Healing light

Even after their deaths, Drs. Alice and Joe Holoubek will continue offering comfort to the patients at Christus Schumpert Health Center.

Two stained glass windows that were part of their personal chapel were dedicated at the St. Mary Place hospital this morning. Family, friends and hospital employees gathered for prayer and remembrance in the admitting area where the windows now have a permanent home.

Although it was cloudy outside, the beauty of the windows in the admitting room shone. Bronze tinted background glass adds warmth to the space, where so many people wait for sad news. Each one features four panels with symbols of faith, marriage and medicine.

"These were the guiding principles of my parents' life," said Martha Fitzgerald, daughter of the well-known physicians.

The Holoubeks served the Shreveport community for years as doctors and ministers in their own right. They were devout Catholics, who attended Mass daily and gave presentations about the physiological aspects of the crucifixion. Particularly later in life, Fitzgerald said their home chapel was a place of peace and refuge for them.

Dr. Joe worked with his daughter-in-law Stephanie Coffman Holoubek to design the windows, and she made them. She was amazed to see them in the hospital, where they could catch even more sun.

"They have found their true home," she said.

Extra from the General Superintendent

An Assemblies of God church is usually a good bet for some good preaching, and the General Superintendent of the denomination did not disappoint Sunday when he visited Central Assembly of God in Haughton. The Rev. George Wood is also a lawyer, so his preaching style was fairly measured with a good bit of scholarly exposition. But being a Pentecostal, he knows how emotions play into developing faith, so he told several moving stories of conversion and redemption.

After the service Wood was kind enough to answer a few questions about his goals for the denomination, since he was just installed as its leader two weeks ago. Here's a few responses that I couldn't fit in the paper:

"One of my goals is investing in the next generation. Of the 2.8 million members, 1.1 million are under the age of 25. This whole matter of transmission of faith is important. We have 60,000 high school seniors - how can we retain them while reaching others?"

And he challenged churches to break outside of their walls to serve the community. He spent three hours on Saturday with a boxcutter working for a local mission project in Missouri.

"The church must get in the street and show the love of Christ. The non-Christian world gets tired of Christians telling them how to behave. We need to use words, but we earn that by our deeds."

Baptisms in the denomination are down slightly from 10 years ago, although attendance and membership is up about 2 percent -- a fact Wood put as "nothing to brag about."

"That's one reason I want to plant new churches. It's the most effective way to grow."

The 66-year-old pastor also mentioned a few of his firsts. He is the first son of missionaries, the first lawyer to be elected general superintendent.

A week of observations

Sorry I've been absent for the last week. It hasn't been lack of topics, just lack of time. Election season always keeps us hopping, whether we normally cover politics or not. So here are a few thoughts I meant to get to and didn't...

* The Louisiana Prison Chapel Foundation has released a CD of gospel songs recorded by inmates at Angola. Unfortunately, the sampler they sent me was corrupted but I trust it's some pretty good stuff, and the money all goes to build chapels at prisons throughout the State. Visit www.chapels.org to purchase one or learn more about it.

* Starbucks pastors - this is my new category of preachers. It's made up of those folks with brand new churches, or churches without traditional buildings who have no office to call their own. So we've had our interviews at Starbucks. More than that though - they see Starbucks as a model for how to spread the message of Jesus - interesting stuff.

* Night to Honor Israel - last week's Christian/Jewish event was pretty impressive. Shreveport Community Church was nearly full and the music and preaching was inspiring. Not everyone buys the message though. I heard from a Rabbi who is very skeptical of the movement. Rabbi Samuel Stahl of a reform congregation in San Antonio said the efforts can often be bigotted about Muslims and he can't shake the fact the many of these Evangelicals expect him to convert at the Second Coming of Christ. Local folks all seemed on board, but it's something to think about.

I'll be working much of the weekend with the election and the visit from the president of the Assemblies of God - I should have stuff from him to post Sunday or Monday. And then I'll try to be better about my routine.

Great ghosts!

You haven't disappointed me so far. A few of you have been brave enough to send in your own stories of strange supernatural occurances, and they've been great. I've got strange smells, opening and closing doors and sounds -- all unexplainable. And no, I don't think you're crazy.

Also interesting is everyone that has told me their stories says they are Christians, and they're trying to make sense of their experience and what they've been taught about death.

