R-3 - PEOPLE FILES
- Willy Rice - Cole Richards - D. Aaron Riches - Autumn Ridenour - Rashad Richey - Mark Rienzi - Kevin Riggs - Joe Rigney - JC Riley - Michael Riley - J Michael Rios - Vaneetha Rendall Risner - Richard T Ritenbaugh - Dino Rizzo -
==willy rice======
Tom Ascol, Sam Rainer, and Willy Rice Among FL Pastors Bracing for Hurricane Milton
Willy Rice, pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, said Wednesday morning, “Thank [you] for all the expressions of concern and prayer. We’re bracing for a tough 18 hour run here. We’ll post reports as we’re able.”
“Some are starting to arrive at our Clearwater campus for shelter. It’s rainy and messy right now but the wind hasn’t yet picked up,” he continued. “We expect the wind to increase this afternoon. Grateful for all those of you who have reached out. We expect to lose power this evening as Milton comes ashore. God is good. We’ll trust Him and serve His purpose even in the storm. God bless.”
(Church Leaders 10/9/24) READMORE>>>>>
Willy Rice, pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, said Wednesday morning, “Thank [you] for all the expressions of concern and prayer. We’re bracing for a tough 18 hour run here. We’ll post reports as we’re able.”
“Some are starting to arrive at our Clearwater campus for shelter. It’s rainy and messy right now but the wind hasn’t yet picked up,” he continued. “We expect the wind to increase this afternoon. Grateful for all those of you who have reached out. We expect to lose power this evening as Milton comes ashore. God is good. We’ll trust Him and serve His purpose even in the storm. God bless.”
(Church Leaders 10/9/24) READMORE>>>>>
==cole richards======
BREAKING: Former Voice of the Martyrs Executive Calls for Resignations: ‘It’s Time to Clean House’
A former executive with Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is calling on VOM President Cole Richards and other VOM leaders to resign, saying Richards has become “a tyrant” and “it’s time to clean house.” Jason Peters, VOM’s former chief of connection, made the bold statements in a video posted on YouTube this morning. This follows The Roys Report’s (TRR) exclusive exposé yesterday in which 10 former employees accused Richards of deception and retaliation against VOM employees. Despite signing a non-disparagement agreement (NDA), Peters was one of the 10 who spoke to TRR. Today, he apologized for his own part in VOM’s deception, which he said the organization has cultivated in public while behind the scenes it’s “gone off the rails.”
(Julie Roys 5/17/24) READ MORE>>>>>
A former executive with Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is calling on VOM President Cole Richards and other VOM leaders to resign, saying Richards has become “a tyrant” and “it’s time to clean house.” Jason Peters, VOM’s former chief of connection, made the bold statements in a video posted on YouTube this morning. This follows The Roys Report’s (TRR) exclusive exposé yesterday in which 10 former employees accused Richards of deception and retaliation against VOM employees. Despite signing a non-disparagement agreement (NDA), Peters was one of the 10 who spoke to TRR. Today, he apologized for his own part in VOM’s deception, which he said the organization has cultivated in public while behind the scenes it’s “gone off the rails.”
(Julie Roys 5/17/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==D. Aaron Riches======
D. Aaron Riches (born 1974) is the author of Ecce Homo: On the Divine Unity of Christ (Eerdmans, 2016). He completed his PhD at the University of Nottingham, England, under the direction of Professor John Milbank. From 2010 to 2018 he taught at the Archdiocesan Seminary in Granada, Spain. He now teaches at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, where he lives with his wife and five children.
Aaron Riches
“To suggest that the grief of Christ issues from his perfect wisdom and charity would confirm that true sorrow is human and therefore cannot correspond to despair, since the hopelessness of despair would yield nothing about which to sorrow. If life is meaningless, there is no reason to mourn. Truth is what makes grief authentic and real, and so it follows that Truth Incarnate, come down from heaven to our vale of tears, would grieve at the highest pitch. The “tragic experience of the most complete desolation” depends on “the knowledge and experience of the Father.” Or as Adrienne von Speyr puts it: “The Father is never more present than in this absence on the Cross.” ― Aaron Riches, Ecce Homo: On the Divine Unity of Christ
==autumn ridenour======
Autumn Ridenour is a professor at Merrimack College.
Feb 7, 2023: Religion News: New Tim Keller Center for Apologetics hopes to help churches reach a changing country
Autumn Ridenour, one of two dozen experts named as fellows of the Keller Center, said she was drawn by the idea of offering “a thoughtful, Christ-centered alternative that considers emerging cultural issues with deep theological reflection, compassion, and neighbor love.”
