Congratulations Rabbi Jana

Sometimes in this business, it's hard to be completely objective, especially when you get to know really cool people. Rabbi Jana De Benedetti is one of those people. I've talked to her off and on over the years about all things Jewish, and she's a wonderful apologist for her faith. She's super smart and has a rich but simple spirituality, which she summarized by saying "I see God all the time, and God answers questions all the time."

Last month she was finally ordained a Rabbi, the culmination of a life long dream and the subject of Sunday's living front. She sent me a few pictures from the actual ordination in New York:

The class sat in sort of a circle and, each member of the class lit a candle on a menorah.

With the candle lit, each covered their head for a moment of silent prayer. The head rabbi then approached and laid hands on the seminarian and anointed them with oil, which Rabbi Jana said was an unexpected symbol.

Since she speaks Italian, Rabbi Jana was chosen to translate for her Italian classmate, who was chosen by the class to speak at the ordination. "It was very intense and very wonderful," she said of the experience.

Friday she will officially be installed as the rabbi at B'nai Zion.

Sunday best?

It's hot outside, and that often brings about short skirts and plunging tops even in church. One local pastor mentioned clothing in his bulletin this week (I'll leave out the name because I'm sure he's not the only one with this concern).

He handled it very well. This is one of those sticky issues - do you want to risk offending people or is it more important to set some sort of expectation? He made it clear that he doesn't really care how formal or informal people dress for church, and if a "lost" person comes to visit, he figures they may not know better. But for believers, he says there is a line:

"When dresses are too high or blouses too low, I believe our Lord is dishonored... When there is writing or drawings on our clothing that advertise or in some manner endorse anything that displeases our Lord, I believe he is dishonored."

He just asked folks to think about what they wear, and ask if they think God would approve.

So what do you think? Should the issue of dress be discussed by pastors? And in our informal culture, what is the line?

Liftoff to chills

Lucky me, I happened to get home last night just in time to catch the Space Shuttle Endeavor's launch. The news switched to live coverage, and at 10 seconds to launch they had an up close shot of the sparks firing before the steam started billowing around the rocket, and finally they were off.

A perfect arc of steam and smoke followed them as the shuttle climbed higher and the sky around it got darker. It gave me chills.

I mean, how insane is it to strap yourself to this giant rocket and go to a place clearly not meant for human habitation? Yet, how inspiring. That's why it's appearing here on the Faith blog. Watching the astronauts hurtle into outer space is one of those moments in the course of our secular lives that causes anyone paying attention to pause, to rally around a common goal, and to remember how truly small we are in comparison to all creation.

Photo: Folks in Cocoa Beach, Fla., stand to take pictures and watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour Wednesday. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Purple bracelet, Day 1

Purple, rubber bracelets have become the latest fad in popular religion. Inscribed with the words "A complaint free world," the theory is that the wearer pledges not to complain for 21 days. If they do complain, then they have to switch the bracelet to the other arm and start over.

I'm working on a story about a local church trying it, so I don't want to give to much away. But I also decided to try this trend for myself. My boyfriend has already laughed at me, doubtful that this will work. But that just gives me more encouragement - I really don't want to be the girlfriend that complains all the time!

So here are the definitions/rules I set for myself:

* Complaints are any whining or unnecessary criticism of another person, thing or institution, especially if I have no control over it.

* Honest evaluations or constructive criticism are OK, as long as I don't dwell on the negative. For instance, I'm going to do a restaurant review soon, and I'll have to be honest if the pasta is overcooked, but I don't have to whine about it.

* Only spoken or written complaints count.

* When I catch myself or someone else mentions it, I'll switch wrists.

So far, I've switched it once this morning. Let me know if you've tried something similar and what sort of results you're having!

Fundraising facts

Some interesting numbers came out of a meeting with the United Way of Northwest Louisiana yesterday. We met to talk about a survey of perceived needs in the community. They know what the actual needs are but they wanted to see what the people of the area were most concerned about. Part of this year's marketing strategy will be showing how those concerns are addressed by United Way agencies.

As we talked some interesting numbers came up:
* In 1987, the local United Way raised $3.4 million.
* Last year it raised just over $3 million.
* Both Monroe and Lake Charles United Ways expect to raise more than $4 million this year.
* Their best estimate is that 15,000 to 18,000 people in the 10-parish area contribute to the United Way.
* About 400 people give a total of more than $700,000.
* Caddo and Bossier Parishes have more than 300 social service nonprofits. Only about 30 receive money from the United Way.

Take that Goliath!

Christian toy company One2Believe is releasing a series of Bible hero toys that will be carried by Wal-Marts around the country (including the one on Airline Drive in Bossier and on Bert Kouns in Shreveport).

The toys range from talking dolls that tell their own stories, small figurine sets like David and Goliath, and bigger action figure dolls "that boys will love to play with." The press release touts them as a way to teach children their faith and hopefully turn them into faithful teenagers.

They look pretty cool. I admit I wonder if its a bit too familiar. But I suppose I'd rather have my kids playing with Samson and Esther than figurines instead of some of those terrible things that pass for cartoons these days.

I can almost guarantee I'll see some of them on the auction block at the upcoming Religion Newswriters Association conference next month. We're always looking for quirky religion based items for the silent auction.

Jubilee celebrations

Sorry, this e-mail got a little buried but several Catholic priests with links to Shreveport celebrated big anniversaries last weekend. They are all Jesuits and members of the congregation based in New Orleans.

The Revs. Edward P. Buvens and Hacker J. Fagot celebrated 50 years. And the Rev. Norman B. O’Neal celebrated 60 years.

Fagot and Buvens were among the priests from Ignatius Residence in New Orleans who evacuated to Shreveport following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The folks at Christus Schumpert found room for them in the Bossier hospital and one afternoon they shared stories and memories of living and working here. Many were teachers at St. John High School (now Loyola College Prep).

"We all loved St. John's," Fagot told me. "We're all a little sorry we're not still there."

They were a very funny group of men, always picking on each other and laughing, which was particularly startling to me considering the somber tone of most of those days after the storm.

Here's a little more about the men:

Fagot did his regency (a sort of internship after ordination) at St. John from 1952-54. He taught psychology for years, and then served as retreat director at the Manresa House of Retreats in Convent, from 1994 to 2005.

Buvens was born in 1934 in Montreal, Canada, and attended high school at St. John High School in Shreveport. he went on to spent his active ministry in health care and social work in Houston and New Orleans.

O'Neal is a native Shreveporter, who was baptized at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, attended Sacred Heart Cathedral School and St. John High School there. He spent his career as a high school teacher in Tampa, Fla., and at Jesuit in New Orleans.

Photo: The Revs. Herve Racivitch, Charles O'Neill, Ed Buvens and Thomas Culley sit down for lunch at Christus Schumpert Bossier. About 25 of the Jesuit priests were evacuated from New Orleans and are living at the hospital. Robert Ruiz/The Times. 09/14/05.

