Happy Saturday

CATTLE OR CLOTHES
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Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (NRSV)  You shall not watch your neighbor's ox or sheep straying away and ignore them; you shall take them back to their owner. If the owner does not reside near you or you do not know who the owner is, you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until the owner claims it; then you shall return it. You shall do the same with a neighbor's donkey; you shall do the same with a neighbor's garment; and you shall do the same with anything else that your neighbor loses and you find. You may not withhold your help. You shall not see your neighbor's donkey or ox fallen on the road and ignore it; you shall help to lift it up.
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If an Israelite's donkey or cow has fallen down, don't ignore it; help him get the animal to its feet again. - Deuteronomy 22:4 (TEV)
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I read this scripture passage one morning and wondered how its words about stray cattle and sheep relate to my life today.  Would I ever find stray farm animals in my city neighborhood, much less help take them back to their owners?  But three words from the scripture kept ringing in my ears: "Don't ignore it."

On that same morning, I happened to pass by my neighbor's front door.  I saw clothes flying off the drying rack, a result of the strong winds we were experiencing. I paused for a few seconds, then remembered those three words from the Bible: "Don't ignore it."  I picked up the clothes and put them back neatly on the rack.

Suddenly I realized the main point of the story in Deuteronomy is not the stray cattle or sheep; it is our attitude when we see others in need. Whether the matter before us is cattle or clothes, we are called to give a helping hand to our neighbors.

Prayer:  God of grace, help us never to ignore the needs of our neighbors. Move us always to respond to them as you would - with love and compassion. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The first step in loving our neighbors is paying attention to them.

PRAYER FOCUS: For a more sensitive heart

If You're Happy And You Know It

If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands. Clap, Clap.
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands. Clap, Clap.
If you're happy and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands. Clap, Clap.

If you're angry and you know it
Stomp your feet. Stomp, Stomp.
If you're angry and you know it
Stomp your feet. Stomp, Stomp.
If you're angry and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're angry and you know it
Stomp your feet. Stomp, Stomp.

If you're sad and you know it
Cry out loud. Boo hoo.
If you're sad and you know it
Cry out loud. Boo hoo.
If you're sad and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're sad and you know it
Cry out loud. Boo hoo.

If you're scared and you know it
Give a shiver. Brrrr
If you're scared and you know it
Give a shiver. Brrrr
If you're scared and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're scared and you know it
Give a shiver. Brrrr

If you're silly and you know it.
Laugh out loud. Laughter.
If you're silly and you know it.
Laugh out loud. Laughter.
If you're silly and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're silly and you know it
Laugh out loud. Laughter.

If you're friendly and you know it
Wave hello. Hi, there!
If you're friendly and you know it
Wave hello. Hi, there!
If you're friendly and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're friendly and you know it
Wave hello. Hi, there!

If you're sleepy and you know it
Give a yawn. Yawn
If you're sleepy and you know it
Give a yawn. Yawn
If you're sleepy and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're sleepy and you know it
Give a yawn. Yawn

If you're excited and you know it
Shout hurray. Hurray.
If you're excited and you know it
Shout hurray. Hurray.
If you're excited and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're excited and you know it
Shout hurray. Hurray.

If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands. Clap, Clap.
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands. Clap, Clap.
If you're happy and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands. Clap, Clap.

Daily Smile
A man moved to a mountain top to get rid of the hustle and be alone. One day he heard a knock at the door and no one was there but then he looked down and there sat a snail and it said "it is quite cold out here can I come in?" the man shouted "NO why don’t you all understand I want to be alone!" and he kicked the snail down the mountain. 

A year later there was a knock at the door and no one was there and then he looked down and there again sat a snail and it said, "What did you do that for?"

In The News:

Iran Puts Five Christians on Trial for Their Faith
Five Iranian Christian converts who were detained late last year will reportedly begin trial in Iran's Revolutionary Court this week, according to a human rights group following the case, Fox News reports. The five men were among seven arrested in October when security forces raided an underground house church in the city of Shiraz during a prayer session. They will be tried at the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz' Fars Province on charges of disturbing public order, evangelizing, threatening national security and engaging in Internet activity that threatens the government, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide. "Judging from recent cases, it is likely that, at the very least, those detained may face lengthy prison sentences," said CSW spokesperson Kiri Kankhwende. According to Kankhwende, the crackdown on Christian converts and house churches parallels a general increase in repression against many -- including journalists, religious and cultural minorities, and others -- as the government is leading up to June's presidential elections. "There has been a noticeable increase in the harassment, arrests, trials and imprisonment of converts to Christianity, particularly since the beginning of 2012," Kankhwende said.

Congress to Hold Hearing on American Pastor Being Tortured in Iranian Prison
A congressional hearing set for this week will include testimony on an American pastor serving a sentence of eight years in a notoriously brutal Iranian prison, the Christian News Network reports. According to the American Center for Law and Justice, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. Congress has scheduled a hearing on Friday on the subject of "The Worsening Plight of Religious Minorities in Iran." The hearing will not only discuss religious persecution in general, but will also focus on the plight of Pastor Saeed Abedini, who states that he is being tortured in prison and is enduring "physical violence" and other "horrific pressures" behind bars. The 32-year-old pastor was taken into custody last September while visiting his homeland of Iran to spend time with his parents and continue his charity work of building an orphanage. Last month, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly threatening the national security of Iran by planting house churches, and for attempting to turn youth in the nation away from Islam. It is estimated he had a role in founding approximately 100 house churches, which yielded 2,000 members combined.

Egyptian Christian Detainee Dies in Libyan Custody
An Egyptian Christian has died in a Libyan jail, CBN News reports. According to Voice of the Martyrs, Ezzat Hakim was detained simply because he knew other Christians accused of evangelizing in Libya. Some of the detainees were reportedly tortured in prison. Hakim already suffered from asthma and other ailments, and in the days before he died he had been sent to the hospital with chest pains and breathing problems. He later returned to prison, but on March 10, he experienced shortness of breath, fell down, hit his head and died.

Transgender Student Sues Baptist College Over Expulsion
A transgender student is suing California Baptist University for expelling him in 2011 after he claimed he was a female despite his male anatomy, WORLD News Service reports. Domaine Javier had been accepted into the school’s nursing program for the fall of 2011, but the university retracted the acceptance after he revealed that he was transgender in an episode of MTV’s “True Life.” The university said he was expelled for “committing or attempting to engage in fraud, or concealing of identity.” Last week, Javier filed a lawsuit in Riverside, Calif., against the Southern Baptist school, claiming it violated California’s civil rights act and breached its contract. He claims he lost about $500,000 in scholarships and future wages because of the expulsion, since he had to delay his career plan for a year. He had received a $3,500 dean’s academic scholarship from the school. In the nursing program application, Javier was asked to check either male or female, and he checked female, even though he had been born a male. Javier said he had identified himself as a female since he was a toddler and started presenting himself as a girl at 13. Javier’s lawyer, Paul Southwick, said he did not lie about his gender because he identifies as female, and did not break the school’s contract because it did not specifically mention transgender students. California Baptist University allows students who are not Christian, but asks every student to sign a contract pledging to attend weekly chapel services, take courses in biblical studies, and abstain from drugs, alcohol and “sexual conduct outside of marriage.” California law does not allow employment, housing and other businesses to discriminate based on sex or sexual orientation; however, private universities are not generally covered. California Baptist University has not responded to requests for comment.