I could still use a few more to flesh out the story. Please send me your tales of mystery and I'll put them together for a piece in a couple of weeks. My e-mail is dhaag@gannett.com.

Honoring Israel

Christians will sing Hebrew melodies. Jews will pray in a church while charismatic Christians raise their arms in worship. A representative of the Israeli consulate and an internationally known Evangelical pastor will speak.

Tonight's A Night to Honor Israel event promises to be a fascinating blend of cultures as Evangelical Christians and Jews come together to pray for the preservation of the state of Israel. The movement started with the Rev. John Hagee, pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio and the keynote speaker for today's event. He takes the idea to show support for Israel from several Scripture verses, particularly Genesis 12:3: "And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed." The "thee" refers to Abraham and his descendants (which I might mention also includes Muslims).

Last years event was fascinating on a cultural level and was a pretty exciting worship service. If you're interested in attending, here are the details:

A Night to Honor Israel
7 p.m. Oct. 9
Shreveport Community Church, 5720 Buncombe Road, Shreveport

I'll have a full report in tomorrow's paper Times and probably some more details here on the blog.

Prayers for the four-legged ones

Times photographer Val Horvath got some great shots of the annual Blessing of the Animals at Church of the Holy Cross, Episcopal, this weekend. It is done at churches around the country in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast day is Oct. 4. I've never been to a blessing (my cat needs something more along the lines of an exorcism to be normal), but it always brings out the animal lovers looking for an extra dose of protection for their four-legged friends.


St. Francis is one of Catholicism's most popular saints, often pictured surrounded by animals. And there are some great stories of him communicating with animals, even one where he stopped a wolf from attacking people in a village. Because of those associations (whether true or legendary), he became the patron saint of animals.


I find interesting that he's one of the few inter-denominational saints. His humility and his calling to "Build up my house" has also been taken as a model by Protestant churches. I received an e-mail last week about a new book, "Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale," by the Rev. Ian Morgan Cron, founder of non-denominational Trinity Church in Greenwich, Conn. And I've heard plenty of people refer to his famous quote: "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." Sounds like a model for anyone's spirituality.


Photo: Lucy, my cat in need of many prayers. Do you think St. Francis could have stopped her from destroying my furniture?

Supernatural encounters? Please share!

Call them ghosts, spirits, angels or demons, it seems like everyone has a story of some sort of encounter with the supernatural.

At the weekend's conference, author Christine Wicker told a story about her father. As a child, one of his neighborhood children died mysteriously and was buried on a hill near his home. One day while playing outside, he saw some figures wearing what he thought were choir robes around the grave. When he asked his mother about them, she said no one was there.

On a spookier level, we also heard from Guillermo Fuentes of San Antonio Paranormal Investigations. He had all kinds of stories about lights turning on and off, mysterious balls of light and objects moving for no apparent reason.

So that got me thinking - what are your supernatural experiences? Please e-mail me at dhaag@gannett.com with your story and your name (I promise you aren't the only one) and I'll work them into a story for later in the month.

Megachurch vocabulary

Megachurches make up only one half of 1 percent of all churches, but they have a huge influence on the culture and ministerial approach of modern churches. So I was intrigued by some new vocabulary I heard over the weekend in a panel about megachurches. We heard from a minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio (where prominent author Max Lucado is pastor) and Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas. And here are some of their words:

Inspotainment - inspirational entertainment. Friendship West is building a huge complex where they can host movies, theater and activities for family.

Communicator - formerly known as a preacher.

Pastor of Assimilation - that staff member in charge of making sure new members find a place in the church beyond their favorite pew.

By the way, the commonly accepted definition of a megachurch is a Protestant church that attracts more than 2,000 people to Sunday services. There's more to it than that, but that's a pretty good start.

Kind of funny, but really sad

What would you do in Roy Peter Clark's case?

From a writing standpoint, this is a really wonderful little essay. I just hate what it says about the state of the church or many other institutions, for that matter.

Bishop watch from a very good source

One of the highlights of the RNA conference was a panel featuring Rocco Palmo, author of the Whispers in the Loggia blog. I've referred to him before, but Palmo is a 20-something from Philadelphia who has somehow managed to befriend of all kinds of higher ups in the Roman Catholic hierarchy. They tell him all sorts of news and he tells the rest of us.