A professor of Christian ethics at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, she said the center wants to pair “the transformative work of the gospel with social action and a more global understanding of Christianity.”
“I saw a connection between the ideas in The Keller Center in its desire to bring together various thinkers, pastors, and academicians and my own desire for gospel renewal and spiritual formation within the broader global church,” she told RNS in an email.
Autumn Ridenour, one of two dozen experts named as fellows of the Keller Center, said she was drawn by the idea of offering “a thoughtful, Christ-centered alternative that considers emerging cultural issues with deep theological reflection, compassion, and neighbor love.”
A professor of Christian ethics at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, she said the center wants to pair “the transformative work of the gospel with social action and a more global understanding of Christianity.”
“I saw a connection between the ideas in The Keller Center in its desire to bring together various thinkers, pastors, and academicians and my own desire for gospel renewal and spiritual formation within the broader global church,” she told RNS in an email.
==Rashad richey======
Time for Christian evangelicals to part ways with Trump
As former President Trump vies for another shot at the White House, one loyal demographic he is counting on is white Christian evangelicals. More than 80% of evangelicals backed Trump in the 2020 election, and after endorsing a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, he’s gearing up for a repeat in 2024.
(Rashad Richey; Straight Arrow News 6/28/24) Read More>>>>>
As former President Trump vies for another shot at the White House, one loyal demographic he is counting on is white Christian evangelicals. More than 80% of evangelicals backed Trump in the 2020 election, and after endorsing a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, he’s gearing up for a repeat in 2024.
(Rashad Richey; Straight Arrow News 6/28/24) Read More>>>>>
==MARK RIENZI====== |
Mark L. Rienzi is a professor at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Professor Rienzi teaches constitutional law, religious liberty, torts, and evidence. He has been voted Teacher of the Year three times by the student bar association. Professor Rienzi is also Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a non-profit, non-partisan religious liberties law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious faiths. At the Becket Fund, Professor Rienzi has successfully represented a variety of parties at the Supreme Court including in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Sebelius (emergency order, 2014); Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014); Wheaton College v. Burwell (emergency order, 2014); and Holt v. Hobbs (2015). Professor Rienzi is currently representing the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious petitioners in Zubik v. Burwell, which the Court will hear in March 2016.
Jan 23, 2023: Catholic News Agency: Montse Alvarado Named President and COO of EWTN News
Mark Rienzi, president of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, praised Alvarado as “an essential part of Becket’s growth and success for more than a decade.” Said Rienzi, “EWTN is welcoming a proven executive known for team-building impact and dedication to mission.”
Mark Rienzi, president of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, praised Alvarado as “an essential part of Becket’s growth and success for more than a decade.” Said Rienzi, “EWTN is welcoming a proven executive known for team-building impact and dedication to mission.”
Sept 21, 2021: World: Promising outlook for religious liberty
Focusing on religious use rather than status makes the case slightly different from Espinoza. Becket Law’s Mark Rienzi said last year’s rulings on COVID-19 lockdowns suggest the justices prioritize the equal treatment of religious entities.
Apr 2, 2015: Breitbart: Professor: Indiana RFRA ‘Fix’ Could Send Christians to Jail
According to law professor Mark Rienzi, the new fix will allow the state to prosecute Christians criminally for denying gay weddings their professional affirmation.
Focusing on religious use rather than status makes the case slightly different from Espinoza. Becket Law’s Mark Rienzi said last year’s rulings on COVID-19 lockdowns suggest the justices prioritize the equal treatment of religious entities.
Apr 2, 2015: Breitbart: Professor: Indiana RFRA ‘Fix’ Could Send Christians to Jail
According to law professor Mark Rienzi, the new fix will allow the state to prosecute Christians criminally for denying gay weddings their professional affirmation.
Mar 15, 2015: Baptist Press: Supreme Court: lower court's mandate decision lacking
Religious freedom lawyer Mark Rienzi called the justices' order "a strong signal that the Supreme Court will ultimately reject the government's narrow view of religious liberty." "This is a major blow to the federal government's contraception mandate," said Rienzi, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has led the diverse effort challenging the mandate. "For the past year, the Notre Dame decision has been the centerpiece of the government's effort to force religious ministries to violate their beliefs or pay fines to the [Internal Revenue Service]."
