What's happening at ChristLife?

Hello! Good stuff is happening at ChristLife. Click on the picture below to read our Spring 2008 Newsletter!

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Jesus Saves!

"We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world." - 1 John 4:13-14

What an incredible witness to share with others the amazing things God has done in our lives and His saving power! Our friend Jen King who went through ChristLife's Discovering Christ and Following Christ courses, has a powerful story of the Lord saving her and drastically changing her life! It is such a privilege to know Jen and her story is such an inspiration to me!
To listen to her testimony click here or press play below:

ChristLife on EWTN

Great news! ChristLife's director, Dave Nodar, will be on EWTN tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6pm EST. Tune in if you can!

He will be the main guest on The Choices We Face, hosted by Ralph Martin (who we just did a podcast interview with) from Renewal Ministries. Dave will be speaking on the new evangelization and the work of ChristLife. EWTN desribes Ralph's show-

Each week Ralph Martin, on his weekly television series The Choices We Face, proclaims the basic truths of Christianity. He urges repentance and faithfulness to scripture; he emphasizes the need for all to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; he imparts the courage to stand firm over the long haul as together we cope with an increasingly secular society.

I hope you can check it out!

Drawn to the Light

This is a fascinating article Chuck Colson wrote Wednesday the 23rd on why Muslims are converting to Christianity.  It really is a wonderful read, pointing us to ways we can reach out to Muslims in our own neighborhoods.  

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Drawn to the Light: Why Muslims Convert to Christianity
Chuck Colson

A few days ago, Fox News ran a grim special titled "Jihad USA: Confronting the Threat of Homegrown Terror." It was a warning of the continuing danger of Islamo-fascism.

The program probably deepened many Americans' fear of and hostility toward Muslims. That is unfortunate, because most Muslims are not would-be jihadists. But we Christians especially need to guard our emotions so we can be a good witness to Muslims a caution raised by Dr. Dudley Woodberry, professor of Islamic Studies at Fuller.

Woodberry, aware that throughout the world Muslims have been turning to Christ, was curious about the reasons why especially in countries where the cost of converting is so high.

To find the answer, he created a detailed questionnaire. Over a 16-year period, some 750 Muslims from 30 countries filled it out and the results are eye-opening. The number one reason Muslim converts listed for their decision to follow Christ was the lifestyle of the Christians among them.

As Woodberry, Russell Shubin, and G. Marks write in Christianity Today, Muslim converts noted that "there was no gap between the moral profession and the practice of Christians" they knew. An Egyptian convert contrasted the love shown by Christians "with the unloving treatment of Muslim students and faculty he encountered at a university in Medina." Other converts were impressed that "Christians treat women as equals" and enjoy loving marriages. And poor Muslims observed that "the expatriate Christian workers they knew had adopted, contrary to their expectations, a simple lifestyle." They wore locally made clothes and abstained from pork and alcohol, so as not to offend Muslim neighbors.

Second, converts identified "the power of God in answered prayers and healing." For instance, in North Africa, a Muslim family asked Christian neighbors to pray for a sick daughter; and then the girl recovered. Some converts "noted deliverance from demonic power as another reason they were attracted to Jesus."

Converts also mentioned unhappiness with Islam itself, especially the Koran's emphasis on God's punishment and the uncertainty of salvation. By contrast, Woodberry notes, the biblical teaching that God loved us so much that "He sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" is deeply attractive to Muslims.

Converts are also attracted to "the love expressed through the life and teachings of Christ." Ironically, Muslims first learn about Christ through the Koran, but then read the Gospels to find out more about Him.

Finally and this is the key˜"When Christ's love transforms committed Christians into a loving community, many Muslims [identified] a desire to join such a fellowship."

Woodberry's research shows that when the Church is being the Church witnessing to the love of Christ and of His transforming power Muslims are drawn both to us and to Him.

When is the last time you welcomed a Muslim family to the neighborhood, or invited a Muslim co-worker for a cup of coffee?

