Oct. 30 Today’s Prayer
Saturday, Oct. 30
Dear Lord, may we not forsake the opportunity to gather with other believers. Amen.
Oct. 29 Today’s Prayer
Friday, Oct. 29
O Lord, may we not place anything above You for You desire our full hearts. Amen.
Thursday hodgepodge
Thursday is one of those days that always gets too busy before I even realize what’s going on.
Perhaps it’s because Friday is just around the corner.
Whatever the deal is, I find that on Thursdays I can take a little more time than usual to search out some of the religion news of the week that you may or may not have read about:
1. Just found out that Johnny Cash is to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Here’s a link for more information about Cash and his connection to gospel music: Cash and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
2. The Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog has launched a new video series about religion and politics. The series discusses “The God Vote” in its first foray into faith and politics: “The God Vote” video.
3. I’m an avid fan of ”Top Chef,” the BRAVO reality TV series that pits chefs against one another (all in good fun) for cash and prizes. Just found out that Gail Simmons, the host and consulting producer of the new “Top Chef: Just Desserts” is Jewish. I saw her name on the Forward 50, an annual list released today by the Forward, a national weekly Jewish newspaper covering current, national and international news. The weekly put together the list of 50 men and women who the editors have chosen as people who have made a significant impact on the Jewish story in the past year.
According to Forward, Simmons speaks passionately about her mother’s Jewish cooking though her love of Jewish food is rarely evident on “Top Chef.”
Here’s a link to the list: Forward 50.
Incidently the list includes an additional two people who the editors think might surprise some folks. I featured them a few months ago on this blog. Look at the list to find out who they are and why they made the Jewish weekly’s list.
4. This isn’t news yet, or at least the story has made it to the newsstands or computer screen just yet, but it’s coming. Look for information about the new pastor of Crossroads Church in Saturday’s Oklahoman. The Rev. Terry Barriss was elected pastor by the south Oklahoma City congregation in September. Longtime Oklahoma City residents may remember that Crossroads Church is also known as Crossroads Cathedral, one of the first megachurches in the metro. It was founded by the late Rev. Dan Sheaffer, who died in September.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Oct. 28 Today’s Prayer
Lord, protect us as we travel to far away lands. Return us safely to our homes. Amen.
Oct. 27 Today’s Prayer
Guard us from our enemies. Lord, let us not fear for You are with us. Amen.
Oct. 26 Today’s Prayer
Tuesday, Oct. 26
Lord, let us live courageously so that we do not have any regrets. Amen.
Survey: Six of every 10 Protestant pastors disapprove of Obama
This just in from the Religion News Service: Six out of every 10 Protestant pastors say they disapprove of President Obama’s job performance.
The RNS based this report on a recent LifeWay Research survey.
LifeWay researchers said of the 61 percent who disapprove of Obama’s work, 47 percent disapprove strongly.
The RNS reported that the survey’s findings were released Oct. 21. The survey found that 30 percent of pastors approve of the president’s performance (including 14 percent who strongly approve). Nine percent were undecided.
According to the RNS, when the Southern Baptist-affiliated research group surveyed Protestant pastors about their voting intentions just before the 2008 elections, 20 percent indicated they planned to vote for Obama, compared to 55 percent who planned to vote for GOP candidate John McCain.
“If voting intentions and job approval measure similar things, the president hasn’t made many friends in the pulpits of America’s churches throughout the first year-and-a-half of his presidency,” Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, told the RNS.
The new research was based on interviews with 1,000 Protestant clergy Oct. 7-14 and had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
The Religion News Service said researchers also found that 84 percent of Protestant pastors disagreed with the idea of pastors endorsing political candidates from the pulpit.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Oct. 25 Today’s Prayer
Guide our decisions, Lord, so that we do not choose the wrong path. Amen.
Oct. 23 Today’s Prayer
Saturday, Oct. 23
Lord, may our lives overflow with peace and joy because of You. Amen. 
Oct. 22 Today’s Prayer
Friday, Oct. 22
May we extend forgiveness to others as You, Lord, have done for us. Amen. 