Mark joined the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in 2011 and splits his time as an associate professor at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Mark teaches constitutional law, religious liberty, torts, and evidence. He has been voted Teacher of the Year three years in a row by the Law School's Student Bar Association. Mark has broad experience litigating First Amendment religious exercise and free speech cases. He has represented the winning parties in a variety of Supreme Court First Amendment cases including [Hobby Lobby, Little Sisters, Wheaton College, and Holt]. In January 2014, Mark argued before the Supreme Court in McCullen v. Coakley, a First Amendment challenge to a Massachusetts speech restriction outside of abortion clinics. The Justices ruled in favor of his clients 9-0. Mark also led a successful eight-year litigation battle against Governor Blagojevich’s effort to force religious pharmacists to distribute the morning-after and week-after pills.
Mark’s academic writing focuses on the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and has appeared in a variety of prestigious journals, including the Harvard Law Review. Mark is a widely sought after speaker on constitutional issues, particularly concerning abortion and the First Amendment. Professor Rienzi has been invited to discuss these issues at Harvard Law School, Columbia University Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Boston College Law School, Notre Dame Law School, the National Press Club, and the Capitol. He has been quoted on constitutional law issues on NPR, in the Washington Times, The New York Daily News, and the Chicago Sun-Times.
Prior to joining Becket, Mark served as counsel for the litigation department and the intellectual property litigation practice group of WilmerHale LLP. His practice focused on complex civil and appellate litigation with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and First Amendment issues. Prior to joining WilmerHale, he served as law clerk to the Hon. Stephen F. Williams, senior circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to that, Mark was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and B.A. from Princeton University, both with honors.
Religious freedom lawyer Mark Rienzi called the justices' order "a strong signal that the Supreme Court will ultimately reject the government's narrow view of religious liberty." "This is a major blow to the federal government's contraception mandate," said Rienzi, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has led the diverse effort challenging the mandate. "For the past year, the Notre Dame decision has been the centerpiece of the government's effort to force religious ministries to violate their beliefs or pay fines to the [Internal Revenue Service]."
Mark joined the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in 2011 and splits his time as an associate professor at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Mark teaches constitutional law, religious liberty, torts, and evidence. He has been voted Teacher of the Year three years in a row by the Law School's Student Bar Association. Mark has broad experience litigating First Amendment religious exercise and free speech cases. He has represented the winning parties in a variety of Supreme Court First Amendment cases including [Hobby Lobby, Little Sisters, Wheaton College, and Holt]. In January 2014, Mark argued before the Supreme Court in McCullen v. Coakley, a First Amendment challenge to a Massachusetts speech restriction outside of abortion clinics. The Justices ruled in favor of his clients 9-0. Mark also led a successful eight-year litigation battle against Governor Blagojevich’s effort to force religious pharmacists to distribute the morning-after and week-after pills.
Mark’s academic writing focuses on the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and has appeared in a variety of prestigious journals, including the Harvard Law Review. Mark is a widely sought after speaker on constitutional issues, particularly concerning abortion and the First Amendment. Professor Rienzi has been invited to discuss these issues at Harvard Law School, Columbia University Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Boston College Law School, Notre Dame Law School, the National Press Club, and the Capitol. He has been quoted on constitutional law issues on NPR, in the Washington Times, The New York Daily News, and the Chicago Sun-Times.
Prior to joining Becket, Mark served as counsel for the litigation department and the intellectual property litigation practice group of WilmerHale LLP. His practice focused on complex civil and appellate litigation with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and First Amendment issues. Prior to joining WilmerHale, he served as law clerk to the Hon. Stephen F. Williams, senior circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to that, Mark was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and B.A. from Princeton University, both with honors.
==kevin riggs======
Dr. Ken Riggs has been an ordained Free Will Baptist minister since 1963. His ministry and career have been spent as an educator. He served as the principal of the first established Christian School in the Free Will Baptist denomination which was founded by his father, the late Rev. Raymond Riggs. He served on the faculty of Free Will Baptist Bible College from 1971-1993. Most of that time was as the Chairman of the Teacher Education program. He served as the Administrator of Pleasant View Christian School in Pleasant View, Tennessee from 2004-2010, Since 1991 he has, and continues to be serving as an Adjunct Professor for the Nashville State Community College in the field of Psychology. He has authored a variety of materials, namely, two gospel tracts, “Fight Than Switch”, and “Four Letter Words”; three booklets, “You Can Know” a booklet explaining the assurance of salvation, “How To Live Right”, a booklet explaining how to use biblical principles in deciding between right and wrong, “The Runaway”, the story of his personal conversion, and a book on the life of his father, “By The Way…”. As a minister, he has conducted many youth revivals, family seminars, and teacher training workshops for Sunday school teachers. He has served as an interim pastor of several Free Will Baptist churches in the Nashville, Tennessee area. For almost ten years he served as the Senior Pastor of the West Meade Fellowship, an interdenominational church, in the Bellevue area of Nashville. He has written a variety of articles for the former Contact Magazine, and now ONE Magazine, the official magazine of the Free Will Baptist denomination. He and his wife, Carolyn, have been married since 1962.
