I came across this word, 'sehnsucht,' recently. It is a German word. There seems to be no good English equivalent. It denotes profound homesickness or longing or yearning, but with transcendent overtones. C. S. Lewis speaks of this spiritual homesickness in his famous essay, "The Weight of Glory." I thought you might like to explore this glorious bit of prose--it is careful thinking expressed by a precision that is scintillating.

Our commonest expedient is to call it beauty and behave as if that had settled the matter. Wadsworth's expedient was to identify it with certain moments in his own past. But all this is a cheat. If Wordsworth had gone back to those moments in the past, he would not have found the thing itself, but only the reminder of it; what he remembered would turn out to be itself a remembering. The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things--the beauty, the memory or our own past--are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself . . . Now we wake to find . . . we have been mere spectators. Beauty has smiled, but not to welcome us; her face was turned in our direction, but not to see us. We have not been accepted, welcomed, or taken in . . .

Our life-long nostalgia, our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy, but the truest index of our real situation.

Sehnsucht is never discovered easily or else everyone would find it--like a Starbucks on every corner.

Today's post will be in the form of reporting contents of H.R. 3962, the 'Affordable Health Care for America Act' that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is seeking to bring to a vote as quickly as tomorrow in the House of Representatives.

I am reporting because Speaker Pelosi has backed off her earlier commitment to publish the bill 72 hours prior to bringing it to the floor for a vote. I just think you ought to know some of what is in the bill.

A letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:

“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.” [page 1] - - - - - - - - - -
“If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…” [page 2] - - - - - - - - - -
“Criminal penalties
Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:
• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.
• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.” [page 3]

When confronted with this same issue during its consideration of a similar individual mandate tax, the Senate Finance Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to include language in its bill that shielded Americans from civil and criminal penalties. The House bill, however, contains no similar language protecting American citizens from civil and criminal tax penalties that could include a $250,000 fine and five years in jail. Language in the bill actually contains a provision of jail time for those who cannot afford or would choose not to buy the $15,000 premium the plan creates. According to the Congressional Budget Office the lowest cost family non-group plan under the Speaker’s bill would cost $15,000 in 2016.

All of the above is reporting and is referenced. Now for comment: No comment necessary. The actual language of the bill says it all.

Greetings Faithful Readers,

I have been inconsistent in posting. Probably a relief to many of you.

I came across a couple fascinating articles this morning. The first comes from:
http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/
It is entitled "They Can't Push Us Around Forever" by State Rep. Susan Lynn from Tennessee. It is a joint resolution by the Tennessee House and Senate, signed by Governor Phil Bredesen. Basically House Joint Resolution 108, the State Sovereignty Resolution, is a call to the other 49 states to stand up for their Constitutional rights in our union against the extraordinary power grabs coming out of Washington.

The tenth amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that which has been delegated by the people to the federal government, and also that which is absolutely necessary to advancing those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution of the United States. The rest is to be handled by the state governments, or locally, by the people themselves.

The joint resolution calls for a joint working group between the states to enumerate the abuses of authority by the federal government, and to seek repeal of the assumption of powers and the imposed mandates by the federal government.

Wow!

You may not be Wowing with me! So let me explain. This is a call to the states and the people to stand up to the power grab of this government. And to protect the rights of the people. This may well provoke a constitutional showdown in the Supreme Court. Will our experiment in self-government under constitutional law prevail--or will we allow Washington to simply gobble up more and more of our rights and legal protections?

Now to the other article. it is entitled, 'President Obama and American Exceptionalism' by Robert Heiler. You can find it on: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

American Exceptionalism is a theory or 'doctrine' of self-government that both the people and the state are answerable ultimately to the Creator and that the state is answerable to the people. This compact, which is codified in our constitutional form of government, is what makes America unique in the history of nations. This is what is worth fighting for and preserving. Elections do not make self-government. Mouthing the word, 'democracy,' does not make for a government of, for and by the people. It is this political creed that has been the guarantor of our rights as citizens of an amazing experiment among the nations.

I believe that our president does not understand or believe in American exceptionalism. He openly scorned it when asked if he believes in American exceptionalism--he stated he believes in American exceptionalism the same way a Greek believes in Greek exceptionalism or a Brit believes in British exceptionalism. We are not talking about love of country here. Or who one roots for in the Olympics. We are talking about a unique contribution to the history of civilization. A concept of authority that allowed our forefathers to cast of the yoke of a tyrannical crown and to embark upon an experiment in liberty that was unprecedented at the time--and which still stands as the best formulation of governing authority the modern world has yet to see.

