Pentatonix: Mary, Did You Know?
To kick off the countdown to Christmas, here is a capella group Pentatonix with their rendition of Mark Lowry’s Christmas song “Mary, did You Know?”
What’s Your Favorite Part of Thanksgiving?
What’s your favorite part of Thanksgiving?
For me, it’s probably enjoying food with family. We laugh; we swap stories and remember years long past; and we reflect on the things for which we are grateful.
I have said it repeatedly the past few years, but any more it feels like Thanksgiving is in danger of becoming “Black Friday Eve.” Between stores opening on Thanksgiving Day and over-the-top marketing programs to entice shoppers the weekend after, Thanksgiving is beginning to to lose some of the prominence it once had in America.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful time today celebrating together and enjoying the many blessings God has given us. One thing I am deeply grateful for is your friendship and support. As you probably know, November and December are important months for Family Council, as most of our gifts for the year come in during this time; if you have not already done so, I hope you will give a generous, tax-deductible donation to help us continue standing up for families like yours all over Arkansas. Click here to donate.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Why Churches Should Not Get Out of the “Marriage Business”
As judges continue to redefine marriage in spite of millenia of human history, religious tradition, and overwhelming majorities of voters, many Christians have called for churches and ministers to get out of the “marriage business” altogether.
The idea is as the legal definition of marriage has changed, ministers may be compromising their convictions by signing state-issued marriage licenses for Christian couples.
John Stonestreet at the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview has authored an excellent commentary on why ministers should not get out of the “marriage business”–at least not yet.
“First of all, there’s nothing on a state marriage license that requires clergy to say that marriage is something that it is not. But by refusing to sign any marriage licenses, we’re missing an opportunity to proclaim to the state and to the public what marriage truly is.
“Second, by backing out of the civil marriage business, we risk perpetuating that illusion that marriage is something the government defines instead of something it recognizes, and we perpetuate the myth that the Christian view of marriage is only for us Christians. In fact, marriage existed before the church and before the state. It’s the job of both institutions to recognize it.
“And here’s a question that bothers me. If clergy should not participate in civil marriage, why should laity? If it’s wrong for pastors, isn’t it wrong for parishioners?”
You can read Stonestreet’s full commentary here or listen to it below.
[audio:http://bit.ly/1ATLii9|titles=John Stonestreet – Separating Civil and Christian Marriage]