Jermayn said:

-When you first became a Christian, what did you expect life in the church to be like?

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Hello Jermayn, I didn't really have any specific expectations for church life when I finally became a believer (at 30 yrs old), I was just on Cloud 9 about well, everything , knowing that He had just forgiven me of/saved me from all of my many sins, as well as His lifting off the unbearable weight of the guilt that I felt because of them. So, I didn't know what to expect, I just knew that I wanted to be as close to God and His people as I could be, and as often as I could be too.

I suppose that it seemed like going on vacation to a wondrous new place (one that I'd heard a lot about but had never seen), not knowing exactly what to expect, but knowing enough to be very excited about all the wonderful things that I sensed lay ahead (and now, 39+ years later, I'm still excited and even more amazed, and still waiting with great expectation to see what's just around the next corner in my walk with Him)

Jermayn said:

-What were your hopes or assumptions about how things would go?

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Again, I really didn't have any specific ones, other than I was sure that whatever was coming my way would be wonderful because of Him. I remember not being able to wait to tell people either, until I discovered how few people wanted to hear, that is, as well as how much most people (among the ones who didn't want to hear) REALLY didn't want to hear

Jermayn said:

-What was your first experience with the church community?

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I came to saving faith late on a Sunday night (11/2/86) after returning home from a business trip, so my very first "church community" experience was at a Bible study on the following Thursday evening (with the senior pastor and some of the members of the church that I was about to join). This study included one of the two people who were most influential in helping me find Him and come to saving faith in Him, an employee of mine, actually, who was on her way to becoming one of my denomination's overseas missionaries at the time.

Jermayn said:

-Did those expectations match reality, or were there surprises?

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I didn't know what to expect (as I said earlier) but I can't remember much of anything from back then that I would have felt "let down" about if I had had some specific expectations. Everything about church life just seemed wonderful to me, and looking back, I wouldn't change a thing (I was just thankful and grateful to God for all of it).

Actually, I was more than just a bit surprised by the reaction that I got from my family members, close friends and colleagues when I told them what had happened to me. It was FAR more negative than I expected it to be in many (or perhaps in most) cases (and that part was pretty tough actually).

God bless you!!

--David

Say it aint so said:

LOL. It was brought you by Trump's own conspiratorial base and Trump, Bannon, Patel, aka his circle ran with it.
This is a case of being hoisted by one's own petard.

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-- A2SG, tried to stop myself, couldn't do it.....

Fervent said:

But go on defending gerrymandering...

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That's akin to saying I defend violent acts when I defend myself against someone punching me out. So no, I don't like gerrymandering and I'd be happy if everybody abided by the rules. But if the Dems didn't then I wouldn't expect the GOP to either. And that works both ways.

Fervent said:

just shows your true character. Or lack thereof.

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Here's a suggestion for you. Keep your petty personal comments about any given poster's character to yourself. I don't appreciate it and I know others don't.

People who think they can't back up their arguments resort to ad hominems.

I'm asking nicely...

Stopped_lurking said:

Next Thursday?! I see we are working with closed time curves here I think it will be found to be caused by the "oorsakad" phenomenon. We won't know how it works, but it will explain everything. No I won't try to justify it, but please know that I'm right.

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Last Thursdayism isn't extreme enough for me.

Bob Crowley said:

I have a personal concern due to something my father said the night he died and appeared in my room.

At one point he blurted out (with some alarm) "I always was doomed! I didn't really have any choice!"

I was an atheist at the time, but I argued back saying "That can't be right!"

He replied "Oh, it's right, all right. You can see that from here!"

But later in the same exchange he said "I was WILLING!" (to act as he did towards us and to consistently do so for over 20 years).

I still have trouble acceping his comment "... I didn't really have any choice!" I don't have any doubt he was condemned - his final terrifying scream just before he departed into eternity made that clear.

If we take Adolf Hitler as an extreme example, I don't think there's much doubt he "always was doomed" but I think we can also take it for granted that he was "VERY WILLING" to act as he did, with the mass murder of so many people.

In that regard, we might question God's goodness in that He was willing to sacrifice so many innocent people at the hands of one man and his cronies. I could make the same comment about Josef Stalin and the Gulags, Pol Pot and ground zero, Genghis Khan and the Mongol hordes, and even natural evil such as the Black Death.

Were they all part of God's "loving" plan? Even my old non-Calvinist pastor said to me once "I sometimes wonder if it's true!" (God's love) "He seems to write people off pretty easily".

And on another occasion he remarked "I sometimes wonder if He (God) wants to win. He doesn't seem to help his own people much."

We might need to find out just what God means by "Love"?