Re-educating the masses

What would you call someone who believes Jesus was born of a virgin, ascended into heaven and will return on Judgement Day?

A Christian? Yes, but you could also call him or her a Muslim.

These similarities are part of the reason Abderazak Benyahia was so dismayed at the graffiti that defaced the outside walls of the Islamic Association of Arabi Tuesday. A little, white house on Youree Drive, the mosque is usually quiet except at prayer times, when the members -- among them doctors, business owners and engineers -- gather to share in worship of God.

To Benyahia, a former Algerian diplomat, the incident is a way to teach people about Islam. He has seen war, chose to leave his homeland in part to find peace. "I prefer to explain my cause."
He is also adamant that Islam does not endorse violence of any kind, and that according to the Quran, killing one man is like killing all of humanity.

He reminded me that Christians and Muslims look to the same set of holy men for inspiration: Abraham, Moses, Jesus. They add Muhammad, who they see as just a man who was particularly blessed to be the messenger of God.

Thankfully, he said he has never experienced any direct threats or intimidation because of his faith. I believe folks here are mostly good people, who have a great deal of respect for anyone's faith. I hope more of them step forward after this incident.

Team Ethan

The pictures of the St. Jude patients along the way are what got me through the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon last December. Who knew that a few months later I would be writing about and everyone in town would be talking about a new patient?

Ethan Powell, an infant leukemia patient from Shreveport, will have his own teams at this year's race. One group will do the 5K and another will do the Half Marathon (13.1 miles). With four months to go, y'all have plenty of time to train for the half. It's a well run race, and you can't beat the cause. If you want to learn more about Team Ethan, here's the link to the MySpace page.

And to paraphrase Ben's dad, prayer works for running!

Providence House making families

We all know about Providence House's work in restoring homeless families. Well, they also help create families.

A few weeks ago, the transitional homeless shelter received a phone call from Kelly, a mother in Delhi who had nowhere to go with her baby and boyfriend. Only married couples are admitted at Providence House, but the shelter still arranged to take in Kelly and the baby while James, the boyfriend, went to the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission.

The situation apparently made them think and they decided to get married. The shelter staff pulled together all the pieces: dress, minister and cake and the wedding was held in the Providence House living room June 22.

Now, Kelly, James and their six month old are working their way to independence through the Providence House program.

Losing faith

Los Angeles Times religion reporter William Lobdell, is known for some truly amazing journalism. He also did plenty of those amazing stories of faith and overcoming obstacles that we religion reporters live for. He also investigated his share of sexual abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Trinity Broadcasting Network and the opulent lives of its founders and evangelist Benny Hinn.

Last Sunday, he published an essay describing his loss of faith and shift to a new beat. It's a raw, personal account of struggle, and as another religion reporter, its hard to read. I guess I should consider myself lucky.

What would you say to someone, say a friend, who experienced great trials in their faith and eventually lost it altogether?

Harry haze

Sorry, I've been slacking on the blog posts. It's been a busy couple of days in the office, and I've been staying up way too late to finish the Harry Potter saga. Storywise, "Deathly Hallows" was the darkest and most action-packed of the seven books. (And for those of you that haven't finished, no worries, there are no spoilers here)

From a faith/religion aspect, it's chock full of morals and values upheld by most religions. Love, community, commitment, mercy, and a willingness to stand up for what you believe are all critical components of our hero. A Christian idea of self-sacrifice takes center stage toward the end as Harry and his friends fight the dark wizards.

On a deeper level, Harry and friends spend a lot of time considering death and what it means to conquer death. There's also a spiritually fascinating thematic line about the connection between body and soul. As you may know from the sixth book, when a mind/body commits grave evil, the author suggests it has dire consequences for the soul. In this book, the possibility of redemption and justice is explained.

For those of you who have read it, what religious themes do you see? And for those that haven't, I highly recommend it for anyone say 11 or 12 and over.

Behind the veil

I stood and spoke with Sarah Zitterman for several minutes Wednesday night, and I have no idea what she looks like.


All I could tell for sure is she has fair skin and blue eyes that crinkle when she smiles, and she's about 5'6". Her nails might be painted bright red or her figure might reveal that she's had two children or she might have great legs. But all of that was hidden under a flowing gray dress and black veil.


The observant Muslim woman came to speak to the class I've been taking. By her own choice, she covers her entire body aside from her eyes when in the presence of men she is not related to. It forces you to notice that she's very smart and a wonderful advocate for her faith.

As part of her presentation, she talked about it, and said it was one of the first things she loved about Islam before she converted. "It means (the wearer) is protected. She is not judged by what she looks like." In our super-sexualized world that's actually pretty appealing.

I have to admit I was fascinated. Although I have visited the local mosques several times and I even have a scarf to cover my hair when I go, none of the women I have met cover their faces. To see it in person, in this country, surprised me and brought both the silly and sincere questions to mind. Was it hot or annoying? Is it strange to talk through? Why is it necessary to take the requirements for modesty that far?

But her first half-sad, half-funny story about the veil reminded us all not leap to judgements. On numerous occasions, she has been in Wal-Mart only to hear people right behind her talking about her and her clothing because they assume she doesn't speak English. She grew up in California.

"On good days, I turn and say 'May I answer some questions for you?' And on bad days, I don't say anything - hopefully."

Changes at St. Mark's

A bishop will be coming to Shreveport's Episcopal Community as the interim dean (pastor) of St. Mark's Cathedral. He will begin Aug. 19 to take the place of the retired Rev. M.L. Agnew until at least the end of the year.

According to the church bulletin, Bishop Gethin Hughes, 64, was born to a faithful family with a love of the ministry. His father was a minister and his two brothers are also priests.

He studied at Exeter University and Wycliffe Hall Theological College in England, and Seabury-Western Seminary in Evanston, Ill. He returned to Wales for ordination and service in a suburban parish.

In 1969, with his bride and new daughter Hughes and his family settled in his wife's hometown of Los Angeles. Over the next two decades he worked his way up the ranks of the church while serving various parishes in Southern California.

He was elected the third bishop of the Diocese of San Diego in 1991. In his 14 years there, he served 53 congregations and opened new ministries particularly for the Hispanic community. Church attendance increased 30 percent during his tenure and he established ecumenical and interfaith relationships with other religious communities.

For the national church he is on the Board of The Anglican Digest, and since 1997 has been Chair of the Episcopal Church Building Fund.

He retired in 2005 and moved to Buellton, Calif., with wife, Lenore.

Welcome to Shreveport Bishop Hughes!

Painting God

Truly otherworldly talent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZSGK5lvYMY

I wish the story would have talked a little more about her faith journey - its great she believes in God, but what does that belief mean to her? And what about her mother, formerly and athiest? But before I go too Get Religion on you, enjoy the video...

Save this one

Please, save Isaac Ain's obituary from today's paper - especially if you have children. Ain, a local Holocaust survivor who died over the weekend, didn't talk about his experiences very often. I can't imagine the pain that the memories must have brought to his mind. But to me, that was more reason to make sure it made it in the paper one more time.

