Jana Gana Mena

Some really cool versions of the Indian National Anthem. More may be posted.

I hope my daughter gets this musical gene

My brother in law in his high school musical.

Supernatural? Nope. Legend? Nope. What then...drugs, yeah drugs.

Source

High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week.

Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.

"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday.

Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush," suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.

"The Bible says people see sounds, and that is a clasic phenomenon," he said citing the example of religious ceremonies in the Amazon in which drugs are used that induce people to "see music."

He mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil's Amazon forest in 1991. "I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations," Shanon said.

He said the psychedelic effects of ayahuasca were comparable to those produced by concoctions based on bark of the acacia tree, that is frequently mentioned in the Bible.

Methinks he's been dabbling a little too much of his own stash.

Conversations with God

I suspect that I will be quoting a lot of RZIM's daily thoughts here on this blog...

The last paragraph is what caught my attention, what with my recent thoughts on prayer starting with the Hoffman Essay (also reproduced here on this blog).

03/4/08
Conversations with God
Margaret Manning

I have had the wonderfully enriching opportunity over the years to engage in great conversations. I call these “great” conversations because they involved the exchange of ideas, a challenge for putting ideas into action, or strategic planning and envisioning of the future for a particular person, ministry, or for myself. I also call these conversations “great” because they were filled with honesty, authenticity, and debate all within a context of mutual respect and appreciation.

My current work at RZIM affords me the wonderful opportunity to engage in great conversations as a daily part of my ministry. Often, these conversations are conducted through the internet and email server; or they are conversations that take place casually, as colleagues come and go through my office. At other times, my conversations are with ideas presented to me in the pages of books, periodicals, and websites. No matter the media for conversation, it is a daily part of my life and ministry.

In recognizing the gift of conversation in my own life, I began to notice the conversations that took place in Scripture. Particularly, I began to examine the nature of conversation between God and various individuals. As I read these dialogues, I noticed a peculiar feature of these great conversations. For example, the first time we hear Abraham engage God in conversation, God has just promised to give him a great reward (Genesis 15:1). But Abraham responds with doubt. “O Lord God, what will you give me, since I am childless?” (Genesis 15:2). These are the very first recorded words of Abraham. As far as we are told from the biblical story, Abraham left his country and family of origin without question; he heard God’s great promise of a great nation and blessing without any question or doubt. Yet his first words question God.

Moses also questions God in his encounter with the Almighty.(1) Despite seeing a bush burning with fire but not consumed, despite seeing his shepherd’s staff transformed into a serpent, and despite seeing his hand become leprous and then healed of leprosy, Moses fires back question after question and challenge after challenge to the God revealed specially and uniquely to him: “I AM THAT I AM; I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.” Moses appears not to recognize his conversation partner, the God of his father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, as he questions God repeatedly in their dramatic conversation: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). “Now they may say to me, ‘What is God’s name?’ What shall
I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13). “What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say?” (Exodus 4:1). “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). “Please Lord, send someone else to do it” (Exodus 4:13).

At this point in the conversation God becomes furious with Moses, and who can blame God? After all, God has pulled out all the miraculous stops in trying to convince Moses that God will be with him to help him accomplish the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage and slavery. Remarkably, God concedes to Moses, and appoints Aaron, the brother of Moses, as the mouthpiece for the reluctant prophet.

What amazes me about these dialogues is that they are included in Scripture at all! For on the surface, it appears that these are very bad conversations for God! If we simply evaluated them on contemporary conversational etiquette, or persuasive ability, neither party does very well. God isn’t very successful in terms of persuasion and his conversation partners are better at giving excuses than giving respect. But of course, there is more to the story. For I believe these conversations are recorded to demonstrate that even what we might consider “bad” conversation matters to God. As Abraham and Moses continue their conversations with God--as one offers up the child of promise for sacrifice, as the other negotiates with Pharaoh and then navigates the Israelites in the wilderness--we hear complaint, lament, question, and argumentation that we could hardly imagine, let alone speak before the Almighty. And yet, Abraham is called “the friend of God” (Isaiah 41:8) and Moses beholds the glory of God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 33:18-9). Yes, conversation matters to God--even conversation that questions and argues--for God values communion with God’s people. Indeed, Abraham and Moses, Job, the psalmists, and the prophets all provide us with rich and engaging narratives of authentic, challenging, questioning, and even argumentative conversation with God.

