January 21, 2009

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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January 20, 2009.

Inauguration of the 44th.

Are you as into symbolic numbers as Spike Lee, T.D. Jakes, Keith Ubermacht, Rachel Maddening, Chris Matthews, et.al.?

If you are, then join the congregation to sing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqp89bkFe8k.

Was OGD's 1/19/09 posting a commentary on Exodus 20:3 confirming, coincidental, or providential?

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KD's 12/21/08 edition (scroll down) was a peek at yesterday's liturgy; and here's the review:

Musical Selections by the United States Marine Band as over 50% of
Americans cross their hearts and under 50% cross their fingers. BTW,
did you watch the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House
in the afternoon? It featured high school bands, college bands, military
units, veterans, drill teams, floats, and the Lesbian and Gay Band
Association.

Musical Selections by the San Francisco Boy Chorus and the
San Francisco Girls Chorus which was cool.

Call to Worship - I mean Order - and Welcoming Remarks
by California Senator Diane Feinstein who was dignified,
appropriate, and always appears non-partisan until roll's called.

Invocation by Fuller D.Min. Rick Warren despite Bishop
Robinson's objections and the far left's hysterics. Parenthetically,
the bishop who along with the guy who closed the service -
we'll get to him - came through on his promise not to pray like
Saddleback's pastor and was ungracious enough to offer one
of those condescendingly self-righteous "I'm praying for you"
greetings to RW after that awful benediction. Anyway, RW
overcame his patronizingly panderin' with scarcely perceived
purpose start with a strong finish in faith with Colossians 3:17.
JihadWatch.org's Islam expert Robert Spencer was not
pleased because RW's attempt to reach to the far edges
of inclusion included a common refrain from the Koran:
"You are the compassionate and merciful one." Muslims
liked it because in begins almost every chapter of the
Koran. Spencer: "Making sure everyone feels included -
terrific. But the prayer indicates yet again there is little
general awareness of the reasons why the term 'Judeo-
Christian-Islamic values' is a misnomer.'" Is he saying
you gotta know the, uh, purpose before proclaiming?

Musical Selection by Aretha Franklin who looked like a
Narnian toy from Wal-Mart. As the Queen of Soul was
beltin' out some patriotic lines - and you gotta go to
last night's Daily Show for some, uh, revealing comments
by Jon and Samantha - I swore I saw some females
mouthing other lyrics as the camera panned the
sycophants: "You make me feel like a natural..."

Oath of Office Administered to VP Joe Biden who
is not from Scranton yet has compelled all Americans
to pray for PBHO's health.

Musical Selection by Classical Types which was great but
confused folks who thought it was time for a hip-hopper.
Geez! How could you dance to that!

Oath of Office Administered to PBHO that Chief Justice
John Roberts totally screwed up because, maybe, he
still feels screwed by Senator BHO who didn't vote
for his confirmation as the Chief Justice who will be
forever known as screwing up the...

Inaugural Address with eloquent platitudes that made
everyone feel really good even if everyone's crossin'
something! He said, "The economic ills we suffer
have come upon us over several decades. They will
not go away in days, weeks, or months, but they will
go away...because we, as Americans, have the..."
Oops! Sorry! That was President Ronald Reagan
on 1/20/81. Here's PBHO: "That we are in the midst
of crisis is now well understood...Today I say to you
that the challenges we face are real. They are serious
and they are many. They will not be met easily or
in a short span of time. But know this, America -
they will be met." Excellent! He's almost as convincing
as President Reagan; and with our hopes and prayers
that PBHO succeed according to the will of God, I
kinda like him having the charisma and rhetorical
gymnastics of the last great guy in the big seat.

Poem that left many, uh, unFrosted. What was up with
that? That girl needs a tuition break for Maya's next
class at Wake!