The stories of the Holocaust are most often seen as haunting, horrible tales of inhumanity. They are also stories of great triumph and faith.

Sadly, we're losing the first hand accounts of those stories everyday as survivors die -- luckily of old age. And the experiences are much more compelling coming from their mouths. We can't afford to forget what happened, and we must keep telling these stories to make sure it doesn't happen again.

In the jungle

Mission trips always make great stories. Unfortunately, local churches tend to go on too many cool ones for the amount of space we have. Luckily, the blogosphere has no such restrictions. So here's a particularly impressive tale from Baptist Tabernacle Church:

Nine people went to the jungles of Brazil, where a missionary sponsored by the church ministers to people in the city of Manaus and also to villages accessible only by the Amazon River. The group helped organize a church in the mid-sized city of Urucara, near Manaus and then spent two days traveling the river on the Millers houseboat bringing medicine and Bibles to people in the villages.

In each village they held a Kids' Club in the afternoon and a service for adults in the evening.

"We gave out 200 gift bags, dispensed medicine and gave out Bibles to people that have never owned a copy of God’s Word," said the Rev. Mike Landry, pastor.

They shared some pictures with me:

Children in the village of Urucara. They were starting to look through their goodie bags brought by the missionaries.

What it's all about: children look through their new Bibles. According to Landry, the people of the villages have little or no religion at all. Brazil in general is largely Roman Catholic.

The Millers' houseboat, anchored on the river near one of the villages. The Shreveport group lived there for two days sleeping on hammocks and spreading the gospel.

A man rowed his canoe out to the missionaries so he could traded oranges for a Bible. "It meant so much to him to have a copy of his very own of God’s Word."

Shreveporter Jonathan Lindsey with an anaconda. I'm trusting he had some extra prayers. I don't think the folks at Baptist Tabernacle are usually snake handlers.

Lessons from Hogwarts

Faith and the religious community has been part of the Harry Potter series since it became wildly popular about 10 years ago. Early on, many churches protested since it centers around a boy wizard. That uproar died down as folks started to examine it as a parable or fairy tale centered around the battle between good and evil, or pure love and selfishness.

As I watched the latest movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, some other subtle themes seemed to rise to the surface.

* Truth - The story is set around the conflict between Harry and others who believe the evil wizard Voldemort has returned and those who are still in denial. Despite some amount of physical and emotional pain because of his knowledge, Harry doesn't give up on the truth.

* Community - I love this particular story because it so parallels teenage development. Harry is now about 16 and like many teenagers, he is convinced the world revolves around him. And of course, no one else understands what he's going through. But he has to realize that he can't do it alone. Friends and mentors -- community -- are necessary to become the person he is supposed to be.

If you're looking for some other faith angles, try Beliefnet or the Dallas Morning News blogs.

I have a feeling the conclusion of the series, to be released in book form on Saturday, will have even more religious overtones. I'll let you know when I finish it...

Everyone's issue

Roxann Johnson, CEO of the YWCA, shared an alarming anecdote with me yesterday. On more than one occasion she has approached local pastors asking for support of the shelter for domestic violence victims operated by the organization. They have not exactly blown her off, but they have referred her to the church's women's ministry to get what she needs.

Excuse me? If men are the ones are beating their wives, isn't that a men's issue?

So she was thrilled to see about 100 people, many of them male pastors, attending a training session yesterday to teach faith based organizations about domestic violence and how they can help victims in their churches. And as one minister said, the abusers need prayer and ministry too. It's not a pleasant issue, but it does affect people from all segments of society.

Minister Charlie Davis, of Red Chute Church of Christ and organizer of the event, put it well: "That's what the church should be talking about -- things that aren't comfortable."

Local boy makes priest

A former Shreveporter and son of the former Times editor has been ordained a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Fort Worth. You can see a story about the Rev. Raymond McDaniel Jr. and his journey from First Baptist Church to St. Patrick's in Fort Worth's diocesan magazine.

'Go and do likewise'

After talking to friends and church members, I wish I had met Mr. Waller, who gave his life while trying to help a neighbor.

"He was always smiling, always happy, always waving," friend Terri Gilmer said. "He just taught you how to love no matter what."

Mr. Waller was a faithful church member, and I think he would be pleased if we read a little Scripture in his memory. In his honor, here's the story of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke:

(A lawyer) asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply, Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.

'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Public sin

The news about U.S. Sen. David Vitter and the "DC Madam" has brought up one of my favorite moral theology questions. When is a sin just a weakness and when is it hypocrisy?

Every religion agrees that people should strive for perfection but will ultimately fail. So does that make us all hypocrites or are we just weak -- and we all have our own weaknesses?

UPDATE: One of my favorite blogs, Get Religion, has looked at the question a little more in depth. Let me know what you think...

Mission time

Broadmoor Baptist just returned from its annual mission to Cordoba, Mexico, where they work with the Mexican-Indian Training Center. Part-time photographer and church member Chesley Roberts went and documented the trip in this photo gallery.

Please check it out. The church choir went, so the missionaries were able to serve people physically in a medical clinic and spiritually through some massive revival services. I hear it was absolutely tremendous.

New meaning to committment

My job leads me to some truly remarkable people. Robert and Thelma Tobin certainly rank up there with some of my favorites.

Next week they will celebrate their 76th wedding anniversary and I wrote about it for today's paper. Lots of people don't even live that long, but they are happy and healthy and look at each other probably the same way they did in 1931. Despite their trials, my guess is part of the reason they succeeded is because divorce just simply wasn't an option. They committed themselves to the relationship and that was that - no more discussion needed.

I also asked them about divorce rates today. Mr. Tobin agreed it was problem. "It leaves the community on shaky ground. When you have stout families, you have stout communities."

We can all learn something from their example.

A geranium in your hat

I'm not sure Barbara Johnson was ever a speaker in the Women of Faith tour when it came through Shreveport, but I'm sure her humor influenced the tour for years to come.

She died last week and the PR folks are just releasing her obituary. Here's a piece:

Award-winning Christian author and Women of Faith Speaker emeritus, Barbara Johnson died July 2nd, 2007, of cancer. Diagnosed with a brain tumor in early 2001, she valiantly fought central nervous system lymphoma for six years, as well as adult onset diabetes. During her final illness, she amazed the publishing world by adding four more titles to her long list of best sellers, including a poignantly humorous book about her cancer, Plant a Geranium in Your Cranium.

Known as the “Geranium Lady” after her book Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy, Barbara won the hearts of millions with her trademark wit and humor formed in the fire of adversity. One of Barbara’s favorite humorists to emulate was Erma Bombeck. She was also known in many literary circles as the “Christian Erma Bombeck.”

Faith and freedom, step 2

The other day I wrote about freedom of choice and how valuable that is when it comes to religion. So the next question becomes how do we handle that freedom when confronted with people who believe differently?

