Rome & America, & His House of Prayer

The higher birth rate outside the Empire, and the higher standard of living within it, made immigration or invasion a manifest destiny for the Roman empire then as for North America today. - Will Durant, in his "The Age of Faith."

When Rome succumbed to its economic, social, and moral problems, and was sacked by the barbarians, Christians were shaken in their faith, since Rome was revered as a bastion of Christendom. Saint Augustine spent his last years explaining that what happened didn't discredit Christianity.

In the not-so-distant future, American Christians are in for a faith test of goliath proportions when the wheels come off America. Disorientation and fear will rule the day for many people. God's answer will be the same as always. Obey and worship and trust; and love one another. As in the 4th & 5th centuries, He will build His house of prayer.

Making Memories That Stick

Christmas, however it's celebrated, forms indelible memories for children. We've been working at it for years and have noticed that the little things impact the children, too. Here are a few we do.

* Bible reading with parental commentary the night before Christmas.
* Hanging out together, then watching "The Nativity."
* A big can of Walmart popcorn by the hearth that we open Christmas eve.
* Pancakes, maple syrup, and eggs Christmas morning, after which we unwrap presents.

Kind of simple, but the little guys particularly love it. The list goes on of the little quirky traditions we have that everyone likes. Intentionally plan some of your own if you are a young dad or mom building your family life.

Saving Civilization

We probably know more about tribes in the Amazon jungle than we do about the real nature of power in the United States. - Tom Ferguson, Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts

Americans are waking up to the fact that Congress and the President don't really control the nation. Sarah Palin's recent appeal to reorganize the Federal Reserve bank reflects the growing awareness that a powerful, secretive elite profoundly influences US policy, not to mention our economic life, and that this elite is closely connected to its European counterpart. It is no friend to followers of Jesus.

With the Eurozone about to blow up and put more millions of Europeans out of work, and a planned collapse of the dollar around the corner along with all the social and economic problems it will create, a read of How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill is worth it. 1600 years ago, Europe was becoming a wasteland when bands of devoted people responded by forming faith communities and worshipping, memorizing scripture, planting gardens, practicing hospitality, and caring for the poor.

They found the path of life for their day. My bet is that in our day it will be a path of life again, or something like it, centered around the Man from Heaven.