EU Flag Rule: Big Fines if Our Public Buildings Fail to Mark Europe Day

EUROCRATS last night faced an angry revolt over attempts to force Britain to celebrate the EU’s Europe Day next week.

Scores of public buildings around the country are being ordered to fly the blue-and-gold European Union flag to mark the occasion next Monday.

Officials will be expected to ensure the flag remains hoisted for a week, with a swingeing fine from Brussels threatened for those that disobey.

Astonishingly, they even have to take a photograph of the flag flying and email it to the European Commission to ensure the regulations are being observed.

Schools are also being sent instructions from the European Parliament on how to celebrate Europe Day. Recommendations include assemblies with an EU theme for all pupils and even setting up a European Cafe that only accepts euros.

Last night Tory Cabinet Minister Eric Pickles savaged Brussels bureaucrats for ordering his Whitehall office to fly the EU flag.

He said: “Not only is it unacceptable to threaten to fine people for not flying a flag, this is unnecessary and pointless red tape. The European Union should be focusing on ensuring that taxpayers are receiving value for money, and clamping down on fraud and corruption in EU-funded projects.”

Other critics last night rubbished the “pointless waste” of time and money.

Charlotte Linacre, campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance pressure group, said: “Taxpayers would have more to celebrate if the EU stopped dreaming up ways to splurge cash. These events and rules are pointless backslapping and will land taxpayers with more unnecessary bills. When public spending here is under scrutiny, it is infuriating to see the EU continue to spend oblivious to the need for restraint.”

The Daily Express crusade to get Britain out of the EU has won massive support. We delivered a petition of 373,000 signatures from readers demanding a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU to 10 Downing Street earlier this year.

Europe Day, held on May 9 every year, was decreed by an EU summit in 1985 to establish an annual celebration of the “achievements” of Brussels.

Mr Pickles’s Department for Communities and Local Government at Eland House, Westminster is a site where the flag must fly because of its role managing expenditure by the European Regional Development Fund.

It is understood ministers will not defy the edict because breaching the regulations could lead to taxpayers’ cash being wasted on paying Brussels fines. A spokeswoman for the Department said: “There are two flag poles outside the departmental building of Eland House, and it is the policy of the department always to fly the United Kingdom’s Union Flag in the superior position.”

The leaflet for schools across the UK is from the UK Office of the European Parliament entitled: “A few ideas on how to celebrate Europe Day.”

Advice includes: “Hold an assembly on the meaning of Europe Day.

“Set up a European cafe in school using Euros/European currencies and arrange a lunch. Learn the national anthems of other EU member states and sing songs of European origin. Write a short story about Europe.”

Many EU-subsidised public bodies including universities and quangos are also holding events to mark Europe Day.

Last night a spokesman for the European Commission’s office in London said the only official event in the UK would be a free classical music concert in the capital costing around £20,000, marking Hungary’s presidency of the EU.

Another tawdry semi-biblical cesspit has opened, the Creation Museum of the Ozarks. Of course it gets horrible reviews.

Then I looked it up. It's located in Strafford, Missouri, which is a town 20 minutes away from Springfield.

Springfield. What do we think of when we hear Springfield, Missouri? No, not the Assemblies of God. We think…Skepticon. Hey, you know what that means…

ROAD TRIP. Make it so, Skepticon organizers. Set aside some time for a godless invasion of your local creation "museum".

Having the temerity of claiming I know how Phil Jackson does it would be absurd. Of course, everyone has an opinion. Yet as the 2011 NBA playoffs begin, we should pay homage to Phil Jackson. He will not be as missed as Red Auerbach by many but should be heralded as the best coach of all time. In any sport.

Most, if not the majority, claim he has had the best talent during his coaching years. Is this really true? A look at the teams on which he has played and coached is appropriate—and of course, a review of other sports, for other sports hold some greats of their own.

To begin with, is coaching the NBA as great as coaching other sports?

Great Coaches in Other Sports

So who is in the mix for the best coach of all time? The GOAT in coaching history.

Let's be bold and claim that we need to include coaches from many sports.

But for time and convenience, let's leave aside the more arcane, like lacrosse, which is strangely making a huge national rise, maybe due to the fact that it is a scholarship sport for both women and men. Let's also leave aside coaches below the college level and in the minors.

Finally, despite its at times fateful determination, longevity is essential. There may have been better coaches, but they had to stay in one sport and at one level.

In some sports, the GOAT is pretty obvious.

In women's college basketball, although many of us would prefer to have a woman reign, Geno Auriemma takes the cake and must be in play. Winner of the Naismith Award a record six times. No other men's and women's coach is close.

While the talent has been very good, this year's team told us more about Auriemma than any other. He managed to win despite inferior talent and one great player. Probably his best coaching effort in history.

Women's basketball has changed over the past 10 years, yet Auriemma has changed with it. An immigrant who got his citizenship only in 1994, after living in the US for 33 years, Auriemma is certainly one of the best of all time.

College basketball has several great coaches from the old days, when the NCAA tournament was second to the NIT, and earlier times.

But in comparing apples to apples, we end up with one set of coaches above all others: Bobby Knight, Dean Smith, John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski.

The Naismith College Coach of the Year Award was given to the NCAA champion's coach for its first two years. Knight won the first for this reason. After that, it was awarded by vote. Perhaps this was the Knight rule. Because fewer people through the years wanted Knight as any award winner. Too hyper-competitive. Too ugly. Swore too much. Tore players' jerseys. Threw chairs.

Whatever you want to say, Knight simply does not get in. Horrible for the sport.

The others are questions, but given the issues about the disproportionate amount of talent Wooden got and the claims about how he got it, Wooden does not qualify. He may have been great, but how much of his greatness was just due to the dominant talent obtained under what some say are questionable circumstances?

The next two, who were young and old when they both were in the ACC, are the ones we have to wonder about more carefully. They were great winners, no question.

But there is one thing that makes Dean Smith more special. He was an innovator, with his version of the four corners offense and other coaching masterpieces that were changed by the NCAA instituting new rules.

For anyone who listened to the radio during one of the greatest college games of all time, final score around 28-27—I think it was NC State, but I do not remember. What I do remember, and perhaps because it was available only on radio, is that the tension was immense. Through the entire game. Every point counted. For me, that was one of the greatest games of all times. Radio. Four corners. Dean Smith.

Moving on, the next few are also pretty obvious.

Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Don Shula and Paul Brown are probably on all lists. I would add Bill Belichick to this list, given his recent success, although his longevity as a head coach is not as significant as those of the other four.

For me here, the nod goes to Shula. Sure, he had talent. But his coaching career still stands as the most significant in a time of far better talent, and more teams, because of its consistency from the very outset. Yet despite this consistency, he failed to win a championship, including the famous loss in the 1969 Super Bowl III when Joe Namath guaranteed the Jets would win the game, until he got to Miami.

In Miami, changing offensive strategies depending on his talent, Shula coached the only team ever to go undefeated in modern-day professional football.

Because of his longevity as head football coach (33 years), his coaching abilities and that undefeated season, Shula takes the prize for me.

I could go on. But this is a pretty good mix for best coach ever. Sorry, hockey and baseball fans. Maybe I include them next time.

Phil Jackson: Best Coach of All Time

Some claim there is no coaching at the NBA level. It's just a scrum every day. Some say college basketball is easier to coach. Others that it requires pure coaching and that these coaches are better.