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Remember that those remarks were typically said from the point of view of someone who doesn't know God. This life isn't for this life. I don't know whom your father intended by "[God's] own people", but 'helping them' is not God's primary purpose, but to turn his own each into those particular members of the Body of Christ, for which he created them.

One thing I might offer is to consider the difference between what "being" or "existence" is, as God, and what it is as mere humans. Can you compare our sentience to his? This is crass, but, do we consider the pain of worms worthy of foregoing a meal of fish?

Last, (and I can't prove this, but the math works): Everything good comes from God, even whatever good there is in a human. When God completely withdraws all that is good from them, there is nothing left but an empty husk at best, devoid of all that we thought human. A wraith, whose hatred for God is bubbling on the surface of their being, full of despair and loathing. There is no "made in the image of God" there.

The only good in any of us is God's doing.

The self-existent God did not need us. But he loved us. It is not up to chance, just whom he saves, but those whom he does not save have no excuse. Nor do we.

Here is the report from the Episcopal News Service: Southern Ohio bishop suspends operations at Cincinnati church over ‘safe church’ concerns

Praying as you requested.

interviewing but one thing stands out - stressing what you can offer them to fulfill their business goals.

Also, might want to check out "frugal" tips online - there's hundreds. Can weigh the pros and cons for your situation.

Asking the Lord to help you.

Pommer said:

RIP The Rule of Law, 1215-2025

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That's the point.

At the @USCCB meeting

During a discussion of doctrine Strickland raised Fr. James Martin and the scandalous confirmation of an openly homosexual man with his 'husband'

He received absolutely no response from the chair or the panel

He'd clearly challenged a taboo topic of his fellow bishops -- the scandalous acceptance and celebration of homosexuality by 'Catholic' clergy and laity

This cannot remain a taboo subject for Catholic bishops because it is open defiance of Divine Revelation

Thank you @BishStrick

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Strickland Ignored for Raising Issue of Gay Entering Church at USCCB – Deacon Nick Donnelly

Delvianna said:

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has ordered a massive mobilization of nearly 200,000 troops, according to the country's defense minister, following the arrival of the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford in the region, US media reports.
The mobilization is a response to the "imperialist threat" from the United States, says Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, according to CNN.

Venezuela mobilizes nearly 200,000 soldiers | Sweden Herald

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has ordered a massive mobilization of nearly 200,000 troops, according to the country's defense minister, following the ar

swedenherald.com

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Hope he can find the means to keep them fed!

The Vatican bank has rehired a married couple fired last year for breaking the financial institution’s internal regulations forbidding workplace marriages.

The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) — which manages financial assets entrusted to it by the Holy See, the Vatican City State, and Catholic institutions globally — rehired the couple in a negotiated settlement following the couple’s filing of a wrongful termination lawsuit in January, a union for Vatican lay employees announced Wednesday.

Silvia Carlucci and Domenico Fabiani married on Aug. 31, 2024. The IOR fired the couple a month later, on Oct. 2, citing a rule introduced by the financial institution in September 2024 that explicitly forbids the employment of spouses or other close family members.

The Association of Lay Employees of the Vatican (ADLV) celebrated the outcome of the case — the couple was dubbed by the Italian media as the “Romeo and Juliet of the Vatican” for defying a rule they considered unjust and outdated — as a victory for justice and good sense.

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I hope and pray everything has worked out for you; may God bless.

The U.S. bishops received a briefing on the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) from Paul Scherz at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore.

Scherz, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, has studied the ethics of AI. At the Nov. 12 meeting, Scherz highlighted some of his findings and shared how the bishops should approach the technology within their dioceses.

AI technologies “have great potential to contribute to human flourishing and the common good,” Scherz said. “But note that it would be a mistake to describe these programs as intelligent in the same way that humans are.”

“They lack consciousness and any kind of subjective relationship to the world. So as Pope Leo says, ‘The person is not a system of algorithms. He or she is a creature, relationship, mystery.’ Thus, despite their power and utility, they shouldn’t be called persons or truly intelligent,” he said.

“We’re made for a relationship as created in the image of the triune God. We don’t find our good alone,” Scherz said. “Instead, our individual flourishing is enmeshed with the flourishing of those around us. Together, we see the common good in our common life.”

AI in Catholic ministries​

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Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 13 received Rolando Álvarez, the exiled bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí in Nicaragua. Álvarez is in forced exile after being deported by the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, in January 2024.

“The Holy Father received in audience this morning His Excellency Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, bishop of Matagalpa (Nicaragua),” the Vatican Press Office reported, without providing further details.

From Chicago, Father Erick Díaz, an exiled Nicaraguan priest, said that Pope Leo XIV’s meeting with Álvarez is “an audience of hope and ecclesial communion” as well as “a significant moment for our Nicaraguan Church, marked by challenges, fidelity to the Gospel, and hope in the Lord.”