Datum 1--Massachusetts fills its Senate seat, come hell or high water:

Until 2004, Massachusetts law empowered the state's governor to fill an unexpected Senate vacancy. But the state had a Republican governor that year, and Sen. John Kerry won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
Worried that a Republican might be appointed to replace Sen. Kerry if he were elevated to the White House, Bay State Democrats, enjoying large legislative majorities, changed the rules to mandate that any vacancies be filled via special elections.
Fast forward five years. A Democrat now sits in the governor's office. Sen. Kennedy loses his life fighting brain cancer. It will be at least four months before Massachusetts can hold a special election, and Democrats are one vote short of a filibuster-proof 60 in the U.S. Senate as they race to pass a radical agenda.
Solution? Massachusetts Democrats rewrite the rules again.
On Tuesday, the state Senate voted 24-16 to allow Gov. Deval Patrick to select Mr. Kennedy's successor. The House passed the bill last week.
End of story? Nope.
Turns out that under the state constitution, laws passed by the legislature take effect 90 days after they're signed by the governor -- unless lawmakers attach a so-called "emergency pre-amble."
Such emergency measures must be approved by a two-thirds majority -- a benchmark lawmakers failed to achieve in ramming through changes in the succession process.
Not to worry.
The president of the Massachusetts Senate argues that the governor can get around the two-thirds problem by writing a letter to the secretary of state declaring his own "emergency." Presto--This has already been done and the seat is 'safely' and unconstitutionally filled so that the Democrats can maintain a 60 seat majority to pass through their agenda without Republican delays or even debate.

The lesson all this nonsense sends to schoolchildren is clear. Maintaining power is the primary purpose of political life. And if politicians don't like the rules or constitutional restrictions that stand in their way, they simply change them -- and if they can't change them, they ignore them.

Datum 2--Meanwhile, back in the Senate:

Senators are negotiating on Senator Max Baucus' health care proposal and it hasn't even been written yet. Of course, to state the obvious, the fact that they're negotiating on something that hasn't been written means no one has read it yet either. And, to add even more insult to injury, it's now clear they have no intention of letting you read it. You read that right. On an almost straight party-line vote, Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee squashed an amendment by Senator Jim Bunning that would have required Baucus' health care bill to be posted on the Internet – for all Americans to read – for 72 hours prior to the Committee voting on it.

Not only that. Bunning's amendment also called for requiring the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office's official tally of how much Baucus' health care proposal will cost the American people and what the real impact will be on health costs to be released before the it was voted on.

So here is my question--What is going on in our constitutional process and government of, for, and by the people in the name of trying to get health care to the people?

What is your conclusion?

Jimmy Carter has been in the news again lately.

Not for hanging with his good bud, Kim Jong Il, dictator supreme of North Korea.

Not for decrying Israel's right to exist within its own sovereign borders.

This time he is calling critics of President Obama's policies racist.

Please. This is so tired. First critics were branded un-American, then a mob, then evilmongers, next Nazi's. Now racist.

But I want to thank our least favorite former President for sticking his nose in the nation's business once again. It gives me this opportunity to share my favorite recollection of his term in office.

It was election day, November 1980. I was in seminary in St. Paul at the time. But that day I was making a business trip for the family company that I worked for part-time while in school. So I was flying on election day--from Minnesota to Dallas and then on to Abilene in west Texas. My flight arrived at DFW airport about 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening. Interested in the election returns, I made my way to the first airport bar I could find to watch the results before heading for my connecting flight. What I saw I will never forget. To me it says all you need to know about Jimmy Carter's debacle administration.

At 5:00 in the evening, Central Standard Time--6:00 on the east coast, 3:00 on the west coast--the major networks had called the election for Ronald Reagan. Obviously the polls had not yet closed anywhere in the country, but the election was decided. Carter himself conceded just an hour or so later--again before the polls had closed in the west. (This was before federal law prevented the networks from calling an election before the polls had closed--indeed, it was this election that led to this law being passed.)

But here is what I remember that evening in the airport bar. The local stations in Dallas were showing lines out the door at polling places in and around Dallas. People were waiting in line to vote--many of them knowing the presidential race had already been decided.

The next day coming back through Dallas on my way back to Minnesota I picked up a Dallas paper and the long lines at the polls were front-page news. Many polling places had to stay open late because the people were still waiting to vote. Reporters were interviewing these persevering voters--"Why are you standing in line all this time? Don't you know the election has been decided and that President Carter has conceded defeat?"

Here is my remembered synopsis of the many replies quoted in the paper: "I've been waiting about 3 years to vote that S.O.B. out of office! I would stand here all night to cast my ballot against him and vote for Ronald Reagan."

Morning had indeed come to America! I am looking for another dawn about 3 years hence.

RM

Seriously, I wanted to take the week-end off. Was planning to enjoy a respite from the relentless onslaught on our constitutional liberties coming out of Washington.

