Here are five videos on manhood and ministry from some of our conference speakers:

1. Discipling Men in the Local Church (Doug Wilson)
2. The Resurgence of Complementarianism (John Piper)
3. Dads, Your Leadership Role Is Inescapable (Doug Wilson)
4. A Culture of Hope for the Men of the Church (Darrin Patrick)
5. Masculinity Is the Glad Assumption of Responsibility (Doug Wilson)

Nobody likes it. Most people get it at some point in their life. So what  is it?

“Sinusitis is a condition consisting of infection or inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may or may not be as a result of infection, from bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic or autoimmune issues. Newer classifications of sinusitis refer to it as rhinosinusitis, taking into account the thought that inflammation of the sinuses cannot occur without some inflammation of the nose as well (rhinitis). It is highly contagious. Sinusitis may be passed from person to person by direct contact with an infected surface. Or it may be transmitted through the air. There is no cure.”
–Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinus_infection

So there are many causes and the one most people are familiar with is the viral, bacterial or fungal infection we get in the winter time usually following a bout with the common cold or the flu. Just when you think you’re done with all that nose blowing and aches and pains, along comes a sinus infection to gross you out with its thick multicolored discharge and accompanying pounding headache. So what’s the cure? Is there a cure? Wikipedia doesn’t think so.

Here are the ways I have successfully beat sinus infections:

• Visit the doctor and get a seven day dose of Amoxicillin.  3 days to wellness and4 day for good measure and to avoid antibiotic resistance issues in the future. Then deal with the side-effects of antibiotics.
• Visit the doctor and get a three day dose of Azithromycin a cocktail of antibiotics that’ll really kick down that bacterial infection.  Then deal with the side-effects of antibiotics.

So what about if you want to go the natural route and avoid those nasty side effects of antibiotic drugs (not to mention the doctor’s bill)? Here are a few things that have worked for me usually in combination with each other:

• Garlic: Chew raw garlic three times a day (garlic is a natural antibiotic of sorts). Just don’t go to any social events or try to kiss anyone
• Neti Pot: Irrigate your nasal passages with a lukewarm saline solution using a Neti Pot. I bought one for $8 on Amazon HERE and by the purified refined salt HERE.  I use Amazon Prime, so I get free shipping, also.  At first this method seems a little disgusting pouring water in one nostril and letting it run through and out the other, but the almost immediate relief you get from this method is well worth the slight discomfort.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Put 2 Tablespoons full of organic raw apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water and drink it at the first sign of a cold or flu. You can find it online HERE. What it does is simply thin the mucous in your nasal passageways which helps to keep the flow going as your body’s natural defense system eliminates the germs. This goes almost without saying, “drink LOTS of water” when you have a cold or flu. Your body needs that extra H2O to cleanse your system.
• Grapefruit Seed Extract: Who knew? The fluid from crushed grapefruit seeds is also a natural antibiotic (without all those side effects of course). You can find it online HERE. When I feel a cold coming on, I mix 20 drops in about 6 ounces of orange juice and gulp it down three times a day. The flavor is pungently… well, unfavorable.  But, I’ve found orange juice to provide the most flavor ‘cover-up’, reducing the shock to your palate.

There are a handful of other ‘fixes’ for sinusitis such as cayenne snorting, oregano oil, steam inhalation etc., but I find the foursome listed above to have the best results in my experience.  What have you found helpful?  Feel free to add your comments below.

The great eventful Present hides the Past; but through the din
Of its loud life hints and echoes from the life behind steal in.
~John Greenleaf Whittier

Fifty years ago today, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave his inaugural address to the people of the United States. My dad watched it on black and white television. He was in high school. I wonder if John knew that the words he spoke would be so well remembered half a century later and rank amongst some of the most memorable speeches in Western history. I watched it today on the television of the 21st century, Youtube… in color. Here are some quotes that gave me reason to pause and ponder the ensuing fifty years of world history in relation to these statements…

“The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.”

“Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.”

“We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course—both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind’s final war. So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.”

“Now the trumpet summons us again—not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are—but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation”—a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.”

Finishing up, here’s is the sentence for which this speech is best remembered:

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

You can watch JFK’s speech here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLmiOEk59n8&feature=player_embedded#at=683

or read it here:
http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html

What is the Age of Accountability?

After some recent conversations, I have been re-studying the theory of “The Age of Accountability“.  I was a bit surprised to discover that it is indeed a theory; not a hard and fast Biblical doctrine.  However, it matters a lot which version of the theory you believe to be true. This is particularly true for parents and Sunday school workers. A child’s age of accountability affects how you teach children about salvation. It also determines whether or not you will be involved in child evangelism.

What Do Christians Believe Concerning the Age of Accountability?