Benediction by The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery who
tried to turn one of America's most healing and
and uniting moments into a race-baiting slugfest
with his sophomoric conclusion and swipe at
crackers: "We ask You to help us work for that
day when black will not be asked to get back,
when brown can stick around, when yellow will
be mellow, when the red man can get ahead man,
and when white will embrace what is right." He
proved two things: (1) PBHO hasn't divorced
himself from all of his nutty buddies yet; and
(2) Dr. Seuss lives!

The National Anthem by the United States Navy Band
Sea Chanters that didn't send chills up Chris Matthews
leg.

And then I thought I heard the congregation break out into song (see the link in the first section of this KD).

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_HGDCj8hP0

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Speaking of property, the self-perpetuating bureaucracies of mainline denominations own it; or, uh, hold it "in trust" for, uh, whomever.

Psst.

The only thing keeping mainline denominations from completely disintegrating is $.

Everybody wants the property and assets; which, interestingly, is the only ideology, uh, "tie" that binds left and right.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEQeRLT1HNQ

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From a really, really, really smart lawyer in my neck of the woods: "When I went to GA...[that's the big PCUSA meeting that's held every other year that supposedly has oversight over the rest of us but which is essentially ignored by our self-perpetuating bureaucracies, judicial legislation, and constitutional defiance]...I asked everyone that I could find what it was that connected us together given the obvious diversity in theology. The answers that I got were polity, pension, and the endowment." Then, proving sarcasm isn't only a trait of KD, he snapped, "Those all seem to be very sound theological reasons to be united."

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While I am called to remain faithfully - which has been explained and documented ad nauseum in KD and a plethora of other publications - rather than separate to be faithful, I have been intrigued by this two-part question from my favorite newswoman in America: "Since the courts say that the property belongs to the presbytery not the churches, then why don't the churches just tell the presbytery to pay the mortgage? Why don't all the evangelical churches just stop paying the mortgage; since it's not theirs anyway?"

So I asked some folks who think a lot harder on stuff like that than me.

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From Chicago: "This does happen when congregations default on their mortgages. The presbytery has to take over or forfeit the property. This was also the stated tactic in the establishment of the PCA...It might be worth a conversation with a real estate attorney to see what might be possible."

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Back to the really, really, really smart lawyer in my neck of the woods: "I think they might find themselves under an administrative commission as did Hollywood Presbyterian Church."

Ah, yes. The thought police. Isn't it interesting how the Protestant tradition has devolved into goose-stepping to the barks of the bureaucracy. Whatever happened to dissent not to mention conscience captive to Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture?

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From Pennsylvania: "Anyone who tries it better have a lot in the bank for court costs; because those apostates in control of the purse strings have endless resources from faithful folks who are now rolling over in their graves."

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Forget where this came from; but I think he's from Virginia: "Anyone who wants to live by the sword shouldn't be surprised if they end up dying by the sword! Let 'em have both edges of the law if they can't figure out what Jesus and Paul were talking about in Matthew 18 and I Corinthians 6. We know they can't figure those out because they don't believe either of them."

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From a really, really, really smart lawyer in Kansas City: "Assuming someone loaned money without asking for very much security or many signatures, then, in theory, the owner of the church must pay or run the risk of foreclosure. Before that would happen - assuming the presbytery itself is a signer of the loan - the presbytery would descend upon the congregation and try to instill the fear of foreclosure...Assuming that did not work, then the presbytery would find a way to up the per capita..."

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From Arizona: "Increase your debt to the max! Then ask to leave! If they don't let you leave, give them the keys!"

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From Ohio: "The plan is tempting; but it would involve breaking covenant with the bank. While most mainline denominations have broken covenant with the God of the Bible, congregations that still are trying to keep covenants must not break them. I would suggest churches that can't take it anymore give away all of their assets to mission projects, give the keys to the presbytery, rent a warehouse, and start over."

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Start over.

Hmm.

Sounds like what's happening in the U.S.A.

Maybe it's good to hand the keys over to somebody else every now and then.

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Blessings and Love!