How a bucolic Tennessee suburb became a hotbed of ‘Christian Nashville-ism’
Kevin Riggs, a Freewill Baptist pastor and longtime community activist in Franklin, said he began speaking out about Christian nationalism around the time Trump announced his run for the White House because Riggs worried some of his fellow pastors had embraced the idea that America belongs only to Christians. That’s a claim, he said, that is dangerous for the nation and for the church. Riggs, who said he holds evangelical theology and more progressive social views, said criticizing Christian nationalism cost him a lot of friends. “And things have only gotten worse since then,” he said. Despite Hanson’s loss, Riggs worried her run for mayor — and her term as an alderman — could provide a road map for Christian nationalists in other parts of the country. And he worries the beliefs that fueled her run for mayor will spread as well. “We as a county are the unofficial headquarters of Christian nationalism in the United States,” he said. “Mainly because of the power and money and the influence that comes out of here. Everything in the evangelical Christian world at some point comes through Williamson County.” (Bob Smietana/Religion News 11/8/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Kevin Riggs, a Freewill Baptist pastor and longtime community activist in Franklin, said he began speaking out about Christian nationalism around the time Trump announced his run for the White House because Riggs worried some of his fellow pastors had embraced the idea that America belongs only to Christians. That’s a claim, he said, that is dangerous for the nation and for the church. Riggs, who said he holds evangelical theology and more progressive social views, said criticizing Christian nationalism cost him a lot of friends. “And things have only gotten worse since then,” he said. Despite Hanson’s loss, Riggs worried her run for mayor — and her term as an alderman — could provide a road map for Christian nationalists in other parts of the country. And he worries the beliefs that fueled her run for mayor will spread as well. “We as a county are the unofficial headquarters of Christian nationalism in the United States,” he said. “Mainly because of the power and money and the influence that comes out of here. Everything in the evangelical Christian world at some point comes through Williamson County.” (Bob Smietana/Religion News 11/8/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Another signer, Kevin Riggs, pastors a small church near Nashville affiliated with the Free Will Baptist denomination, which he describes as "to the right of everybody." Riggs said in an interview with NPR that he may receive pushback from other pastors for signing the statement, but he expects his congregation, which devotes much of its time to working with people facing homelessness, incarceration and addiction, to support him. "I wanted to sign this statement just to say that Christian nationalism is not only wrong, but it's heretical," Riggs told other leaders on the Zoom call, adding that evangelical leaders must take responsibility for "rooting out this evil in our churches."
--Wyoming Public Media: Evangelical Leaders Condemn 'Radicalized Christian Nationalism' 1.24.21
--Wyoming Public Media: Evangelical Leaders Condemn 'Radicalized Christian Nationalism' 1.24.21
--joe rigney----------------------------
The hidden battle in Christian higher education: A conversation with Scott Okamoto
Additional stories of power struggles in Christian higher education continue with Joe Rigney’s resignation at Bethlehem Seminary due to his embrace of Christian nationalism, Adam Greenway’s resignation at Southwestern Seminary due to financial liabilities and declining enrollment, the potential closing of The King’s College amidst financial chaos and a lack of transparency, and Karen Swallow Prior leaving Southeastern Seminary while citing that she does not share “the same vision for carrying out the Great Commission” and believes she is “not well-suited to the politics of institutional life in the SBC.” While it is important for religion journalists to report on these stories, it can be tempting to get so caught up in the drama of the public explosions that we miss some of the underlying systemic conflicts plaguing Christian schools today. (Rick Pidcock/Baptist News Global 5/12/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Additional stories of power struggles in Christian higher education continue with Joe Rigney’s resignation at Bethlehem Seminary due to his embrace of Christian nationalism, Adam Greenway’s resignation at Southwestern Seminary due to financial liabilities and declining enrollment, the potential closing of The King’s College amidst financial chaos and a lack of transparency, and Karen Swallow Prior leaving Southeastern Seminary while citing that she does not share “the same vision for carrying out the Great Commission” and believes she is “not well-suited to the politics of institutional life in the SBC.” While it is important for religion journalists to report on these stories, it can be tempting to get so caught up in the drama of the public explosions that we miss some of the underlying systemic conflicts plaguing Christian schools today. (Rick Pidcock/Baptist News Global 5/12/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
==JC RILEY======
The Uncomfortable Truth of Christianity
I recently heard an influential pastor tell his congregation that God wanted him to be rich. He then asked the congregation to declare aloud in unison ‘God wants me to be rich!’ as though it was a promise to be claimed by each of his members. The cooperative participation from the audience led me to consider one of the issues that continues to plague mainstream Christianity, myself included. We yearn for the gift more than the gift-giver. To use the platform of a Christian church to present as gospel truth that God wants us to be rich in this world is grossly misleading. Do I want to be rich? Well, sort of. I like the idea of being able to afford whatever I desire when I desire it. But when I consider the responsibilities of managing riches and the negative affects they can have on personal relationships, I begin to think again..