Most of us come for a religion with explicit commands to spread the word and bring others to the fold. That must be balanced with a respect for those who believe differently. After all, if God doesn't force us to love him, who are we to force others into our faith?

This Christian-Muslim relations class I've been taking has examined this very issue of interreligious dialogue and how to approach it with charity and without compromising your own religious integrity. Here are some of the guidelines we discussed, some of which come from the book "Meeting Other Believers" by Cardinal Francis Arinze:

* Belief in freedom of choice so that people may practice faith according to their own conscience.

* Be knowledgeable about your own faith. Nearly all of the arguments against religious dialogue (that it would cause people to question their beliefs or lead to relativism or syncretism) can be refuted if those participating in dialogue are strong and knowledgeable about their own belief.

* Maintain a clear religious identity. Sometimes the temptation might be to downplay those elements of religion that set you apart from those you're talking to. But be firm and proud of what you believe - anyone who wants to learn about your religion would expect that. Arinze puts it well: "Christians who... would like to hide their Christian identity or at least to de-emphasize it, seem to be saying, without words, that Christ is an obstacle or embarrassment to dialogue."

* At the same time, be prepared to look at your own faith critically. I don't mean to attack your beliefs, but acknowledge those teachings that might seem difficult or contradictory to those who do not share your faith. Also realize where your tradition as an institution has failed. As a Catholic, I have to admit that the Virgin birth of Jesus is hard to grasp and that the Inquisition was probably not the finest moment in church history. But we can talk about those things constructively.

* Knowledge of the other religion. It's impossible to have truly constructive dialogue without knowing something of the other religion. If you're unclear on the basics, look them up or make that known and ask the person you're talking to before jumping to conclusions.

* Finally, perhaps most importantly, bring with you an attitude of love and respect. My job has led me to conversations with all kinds of folks who believe differently than I do, and going into those conversations with a genuine respect and curiosity has made up for all kinds of stupid questions and unintentional, but possibly insulting, remarks.

What took so long?

Any "signficant" date these days seem to bring some prophecy about the Second Coming of Christ or the apocalypse. Now 7/7/07 has it's own prophecy here. I had never heard of these folks before, so I don't know what else to say...

He said that?

As I've watched churches grown and change in Shreveport, I have been fascinated and sometimes saddened by the lack of ethnic diversity in the vast majority of congregations.

It's especially obvious in neighborhoods that were once predominately white and are now predominately black, which led to the story in today's Times. The white churches will eventually sell to black churches -- often of the same denomination. And the black church will grow. So here, you've got folks with no theological difference but they can't seem to make it work.

In my reporting, the Rev. James Jenkins, Regional strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention (that's the Southern Baptists) said one of the most radical things I've ever heard on the subject of race, culture and church.

"There's no such thing as a multicultural church."

Say what? What about Word of Life Center or the Jehovah's Witness congregations or the Catholic parishes that have folks that come from different cultures? He clarified saying you can have multiethnic churches, meaning people who don't look like each other attend the same congregation. But "in any church there is one culture."

The more I thought about it, it makes sense. Jehovah's Witnesses and Catholics have a culture of their own that can -- at least for an hour on Sunday -- transcend racial divisions. Other churches tend to adopt the culture of the members. If those members come from different places, Jenkins said one group always wins.

Or maybe they can find a third way. From what I know of Word of Life, members are drawn by the pastor and charismatic worship. It's a basic message of Jesus.

So what do y'all think? Do you agree with Jenkins? How do we bring folks together to worship? Or does it even matter?

Faith and freedom

Yesterday's official readings for Catholic churches around the world focused on freedom -- particularly meaningful in this country as we gear up to celebrate Independence Day. The Old Testament reading and the gospel passages both centered around stories of people and their freedom to choose (or not) to follow God's call. And the second reading, from Galatians, tied together the ideas of freedom, service and love.

"For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love." (Gal. 5:1, 13)

Freedom and service at their face seem some how opposed to each other. If we are in service, we submit our own will to the needs of others, which contradicts the idea of freedom, right? Not when the choice to serve is made willingly and out of love. Pope Benedict XVI put it better than I ever could in a weekly address (read here for the complete text):

Luke the Evangelist tells of how Jesus, 'When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.' (Lk 9:51). In the expression 'resolutely' we can glimpse the freedom of Christ. He knows, in fact, that in Jerusalem, death by the cross awaits him, but in obedience to the will of the Father he offers himself for love. It is in this, his obedience to the Father, that Jesus fulfills his own conscious choice motivated by love.

Who is more free than the One who is Omnipotent? But it was a freedom he didn't see as arbitrary or as one of dominion. It was one he viewed as service. In the process, he "restored" what freedom means, otherwise it would remain 'empty' opportunities of doing or not doing something. And so in the life of man, freedom brings with it a sense of love.

50 years in the same job

The whole concept seems foreign to me, and probably anyone of my generation. But Ronald Gray, music minister at Broadmoor Christian Church just celebrated that milestone.

He is a charter member of the church, founded in 1956 (when 6005 Youree Drive was no doubt in the middle of the sticks). According to the bio from the church, he fell into the job almost by accident. During the summer of 1957, he began as interim choir director. Shortly thereafter, the organist quit and Gray was promoted to Minister of Music and Choir Director.

He never left.

In another interesting tie to the church, Gray and his wife, Donna, were the first couple married in Broadmoor Christian Church.

When you think about all the changes in worship styles and theory in the last 50 years, it seems especially remarkable that he has remained in the position.

It did not go unnoticed by the regional authorities of the Disciples of Christ. They proclaimed June 16, 2007, as Ronnie Gray Day.

Trials of the Christian Single

As a Christian -- or devout member of any faith -- how hard is it to date people that share those same values? Rod Dreher, Dallas Morning News columnist and Crunchy Con blogger, took up the issue yesterday in this post. I found fairly spot on. Although, as one of the commenters noted it has the potential to be the "Depressingest. Thread. Ever."

What do y'all think?

Almighty pandering

Why can't movies with a religious theme be legitimately funny without feeling like their pandering to a predetermined audience?

I saw "Evan Almighty" yesterday, hoping the critics would be wrong. I mean, Steve Carell is a funny guy. And yes, God and the Bible can be funny too. But a lot of it was just flat. Carell gets hit in the crotch multiple times (almost never funny). And the long hair and robes gag is overdone and unnecessary. The movie had its subtle, funny moments playing off of religious aphorisms - in one scene Carell says something to God about having plans and God (Morgan Freeman) starts laughing.

The religious parts of it just seem forced. A conversation about prayer seemed awkward, as if the writer felt it had to be there for some sort of Christian credibility. And as our resident movie expert Alexandyr Kent noted, no one seems to die, despite the massive flood that sweeps through the Washington DC suburbs. That seems a little optimistic even for God.