Professional religion journalists approached him with a little awe and fascination and a slight undertone of jealousy. As Michael Paulson, Pulitzer-prize winning reporter from the Boston Globe, put it: "Rocco, who are you?" After the panel, I introduced myself, especially since I talked to Palmo around the time Shreveport Bishop William Friend retired. Palmo was a very gracious young man, who does love his church.

I also had a few seconds to pick his brain about recent bishop appointments. The good news is he said the time between retirements and appointments is getting shorter. As well, Palmo said the Papal Nuncio, Pietro Sambi (who is sort of the gatekeeper in the process - he sends the nominations to Rome so the Pope can pick a new bishop) is adamant about getting bishops who are pastors as well as administrators. In other words, he doesn't want guys who spent six months in a church and the rest of their careers locked up in the diocesan offices.

The bad news is we probably still have to wait for an appointment in Little Rock before Shreveport becomes a priority.

Back and refreshed

I admit I was feeling pretty burnt out before I left for San Antonio last week. But I'm back! I had a chance to reconnect with colleagues, take stock of our industry, and remind myself why I do what I do. And I've got several good story ideas, which y'all will see trickling out over the next few months. My blogs for this week will also probably reflect what I heard...

The weekend reminded me of the importance of retreats whether for your spiritual, personal or professional life. Modern society moves so fast and we're under constant pressure to move forward. Too often, we forget to step off the path and remind ourselves where we're going.

How do you handle burnt out?

Eschatology, ghosts and forgiveness

No one could ever say the Religion Newswriters are single-minded. We've talked about a little bit of everything in today's sessions. Some of them will make great stories for when I return. Others will make good blog items. And still others are just short observations that I share now.

* Many people believe in or claim to have experiences with ghosts or the paranormal. But many of those same people are church goers with beliefs in heaven and hell. How are the two things reconciled?

* In a panel on the end times, Darrell Bock of the Dallas Theological Seminary argued that the strange images in the book of Revelation is not the first century author trying to make sense of 21st century life. Instead he said the book uses standard images and symbols of the time. Of course, Jesus could return at any time so we should be ready. More on the eschatology panel later - fascinating stuff....

* A counselor who specializes in forgiveness said forgiveness can only be achieved after someone has grieved - it is rarely an automatic response. It comes from a place where we realize we no longer want to be part of the hurt.

* And I'm coming home with a stack of books. All of them look fascinating if you're interested: "Mormon America" by Dick and Joan Ostling; "Faith in the Halls of Power" by Michael Lindsay; "Jesus Freaks" by Don Lattin and "Not in Kansas Anymore" by Christine Wicker

Opening thoughts

Thursday was a truncated daty of sessions and a great welcome speech fromt he archbishop of San Antonio. He reminded us that the story of faith is the story of America. He also said what we do as religion reporters is needed in today's materialistic world. He said something along the lines of "you remind people that there is more to life than buying things."

I know I needed that reminder of why what I do is important, so it was good to hear.


I'm about to head down to hear from a professor at Rice University and then we have a session later on ghosts and spiritualism -- fun stuff. I'll report back as I can.

Upcoming stuff

If you read any other religion reporter blogs, they'll probably look strikingly similar over the next few days. We will all be meeting in San Antonio for the annual Religion Newswriters Association Convention.

I can't wait. It's a great time to catch up with other folks int he industry and get some great story ideas. This year's agenda includes discussions of eschatology, growing Hispanic churches and some preview of next years election.

As things strike me, I'll try to post. And I'm sure I'll return with some great ideas for the paper.

The Supper quilt

Apparently a quilted version of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" will be on display at the Red River Quilter's show this weekend. The show will be held 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at Riverview Hall.

Sounds very impressive - I'll hate to miss it.

Religion on the campaign trail

State races don't necessarily attract all of the religious values talk of national races. But you will hear occasional comments that actually seem to reflect what the candidates really believe because it's part of their language. The only candidates I can speak for are those I've written about and covered: House of Representatives in districts 8 and 9 and gubernatorial candidate Walter Boasso.

In House 9, both candidates are Catholic - a pretty rare thing for the district which includes much of rural Bossier Parish. Richey Jackson told me that he feels God is leading him to run for office and that every night he prays for the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord, and fortitude. His opponent, Henry Burns carries God with him in his personal motto: "Give God the credit and put feet to your prayers."