Most Christians believe that children are not sinless. They do however enter a stage of innocence at birth which continues past a point of knowledge of sin and of evil. This means that if a child were to die at the age of one for example, that child would go to heaven regardless of their inability to make a decision for Christ. Over time however, as a child matures and becomes more aware of right and wrong (usually around age 3-7), they enter a stage of accountability before God for sins committed. At this time, a child is no longer able to enter heaven, unless they make a conscious choice to repent of sin and believe in the saving and atoning blood of Jesus Christ

Another view (held by Catholics and Mennonites) is that children are innocent for a longer period of time (around age 10-13). They believe that children are not capable of making a long term commitment to the tenets of Christianity at an age that is too young. People who hold to this belief avoid involvement in child evangelism as they feel it can do more harm than good.

Additional Resources:

During my studies I came across the following resources, which I’ve linked to for the next person who may have had some of the same questions that were stirring in my mind.

• What Is A Child’s Age Of Accountability? (a sermon followed by open discussion – Rick Leibee, Charity Christian Fellowship)
• The Nurture and Evangelism of Children (Mennonite Church, 1955 — Gameo Anabaptist Encyclopedia)
• The Age of Accountability (Well written article, Baptist theology)
• Where do I find the age of accountability in the Bible? (GotQuestions.org)
• The Age of Accountability (thorough study on the topic)
• Wikipedia Entry (Had to let the good ol’ Wikipedia weigh in on the topic. They’ve got every version from Catholic to LDS, so read discerningly)

Disclaimer: the links above are informational, but do contain a dose of opinion. Obviously our understandings and opinions must be lined up with inerrant Biblical truth to insure that we are on the right track in our understandings of this area of soteriology.

I have always been fascinated by the well-developed and thoroughly thought-through ideas taught by John D. Martin on the Kingdom of God. His teachings and the teachings of others like him are what first drew me to Anabaptism in general and to conservative Mennonites and the “Charity Movement” in particular. Of course, as with any other movement/denomination there were things I didn’t fully understand, some of them purely cultural oddities, but the radical ideas as delineated in the following blog post by Christian thinker Greg Boyd, are some of the touchstones that have aided me in my quest for a practical and intellectually satisfying Christian reality.

Original post | About Greg Boyd

A Word to my Mennonite Friends

Hello friends,

I plan on getting back to the problem of violence in the Old Testament soon, but today I want to share a marvelous experience I had last week.

About eight months ago I spoke at a conference at Hesston college (a Mennonite college) on faith and politics (I posted on it here). While at this conference I sensed very strongly God telling me there was some sort of relationship I (and possibly the church I pastor) was to have with the Mennonites. More specifically, at the end of the conference I received a very clear and burning message I knew I was to share with the Mennonites. Whatever else this “relationship” entailed, I knew it included sharing this message. Yet, I had no idea when or how this message was to be shared.

Then about two months ago I received an invitation to speak at a historic gathering of Mennonite leaders in Columbus, Ohio. When the Executive Director of the Mennonite denomination (Jim Schrag) explained to me what he hoped my talk would accomplish I got goose bumps because it was exactly what God had put on my heart at Hesston seven months earlier. I have rarely been part of something that was so obviously providential. I was humbled and delighted to be given this important assignment. My message was — and is — basically this.

There is a beautiful and powerful grassroots Kingdom movement arising all over the globe that Mennonites in particular need to notice. Millions of people are abandoning the Christendom paradigm of the traditional Christian faith in order to become more authentic followers of Jesus. From the Emergent Church movement to the Urban Monastic Movement to a thousand other independent groups and movements, people are waking up to the truth that the Kingdom of God looks like Jesus and that the heart of Christianity is simply imitating him. Millions are waking up to the truth that followers of Jesus are called to love the unlovable, serve the oppressed, live in solidarity with the poor, proclaim Good News to the lost and be willing to lay down our life for our enemies. Multitudes are waking up to the truth that the distinctive mark of the Kingdom is the complete rejection of all hatred and violence and the complete reliance on love and service of others, including our worst enemies. Masses of people are waking up to the truth that followers of Jesus aren’t called to try to win the world by acquiring power over others but by exercising power under others — the power of self-sacrificial love.

What many who are being caught up in this movement lack is a sense of tribal identity and historical rooting, and many are looking for his. A central feature of post-modernity is the longing to “live in a story” that’s bigger than oneself. Many, therefore, are looking for a tradition they can align with.

The only tradition that embodies what this rising breed of Kingdom radicals is looking for is the Anabaptist tradition (which the Mennonites are heir to). This is the only tradition that consistently refused political power and violence. This is the only tradition that made humble, self-sacrificial love the centerpiece of what it means to follow Jesus. It’s the only tradition that isn’t soaked in blood and the only tradition that looks remotely like Jesus. Many (in fact, most) of the early leaders of this movement in the 16th century paid for their non-compliance with the Christendom paradigm by being martyred. This tradition is a treasure to be cherished. And it’s a tradition whose time may have come, for this is precisely the vision of the Kingdom that millions today are waking up to.