Still others claim the triangle and one, the offensive system used by Phil Jackson, is not his. So he cannot be the greatest.

They say it is Tex Winter's system, who is still a consultant for the LA Lakers. But Winter got it ironically from another coach in Southern California, Sam Barry, who coached Winter in the 1940s.

The fact is that every system is from someone all the way back to the genesis of basketball. While there are differences in coaches, sports and levels, every coach faces the same game. In fact, if we were able to find out more about coaches, we might find one we thought was better.

Yet Jackson stands out in so many ways that no coach seems to be better, and he seems to stand on top of the heap.

In pro basketball, we have perhaps two other coaches who need to be in the mix with Jackson: Red Auerbach and Pat Riley.

Yet Jackson as NBA coach is the best in history in number of NBA finals, championships won, games won and winning percentage.

As an ambassador of a sport, none is better.

Jackson has contributed to the game with six books, probably a record by any prominent coach. He has also contributed to his players' lives.

Of any coach, none can have a more unusual background. His mother was a Mennonite; his father and mother were Assemblies of God ministers. He assumed he would end up a minister. He led an austere life growing up. No TV. No movies. He saw his first when he was a senior in high school and did not dance until college.

So there is no question but that the spirituality of the game is a place where Jackson excels. Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior (1995) shows his thinking. Managing teams and egos is his forte.

But winning games is his best talent.

There is a question this year, once again, about the Lakers. Can they do it? Do they have the talent? What about the games lost at the end of the season?

While he has good talent, few can question that Jackson may not have the most talented team this year and has not for quite some time. But he may be the first to exploit the "injury" and other outs that allow NBA teams to lose games at the end of the season. In this too, he is masterful.

Recognizing that the huge number of games grinds players down mentally and physically, Jackson and some other coaches use the later games to tune their players. My suspicion is that these coaches also lose to position themselves against certain teams.

This may never be admitted and admittedly is speculation. Yet it makes sense.

Pro basketball players always play injured. But since they all have injuries, they can sit out at the end of the season with impunity.

Various players respond better with rest, while others need the constant grind to stay on top.

Jackson knows how to do this to tune his players for the sacred hoops of the playoffs.

In the end, you simply cannot count Jackson out.

I see Jackson above any other coach. He may just prove this again this year, which could be his last.

So enjoy the show, and watch his teams not to see Kobe Bryant or any other player, but to watch the wonder of Jackson's coaching. Do not miss it. This may be your last chance.

Recently, I have spoken at three conferences across the country for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. After the meeting in Los Angeles, I blogged about how they celebrate church planting in a unique way.

The International Pentecostal Holiness Church would be one of the three largest predominantly Anglo Pentecostal denominations, and a sister of the Assemblies of God and the Church of God (Cleveland). They are members of the National Association of Evangelicals, and are distinctively Pentecostal.

The IPHC publishes a magazine titled Experience, and they interviewed me about church planting for their April 2011 issue. Here's an excerpt:

E: Why has church planting become so popular all of a sudden?

Stetzer: That's due to many factors, one of which is the recognition that North America is more of a "missionary situation" and in need of more church plants. Church planters are responding to the need for gospel-preaching churches that win an increasingly lost culture to Christ.

But to be fair, part of the reason is dissatisfaction with established churches. I think many church planters have determined that church revitalization is not worth the work (a view I would not agree with).

E: What are the smartest things people are doing today in terms of church planting?

Stetzer: I'd say the smartest thing people are doing today is to plant churches with the idea that they're going to plant more churches, not within the first five or 10 years, but from the very beginning. The International Pentecostal Holiness Church's Antioch School is a good example of this. They are helping people to see early on that church planting is essential for each church to own.

When we look in the New Testament, we see the Jerusalem church became rather lethargic and unengaged in mission. The Jerusalem church generally sent people out to check up on the theology of other church plants rather than actually to plant more (with the brief exception of one trip when Philip was sent into Samaria). On the other hand, the Antioch church was a vibrant sending church, multiplying itself. That's the model we need in our churches today.

E. What are the dumbest things people are doing in church planting? What mistakes are people making that the IPHC should avoid?

Stetzer: They are planting churches that are simply gathering groups of religious customers who want to have church in a "fresh" way. Thus, church planting doesn't actually lead to more men and women being challenged with the claims of the gospel, following Christ and becoming born-again believers. Instead, it just simply shifts sheep around.

I love to talk about church planting, especially with groups that value it so highly. You can download the entire issue here.

Yesterday, among many other wanderings around Mexico City, I made a pilgrimage to the Lady of Guadalupe, the sacred Catholic heart of Mexico. It was not what I expected.

We left the subway station to join a trudging, milling mob on a hike to the basilica, which wended its way through a narrow tunnel lined with ramshackle booths where people tried to sell us all kinds of iconographic kitsch. That, I expected.

The surprise came when a horde dressed as Aztecs, half-naked with giant elaborate feathered headdresses, painted or wearing fierce masks of skulls or leopards, came charging through, forcing everyone to move off to the side to allow them to pass. They were chanting and pounding drums and waving censers about, so the whole group was wreathed in a fog of incense.

When we finally got to the plaza in front of the three basilicas (an original one, a later, larger one, and the newest, which is a huge modern building designed to accommodate the crowds), it was filled with Aztecs dancing, and all you could hear were these loud, throbbing drums. I captured a few minutes of my struggle through the mob of pilgrims, surrounded by circular spaces taken over by whirling Aztec dancers; the sound capabilities of my recorder were overwhelmed by the noise, so the roaring you hear below is the sound of the drums. You'll just have to imagine this rhythmic cacaophony that you could feel vibrating up through your bones.

The modern basilic itself is completely open along the sides facing the plaza, so we had the pleasure of hearing a loudly amplified Catholic mass with pagan drums pounding throughout. And yes, you could see Aztec headdresses scattered throughout the crowd.

In the smaller, oldest church, they also carry out the Mass, and here's a mother and child in Mexican Catholic formal wear, on their knees. We saw several other people making a slow crawl across the plaza on their knees, including a couple of young children with their parents hovering about (on their feet, though), as the kids made the painful trudge. I guess it makes your prayers more potent if you do them on bleeding knees.

The syncretism is fascinating, and so far Mexico has been a delight, rich in character and history, and I've got to come back and spend more time here. But that religion is so fluid and flexible and complex doesn't make it right, and the obsessive, fanatical weirdness of this unique version of Catholicism is the product of its unfamiliarity; if you step back and look at it with eyes unfilmed by tradition, every religious ceremony looks this bizarre, and every religion thrives on hope built on despair…and some try to maximize the suffering to reinforce devotion. At least the modern Aztecs draw the line before raising obsidian knives and chopping out hearts nowadays; they seemed to be having more fun than the bloody kneed Catholics.

I'm going to be in Springfield, Missouri next weekend. The weirdness bar has been raised pretty high right now, and the Assemblies of God are looking rather drab and colorless in comparison.

It's important to remember that it's not just in school that LGBT teens are bullied and made to feel that there's something wrong with them because of their sexuality or gender, but everywhere, including other social services for youth. Mother Jones profiled a DC teen who was constantly kicked out of foster homes because of her gender performance and perceived sexual orientation. Here's part of one confrontation (Mother Jones uses male pronouns; it's unclear what Kenneth prefers):

James wasn't blind to his foster son's sexuality. The young man was decidedly out--preaching tolerance at school assemblies, appearing on teen panels, and advocating gay pride in rainbow pamphlets. He even showed up to court hearings wearing lipstick. Privately, though, James dismissed all of it as a phase. And Kenneth, to avoid rocking the boat, had downplayed his sexuality at home--until now.