Then comes a call from the president's website, going out to his supporters to make phone calls to all U.S. Senators on Friday, September 11 to support the president's health-care agenda: "All 50 states are coordinating in this--as we fight back against our own Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists who are subverting the American Democratic Process. . ."

That's right--those Americans who have rallied, gone to town hall meetings, written letters, made phone calls to voice opposition to a government-run overhaul of their personal health care choices are being called by our president's website "Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists"!! The call to action is set for the day we commemorate the death of over 3000 Americans by real terrorists who flew planes into the twin towers. Language is being subverted to make people like myself and millions of other Americans who oppose a total government takeover of 1/6 of the American economy and their own say in their health-care decisions terrorists. This was not an off-hand remark or something said in an unguarded moment. It was consciously crafted and deliberately posted on the very website that bears our president's name.

We have already been labeled "un-American" by the Speaker of the House and likened to mobs, Nazis and Fascists by other Democrat officials. Now the president's own website is calling people who disagree with his plan and voice that oppostion to their elected representatives "terrorists."

I cannot overstate how grieved and outraged I am over this latest assault--and how fearful I have become of the agenda of this administration.

RM

Had a new experience today.

Debbie and I were visiting with Bob and Pat Artus who are speending the week at the Connecticut shore. So this afternoon Bob and I went clamming.

Its a full-body experience. The tide was out. We went into the shallow water and started to probe the muck beneath our feet, feeling for clams. When we found them, then it was time to reach down and pull them out of the muck.

It's awesome.

Four dozen clams later we headed back to the cottage with our haul. Bob had two dozen for chowder. I had a couple dozen for clam sauce for pasta.

It was more awesome.

But I'm not giving you my recipe--this blog ain't "Julie and Julia."

RM

So last night I went to Celebrate Recovery at Wellspring. CR is for folks working through 'hurts, habits, and hang-ups.'

Last night, as every Friday night of the month, was Anniversary Night. Those who have put together a measure of sobriety are celebrated for their recovery.

As usual, last night was awesome.

About 20 people got their chip for being there for the first time! Big steps for 20 folks. The house nearly came down with all the cheering!

I am particularly proud of three friends who celebrated major anniversaries last night. I can't tell you their names--it is OK to tell folks you go to Celebrate Recovery; not OK to tell others who you see there. But I am really happy for two friends who clebrated 16 years of sobriety this month--and another who has racked up 20 years!

Way to go guys!!!

And these friends aren't white knuckle sober. They are healthy, happy, productive members of society and fruitful followers of Jesus. They bless many every day.

They bless me.

Awesome.

RM

Ten days until kick-off!!

Saturday, September 5, High Noon in Columbus at the Horseshoe, the Buckeyes kick off the season against the Midshipmen from Navy.

Mark your calendars boys and girls!

Division One Football is almost here.

This bill opens the door for government access to your financial information and direct transfer of your funds to pay for health care services the government deems you able to pay for. This is what I mean by 'soft totalitarianism.' Under the guise of helping the uninsured, the government is demanding that you surrender your basic liberties won by prior generations at great sacrifice.

I say 'Live Free or Die,' but don't let the government direct access to my bank account. I say 'Live Free of Die,' but don't let the government stand between me and my doctor. I say 'Live Free or Die. There are worse evils than death.' I would rather die 'uninsured' breathing the breath of liberty than be eased into a surrender of my heritage as an American by false promises.

Health care is not nor has it ever been a guaranteed right under the Constitution. Good people may argue that it is the duty and responsibility of an enlightened society to provide basic health care for its citizens. That is a debate worthy of good minds and hearts. But this proposed bill is nothing short of a power grab and soft totalitarianism in the guise of false promises.

And that's not all I'm going to say about that.

RM

So . . . our state is one of a handful that still does not have a budget for the fiscal year that has already two weeks old.

So here are some numbers, statistics that I have gleaned from the paper of record in the state, The Hartford Courant, over the last several weeks. See what you think . . .

A couple months ago George David wrote a column in the Courant that offers one very significant perspective. (Where he got the time in the midst of his messy divorce proceeding, I don't know--but that is a subject for another post.) Since this state enacted an income tax in 1992 our population has grown by a whopping 2%. During that same period the size of state government has grown by 24%. In this past Sunday's Courant we learned some other numbers. Our current budget deficit is the highest per capita of any state in the nation--a whopping $2,513 per citizen of our beloved Nutmeg State. That's right--your state government has overspent by over $2500 per man, woman and child.

Here are some other numbers to ponder. Over the past 20 years, Connecticut ranks dead last nationally in job creation, but first in exodus of its youth, our best and brightest leaving for jobs elsewhere. Connecticut alone among all states has seen the number of its businesses shrink, while high skill, high-wage jobs disappear and are replaced by low-paying, low-skill jobs. The state's tax structure and other bureaucratic burdens have been a disaster for business in CT.

