The 95

Today is October 31st. Halloween gets all the attention today, but there is a far more important event to recognize on Oct. 31st…the nailing of "the 95 Theses" by Martin Luther on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. The document which is popularly known as "the 95 Theses" was originally titled, The Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences. The nailing of "the 95" on October 31, 1517 is the symbolic beginning of the reformation; the single greatest event in the second millennium of the Christian church.

I am beginning to form an annual habit of reading "the 95" on October 31^st. Click here to read last year's blog on Oct 31^st. I am growing more and more passionate that the voices of the past need to be the teachers of today. As pastors, teachers, leaders and Christian people, we need to engage culture, understand culture and communicate God's embodied truth to our generation. Engaging culture and "doing church" today requires reading, watching and listening to books, visual media and music produced today, but a steady diet of "the lastest," "the best selling," "the hottest…," etc., leads us away from the depth of God's truth.

I digress.

I read "the 95" today. It only took me about 25 minutes. (You can read the 95 Theses here.) It reminded me of the leadership principle I saw in 1 Corinthians 9 -Every Christian has the right to respectfully question Christian leaders and every Christian leader has the right to respectfully defend his/her leadership. "The 95" is Luther's questioning of the authority of the pope and the selling of indulgences. At that time during the church, you could buy an indulgence, a piece a paper from the pope that said you were pardoned from the penalty of your sins. It is a long story. Check out the link above, but indulgences were bad news. It was a essentially a money-maker for the Church. It was bad…ugly bad.

Luther was questioning Church leaders on the issue and his questioning lead to the reformation of the Church and in essence, saved the Church from moral collapse. Church leaders are never above questioning. It is good to respectfully question church leadership. Leaders can sin and get the church of course. Church leaders can't hide. I was listening to this, while reading "the 95."

Now the preacher looked so baffled
When I asked him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines
Stapled to his chest.
But he cursed me when I proved it to him,
Then I whispered, "Not even you can hide.
You see, you're just like me,
I hope you're satisfied."
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

Bob Dylan
"Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"
Blonde on Blonde (1966)

I digress, again.

Last year, I included a few quotes from "the 95," but this year I have just one…the first of the ninety-five: 1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "repent." He called for the entire life of believers to be one of penitence.

There are two words that Christians need to keep forefront in their Christian vocabulary – "confession and repentance." It is easy to replace those words with other words like "counseling and therapy" or "legalism and religion," but confession and repentance is what Christians are called to do. Confession and repentance is where Christians are called to live; it is where they are called to live. Confession and repentance is one area where we cannot follow Jesus' example. Jesus had no need for confession and repentance, because he never sinned. This is why Paul says, "Be imitators of me as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). We need Christian leaders to follow and immolate, because they can (and should!) emulate a life of confession and repentance.

Confession is agreeing with God that sin in our actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, or motivations are indeed sins. It is say, "God you say this is a sin and I say it is a sin." Confession is not easy, but is the easier of the two. Repentance is more difficult. Repentance is a rethinking and reliving. It is rethinking your actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motivations and then living different in light of confession.

What Luther reminded me of as I was reading "the 95" is the necessary of penitence, that is the feeling of remorse or sorrow over sin. Penitence is a process of repentance. I don't think we have to waller around in sorrow like a pig in mud, but neither do we need to treat our sins, the wrath of God or the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus lightly. Penitence is spiritual sobriety. It is a seriousness and acknowledgement that our actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motivations hurt God and other people.

Penitence.

Re-penitence.

Repentance.

We need a healthy dose of this. We don't need to walk around long-faced and depressed. There is hope. There is redemption. There is pardon. Haven't you been listening to Joel Osteen…there is victory over sin. This is true. But the road to hope begins with steps of confession and repentance.

One more quote from Luther's 95… 44. Because, by works of love, love grows and a man becomes a better man; whereas, by indulgences, he does not become a better man, but only escapes certain penalties.

Have a great fall festival or whatever else you do on October 31^st!

