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July 22, 2008

Yet another version of the Bible is here

How many versions of the Bible do you own?
In my family's home there are at least three and I guess to me that seems like a lot.
But there's a new Good Book in town.
Check out the excerpt below from a wire story about the new Codex Bible, and see the Internet link for more information.
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER
The Associated Press
The Codex Sinaiticus Project
LONDON | The oldest surviving copy of the New Testament, a fourth-century version whose Gospels and epistles were spread across the world, is being made whole again — online.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/714711.html

July 18, 2008

Organizers meet for August Revival at Melrose Park

The organizers of the planned "Take Back The City" revival in August at Melrose Park will meet on Saturday at 10 a.m., at the Solid Rock Pentecostal Church, 317 S. Market St., in Salem.
The revival is scheduled for Aug. 8 through 11, at 7 p.m. nightly and a service finale at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Volunteers are being sought and those wanting to give time to the interdemoninational event are welcome at Saturday's meeting in Salem.
Further, a training session for volunteers will be held on Saturday, July 26, at the church, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Organizers meet for August Revival at Melrose Park

The organizers of the planned "Take Back The City" revival in August at Melrose Park will meet on Saturday at 10 a.m., at the Solid Rock Pentecostal Church, 317 S. Market St., in Salem.
The revival is scheduled for Aug. 8 through 11, at 7 p.m. nightly and a service finale at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Volunteers are being sought and those wanting to give time to the interdemoninational event are welcome at Saturday's meeting in Salem.
Further, a training session for volunteers will be held on Saturday, July 26, at the church, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

July 8, 2008

Churches to host Week Long Revival at Melrose Park

A multi-church revival with the theme "Taking Back the City" is scheduled at Melrose Park in Northwest Roanoke from Aug. 11 to Aug. 17.
The interdenominational gathering will hold services starting at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
On Saturday, Aug. 16, starting at 2 p.m., there will be a Gospel concert, praise dancing, games and other activities.
The Rev. George "Mack" Taylor, pastor of Solid Rock Church, a Pentecostal denomination in Salem, which helped organize the event, said, "As a pastor in the Roanoke-Salem area I have watched this city destroy itself with drugs, sex, alcohol, killingsand many other problems."
Other congregations participating in the revival include: Church Alive International, Greater Prayer Temple and Disciples of Christ.
The revival will include counseling on addictions, domestic violence and a job fair is planned, said Deborah Freeman, a volunteer organizer.
For more information call Taylor at 206-9201.

June 25, 2008

July 4 is a big day for Jehovah's Witnesses

While July 4 is a big secular celebration with fireworks and barbecue, the day will also kick off a weekend convention for an estimated 4,600 Jehovah's Witnesses at the Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum.
It will be a three-day event and non-members of the denomination are welcome. Admission is free and no collection will be asked.
The attendees are expected to be from Roanoke and elsewhere in South Central and Southwest Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley and Eastern West Virginia.
A printed statement from the Jehovah's Witnesses public relations office in Brooklyn, N.Y., described the convention agenda as follows: The program will focus on why reliable guidance is needed today and where people can turn to for trustworthy advice in all aspects of life.

July 4 is a big day for Jehovah's Witnesses

While July 4 is a big secular celebration with fireworks and barbecue, the day will also kick off a weekend convention for an estimated 4,600 Jehovah's Witnesses at the Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum.
It will be a three-day event and non-members of the denomination are welcome. Admission is free and no collection will be asked.
The attendees are expected to be from Roanoke and elsewhere in South Central and Southwest Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley and Eastern West Virginia.
A printed statement from the Jehovah's Witnesses public relations office in Brooklyn, N.Y., described the convention agenda as follows: The program will focus on why reliable guidance is needed today and where people can turn to for trustworthy advice in all aspects of life.

June 13, 2008

Rob Johnson on vacation

Dear Focus on Faith faithful,
I'll be on vacation the week of June 16-20.
Although I won't be blogging during that time, there will be print versions of Focus on Faith appearing in the Virginia section of the Roanoke Times on Saturday, June 14 and 21.
There will also be a faith-related feature on the front page of the paper on Sunday, June 15.
As always, your thoughts and comments on religion and spirituality-related local matters are encouraged.
Rob Johnson
Staff Writer
The Roanoke Times
981-3234

Rob Johnson on vacation

Dear Focus on Faith faithful,
I'll be on vacation the week of June 16-20.
Although I won't be blogging during that time, there will be print versions of Focus on Faith appearing in the Virginia section of the Roanoke Times on Saturday, June 14 and 21.
There will also be a faith-related feature on the front page of the paper on Sunday, June 15.
As always, your thoughts and comments on religion and spirituality-related local matters are encouraged.
Rob Johnson
Staff Writer
The Roanoke Times
981-3234

June 2, 2008

Preacher to appear at Christiansburg Barnes & Noble

When some pastors want to extend the reach of their ministries, they write books, often self-published.
The Rev. Harold Cox, a Pentecostal preacher from Eden, N.C., will appear to sign at the Barnes & Noble in Christiansburg on Saturday, June 7, from 1 to 3 p.m., to sign and plug his book, "Revelation for the Layman."
Cox told this blog he paid $3,500 to Tate Publishing in Oklahoma as his share of the costs to print and distribute the book. He said about 250 copies have been sold so far.
The book examines Revelation's prophesies about the end of days.