So what to do? Your brilliant legislators seem stumped. If you are also stumped, review the above numbers again remembering the axiom about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That is the definition of what? How about government in your home state?

RM

So it's been a while since I have posted anything . . .

Been busy; traveling; working; watching rain drops; etc. etc. etc.

Now--about Michael Jackson. He was the King of Pop--I get it. I grew up with Motown--loved the young Michael and the Jackson 5; understand that Michael changed the world of Pop entertainment.

But yesterday watching just a smattering of the coverage of the memorial service I can't help but come back to this one point/question: When are we going to get over race in this nation?

Black celebrity after black celebrity celebrated how much Michael did for race relations in this nation. How he opened doors for other blacks to follow. Magic Johnson said it was Michael who paved the way for Americans of all colors to have his Lakers jersey hang on their bedroom walls.

Please stop! Before I throw up, please stop!

Michael Jackson was more conflicted about race than any of his white fans. He was a BEAUTIFUL young black boy and an extremely handsome young black man. Then he became something freakish and ghoulish in appearance. White skin that looked like all the life had been bleached out of it. Long un-African locks of hair. Very thin Nordic nose. He looked like he acted--weird. If you want to make an argument that Michael's internal conflict about his looks arose out of the tensions of growing up black in majority white America, OK. That is a discussion that would seem to have some merit. But white folks loved Michael and his music long before he started looking like us.

As for Michael Jackson paving the way for young white Americans to idolize and relate to African American athletes--that is patently ridiculous. I grew up always, always, always wanting to wear number 14 in basketball. I seldom ever got to because I was never the best on my team. But we all wanted to wear Oscar Robertson's number. You ask who was the Big O? He was Magic before Magic Johnson. One SEASON in the NBA he averaged a triple double--double figures in scoring, rebounding and assists. Nobody has ever come anywhere near to that--ever. We loved Oscar for the purity and beauty of his game. Oh, did I mention that Oscar Robertson was black and that I am white? Oh, by the way, there is another reason why we did not have Oscar's jersey hanging on our walls and it has nothing (repeat--nothing!) to do with Michael Jackson. First of all, the NBA did not merchandise its soul back then (no pun intended) and second of all, we could not afford such luxuries back in the day. H-E-double hockey sticks---we got one new pair of Converse sneakers a year and they cost all of $8 a pair!

So please stop this nonsense about Michael being some kind of door opener. People loved his music. People loved his style. People loved his charisma. People loved his edge. End of story. (Just like Elvis for the prior generation, I might add. Another King who died pathetically after the ravages of fame warped his final years.)

So I am wondering if fifty years from now people will still be talking about how this latest African American celebrity to die opened doors for younger black Americans. Unless they are talking about Barak Obama I don't want to hear it. It is so old and tired. Can we just get over it and let people be people? Let their talent speak for itself? Their accomplishments. Their whatever.

And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

RM

News Item:

On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm! ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House. The network plans a primetime special -- 'Prescription for America' -- originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate. When challenged about the constitutional violation of a "free press," ABCNEWS Senior Vice President Kerry Smith responded that: "ABCNEWS prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers -- of all political persuasions -- even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABCNEWS is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue," (Drudge Report 6/17/09)

The above development ought to cause every lover of freedom to rise up and protest.

Every lover of freedom!

Those who voted for President Obama and those who voted against him.

Those who favor a government health care initiative and those who oppose it.

Those who have never had a political thought in their entire lives and those who eat, sleep and drink politics.

Every lover of freedom should be screaming to ABC and their affiliates ESPN and Disney.

This is a major boundary that is being crossed. When the media begins to openly carry the water for any government agenda a major check on governmental power has been eroded. ABC News has said they will not even allow the mandated oppostion response from the other party.

An independent and free press/media is one of our most important safeguards against the government's ever-encroaching intrusion into our loves.

This is our country. These are our liberties. This is our future we are talking about here!

Wake up America!

This morning I had the distinct honor of presiding at the memorial service for Gerry and Barbara La Chance's daughter, Gretchen.

Gretchen was 25 years old. She was blind; she had no verbal skills; she could not walk without help; she was limited in her mental capacities; and she wore diapers every single day of her life.

When Gerry and Barbara took Gretchen into their home she was 2 and 1/2 years old despite being discouraged from doing so by the doctors. She was severely handicapped, desperately small for her age and given no prospects by the doctors to live to her third birthday. She made that one and 22 more.

How? Love finds a way. Love makes a home. Love forges a highway of hope. Love reaches the spirit.

Gretchen knew how to give and receive love. She learned from those who loved her. She communicated primarily through touch and kisses--either wet sloppy ones when you hugged her or ones she would blow across the room to family and friends.