The irony is that, just as millions like myself are running toward this treasure, many Mennonites are running away from it. In the name of becoming culturally relevant, the distinctive, radical aspects of the Anabaptist tradition are being downplayed by some as they become “mainstream” American Christians. For example, some Mennonite churches now allow national flags on their premises — even in their sanctuaries! This was always taboo among Mennonites, for they have always (wisely) been keenly aware of the danger of mixing the Kingdom with nationalism. So too, some churches are now letting their Kingdom message get co-opted by politics — some on “the right” and others on “the left,” which in turn is beginning to create tensions in the church. And some churches have even begun to back off the centrality of their stance against violence.

So, my message to the Mennonites, in a nutshell, was (and is) this: Cherish Your Treasure! Not in a prideful way, of course, but simply as a precious gift God has given you and that God wants to give the world through you. Be daringly flexible on all matters that aren’t central to the Kingdom (e.g. worship styles, dress, etc.), but be utterly uncompromising on all matters that are central to the Kingdom (viz. everything that pertains to living a Jesus-looking life). My Mennonite sisters and brothers, you have what multitudes in the rising Kingdom movement are longing for. You can provide a home to so many who right now are looking for one. If you hold fast to the faith you’ve been entrusted with (Jude 3), you may just find your fellowship exploding in the years to come. For, I believe, the Anabaptist vision of the Kingdom is a vision whose time has come.

I am deeply humbled and honored to have been invited to share this word with the leaders of the Mennonite Church last week. My prayer is that God uses it to prepare them to fulfill the vital role God has for them in the Kingdom movement he’s inspiring in our day.

Blessings

Greg

The concern that I have… is not first and foremost that we will fall into some great scandalous sin. My greatest concern for us is that our spiritual passion and zeal for Jesus Christ will be drowned in triviality. That our love for the Savior and our service for His kingdom will grow cold as we waste our lives on a million different allowable, permissable, absolutely inconsequential pursuits. And all the while, all around us there’s a spiritual battle to be fought, and there’s Gospel Truth to be gloried in, and there are souls to be won for Christ, and there are churches to be built, and there are nations to be won for Christ, and children to be discipled and hurting people all around us who are dying in their addictions…  Are we going to be Salt and Light?

I was with a music group on Tuesday trying to learn a new song, when we needed an online pitch pipe badly, because no one happened to have a chromatic pitch pipe along. That steel cookie just doesn’t always make it into our pockets along side the requisite wallet, mobile phone and keys. So we stumbled along and made do without it for the duration of our song learning efforts.

Later, I got to thinking about how if we could just use our cell phone’s ability to play audio and use a pre-recorded set of auditory pitches, we wouldn’t ever have that problem again, since most people always have their cell phone with them. So I went hunting online to find something of that nature that would work for our future music endeavors. I came across the Online Pitch Pipe and figured the MP3′s found on that page would be just the ticket.  Unfortunately, they are no longer available, but thanks to our friends over at the Internet Archive and their Wayback Machine, I was able to download the files from the 2005 version of the website.  I have linked to them below in a zipped folder which you may freely download and unzip before loading them on your cellphone.  Now before anyone argues that the sound from a genuine free reed aerophone is far superior than the sound of an electronic micro-sized speaker on a cellphone, I will quickly agree.  However, having your cellphone blow the pitch is better than no pitch at all    So, I wouldn’t recommend this as an alternative for any of us Mennonite, Beachy or other Acappella singer-types on Sunday morning at church, but it works for impromptu singing events when the Real McCoy isn’t available.

By the way, if you’re looking for a genuine chromatic reed instrument, Amazon carries an excellent one. Without further ado, here is a link to get a Kratt Chromatic Pitch Pipe.  They sell them in any key you might need.

Enjoy!

Cellphone Pitch Pipe.zip

]]> http://joshchampagne.com/blog/online-pitch-pipe/feed/ 1 http://joshchampagne.com/blog/family-safe-internet/ http://joshchampagne.com/blog/family-safe-internet/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:40:32 +0000 Josh Champagne http://joshchampagne.com/blog/?p=416

Family-Safe Internet Access?

Working in IT and being in conservative Christian circles has allowed me to have some great discussions on how to implement (or not implement in some cases) the use of family safe internet by families seeking to follow the Biblical mandate to be “in the world,  not of it”. I want to share some thoughts on this, as well as links to free resources that I have used I often recommended these family safe internet resources such as internet filters, adblockers, porn blockers, and other web filtering to Christian parents who have asked for resources that work.