The House 8 candidates mentioned their churches, but not really anything substantial.

When I do these sort of stories, I like to ask people what they're reading. Candidate Walter Boasso took a minute - he said he doesn't have much time to read now. But the last book he read was the ever popular: Purpose Driven Life and he also mentioned enjoying a book I had not heard of, "Deer Hunting with Jesus," which is really about class struggles in rural America.

Shreveport's own martyrs

This fall marks the 134th anniversary of the terrible Yellow Fever epidemic that swept through Shreveport infecting more than 2500 and killing 759 people.

Among those killed were five Catholic priests who ministered to the sick at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Monsignor Earl Provenza, now pastor of the church in Downtown Shreveport paid tribute to them in his Masses this weekend. One of the dead, Fr. Pierre, was the first pastor of the church. A couple of the other priests came from out of town against the advice of others, but they felt a stronger call by God to be here for the people.

Here's a clip from a diary entry written by the Rev. Joseph Gentille, the second pastor of the church:

(Father Pierre's) young Assistant, Father Isidore Queremais, who was laboring under the dreadful disease Consumption, was the first to pay his tribute to the epidemic. On the 15th of September he died. Father Pierre followed his assistant on the 16th of September. His death was a public calamity. He was beloved and esteemed by all.

Death was not yet satisfied. Father Biler, Chaplain to the Sisters at St. Vincent's, stood alone on the ramparts....

Rev. L. Gergaud parish priest of Monroe arrived in time to assist poor Father Biler who on the 26th of September answered the call of the Savior and received the reward of his Christian charity and heroism. Father Gergaud ministered to the wants of the plague stricken on by four days. Yellow fever struck him dead on the 1st of October 1873.

Father F. LeVezouet came from Natchitoches in time to assist and console dear Father Gergaud. Out of five one was yet standing animated, worn and he fell, but before falling had entreated Most Rev. Bishop Perche of N.O. (New Orleans) to send help and assistance. He fought the dreadful disease until he himself could be anointed. Then he breathed his last Oct. 8th, 1973.

The five priests are immortalized in stained glass and in portraits in the
church. Provenza told me no one has ever taken up their cause for sainthood, but it sounds like a worthy one to me. What better example of Christian charity than to serve regardless of the cost?

Allendale renewal

Off and on all week, I'll be out in Allendale checking on the progress of this years Millard and Linda Fuller Blitz Build. Relying on volunteer labor, the second annual event will build nine new houses and refurbish five in the neighborhood.

Perhaps most remarkable is that these 300+ volunteers have come from all over the country with their churches and other groups to work. If you want to see more about the work and the people that will live there, check out The Good Work, a blog that photographer Shane Bevel put together (and I have contributed to).

Happy Ramadan!

The new moon also brought the first day of fasting for Muslims today.

For 30 days, they will abstain from food or drink during daylight hours. It's a difficult fast, but one they believe will be rewarded for.

Fasting has become a more popular devotion among people of all faiths. What do you think about the practice and what benefits can be gained?

To all of our Muslim readers, I wish you a blessed month.

Happy New Year!

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown today.

My story, which runs tomorrow, looks at the demographics and the future of the Jewish community in Shreveport. It was a hard, sad story to write. The Jewish congregations are vital, spiritual places and members are active in the wider community, and I wanted to make that clear. In fact, I was floored when I heard there are only 400 Jews in Shreveport - I knew it was a small group, but I didn't think it was that small. But the reality of the numbers means they might not be able to maintain their facilities and structures for very long. Read it - let me know what you think could be done.

With that said, the story doesn't discuss the particulars of the holiday very much, so I thought I would add some of that here. Rosh Hashanah begins 10 days of reflection and repentance leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement on Sept. 22. They are explicitly mentioned in the Bible (Leviticus 23:23-32) and are the most important holidays in the calendar. The period is commonly referred to as the High Holy Days.

The holiday begins festively, with apples and honey being one of the preferred foods to symbolize a sweet New Year. Services are characterized by the blowing of the shofar, or rams horn. The shofar calls to mind the Kingship of God and his eventual judgement of people.

To all my Jewish friends, I wish you many blessings.

Photo: Rabbi Foster Kawaler, of Congregation Agudath Achim, blows a shofar. Times file photo

Truth, freedom and very slow justice

In the Gospel of John, Jesus said: "the truth will set you free." He did not warn that this could take 20 years.