No Place for a Sissy

I was asked to write an article for the Americus Times-Recorder, an article that will go in their quarterly faith and values section. This is the third article we have written for the ATR's Faith & Values. We try to spotlight a certain ministry. I choose to write this article to spotlight our men's fraternity. The article is a brief written version of the sermon I did called "Don't Be a Sissy," a message about men and the church.

The sermon is here: http://cornerstoneamericus.com/sermons/dont-be-a-sissy/

The article is here:

No Place for a Sissy
by Pastor Derek Vreeland

Over the years, church has been known as a woman's thing. For most men, going to church is like accompanying their wives to the woman's department of their favorite clothing store. Here honey, hold my purse while I check out the dresses on the clearance rack. When a typical man walks into a typical church he feels just as uncomfortable. Men need a challenge. They need an adventure, a shot at greatness. They need competition, a band of brothers and a champion to follow. Yet when they walk into a typical church, they do not see those values. They do not see masculine values in the life of the church. They see the flowers, the pews, the quaint musicians sitting piously behind out-of-date instruments. They are told to sit (or stand) quietly and be nice. No wonder many men have felt that church was a place for children, women and sissies.

The statistics prove this general consensus. According to David Morrow in Why Men Hate Going to Church, 65% of men in the US do not go to church. 60% of churchgoers are women. 75% of Christian products are purchased by women and 63% of Christian radio listeners are women. In every statistical category, women are more likely to attend church functions, serve, and lead in the local church. Why is this? According to Morrow, 95% of pastors in America are men, yet men, particularly single men in their twenties, are abandoning the local church. They are leaving in part because church has been tagged as a place for sissies.

As I look at the church, I can see why this is happening. For one, we as church leaders have been guilty of proclaiming a sissy Jesus. Have you seen the portrait of Jesus that hangs in many churches? You know, the one that depicts Jesus with glowing skin, high cheek bones, and flowing, glistening hair. He looks lovingly towards heaven with a sparkle in his eyes. If you look close enough, you will see that the image does not even look like a man. It looks like a girl with a beard! The Jesus revealed in the Scripture was a carpenter. He worked a blue collar job with his dad during his twenties before beginning an itinerate preaching ministry. He worked with his hands, swinging a hammer and working a saw. This Jesus was not soft. He endured more physical torture than any ten average men could stand. This Jesus is returning with a tattoo on his thigh and a sword in his mouth. He is no sissy. He is a real man.

At Cornerstone Church, we want to join God's work in producing good men, strong men, men of character and courage, men like Jesus. In order to do foster this work, we have launched Men's Fraternity, a ministry that facilitates and teaches men how to live lives of authentic manhood as modeled by Jesus and directed by the Scripture. Our Men's Fraternity is lead by Robert Bunch. He says, "Surprisingly in the United States today, most men cannot tell you what a man is, what he does that is different or important. In Men's Fraternity we craft that vision of manhood along with how a man relates to God, to his wife and children, and in the workplace. "

Men gather together at 7:30 am on Sunday mornings at Cornerstone Church for coffee and large group teaching. Then the guys split into small groups to talk and challenge one another. Men's Fraternity is a nation-wide ministry that started in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was created by Robert Lewis, pastor of Fellowship Bible Church and author of Raising Modern Day Knights.

My challenge to the men in our church is simple— Don't be a sissy! Join the fraternity! For more information on Men's Fraternity go to www.cornerstoneamericus.com or call 229-924-7409.

John Calvin on Communion

Today is Thursday…sermon preparation day. I love Thursdays. I am preaching through 1 Corinthians 11 this Sunday and so I have been studying all day on two subjects, two traditions: head coverings and communion in Christian worship. Head coverings is a tradition practiced by some, but communion is THE tradition practiced by nearly all Christians at all points in Christian history.