I had the pleasure of knowing Gretchen for close to 20 years. I can honestly say that my life has been enriched through knowing her. I loved to watch her during worship. When the music began Gretchen was stirred and became engaged in worship. She swayed to the music; she began to smile; she opened her spirit to the Lord she knew by the Spirit. I loved to touch her and pat her and watch her respond to that attention and affection. I loved to watch her interact with her family; especially her older brother, Phillip. (Phillip is a 30 year with Downs syndrome and an amazing personality; but that is the subject of another blog.)

Love brought Gretchen to life; caused her to thrive; sustained her for all these many years. Love is the legacy she leaves.

Good-bye Gretchen. See you in heaven.

A new flag was unfurled yesterday at 111 Mooreland Road.

Historically it is known as the Gadsden flag after a Colonel in the South Carolina colonial militia during the Revolutionary War. In 1774 a yellow flag with a coiled rattlesnake and the words, "Don't Tread 0n Me," was first flown as a symbol of defiance of the tyranny of Great Britain.

In recent days the flag has been making something of a comeback.

It is a modern-day rallying banner for the values and ideals of the Revolution and this American experiment in liberty and self government. It is a protest against the aggressive expansion of the socialist state and the threats to individual liberty that are multiplying daily in our nation.

That is why it now flies defiantly at 111 Mooreland Road.

RM

So I went to the state capitol today, along with some other leaders, and met with Senator Mike McLachlan from Danbury. It was quite a meeting. This is a man we have long been praying for--a courageous voice for righteousness in those halls. He is a freshman senator, so I guess he doesn't know any better--he is actually there to speak up and stand up for what he believes in. He was the tip of the spear in leading the efforts to beat back the assaults on religious liberty in this past session. Thank you god for this faithful man!

Why were we there?--he is challenging the Body of Christ across Connecticut to get more involved in praying and in advocating for our values in the political sphere. So the meeting was very exciting. It feels now like we have an advocate on the inside of the process and we can now work with him and others to support the cause of righteous and just governance with our prayers and advocacy.

So on to the number. You may have noticed that this blog is called "Blog 222." That comes from our street address: 222 Lincoln Street. For years the Lord has spoken to me through the number 22 or 222. The number is like an alert--pay attention. Or it is an affirmation--you have my favor. When the Lord first started impressing this number on me I would see it everywhere. Whenever I would look at the clock it would be 22 minutes after the hour--or so it seemed. I would see 22's on license plates, on road signs, on other random places.

Today I must have had four or five 22 sightings--at least three on the clock; a couple other random sightings; and we initially were to meet the Senator in his suite at the Legislative Office Building--Suite #2200. To me that all indicated favor. And it was there in abundance in the meeting with the Senator.

Pray for this man--he is in a key position at a key time in our state's history.

Oh, about the rest of the address. I received a prophetic word years ago that the whole address was/is prophetic. That I had some call to statesmanship for the Kingdom, as Lincoln was one of our greatest statesmen ever. I don't think the Lord has me exiting the church to go into politics. But I do think that I am entering a season when doors are being opened for me to be a voice into certain arenas of the political process for the cause of Kingdom justice and righteousness.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

So, here it is Wednesday and I am just getting around to doing a follow up post about the teaching I gave on Sunday.

First, thanks to everyone who has given me so much encouragement and support for the things I shared on Sunday. It is very affirming to receive that kind of support.

Also, many of you have asked where I get the information that I shared on Sunday. I can mention two really great sources--one is secular and the other is Christian. The first is:
www.realclearpolitics.com This site is updated twice a day and it is a compendium of articles and op-ed pieces from papers and magazines from all over the nation. It covers the political spectrum and you can read about three or four pieces in a matter of a few moments. Great resource.

The Christian site is: www.ifapray.org This site really has a focus on intercession and is a great resource on political issues that have spiritual implications. You can also sign up for e-mail updates which come regularly and are easy to navigate. Like today the headline issue in the update has to do with pending legislation that would fund research involving the cloning of human embryos. I have copied below the post on this matter to give you a taste of what is available on the alerts and to illustrate that the beat goes on in Washington.