When James--a retired demolition worker with missing front teeth and a heavyweight's body--saw Kenneth with his date, he grew livid. "What are you doing bringing a boy into my house?" he screamed, according to Kenneth. He ordered them out, but the boy stood his ground. James got up in his face. "I'll kick your asses," he threatened. Taking him at his word, the couple fled, with James chasing them down the stairs and out the door. The boyfriend called 911.

One of the responding police officers wrote up the incident as a "family disturbance" related to Kenneth's sexual orientation. James evicted him then and there. With the cops in tow, Kenneth stuffed some clothes into a bag and split. For a few nights, he squatted at his godmother's apartment, but it wasn't a permanent option. "I just thought, 'God, I really fucked up,'" he recalls. "It felt like I lost everything."

And this isn't one isolated case:

Continue reading "Who cares about queer youth?"...

As you all know, this week brings us to everyone from Michigan's favorite day: Michigan vs. Michigan State.

If you're not from the area, you may not know that schools across Michigan, K-12, hold spirit week this week, and it has nothing to do with the Owosso Trojans or the Greenville Yellow Jackets or the Perry Ramblers, but everything to do with Michigan vs. Michigan State.

Children will be sporting their Maize and Blue or their Green and White, there will be assemblies, and fight songs will be blasted across the loudspeakers. Teachers will try to coerce their students into rooting for the alma maters. Kids will talk trash all week, even those that know nothing of football but just prefer the way green and white look vs. maize and blue.

We may not be from the south or have many football factory high schools, but we take our college football seriously. This is a week-long dedication to the perfection and glorification of football rivalry.

Michigan State shocked the Big Ten last week by manhandling favorite Wisconsin at home in a game that wasn't really as close as the score would tell, dominating the Badgers in almost every statistical category that matters.

Michigan demonstrated that "time of possession" isn't really one of those statistical categories that matter when they squeaked by Indiana in Bloomington on Saturday.

MSU showed that they are for real this year and, if they don't find a way to Sparty* themselves, should be in the mix for the Big Ten title.

Michigan showed that they have the ability to be a contender in every game, even if their defense is terrible.

This week I'll be sporting my Maize and Blue every chance I get. I'll be blasting "The Victors" in my cubicle through my iPod speakers. I'll be coercing my coworkers from out of state to root for the Wolverines. And yes, I'll be talking trash ALL WEEK.

But first, let's take a look at the matchups, shall we?

*Sparty (Spar-tee) v. To look good on paper at the beginning of the season and yet, somehow, lose to an opponent you never should, sending your season into a dismal spiral of despair while just barely making it to a bowl game.

Michigan State Offense vs. Michigan Defense
Fear Factor: 9 (We needz helps!!)

The only way this matchup could be worse for Michigan is if Mike Martin and Craig Roh were to get injured during the week. Michigan has proved that Greg Robinson's defense is too complicated for the young secondary and just does not work right now.

At the beginning of the season I was thinking that the 3-3-5 would be able to provide some interesting looks and blitz packages, different from what most teams have seen/will see. Instead, Robinson has stubbornly stayed with a three-man front and only used Roh in the three-point stance about 40 percent of the time while belligerently sticking to a zone defense that is easily gashed by slants, hooks, and curls. 

It's hard to tell if the secondary's ineptitude at maintaining good coverage and reading their lanes is the problem or if it's the coaching staff's fault for sticking to the same plan that doesn't work. I'm going to guess it's a little of both.

To make matters worse for Michigan, the Michigan State offense is actually as good as we thought they were going to be, in the top 40 at running and passing. MSU has, and I may be a little off on the numbers, pretty close to a billion talented players at the skill positions.

Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell are averaging 7.1 and 7.4 YPC respectively. Kirk Cousins is throwing at an accurate 67 percent and spreading the ball around like warm butter on toast, having three receivers with over 200 yards.

Michigan State has the clear advantage here, and it's not a question of if the Spartans can score, but it's a question of when and how much?

Michigan Offense vs. Michigan State Defense
Fear Factor: 5 (In Denard We Trust, or Tate, or Maybe Gardner)

So far nobody in the country has been able to stop Denard Robinson. He's had his shoes stolen, been banged up, and has been benched for preservation reasons, and he's still managed to rack up 1,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards in five games. At this pace, if he stays healthy, he'll break the 2k/2k barrier.

Statistically, nobody else in the Heisman race has come close to putting up those kind of numbers, and Denard is an early favorite to win the trophy. Barring injury, the only thing that may hold him back is his team's record if the Wolverines don't continue their current winning trend.

Michigan is featuring a healthy and talented offensive line that has only allowed one (official) sack this season, but these boys are going to have their work cut out for them this week against a skilled MSU front seven. Greg Jones and Co. are going to do their best to limit Robinson in any way they possibly can. With the exception of the running backs, Michigan has too many talented players on the field to be able to limit in any one direction.

Don't be surprised if Michigan opens the game up by airing the ball out. It seems that every week the Michigan receivers pick a new guy to have a big game, and it doesn't really matter who it comes from. The key for Michigan will be getting the ball into the hands of whoever can make the play and get down the field.

Michigan has a slight advantage here, but I think the key will be ball distribution. If Michigan can spread the ball around, they should be able to get the ball down the field and get some points on the board. They had just better hope it's more points than the opposing offense.

Special Teams
Fear Factor: 7 (Guh...)

I'll try to keep this brief because it kind of feels like beating a dead horse, and there's not much exciting here on either side. MSU has brought one back to the house this year, and Michigan can barely field a punt, let alone kick a field goal from farther back than the two. Dear God, just hang on to the ball.

The advantage obviously belongs to MSU here.

Overall
Fear Factor: 7

Michigan State is not Ohio State good, but they're getting there. I was afraid of this game before MSU handed it to Wisconsin, although Michigan is coming in as a 4.5-point favorite—I'm sure playing at the Big House has something to do with that. 

This is one of those games that could come down to who has the ball last, as so many games in this series have been. This will be the best defense Michigan has played against thus far and, arguably, the best offense Michigan State has had to defend against.

Since the gods of sports compel me to make some sort of an attempt at making a prediction (although my only two bad predictions come from MSU upsetting Wisconsin and Ohio State not blowing out Illinois), I'd have to say this game favors Michigan State. I think this is one of a couple games where Michigan will be chasing the whole way, and their inability to force a three-and-out will be their downfall.

Okay, a little part of me just died.

And in other news...

Ooo! Ooo! Pick ME!!!
For those of you that follow the recruiting game, FL RB Demetrius Hart will be making his official announcement this Friday. His front runners are Michigan and Alabama, and it's apparently been a close race.

I know I can hardly handle the suspense since he's one of the most highly-touted RBs in the country and will be enrolling early, not to mention the Wolverines could really use a playmaker like him in the backfield to take some of the pressure off Denard.

Dropping Like Thighs
Ohio State's QB Terrelle Pryor injured his thigh against Illinois Saturday and, while he did return, was pretty limited in what he could do. He handed off 26 times, was 3-of-4 passing for 28 yards, and gained two yards on a sneak. Officially Pryor has a "strained quad," which can be more serious than what it sounds and can linger around for a while. He should be okay to play most of this season, but he may not be as much of a threat on the run.

Other new injuries around the Big Ten include, but are not limited to, Justin Siller (Purdue WR, foot sprain), Garry Gilliam (Penn State TE, ACL), Richard Council (Indiana CB, Knee), and Tyler Moeller (Ohio State S, Torn Pectoral).

Because it's my job and all
Air Force is ranked after giving Oklahoma a scare and ending an eight-year drought against Navy. Suck it, Midshipmen!!

We're tiny, we're Toony...
Wisconsin WR Nick Toon pulled a T.O. and whined after Saturday's loss against Michigan State that he wasn't getting targeted enough. Toon was, in fact, targeted six times and recorded one catch (although, to be fair, a couple of those weren't very catchable). This was his first appearance after suffering turf toe in Week 1.

There's a concessions worker's union. No, seriously, there is.
Apparently there could be a walkout among concessions workers in Columbus, which would include workers at The Horseshoe. Aside from this being borderline hilarious and despite assurances from Sodexo, the company managing the concessions, food services may be affected during Saturday's game against the Hoosiers.

The Most Hated Undefeated Coach in College Football
I know it's not really Big Ten news, although Les Miles is technically a Michigan man, but people are still fired up over the time-management debauchery that happened in Baton Rouge against Tennessee.

I find it amusing that the guy has a winning record and a national championship not too far back in the rear-view mirror but can't seem to cool his coaching seat at LSU by so much as a degree. I guess not spiking the ball with 28 seconds left, down four points, no timeouts, at your opponent's 1-yard line, and having to rely on an illegal substitution call (13 men on the field—really, Tennessee??) to win the game probably doesn't help.

In case you don't feel like following the link, I'll close with a little snippet from SB Nation:

"The clock runs. You do two things when you might want to stop the clock on the goal line down 14-10 with a running clock. You may spike it—wait, that's not happening. There's a thing about spiking the ball at LSU, if you'll recall. They could call timeout, but they have no timeouts because Les Miles is pretty sure the federal government demands those back at the end of the year if you don't spend them all. Though they've been on the two-yard line ever since the pass interference penalty, the LSU offensive staff suddenly remembers OH MY GOD WE HAVE A GOAL LINE PACKAGE and sets off a fire drill the People's Republic of China would call 'disgracefully hurried and chaotic.'"

Ocean Robbins is a long-time friend and supporter of CharityFocus; he is subscriber to our newsletters, many CF'ers have attended his YES jams, he has spoken on a Wednesday, and he deeply resonates with our vision of a gift culture. Although he's in his mid-thirties, he has catalyzed a ton of social change around the globe. In conversations with such inspirations, I often find myself asking: What are you learning? Fortunately, I stumbled across a recent essay where Ocean eloquently shares a response to that very question.

"My Learning Journey", by Ocean Robbins follows ... (photo is of Ocean and his wife Michele, taken by Guri, when four of us shared a Thanksgiving dinner together in 2008).

Each of my eight great grandparents were Jews in Eastern Europe who fled persecution.  They found refuge in Canada and the United States.  Some of them managed to build a life in the "new world," others were driven crazy by the trauma they had endured.  All four of my grandparents grew up with a great deal of terror, and they struggled to pass on a life of material security to their children.   

My dad's father succeeded - materially - beyond his wildest dreams.  He created an ice cream business that flourished.  Known as Baskin-Robbins, or 31 Flavors, it became the world's largest ice cream company.  My dad grew up swimming in an ice cream-cone shaped swimming pool, eating enormous amounts of ice cream, and inventing new flavors.  My grandfather worked almost 'round the clock, building the business.  So my dad hardly knew his father, except at the corporate headquarters, where he was pushed from his earliest childhood to one day join his father in running the hugely successful company. But rather than commit his life to inventing a 32nd flavor, my dad decided to work for the growth of compassion and healing in his life and in the world.  He walked away from the company, and from any access to his family's ice cream fortune, and moved with my mom to a tiny island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, where they built a 1-room log cabin, grew most of their own food, and lived on less than $500 per year.

That's Where I Came In

I was born in that cabin, with few material possessions and a very simple lifestyle.  I grew up monetarily poor, but rich in many other ways.  I had all my basic needs met: clean air, clean water, time with my mom and dad, and beautiful nature all around me.  As I grew up, a deep love of nature and the Earth emerged within me.

Then in the 1980s, when I was 10, my family moved to California, and my dad began working on a book called Diet for a New America, which was one of the first books to show how our food choices affect not just our health and happiness, but also the future of life on Earth.  His book became a runaway bestseller, and he began appearing on most of the major national US talk shows. The media had a lot of fun with my dad's story, calling him the "Rebel without a Cone."  They said he was the ice cream heir who walked away from a life of sure riches because he wanted to make a difference in the world, and tagged him the "Prophet of Non-profit."  His work made him something of a celebrity.  There were 20,000 letters-a-year pouring in from enthusiastic readers, and the response to my dad's work brought financial security to our family.  Inspired by his example, and feeling blessed by tremendous emotional and spiritual support from both of my parents, I felt that I wanted to give something to the world, and to do something to reach out to my generation.

At the age of 15, recognizing that the planetary bio-system was deteriorating rapidly under the impact of human activities, and that my generation seemed too cynical or too distracted meet these challenges, I and my friend Ryan Eliason started a project that would become YES!. Our goal was to help young people make a difference in the world.  We organized a national tour, speaking to school assemblies about the environment and what our peers could do to make a difference.  Ryan and I found other enthusiastic young people to join us, raised tens of thousands of dollars, and launched YES! as an organization.  The response to my dad's work opened many doors for us, as people who were inspired by his books would ask how they could help and he would often encourage them to support YES!, or to bring us to their communities.  Fueled by this support, tremendous passion, and a lot of hard work, YES! reached half a million students in high schools in more than 40 US states in the first half of the 1990's.

The Journey of Self Knowledge and Partnership

As we continued our travels from city to city, experiencing the realities and struggles of many different kinds of communities, we kept broadening our definition of the environment to include people as well as the planet.  We diversified our performance troupe, our organization, and our message.  And I, too, was challenged to see how privileged I was, in ways I had never recognized. I realized that I was coming of age as a white, heterosexual male with a US passport and financial sufficiency, and with all kinds of opportunities available for me and my work.  Even more significantly, I had loving parents who had always helped me believe in myself.  Stepping out of what had always seemed "normal" to me gave me  a fresh perspective on who, and what, I was.  As I engaged with young people from a broad diversity of backgrounds, I was beginning an ever deepening journey in my relationship to my own experience of privilege and the many questions and contradictions therein.

Why did I have so many opportunities when billions of people were struggling to feed their families, and when tens of millions of American young people were living below the poverty line?  In a world with a vast wealth divide, economic resources give certain people more power, more influence, and more freedom than others.  Sweatshop conditions and the treatment of farmworkers are directly linked to lowering the costs of goods, which in a consumerist culture means that some form of violence and exploitation is linked to most of what we consume. How did I fit into all that?  I didn't want to be defined by the madness of the times, but at the same time, I was part of larger systems and institutions, and I was impacted by them in ways I did not intend.

The more I learned about the realities of oppression and injustice, the more confused I was.  I knew that I had love and many other gifts to share with the world.  From the age of 10, my daily prayer had been quoting from St. Francis, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace."  Surely educating my peers about the environment, and inspiring them to make a difference with their lives, was an embodiment of this prayer.  But the road I was on was slowly teaching me that there is a world of difference between being an instrument of peace and being on a crusade to teach the world.  

I used to think that there must be some universal message that, if everyone heard it, would transform humanity.  Over time I was coming to think that human needs are as diverse as human experiences, and that sometimes it is a greater service to listen than to speak; I was beginning to listen - and learn.

YES! evolved with the years, and by the end of the 1990s, our focus had shifted from a high school assembly tour to week-long events we called "Jams" (initially launched as a project of YES! by my dear friend and colleague, Tad Hargrave) for groups of 30 diverse young leaders.  Our "Jam" participants were founders or leaders in organizations or movements working for thriving, just and sustainable ways of life for all, and they came from many dozens of nations.  I was developing yet another kind of privilege:  A global network of friends and allies that worked, learned, and grew with me.  The community of Jam participants, and my fellow conveners and facilitators, have taught me profound lessons about the real meaning of partnership, and about how we can bridge some of the great divides of our times in ways that are healing and life-giving for all of us.

What's Alive for Me Now

Now I'm 35 years old, and I am married to an extraordinary woman named Michele.  Eight years ago, with a little help from me, she gave birth to identical twin boys named River and Bodhi.  They were born prematurely, and spent their first six weeks of life in intensive care at the hospital.  Difficulty breathing caused them to turn blue from lack of oxygen many times per day, and when they finally came home, we were overjoyed, though we knew it was just the beginning of a long road.  They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in our case, it seems to have taken two villages to raise premature twins.  My mom and dad poured their hearts and souls into supporting us, cooking all our food and doing all our dishes for almost two years.  River and Bodhi were deeply traumatized and needed almost constant care.  To this day they struggle with numerous developmental delays and special needs.  They are also incredible reminders to me, on a daily basis, of the power of play, of the simple healing beauty of love, and of what really matters most in life.  

At the same time, sometimes it has seemed a heroic achievement just to make it through the day. Caring for my sons' special needs while directing an organization and trying to help a generation respond to the madness and violence of our times... There is never enough time to do all the things I want to, so I get to practice doing the best I can with the time I have, and letting the rest go by.

My parents spent twenty years building a solid nest egg of financial resources, and Michele and I also prioritized saving whatever we could to care for our children's long term needs and our own financial futures.  Then, on December 11, 2008, we learned that almost the entirety of my family's life savings had disappeared overnight in Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. It was a rude and devastating first-hand encounter with the economic meltdown that has rocked the world's financial markets and wiped out pension funds, foundation assets, stock portfolios and jobs around the world.

For the past several years, I have offered the following prayer every morning, "may I be given everything I need to do what I am alive for." In that light, the fact that my wife and I had lost our life savings and the safety net of my mom and dad's earned wealth in one fell swoop had to hold a crucial lesson. I felt that in some way, I was being tested again, and that this profound loss must be a part of my ultimate purpose.

So we set about rethinking all of our expenses, and looking at what we could do ourselves, what we could make ourselves, what we could do without, and how we could live more simply, more healthfully - and more frugally.  We began renting spaces in our home, and living in more community with loved ones, some of whom needed to downsize or save money themselves.  We now share a bathroom between seven people - but it is working for us, and I love the community with whom I am sharing space.  I think it is making life richer, and more beautiful, than it was before.  Another thing I've learned is that if we ever have any savings to invest again, we will certainly invest differently.

What is clear to me is that we don't get to choose most of what happens to us.  In my twin's premature birth, subsequent special needs, and the theft of our savings, I have been stretched physically, emotionally, and financially, in ways I'd never imagined. Some share of tragedy comes into every life, it seems.  It is most likely that a lot of the pain I will experience still awaits me and yet I do get to decide how I respond to it. Perhaps life, is mostly about what we do with whatever is given to us.  

I used to pray to God to have things go the way I wanted them to go; sometimes I still do.  But increasingly, I find myself praying for the strength, the wisdom, and the patience, to make the best of however things unfold around me.  My favorite question to ask people right now, perhaps because it is so alive in my life, is:  "What has been a defining struggle or challenge in your life's journey, and how has your response to it helped you to grow in wisdom, faith, or compassion?"  In these times, when there is so much suffering and so much struggle for so many, we each need to be asking ourselves how we can make the best of what is, and striving to transform our own traumas and struggles into gifts for humanity.  For in that transformation, I believe, lies the hope of the world.

It is a great honor to work with Pastor Justin Holcomb and see him lead The Resurgence. But I realize that most people do not know him like I do, so I thought I would introduce you to my friend. Justin is a pastor at Mars Hill Church and director of The Resurgence. He is married to Lindsey and they have two little girls.

Justin has served in ministry for nearly two decades as a pastor, university campus minister, youth pastor, and administrative assistant. He has worked in numerous types of churches before coming to Mars Hill, including Assemblies of God, Calvary Chapel, Presbyterian, and Episcopalian.

Head

Justin holds two master’s degrees from Reformed Theological Seminary as well as a PhD from Emory University. He is also an adjunct professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and visiting professor at Western Seminary. Justin has taught at RTS since 2000. The academic dean of RTS has said: “Justin has always been greatly appreciated by faculty, staff, and students at Reformed Theological Seminary. His academic rigor, classroom style, and pastoral orientation make him a favorite among our adjunct faculty.”

Justin has also taught at the University of Virginia and Emory University. While at the University of Virginia, he won some of the top awards for teaching: Z Society Distinguished Faculty of the Year Award, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society Award, and Outstanding Faculty Member.

Justin and his wife, Lindsey, wrote Rid of My Disgrace, a Re:Lit book on gospel hope and healing for sexual assault victims. His edited volume, Christian Theologies of Scripture, explores various doctrines of Scripture throughout the Christian tradition. Justin has also written on death and dying in America, the importance of covenants in Reformed theology, and “faith” in pop culture.

Hands

Since 2001, Justin has traveled annually to southern Sudan to teach chaplains in the Sudan People's Liberation Army. These trips frequently entail teaching the Bible with AK-47s firing in the background, seeing bodies that have been hog-tied and hacked with machetes by terrorists, and praying with moms and dads whose babies died from diarrhea and malaria because there are not enough nets and clean water.

Justin and Lindsey founded and direct Mosaic, a non-profit organization that serves people in Sudan and Uganda. It gives thousands of mosquito nets away each year, offers literacy and tailoring training to hundreds of women, started a home for girls whose families sold them for sex, and supports pastors in the region.

Justin and Lindsey also helped start Rest, a ministry out of Mars Hill Church’s Downtown Seattle Campus to women and girls working in prostitution. Seattle is on one of the top cities in the United States for underage prostitution.

Heart

What I like most about Justin, though, is his love for Jesus, humility, and deep joy in serving others. For a few years before coming on staff at Mars Hill, he humbly and graciously served as my research assistant remotely.

Since coming on staff, he has literally served every one of the more than forty pastors in our church with research, teaching, and pastoral wisdom. He does it all while smiling, being genuinely happy, and talking a lot about his wife and daughters, as he adores his family. If you want to see him get passionate, ask him about abuse victims, the hurting, and those who need justice and healing from Jesus. Simply, his head is as big as his heart.

Because The Resurgence exists to equip Christian leaders for mission, I am thankful that God brought us just the right fit in Justin to lead us. Please pray for him and his family, introduce yourself to him at events, and join me in celebrating God’s gift to us in the Holcombs. 

Follow Justin on Facebook and Twitter. Read his previous posts on The Resurgence.

People gather outside the "Joy Fellowship Christian Assemblies, Inc." church in the Bronx Borough of New York, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Swoan Parker)

Investigators found that only the driver and the Bishop, who was seated in the front passenger seat, were the only two in the van wearing seat belts. State law requires only the two passengers seated in the front to buckle up, and Police Sgt. Lawrence King said, "Most of the people [who died] got thrown out of the van." The Post also reports that the van was "fatally flawed." Vehicle safety expert Byron Bloch said the 1997 Ford Econoline's high center of gravity and and poor suspension system caused pressure on the rear tires. When the back left tire blew on the Thruway, the driver was unable to regain control of the car. Bloch said, "This tragedy was fully preventable but for the needlessly unsafe design of the Ford van."

But congregants weren't thinking of the "what ifs" as they gathered to mourn the lost congregants. Choir leader Katherine Lawrence said their main goal was "just keeping the congregation together." Pastor Recardo Millwood told WABC, "Some questions we will not be able to answer. Only God understands why." Eight congregants remain hospitalized after the crash, and yesterday officials said one survivor is "under heavy sedation and it does not look good." The Bronx church was made up of mostly West Indian and Jamaican immigrants, and had about 100 congregants.

It has all happened at the International Christian Center in Staten Island, NY.  Evidently, Pastor Russell Hodgins had access to a church credit card.  According to the article, Pastor Hodgins used the church credit card to pay for both church and personal expenses.  The pastor says he always reimbursed the church for the personal expenses.

To the pastor's defense, he says the accusations were brought against him by a disgruntled employee that he had fired.

He says the church's internal investigation and audit found no wrongdoing on his part.

It seems a big issue under dispute:  what happened to the bonus points earned from the purchases.  It appears that the pastor may have used them himself rather than giving the points to the church.

The whole thing blew up and became a distraction, said the pastor.  In fact, he resigned over the issue.  His statement reads in part:

“In closing, for any procedural mistakes or errors in administrative judgment I may have made, I am deeply sorry... However, I emphatically state to you, before Almighty God, my hands are clean and my heart is pure. As for me and my house, we will continue to serve the Lord.”

The Assemblies of God denomination is backing up the pastor:  An official of the denomination said he expected Rev. Hodgins would be assigned to lead one of the Assemblies’ “strong” churches in the near future. He said Rev. Hodgins wouldn’t be given such a post if there were concerns about him.  (Hodgins took ICC from 150 people to over 2000 in 12 years).

A couple lessons from this from what I can read from the newspaper article:

1.  Don't ever, in any situation, use a church credit card for personal use.  It will only invite problems. 

2.  Be on the up and up.  Credit card points earned by the church should be used by the church.  Don't lose your ministry over a free airline ticket or a restaurant gift certificate.

3.  If you make a mistake like this, clear it up quickly and clearly.  Statements like saying you're deeply sorry for 'any procedural mistakes or errors in administrative judgment' sound like they come from the heart of a lawyer, not from the heart of a pastor.  Something more on the line of 'I goofed up, and in retrospect, it was a stupid thing to do' plays much better to me personally than apologizing for any 'error in administrative judgment'.

4.  Hodgins had been a pastor at ICC since 1998... that's 12 years.  That's a lot of years of ministry down the drain for something like this.

What are your thoughts? 

Do you have proper guidelines in place that keep you in check financially, expecially with the church credit card?

How would you have responded in this situation (knowing only what you know from this article) if you were the pastor?  What if you were on the board or an elder in this church?  Is this something to lose a pastor of 12 years over?

You can read more here...

Todd

Leaders of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference says the Chicago church's development shows the direction of the North American church.

The full text of Pope Benedict XVI's speech shows him praising the role of religion in the UK

Your Majesty,

Thank you for your gracious invitation to make an official visit to the United Kingdom and for your warm words of greeting on behalf of the British people. In thanking Your Majesty, allow me to extend my own greetings to all the people of the United Kingdom and to hold out a hand of friendship to each one.

It is a great pleasure for me to start my journey by saluting the members of the royal family, thanking in particular His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh for his kind welcome to me at Edinburgh airport. I express my gratitude to Your Majesty's present and previous Governments and to all those who worked with them to make this occasion possible, including Lord Patten and former Secretary of State [Jim] Murphy. I would also like to acknowledge with deep appreciation the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Holy See, which has contributed greatly to strengthening the friendly relations existing between the Holy See and the United Kingdom.

As I begin my visit to the United Kingdom in Scotland's historic capital city, I greet in a special way first minister [Alex]

Salmond and the representatives of the Scottish Parliament. Just like the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies, may the Scottish Parliament grow to be an expression of the fine traditions and distinct culture of the Scots and strive to serve their best interests in a spirit of solidarity and concern for the common good.

The name of Holyroodhouse, Your Majesty's official residence in Scotland, recalls the "Holy Cross" and points to the deep Christian roots that are still present in every layer of British life. The monarchs of England and Scotland have been Christians from very early times and include outstanding saints like Edward the Confessor and Margaret of Scotland.

As you know, many of them consciously exercised their sovereign duty in the light of the Gospel, and in this way shaped the nation for good at the deepest level. As a result, the Christian message has been an integral part of the language, thought and culture of the peoples of these islands for more than a thousand years. Your forefathers' respect for truth and justice, for mercy and charity come to you from a faith that remains a mighty force for good in your kingdom, to the great benefit of Christians and non-Christians alike.

We find many examples of this force for good throughout Britain's long history. Even in comparatively recent times, due to figures like William Wilberforce and David Livingstone, Britain intervened directly to stop the international slave trade. Inspired by faith, women like Florence Nightingale served the poor and the sick and set new standards in healthcare that were subsequently copied everywhere. John Henry Newman, whose beatification I will celebrate shortly, was one of many British Christians of his age whose goodness, eloquence and action were a credit to their countrymen and women. These, and many people like them, were inspired by a deep faith born and nurtured in these islands.

Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live.

I also recall the regime's attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives. As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a "reductive vision of the person and his destiny" [Caritas in Veritate, 29]. Sixty-five years ago, Britain played an essential role in forging the post-war international consensus which favoured the establishment of the United Nations and ushered in a hitherto unknown period of peace and prosperity in Europe. In more recent years, the international community has followed closely events in Northern Ireland which have led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Your Majesty's government and the government of Ireland, together with the political, religious and civil leaders of Northern Ireland, have helped give birth to a peaceful resolution of the conflict there. I encourage everyone involved to continue to walk courageously together on the path marked out for them towards a just and lasting peace.

Looking abroad, the United Kingdom remains a key figure politically and economically on the international stage.

Your gstovernment and people are the shapers of ideas that still have an impact far beyond the British Isles. This places upon them a particular duty to act wisely for the common good. Similarly, because their opinions reach such a wide audience, the British media have a graver responsibility than most and a greater opportunity to promote the peace of nations, the integral development of peoples and the spread of authentic human rights. May all Britons continue to live by the values of honesty, respect and fair-mindedness that have won them the esteem and admiration of many.

Today, the United Kingdom strives to be a modern and multicultural society. In this challenging enterprise, may it always maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate. Let it not obscure the Christian foundation that underpins its freedoms; and may that patrimony, which has always served the nation well, constantly inform the example your Government and people set before the 2 billion members of the Commonwealth and the great family of English-speaking nations throughout the world.

May God bless Your Majesty and all the people of your realm. Thank you.

Your Majesty,

Thank you for your gracious invitation to make an official visit to the United Kingdom and for your warm words of greeting on behalf of the British people. In thanking Your Majesty, allow me to extend my own greetings to all the people of the United Kingdom and to hold out a hand of friendship to each one.

It is a great pleasure for me to start my journey by saluting the members of the Royal Family, thanking in particular His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh for his kind welcome to me at Edinburgh Airport. I express my gratitude to Your Majesty’s present and previous Governments and to all those who worked with them to make this occasion possible, including Lord Patten and former Secretary of State Murphy. I would also like to acknowledge with deep appreciation the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Holy See, which has contributed greatly to strengthening the friendly relations existing between the Holy See and the United Kingdom.

As I begin my visit to the United Kingdom in Scotland’s historic capital city, I greet in a special way First Minister Salmond and the representatives of the Scottish Parliament. Just like the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies, may the Scottish Parliament grow to be an expression of the fine traditions and distinct culture of the Scots and strive to serve their best interests in a spirit of solidarity and concern for the common good.

The name of Holyroodhouse, Your Majesty’s official residence in Scotland, recalls the “Holy Cross” and points to the deep Christian roots that are still present in every layer of British life. The monarchs of England and Scotland have been Christians from very early times and include outstanding saints like Edward the Confessor and Margaret of Scotland. As you know, many of them consciously exercised their sovereign duty in the light of the Gospel, and in this way shaped the nation for good at the deepest level. As a result, the Christian message has been an integral part of the language, thought and culture of the peoples of these islands for more than a thousand years. Your forefathers’ respect for truth and justice, for mercy and charity come to you from a faith that remains a mighty force for good in your kingdom, to the great benefit of Christians and non-Christians alike.

We find many examples of this force for good throughout Britain’s long history. Even in comparatively recent times, due to figures like William Wilberforce and David Livingstone, Britain intervened directly to stop the international slave trade. Inspired by faith, women like Florence Nightingale served the poor and the sick and set new standards in healthcare that were subsequently copied everywhere. John Henry Newman, whose beatification I will celebrate shortly, was one of many British Christians of his age whose goodness, eloquence and action were a credit to their countrymen and women. These, and many people like them, were inspired by a deep faith born and nurtured in these islands.

Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live. I also recall the regime’s attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives. As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a “reductive vision of the person and his destiny” (Caritas in Veritate, 29).

Sixty-five years ago, Britain played an essential role in forging the post-war international consensus which favoured the establishment of the United Nations and ushered in a hitherto unknown period of peace and prosperity in Europe. In more recent years, the international community has followed closely events in Northern Ireland which have led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Your Majesty’s Government and the Government of Ireland, together with the political, religious and civil leaders of Northern Ireland, have helped give birth to a peaceful resolution of the conflict there. I encourage everyone involved to continue to walk courageously together on the path marked out for them towards a just and lasting peace.

Looking abroad, the United Kingdom remains a key figure politically and economically on the international stage. Your Government and people are the shapers of ideas that still have an impact far beyond the British Isles. This places upon them a particular duty to act wisely for the common good. Similarly, because their opinions reach such a wide audience, the British media have a graver responsibility than most and a greater opportunity to promote the peace of nations, the integral development of peoples and the spread of authentic human rights. May all Britons continue to live by the values of honesty, respect and fair-mindedness that have won them the esteem and admiration of many.

Today, the United Kingdom strives to be a modern and multicultural society. In this challenging enterprise, may it always maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate. Let it not obscure the Christian foundation that underpins its freedoms; and may that patrimony, which has always served the nation well, constantly inform the example your Government and people set before the two billion members of the Commonwealth and the great family of English-speaking nations throughout the world.

May God bless Your Majesty and all the people of your realm. Thank you.

Google Cached Version

National Leadership Forum To Be Webcast Without Charge

PR Newswire — September 1, 2010

LAKELAND, Fla., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The widely acclaimed 4th Annual National Leadership Forum that took place at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., last spring, can be seen and heard free September 9-10 by anyone with a computer, an internet connection and a desire to learn highly effective leadership principles from some of the world’s top practitioners.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091202/DC19791LOGO-b)

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The university will present this special webcast only once and only to those who pre-register at www.forumwebcast.com. Participants will be able to download resource materials at no charge, as well.

The speakers are world-renowned, primarily from the church, academic, business and professional communities: Craig Groeschel, Erwin McManus, Andy Stanley, Brian Houston, Joyce Meyer, Bill Hybels, Marcus Buckingham, Jim Blanchard, Patrick Lencioni and Mark Floyd. Ken Blanchard, the No. 1 author on the subject of leadership, will serve as moderator.

“This is the second consecutive year we’re giving the Forum away on the web,” said Dr. James L. Davis, Southeastern University’s Vice President for Development and the Forum’s chief organizer. “We had more than 700 people see and hear these speakers up close and personal in our auditorium last March and, without question, that’s the way to experience it. There’s absolutely nothing like being in the same room with these leadership luminaries and gleaning their wisdom and passion. But we recognize that not everyone in the world can come to the Forum so, we bring it to them online!”

The Forum focuses on a concept known as “servant leadership,” which is a foundational principle at the Central Florida private, liberal arts university. Servant leaders are those who set out to serve others first, and then develop as leaders.

Southeastern University began the annual Forum in 2007 primarily for the purpose of interweaving students’ educational experience with exposure to the teachings of world-class leaders. However, the gathering quickly became a predominant leadership conference in the business and church communities as well.

Southeastern’s National Leadership Forum has played to sold-out audiences in each year of its existence. Among the speakers who have appeared in person during those years are former President George W. Bush; Mrs. Laura Bush; Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.); former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy; and former GE Chairman and CEO Jack Welch.

Next year’s Forum, with the theme, “Igniting the passion of servant leadership,” is scheduled for March 8-10. President Bush will return to the university to head the distinguished lineup of speakers along with Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State 2005-2009; evangelist Franklin Graham; Super Bowl-winning quarterback Kurt Warner; Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy; and former advisor to four U.S. Presidents David Gergen. For more information, go to www.seuleadershipforum.com.

Southeastern University, located in Lakeland, is the world’s largest Assemblies of God educational institution. With about 3,000 students and 400 employees, it is accredited to offer 44 programs leading to bachelor’s degrees and eight programs leading to master’s degrees. For more information, call (863) 667-5000 or visit the website at www.seuniversity.edu.

SOURCE Southeastern University

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"We have 30 days of Christmas Eve full of banquets and food," [says sociologist Said Sadek]. "Egypt consumes three times its normal food consumption during the month of Ramadan."

There is some consternation within the Muslim community that Muslims sometimes get a little too self-indulgent with food, parties and materialism during Ramadan.  Sounds remarkably similar to the annual plea "Jesus is the reason for the season" from Christians worried that the religious meaning of Christmas is getting lost under a mountain of merchandise.

A quick romp through Google shows that all three of the Abrahamic religions (Judiasm, Christianity and Islam) share a fundamental commonality: the very human desire of their followers to enjoy and indulge.
A personal note: Although I was "raised up right" to be a Christian, I am in fact an atheist.  However, this diary is not to be interpreted as an anti-religious "gotcha".  On the contrary, I'm writing about the universality of human nature despite the specific religious frameworks that may be overlain upon it.  As I sit here eating a cookie I don't need, I'm proving that this body without a religious bone in it is just as vulnerable to as any to pleasure.

Ramadan
Ramadan is the 9th month of the year on the Islamic calendar.  For 2010, that translates into August 11/12 to September 9/10.  Ramadan is a time when:

...Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking.

Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits -- essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings.

My mother made a rant today when coming back from food shopping.  She notices each year families "over-cooking", "over-buying" food which at the end just go to the bin because it was too much, as if and i quote "they never ate anything in their life"

Year after year we tear into our iftar feasts before the last of the prayer calls has even faded. Overeating has been a Ramadan tradition for as long as I can remember.

What has exacerbated the situation over the last two decades is the extent to which hotels, restaurants and cafes have commercialized the holy months, with extravagant five-star buffets replacing intimate family meals. That's before we even get to the ubiquitous money-spinning Ramadan tents.

Overindulgence and excess when breaking your fast are not, and never were, what Ramadan is about. ... Ramadan is intended as a time of peaceful contemplation and of empathy with those less fortunate than us.

By the way, the first US president to host an iftar wasn't Barack Obama, it was Thomas Jefferson.

Christmas
Christianity and the ongoing disagreements among its adherents about how Christmas it should be observed are so ubiquitous in the United States that it's hardly necessary to describe here.  Perhaps the lyrics of the familiar Christmas ditty "This is that Time of the Year" best captures the current state of affairs:

Suffice it to say that Americans, whether Christian or not, are fully aware that the holiday has been excessively merchandised to the point that quasi-religious organizations and political parties try to capitalize on the debate.  Remember Focus on the Family's "Stand For Christmas" scheme last year where Tom Minnery told us that "Christ is the centerpiece of our holiday season", then shoved the Baby Jesus aside and encouraged consumerism by asking supporters to rate the religiosity of retailers' sales pitches?

A New York Times editorial titled "This Season's War Cry: Commercialize Christmas, or Else" summarized the history of Christmas in America, and explained the onset of the "comfort and joy" form of celebration that is now the norm:

Christmas's self-proclaimed defenders are rewriting the holiday's history. They claim that the "traditional" American Christmas is under attack by what John Gibson, another Fox anchor, calls "professional atheists" and "Christian haters." But America has a complicated history with Christmas, going back to the Puritans, who despised it. What the boycotters are doing is not defending America's Christmas traditions, but creating a new version of the holiday that fits a political agenda. ...

Christmas gained popularity when it was transformed into a domestic celebration, after the publication of Clement Clarke Moore's "Visit from St. Nicholas" and Thomas Nast's Harper's Weekly drawings, which created the image of a white-bearded Santa who gave gifts to children. The new emphasis lessened religious leaders' worries that the holiday would be given over to drinking and swearing, but it introduced another concern: commercialism. By the 1920's, the retail industry had adopted Christmas as its own, sponsoring annual ceremonies to kick off the "Christmas shopping season."

Hanakkuh
The first day of the Hanukkah is determined according to the Hebrew calendar and so bounces around the Gregorian calendar a bit, but this 8-day Festival of Lights reliably starts in December.  For Jewish families in the USA, this means it is also Christmas season.

I can still remember some (although not all) of the families of my childhood Jewish friends adding a little tree and more significant gift-giving to the Hanukkah tradition.  This was done to help relieve their kids of some of the outsider feelings they experienced in our majority-Christian city - a considerable problem I witnessed many times but that was especially difficult around Christmas when schools held carol-singing assemblies and Christmas parties, and Gentile friends were out shopping and getting excited about the impending xmas loot.  If I were those parents I may well have done the same, but of course like any decision involving religious observance and "stuff", it would not have been without controversy.  Here's a good exploration of the question from the Pittsburgh newspaper Post-Gazette, titled "Some want gifts to be less a part of Hanukkah":

It's a familiar lament this time of year.

The emphasis on gift-giving and the excesses of merchandising debase the holiday.

Consumerism trumps spiritualism. Shopping supplants praying.

We're talking about Hanukkah, of course.

The Jewish "Festival of Lights," set to begin its eight-day run at sundown tonight, has been an occasion for decades to exchange presents, mimicking Christmas.

But while priests and ministers may deplore the commercialism of the Christian holiday, some rabbis see an extra reason to bemoan what's happened to Hanukkah.

That's because the Jewish festival celebrates an ancient resistance to the forces of assimilation, while the gift-giving reflects a modern submission to the pull of American culture. ...

Both Christians and Jews can identify a religious basis for gift-giving, although the connection of Nintendo games to their spiritual traditions appears tenuous at best. ...

When it comes to giving larger gifts, Reform Rabbi Art Donsky, of Temple Ohav Shalom in Allison Park, said Jews are not incorporating Christian practices into their Hanukkah celebrations.

Rather, he said, both Christians and Jews are succumbing to this country's consumerist culture.

"Many of my Christian counterparts in the North Hills feel the same way," Donsky said. "Christmas isn't really about giving gifts, either."

An Afterword on Retailers
The spirit of capitalizing on religious-based observances is also, not surprisingly, universal.  For example, Ferrero, the Italian manufacturer of to-die-for Nutella, markets a Ramadan pack "featuring subtle star and moon motifs".  The American Cattlemen's Beef Board & National Cattlemen's Beef Association offer sage advice on how to "Help Your Customers Find the Right Cuts for Easter and Passover".

The arrival of spring brings two religious holidays of great significance to your customers. Easter and Passover celebrations both involve ritual symbols and traditional family meals. Many of these celebratory dinners prominently feature beef. This spring, be prepared in the meat case with plenty of favorite beef cuts for both holidays.

The Jewish Post of New York boiled it down to the essentials in "Passover is Big Business", saying:

Passover is the holiday which celebrates freedom. In 1999, consumers will have much more to celebrate, the freedom to choose from a record number of 18,000 products. Happy choosing.

And here's an interesting report out of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia titled "Market Blossom In The Holy Month Of Ramadan. Business revive, Brands rejuvenate and Communication reaches its peak":

From a marketing perspective, those who don't have 'insight' might think that when millions of people around the globe refrain from eating and drinking for an average of 12 hours a day over a month's period would actually be a harmful thing for business. ...

On the contrary the many religious and social traditions associated with this holy month have a tremendous positive impact on local economies, with particular industries registering record revenues during this period; obvious examples include: FMCGs (particularly food and beverage) as a result of households having to prepare 'iftar' for their families and friends on regular basis whereas the traditional trend of post-Iftar television viewing means satellite and local channels can charge premium rates on their advertising due to high demand.

Conclusion
Let's face it - people are people.  Like having eyes and breathing, there are certain universal characteristics we all share that transcend religious doctrine.  Human beings feel pleasure, invite pleasure and like to see our friends and loved ones happy and pleased.  Likewise, we share a common concern over the appropriate degree and timing of our communal indulgences, but in general we don't allow that concern to supersede the pleasure.