Thank You, Hobby Lobby | CNS News

Thank You, Hobby Lobby | CNS News.

This past Wednesday, Nov.27, 2013, conservative journalist Michelle Malkin wrote this piece for CNS News. As a prelude to the Thanksgiving Day holiday here in the U.S., she expresses thanks to Hobby Lobby, owned and run by staunch Christians, for its battle against Obamacare. In the history of this legal struggle to maintain its religious (in this case, Christian) principles, Hobby Lobby has gained some victories. This past week another small victory was achieved: the Supreme Court has agreed to hear its case.

Malkin traces the history of HL’s battle and praises the Green family for their fight. We too should be thankful for their stand and for their battle against this immoral law. Here is a part of the article; read all of it at the link above or at the end.

Religious liberty is front and center on the nation’s Thanksgiving table. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. The family-owned craft store company is intrepidly challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare’s abortion coverage mandate. Hobby Lobby’s faithful owners deserve our thanks and praise as they defend freedom of conscience for all Americans.

…The Greens’ Christian faith is at the heart of how they do business. They are dedicated to integrity and service for their customers and their employees. The debt-free company commits to “honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles,” as well as “serving our employees and their families by establishing a work environment and company policies that build character, strengthen individuals and nurture families.”

…This summer, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals exempted Hobby Lobby from the abortion mandate and allowed the business to avoid those crippling fines while pursuing its case. Now, the Supreme Court will decide whether Democratic Party pandering trumps bedrock constitutional principles.

Planned Parenthood femme-a-gogues, Senate Democratic leaders, Christian-bashing celebs and atheist bullies immediately attacked Hobby Lobby for “denying women access to birth control.” The lies and religious persecution, especially on the eve of America’s national holiday commemorating the pilgrims’ escape thereof, are unconscionable.

Hobby Lobby’s company health insurance plan covers 16 of the 20 FDA-approved contraceptives required under the Obamacare mandate — at no additional costs to employees. What Hobby Lobby refuses to do is to be forced to cover abortifacients that violate the owners’ faith and conscience. – See more at: http://cnsnews.com/commentary/michelle-malkin/thank-you-hobby-lobby#sthash.rTCIUal6.dpuf

Religious liberty is front and center on the nation’s Thanksgiving table. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. The family-owned craft store company is intrepidly challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare’s abortion coverage mandate. Hobby Lobby’s faithful owners deserve our thanks and praise as they defend freedom of conscience for all Americans.The privately held retail chain’s story is the quintessential American Dream. Founder David Green started out making mini picture frames in his Oklahoma garage in 1970. He recruited his two sons, Mart and Steve, to pitch in at an early age. The family’s first establishment took up a tiny 300 square feet of retail space. Hobby Lobby now runs nearly 600 stores across the country, employs 13,000 people and topped $2 billion in sales in 2009.

The Greens’ Christian faith is at the heart of how they do business. They are dedicated to integrity and service for their customers and their employees. The debt-free company commits to “honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles,” as well as “serving our employees and their families by establishing a work environment and company policies that build character, strengthen individuals and nurture families.”

The company donates more than 10 percent of its income every year to charity. All stores are closed on Sundays to allow employees more family and worship time. It’s the company’s dedication to biblical principles that led Hobby Lobby in April to raise full-time employees’ starting minimum wage to $14 an hour at a time when many other firms have been forced to slash both wages and benefits. – See more at: http://cnsnews.com/commentary/michelle-malkin/thank-you-hobby-lobby#sthash.0VwwYiMJ.dpuf

Religious liberty is front and center on the nation’s Thanksgiving table. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. The family-owned craft store company is intrepidly challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare’s abortion coverage mandate. Hobby Lobby’s faithful owners deserve our thanks and praise as they defend freedom of conscience for all Americans.The privately held retail chain’s story is the quintessential American Dream. Founder David Green started out making mini picture frames in his Oklahoma garage in 1970. He recruited his two sons, Mart and Steve, to pitch in at an early age. The family’s first establishment took up a tiny 300 square feet of retail space. Hobby Lobby now runs nearly 600 stores across the country, employs 13,000 people and topped $2 billion in sales in 2009.

The Greens’ Christian faith is at the heart of how they do business. They are dedicated to integrity and service for their customers and their employees. The debt-free company commits to “honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles,” as well as “serving our employees and their families by establishing a work environment and company policies that build character, strengthen individuals and nurture families.”

