Church and Sweet Tea

    In our community, West Point Stevens, a textile company, is shutting down its two mills in our community (and moving them to China). This will put an estimated 600 people or more out of work. Several of these employees dropped out of school to work for the mill. The mill has been their lively hood and for many, it is the only job they have ever had. There is a wonderful government program that will pay for their education for two years in order to learn new skills to find a job in today’s marketplace. The only problem is that you must have a GED or high school diploma to get into these schools. There is a GED training center in Valley and Opelika, but in order to get in, the test taker must score close to the GED passing grade. Otherwise, the GED hopeful has nowhere to turn. online pharmacy without prescriptionbuy silverbuy detoxbuy italian charmsdownload softwareonline pharmacy no prescriptioncanadian pharmacydownload moviesfarmacia en lineainternet drugstoremovie downloadmexican pharmacybuy gift basketsbuy levitrabuy hoodiaprescription drugsdownload moviebuy dvdcheap auto insurancebuy jewelrybuy jewelry onlinecheap online pharmacybuy alcohol testdownload filmdownload musicdownload mp3prescription drugsbuy notebook batterydownload moviesonline pharmacybuy charmsbuy piercingpiercingflash games onlinebuy propecia onlinesearchpiercingno prescription pharmacyonline pharmacyonline pharmacy no prescriptiondownload moviescanadian pharmacybuy soma onlinebuy carisoprodol onlineitalian charmsindian pharmacybuy viagra onlinegeneric viagra onlinebuy levitra onlinegeneric cialis onlineonline pharmacy without prescriptionno prescription online pharmacytransformers movieeuropean online pharmacyprivate porn moviesbuy phentrimine onlineonline pharmacy no prescriptionbuy jewelry onlinejewelry shopsilver shophealth articlespass a drug testbuy oem softwareeuropean pharmacydvd movies
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     My earlier post comparing the Zelnorm recall to our spiritual health has seen a lot of web traffic over the past few days. I realized that I left off an important fact that people may be looking for:

The company that produces Zelnorm is refunding out of pocket expenses for any pills that you would like to return. At nearly $200 for a month’s supply, it adds up quickly! Their number is (888) 669- 6682.

      News agencies reported Friday that the drug Zelnorm, prescribed for Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers, may be associated with a risk of heart attack or stroke: 

WASHINGTON Mar 30, 2007 (AP)— Swiss pharmaceutical maker Novartis AG will stop selling a drug to relieve constipation after it was linked to a higher chance of heart attack, stroke and worsening chest pain that can become a heart attack, federal health officials said Friday.

Novartis agreed to withdraw Zelnorm at the FDA’s request, the agency said in a public health advisory.

     The drug recall is an example of something that is meant to be helpful, but it might ultimately do more harm than good. This type of paradox can be seen everywhere. Fire can be good and bad. A locked door can be good and bad (a friend of mine locked his keys in his trunk last week). I have been looking at Psalm 69:1-3 lately. These verses are filled with vivid, yet deadly, water imagery:

Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. (Psalm 69:1-3 NRSV)

      We need water for our survival, but it can also be deadly. The Psalmist is drownig in water, but has a parched throat. Did the Psalmist not take the time to drink the water to refresh his throat? The same is true of church. Going to church and being involved in the life of your congregation is great, but you can also drown in it if you do not stop to take a drink. This is especially true for pastors.  Pastors are surrounded by religion every day. Our tasks can be stressful and tedious. If we are not careful, we can drown. We must take the time to drink from the well of life. If we do not, our ministry becomes much like how the FDA described Zelnorm: the benefits no longer outweigh the risk. You cannot lead others to Christ if you are too busy trying to keep your head above water. You could die trying.

     Supposedly it has been a wonderful couple of weeks for Christianity. First, James Cameron (Director of Titanic) produces a documentary detailing the discovery of Jesus’ tomb. This is purported to be not only the final resting place of Christ, but of his wife and son as well! Hooray for Christians! Let there be dancing in the streets (sarcasm intended).

     In a new story on ABC Primetime, we learn that Jesus has come again. Puerto Rico native Jose De Jesus, a former heroin addict and convicted felon, has claimed to be both Christ and the antichrist. Apparently scholars have been wrong in separating the two beings. After all, Revelation is a difficult book to understand. De Jesus’ followers, and he has a bunch, are tattooing 666 on their bodies to show their dedication to him. De Jesus resides with his wife in a suburb of Houston (poor Texas seems to be a nesting ground for Divine hopefuls). (more…)