How to pray for Obama
Beliefnet.com features “How to Pray for Obama,” written by preacher and author Max Lucado especially for today — Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration day.
If you’ve been watching TV this morning, then you know that Obama’s big day has already begun with much fanfare.
See what Lucado has to say about offering prayers for the new president: “How to Pray for Obama.”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Finding room at the inn
The Rev. George Back and his book “Christmas Joy: Let Heaven and Nature Sing” came into my life at just the right time.
If you’ve ever had something happen that you can’t quite define as coincidence, you will understand what I am saying.
Due to an upcoming assignment and the very premise of Christmas, I had been thinking of Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary and their search for shelter thousands of years ago.
The phrase that kept ringing in my mind as I have heard the story told through songs and oration, “Is there room in the inn?”
One particular day, it struck me personally, that Christ asks on a daily basis “is there room” in one’s heart for Him?
Then I picked up Dean Back’s book and it opened to the page that included the following essay:
“Baby Jesus as Spiritual Guide”
The Gospel of Luke tells the story about how Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus into the temple when he was eight days old. Many old people like Simeon and Anna came to the temple in order to spend their final days in the presence of God, then to die and be buried in that holy place.
When Jesus was brought as a baby into the temple, old Simeon and old Anna immediately saw what their souls yearned for. They had come to the holy polace to complete their lives, and in looking at this newborn, they saw fulfillment of life.
“Now let your servant depart in peace,” proclaimed Simeon.
What he meant was, “I have seen God’s presence in this baby and now I am ready to be born from above.”
Birth and death, breathing in and breathing out, beginning and end, new and old — all these counterparts belong to one spiritual stream of divine grace.
The treasure of a pilgrim’s soul lies in the immensity of its immaturity. Within this immaturity lies the possibility for freedom, growth and development.
Babies rejoice in spiritual incompleteness; they don’t worry about their weakness and incompetence. A baby enjoys being merely a baby.
Likewise, we should let our souls rejoice that we have so far to grow.
When Mary realizes that she is pregnant with God she sings the first Christmas carol. It is the song of one who is mired deep in a poverty of spirit, but who then recognizes the immense possibility of God alive within her. Like Anna and Simeon who came to die but see abundance of life, Mary sees the glory of god springing forth from the depths of her humility. So it is that Mary sings the words we now call “The Magnificat”:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he regards the lowliness of his handmaiden (Luke 1:46-47).
The spiritual pilgrim will see in the baby a helpful guide. Babies live by grace, not by competence. They ask for food from the center of their hunger.
Jesus teaches his followers to pray to his Father in heaven, who knows how to give good gifts to us. In Gospel parables he urges us to pester God — like the persistent widow who nags the dishonest judge, or like the host who annoys his neighbor in order to provide hospitality for a guest.
Do not attempt to speak to God from a posture of confidence in your worthiness, but from your spiritual, intellectual and emotional neediness.
Like Anna and Simeon, seek God in your dying. Like Mary, the unmarried-yet-expectant mother, seek God from your humiliation.
Like a baby, cry deeply from an empty stomach, to be filled with the presence of God.
——-
Dean Back’s book is available at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral bookstore and Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Some clergy still concerned about immigration law
When the first anniversary of
But Pruett, pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in Guymon, said the law still engenders widespread fear among immigrants in his
He said the anxiety level is such that Hispanic immigrants are continuing to leave Guymon in droves.
“With the possibility of being discovered, there is fear,” Pruett said.
House Bill 1804, authored by Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, became law on Nov. 1, 2007. The law makes it a felony to knowingly transport illegal immigrants, creates barriers to hiring illegal immigrants and requires proof of citizenship to receive certain governmental benefits or a driver’s license.
Terrill could not be reached for comment for this posting.
Meanwhile, a
Still, the Rev. Perla Martinez-Goody, an associate pastor at San Mateo Fellowship, a Hispanic ministry of First United Methodist Church of Pauls Valley, said many immigrants have left her city, pulling their children out of school and heading back to their native lands or other states.
She said the exodus due to fear is almost as bad as deportation.
“It’s sad to watch them dismantle their homes.”
The Rev. Leonel Blanco, pastor of Santa Maria Virgen Mision Church in south
Recently the Episcopal priest said members who chose to leave the state are greatly missed because many of them had been with the ministry for a long time and were heavily involved in the church.
Blanco, originally from
The clergy members said they see the immigration reform law as punitive and uncharitable to hardworking people trying to make a better life for their families.
“I see the faces behind the word ‘immigration’ — women, children, men, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. People seem to forget that,” Martinez-Goody said.
Pruett and Martinez-Goody said they hold out hope the law will be repealed and another solution more in keeping with biblical principles of compassion will be found.