It does have one rather insightful moment. Carell's wife, Joan (as in, of Arc) has taken the three kids and left Carell to his ark building. While in a diner, God appears to her as a waiter and says maybe God doesn't answer prayer as much as give opportunity. For instance, when you pray for patience, God gives the opportunity to be patient. Or if you pray for courage maybe he gives you the opportunity to be courageous.

At least there was something to think about in an otherwise disappointing film.

Happy Solstice

I almost forgot. Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, which is also a holiday for many Pagan or Earth-based religions. Pagan or not, Beliefnet offers some suggestions of how to celebrate the gift of light.

For your commute...

Life can't get much more everyday than your commute, and the Vatican has decided that can be a place for faith as well. Yesterday it released the "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" from the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant People, which included a sort of 10 Commandments for the road.

At first, it seems kind of odd and a trivial thing for the church to worry about, but especially as Americans, think about how much time we spend in our cars. A quick glance at the police blotter will tell you driving is dangerous and should be approached with caution. Personally, I'm convinced that prayer is the only thing that's kept me alive so far.

I'm delinquent because I couldn't find a link to the actual document but here are the 10 commandments according to the Associated Press:

The Vatican's "Ten Commandments" for drivers:
1: You shall not kill.
2: The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3: Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4: Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5: Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6: Charitably convince the young and not-so-young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7: Support the families of accident victims.
8: Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9: On the road, protect the more-vulnerable party.
10: Feel responsible toward others.

Photo: John Andrew Prime/The Times

Answered prayers

If you wonder if God answers prayers, see Ethan Powell's website today. A couple of ladies in my office started crying at the news. Awesome -- or should I say awe-full -- stuff.

When pastors leave

Final newsletter columns are often sappy and filled with thank yous and maybe a cheesy anecdote. The Rev. John Deschner of North Highlands United Methodist Church broke that mold by posing three pretty deep questions to his congregation that form a spiritual inventory:

* Looking back over the last two years, has your faith grown? If it has not, what has stopped you?
* Looking back over the last two years, are there new Christians among us, or recovered Christians among us?
* Looking back over the last two years, have you become a better representative of Jesus Christ in the world? Have you been involved in the mission work of this congregation? Have you lived your private life in a way that attracted thanksgiving and admiration from non-believers?

A great example dies

Well, Mrs. Graham died a little while ago surrounded by family. From what little I've read of her, she seems to be a great example of what it means to be a wife and mother. I received a press release with a quote from Billy Graham that I thought I would share:

“Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team. No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together. We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

Sad news from the Graham family

Ruth Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham is near death according to their public relations firm. Here's what they just sent out...

This morning, her condition began to deteriorate, with episodes of dropping
blood pressure and irregular heartbeat as she has become less responsive to
family and care-givers.

At her request, Mrs. Graham is being treated at home, with minimal artificial support. Earlier this week she indicated she did not want to be given any more
food or fluids, though she is receiving medication to manage her pain.

She continues to have fluctuating levels of consciousness, but is resting comfortably, with her husband, Billy Graham, and their five children by her bedside.

Confronting the "other"

So how do you talk to someone of another religion -- not just another Christian sect, but someone of a very different tradition -- without arguing or trying to convert each other? It's harder than it sounds, but about 25 people of varying traditions are trying to learn in a class offered through the Catholic Diocese, "Muslim-Christian Dialogue."

I decided to take the eight-week class and after the first night my brain is already churning. It's taught by Dr. Peter Huff, chairman of the religious studies department at Centenary, who teaches classes in comparative religions and has some expertise in this sort of dialogue.

Right after the introductions, we got to what are the two most difficult questions that any Christian has to wrestle with when dealing with Islam:

* What do you do with Muhammad? He claims to be a prophet after Jesus, and most Christian denominations reject that possibility.
* What do you do with the Quran as revelation that Muhammad says came from the God of Abraham through the angel Gabriel (the same angel from the annunciation)?

He said it's easy to come up with two obvious answers. One, Muhammad was right and Islam is the correct path. Or two, it's all false claims and evil. Well, Huff asked the class to think of a third way. What if you said some of what Islam teaches is true and therefore Christians could see the faith as partially inspired by God?

That's certainly not the final answer to the questions, but it's a good starting place as we explore relationships with people different from ourselves. Acknowledge the differences and the similarities and proceed forward in charity. That doesn't mean backing down from your beliefs but just being open to seeing truth dressed up in different ways.

Testing 1,2,3

Apparently, the new trend in starting churches is something akin to a "soft opening" of a store. They'll have a couple of worship services and gatherings - maybe once a month - until a grand opening.

The Simple Church is the newest one in town trying this format. It's being started by the Rev. Justin Haigler, who has been a minister at First Baptist Bossier for several years. Their philosophy is certainly a post-modern take on church: "the Simple Church exists for those who are tired of religion getting in the way of knowing who God is."

But they had one meeting June 10, and plan others for 9:30 a.m. July 15 and Aug. 12 at the movie theater at The Louisiana Boardwalk. Then they'll have the grand opening on Sept. 16 and meet on a regular basis after that. I guess the purpose is - like any business - to generate buzz and interest before actually welcoming the public in general. It's an interesting approach, and maybe it will work...

Welcome new pastors!

This time of year is prime moving time for a lot of folks particularly pastors. And United Methodists like to do it all at once, following their annual conference.

Sorry, I'm a little late getting this out, but 11 area Methodist churches are getting new leaders, the largest of which is Asbury United Methodist in Bossier City. Here's the list released by the conference of their new appointments:

Asbury United Methodist Church, Bossier City: Rev. Douglas de Graffenried
Wesley Chapel, Coushatta: the Rev. Jonathan King
Love Chapel, Haughton: the Rev. Mollie McGee
Longstreet, Logansport: the Rev. S. Kemper Smith
First United Methodist, Minden: the Rev. John Cannon
Ringgold: the Rev. John Dilworth
Lakeview, Shreveport: the Rev. Mark Strickland
North Highlands, Shreveport: the Rev. Burton Blair
Northpoint, Shreveport: the Rev. Steven Fowler
St. Luke’s, Shreveport: the Rev. Terry Love
Springhill: the Rev. Walter Parker

Welcome to all of you who are new to the area. I hope you find a thriving faith community.

Ministry of encouragement

In hopes of getting out while there was shade and maybe something resembling cool air, I got up earlyish yesterday to go for a run. I headed out to the riverfront trail and was getting into my groove when I crossed paths with a man, who was obviously in better shape than me. He shot me this big grin, clapped his hands like a trainer and said "good job!"

Isn't that nice, I thought. Only a half mile in, I was still feeling good and didn't think too much else of the man. Four miles later, when it was probably 10 degrees warmer, I was on my way back home, trying to stay motivated for the last little bit. Up ahead I saw the same man running toward me, and I was so thankful for his presence. He smiled again and clapped.

"Good job for both of us!"

"You too," was all I could muster.

He might not think of that as ministry, but it was to me. He encouraged me to find strength and to be thankful for this human community God gave us. So whoever you are, thanks and good job!