Congressional advocates of using human embryos in research recently admitted that they are drafting legislation to potentially fund human "therapeutic cloning." Pray that all misleading language and "stealth" legislative maneuvers to fund "therapeutic cloning" be exposed and thwarted. Pray that the Lord raise up voices to oppose it. On March 9, President Obama issued an executive order that removed certain limits on federally funded human embryo research that had been adopted by President Bush in 2001. Obama said that he opposed "the use of cloning for human reproduction," but pro-life observers quickly pointed out that this was familiar code language employed by those who favor using cloning to create human embryos for research that will kill them; this procedure is sometimes given the misleading term "therapeutic cloning." In an interview with Congressional Quarterly Today, published on April 27, 2009, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) acknowledged that a bill she is drafting in concert with Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE) and others would authorize the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research that would involve creating human embryos using "somatic cell nuclear transfer" (SCNT). This laboratory technique has been used to create thousands of cloned mammals without sperm. SCNT research began with the famed cloned sheep named Dolly in 1997.
"This statement is important, because DeGette and others who favor human cloning have been relying on stealth and misleading terminology to advance their agenda," commented National Right to Life Legislative Director, Douglas Johnson. "They know that the public opposes the creation of human embryos by cloning," Johnson stated. While "DeGette says her legislation will contain language outlawing reproductive cloning," Johnson argues that her "proposal is deceptively labeled, and is a sham ... that will promote human cloning, and then try to punish anyone who allows a human clone to survive. This would be the first federal law that now merely allowed but actually required the snuffing out of an entire class of human beings." (NRL News May '09)

Anyway, that is an update and follow up to what I shared on Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

Greetings Sports Fans!

I am back in Connecticut and back in the office. Yikes--work!

Pastor Rick

Greetings Blue Grass Lovers,

Debbie and I accompanied my mom and dad to the 40th annual Appalachian Festival today at a park along the Ohio River. Blue Grass music, authentic crafts, demonstrations and historic encampments marked the festival. Maybe most of you don't know that my people come from the hills of Kentucky--so I felt right at home.

I bought Debbie a beautiful artisan crafted hammered dulcimer, one of the authentic musical instruments of early America. She is honing her technique right now.

That is about it for today--the Reds are on the televison and they are up 2-0 over the hated Cardinals. Big win last night for the hometown team 6-4. Looking forward to being home late on Monday.

Thanks for your prayers.

Pastor Rick

Wherever Debbie and I travel we love to buy and read local newspapers. It is like intersecting a slice of life in that particular area.

When we arrived to visit Debbie's mother we opened up the Daily Disappointment (read: Wilmington News Journal) to see the obituary of the best teacher either of us had in our public school education. His name: Mr. Kearney Lykins. He was Kearney in students' conversations; Mr. Lykins in the classroom. What a character! What a teacher! We all hated and admired him. Feared and secretly were grateful for him. He was one of those characters you hate to love--yet affection was often not too strong a word.

What did he do? He taught us to read and to write. I'm talking high school English. He got us into Shakespeare and Tennyson and Milton and tried to get us into Joseph Conrad, but I drew the line there. To me Lord Jim is The Heart of Darkness. But I digress. He taught us to write. My, did we write! One theme a week. It had to be solid, well-composed and well-thought-out. (He would probably have slashed up that last sentence.) He is the one who taught me how to build and communicate an argument long before I ever got to any preaching class. We also had to read the great literature of the English language and write book reports. One day one of the students tried to submit a book report on the Bible (it was on the reading list back then). That was an interesting day in class.

Because you see, Kearney was combative in class. And he could be devastating. One day he hit my sister on the back of the head with his ruler as he was walking up the rows to the front of the classroom--no reason, he just gave her a whack. She slugged him in the gut--automatic reflex. I have never been prouder of my sister in my life. No repercussions for her, Kearney loved it when he couldn't intimidate you. Of course we were all petrified of him; but I learned then that you have to stand up to the threat of intimidation.

During my senior year Kearney lent me a commentary on the book of I Corinthians--and I read a portion of it--Barclay's Study Bible. That was another part of the enigma that was Kearney Lykins. He was very much a student of the Bible, but he was definitely not a saint. His sin hit the fan in the big kind of way that only happens with a public school teacher in a small town.

But the obituary stated that Mr. Lykins had been very involved in the local Baptist Church in the small western Kentucky town where he retired. He taught Sunday School and he was a lay preacher. I would have loved to have heard him preach in these past few years--a sinner reclaimed by grace. An incredibly articulate, intelligent and passionate man in a small town, western Kentucky Baptist congregation. (For those of you geographically and culturally challenged, let me just say that western Kentucky is a LONG way from Connecticut.) Grace is an amazing thing. It calls us back to our better selves; it calls us home to our greatest love; it calls us on to our highest ideals.

So, Mr, Lykins--thank you for teaching me to write and teaching me to think critically. I am looking forward to seeing you in heaven someday. Maybe together we can hang out with John Milton and see how things look to him with his eyes opened to glory.

You will all be glad to know that the Village of Amelia was NOT dissolved yesterday by the electorate. That is a big relief because I don't know what we would have done or where we would have gone had that happened. Maybe vaporized into a parallel universe of dissolved villages.

Anyway it has been raining here today so Debbie and I went to several antique stores in a nearby village (one not in danger of being dissolved).