“The immigration system needs an overhaul from top to bottom,” Pruett said. “Hopefully whoever gets in the White House will have the courage to do that.”
Martinez-Goody said: “I still pray that the Lord will touch the hearts of the politicians.”
Blanco said more than ever, he is encouraging Hispanic Americans to vote to make sure their voices are heard on such issues as immigration reform.
“That’s the only way our voices are going to be heard,” he said.
BACKGROUND
Last year, clergy opposition against House Bill 1804 gained momentum as the bill was set to become law.
– A council of priests with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City presented Gov. Brad Henry’s office with a signed “Pledge of Resistance,” expressing their opposition to the immigration reform law, a few days before it went into effect. The pledge, also signed by Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran, was crafted by an
– The Catholic Diocese of Tulsa hosted a special Mass the day before the bill became law to pray for Hispanic families concerned about its implementation.
– The Oklahoma Conference of Churches, representing 16 Christian faiths, issued a statement of opposition to the law on the day it went into effect. Conference leaders said the law was unjust.
– About 350 people attended an Interfaith Vigil for Undocumented Persons at an Oklahoma City Catholic church on the day the bill became law.
– The Baptist General Convention of
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Faithful Five: Weekend Events
Here’s my “faithful five” — five events going on in the faith community this weekend, Oct. 17-19. If what you read below intrigues you, go check it out for yourself:
1. Cars for a cause. Del Baptist Temple is hosting its second annual Car Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,this time to benefit the family of 18-month-old Wyatt Beasley. Little Wyatt received a heart transplant several weeks ago in St. Louis, Mo. He is out of the hospital now and the church is hoping to raise money to help the family meet the assorted expenses that have resulted from the child’s illness. The show includes cars, of course, plus a moonwalk, horseshoe tourney, face painting, crafts and free hot dogs. For more information, call 670-2900.
2. Old time religion. Many Springs Baptist Church’s Old-Time Brush Arbor Revival continues tonight and Saturdayat the church located 5 miles south of Holdenville on Highway 48. The revival includes preaching, devotions and Creek/Seminole singing. The church wanted to honor pastors, their 
preaching and the hymns of the Creek/Seminole people. Services are 7 tonight and 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.on Saturday.
3. Happy Anniversary! Kellyville United Methodist Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Sunday. The celebration will include special guest Bishop Robert Hayes Jr. of the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference, music, food, children’s games and fellowship time. For more information, call (918) 247-6994.
4. Let’s discuss ethics. A Medical Ethics Panel Discussion will be held at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Christ the King Catholic Church, 8005 Dorset Drive in Nichols Hills. The discussion will examine what the Catholic Church teaches about end-of-life issues. For more information, call 843-4766.
5. Silver bells.Channing Unitarian Universalist Church is celebrating its silver anniversary with several services and activities set for Sunday. The Edmond church will hold a 9:45 a.m. forum where the history of the church will be shared. At 11 a.m. the service will be led by the Rev. Scot Harvey. The highlight of the day will be an Open House beginning at 2:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served and the choir from Channing Unitarian Church will perform a song that was sung at the church’s first service 25 years ago. More celebratory events will be held at 3 p.m. at the church, 2800 W 15th Street.
Bonus: Black Baptist group meets in city. On Monday,the Oklahoma Baptist State Convention, the state’s largest black Baptist convention, will begin its annual convention at Fairview Baptist Church, 1020 NE 42. Services begin at 7 p.m. with a Welcome Program, followed by a pre-convention musical. Sessions will officially begin at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. For more information, call 232-1621.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Secrets of a church shopper
I think that many people will find the Rev. Thomas Harrison’s role as Secret Church Shopper pretty fascinating.
It might cause church members to wonder how he would rate their own church should he happen to slide into the pews one Sunday.
On Tuesday, Harrison showed me one of his reports from a church shopping expedition at a metro area ministry.
The report was more than 50 pages long, bound and very thorough.
Harrison rates churches on nine categories. Some of those include appearance, cleanliness, hospitality, signage, information and educational services, church offiices, worship space and experience. He said each category has subcategories, such as parking lot, restrooms, etc.
The Secret Church Shopper rates churches according to a signal light system: Green light, all is well. Yellow light, a concern has been raised and something should be done to address it. Red light, there’s a problem that must be addressed immediately.
Sounds pretty simple, but of course it’s not.
Harrison’s report actually begins before he ever drives into the church’s parking lot. The Rev. Greg Wheat, senior pastor of Christian Life Assembly in Lexington, said Harrison’s report to his church included a demographic report of the area surrounding the church and information about how well the church was known or remained a mystery within the local community.