With these kinds of conversational examples, how have you been talking with God lately? Do you hold back aspects of your thoughts and feelings, afraid of causing offense, or do you engage God with your whole being, even those parts that question, argue, or doubt? Despite Moses’s questioning of God, the Scripture tells us that “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11). Perhaps the way we talk with God illuminates our willingness to engage in great conversation. Indeed, perhaps the way we talk with God illuminates the depth of our friendship.

Margaret Manning is associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) See Exodus 3-4.

Larry Norman 1947 - 2008

Christian Music lost its pioneer this week. Not one of its pioneers, but the pioneer. A huge distinction. Larry Norman is widely credited with starting this whole genre before it became a genre. Back in the 70s, it was more an outpouring of the faith of the Jesus Movement through music, as opposed to the crappity crap crap that's being mass produced today.

This brings me to a larger point. What happened to honest music? The stuff that Keith Green, or Rich Mullins, or Steve Camp (Justice) used to sing? Music that sounded good that didn't sound like the Christian version of a "secular" product? Music that caused you to worship, not becaues of the catchy tune, but because of the convicting lyrics?

Caution, this has all the warning signs of a developing rant! Exit now!

It makes me laugh that everything today with even a spiritual undertone in its lyric is classified as "worship" music. Take Leeland, for example--one of the few bands that I think is good in CCM today--they're classified as worship, when the lyrics of most of their songs are not. Petra, and White Heart, the bands of my childhood, was never called a worship band, even though most albums had one or two songs that would be classified as such. Eg. "It is finished" or "Desert Rose" on the same albums as "Beat the System" and "Independence Day".

Incidentally, I blame Petra for the whole rock band praise thing. Their "Petra Praise" was a ground breaking album--the first for a CCM band to do a whole disc devoted to praise. It was a great CD too. Since then Integrity Hosanna, Maranatha, Vineyard, Hillsongs, have made the worship song a factory assembly line. Yes Lord! Yes Lord! Yes Yes Lord! Every band and their dog has a worship album with the same songs rehashed. And we miss the point of worship. Worship is a conscious outpouring of apprecation and love to God. Key word here is conscious. The feeling I get now, is that if we mention God in a song we're worshiping.

Of course there have been some fantastic modern worship songs, but, honestly, a good chunk of it is trite and repetitive. I love a lot of Chris Tomlin and Stuart Townend

Anyway, I'll shut up now. But I'll shut up with an old hymn out of the small "Believers' Hymn Book" hymnbook:

Glory to Thee Thou Son of God Most High

1
Glory to Thee;
Thou Son of God most High,
all praise to Thee!
Glory to Thee,
enthroned above the sky,
who died for me;
high on Thy throne,
Thine ear, Lord Jesus bend
as grateful hearts now to Thyself ascend.

2
Deep were Thy sorrows,
Lord, when heaven frowned
-Gethsemane!
Bloodlike Thy sweat,
Lord, falling to the ground
so heavily;
dark was the night, but heaven was darker still,
O Christ my God,
is this the Father’s will?

3
Thorns wreathed Thy brow
when hanging on the tree,
man’s cruelty!
Why lavish love like this,
O Lord, on me?
Thou lovest me!
Would that my soul could
understand its length,
its breadth, depth, height, and everlasting strength!

4
Thy precious blood was freely shed for me
on Calvary
to save me from a lost eternity;
glory to Thee!
Nor death, nor hell, nor things below - above
can sever me
from Thy eternal love.

5
Like shoreless seas,
Thy love can know no bound;
Thou lovest me!
Deep, vast, immense,
unfathomed, Lord, profound,
Lord, I love Thee!
And when above, my crown is at Thy feet,
I’ll praise Thee still for Calvary’s mercy seat.

(Thanks to Leo for the lyrics)

Long Night

If you don't subscribe to "Slice of Infinity" Daily thoughts from RZIM, do so immediately.

Today's thought:

02/28/08
The Long Night
Arun Andrews

My wife and I were returning home on an evening in October. As we drove, we were both concerned about the five year-old son of our dear friends. Over a 24 hour period, Noah had become quite sick. Even as we were praying silently, we received word that the doctor had ordered a brain scan. In that one moment our hearts swung from concern to anxiety. Yes, we have been told by the Lord we cannot add a single hour to our lives by worrying. But that evening the Lord Jesus graciously bore with our limitations for he knew in his heart that we were indeed very worried.

What would your prayer be at such a moment? What if you were in the place of these parents? How would you get through this long night?