The company donates more than 10 percent of its income every year to charity. All stores are closed on Sundays to allow employees more family and worship time. It’s the company’s dedication to biblical principles that led Hobby Lobby in April to raise full-time employees’ starting minimum wage to $14 an hour at a time when many other firms have been forced to slash both wages and benefits. – See more at: http://cnsnews.com/commentary/michelle-malkin/thank-you-hobby-lobby#sthash.0VwwYiMJ.dpuf

ObamaCare’s marriage penalty: Cohabitating couples will pay less for healthcare than married couples – LifeSiteNews.com

ObamaCare’s marriage penalty: Cohabitating couples will pay less for healthcare than married couples | LifeSiteNews.com.

We already know that the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) is bad in terms of finances (increasing costs) and healthcare (loss of good care). We also know it is bad morally, with its forced mandate for employers to provide birth control to employees, even if it violates their religious principles. Now we are also finding out that this law is bad morally in terms of its attacks on marriage and family. But should this surprise us?

In this online article, LifeSiteNews reports on how traditional marriage is being punished under ACA (posted Nov.11, 2013). Let us hope that this sinister law is soon undone and our freedoms restored. But if not, let us also be prepared to suffer for righteousness’ sake.

Below is a clip from the LSN article; read all of it at the link above.

Would you pay $10,000 a year to stay married to your spouse? Some American couples are being faced with exactly that decision as they consider their health insurance options under ObamaCare.

…In 2010, the Heritage Foundation warned of this hidden marriage penalty in a report criticizing the ObamaCare bill for its “profound anti-marriage bias.” They also pointed out that focusing on the yearly penalty misses the bigger picture: the penalty is assessed over and over again throughout the couple’s life, meaning the real cost of marriage is much, much higher.

According to the group’s calculations, a married couple who remained married throughout their lives might pay more than $200,000 in penalties under ObamaCare.

“Most people feel that marriage is a healthful institution that society should encourage and strengthen,” wrote Robert Rector, the report’s author. “Inexplicably, [ObamaCare] takes the opposite approach. At nearly all age and income levels, the bill profoundly discriminates against married couples, providing far less support to a husband and wife than to a cohabiting couple with the same income.”

Rector said that ObamaCare’s passage means that “married couples across America will be taxed to provide discriminatory benefits to couples who cohabit, divorce, or never marry.”

Leanna Baumer, a senior legislative assistant for the Family Research Council, told LifeSiteNews.com that ObamaCare’s marriage penalty is a giant step in the wrong direction, one that could negate years of hard-won tax reforms aimed at encouraging marital stability.

“Not only do these penalties discourage couples from marrying, they ignore the bipartisan work that has occurred in the past decade to decrease marriage penalties in the tax code,” Baumer told LifeSiteNews.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2013 Deals for Christians | Challies Dot Com

Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2013 Deals for Christians | Challies Dot Com.

To continue my own tradition of the last few years, I reference Tim Challies’ blog post on “Black Friday” deals of special interest to Christian readers. He has compiled a terrific list already. It is good to check back with him periodically, since he will be updating this all weekend.

Remember to shop and spend wisely, as good stewards of God’s gifts. And clearly, one of the ways to do this is to get the best deals, often offered this weekend and into next Monday.

Here is the introduction to Challies’ post:

 

For the past few years I’ve made it a point to collect Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that may be of particular interest to Christians. While there are many places you can go online to find deals on electronics and other big-ticket items, I wanted to provide a place for Christian retailers to make their deals known to Christians who are trying to kick-start their Christmas shopping. Here’s what I’ve got so far:Note: All Kindle deals are here: Black Friday Kindle Deals for the Christian Reader.

Calvinistic Cartoons: Steampunked Church Fathers

Calvinistic Cartoons: Steampunked #2.

Of late, Mr. Eddings has been having fun making steampunked versions of major figures from church history – Spurgeon, Calvin, Luther – and now, closer yet to us Dutch Reformed folk – Louis Berkhof. To start off our “black Friday” with some dark humor from the industrial age, we post a few of these steampunked characters. And if you really need to know what this steampunking is all about, visit this page. Have a great Friday!

Steampunked Luther

Steampunked Calvin

Steampunked Berkhof

Thanksgiving Day 2013

On behalf of my family and myself, we extend to you our wishes and prayers for a blessed Thanksgiving Day! Together may we give true thanks to our faithful God and Father Who has richly “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph.1:3) and Who has given “us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim.6:17).