(JC Riley; The Voice 4/6/24) READ MORE>>>>>
I recently heard an influential pastor tell his congregation that God wanted him to be rich. He then asked the congregation to declare aloud in unison ‘God wants me to be rich!’ as though it was a promise to be claimed by each of his members. The cooperative participation from the audience led me to consider one of the issues that continues to plague mainstream Christianity, myself included. We yearn for the gift more than the gift-giver. To use the platform of a Christian church to present as gospel truth that God wants us to be rich in this world is grossly misleading. Do I want to be rich? Well, sort of. I like the idea of being able to afford whatever I desire when I desire it. But when I consider the responsibilities of managing riches and the negative affects they can have on personal relationships, I begin to think again..
(JC Riley; The Voice 4/6/24) READ MORE>>>>>
JC Riley
Solomon realized and wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:8 that “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor or the ear filled with hearing.” We each wrestle between two opposing prayers/desires: ‘not my will by Yours be done’ and ‘not Your will but mines be done.’ In our hearts we desire more than we need and far more than we can handle. In Jesus’ instructions on prayer He taught His followers to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11. Although He was referring to physical food, I think there is an application for us in other areas. For example, we can pray ‘Give us enough knowledge for today, comfort for today, encouragement for today’, etc. For today makes it clear that we will be content but having our needs met in the moment and trust God with the future. It’s when we get lost in worrying about the future that we lose sight of the sufficiency of God. Yet, we seem to constantly desire more. The question was asked to the Israelites: “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?” Isaiah 55:2. We don’t usually want more of what is good for us but more of what is not. There are some things we will have to say “no” to in this life. Indeed, there are some desires that would weaken our witness and even turn us away from God if we were to realize them. --JC Riley; The Voice: The Uncomfortable Truth of Christianity 4.6.24
==michael riley================
Michael Riley has been the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church since March of 2012.
Before coming to Wakefield, he served at Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis, Minnesota and International Baptist College of Chandler, Arizona. Pastor Riley received his undergraduate education in Bible from Bob Jones University, his Master of Divinity from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. in apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA.
Before coming to Wakefield, he served at Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis, Minnesota and International Baptist College of Chandler, Arizona. Pastor Riley received his undergraduate education in Bible from Bob Jones University, his Master of Divinity from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. in apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA.
Michael Riley
Satan’s temptation of Eve in the Garden presented a direct challenge to man’s duty; not only did the serpent press Eve to disobey God’s command, but he embedded a more subtle attack within this temptation. If God is who he claims to be, his word about the nature of the Tree must be correct; the Tree is what it is because God has said that it is that way. Therefore, God’s prohibiting Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree must also be right; even if they do not understand why, God knows. (As an aside, we have just articulated the foundations for moral absolutism.)
Satan encouraged Eve to consider the possibility that God’s word on the matter may not be final. Satan wished Eve to think of herself as a knower at the same level as God; her interpretation of the Tree may well be just a valid as God’s. In accepting the serpent’s suggestion, Eve obliterates the Creator-creature distinction: God is no longer right just because he is God; instead, his is just another interpretation, alongside of Eve’s and Adam’s and Satan’s.
We must note that this rejection of God’s revelation is equivalent to a rejection of God’s being what he claims to be. Our sin (as much as Eve’s) is not merely a rebellion against God’s commands; it is an open declaration that we do not believe that God is prior to us and more ultimate than we are; he is not the sort of being who determines the nature of all created things. Our sin is an assertion that we believe that we are on the same level of being as God; we deny the aseity of God.
--Michael Riley; Religious Affections; A Theological Basis of Conservatism 5.22.10
Satan encouraged Eve to consider the possibility that God’s word on the matter may not be final. Satan wished Eve to think of herself as a knower at the same level as God; her interpretation of the Tree may well be just a valid as God’s. In accepting the serpent’s suggestion, Eve obliterates the Creator-creature distinction: God is no longer right just because he is God; instead, his is just another interpretation, alongside of Eve’s and Adam’s and Satan’s.