Last night the Reds put a whuppin' on the Florida Marlins, 7-0. It is so amazing around here--nobody gives a big woop about either the Red Sox or the Yankees, let alone the Mets. I am beginning to feel that I am returning to normal. Everyone in New York and New England should be required to sojourn west of the Hudson for at least two weeks a year to discover the real American heartland. Also people are actually friendly here. People talk to you when you go into stores. I had forgotten how that feels. And in the last three weeks I have been "Sir"ed more than in the entire 22 years I have lived in Connecticut.

That is about all the news fit to print for today.

Pastor Rick

That's Ameila, Ohio. Amelia is a relatively old village east of 'Cincinnati where my parents live. After today it may exist no more. Today is primary election day in the area and one of the measures on the ballot is a question to dissolve the village. How do you dissolve a village? Is there some kind of potent anti-village chemical that will be dropped from airplanes? Will it be scrubbed off future maps? Where will my parents' mail go? I might be absorbed into the village landfill if the ordinance passes--never to return; just dissolved.

Honestly this has me so freaked out I can't communicate a whole lot more right now. If the measure is defeated or I survive the absorption I will report more about my time at MorningStar.

In trepidation,
Pastor Rick

Greetings from the Pastors' Prayer Summit.

I want to thank all of you who have been praying for me and for this gathering. This has by far been the easiest summit to facilitate that I have ever been apart of. The Lord is leading our time together and the group of about 35 pastors and leaders are exhibiting high levels of trust and vulnerability with the Lord and one another.

I am also hearing here the same kind of theme that was being echoed in Houston--and one I know I will be hearing later this week at MorningStar. Darkness is encroaching--and the call is to be the light of the Lord in the mdst of the darkness. I am hearing this holy tension of a the nation and society being shaken--and the Lord beginning to move powerfully in the midst of the shaking. This is what I was preaching on a couple weeks ago--and will be revisiting this coming Sunday.

On the flight home from Houston I spoke to a delightful woman who is a scientist and who also operates in a prophetic anointing. She described what she is seeing happening as the old equilibrium being disrupted. That leads to a season of inevitable chaos before a new equilibrium is established. I think she is right.

The key, however, is that the exact nature of that new equilibrium is yet to be determined. That, I believe, depends on the prayers and the repentance of the church in the midst of this shaking that is going on. Many of us have been looking to the political arena for this new equilibrium to come forth. But really, the determining arena is the heart and response of god's people. Will we pray? Will we repent? Will we stand for righteousness as salt and lihgt in the midst of corruption and darkness?

These are the questions. We are the answers.

Pastor Rick

Hey sports fans!

All you Yankee fans--back away from the ledge--slowly, slowly, slowly! Red Sox fans, remember Aprils past. A sweep in April is neither the end of the world or the World Series!

Good lesson there--it is over the long haul that great victories are won. Therefore, it is always too soon to give up. Celebrate small victories, but don't confuse them with the Final Triumph.

End of sermon. Pastor Wes did such a good job preaching yesterday and I did not have a chance to preach last week, so I had to get this one out.

I am at the Pastors Payer Summit--we had a great first session. Thanks for your prayers. God is meeting us.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

P.S. The hometown team--Cincinnati Reds won yesterday too!

Back home. Thanks for your prayers. Great to be back at Wellspring this morning--wonderful time in the Lord's presence.

All the UCONN fans are buzzing because 4 of their guys got selected in the NFL draft's first day. Props to UCONN. But check this out--Saturday in Columbus 97,000 fans showed up and paid to watch the Buckeye's spring game. That is filling Rentschler Field twice plus standing room for a practice game! That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Tomorrow I will be helping to lead a Pastors' Prayer Summit for pastors and ministry leaders here in Connecticut. I would appreciate your prayers for this gathering--Monday noon through Wednesday noon. We will be together to seek the Lord in prayer, worship and for a time of rest and refreshment and fellowship. I very much enjoy these times and have found that the Lord has used these times significantly in my life in the past. Please pray for the Lord's direction and presence during that time.

More to follow.

Greetings from Houston!

The Reds finished up their longest road trip of the year by taking 2 of 3 from the Cubs. That concludes a 7-3 road trip in which they won all three series. For all you New York and Boston fans there is still time to jump on the bandwagon!

It was a good day at the consultation. The focus today was on compassion ministries and their role in transformation ministry. We also had a report of the focus of prayer and ministry to "the tribe of Hollywood." Hollywood impacts the entire world--mostly in negative ways. In the past decade the Lord has put it on the heart of many to focus prayer and intentional ministry to the film industry. We heard from a Spirit-directed actor and his ministry to other actors, writers and aspiring artists. We also learned of a school in Hollywood to raise up and develop young Christian actors, writers, directors to create excellent films that have a positve impact and help recalibrate the norm of society by presenting a Christian worldview and positive morality. They now can count 5000 Christian believers in the "Hollywood tribe." This has been the result of focused prayer and intentional incarnational ministry to take the gospel to this element of our culture.