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…” (Psalm 103:1,2

May we also remember our confession concerning our heavenly Father in the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 10:

• Q. 27.  What dost thou mean by the providence of God?
  A.  The almighty and everywhere present power of God,1 whereby, as it were by His hand, He upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures;2 so that herbs and grass, rain and drought,3 fruitful and barren years, meat and drink,4 health and sickness,5riches and poverty,6 yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by His fatherly hand.7
• Q. 28.  What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by His providence doth still uphold all things?
  A.  That we may be patient in adversity;8 thankful in prosperity;9 and that in all things which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father,10 that nothing shall separate us from His love;11 since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move.12

1. Acts 17:25-28.
2. Heb. 1:3.
3. Jer. 5:24.
4. Acts 14:17.
5. John 9:3.
6. Prov. 22:2. Job 1:21.
7. Mat. 10:29, 30. Eph. 1:11.
8. Rom. 5:3. Psa. 39:9.
9. Deut. 8:10. 1 Thes. 5:18.
10. Rom. 5:3-6.
11. Rom. 8:38, 39.
12. Job 1:12. Job 2:6. Mat. 8:31. Isa. 10:15.

And, finally, because this is a national day of Thanksgiving, it is good to reflect on its historical significance too, as reflected in this proclamation of our first president:

Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789

 

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other trangressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Spirituality and Exegesis (3) – E.Peterson

Once more (See my posts of the last two days here.) we listen to the experienced voice of Eugene H. Peterson as he describes the important and indispensable relationship between spirituality and exegesis in his book Eat This Book (Eerdmans, 2006).  Immediately after the quote of yesterday Peterson has some good things to say about the use of Bible commentaries.

And I believe this perspective is important. Reading and exegeting the Scriptures is never a “solo” or “lone-ranger” task. Always we should stand in the context of the church and her historic interpretation, while certainly also looking to develop in our understanding. Always we should stand on the shoulders (and hearts and minds) of our fellow saints, while also seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. This helps to protect us from error and serves to preserve us in the truth of the Word of God. And, of course, we grow spiritually through the thoughts of others on the Word of God.

Here are Peterson’s thoughts on the use of commentaries:

It is useful for readers of the Bible to keep company with some of our master exegetes; the easiest way to do it is to use their commentaries. Biblical commentaries are, for the most part, employed by pastors or teachers in the preparation of sermons or lectures. They are treated as ‘tools.’ But there are treasures in these books for the ordinary reader of the Bible. Among those of us who read – eat – this text not in preparation for an assignment, but simply for direction and nourishment in following Jesus, which means most of us, biblical commentaries have for too long been overlooked as common reading for common Christians (I don’t think so among us -cjt.).

I recommend reading commentaries in the same way we read novels, from beginning to end, skipping nothing. They are, admittedly, weak in plot and character development, but their devout attention to words and syntax is sufficient. Plot and character – the plot of salvation, the character of Messiah – are everywhere implicit in a commentary and persistently assert their presence even when unmentioned through scores, even hundreds, of pages. The power of these ancient nouns and verbs century after century to call forth intelligent discourse from learned men and women continues to be a staggering wonder.

…Not all commentaries fill the bill – some of them are written by scholars who seem to have no interest in either God or the story, but there are enough that qualify to convince me that they provide welcome and indispensable companionship to all of us readers of the text who, as we follow Jesus, don’t want to miss anything along the way (pp.54-55).

YA readers prefer print books to ebooks

Young adult readers prefer printed to ebooks | Books | theguardian.com.

We tend to think that if any readers are going digital these days (i.e., using ebooks) it is the young adult crowd. But not according to this little survey of nearly 1,500 young adults (posted at the Guardian, Nov.25, 2013). I find these results most encouraging – and significant for publishers.

You know my personal stance on this; only my percentage is higher yet – nearly 95% of myself prefers print books. 🙂

Below are a few excerpts from the story. Read the rest at the Guardian link above.

Sixteen to 24-year-olds are known as the super-connected generation, obsessed with snapping selfies or downloading the latest mobile apps, so it comes as a surprise to learn that 62% prefer print books to ebooks.

Asked about preferences for physical products versus digital content, printed books jump out as the media most desired in material form, ahead of movies (48%), newspapers and magazines (47%), CDs (32%), and video games (31%).

“It is surprising because we think of 16-24s as being attached to their smartphones and digital devices, so it does shout out,” said Luke Mitchell of agency Voxburner, which researched questions about buying and using content with 1,420 young adults.

The two big reasons for preferring print are value for money and an emotional connection to physical books. On questions of ebook pricing, 28% think that ebooks should be half their current price, while just 8% say that ebook pricing is right.