We must note that this rejection of God’s revelation is equivalent to a rejection of God’s being what he claims to be. Our sin (as much as Eve’s) is not merely a rebellion against God’s commands; it is an open declaration that we do not believe that God is prior to us and more ultimate than we are; he is not the sort of being who determines the nature of all created things. Our sin is an assertion that we believe that we are on the same level of being as God; we deny the aseity of God.
--Michael Riley; Religious Affections; A Theological Basis of Conservatism 5.22.10
--Jeremy Michael Rios------------
In Country, more than any other genre of music, there is a profound overlap between America’s Patriotic and her Christian values. Standing for the flag and kneeling for the cross beats close to the heart of what Country Music (ostensibly) cares about. But here in Aldean’s song we are witnesses to, and participants in, a sentiment that is profoundly un-Christian. Christians should not fantasize about scenarios in which they might commit acts of violence. And I can go on to say, on the same theme, that Christians should not fantasize about scenarios in which they might commit acts of sexual intercourse, or theft, or deceit. And if a song is inviting me to fantasize about such thing, if a song lionizes activities which stand opposed to the tenets of my Christian faith, then I ought to put that song aside.
If anything, Christians should fantasize about peacemaking. What would it mean to wake up in the morning and prayerfully consider how you might end conflict, restore harmony between men and women, or even perform acts of radical forgiveness? Years ago, there was the faddish trend of “paying it forward,” where Christians committed to performing “radical acts of kindness,” usually by purchasing someone else’s coffee or MacDonald’s order. Personally, I thought that the fad was better at making you feel good than doing any actual good, but it was still better than starting your day by imagining shooting someone. Let me be explicit: carrying a firearm as a civilian in the anticipation that you might need to use it against other civilians in defense of various civic ideals is not anywhere part of Christian moral formation.
For now, Aldean will have his moment in the spotlight. In the power of the outrage machine, criticisms of the song—and its video—will fall on largely deaf ears. In time—hopefully a short one—this song will be forgotten while other, better, Country songs will come along and encourage people to be more faithful, hardworking, and attentive to life. What won’t go away so easily are those fantasies of violence—certainly not until we are forming properly Christian sentiments in their place. And while the Christian sentiments overlap so seamlessly with the Patriotic ones… let’s just say that the battle for true peace will be long and difficult. --J Michael Rios; Mustard Seed Faith; Moral Formation in Country Music—Or, What’s Really Wrong With “Try That In a Small Town” 7.27.23
If anything, Christians should fantasize about peacemaking. What would it mean to wake up in the morning and prayerfully consider how you might end conflict, restore harmony between men and women, or even perform acts of radical forgiveness? Years ago, there was the faddish trend of “paying it forward,” where Christians committed to performing “radical acts of kindness,” usually by purchasing someone else’s coffee or MacDonald’s order. Personally, I thought that the fad was better at making you feel good than doing any actual good, but it was still better than starting your day by imagining shooting someone. Let me be explicit: carrying a firearm as a civilian in the anticipation that you might need to use it against other civilians in defense of various civic ideals is not anywhere part of Christian moral formation.
For now, Aldean will have his moment in the spotlight. In the power of the outrage machine, criticisms of the song—and its video—will fall on largely deaf ears. In time—hopefully a short one—this song will be forgotten while other, better, Country songs will come along and encourage people to be more faithful, hardworking, and attentive to life. What won’t go away so easily are those fantasies of violence—certainly not until we are forming properly Christian sentiments in their place. And while the Christian sentiments overlap so seamlessly with the Patriotic ones… let’s just say that the battle for true peace will be long and difficult. --J Michael Rios; Mustard Seed Faith; Moral Formation in Country Music—Or, What’s Really Wrong With “Try That In a Small Town” 7.27.23
This morning I read 1 Timothy 1:1-2:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word that leapt out to me is what is here rendered “true child.” In Greek, the word is γνησιος (gnesios). Its primary definition is “born in wedlock,” and from that idea we get the concepts of legitimate, genuine, or “true child.”
Skipping too quickly over this word means missing out on something I think Paul is doing here. Remember, this letter will not be read privately by Timothy, but aloud to the Church over which he is overseer. As such it is a message both for Timothy and Timothy’s Church. And Paul referring to Timothy as his “born in wedlock” child of faith is a pretty unmistakable public affirmation–not unlike, really, the affirmation that the Father speaks to Jesus when He says, “This is my son, whom I love.” “See this young man,” Paul says, “he’s my child in the faith. He is my partner and representative. I believe in him, and so should you.”