The Internet is Open

The internet is an interesting social phenomenon in that there is no central governing agency. Any one government can only control what “nodes” of the internet are physically located within its borders. So any person on the planet can post whatever content they choose to post (regardless whether it has family safe internet content). A s long as that content is hosted in a geopolitical area that doesn’t restrict that particular type of content, anything goes.

As a result, it is up to individuals, families, businesses and other organizations to “filter” what parts of the internet can be viewed by the computers under their jurisdiction. I’m going to focus on the family and a few best practices that make the use of this tool as trouble free as possible.

Best Practices for Families:

• Parents, take time to learn how the internet works and keep current with any major developments. If you aren’t very technically inclined, ask a Christian friend who is, to keep you updated.
• Parents, use some form of reporting (internet history, reporting software, Vista’s or OS X’s parental controls, etc) to keep family members accountable for where they goes on the internet and for how long.
• Use a form of internet filtering that is effective and can’t be easily circumnavigated. This is not a silver bullet. Parents, train your children in areas of moral purity and in the use or avoidance, depending on age levels and parental choice, of social web applications such as email, IM, blogging, Facebook, micro-blogging (Twitter), and other social media.
• Computer use should be in an open area where parents can easily walk past and see anything that is being displayed on the screen.
• If you can, go on an internet “fast” as a family occasionally, so you can see how the use of the internet affects your family life.
• Parents, make an Internet Use Agreement for your family and post it by the computer or in another prominent area of your home. This is something used even by non-Christian families. Microsoft has an article on this as well HERE.

Free Family Safe Internet Filtering and Reporting Software:

• Adblocker Plus - If you use the Firefox web browser, install this plugin to eliminate all those flash banner ads, which often promote selfish consumerism and immoral sensuality.
• Open DNS – This filtering solution is easy to implement and can be installed on either individual computers or your router.  The router option is better as it is harder to get around.
• K9 Web Filtering -   Mac/PC compatible software gets installed on a computer and provides filtering and reporting capabilities.
• File Sharing Sentinel -  Prevents peer-to-peer software such as Limewire, BitTorrent, eMule, etc from being installed (Windows only).
• McGruff SafeGuard – Excellent reporting software. Description from the website: McGruff SafeGuard is a service that intelligently monitors kids’ internet activity, including: website visits, chat and instant messaging, search engine phrases, social network profiles on MySpace, Facebook and many others. The Service alerts parents to problems such as Internet predators, dangerous behavior, underage/illicit sexual activity, suicide, drug use, credit card abuse and crime.
• XXX Church’s X3Watch – Accountability reporting software. The free version sends out biweekly reports and you can have up to 2 accountability partners.

Other Books, Articles and Resources:

• Logged On and Tuned Out: A Non-Techie’s Guide to Parenting a Tech-Savvy Generation |  Excellent book by Vicki Courtney who has done a lot of research in this area. You can read a sample chapter HERE (PDF).
• Internet Safety – Building Character and Building Walls (PDF) |  Top-notch article by Focus on the Family that focuses on the core issues.
• Making Space for Character in a Tech-overloaded World (PDF)  |  Another article from the FoF website with some wisdom and insight I found helpful.

Those are the thoughts and resources that come to mind at the moment. Feel free to share your own experiences, insights and other resources in the comments and I will add them to this post for the benefit of others.

Trouble in Amish Paradise

UPDATE: A SEQUEL TO TROUBLE IN AMISH PARADISE HAS BEEN RELEASED

This documentary is the true story about Ephraim and Jesse Stoltzfus and and their respective families who go through the process of leaving the Amish community after reading and studying the Bible for themselves (something which is forbidden in many Amish circles).  The clarity of the gospel message and the theme of the powerful effect of these families’ faith in Jesus throughout this documentary is well documented.  The film was produced with the usual quality of any good BBC production, yet the message of salvation and hope in Jesus is as strong as if it had been produced by a Christian media group. Trouble in Amish Paradise gets a high recommendation from me.

Cast

I have had the privilege of meeting several of the people featured in this work, people whose lives are being poured out for Christ’s Kingdom; and my prayer is that the usual “buzz” generated around a media production of this nature would bring glory to God and bring more people to know, understand and embrace the life and teachings of Jesus for themselves as a result of watching this story.

Where to Watch

Broadcast exclusively in the UK on February 18th, it averaged 2.2 million viewers.  Over 100 hours of footage was condensed into this one hour video chronicling the events of shunning, tent revival meetings, life-threatening illness in the family, and so much more.

If you don’t live in the UK, you can watch this film in a six part Youtube video series below:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Additional Resources:

Trouble in Amish Paradise - Website run by my friend, Ephraim Stoltzfus (one of the main film characters)

Trouble in Amish Paradise - on the IMDB (international movie database

BBC 2 Trouble in Amish Paradise - the official BBC link to the film information

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