May 28, 2008

The Niche Liturgy of Anointing Oil in Moneta

The tradition of anointing with oil is often referred in the Old and New Testaments.
And it's alive and well at Trinity Ecumenical Parish in Moneta, where the practice is followed four times a year.
The next anointing service is scheduled on Sunday, June 29, at 3 p.m.
You needn't be a member or even baptized, said the Rev. Gary Scheidt.
And you won't have oil poured over year; there's just a dab on the forehead in the shape of a cross, similar to the rite of Ash Wednesday.
For more information call the church at 721-4330.

May 20, 2008

Should pastors preach on politics?

In a story on the front page of today's Roanoke Times is an article about pastors who support the U.S. military effort in the Middle East but specifically decline to say anything about it from the pulpit.

Do you think they should? After all, preachers have been political advocates from the days of the "Black Regiment," when pastors supported the colonies' revolution against King George III. Like today, there was considerable political division in America, and the red coat-supporting Tories condemned the rebellious clergy.

So during a presidential election year, when pastors linked to Barack Obama and John McCain have been controversial, the role of reverends is in the spotlight. Would you like your pastor to be more pro-active politically? Do you even know how he or she feels about Iraq, Afghanistan and other issues? Do you care? Please write this blog and share your feelings.

Should pastors preach on politics?

In a story on the front page of today's Roanoke Times is an article about pastors who support the U.S. military effort in the Middle East but specifically decline to say anything about it from the pulpit.

Do you think they should? After all, preachers have been political advocates from the days of the "Black Regiment," when pastors supported the colonies' revolution against King George III. Like today, there was considerable political division in America, and the red coat-supporting Tories condemned the rebellious clergy.

So during a presidential election year, when pastors linked to Barack Obama and John McCain have been controversial, the role of reverends is in the spotlight. Would you like your pastor to be more pro-active politically? Do you even know how he or she feels about Iraq, Afghanistan and other issues? Do you care? Please write this blog and share your feelings.

May 15, 2008

There is still time brother--for at least one more project

A banner waving in the wind at the end of the 1959 movie version of Nevil Shute's doomsday novel, "On the Beach," proclaims, "There is still time brother."

That was presumably meant to convey an urgency about preparing one's soul for admission to heaven. A deadline for donations is implied on the Web site of First Baptist Church, Roanoke's largest congregation, where a new fundraising campaign called Future Generations Now is aimed at a new $4.6 million Student Ministry and Events Center. The Web site states that the new facility will benefit the church's youth "for many years to come" with multimedia equipment, a cafe and meeting rooms. But how many years do we have left? Maybe not many, the Web site goes on to imply.

While urging parishoners to "give sacrificially," the Web site later states, "We have the privilege to be a part of growing His Kingdom in these last days."

Does anyone think the apparent reference to the end times prophesy in the Book of Revelation might be seen as a bit of a contradiction to the theme of preparing an earthly state-of-the-art facility for future generations?

Apparently, as Shute might say, "There is still time brother" to build and get ample use out of a recreational center for future generations.

Your thoughts?

May 5, 2008

You might want to check out God Tube

Heard about God Tube? It's an increasingly popular Web site drawing with newsy faith-related info you might find worth a look.

Here's the link:

http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-hoping-for-ungodly-returns-christian-video-sharing-site-godtube-gets-30/

You might want to check out God Tube

Heard about God Tube? It's an increasingly popular Web site drawing with newsy faith-related info you might find worth a look.

Here's the link:

http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-hoping-for-ungodly-returns-christian-video-sharing-site-godtube-gets-30/

April 14, 2008

Forgiveness expert comments on April 16

When Gregory Jones, dean of Duke University's Divinity School, visited Roanoke in March for a speaking engagement on the importance of forgiveness in today's world, he sat down for an interivew in which he fielded this question, among others:

How is it possible for the family or friends of someone murdered to forgive? For example, in the case of those grieving after the mass murder at Virginia Tech in April 2007?

Jones: It's perfectly ok for them not to want to do so in the short term. We need to honor peoples' grief, their anger, the devastation they feel that a loved one was unjustly killed.

Continue reading "Forgiveness expert comments on April 16" »

About this blog

Rob Johnson

Focus on Faith is the Roanoke Times' blog focusing on religion and matters of faith in the region and beyond. Faith and spirituality reporter Rob Johnson will be making regular updates to the blog. And please join in! You can share your comments, stories, links and ideas here, too.

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