Herbert Whitlock, of Paris, Ill., was convicted of a murder he did not commit in 1987. This weekend, he finally has reason to hope that he might see the outside of a prison cell and get to play with his grandson. Why do I care about this and what does it have to do with faith?

To make a long story short, as a college senior in 1999-2000, I enrolled in an Investigative Journalism class. Our professor, David Protess, was known for taking on cases of people who had been wrongfully convicted and were waiting to die either in prison or at the hands of the state. Several of those men have been released. He gave my team the case of Whitlock and Randy Steidl, who supposedly killed newlyweds Dyke and Karen Rhoads in the small town of Paris, Ill., about 200 miles south of Chicago. The two were stabbed more than 25 times each supposedly because of a drug deal gone bad.

The case had numerous holes in it then and our nine months of investigation only confirmed them and brought up a few new ones. We saw problems at all levels of the system: ineffective counsel, shoddy police work, and overzealous prosecutors (and that's being nice). Unfortunately, none of it led to the real killers, and while we helped bring some attention to the case with the help of CBS's 48 Hours and Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn, we graduated without any real justice for Herb and Randy.

I've prayed for them over the years and three years ago we did have reason to celebrate. Randy was released. The appeals courts finally saw the shoddy evidence that managed to convict him and sent the case back for retrial. At that point the prosecutors realized it had no evidence to to retry him, dropped the case and set him free. Since the two men had separate legal counsel and ended up on different tracks in the system, Herb languished.

That brings us to last week, when the 4th District Illinois Appellate Court granted a new trial for 61-year-old Herb! The court cited ineffective counsel and the fact that the state had not shared all evidence with the defense. All of the evidence they mention was available long before we ever started looking at the case seven years ago.

When I got the news from my professor, I was in shock. Our system of democracy requires a lot of faith - not in God, but in the system -- and I think all of us involved in this case were beginning to lose ours. Nothing seemed to be working even when it was obvious to anyone looking at the facts that a grievous wrong had taken place here. In fact, we're still a little hesitant to get too excited. I'm trying to trust in a higher authority now, that truth will prevail for Herb and he will soon walk free.

Sadly, it still leaves us with a gap in justice. Dyke and Karen Rhoads have been dead for 21 years, and the state seems to be no closer to finding their killer than they were in July 1986.

Orthodox rising

Visiting St. George Greek Orthodox Church is a full sensory worship experience.

Incense hangs heavy in the air filling your nostrils and clouding your eyes. Icons with pictures of saints and scenes from the Bible remind you of the purpose of this place and engage your mind with their stories. Congregational prayers and chants delight the ears and elicit response from the parishioners. Gestures and postures (crossing oneself, bowing, standing, kneeling) keep the body active and connected with the rhythm of worship.

It's easy to see why people have fallen in love with the worship, and the church has doubled in size in three years. My reporting led me to some fascinating folks, who have really prayed and studied to find this new church home. Jason Foster had even made a career out of their Southern Baptist faith.

Converting to Orthodoxy meant he and his wife had to ask themselves some hard questions and grapple with issues of salvation theology, Mary, the saints, the Eucharist. That's not easy stuff to understand, and it was compounded with negative reactions from some friends who just didn't understand. "They think we worship Mary and worship icons," Ashley said. Of course, neither of those things is true, and they're hard to explain if people don't want to hear it.

The Fosters stay confident because they have studied. They are also thankful for their Protestant upbringing and its high view of Scripture that has informed their belief. Talking to them made me wonder if I would be willing to face that kind of criticism for my faith.

Have you ever faced those sorts of criticisms? How do you handle it?

Photo: Sunday liturgy at St. George. Shane Bevel/The Times

Demon fiction

I finally had a chance to read Dr. Bruce Hennigan's novel, "The 13th Demon," and I was at once creeped out and impressed by the story.

It's not a book I would have normally picked up on my own, since its more in the horror/suspense realm, but since I had written about Hennigan and the novel, I wanted to see what it was all about. The book traces a man Jonathan Steel, who has severe amnesia but a great sense of faith. He goes on a quest to fight a particular demon.

