“God is Innocent” : Rwamasirabo on the Genocide in the Church at Nyange, Rwanda
During Rwanda’s 100-day genocide in 1994, Roman Catholic priest, Father Athanase Seromba savagely sacrificed nearly 3,000 members of his church in Nyange (a parish in the Kibuye province of western Rwanda).
Perhaps the most notorious atrocity of the more than 30 large-scale gruesome massacres that took place in churches during Rwanda’s genocide, this bloodbath happened at the very altar in the same church where, countless times, Father Seromba had offered mass.
7 reasons for the death of Sunday evening worship
Historically, many (most?) evangelical churches have had a Sunday evening worship service. The idea, stretching back to the Protestant Reformation, has been that if the Bible is the authority, then it makes sense to have it taught as much as is practical.
Many of the early Protestant churches not only had Sunday morning and Sunday evening gatherings, but mid-week Bible studies as well. In Catholicism, the more you celebrated Mass, the better, and in the reformation that frequency simply jumped into services that revolved not around the sacraments, but around preaching. Eventually, as the reformation spread into Scotland and (sort of) into England, the practice settled into two Sunday worship services, both with different messages.
Either way you choose to look at it, the line between “normal grief” and “abnormal depression” has now been thoroughly blurred with this change, effectively communicating that grief must only be short and sweet. So, yes, it does seem to me that if the psychiatric world had its way, grief would be basically forbidden, since it has so many symptoms that are similar to depression.
1. We are invincible
2. We must always say “yes”
3. Success is measured by numbers
4. The Pastor is always right
5. We must be perfect
Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Individualism
Imagine what church would be like today if we felt so much loyalty to our congregation that we’d turn down a promotion to stay with our “family.” Imagine that it was unthinkable to change congregations, not for doctrinal reasons but because your congregation is your household, your sisters, your brothers, and your parents. And just like your physical family, it doesn’t even occur to you that you should get to pick who is part of your “family.”
Stupid Ministry Tricks: Do not do this thing
I have a former colleague who used to say he could solve the preacher-elder wars. To elders, you can’t make everyone happy. To ministers, don’t be stupid. I think both pieces of advice might be unrealistic.
But I do think that ministers can be smarter about issues related to change. So, here’s to making smarter ministers.
Hearing 6 different people’s stories and how hard they are striving to get out of there really broke my heart. Regardless of whether they are there because they broke the law or because of some injustice, I saw human beings in great pain, most of them had tears in their eyes at one point or another in the conversation. Tears of regret, sadness, helplessness, desperation, whatever they were, these people are hurting, and I had to make a great effort to stay cool; more on the cold side, rather, because I was just there as an audio reproducer of the back and forth interactions between two people. No emotions of any type are supposed to be shown. Only repressed until the moment you get out of there.
The “I Don’t Care” Behind My Sin
Arrogance derives from the Latin arrogāre, which means “to claim as one’s own.” When I sin, I shortsightedly lay claim over territory to which I have no right.
Man arrested after calling 911 to report wrong McDonald’s order
Riggins told WALB-TV that all he wanted was respect; the police told WALB-TV that misuing 911 is no joke. The police also took Riggins to jail.
Riggins came away from the experience with a cautionary message:
“I would like to say check your food before you leave, always be careful when you go buy food anywhere you go,” he said.