Even though we are in the midst of a worldwide war against Islamo-fascism, we must never forget Christ's command to witness to our neighbors to all of our neighbors of His redeeming love.

http://www.breakpoint.org
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/42.80.html?start=1

Shawn McDonald

Shawn McDonald is living proof of how Jesus Christ is active and working among us to "seek and to save the lost." I personally can relate to being lost in the world of sin and brokenness and despair... I think we all can to different degrees - but this story takes it to a new level. Abandoned by his parents at a young age, Shawn was lost in a world of endless raves and dealing drugs. This video shows how God busted into his life and saved him sin and hopelessness.

Shawn is now a well known Christian recording artist. He's got a great sound and authenticity to his music - I have his first album, Simply Nothing.

U.S. Papal Visit 2008!

What an incredible gift of hope for our nation to experience the presence of our Holy Father! I had the honor of attending the Papal Mass in New York on April 20th. It was an inexpressible blessing to experience the Mass with Pope Benedict XVI, gathered in unity with so many Catholics to receive Christ through His vicar on earth! As a young adult, it is so impacting to have such a humble, wise and joyful Shepherd who so deeply loves the youth! Below is an excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI's homily in New York last Sunday:

Real freedom, then, is God’s gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on "the mind of Christ" (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the "apostolate" of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God’s saving plan. This magnificent vision of a world being transformed by the liberating truth of the Gospel is reflected in the description of the Church found in today’s second reading. The Apostle tells us that Christ, risen from the dead, is the keystone of a great temple which is even now rising in the Spirit. And we, the members of his body, through Baptism have become "living stones" in that temple, sharing in the life of God by grace, blessed with the freedom of the sons of God, and empowered to offer spiritual sacrifices pleasing to him (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). And what is this offering which we are called to make, if not to direct our every thought, word and action to the truth of the Gospel and to harness all our energies in the service of God’s Kingdom? Only in this way can we build with God, on the one foundation which is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:11). Only in this way can we build something that will truly endure. Only in this way can our lives find ultimate meaning and bear lasting fruit.

The final segment of Pope Benedict's homily was directed toward young people of America! His words are so encouraging and challenging - I hope that myself and the young people of America can truly give our hearts to Jesus and apply the words of our Holy Father to our personal lives. The closing of His homily is below:

Yesterday, not far from here, I was moved by the joy, the hope and the generous love of Christ which I saw on the faces of the many young people assembled in Dunwoodie. They are the Church’s future, and they deserve all the prayer and support that you can give them. And so I wish to close by adding a special word of encouragement to them. My dear young friends, like the seven men, "filled with the Spirit and wisdom" whom the Apostles charged with care for the young Church, may you step forward and take up the responsibility which your faith in Christ sets before you! May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, "the same, yesterday, and today and for ever" and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in him (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10; Heb 13:8). These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world -- including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb. In a world where, as Pope John Paul II, speaking in this very place, reminded us, Lazarus continues to stand at our door (Homily at Yankee Stadium, October 2, 1979, No. 7), let your faith and love bear rich fruit in outreach to the poor, the needy and those without a voice. Young men and women of America, I urge you: open your hearts to the Lord’s call to follow him in the priesthood and the religious life. Can there be any greater mark of love than this: to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for his friends (cf. Jn 15:13)? In today’s Gospel, the Lord promises his disciples that they will perform works even greater than his (cf. Jn 14:12). Dear friends, only God in his providence knows what works his grace has yet to bring forth in your lives and in the life of the Church in the United States. Yet Christ’s promise fills us with sure hope. Let us now join our prayers to his, as living stones in that spiritual temple which is his one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Let us lift our eyes to him, for even now he is preparing for us a place in his Father’s house. And empowered by his Holy Spirit, let us work with renewed zeal for the spread of his Kingdom. "Happy are you who believe!" (cf. 1 Pet 2:7). Let us turn to Jesus! He alone is the way that leads to eternal happiness, the truth who satisfies the deepest longings of every heart, and the life who brings ever new joy and hope, to us and to our world. Amen.

To get more information about Pope Benedict's visit to the United States go to Zenit News.

Call to Mission!

