Praying for Protection from Ike

Here's a nice video illustrating some Houstonians' faith in the power of prayer. Would love to be at their next service to hear the testimonies!

In the meantime, dear Lord, keep them out of harm's way!

Sir Charles

The Vindication of Humanae Vitae

From First Things author Mary Eberstadt, comes an insightful article on the cultural effects of generally-universal acceptance of contraception; it's relationship to population-control policies, feminism, sexual promiscuity, and the destruction of the family. Who knew?

Apparently, the Church has always known...but only the Catholic Fathers stood against it...to their ridicule, and to our shame. Once again, we formed and worshiped the golden calf.

Sir Charles

A Simple Soldier for Christ - In Another Uniform

Author Joel Rosenberg has brought to our attention the Father Zacharia Botros, a Coptic priest in Egypt. I have sensed for some time that the Coptic faith held some key in Our Lord's plan of salvation for the world, because their faith in the face of some of the strongest and deadliest persecution in the world is amazing, exciting, and gives one the sense of what the earliest Christians must have experienced.

Read Joel's blog post here.

Praise God our Father, the Father of all who love him and receive him through Jesus Christ, for his amazing ways. They know no bounds...

Sir Charles

Freedom to Facism

Please get comfortable, pray for a clear mind with which to receive, and watch this movie. Two hours long, but don't give up on it. The second hour is even better than the first, and more directly relevant to scripture. Please share your thoughts with the Round Table after viewing...

Sir Charles

Sermon "Jam"

Powerful preaching in a new way. Thanks be to God in His power!

Sir Charles, watching from the Table Round

Bush Attends Church, Meets With China's Leaders

One of the more discouraging aspects of President Bush's tenure in office is how good Christian folks have used Mr. Bush's political actions they disagree with to conclude that his Christianity is superficial or worse. My contention has always been that he has always been a true believer and has acted in counsel with Our Lord's direction.

I think this video if further proof of that...can you imagine anyone of his stature standing on the steps of a Chinese church, if he were just "faking" his Christianity for the sake of political appearances...especially when he has no more elections to run?

Sir Charles

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

One of the things that has stuck with me from my trip to Austria was that I picked up an appreciation for the art of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. He was a Dutch painter of the 16th century, and apparently, the first in the long line of well-known artists. Now, I'm not a connoisseur of art at all; in fact, I was distinctly unimpressed with a Rembrandt of the Apostle Paul that I was face-to-face with. But as a gift for my wife I picked up a set of laminated place mats by Bruegel, and I've been examining them in detail every day at breakfast since. Why they appeal to me is that they convey a sense of what the Middle Ages really looked like...in a sense, they're photographic history hundreds of years before photographs!

I was originally attracted to the set because of his depiction of The Tower of Babel; it's not at all like I imagined it, but it's interesting at least. But what really intrigued me as I studied it was that Bruegel does all of his paintings in the context of the 16th century that he was familiar with...therefore, we see Shakespearean-looking characters crawling around the Tower, and ships of the Dutch armada anchored within the shadow of it. At first I thought this was kind of crazy, but then the value of his method dawned on me...we can really see what the Middle Ages looked like! For instance, one of my favorites in the set we have is The Hunters in the Snow; the dogs look kind of funny, but other details are very intriguing. For instance, the trees are very realistic, and the ice-covered mill is extremely interesting in its design. Plus the two ponds that are frozen over, and the villagers activity on the pond, showed how Middle-Agers spent much of their winter time out-of-doors, lacking the comforts of central heat and television. Makes me realize how much we've given up for our modern comforts.

Another of my favorites is Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap. Again, the authenticity of little details gives us confidence that this is really what the Middle Ages looked like. For instance, have you ever seen a trap like that? Me, neither. And next to the trap is a tree that has been topped and has had "sucker" branches shoot from the tall stump...artists who were making up scenery from random memory wouldn't include a tree like that, would they?! And again, the people out playing on the ice!