When we talked, Hennigan said he had a hard time getting the book published because it was too Christian for secular publishers and too dark for Christian publishers. I can certainly see the dilemma. The story is not always pretty and simple, like you might think of Christian fiction. Hennigan's descriptions of the demonic are frighteningly graphic, but appropriate to the story. He also deals with the many ways we are tempted. One of his goals was to convince people of the real, physical presence of demons and angels in the world, and I think he made a very good case.

It's a great story and well written, so I would encourage any adult to read it. Hennigan promises a whole series around the character of Jonathan Steel, and I look forward to the next one. If you have read the book, please share your thoughts...

Religion on vacation

Sorry I bailed last week. Things got to be a little nuts around here and then I left town Thursday to see some from friends in the DC/Baltimore area. And of course no vacation is complete without a few religious insights. Unfortunately, technical and security issues prevented me from taking pictures, but here are some thoughts...

When my friend Tom lived here, we frequently attended daily Mass together, so when I visited him in DC the pattern continued, but on a slightly more extravagant level. Thursday, we toured the John Paul II Museum and then wandered down to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, just in time for Mass. The building is beautiful and that day's service was celebrated in the crypt chapel, in the basement. The ceiling was low and everyone participated so it felt like a big crowd but in an intimate setting.

Tom is now a Pentagon employee, so Friday he gave his fiancee and myself an unofficial tour, ending at the site of the 9/11 attack. A memorial is there now with the names of the deceased and a chapel was built as a place of silence and worship. At the front of the room is a stained glass window with pictures of an eagle and the building and the words: "United in Memory September, 11, 2001." It truly feels like hallowed ground, knowing that so many people died in the floors above in service to their country. Mass is held there daily, and it was comforting to see men and women come in uniform to take that time out of their day to pray.

Both services reminded me that God is everywhere - we just have to look for him.

From Louisiana, with love

After years of sending money and prayers, a group of members from several Louisiana Methodist Churches made a mission trip to First United Methodist Church of Ekaterinburg, Russia, in June. Broadmoor UMC Director of Communications Angela Cason made the trip and wrote about it for the church newsletter:

"The group spent several days in Ekaterinburg leading Vacation Bible School and doing yard work and minor repairs around the church, including painting and repairing cracks in the walls, but the true success of this mission is the relationship-building that takes place with not only members of the church, including Pastors Olga Kotsuba and Tatyana Tomakh, but also with people in the community.

Whether visiting an orphanage for children with special needs or helping the church distribute food packages to shut-in members of the church, the group assisted those of First UMC of Ekaterinburg spread the love of Christ.

'God is in this church, and the love just spreads out wherever we go,' said Carole Boudreaux, of Asbury UMC in Lafayette.

Visiting one of the church’s pensioners, the group brought the elderly lady what most Americans would consider to be the barest of necessities. Inside her cramped apartment, the woman sat on the couch and wept, making the sign of the cross with every small item she was presented – small bags of rice and sugar, cooking oil, packets of tea, laundry soap, along with a piece of fruit and a small chocolate bar for treats. For this woman on a fixed income, there were not enough words to thank the mission team. Likewise, the missioners had a hard time describing the blessing of this visit."

Here are some of Cason's pictures from the trip:

Carole Boudreaux (right), of Asbury United Methodist Church in Lafayette, visits with a shut-in member of First United Methodist in Ekaterinburg, Russia. The mission team, along with the pastors of the church, delivered food items and other necessities to pensioners with low, fixed incomes.

(right) Sharon Dubard, of Sweet Gum United Methodist Church in Lake Charles, visits with a boy at an orphanage for children with special needs in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

(left) Members of the congregation at First United Methodist Church in Ekaterinburg, Russia visit with each other before the start of worship service on June 17.

Mega-church camp

More than 500 young people descended on Grambling State University in July for the annual North Louisiana Youth Encampment led by the Rev. Benjamin Blake. I've heard about the camp for years, and this year they sent me a little recap of the week - it sounds like a pretty amazing experience for the kids.

The youth came from places as far as Port Arthur, Texas for the weeklong event. They lived int eh dorms and studied Scripture, attended worship and crafted their own talents to serve God. Various speakers, including the Rev. Fred Lowery of First Baptist - Bossier, hoped to inspire and motivate the young people. A final talent show with a mass choir, praise dancers, drama and gymnastics to celebrate Blake's 80th birthday.

A number of young people also committed their lives to Christ by the end of the week. "The praise that went up in the name of Jesus was extraordinary," the release said.