What you might not know about Witnesses

Best known for their door-to-door evangelism, Jehovah's Witnesses have come to town for an annual convention. Organizers say between 9,000 and 10,000 people are here for a weekend of worship and instruction.



I mentioned to the media contact that I know very little about the Witnesses and he was happy to fax me a fact sheet. I'm guessing that most of you know little about them outside of that kid in your elementary school class that couldn't participate in class holiday parties. So here's some of what they sent me about their beliefs, along with a little bit from Beliefnet.com:



* They view first century Christianity as their model.



* They see the Bible as infallible and inspired, but say that some pieces are symbolic.



* They believe Jesus is the son of God but not equal to God. They do not believe in the Trinity, which most Christians profess.



* While they don't physically separate themselves from society, they do avoid involvement in government, so service in the Military or saying the Pledge of Allegiance is considered wrong.



* They also try to avoid "being excessive" in worldly wealth or power.



* They see marriage as a lifelong commitment and only allow divorce in special circumstances. Re-marriage is only allowed in the case of adultery.



Plenty of folks have called the denomination a cult and set up websites to condemn it, but I thought I'd at least give you some of their own explanation of beliefs and you can decide for yourself what to make of it.

Restoring the whole person

Doctors are sometimes accused of just treating the physical, while ministers sometimes skew to the spiritual aspects of people.

The David Raines Community Health Center is trying to bring the two sides together. At a lunch today, local ministers heard about the numerous health services provided at the clinic in the MLK neighborhood. The presentation emphasized quality care that is open to anyone whether they have insurance or not. Those without insurance pay based on their income.

About a dozen ministers attended, and the staff from the clinic hoped they would spread the word to their parishioners.

"Churches are still the backbone of the community and you can help us," CEO Willie White said. "So many people don't have health care. They just wait and wait until they end up in the emergency room, where it costs us all."

The Rev. Robert Walton of St. Rest Baptist Church spoke to the group and encouraged them to make health a part of their church's ministries. He reminded them of Bible passages that talk about the value of good health and even good teeth.

I'm always encouraged to see churches stepping outside of their four walls. Maybe something creative can come out of this for churches whether its regular health screenings or a commitment to healthier fellowship dinners.

It can help the church on a spiritual and physical level.

From the mouths of babes

A family friend told me about babysitting her 5-year-old grandson over the weekend. In one of their travels she said Jacob made some comment and she said "trust me."

"I trust you Nana, but I trust God more," he replied.

Welcome to the project

A visiting priest from Massachusetts, Fr. John O'Brien, visited the young adult group I'm a part of last night and as part of the discussion we talked about how the church has evolved over the last 2,000 years. He said that in times of cultural distress (like today) people want to cling to absolutes and black and white but that's not how faith works.

While God may not change, our understanding of God is constantly developing, partly based on the culture/conflicts of the day, he said. Therefore, our human reaction to God (the "rules" of religion) also change. Then he came to the best part. Fr. John reminded us that we can be a part of that discussion. As we grow in faith and understanding and share it with others, we contribute to this "project" of developing theology.

I guess that's what I hoped this blog and my work in general can be about: stimulating and continuing that discussion. How do other people understand God? How does faith intersect with the world? What can we learn from all of that?

Welcome to this piece of the project.

May it be an uneventful season

June 1 marks the official beginning of hurricane season, even though we've technically already had one named storm. I searched for some preventing disastrous storm prayers and came up with these. The first is pretty generic and the second is very Catholic (and kind of scary).

Father, all the elements of nature obey your command.
Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us
and turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness.
Amen.

********

O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us. Amen.

God, cops and criminals

Public figures regularly invoke the name of God or some higher power when they achieve some accomplishment or recognition. So I only half paid attention when the new police chief, Col. Henry Whitehorn, thanked God when he took the podium at the press conference last night. But then he came back to the almighty saying that God has a plan.

That caught my attention. He didn't immediately elaborate on the plan, and Channel 12 returned to CSI just after that, so I'm not sure if anything else came up. But I was struck that this is a man who sees himself working for a higher authority than himself, the mayor or even the citizens of Shreveport. I hope so. Because, quite frankly, I'm not sure that the police chief can prevent most crime.

The Rev. Bobby Joe Cooper paid me a visit this morning and without me asking he brought up the issue.

"Every week people are killing each other. The new police chief is not going to stop that. The only solution is Jesus Christ."

Cooper is on to something. He's been walking the streets, evangelizing in hopes of making a difference.

Maybe if we all leaned on some higher power (It doesn't have to be Jesus. All world religions condemn senseless violence, and secular humanists would see it as impractical.) then our city might be safer.

From storefront to national attention

Anita Palmer, of Many, called me today to brag on her pastor, the Rev. Andre Lewis. He leads a small storefront church, Act on Faith Ministries in the Caddo Heights neighborhood.

But they apparently have an awesome choir, Supreme Voices of Faith. The not-quite 20 member group (the church has about 50 members) recently made a trip to Atlanta to appear on a variety show broadcast on several regional TV stations. They were promoting their new CD "Another Chance." Lewis produced the album, and snippets are available from the record label website. It's got a jazzy, soulful, gospel sound that they compare to Kirk Franklin.

Lewis said his goal for the CD is in the title.

"God is a god of another chance," he said. Too often, he hears from people who are waiting to get their lives together before the come back to church.

"People don't come to church because they don't feel worthy," he said. "God has to be the one to reform us."

He said if you walked into his sanctuary on Sunday, you might smell a little Saturday night alcohol or notice someone with bloodshot eyes.

"These are the people we're supposed to be preaching to," he said.

Palmer had nothing but praise for him, and only a little bit had to do with her recent TV appearance with the choir. She said she has learned so much more about the Bible and God than she had at other churches.

"He taught me that God is always with me," she said.

Although she almost had second thoughts about calling, she said she just wanted to give her pastor a little public acknowledgement for what he's been doing for her and the rest of the church. And I'm always thrilled to hear people excited about their faith and their communities, so here it is. Congratulations to Act on Faith!

More nun stories

One more story about the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word appeared in my inbox today, even though the story about their 100th anniversary of working at Schumpert Hospital appeared on Sunday. I have loved reading every one of these stories. They're funny and touching and maybe it will inspire someone else to follow in these nun's footsteps.

Here's the last one from Bette Chiles Davis, a nurse and patient:

I entered the Schumpert School of Nursing in 1937, when I was 17 years old.

I am not Catholic and really did not know what to expect, but the Sisters were all very friendly and kind. They, also. made all of us as comfortable as they could.

The sisters taught us both in the classroom and when we cared for patients in the hospital setting. Their Christian influence was felt by each one of us and could be seen in our patient care.

The sisters are also very human. Being young and mischievous, several of the students decided to play a joke on the night supervisor. This was in the old red brick building. One sat in a wheel chair and pretended to be in labor and rang the night bell. One student ran down and was pushing the wheelchair toward the elevator, when a Sister came off the elevator and helped to get the "expecting patient" on the elevator. We were able to keep the "patient's face" hidden until we were taking her off the elevator. That was when we were exposed but Sister only laughed with us.