--J Michael Rios; Toolshed Meditations; To Encourage & Affirm; 6.29.18
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word that leapt out to me is what is here rendered “true child.” In Greek, the word is γνησιος (gnesios). Its primary definition is “born in wedlock,” and from that idea we get the concepts of legitimate, genuine, or “true child.”
Skipping too quickly over this word means missing out on something I think Paul is doing here. Remember, this letter will not be read privately by Timothy, but aloud to the Church over which he is overseer. As such it is a message both for Timothy and Timothy’s Church. And Paul referring to Timothy as his “born in wedlock” child of faith is a pretty unmistakable public affirmation–not unlike, really, the affirmation that the Father speaks to Jesus when He says, “This is my son, whom I love.” “See this young man,” Paul says, “he’s my child in the faith. He is my partner and representative. I believe in him, and so should you.”
--J Michael Rios; Toolshed Meditations; To Encourage & Affirm; 6.29.18
==Vaneetha Rendall Risner======
Vaneetha Rendall Risner
We may think our physical weakness is keeping us from maximum fruitfulness, but that’s impossible. Our weaknesses are a part of God’s plan for our lives; they are intertwined with our calling. Paul thought his thorn was hampering his ministry, but God knew that it was the key to his strength: it forced Paul to be wholly dependent on God. When we are depleted and exhausted, lacking any resources of our own — it is then that we fully rely on God.
And in that reliance, we discover the power of God flowing through us — the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19–20). This power keeps us enduring when we want to give up; it showcases God’s glory and brings lasting change. Because Paul relied on God’s provision, he accomplished more for the kingdom with his thorn than he could have without it. His greatest strength lay in his submission to Christ.
Even Jesus’s greatest strength appeared in his greatest physical weakness. Throughout his ministry, Jesus impacted others by his actions. He calmed the storm with a word. He fed five thousand with a few loaves and fish. He cast out demons, healed the sick, and raised the dead. He turned the world upside down.
But at the end of his ministry, from the Last Supper on, Jesus allowed others to act upon him: he was led away, he was whipped and mocked, he was beaten and crucified. When he submitted to his captors, the crowds saw weakness rather than what was really there: Jesus’s strength and power.
Just before these horrific events, Jesus begged God to take the cup of suffering from him. But it was through Christ’s submission to the will of the Father — to torture and humiliation, to physical abuse and carrying his own cross — that God brought about the most astonishing display of his power and grace.
--Vaneetha Rendall Risner; Desiring God; Living Well Among Thorns 8.27.23
And in that reliance, we discover the power of God flowing through us — the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19–20). This power keeps us enduring when we want to give up; it showcases God’s glory and brings lasting change. Because Paul relied on God’s provision, he accomplished more for the kingdom with his thorn than he could have without it. His greatest strength lay in his submission to Christ.
Even Jesus’s greatest strength appeared in his greatest physical weakness. Throughout his ministry, Jesus impacted others by his actions. He calmed the storm with a word. He fed five thousand with a few loaves and fish. He cast out demons, healed the sick, and raised the dead. He turned the world upside down.
But at the end of his ministry, from the Last Supper on, Jesus allowed others to act upon him: he was led away, he was whipped and mocked, he was beaten and crucified. When he submitted to his captors, the crowds saw weakness rather than what was really there: Jesus’s strength and power.
Just before these horrific events, Jesus begged God to take the cup of suffering from him. But it was through Christ’s submission to the will of the Father — to torture and humiliation, to physical abuse and carrying his own cross — that God brought about the most astonishing display of his power and grace.
--Vaneetha Rendall Risner; Desiring God; Living Well Among Thorns 8.27.23
==Richard T. Ritenbaugh======
Richard Ritenbaugh was born in February 1966 to John and Evelyn Ritenbaugh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When he was two, his family moved to Southern California, where they lived until 1975. In that year, a ministerial transfer sent the family to Columbia, South Carolina, where Richard developed his present interests in woodworking, growing peaches, NASCAR, and writing, as well as an affinity for the American South.
In early 1983, another transfer settled the family in Highland, Indiana, where in 1984 Richard attended Spokesman's Club, was baptized, and graduated from high school. From Highland, he left for Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. During his sophomore and junior years in college, he worked in Ministerial Services/Church Administration for the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), and in his senior year, he held the position of News Director at the campus radio station, KBAC.
After receiving his bachelor's degree in theology in 1988, he took a job with TransAmerica Insurance in Costa Mesa, California, working as a premium auditor for its Worker's Compensation division, a job he held until 1992. the Church of the Great God was formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Ritenbaughs were among its first members. Richard was appointed to its Board of Directors, and in May, the church hired him as a writer and the managing editor of its magazine, booklets, and other publications, as well as to maintain its computer systems. Of necessity, the family moved to Charlotte, where they have remained.