During my time of study, I read about fifty pages of John Calvin's Institutes. I had read about 200 pages or so of the Institutes while in seminary as a part of my church history class, but I had lost contact with Calvin over the years. I recently ordered my own two-volume copy and have been reading various sections this week. I was once told to forget reading the Calvinists, but read Calvin. How true! I have found Calvin personally refreshing and intellectually stimulating. He is becoming one of the voices from the past who is a teacher in the church today for me. No matter where you find yourself on the arminianism vs. calvinism debate, READ CALVIN. I find that John Wesley more accurately represents the tradition that gave birth to my faith, a tradition that emphasizes free grace, free will and human responsibility. Wesley said that he was within a "hair's breadth" away from Calvinism. (Read more here.)

Calvin has been talking to me today. He has been sitting in my office lecturing me on communion. I do not have enough time on Sunday morning to preach through all that I am learning from Calvin, so here are some notes from Calvin and his understanding of communion.

The knowledge of this high mystery is very necessary, and in view of its (the Lord's Supper's) very greatness it demands a careful explanation. Calvin, Institutes, 4.17.1
Calvin uses two important words in talking about communion – mystery and greatness. My protestant experience in mostly non-denominational churches has exposed me to a very low view of communion. It is a mere symbolic ritual that should be done four times a year, if necessary. There is no talk of mystery…no talk of greatness. How do you market a mystery? How do you promote and "sell" anything mysterious? There isn't much practical about taking communion. It doesn't do much for me. It is a "royal waste of time." These are the thoughts I have had about communion, up until the last few years, old worn out thoughts that are being replaced with the worshipful mystery of communion.

We are therefore bidden to take and eat the body which was once for all offered for our salvation, in order that when we see ourselves made partakers in it, we may assuredly conclude that the power of his life-giving death will be efficacious in us. Calvin, Institutes, 4.17.1
Calvin understood what it meant to "take" communion, to partake, to commune. The Lord's Supper is not a dead ritual, but a spiritual experience—a mystical and mysterious encounter with Jesus who is flesh and blood and who gave his flesh and blood for our salvation. We are called to the "table," not by a pastor or priest, but by the Spirit himself, who calls us to enter the life of Christ, enter the death of Christ, enter the resurrection of Christ. Communion is worship as participation…there is movement, words spoken, smells, tastes.

This is the wonderful exchange which, out of his measureless benevolence, he has made with us, that, becoming Son of man with us, he has made us sons of God with him... Calvin, Institutes, 4.17.2
Communion is a part of a salvation. It is a part of the journey, part of the process of transformation. It is an exchange of my sin for his grace, my depravity for his righteousness.

Now here we ought to guard against two faults. First, we should not, by too little regard for the signs, divorce them from their mysteries, to which they are so to speak attached. Secondly, we should not, by extolling them immoderately, seem to obscure somewhat the mysteries themselves. Calvin, Institutes, 4.17.5
The statement set up the rest of what Calvin has to say on communion. He goes on to talk about how the Spirit gives life through communion and how the Spirit unites the symbol to the real presence of Christ.

He also discusses how the real humanity of Christ defeats the false notion of transubstantiation, which he calls "that monster" (4.17.14) and "crude imagination" (4.17.15). He also discusses the thoughts of the early church fathers (particularly Augustine) who "enhance the dignity of the mystery" (4.17.14).

But that is exactly what Calvin has done for me. He has enhanced the dignity of the mystery. Isn't that are call as church leaders? Aren't we called to dig deep into the Scripture to enhance the dignity of the mystery? We need that in the church today. I need that in my church today. I need that in me today.

To enhance the dignity of the mystery

Calvin said there are two faults that we have to guard ourselves against. It is the faults of Luther and Zwingli. There was a historical and unfortunate debate between Luther and Zwingli over the meaning of the bread and wine in communion. Luther argued that the elements were literally and mysteriously the body and blood of Christ. Zwingli argued that they were token, mere symbols. We have to guard ourselves from missing the mystery because of the symbol and missing the symbol because of the mystery.

Communion is a mystery.
Communion is a symbol.