I recently was able to speak with Ralph Martin about his conversion and the call to mission and a missionary spirituality! It was an incredible experience for me to speak with someone who is so knowledgeable about the faith - not just head knowledge but from the depths of his heart!

Ralph Martin is the President of Renewal Ministries, the host of the weekly television program The Choices We Face, has written several books on Catholicism and the saints, and works with several universities and seminaries.

In ChristLife's 44th podcast, Ralph shares about the call to mission in the Church. Also, Jen, a friend of ChristLife, shares the incredible things that God has done in her life! There is also great news about Ben Stein's new documentary called Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

To listen in to this podcast click here, or press play below:

Pope B16's visit to the US, get the nets ready!

This week, Pope Benedict will begin his apostolic trip to the United States with celebrations and various meetings in Washington, D.C and New York City.

The theme of his visit is, Christ our Hope. And Pope Benedict's conviction is that Jesus alone can bring humanity hope.

Whenever there have been Apostolic visits, they have been times of extraordinary grace and conversion. This visit will be a time when thousands upon thousands of people will be provoked to curiosity about Jesus Christ and his Church. A window of opportunity will be presented to us. Are we prepared to respond? Are you ready to put down the nets(Luke 5)?

I would like to encourage each of us to continue praying for Pope Benedict's mission and for personal opportunities to share with others! This visit is Apostolic. The Lord is sending the Holy Father to proclaim Jesus! And as disciples of the Lord we are entrusted with helping those who are asking questions, who are moved in their hearts with the questions of life, to serve them in knowing the reason for our hope, Jesus Christ.

May the Lord Jesus bring many to new life in him, and to a place of welcome and support in our parishes.

Be Pre-prayered and ready to help others to come to know the love of God we know in Jesus our Lord!

Lord God, we ask you to bless Pope Benedict's apostolic journey to the US. May it be a time of renewed hope and life changing encounter with you, for millions. And may we your people be ready to answer peoples questions. Give us opportunities to share your love with others. In Jesus' holy name and in the power of your Spirit we pray, Amen!

Ben Stein's Documentary

Ben Stein's controversial documentary, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, about the possibility of an intelligent designer who created the universe (i.e. God) is coming to theaters this weekend! He interviews scientists who have lost their careers and reputations for questioning the theory of Darwinism and suggesting that, scientifically, there may be evidence of an superior intelligent being who created the universe. Ben Stein shows how the theory of Darwinism is infiltrating the media, the courtrooms, school systems and society in general. Freedom of speech is impeded on those who point out the flaws in this theory. If you would like more information on this documentary or to find it in theaters near you click here, and check out the trailer below:

Discovering Christ Session 2

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." James 4:8

God makes this promise to us, and if we take that first step and seek Him, He will give us all we need. Last night we had the second Discovering Christ course at OLPH. Dave Nodar gave a talk about the person of Jesus Christ and who He is in our lives. He opened up scripture and gave examples of the many signs and wonders Jesus worked and how his disciples and followers were so amazed that they were continuously exclaiming, "who is this man!" That is the very question that everyone in my small group was asking themselves last night, who is Jesus Christ in my life? It's a question worth pondering.
One point Dave Nodar made that really hit home for me was that our faith is about a personal relationship with Christ much more than belief in some doctrine. We must first ask ourselves the same question that Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15-17), then doctrine and everything else can follow.

Please continue to pray for every person that attends this course that we may all accept Jesus into our hearts and lives and believe with our whole being that He is our Lord!

Charisms at Following Christ

The Following Christ course we've been running at UMBC has been going very well. This is our second pilot course that is still in production phase. The first Following Christ course we did as after the St. Agnes young adult Discovering Christ course.

At UMBC we've been teaming up with Fr. Richard Gray, MSA and the Newman Club to help a group of 12-15 students grow as followers of Jesus. Each night we combine praise and worship, testimonies and teachings on Christian discipleship, small group discussion and fellowship. Thus far its gone very well. We are all learning so much and growing in our love for Jesus! The topics touched in this course include: an overview of discipleship, personal prayer, Scripture, guidance, the sacramental life of a disciple, the charism, the world the flesh and the devil (2), & evangelization.