Another of my favorites in the set is The Battle Between Carnival and Lent. Our place mats aren't titled, so I try to guess what's going on in the pictures before I look them up on the web. This one, I couldn't figure out at all. Ok, there's a guy holding out a paddle with two fish and their are loaves at his feet, so something about Jesus is going on...but why is he squaring off against a guy with a pig on a stick? And who are the ghostly figures shrouded in white on the left side of the picture? But once you know the title of the picture, all makes sense...except wow, did they really do that back in those days? They must have, because Bruegel's paintings of the other village scenes are so realistic, why would he make up this crazy scene?

More of Pieter Bruegel's paintings are here and here. Take a while with each one...they grow on you, if you're a lover of history.

Sir Charles the Elder

"Surging" to a new Middle East

The war in Iraq is all but lost from the daily news, except when another suicide bomber occasionally blows up more innocent by-standers there. Here's a good note from author Joel Rosenberg on the latest trends...

VIOLENCE IN IRAQ CONTINUES TO DROP: Critics proved wrong

Things in the Middle East still seem way too complex to digest to the average person, but this latest trend is encouraging. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of it, we will continue to pray for a mighty movement of God to stabilize the area and bless the people of that region.

Sir Charles

Nice thoughts from Brother Lawrence

Words of simple wisdom and inspiration, from Brother Lawrence, in the year 1666...

That we ought to act with GOD in the greatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly and plainly, and imploring His assistance in our affairs, just as they happen. That GOD never failed to grant it, as he had often experienced.

That all bodily mortifications and other exercises are useless, but as they serve to arrive at the union with GOD by love; that he had well considered this, and found it the shortest way to go straight to Him by a continual exercise of love, and doing all things for His sake.

That we ought to make a great difference between the acts of the understanding and those of the will; that the first were comparatively of little value, and the others all.

That in the beginning of the spiritual life, we ought to be faithful in doing our duty and denying ourselves; but after that unspeakable pleasures followed: that in difficulties we need only have recourse to JESUS CHRIST, and beg His grace, with which everything became easy.

The little tome of Brother Lawrence presented itself to me at the beginning of my walk with Christ, and evermore has sustained me when I succumb to the busy-ness of the business of this world. If you have never availed yourself of his Conversations, but seek simpler joy in Christ in this complicated world, I recommend some time with the goode brother.

Sir C

Austria - Final Day

Well, it just didn't work out like I hoped. We stayed on such a tight schedule, and the internet access was limited to hotel lobbys, so I just couldn't keep up.

But a whirlwind review would go like this...we saw five different biomass energy projects and three different forests. I rode a train through some beautiful mountains, and drove a VW van all over southeastern Austria, with one of the passengers commenting everytime I missed a shift or revved a little higher than he preferred. Had several meetings with Austrians where the toughest thing was to interpret their English and getting them to understand our questions. Had a wine tasting party at a vineyard on the slopes of a beautiful valley, where we could gaze across the former iron curtain at a Hungarian town up the road. Actually crossed the >Iron Curtain at one point where the forest road we were traveling turned right at a stone marker, and the group got out and wondered how in the world the secluded area we were in ever was well-traveled by border guards walking barb-wire. Listened to a forestry lecture one day in a poüring rain. Got lost one night, arriving at the town at 11 pm, where our hosts had been having a party for us since 6...they were in a good mood.

Drank more beer in 10 days than I will in the next 2 years (Austrians drink beer with every meal except breakfast), and watched the Austrian vs. Germany football match in a püblic square in front of the Imperial Palace, on a giant screen with 100,000 singing Austrians and Germans (the Germans won.) Viewed Rembrandts, Monets, and Raphaels till my eyes glazed over. Ate about a dozen long frankfurters with my fingers, dipping them in a mound of mustard, because they don#t use hotdog buns here. Rode a boat on the Rhine, and attended mass Sunday morning in St. Stephens cathedral in the center of Vienna. I suppose there was more, but I have to go stumble to the subway to get out to the airport. Oh , yeah, got a lot of work done, too.

I post some pictures and a couple of videos tommorrow when I get back to my office.

Auf Weitersehn!

Sir Charles