During the big snow in the mid-40's, some of us were sliding down the west front driveway on cardboard boxes. Two of the young sisters came out and we were throwing snow balls when they joined us. They wanted to slide down the drive way as well. A couple of us went to a near by store and purchased some boots for them to walk back up the hill where there was several inches of snow. We all were sliding down the hill and having a great time.

In 1940, I delivered my daughter, at Schumpert on the third floor of that same red brick building. As a patient I was priviledged to experience the thoughtful CHRISTIAN compassionate care offered by the sisters, docters, nurses, dietary, housekeeping and all other staff members.

I am now retired from Schumpert, and I can hardly believe that I have been associated with the Sisters off and on for 70 of the 100 years that are being celebrated.

Congratulations Msgr. LaCaze!

Allow me to send a personal congratulations today to my first pastor (at least the first one I remember), Msgr. Carson LaCaze, now the parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans.

Today, he celebrates the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. It's hard for many of us to imagine doing anything for 50 years, much less enjoying your job so much that you continue after your eligible for retirement. I talked to him a little bit about his career and what this anniversary means to him.

"I'm still pleased with the choice," LaCaze said. "I'd do it over again. I enjoy the work, working with the people of God."

Monsignor was born in 1930 in Natchitoches Parish. He started thinking about the priesthood in sixth grade, and by his junior year of high school he decided that was how he was to spend his life. So at 16 years old he enrolled in seminary at St. Joseph's in Covington. Yes, you read that right, 16.

It took him another 10 years to finish high school, college level philosophy and theology before ordination at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. His ordination class had 22 men, which he said was big even then, and by today's standards is huge. With the priest shortage continuing to worsen he encouraged young men to consider the vocation.

"It's a rewarding life," he said, and ever the pragmatist: "Like most professions, you get what you put into it."

He immediately began ministry in Cottonport. Since then he has served as pastor of Holy Rosary, Christ the King and St. Mary of the Pines. He helped found Mary, Queen of Peace, when it was a mission church.

Administering the sacraments -- baptism, Eucharist, marriage -- have always been the high points of his ministry, he said. His biggest surprise was when he received a letter in 1979 naming him a monsignor, which is a special given by the pope on the recommendation of the local bishop.

"I wasn't working for it and didn't expect it," he said.

I'm quite sure he earned it. I remember Monsignor from his days at St. Mary's when I would get dragged up to church to "help" with whatever my mom was doing. He kind of scared us as kids - he was a little gruff and had very high expectations of his parish. He was also the first priest I ever heard swear (although it was something very minor). As an adult, he always makes me laugh, and I can see why he is my dad's favorite priest, with his practical approach to faith. It's been a joy to be reacquainted with him.

In celebration of his jubilee, Monsignor will celebrate all of the Masses at the Cathedral this weekend, with a covered dish lunch following the 11 a.m. Mass. Then at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday he along with Msgr. Franz Graef and other priests ordained for the Diocese of Alexandria the same year will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral, 939 Jordan St.

May God continue to bless his ministry to the people of Shreveport-Bossier City.

Summer reading

School's almost out. The humidity is rising. And pool chairs are filling up faster than cash registers at a gas station.

For me, it's time to catch up on all the reading I have wanted to do but haven't while I've been taking my masters classes. I have several spiritual/religious books scattered around my apartment: Philip Yancey's "Prayer," Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis," Pope John Paul II's "Crossing the Threshold of Hope," and I need to order Pope Benedict XVI's "Jesus of Nazareth."

Is there anything out there you recommend? Religious or even a secular book with some good spiritual themes?

Note about comments

I welcome and encourage your comments to the blog, so I thought I might clarify a few things to encourage the discussion.

* It's easy. You don't have to have your own blog, just click on comments and under "choose your identity" you can register as a guest or anonymous and then leave your thoughts.

* All comments are moderated by me. That means I get an e-mail when someone leaves a comment and then I choose whether or not to post it. So if your comment doesn't show up right away, it probably means I haven't checked my e-mail lately (this is more likely to be the case on the weekends).

* I'll publish just about anything as long as it's not truly vulgar or ridiculous.

* As far as I can tell, I cannot edit the comments, so check your spelling and grammar.

Thanks and comment away!

Notice some better looking homes?

In just a few hours, with enough volunteers a house can go from this:

To this...

to nearly brand new...

Nearly 70 homes have a new paint job this week after Saturday's annual Paint Your Heart Out Shreveport event. I joined my boyfriend's office at Barksdale and a group from Comcast cable to paint the home of an 85-year-old lady in Sunset Acres. She, like the other homeowners, couldn't do it herself and couldn't afford to pay someone, so the city provided the materials and churches, businesses and organizations throughout the city provided the labor (I have to say that BAFB was particularly well represented).

It was a good reminder that volunteer work doesn't have to be hard or even terribly time consuming. It was just a matter of putting on some work clothes and doing what needed to be done. Everyone walks away with a sense of appreciation and pride.

Door to door caution

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was hanging out in my apartment when someone knocked on the door. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I peered through the peephole. A nice-looking young man stood there, without any sort of identification.

My city-girl instincts kicked in and I thought went through the options: He could be an ax murderer. He could just be lost. Maybe he's trying to sell something, at which point I can call security because solicitations are not allowed in the complex. I could ignore him completely.

I decided to open the door just wide enough to say hi. He handed me a flier from his church.
"I'm just spreading the love of Jesus," he said.
"Thanks, have a nice day," I replied.
Door closed.

I fully appreciate people who are willing to go door to door spreading their faith. It shows conviction and guts and faith, since you never know what you're going to find when the door opens. And being a religion reporter, I'm naturally interested in other peoples beliefs.

But in today's world, where the news regularly warns us to lock our doors and be suspicious of who knocks, I was not about to engage this guy in further conversation. My mom is probably out there shaking her head at me for even answering the door.

It left me wondering whether churches have adjusted their witnessing strategies to make up for today's climate. I have a few suggestions. Send out two people -- preferably of the opposite sex. Maybe wear some sort of identifying clothing. Everyone recognizes the Mormons in their white shirts and ties. And don't be surprised if you get lots of terse responses in apartment complexes full of single women.

May God welcome him home

Shreveport has lost a beautiful example of Christian life with the death of Dr. Joe Holoubek Thursday. He was 91.

His contributions to the city's medical community are well documented: the founding of LSU's School of Medicine here and the care he and his late wife, Dr. Alice, gave to countless patients.

It was all done with a deep grounding in his Catholic faith. He constantly studied scripture and the teachings of the church through formal classes and a Bible study that met for 30 years. He and his wife were also known for their presentations on the medical explanation of the crucifixion.