Let's worship with both in mind.

---

I received this from a friend today. It is an email from Ravi Zacharias on the devastating effects of that fight between Luther and Zwingli. The fight was over the meaning of the bread and wine in communion.

10/11/07
Approaching Fact, Applying Faith
Ravi Zacharias

On the long walk up the steep hill of the historic castle in Marburg, Germany, nostalgia throbbed through every vein. If only the stones could speak and resonate with the voices that held forth within those confines--what rapture that would provide! Within the rooms of that castle a memorable meeting was held in October of 1529 at which a handful of men, principally Luther and Zwingli, were present. What occasioned that auspicious gathering, and why were the emotions so intense as the moods swung from castigating outbursts to heartfelt apologies?

The question before them was one of consolidating their theological convictions and of presenting a unified platform on what they believed and why they believed it. We read in the summation of those proceedings that of the fifteen points under debate they agreed on fourteen but with great anguish disagreed on the fifteenth. The issue that strongly divided them was the meaning of Jesus's words "This is my body," and the significant implications of those words upon the elements of the Lord's Supper. To Luther it appeared to be as clear as the day--"This is my body" could only be literal. "Jesus said, 'This is my body,'" he kept thundering forth. He was not arguing for transubstantiation, although Zwingli saw it as a capitulation to that. To Zwingli the words were only symbolic of Christ's spiritual presence.

One has only to read the points and counterpoints made between the two and the spirit is stirred by the passion of the reformers. The contest of two different convictions, and the harshness of the words spoken in the heat of argument prompted tears and regret in each as they parted with the hope that the sharp edges of their verbal outbursts would be blunted and gentler words would prevail. Unfortunately, subsequent history unfolds a reality different to their hopes.

Today we marvel at such diatribe between people committed to Christ. But let us not lose sight of something so close to the eye that we may lose focus. For both Zwingli and Luther the fundamental question was unmistakable: What did Jesus mean? That was of supreme importance. To be absolutely sure of the answer to that question on the Lord's Supper we may have to await the Real Presence when eternity is ushered in. But I strongly suspect that both Zwingli and Luther will be applauded for their unswerving commitment to determine God's intent in his Word.

With the twists and turns of history, Marburg has a more sobering warning to us than a debate in a castle by a handful of reformers. The prestigious University of Marburg was founded just two years before that colloquy. In more recent times it has been the spawning ground for schools of thought that have brought havoc into theological institutions. In this university the famed existentialist Martin Heidegger taught. His impact was also felt by the notable neoorthodox theologian Rudolf Bultmann.

Bultmann's legacy to Christianity is his self-arrogated task to "demythologize" the New Testament; that is, to strip it of what he considered its contemporaneously false assumptions and beliefs which modern learning has clearly debunked, and to find in its place that which is personally meaningful. He drew a line between the alleged facts of history and history as we need to apply it. Thus, to Bultmann the resurrection was not a fact but a faith event, fused with meaning and embraced with passion whether or not it is true. This philosophically impoverished approach could not have been more ironically evidenced than on that Easter weekend I spent in Marburg. For seventy-two hours the stores were closed and the streets were barren. Two of the most precious days to Christendom were being commemorated in a culture where the truth of those days has been lost.

After decades of ministry, one of the deepest concerns I have lies in this twin-headed dilemma--how we approach the Scriptures and how we apply them. So much of our faith today is muddied by spiritual jargon. Time and again we hear, "God spoke to me"--a mind-boggling statement, to be sure, not only to the skeptic but to many a serious student of the Word. Could such a claim not just as equally be the spiritual clothing of ambition with the verbiage of inspiration? I have seen some of the most incredible behavior justified with the words "God spoke to me." How does one argue with that? The only way is to turn to the Scriptures and to verify whether the truth deduced is in keeping with the truth of Scripture, not just personally wrested but objectively revealed to all humanity. Further, if the life and conduct of the one to whom God is "constantly speaking" belies a disjunction between practice in day-to-day living and a precept that is harnessed to justify specific behavior, that one too has amputated the organ of fact from the feeling of faith.