Richard was ordained as an elder in October 1995, and in December 2007, as a pastor. In 2021, with his father in declining health, he assumed the pastoral duties of Church of the Great God. He continues to preach, write, edit, and visit the brethren.
In early 1983, another transfer settled the family in Highland, Indiana, where in 1984 Richard attended Spokesman's Club, was baptized, and graduated from high school. From Highland, he left for Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. During his sophomore and junior years in college, he worked in Ministerial Services/Church Administration for the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), and in his senior year, he held the position of News Director at the campus radio station, KBAC.
After receiving his bachelor's degree in theology in 1988, he took a job with TransAmerica Insurance in Costa Mesa, California, working as a premium auditor for its Worker's Compensation division, a job he held until 1992. the Church of the Great God was formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Ritenbaughs were among its first members. Richard was appointed to its Board of Directors, and in May, the church hired him as a writer and the managing editor of its magazine, booklets, and other publications, as well as to maintain its computer systems. Of necessity, the family moved to Charlotte, where they have remained.
Richard was ordained as an elder in October 1995, and in December 2007, as a pastor. In 2021, with his father in declining health, he assumed the pastoral duties of Church of the Great God. He continues to preach, write, edit, and visit the brethren.
Richard T Ritenbaugh
Amos concentrates on social injustices like exploiting the poor and weak, perverting justice, abusing sexuality, encouraging addictions, and trampling the sacred. This indicates that such societal ills reveal the "heart of darkness" hidden by a façade of religiosity and prosperity, much as exists today in modern America. A society that reaches the point of adorning the façade rather than changing the heart is taking its last gasp.
This is the punishment Amos foresees for the corrupt in Israel:
Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; your land shall be divided by survey line; you shall die in a defiled land; and Israel shall surely be led away captive from his own land (Amos 7:17).
What a horrible end—but a just one in the eyes of God. It cannot be far off.
For us Christians who are spiritually counter-culture, we need to realize the rapidity of the decline and the probability that persecution will increase. People who know their hypocrisy will strike out at those who expose it by their very presence. To face the bleak future of this nation, we need to remain "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10), because our "might" will not suffice. This requires us to renew our relationship with God day by day (II Corinthians 4:16) and strengthen it by growth (John 15:8; II Peter 3:18). As Paul says, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Corinthians 4:17). --Richard T. Ritenbaugh; True Gospel; A Christian Nation? Reprise
This is the punishment Amos foresees for the corrupt in Israel:
Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; your land shall be divided by survey line; you shall die in a defiled land; and Israel shall surely be led away captive from his own land (Amos 7:17).
What a horrible end—but a just one in the eyes of God. It cannot be far off.
For us Christians who are spiritually counter-culture, we need to realize the rapidity of the decline and the probability that persecution will increase. People who know their hypocrisy will strike out at those who expose it by their very presence. To face the bleak future of this nation, we need to remain "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10), because our "might" will not suffice. This requires us to renew our relationship with God day by day (II Corinthians 4:16) and strengthen it by growth (John 15:8; II Peter 3:18). As Paul says, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Corinthians 4:17). --Richard T. Ritenbaugh; True Gospel; A Christian Nation? Reprise
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Judge to hear legal case between Celebration Church and former pastors ARC was co-founded by Chris Hodges, who is also the founder and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands, one of the largest churches in the United States with more than 60,000 members and 23 campuses, according to the filing. Hodges is named as a defendant in the Weemses’ federal complaint. Dino Rizzo, executive director of ARC and associate pastor at Church of the Highlands, is also named as a defendant. Rizzo was an overseer at Celebration Church until September 2021. The third pastor named as a defendant is John Siebeling, who leads The Life Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He is a founding board member of ARC who also served as an overseer at Celebration Church until September 2021. (News4Jax 8/2/23) READ MORE>>>>> |
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July 27, 2023: Christian Post: Church of the Highlands founder Chris Hodges denies ‘engineering’ takeover of Celebration Church
ARC, one of North America's largest church-planting organizations, and Hodges were named in a federal lawsuit filed in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 12 by the Weemses. Other defendants include Church of the Highlands Associate Pastor Dino Rizzo and John Seibeling of The Life Church.
ARC, one of North America's largest church-planting organizations, and Hodges were named in a federal lawsuit filed in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 12 by the Weemses. Other defendants include Church of the Highlands Associate Pastor Dino Rizzo and John Seibeling of The Life Church.