Spirituality and Exegesis (2) – E.Peterson

Also today we continue quoting from Eugene H. Peterson’s Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading. In this work Peterson is addressing the proper way to read the Scriptures so as to derive the greatest and highest spiritual benefit. And in chapter four he makes an important connection between spirituality and exegesis. We began pulling some quotes from this section yesterday, and we give you some more today.

After criticizing those who think that “spirituality” is a purely mystical and subjective experience and who judge serious study of the Bible (exegesis) to be unspiritual, Peterson writes this:

But, inconvenient or not, we are stuck with the necessity of exegesis. We have a written word to read and attend to. It is God’s word, or so we believe, and we had better get it right. Exegesis is the care we give to getting the words right. Exegesis is foundational to Christian spirituality. Foundations disappear from view as a building is constructed, but if the builders don’t build a solid foundation, their building doesn’t last long.

…Which is to say, the more ‘spiritual’ we become, the more care we must give to exegesis. The more mature we become in the Christian faith, the more exegetically rigorous we must become. This is not a task from which we graduate. These words given to us in our Scriptures are constantly getting overlaid with personal preferences, cultural assumptions, sin distortions, and ignorant guesses that pollute the text. The pollutants are always in the air, gathering dust on our Bibles, corroding our use of the language, especially the language of faith. Exegesis is a dust cloth, a scrub brush, or even a Q-tip for keeping the words clean.

6 Ways to Beat Reader’s Block

6 Ways to Beat Reader’s Block | PWxyz.

You have, no doubt, heard of “writer’s block”: the experience of not being able to write for a time. Well, readers can also experience this mental “block”, and feel unable to read for a time.

In this little online article posted by Rose Fox (Nov.22, 2013) suggestions are given for overcoming this “reader’s block”. I think you will find it helpful for those times when you are in this funk. And every reader falls into it from time to time.

I spent most of 2013 suffering from reader’s block. Whenever I thought about reading, it didn’t sound like fun; it sounded like effort. I could easily think of any number of things I’d rather be doing. When I needed to read something for work, I had no problem doing so, and even enjoyed much of what I read. But as soon as I closed the file or put down the book, reading for pleasure felt impossibly far out of reach.

Fortunately, there are ways around this problem. Here are six steps for beating reader’s block and getting back that passion for reading.

1. Treat your book aversion like any other sort of anxiety or phobia.

For some people that means gritting your teeth and jumping in. For others it might help to have support from a friend: make a reading date, or read aloud to each other. One might medicate, or meditate, or sit in a favorite peaceful place. Whatever you do to overcome other anxieties can also help you overcome this one.

2. Whet your appetite.

Read an article, a poem, or a short story–ideally a really superb one that reminds you just how great the written word can be. If you’d rather try a longer book, place a bookmark 20 pages in and stop when you get there. Set a timer for reading, or read on your commute so there’s a defined end-point. Leave yourself wanting more.

Spirituality and Exegesis – E.Peterson

I also did some more reading in the interesting book Eat This Book (Eerdmans, 2006) by Eugene H. Peterson this weekend. In his chapter “Scripture as Form: Following the Way of Jesus” he has some great points about the relationship between spirituality and exegesis. (Remember, this is Peterson’s area of specialty, and the sub-title of this book is “A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading”.). I plan to provide a few quotes from this section this week. Below is the first one. Lest you think exegesis is only for Seminary professors and students, read on and think again.

Exegesis introduces another dimension into our relation to this text (the Bible -cjt). The text as story carries us along, we are in on something larger than ourselves, we let the story take us where it will. But exegesis is focused attention, asking questions, sorting through possible meanings. Exegesis is rigorous, disciplined, intellectual work. It rarely feels ‘spiritual.’ Men and women who are, as we say, ‘into’ spirituality, frequently give exegesis short shrift, preferring to rely on inspiration and intuition. But the long and broad consensus in the community of God’s people has aways insisted on a vigorous and meticulous exegesis: Give long and close and learned attention to this text! All our masters in spirituality were and are master exegetes. There’s a lot going on here; we don’t want to miss any of it; we don’t want to sleepwalk through this text.

Then, after describing some of what’s involved in an exegetical study of Scripture, Peterson says this:

Not all of us have to know all of this in order to read Holy Scripture formationally. But we do need to learn to pay attention in and around us as we follow Jesus. Exegesis is not in the first place a specialist activity of scholars, although we very much need these scholars working on our behalf. We are not, after all, deciphering hieroglyphics, as some would have us think. Exegesis is simply noticing and responding adequately (which is not simple!) to the demand that words make on us, that language makes on us (pp.50-51).