When Abraham left Haran he was 75 years old. At this point, God had already promised to make him into a great nation. But his son Isaac would not arrive until after a quarter century of waiting! Years later, Genesis 22 depicts the Lord asking Abraham for that very son as a sacrifice. In verse two the Lord makes his asking known. Verse three begins by stating, “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac.” What is it that transpired between verse two and verse three? The answer is short and simple: a night. But the agony was neither short nor simple. If King Darius could neither eat nor sleep on the night when Daniel was put into the lion’s den, how much more was the agony of Abraham? This was arguably Abraham’s longest night ever. The night has its unique way of amplifying fears and anxieties. There in the long night, the shadows seem longer, the lights seem dimmer, and the enemy seems bigger. The psalmist spoke of one such night when he wrote, “I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Psalm 6:6).

If you are facing your long night it may help to remember that you are not alone. Abraham went through his. Many of the prophets went through theirs. Most importantly, the Lord Jesus went through his at Gethsemane. In such moments we do well to remember that the night may be long, but it cannot be forever and that long nights have a unique way of unraveling treasures from the heart of God. As the psalmist wrote, “At night his song is with me” (42:8). Jeremiah, too, wrote in his Lamentations, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (3:22-23). By the ordinance of a loving God even the longest night of agony must make way for a new morning of hope. Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (cf. Psalm 30:5).

Sadly, for our friends, their long night had only begun. Noah’s scan would reveal a mass near his brainstem and he would be scheduled for neurosurgery. Like Abraham their burden was both unexpected and unimaginable. As Abraham saddled his donkey that next morning a heavy burden was saddled to his heart. If only he could have snapped the cords that held this burden to him! Yet paradoxically, for him relief would come only after he allowed himself to be bound to this burden, for the cords were tied by the very hands of God.

Interestingly, in Genesis 22:5 Abraham says to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Was he speaking the truth when he turned a singular into a plural? Should he not have said, “We will worship and then I will come back to you.”? Had not God asked him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering on one of those mountains? Had he worked out some other human plan to save his son or was he deliberately creating a false impression in the minds of his servants? Was this only a father’s way of hiding from his beloved son the treacherous intent of his heart? Was Abraham a victim of his own wishful thinking as he found himself without hope on the dead-end road of his commitment? Or was there perhaps something more going on?

On the morning of Noah’s surgery, we played with him before the doctors would attempt to remove the mass. Our friends were given a new courage that morning, reflecting a special peace from God. After eight hours of successful surgery and a biopsy report that read “benign,” little Noah was brought out of the operating theatre. To everyone’s joy, he came out with his “hi-beam smile” and broke the silence when he whispered, “Daddy, let us go back home!” The long night had indeed given way to a new day of promise.

When Abraham said “we will return,” I believe he was not making a grammatical mistake. On the contrary, he was making a statement of faith--faith in the God who had given him Isaac and into whose hands he had placed him back. In the long night, our only legitimate way of escape comes from God who is faithful and who will not let us be tempted with more than we can bear (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). And God is indeed faithful! We never truly lose what we place in God’s hands.

Did you know that the solar system has 11 planets? Me neither.

I have never heard of Ceres and Eris. And didn't they throw Pluto out like yesterday's trash? Eye now dowt my entire edukayshun.

Link

Maryn Smith, a 10-year-old fourth-grader at Riverview Elementary School in Great Falls, Mont., knows that there are 11 planets in the solar system. In order of increasing distance from the sun, they are, of course, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Eris.

The trouble is, you and millions of Americans just like you don't know any of this.

You vaguely remember Venus because that's where ladies come from, and Mars because of the rock that looks like a face. And you've got no idea -- none, nada -- about Ceres and Eris, two of the solar system's dwarf planets, along with Pluto, which word conjures in your mind a picture of Mickey's dog.

So how to school you on space? This was Maryn's quest.

Inspired by a contest put on by the National Geographic Society, her class set about coming up with a mnemonic for the solar system's 11 planets. You know, like "Roy G. Biv" for the colors of the rainbow -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and
violet -- or, for the Great Lakes, "Homes" (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
Maryn won the contest with her thoroughly excellent phrase:

My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants.

Mnemonics work when they're memorable. And Maryn's, which she says was inspired by "Aladdin," sure is. The magic carpet! Those palace elephants! How can you forget?

According to Maryn's local paper, other entries from her class included:

My Very Extraordinary Mother Carrie Just Served Us Nine Pizzas Each.

and

My Very Extraordinary Mother Can Jog Superly Under Nasty Particular Elves.

It's clear why those don't work: How would you remember that the mom's named Carrie? And "superly"? And what's the deal with elves being "particular"? It makes no sense! Not like the magic carpet and nine palace elephants, which is totally logical and right.

Maryn's mnemonic will be published in a forthcoming National Geographic book, "11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System."