Sabbath Correction

The ultimate hazard of religion reporting is confusing various theologies. I did that in post about Rabbi Jana's installation, and she kindly corrected me and now I'll pass it on to you:

In the song opening the Sabbath, the image is the congregation as the groom and the Sabbath is the bride, eagerly awaited by the faithful. "Traditionally, we even stand during the last verse, turn toward the door, and imagine the bride entering the room, like in a wedding," she said.

Catholic theology flips that around, seeing the church as the bride of Christ, so I mixed it up. Sorry! It's a pretty cool image either way.

God and CNN

CNN's Christiane Amanpour has put together a three night series of stories titled "God's Warriors." Each one focussed on devout members of a different religion: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.


According to the press release: "Amanpour reports that during the last 30 years, each faith has exploded into a powerful political force, comprised of followers – “God's warriors” – who share a deep dissatisfaction with modern society, and a fierce determination to place God and religion back into daily life and to the seats of power."


They sent me advance copies of the documentary, and it was pretty fascinating. I watched the piece on Christianity and Judaism, because the militant arms of those traditions are sometimes overlooked. The piece on Christianity is particularly noteworthy because it includes the last interview with the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. She does a decent job of walking the fine line between portraying her subjects as more devout than most without making them seem crazy. She also confronts people with criticisms of their movements, and everyone gets a chance to explain themselves.


If anyone out there watches, let me know what you think. It airs at 8 p.m. today, Wednesday and Thursday.

Post-installation thoughts

Rabbi Jana De Benedetti put together a beautiful service for her installation as rabbi of B'nai Zion. Here's a few details I noticed but couldn't work into the story:

* During the installation prayer, De Benedetti stood under a prayer shawl, which was held up like a chuppah, which is usually used during weddings. The chuppah symbolizes the home that a couple will build together. During the installation, De Benedetti saw a spiritual home being built for the congregation.

* The prayer shawl itself had tree branches on it and the Hebrew inscription "It is a tree of life." The "it" referred to Torah (to Jews, the law; to Christians, the first five books of the Old Testament). Since Torah is actually a feminine noun, De Benedetti said the inscription could also be translated: "She's the tree of life."

* The phrase also reminded her that God gave us choices, but if we keep to God's law, it gives us life.

* As they began the standard Sabbath service piece of the evening, candles were lit and a beautiful prayer was sung welcoming the Sabbath. "We welcome Shabbat as if we were the bride and Shabbat was the groom." Shouldn't we all look forward to worship that way?

Time to fire up those hurricane prayers

According to the 1 p.m. forecast, Dean looks like its getting stronger. We're not in the "cone" right now, but he's got a long way to go and anything could happen. I figure we're better off praying it just miraculously dwindles on its own instead of praying it hits someone else...

Here's one of the prayers I found earlier in the season:

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.

Crossing military and religious lines

Another of my favorite people, Dr. Don Webb -- Welsh gentleman, Methodist minister, former president of Centenary College and former officer in the British Navy -- sent me a wonderful anecdote the other day.

This week is the 60th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. The nuclear power and its government's relationship to Islamic fundamentalists has been giving our government and presidential candidates some amount of heartburn. But Webb has a different take: "Surely we've an opportunity to reach out across religious and political lines, to rejoice with them? My own early experience with Pakistanis was enlighteningly positive -- and enabled me, much later in life, to relate contentedly and constructively with local Muslims."

In 1947, Webb was a mine sweeping officer in the British Royal Navy. While his ship was being repaired, the Navy gave him a bit of a break assigned him as a liaison officer to a Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Onslaught, which was a gift to the Pakistan Navy. He was to help train the Pakistanis on the ins and outs of their new ship, and spent several months in the English Channel and North Sea.

"It turned out, I was the only non-Muslim -- the only pink-skin! -- aboard: talk about differences! But we’d no time for them. We needed to become a good crew. So we did that.

The ship’s Gunner was Lt. Khan. We became friends -- and soon, so close that our differences of color and religion became obscured in our affection. I was accepted by officers and crew as a shipmate: life aboard Tugril was happy and effective. Then, Tugril went back to Pakistan, I back to mine sweeping…"

Photo: Dr. Webb from Times archives

High Holy Days of Elvis

Elvis died before I was born, so to me he's always been more of an icon of cultural history than a superstar attracting throngs of screaming girls.