Richard Roberts Responds on Larry King Live

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul gives a defense of his leadership and his right as an apostle to correct the wayward church in Corinth. His defense is phrased in sixteen biting rhetorical questions. The principle here is clear: Every Christian has the right to respectfully question any Christian leader and every Christian leader has the right to defend his (or her) leadership.

I was pleased to learn that Roberts was going on Larry King last night and I found his responses to be satisfactory. I assume that there are some who will question his responses (and the responses from Lindsay), but at least they went public to tell their side of the story. At least they did not go into silence "on the recommendation of the lawyers." My prayer is that the truth will come forth.

Roberts responses to the allegations seemed to make sense. Here are the issues and his (and Lindsay's) response last night.

On supporting a political campaign…Roberts says that he did not ask any university employee to work on a political campaign. Many ORU government students work on political campaigns in order to get "laboratory" experience in real life politics, which is normal for government majors and legal.

On using the University's plane to fund a Senior Trip for his daughters and their friends…Roberts says that it was a preaching and recruiting trip in both Orlando and the Bahamas and he was asked to bring ORU students to both locations as they were recruiting students to come to ORU. Roberts also noted that the university does not own the plane. It is a leased plane.

On the documentation of financial impropriety…Roberts says that the computer which held the documents cited in the suit was owned by his sister-in-law who made notes of rumors that were swirling around. These documents were short notes about rumors written by his sister-in-law and could easily be confused to be documentation of actual events. He says he heard of some of these rumors three years ago and did not act on them, because they seemed ridiculous.

On 11 remodeling projects in 14 years…Lindsay and Richard point out that they had hail damage and black mold in their home (which is owned by the University) and many of the so-called remodeling projects where to take care of those problems. So the University did not pay to work on the Roberts' home, the University paid to work on its own home.

On text messages sent to "underage boys" during early morning hours…Richard and Lindsay responded that often their girls use Lindsay's phone, they do send txt messages to ensure that their children and their children's friends have arrived home (or wherever they are going) safely, and the Roberts have reached out to trouble kids and have often talked to them late at night.

On a side note, Lindsay made a good point that she is not an employee of the University and neither are her kids, yet they were brought into a wrongful termination suit. Obviously, Lindsay has a leadership role in the University, but she had nothing to do with the administration of the school and the termination of these professors. (To be clear, one professor was terminated, one did not have their contract renewed and one resigned.)

Richard was clear: "I have not done anything wrong. I can't say how much this has hurt my family."

More: Associated Press | CNN | Tulsa World | KOTV (Tulsa)

ORU’s Legal Battle

ORU was sued last week by three former faculty members. They are suing for wrongful termination, emotional distress and deformation of character. The suit includes a number of alleged financial improprieties on behalf of Richard and Lindsey Roberts. According to a recent
Tulsa World article, Roberts and the Board of Regents have responded. The executive committee of the board of regents met last Friday night. In a written statement, Roberts announced that the board will retain an additional independent auditing firm to insure that the University's finances are above reproach. Richard also said that he is charged by the University for any personal expenses: "Any expenses, including trips, errands, food, etc., deemed personal are charged back to me and are paid personally by me on a monthly basis," Roberts said in the statement.

The Tulsa World also noted that Roberts desires to answer more questions in this matter: "I strongly wish I could answer all your questions right now. . . .," he said. "There is a time coming when I am willing to answer all questions." I am optimistic that Roberts will give a response to the allegation directed towards him. I attend the seminary at ORU from 1996-1999 and it was transformative time for me. ORU is filled with great people. I fear that the scandal will hurt the university, particularly the seminary. I pray that the damage is minimal.

I did get an email from the alumni office at ORU. I was instructed to send email to George Pearsons, the Chairman of the Board of Regents. Here are the details in contact in the board.