According to the Associated Press -- and this part is totally true -- it will also be recorded into a song by Lisa Loeb. "My Very Exciting Magic Carpet..." could be Loeb's biggest hit -- her only hit! -- since "Stay."

Fat Kid Successfully Avoids Ridicule By Swimming With Shirt On

Fat Kid Successfully Avoids Ridicule By Swimming With Shirt On

Thank you very much, Mr. Wrong Reverand

Offered without comment. Link

Episcopal Christians apologise to Hindus for discrimination, proselytisation
Arthur J Pais in New York February 25, 2008 20:28 IST

An unqualified apology from a Christian community to Hindus worldwide, which also denounced proselytisation by Christian missionaries, has triggered a debate among pastors across the United States.

The apology, tendered by Right Reverend J Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, is arguably the first of its kind by a major Christian congregation, and was issued 'for centuries-old acts of religious discrimination by Christians, including attempts to convert them.'

While some Episcopal Christians have protested against the apology, made during an Indian-style Mass complete with aarti and kirtans, on January 19 in the presence of over 100 Hindu spiritual leaders and lay people, organisers of the event insist it was the right step in the right direction.

'I believe that the world cannot afford for us to repeat the errors of our past, in which we sought to dominate rather than to serve,' Bruno, who owing to a personal emergency could not be present, said in a statement that was read out by the Right Reverend Chester Talton.

'In this spirit, and in order to take another step in building trust between our two great religious traditions, I offer a sincere apology to the Hindu religious community.'

The apology was made in a ceremony to mark three years of dialogue between Hindus and Christians, initiated among others by the Reverend Karen MacQueen, better known as Mother Karen. She is deeply influenced by Vedanta philosophy, and fiercely opposes the conversions-for-kindness methodology.

The apology was a small act compared to Pope John Paul II's unprecedented apology for the sins of Christians through the ages, made a few years ago.

'We forgive and we ask forgiveness,' the Pope had said during a historic Lenten liturgy in St Peter's Basilica. He, along with Vatican officials, pronounced a 'request for pardon' for 'sins against Christian unity, the use of violence in serving the truth, hostility toward Jews and other religions, the marginalisation of women, and wrongs - like abortion - against society's weakest members.'

"In our case, the apology is part of the dialogue we initiated with a few Hindu leaders three years ago," Mother Karen said. "The healing process will continue," she said but she wasn't sure certain Christian denomination will change their conversion tactics.

The ceremony started with the Hindu priestess Pravrajika Saradeshaprana blowing into a conch shell three times, in a call to Hindu and Episcopal religious leaders to
join the ceremony.

The rare joint service included chants from the Temple Bhajan Band of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and a moving rendition of Bless the Lord, O My Soul sung by the St John's choir, the LA Times reported.

The newspaper, which gave considerable space to the story, however erroneously, reported that Hindus had received the Holy Eucharist. "They ran a correction," Mother Karen said. But by then many Christians were upset.

"The fact remains that there were many Indian Christians who received the Eucharist," she said. The newspaper mistook them for the Hindus, she said chuckling.

In its correction, the LA Times wrote, 'Hindu-Episcopal service: An article in Sunday's California section about a joint religious service involving Hindus and Episcopalians said that all those attending the service at St John's Cathedral in Los Angeles were invited to Holy Communion.

Although attendees walked toward the Communion table, only Christians were encouraged to partake of Communion. Out of respect for Hindu beliefs, the Hindus were invited to take a flower. Also, the article described Hindus consuming bread during Communion, but some of those worshippers were Christians wearing traditional Indian dress'.

Bishop Bruno's stand against 'proselytising' has meanwhile impressed many Hindus. Swami Sarvadevananda, of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, called Bruno's stance 'a great and courageous step' that binds the two communities.

'By declaring that there will be no more proselytising, the bishop has opened a new door of understanding,' he told the LA Times. 'The modern religious man must expand his understanding and love of religions and their practices.'

Mother Karen, who has visited India many times since her first sojourn at Mother Teresa's hospice in Kolkota, wishes to see Hindu-Christian dialogue in India. "But it cannot be done effectively when some church leaders are going around converting people in the name of charitable work," she said.

"There are enough Christians in the world. What we need to see is more Christians leading an exemplary life and truly loving their fellow man."

In her homily 'A Vision for Inter-Religious Dialogue' at the church event, Mother Karen said in both Hinduism and Christianity, devotees believe that 'the Divine Presence' illuminates the whole world.

Mother Karen, who continues to study Hinduism, also said both faiths revere 'great figures who embody the divine light, who teach the divine truth.'