? What about the countless police officers and EMTs who stormed the building, rescued the wounded, and closed the eyes of the dead–are they heroes?
Yes. Yes to all.
To me, being a hero is doing something that God would want you to do, even though it isn’t the easy path, and without thinking of any reward you may get later in life or in heaven. Being a hero is looking a killer in the face and saying, with your actions, no. No, you are wrong. These people are all heroes.
On a side note, some of you may have read that later this month there will be a day of blogging silence. In other words, bloggers from every network will post an image in honor of the dead, but not allow comments and not write anything.
I will NOT be participating.
It’s my believe that the dead would want to be remembered, but not mourned, especially by people who don’t know them. There’s a difference. It is also my belief that blogging is about all that is good in this world–speaking your opinions, talking to others, sharing ideas. Image if the killer would have had an outlet. Silencing blogging for a day doesn’t make sense to me, at all. Instead, I rejoice in the fact that I don’t have to be silent, not now, and not ever, even long after this blog has disappeared.
SELMER, Tenn. - A preacher’s wife accused of murdering her husband said Wednesday that he punched and kicked her, forced her to have sex and refused to grant her a divorce.
Testifying in her murder trial, Mary Winkler told jurors her husband, Matthew, was a smart and talented man, but could also be mean in both his actions and words.
“I just wanted out,” she said. “He just could be so mean.”
This story makes me really sad…This women felt so cornered and so trapped that killing her husband was her only option. During the trial, she talked about how he forced her to do things she didn’t want to do in the bedroom and kicked her in the face or used a belt when they were fighting. Everything was her fault, from a problem with their children to the rain.
My heart really bleeds for a situation like this.
If you are being abused, verbally or physically, there is help. Use the contact link to the right to email me, and I can and will help you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
In recent reports surviving students at VA Tech has said that they jumped out of a second story building window while their professor stayed behind to try to prevent the shooter from entering the room. All but two students made it out of the building. Those two students were shot, but the others in the classroom said that they think they survived. The professor was shot point blank and didn’t make it.
It brings and important questions to mind. That professor clearly had a choice to make. He could have jumped out of the window first, being the professor. He could have pushed the students out of the window faster in order to get out himself and not worried about about door. Or, he could have…well…did what he did: held off the shooter as long as possible so that others could escape.
He sacrificed his life for others. He choose to die so that his students could live.
I think you all know what Jesus would do.
But what would you do?
shootings, VA Tech shooting, VA Tech, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech shooting, what would Jesus do, Jesus, school shooting
Today, all eyes are on the campus of Virginia Tech where, I’m sure you’ve heard by now, over 30 people were gunned down this morning when a shooter attacked the campus. As of yet, the gunman has not been identified, nor has it been released whether he was a member of the student body. One thing is certain: this is the deadliest shooting in the history of the United States. As I’m writing right now, 33 are confirmed dead, including the shooter. It has not been released if police killed the shooter or if it was suicide.
EDIT, 4/17:Since writing this yesterday, the gunman has been identified as Cho Seung-Hui, a senior VA Tech English student, and it has also been determined that he shot himself. The number dead stands at 33, with the students still in the hospital as stable.
At times like these, most people, myself include are just dumbfounded. I look to the sky. Why, God? Why? Death is never an easy part of life, but on top of death, shear tragedy.
And yet, it is difficult to not want to bring the shooter back to life, just to shoot him again. Most people will agree with me when I think, I hope he suffered. That, dear readers, scares me. My own feelings about this situation make me question my very ability to write a daily blog about religion. For in the Bible, it says,
“If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”
1 John 1:8-9
To condemn the shooter, as heinous as the crime may be, is to put ourselves above as somehow “better.” It is to deny the sins within ourselves. I’m not justifying what the shooter did. This was a horrible, horrible thing, and he is a cold-blooded murderer. However, right now, I’m pledging to open my heart to forgiveness.
Remember, forgiveness is not the same as saying “it’s ok.” It’s NOT ok. It will never BE ok. Forgiveness is simple saying “I acknowledge what you did, but it is not in my place to judge you.” God will judge this event; I feel confident in that. The deaths of the innocent will not go forgotten, here or in an eternal life. However, it is important that we don’t let the grief and hate consume us. It is important to realize that the loss of ALL the lives today was a complete tragedy, but we are still living, and we can work towards creating something positive out of this.
My first reaction is to tell you to donate to any one of the numerous funds that I’m sure has been set up/is being set up in the names of the victims. Give what you can in their honor to make Virginia Tech safer and to help close friends and family members with funeral expenses and with getting the help they will surely need with the grieving process. On second thought, I’d like to recommend something else as well–donate or volunteer within your own community. What happened today at Virginia Tech could happen at your alma mater or at the college where your child attends or even at your local high school. Violence is a problem that is not going away. By giving what you can when you can, you will help to make our communities a safer place.
God bless all of the deceased, God bless all those left behind.
forgiveness, God, heaven, death, Virginia Tech, school shootings, VA Tech, Virginia Tech shooting, VA Tech shooting, education, violence
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