When his book "Letters to Luke," was released in 2004, I visited Dr. Holoubek and was privileged to see the chapel he had added to their Broadmoor Terrace home. He said he spent about an hour a day in prayer there. I must have looked impressed because he added, "one out of 24 isn't bad."

His faith was also instrumental in his marriage. That was probably what impressed me the most about Dr. Holoubek -- his complete devotion to Dr. Alice. Even after more than 60 years together he looked at her as if their love was brand new. They attended daily Mass together for 50 years, and saw each other as full partners in life.

"I'm amazed at what's ordinary to us seems extraordinary to other people," he said. "That's just the way we live. Lots of people do."

May God bless them both and their family.

Memories?

I'm quite sure that most of you longtime Shreveport residents have some memory of the nuns at Schumpert Hospital. Either they helped you deliver a baby or gave you a hug or made sure the hospital room was spotlessly sanitary.

The first group of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (why do orders have to pick such long names?) arrived in Shreveport 100 years ago. I'm putting together a story about them and I would love to have your stories to go with it. Please e-mail me at dhaag@gannett.com with any anecdotes.

Thanks!

Martial arts mixed with God?

Modern spirituality allows God to be combined with all sorts of seemingly ungodly lifestyles: bikers, hip hop, and heavy metal music. In fact, these stories have become a mainstay of my clipfile.

Today's Sports story by Roy Lang took the trend to a new level. He writes about a local youth minister who is also an amateur mixed-martial arts fighter. I don't really know anything about the sport -- although some of my friends from church are fans -- but the subject of the story had a great quote that highlighted the disconnect.

"The Bible says 'love everybody,' said (Joseph) Freid. "It doesn't say you can't beat on them at little."

So what do you think about this trend of mixing God with more secular trends?

Yolanda King collapses, dies

Another religious/political figure died unexpectedly yesterday. According to the AP, Yolanda King, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s eldest child collapsed and died after making a speech. She was 51.

King spoke at Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church's annual Freedom Awards Banquet in 2004. She was dynamic, funny and obviously committed to her father's work of bringing love, unity and peace to all people.

"Too often we turn on each other instead of turning to each other," King said to the audience of about 400. She encouraged everyone to be active in their community instead of just standing by and watching.

"We need to get beyond our differences which will remain," she said. "We all come from the same source and the same creator."

Photo: King speaking at Greenwood Acres. Times photo/Shane Bevel

RIP Jerry Falwell

It's kind of strange to think that Jerry Falwell, noted fundamentlist and political activist has died. Many of us in the religion news world had tried to take his many outlandish statements with large grains of salt, but often he couldn't be ignored. That was probably his genius. He learned how to get his message out to huge numbers of people in hopes of changing the world for the better.

What do y'all think? Why did his ministry become so successful? How will he be remembered?

Living saints

Every time I write about foster parents, I am forced to ask myself: could I do that? I don't know, but I know these people are blessed with extra helpings of patience, compassion and love for children.

The story in today's paper came up more for political reasons. The Department of Social Services is asking the legislature for a monthly raise for its foster parents from $374 to $510 per child. But there's a lot of faith behind the families who are wiling to take these children in, children who have seen and experienced far more horror in their 5 or 10 years than I have in 28.

Foster parent Lori Gates of Bossier City put it well, "They’re taking on children that are not their own and have no connection to and they know the money is not going to cover it."

One thing she's trying to do with the Northwest Louisiana Foster and Adoptive Parent Association is raise money for foster children so they can go to camp this summer. If you want to help her, call 742-2718.

Prayers again

Y'all might remember the story I wrote about baby Ethan Powell a couple of months ago. He was diagnosed with particularly strong leukemia, and his dad launched a website and mobilized thousands of people in prayer. And as people of faith would expect, the leukemia cells disappeared from his body, although they remain at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis waiting for a bone marrow transplant.

Well, yesterday they got some tough news. The leukemia has returned to Ethan's body. While his parents are showing incredible faith, it's obvious from the website that they're in pain. See their website (www.ethanpowell.com) for more details, or just pray for them.

Photo: from Ethan's website

For anyone going to Charlotte...

The Billy Graham Library will open June 5 after a celebrity-studded dedication May 31. A shiny, packed-with-info press kit arrived in the mail the other day touting the opening of the museum, which sounds very impressive:

40,000 square feet
a 40-foot tall glass window/door in the shape of a cross
6 exhibits
350 photographs
60 years of history

My first thought was "isn't this a little excessive?" Then I thought about the preacher, who has reached more than 210 million people, some in countries no one thought possible (the Soviet Union, for example). He also reshaped the way we think about modern multi-media ministry with his radio and TV appearances. And I'm sure he would say its not a monument to his accomplishments but to the work of God.

Sometime in the next couple of years, I hope to get out to North Carolina and then I'll take a detour to see it for myself. But if any of you get there first, I'd love to hear what you think!

Postcards from God part 2

We left the desert for another big change: the forests and farmland of California. The majesty of the mountains and trees made me feel so small and the rolling farmland brings a sense of gratitude for what the land can produce.

So here's some shots and scripture from Sequoia National Park and into San Francisco. Again, if you want to make them bigger, click on them.

"(Man) searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light. But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?" (Job 29:11-12)









"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Is. 55:9)










"He brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers." (Psalm 78:16)











"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)


And this is one is a quote from Ben Franklin at one of the Napa wineries, just because it made me laugh...


"Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy."

Postcards from God part 1

The greatest thing about travel is seeing new places that make you think a little harder about how the world works. So I thought I'd share some pictures from my trip with y'all accompanied by some scripture verses. I admit I stole the idea from the Dallas Morning News, who did a really print version once.

These are from Death Valley National Park, which some might call truly God-forsaken, but I don't think so. Oh, and if you click on the pictures, they'll blow up much bigger.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?"

Psalms 121:1

Salt flats in what used to be an ocean.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." (Matt. 5:13)

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture." (Luke 8:5-6)

"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands." (Deut. 8:2)

Morning prayers

While out for my morning run, I passed a Muslim woman walking a little girl to the bus stop. Along the way she was speaking rapid Arabic, which I assumed were her morning prayers, based on the tone of voice. The little girl smiled, ready for the day.

I wondered how much those prayers helped her be in the right mindset, and how cool it was that her mom(?) set that example of daily morning prayer. How much would that help other children if their parents did the same thing?

Vacation musings

It's good to be home. My weeklong vacation started in Las Vegas and took us on a driving tour through California up to San Francisco. Going from Vegas where the scenery looks like this:

to Death Valley where everything looks more like this:

was quite the shift physically, mentally and emotionally. Vegas is all glitz and glamour and surface level excitement and fun. But the desert makes you think. It looks barren and desolate and almost simple on the surface. Underneath, however, it's constantly moving and changing and evolving.

Being there made it easy to see realize why Jesus and many of the other prophets went into the desert when they wanted to be closer to God. The only way to survive there is by the grace of God.

Hopefully, my time communing with nature will give me the strength to deal with the baggage claim people at the airlines...