I am very grateful for all your prayers. I am picking up lots of encouragement from the sessions, from the amazing servants of the Lord from around the world, and from the atmosphere here--the anointing in the meetings is very real and I am feeling things sparking in my spirit as I am listening, absorbing and processing.

Looking forward to being home before long--and being with the Wellspring family on Sunday.

Pastor Rick

Hello sports fans and greetings from Houston!

I arrived safely last night after an uneventful flight. Got to the hotel. Turned on SportsCenter just in time to catch the report that the Cincinnati Reds had defeated the hometown Astros just prior to me landing in town, completing a successful series that saw the Red Stockings take 3 games out of 4. What an awesome omen! What incredibly poor planning on my part. Had I been looking ahead when I made my flight reservations I would have flown in early and taken in the game.

I am here with Gregg Healey, a gifted businessman from Westport who is an elder at St. Paul Lutheran Church in the same town. Gregg is very prophetic and has a call to be a minister for the Kingdom in the marketplace. I have gotten to know him over the past few years in our networking around Connecticut. He helps to facilitate a fellowship of 9 churches in lower Fairfield County whose pastors pray together regularly; the congregations also partner together in worship periodically and in prayer and in strategic outreach in their county. I am looking forward to getting to know Gregg better during these days.

We had lunch today with Jill and Michael O'Brien. Many of you will remember their visit with us at Wellspring last September. Jill and Michael live in Houston and it was good to fellwoship with them. Plans are being set for them to return to Wellspring this coming September and minister to W.O.W. and to the congregation. They send their greetings to all.

This evening the TransformWorld gathering begins. I am looking forward to that.

The Reds travel on to Chicago for a three game set with the Cubs. I am looking for at least 1 out of 3 from that series--the Cubbies are tough this year.

Pray for me as I come to mind--thanks. Pray for the Reds if you have the faith and anointing to do so--no curses please!

This is amazing!

I have probably been on two blogs in my life--maybe three. One about the Cincinnati Reds; another for the Buckeyes; and maybe, maybe one having to do something with ministry. "First things first" is my motto.

Another motto has always been, "I defy progress!" Technology makes me nervous and agitated. Too much of it makes me want to hit somebody or something. So now I am being dragged, kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Thanks alot James!

Anyway, now for something more substantial. As those of you have read who have emailed me in the last couple weeks, all my email to Rick@Wellspring.net will be routed through my administrative assistant, Sandy Scully. We are still sorting out how we will handle this. But I have had to take this step in order to free myself from a couple of hours of email every day. I can no longer give that time to email and still accomplish the priorities the Lord has put before me.

Specifically, I want to inform you of three major events I will be taking part of over the next couple weeks. Next week I travel with a colleague from Westport to TransformWorldHouston. You can go to www.transformworldhouston.com and find out more about this global consultation. This event will involve Christian leaders from all over the world who are fostering a learning community about the transformational agenda of the Kingdom, building linkages across continents, and cross-pollinating the church from the developing world and the west. This is a very exciting endeavor and I am humbled to have been invited to this gathering. I go with great anticipation and expectation. I hope to post some observations and comments while I am there.

When I return (I'll be in church April 26) I will be leading with a couple other colleagues the Connecticut Pastors' Prayer Summit at Camp Connri in Eastford, CT. This will be a 48 hour gathering of pastors seeking the Lord together in worship, prayer and fellowship. These have been great times of renewal, rest and re-visioning in the past. I always look forward to these gatherings.

Then, later that week I will be traveling to MorningStar for another consultation that will focus on how the church is to respond to the rapid and rampant attacks upon religious liberty and Christian values that are coming out of Washington and the state capitols. Here in Connecticut the legislature is poised to pass a bill that would severely limit religious liberties under the guise of instituting same-sex marriage--as mandated by our Supreme Court. Proposed executive orders from the current administration in Washington are threatening to invalidate the conscientious objections of doctors and nurses who choose not to be involved in medical procedures (e.g. abortion and euthanasia). The president's council of faith-based advisers includes someone who has been outspoken in attacking the Catholic Church. Homeland Security has recently issued a report stating that those who have attended the recent "Tea Parties" and those who oppose abortion may be potential threats to the government and possible domestic terrorists. I wish I was making this stuff up! I will have more to share about this when I return from MorningStar.

So--please pray for me over the next couple of weeks. Here are some prayer requests:

--pray for divine appointments and divine encounters while I am at these gatherings.

--pray for me to receive all the Lord has for me during these times.

--pray for wisdom as I help to lead the Prayer Summit.

--pray for safe travel, health and rest, etc. during this time.

--pray for Wes and the rest of the staff while I am away--and for Debbie as well.

Anyway, that is it for now. My first post.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick