Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
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Technology News!
As Facebook reels, Silicon Valley dabbles in ethics
Summary: “Facebook CEO [Mark Zuckerberg’s opening] comment [to Cognress] offers a glimpse into what experts say is a shift within the American tech sector: a rapid, albeit uneven, embrace of ethics, one that Zuckerberg hinted at during his opening remarks before the Senate, saying of the Cambridge Analytica incident, “We didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake.”
Read more at: https://goo.gl/9kQgg/
Digitally mined from: www.religionnews.com
HH read more…
The Way
The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus
Adam Hamilton
Review by Landrum P. Leavell III, ThD.
Adam Hamilton was the conversation partner last month at the Orcas Island Advance 2018. It was a pleasure and a joy to meet and spend a couple of days with him and his wife. Leading up to the Advance, I’d read his book on the life of the apostle Paul, titled The Call. (I highly recommend it, too, to truly give you a 30,000 foot vantage point of Paul’s life.) From that book, I learned that Adam likes to travel and has had many ventures to biblical sites through the years where he writes and records videos to aid those who may never get to go themselves.
Through the reading and in personal conversation, I found that he and I share a love of the land of Israel. I think his tally outnumbers mine, but next month I’ll take my sixteenth trip to what is now referred to as “the Promising Land.” Adam, as I, would like everyone to visit this pregnant land. You can never see it all, and they keep finding things! Yet, many will never get to make that pilgrimage. The good news is that Adam has written The Way to share the land with you (there is also a video available to supplement the book). read more…
The Relationality of Metaphor –Preaching Tip for 22 April 2018
The scriptures are not written linearly but relationally. For this reason, we need to view the metaphors of scripture not as individual entities only with depth, but as part of a network of interconnective threads, both deep and wide. One way of finding more depth and meaning in a metaphor is…
Pastor’s Prayer for 22 April 2018
Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.
–Aquinas
Two Farmers
A conversation between two farmers went like this: The first farmer said to the second farmer, “If you had two fields, wouldn’t you be willing to share one of them?” “Of course!” If you had two houses, you wouldn’t live in both, so you’d be happy to share the other,…
The Wavelength of Love
The Wavelength of Love Lectionary 15 April 2018 3rd Sunday of Easter Acts 3:2-19 Psalm 4 1 John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36b-48 Text to Life Here is one of the most awkward moments life can present. See if you can identify with it. Ready? You are out in public and…
Easter 2
Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? Jesus isn’t here! He has been raised from death.”
Luke 24: 1-6
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!! read more…
We Will Be Changed
We Will Be Changed Story Lectionary 15 April 2018 Jesus’ Post-Resurrection Appearances God Creates Soul (Nephesh) from Body and Spirit (Genesis 2) The Story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) Choose Life and Be Faithful to the Lord –the Universe Witnesses to the Choice Before You as Given to You by the…
The Beauty of God in Metaphor –Preaching Tip for 15 April 2018
The transcendentals have long been known to describe God who is beyond our comprehension in ways scarcely imaginable. God is “beautiful,” “good,” and “true.” The metaphors of scripture that weave from Genesis through Revelation embody these three conditions. God is Light. God is Living Water. God is Wind and Breath.…
Pastor’s Prayer for 15 April 2018
O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee.
Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates;
To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers,
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
all the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
the wonderful company of Prophets,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
the white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee:
Patrem immensae maiestatis:
the Father of infinite Majesty;
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Thou, having taken it upon Thyself to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin’s womb.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Thou overcame the sting of death and hast opened to believers the Kingdom of Heaven.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.
V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance!
R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.
V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te.
V. Every day we thank Thee.
R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever.
V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.
V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame.
–Te Deum Hymn Prayer