After offering his prayers “that this event may be fruitful and filled with the Spirit,” the priest wrote on Facebook: “‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation’ (Mark 16:15). May the Lord continue walking with us!”

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The Catholic advocacy organization CatholicVote has released a report examining the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, concluding Christians must balance charity toward the immigrant with the common good of the receiving state.

The report, titled “Immigration Enforcement and the Christian Conscience,” comes on the heels of the special message on immigration released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at its fall plenary meeting this past week.

“A faithful Catholic approach to immigration begins not with politics but with people. Compassion, hospitality, and solidarity with the poor are not optional virtues,” CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt said in a press release accompanying the report.

“They are at the center of the Gospel,” she added. “Yet, mercy and justice travel together. One without the other distorts both.”

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Guojing said:

Galatians was written before Paul's final visit to Jerusalem in Acts 21.

If the Israel of God, is us, and he taught us that we are dead to circumcision (Galatians 5:2), then what James and the elders accused him of in Acts 21:18-25 would have been correct.

That is how I know the Israel of God in Galatians 6:16 is not us

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How about addressing the biblical evidence above instead of merely expressing your bias and faulty opinions.

jacorian said:

The GOP controls all branches & passed a clean CR. The Dems revolted b/c of the ACA & the 2 parties go at to see who blinks first. As the days waned, then the SNAP issue came into play. Both SNAP & ACA need to be fixed. I don't know if Congress will ever fix public aid programs. 2 roads diverged in a wood & I. Two problems. First the Dems believe in socialized everything. Their goal is to get all citizens hooked on a good made by govt so that they can get elected by holding that citizen hostage over the delivery. This is a clear lesson to never be dependent on govt. The other extreme is that some of the GOP do not believe in a safety net. Fact is you do have people with issues & the other issue is lack of work. What to do. There is waste, fraud, abuse, & just poor design. All programs need a reworked formula & better quality product. The SNAP budget is $99 billion. The Pentagon just got approved for $770 billion. You would think they could transfer $5 billion over to SNAP.

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Or the Democrats could have just voted for the CR on day one and skipped all the drama and theatrics.

Podcast weighs pros, cons of reported Trump administration plan

Is a half-century investment in owning your home worth it?

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte announced this week that the Trump administration is working on a novel approach to the home affordability crisis: a 50-year mortgage.

The still-unofficial proposal builds off of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s introduction of the 30-year mortgage under the New Deal and could offer more homebuyers the opportunity to qualify for financing.

Still, critics point out that given the average U.S. life expectancy of 78.4 years, the average 32-year-old homebuyer is more likely to leave the mortgage for their children to pay off than to leave them a home free and clear.

Pastor Mark Driscoll, senior pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, took on the topic in a Nov. 11 episode of his podcast titled “Trump 50-Year Mortgage is a GREAT Idea,” in which Driscoll and Landon Chase, real estate agent and CEO of Driscoll’s Real Faith Ministries, talked about the merits of such a proposal.

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The Barbarian said:

Trump actually isn't against Christmas per se; he just hates the teachings of the One who's birthday is being celebrated.

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Trump hates Mithras?

-- A2SG, who knew?

Delvianna said:

So I guess the meme was correct??

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17,000 for 1 state for drivers is a huge number. I'm glad to see California doing something about it but it shouldn't have happened in the first place.

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der terk err jubs...

Church leaders in northeast present evidence of ‘genocide'

ABUJA, Nigeria — A pastor in Nigeria is facing death threats for speaking out on Islamic extremist attacks on Christians and calling for protection against “genocide.”

The Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, who's based in Plateau state as regional chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi, told reporters in Jos on Oct. 24 that Islamic extremists have marked him for assassination for calling on the Nigerian and U.S. governments to help protect Christians against genocide.

“My life is in grave danger. Even as I speak, I am on the lookout for attacks,” he reportedly said. “I no longer sleep with my eyes closed. I have been attacked before but escaped.”

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Vambram said:

That anyone believes and swallows the lies of progressive left wing liberal activists and politicians astonishes me.

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If you think that's wild, just wait until you find out that lots people don't belief the world is flat.

Good! I don’t care what adults do. Just leave minors out of it.

Light of the East said:

The same is true for those who do not like the idea of God really and actually having a love so expansive and great that He forgives and heals ALL sinners, not just those we like. (In other words, we don't like Hitler, so how dare God ultimately save him, but our drunken father who beats us, well, perhaps we hope that God's mercy will override his sins.)

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And I, personally, pray that it is so, that He ultimately brings every last one of us to Him through His Son's sacrifice. Who am I to cry out for God's mercy but demand that He still "get those other filthy sinners!", whether with eternal torture or literal destruction/death?