- You might mistake this headline as originating from The Onion. You’d be wrong. “Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway.” Friday evening, Ross said the gun giveaway had been canceled. Pastor emeritus Jim Vineyard, who ran the event, injured his foot and wouldn’t be able to attend… Ross said the church would give the gun away next year instead. He said the church spent $800 buying the gun for the promotion.
- A sign of the apocalypse? A New York Times article about bridesmaids being asked to have botox injections and other, uh, “enhancements” done before the bride’s wedding. Alas, two women were claustrophobic and couldn’t bear standing in a tanning capsule. “They asked the bride if they could use regular tanning cream from a salon,” Ms. Goldberg said. The bride refused; she wanted everyone to be the same shade. The women ultimately declined to be bridesmaids. “Friendships of 20-plus years gone over a spray tan?” Ms. Goldberg said. “Sad!” (via Kottke)
- Jim Fox, who blogs at Space Monkey Manifesto (most creative blog name ever?) sent me a link to a recent post titled, “I’ve decided to vote“. Given the series of guest posts about faith and voting on this blog, Jim’s thoughts come at a good time. I still wish Hilary was going to be the nominee. But, I claim to care about the marginalized, the stranger. I claim to believe in an upside down, backwards kingdom. I claim that my God looks after the oppressed first.
- A friend from NC3 sent me this recent column by Becky Akers in the Christian Science Monitor, Does the American Flag Belong in Church? Is it just me, or are we hearing more voices pointing out how potentially dangerous power is to Christian faith? At various times in various nations, “Christians” have persecuted their fellows for acknowledging the pope, refusing to acknowledge the pope, baptizing adults instead of babies, baptizing babies instead of adults, etc. Tragically, Christians high on power forsake the Ten Commandments and the golden rule as quickly as anyone else.
David W. Swanson
Pastor and Author
David W. Swanson 
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