Senator Obama: Reach out to Christ — and to evangelicals

Washington, June 29, 2006 –The National Council of Churches USA and
other faith groups applauded remarks Wednesday by Senator Barack
Obama (D-Ill.) testifying to his faith in Christ and calling upon
progressive politicians to reach out to evangelical Christians.

“You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash
away — because you are human and need an ally in this difficult
journey,” Obama told Call to Renewal’s Pentecost 2006. “It was
because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to
walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street
in the Southside of Chicago one day and affirm my Christian faith …
The questions I had didn’t magically disappear. But kneeling beneath
that cross on the South Side, I felt that I heard God’s spirit
beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to
discovering His truth.

That, said Obama, is “a path that has been shared by millions upon
millions of Americans Â- evangelicals, Catholics, Protestants, Jews
and Muslims alike; some since birth, others at certain turning points
in their lives. It is not something they set apart from the rest of
their beliefs and values. In fact, it is often what drives their
beliefs and their values.”

An NCC spokesperson said, “The senator speaks a profound truth for
all Americans, and I hope all Americans read his address.”

The full text of Obama’s address follows:

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I just found this old inteview on-line with Susan Howatch very interesting. A Novelist Looks at Faith and Fiction
Here’s a quote from it:

I think if mystics try to operate outside a church framework, they go over the top into gnosticism and cloud cuckoo-land. You need a framework to stop you from being dishonest. In the Starbridge books the mystics had to have spiritual directors to focus—otherwise how do you know if you have it spot on or not?

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Law of Mechanical Repair:
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch or
You’ll have to pee.

Law of the Workshop:
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability:
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of the Telephone:
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.

Law of the Alibi:
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law:
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

Law of the Bath:
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters:
The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don’t want to be seen with.

Law of the Result:
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won’t work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics:
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theatre:
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Coffee:
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy’s Law of Lockers:
If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Rugs/Carpets:
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Location:
No matter where you go, there you are.

Law of Logical Argument:
Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about.

Brown’s Law:
If the shoe fits, it’s ugly.

Oliver’s Law:
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson’s Law:
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it. (I’ve found this to be oh so true…) Amen to this one!!!

* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.
Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God

I graduated from seminary two decades ago. At that time, I was adamantly NOT a feminist. I usually began my prayers with “Father God” and balanced this (in my own mind) with the belief that the Holy Spirit was the divine feminine principle of the Trinity. I recently re-read some of those seminary papers and was surprised at all I once knew about this subject. In truth, the whole question of the gender of God has always seemed very silly and a moot point. How could the Divine be confined to any sense of gender?
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