Anyway, last night's topic was the charisms (or gifts of the Holy Spirit). Fr. Rich's friend, Kate, gave the talk and it was superb. She talked all about the gifts, the fruits, and the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. This was the real focus.
Anyway, following her talk we spent time praying for the gifts and worshiping God using these gifts. One gift several people received was the gift of tongues! After I finished worship we asked if anyone had anything to share and one guy, kind of stunned, said, "wow, this is so crazy, but I was speaking in tongues..." A second later another young adult exclaimed the same thing!

It was really really awesome - because all of the openness to the gifts - just opened us even more to God's great love for us and allowed us to express our love to Him. It was a wonderful time that brought us all closer to God and one another.

In my own life the first time I remember speaking to God in "tongues" was during an extended time of worship I was really "caught in the presence" of God and experientially felt His great love for me. I began to respond to him in prayer and I ran out of words and I realized I was speaking in tongues! What a beautiful gift of love to the Lord!

Unfortunately the charisms tend to be undervalued by many Catholics and we choose to say "no" to the Holy Spirit. I sure have done this in the past! Anyway, point being - we often haven't adequately received formation in this area and even more seldom is - seeing these gifts used!

For those not familiar with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you can read about them in Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12 or for an excellent introduction - on Page 12 of the Fall 2006 issue of Pentecost Today (PDF) or checkout this link which includes lots of articles on the charismatic renewal and the specific charisms.

The last three popes have begun to talk more about the charisms, and now it is more normal to hear about priests and even bishops involved with the Charismatic Renewal.

Matt Maher and the New Evangelization

I had the privilege of speaking with Matt Maher recently about the New Evangelization and the role of the Blessed Mother. It was great to hear his reflections about how humility and smallness are the foundation of evangelization, and Mary is our model! ChristLife's 43rd podcast, includes his reflections and a discussion about his new album Empty and Beautiful.

Also on this podcast is a song from Empty and Beautiful called "Great Things" about Mary's Magnificat, and some catching up with ChristLife's previous intern Chad about his experiences in the seminary.

You can listen to this new podcast here, or press play below:

Discovering Christ Session 1

“It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
- St Paul to the Ephesians 1: 11-12, The Message translation

We began the Discovering Christ course at Our Lady of Perpetual Help last night, April 2nd. Father Erik Arnold, the Pastor at OLPH, gave a talk on the meaning of life and how there's a reason why were are here. He sent out a letter to the leaders of the course to sum it up and invite prayers. The letter is below:

Dear Discovering Christ team, Thank you for making our first night such a great success! The evening flowed well, the food was great, the small group leaders did a great job, the set-up created a wonderful atmosphere, and, above all, I know that much prayer went into the night. Thank you! I believe so deeply in what we are doing and I am grateful to the Lord that you share the same desire to help others experience the Lord in a life-changing way that will also bring about renewal in our parish and Church. Next week Dave Nodar will offer the teaching as we look at the question "Why does Jesus matter?" Please continue to pray, asking the Lord to open hearts to conversion. Thank you again for your hard work and dedication! You are in my prayers
In Christ,
Fr. Arnold

All in all I'd say it was a great night - good food, songs, fellowship with our small groups, and a profound teaching! During the small group discussion the Associate Pastor, Fr. Larry Adamczyk, went to the Church and prayed for each of the leaders by name. Prayers are definitely the power behind this course, please keep us in your prayers!

Search engine worth knowing about

If you have a question about the faith and you are sick of spending extra time rummaging through secular search engines to find what you are looking for, try this new Catholic search engine called "Faith Knowledge". This site was developed by Peter Berners-Lee, who is a freelance consultant in theology, science and technology. It has five categories to search within: Bible, Catechism, Councils, Popes, and Summa. You can type in a search word or phrase and specify the category to find specific, authoritative documents on Catholic teaching and scripture.

Below is a picture of Peter who developed this site:

This is a great resource to take advantage of! Thank you Peter for working so diligently to make this available to the public.