Harrison said he pays attention to details that many church members may not even think about because they’ve been attending their church for so long. For instance, he calls the church after business hours to find out if the ministry’s voice mail system is easy to navigate. He also goes online to find out about the church’s Web site.
Harrison’s unique service certainly gives congregations something to think about.
Any visitor could be a church shopper come Sunday morning. Just an unofficial one.
What they encounter may mean the difference between another new member or someone hitting the exit doors with plans never to return.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Keeping the faith beyond the teen years
My story on today’s cover of The Oklahoman’s “Life” section focused on the ways campus ministries seek to connect with students at several of the state’s colleges.
However, that was not the focus of researchers who reviewed the data from The Barna Group’s study mentioned in the story.
The study noted that despite strong levels of spiritual activity during the teen years, most twenty-somethings disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years and often beyond that.
Researchers indicated that churches could do a better job at discipling teens so that they don’t fall away from the faith when they are in their twenties.
“Much of the ministry to teenagers in America needs an overhaul — not because churches fail to attract significant numbers of young people, but because so much of those efforts are not creating a sustainable faith beyond high school,” David Kinnaman, the director of research, wrote.
“There are certainly effective youth ministries across the country, but the levels of disengagement among twenty-somethings suggests that youth ministry fails too often at discipleship and faith formation. A new standard for viable youth ministry should be — not the number of attenders, the sophistication of the vents, or the ‘cool’ factor of the youth group — but whether teens have the commitment, passion and resources to pursue Christ intentionally and whole-heartedly after they leave the youth ministry nest.”
In his report Kinnaman said the Barna research team is conducting more research into what leads to a sustainable faith, but they have already observed some critical enhancements that youth workers might consider.
“One of those is to be more personalized in ministry,” Kinnaman wrote. “Every teen has different needs, questions and doubts, so helping them to wrestle through those specific issues and to understand God’s unique purpose for their lives is significant. The most effective churches have set up leadership development tracks and mentoring processes to facilitate this type of personalization.”
Here are more findings from the survey:
– Most twenty-somethings maintain outward allegiance to Christianity: 78 percent of twenty-somethings say they are Christians, compared with 83 percent of teenagers.
– Loyalty to congregations is one of the casualties of young adulthood: Twenty-somethings were nearly 70 percent more likely than older adults to strongly assert that if they “cannot find a local church that will help them become more like Christ, then they will find people and groups that will, and connect with them instead of a local church.
– Much of the activity of young adults, such as it is, takes place outside congregations. Young adults were just as likely as older Americans to attend special worship events not sponsored by a local church, to participate in a spiritually oriented small group at work, to have a conversation with someone else who holds them accountable for living faith principles, and to attend a house church not associated with a conventional church. Interestingly, there was one area in which the spiritual activities of twenty-somethings outpaced their predecessors: visiting faith-related Web sites.
What do you think? What would help young people continue to “keep the faith” from their teen years on into their young adulthood?
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Faithful Five: Weekend Events
Here’s my “faithful five” — five events going on in the faith community this weekend, Oct. 10-12. If what you read below intrigues you, go check it our for yourself:
1. Faith goes to the movies. “Billy: The Early Years,” a feature film chronicling evangelist Billy Graham’s childhood, early adulthood and calling to the ministry, premieres in theaters today. The film’s actors said both Christians and non-Christians alike will probably enjoy the movie on some level. Actor Armie Hammer, pictured above, portrays Graham.
2. Talking about theology. The Oklahoma Conference on Reformed Theology will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Britton Christian Church, 922 NW 91. Conference theme is “Calvin: Still Relevant After 500 Years“ with speaker W. Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary in California. Sessions are: Calvin: a Man for All Seasons, Calvin on Faith, Calvin on the Church, Calvin on Scripture. Refreshments and fellowship will be provided before and after each session. Registration is free. For more information, go online to www.reformokc.com.
3. Singles take on Red River Rivalry. Crossings Community Church is offer an OU/Texas Watch Party for singles at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, 14600 N Portland. The gathering will be held on the church’s third floor. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Singles are encouraged to bring their favorite football snacks. Pizza will be provided.
4. Women shine the light. A Women’s Ministry Conference begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fairview Baptist Church, 1700 NE 7. The theme for the conference is “Women of God Whose Purpose in Life is to Shine in This Dark World.” Registration is $25 for Women’s Missionary Union members and $10 for guests. For more information, call 232-1621.
5. In need of guidance? A Dallas-based Christian dance company called Guidance will present two performances of “Believe: the Gospel of God’s Promise” at 7 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Oklahoma city, NW 12 and Robinson and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Waterloo Road Baptist church, 3100 E Waterloo Road. “Believe” is a theatrical dance portrayal of the Gospel. For more information, call First Baptist at 232-4255 or Waterloo Road Baptist at 341-9024.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Animals receive blessings today
Today is St. Francis of Assisi Day and congregations around the country are blessing their pets in fun-filled family-oriented ceremonies.
A blessing of the animals service on Oct. 4 recognizes the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, who wrote a Canticle of Creatures, an ode to God’s living things, according to the National Council of Churches.
“A blessing of the animals service reminds us of the values St. Francis held,” Jordan Blevins, the council’s assistant director of the Eco-Justice Programs, said in a prepared statement.
“In the Biblical story of Noah and the Ark, it is clear that God provided for the blessing of animals in the same way that God did people. There are threats to God’s creation present in our world today, particularly regarding the well-being of endangered species.”
Many Oklahomans are planning to take the family pet for a blessing today, Sunday or in the coming days. A local clergyman offers this advice:
– Make sure your pet is on a leash or in a cage.
– Be sure to bring your camera to take lots of pictures.
– Take a pooper scooper … just in case.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Faithful Five: Weekend Events
Here’s my “faithful five” — five events going on in the faith community this weekend, Oct. 4-5. If what you read below intrigues you, go check it out for yourself:
1. Buddhists balance. Buddhists from various traditions will gather Saturday for the 10th annual 
Oklahoma Buddhist Conferencefrom 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Meinders School of Business at Oklahoma City University. Cost is $15 for students and $20 for non-students. Theme for this year’s event is “Equanimity: Practicing Balance.” A free pre-conference session featuring a film and discussion will be from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight.For more information, call Maurice Hoover at 519-2447 or go online to www.oklabuddha.org.
2. Builder bands. The “Music Builds” concertfeaturing Third Day, Switchfoot, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and Jars of Clay is set for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Ford Center. Some proceeds from the concert will help fund a Habitat for Humanity Build planned for later this month by Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity. This is music with a heart, in more ways than one. Ticket prices for the concert are: $59.50, $39.50 and $29.50. Tickets are available at the Ford Center Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.LiveNation.com. To charge by phone, call 235-8288.
3. Parenting with purpose. North MacArthur Church of Christ is hosting a free four-session seminar “Parenting in a Media-Filled World” on Sunday at 9300 N MacArthur. The first session, “The Reality of TV’s Effects” will be at 9 a.m., followed by “Trash-In — Trash Out” at 10 a.m. In the afternoon, “What Teens Watch and Hear” will be presented at 5 p.m. and a session on “Electronic Battlefields” will be held at 6 p.m. It’s all open to the public. For more information call the church at 621-5962 or go to the church’s Web site at www.northmac.org.
4. Blessings for Fido and Kitty. There are numerous pet blessing ceremonies this weekend in conjunction with the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. Here are a couple to consider if you are looking for a nice family gathering that includes your beloved pet:
– In Edmond, New Covenant United Methodist Church will host its Fourth Annual Blessing of the Animals from 1 to 3 p.m. Sundayat the duck pond area at Hafer Park, Ninth and Bryant. This event is more like a festival because the church has partnered with many community agencies to make the day fun and adventurous for the whole family.
– Church of the Good Shepherd in Edmond, 1000 N Broadway, will host a Blessing of the Animals in the church’s St. Francis garden at 4 p.m. Saturday. Pet owners who can’t make that event can bring their pets to the church’s 8 and 10 a.m. services on Sunday for a special blessing at the altar.
– St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church will host a Blessing of the Animals at 3 p.m. Sunday at the church, 14700 N May.
5. Singing songs of inspiration. The Children of the World International Children’s Choir will perform at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday at Cornerstone Church, 9900 SE 
15 in Midwest City. The concert is part of the choir’s 2008-2009 tour. The choir is comprised of orphaned and disadvantaged children from several different countries. For more information, call 737-5599.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
OCU gives gift of education
Beginning in fall 2009, Oklahoma City University, a Methodist-affiliated university, will provide tuition costs for United Methodist ministers and their families who are from the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, under appointment by the Rev. Robert Hayes Jr., bishop of both conferences.
Tuesday, Hayes and OCU President Tom McDaniel (pictured at left) made the announcement of the tuition waiver, which will be extended to the spouses and dependent children of ministers from the two conferences.
“OCU embraces the United Methodist tradition of scholarship and service and this is one way we can offer more students the opportunity to pursue a faith-based education that will prepare them for a lifetime of service,” McDaniel said in a prepared statement.
“Our Methodist clergy in Oklahoma make a tremendous difference in our community through servant leadership. We want their families to have the opportunity to study at a university that focuses on the same qualities as the United Methodist Church.”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
