Thursday, January 30, 2003

Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Threat

As it turns out, there are problems with sending a package of rice to the White House as a protest to the administration's stance on Iraq. At best, your rice is going to the dead letter office or in a worst case scenario you're going to get a call from the Secret Service wondering about the suspicious package you've sent. In spite of the problematic logistics many Brethren throughout the denomination are seeking avenues of protest. Well, we here at the Gospel Messenger have a couple of suggestions. Members of Voice of an Open Spirit (VOS) and other communists are encouraged to send packages of tofu (firm - to symbolize your resolve) to the Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) as a way to protest their stance. Meanwhile, members of the BRF are being encouraged to send good old fashioned New Windsor canned beef (in a pinch, a package of Scrapple will do) to the VOS camp as a way of demonstrating the traditional way that Brethren have helped other for countless years. Finally, mothers throughout the denomination are being asked to write to the BRF and VOS, asking that any food received along with any rice which has not yet been sent be delivered to a convenient food pantry or soup kitchen. As any mom can tell you, there are starving children in China, and in the US, and in Afghanistan, and in Iraq... So clean your plates and be sure to grab a jar of salsa before you leave.

Monday, January 20, 2003

Bird Watching

It seems that our sister blog site, featuring those wacky posts by brother Myers, has finally discovered it’s older sibling. Our “Speak Peas” dove is featured in the January 19th posts. All in all, however, we take any endorsement by the BRF with tongue firmly in cheek, since they also have an endorsement of an inflatable church several days earlier.

Friday, January 17, 2003

Insight Insight

Attendees of this summer's Annual Conference can look forward to the Insight Sessions which are currently being planned to highlight the various and sundry programs of the five agencies reportable/accountable to the Annual Conference. One such session which will highlight volunteerism throughout the denomination is looking to be particularly exciting. Fruit will be brought in from the Oregon-Washington District and, depending on the availability of an orchestra, the Rossini may be a live performance. And to top it off, Tyler Benner of the Chiques Church of the Brethren, Manheim, Pa., has volunteered to demonstrate his talent. This is one session that's determined to be right on target.
Happy Birthday James

"I am your father, Luke." his powerful, resonant voice has filled movie theatres with the chilling words of Darth Vader and the endearing guidance of Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King. He began his career on the New York Stage, and he first earned notoriety for his work in "The Great White Hope." After tackling such challenging roles as Shakespeare's Othello and King Lear, he segued to the silver screen for the 1977 phenomenon, Star Wars. His larger than life persona was a perfect fit on the big screen, and he has given stellar performances in features including Conan the Barbarian (1982), Soul Man (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and Summer's End in 1999. Never abandoning his theatrical roots, he garnered a Tony Award in 1985 for his performance in "Fences." And best of all, James Earl Jones in practically nearly almost Brethren. Check out the January/February 2003 issue of Messenger. Page 12; the page with the Budweiser ad. Today's his 72nd birthday!