I learned otherwise, when I spent a summer in Memphis. It was 1999, the summer before my senior year of college, and I was an intern in the features department at the Commercial Appeal.

Toward the end of July, my editors started handing out assignments for "Elvis Week," the week around the anniversary of his death. My story was a look at Elvis on the web, where I found a number of wacky fan sites and the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine. It's a spoof, but it got me thinking about the devotion of Elvis fans, who maintain a sort of adoration usually reserved for saints or other bona fide religious figures.

On the night of Aug. 15, at the urging of co-workers, my friends and I wandered down to Elvis Presley Boulevard to the annual candlelight vigil, and were amazed, bewildered and kind of weirded out by what we saw.

The blocks in front of Graceland were closed off. In the street, adoring fans had established shrines, with candles surrounding pictures of the deceased King. Elvii (we decided that was the plural of Elvis impersonators) mingled with the crowd. A somber, silent line of people snaked up the driveway of the mansion toward Elvis's grave. It was all so bizarre, we had to get in line.

Lining the driveway were big flowered wreaths, like the kind usually seen at funerals. They came from all over the world: from New Jersey to Brazil. As we approached the grave, the grief was real. Middle-aged ladies still cried as if he had died two days ago, not 22 years. They left flowers and teddy bears. We didn't quite know what to do, so we stopped and tried to look appropriately mournful.

The vigil went on all night, and does every year. Last night's 30th anniversary attracted more than 50,000 people, who made this pilgrimage to honor their hero. The candles, the tone, the pilgrimage, the emotion -- without a doubt it was the most religious, non-religious event I have ever attended.

Plenty of folks smarter than me have studied this phenomenon of celebrity worship, but it make me wonder why? Why do we cling to dead celebrities, and how do we choose which ones get this sort of treatment?

Photo: Since my pictures were pre-digital, here's one from the AP. Paulette Stone of Jackson, Mo., lights candles at a street shrine to Elvis Presley on Elvis Presley Blvd. in front of Graceland during the vigil marking the 30th anniversary of his death. Presley died Aug. 16, 1977. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Purple bracelets, day 3 (again)

Today's paper carries the whole story of the purple bracelets and the Complaint Free World idea. In today's world, where sarcasm and cynicism have become the norm, I think anything we can do to encourage positive thinking is a good thing.

And I'm still struggling along with my own experiment. I have certainly learned to pay more attention to what I'm saying, and I guess that's the first step. The next is actually implementing that censor.

Several people have asked me where to get the bracelets, and you can go to the link above and order them for free.

So what do y'all think? Is it a worthwhile experiment or unrealistic?

Even the eggplant will cry out?!

My new favorite God-in-nature sighting: an eggplant from Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

See for yourself...

Thanks to the Bible Belt Blogger for this one.

Pagan Pride Day grows

This year's Pagan Pride Day will have a bit of a somber tone, as the community remembers remember Ken VanLieu, an active member who died this year.

His wife, Trixie Davis, an organizer of the event said he always dreamed of having a Pagan event for Shreveport-Bossier City. He attended several events selling silver jewelry that he made, and he wanted a similar event here to better educate the public about Paganism.

VanLieu would probably be pleased. About 500 people are expected to attend this years event to be held this weekend. Davis particularly encouraged non-Pagans to come and learn and correct any misconceptions they might have.

Several speakers will address various aspects of the religion. And they also hope to highlight the family side of the religion with a baby blessing ceremony on Saturday.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport.

Purple bracelets, day 3!

Yes, I have been wearing the bracelet for nearly a week, and I've finally made it to Day 3 (and even that is with some creative rationalizing on my part).

This no complaining thing is difficult, especially when people around you are complaining. I've had to really be careful to bite my tongue or find the silver lining. Other times, I just end up chiming in and switching my bracelet.

Now, we'll see if I can get to Day 4...

You know you love them

Maybe you've even been inspired by them - church signs. Beliefnet has a whole gallery of usually funny and sometimes poignant signs from around the country.

I drive by Shreve City Baptist Church on a regular basis, and they usually have something out front that makes me smile on their sign. My favorite was a couple of years ago, when the brick mounting for the sign was damaged. (I can't remember if someone ran into it or what) But the new board still proudly proclaimed: "Sign broke. Message inside."

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.