George Pearsons, Chairman of the Board of Regents, welcomes email from alumni. His email address is gpearsons@oru.edu. Emails sent to him will also be copied to David Wagner, Vice President of University Relations, David Ellsworth, Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations, and Mike Bernard, Vice President of Information and Communication Systems. If the alumnus wishes to speak to someone in person, they are welcome to call Marian Baumgardner, Administrative Assistant to Pastor George Pearsons. Her phone number is 918-495-7442.

Getting Caught Up: ORU, God is NOT on our side, 8 dollar hot dogs

While preaching sermons, running back and forth to soccer practice & games, installing sinks and screen doors at the house and hosting all sorts of family in town…life has been going on. I have been jotting down a slew of thoughts to blog on and finally I have a chance to post 'em. Here we go in no specific order.

ORU and ORU President Richard Roberts get Sued

A friend emailed me with this link: ORU faces Lawsuit. Three professors are suing the school and many of the officials for wrongful termination. They said they were fired after refusing to take the blame for ORU's assistance in a local political campaign. More disturbing to me than the allegations of political campaigning is the list of alleged financial improprieties by Richard and Lindsay Roberts. The thirteen page suit lists several allegations including multiple instances where the Roberts have used school resources for personal uses. I am trying to reserve judgment. I am an ORU alum and I have donated to the alumni association over the years and I feel that I have a vested interest in the allegations.

Richard Roberts has said that the former professors are interested in money. In a chapel service he told the ORU campus: "Some may think that I might ought to hang my head in shame, but I won't do that. I am confident that when the real truth is known, there will be no more questions." (Source: Tulsa World) I hope that the real truth in this matter comes to the surface. Roberts should answer all the questions that are raised in the suit. If he doesn't offer an explanation to the allegations , then the board of regents should require that he does so. I cannot find a list of the board of regents anywhere on the ORU website. I have emailed the alumni director at ORU for a complete list of the board, but I have not received a response. I am cautiously waiting.

God is not on our side

I added The Times They are A-Changin' (1964)to my Dylan collection last week. The songs are filled with the anti-war and civil rights vibrations of the 60s. This pure folk album was Dylan's third studio recording. I was particularly drawn to the song "With God on Our Side." A much covered tune by other folk singers in the 60s, singers like Joan Baez. The song is not so much a protest song or an anti-war song. It is also not a theological slap in the face of God himself. The song undermines people's tendency to artificially bring God into our agendas whether political or otherwise and give some kind of moral justification to our agenda. This song should remind us of the tragic foolishness of claiming that God can be on our side. God transcends much more than we think. We should seek to be on his side, rather than pulling him down and forcing him into our camp. God cannot be brought into our agenda, because God is no thing. He is not a thing or an object. The is the great I AM. The holy self-existent maker of heaven and earth. How could I ever claim with moral superiority that God is on my side? Jesus says to seek first the kingdom of God. The kingdom is God's agenda. The kingdom is God's side. I am on a journey, exploring that kingdom.

Here are the lyrics:

With God on Our Side
Bob Dylan

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.

Eight Dollar Hot Dog

I am missing two conferences this week. My boys have fall break and so I am spending this week at home. I turned down opportunities to travel to two different conferences. I could not have done both, but they were conferences I was interested in. Brian Zahnd is hosting his annual leaders conference this week on the theme of A New Way to Be Human -- the New Humanity. (Check out the cool YouTube video preview)

I also missed the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. Two of my pastor friends and I were going to go up there together, but I had to say no. I am not bitter…really. There is always another conference! Anyway, I have been getting updates from Todd Rhoades on Monday Morning Insight (MMI). He had posted a youtube video clip used by Chris Seay in Chris' presentation on consumerism in the church. It is well-done and a griping reflection on poverty and prosperity. Here is the video:

The last thought for the day comes from G.K. Chesterton:
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.

May we not shrink and turn back on the way that is narrow and difficult. May we not fall into the ruts of consumerism, materialism or intellectualism.

That is my prayer today.