Brother Fire

The pandemic still lingers. On the eve of World AIDS Day (December 1st), there are 33.2 million people around the world living with HIV -- including 2.5 million children. More than a million people in the United States are living with the virus. The good news is that there have been tremendous strides made with the development of new treatments to stem the virus. Over 29 medications have been approved in the U. S. to fight the virus, and many more are in development. People with AIDS are living longer, and with better quality lives in the western world. However, that's not true in the developing nations. And not all AIDS patients respond to the treatments. People are still dying! More needs to be done! The World AIDS Campaign's (WAC) slogan for 2007 World AIDS Day is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise." It's a call to government leadership, policy makers, and health planners to do all they can to meet goals that were set to stop AIDS. The 2007 theme of ...

Jen Lemen was presented that question in a statement last year around Thanksgiving and this is how she answered it. Peace.

Dixon Kinser of its so indie it's embarrassing has a terrific post about death and dying. He had a 'death retreat' for his youth ministry. He said: Over the course of the weekend we practiced prayer mediations in hospitals, visited funeral homes and had four different conversations; 1.) Why We Are Afraid to Die in America? 2.) Living With Death: Why Almost every Christian Symbol connected to Death and Dying. 3.) The Afterlife Part 1: What’s the Deal with Hell? (Hint - It’s not what you think.) 4.) The Afterlife Part 2: Nobody Goes to Heaven After They Die. It sounds like a great idea for kids -- heck, for adults too. I'm an advocate for providing frank, but age appropriate information about death for young people. He also writes about some ideas with links for 'green funerals.' Definitely worth checking out! Peace.

What horrible news ! Over 3,100 are dead. Millions are homeless and have lost everything! A country already fraught with hunger and poverty, Bangladesh needs our prayers and our help with resources. Sometimes it's hard to understand how & why such tragedies happen. Jesus, please protect those who've lost their homes and are vulnerable to the elements and to disease. Comfort them as they suffer so much loss. Give them relief from their troubles. Please give them strength that they may rebuild their lives. And give us strength that we may be able to help them the best way that we can. Peace. Cash contributions can be mailed to: American Red Cross (Bangladesh Relief & Development) P.O. Box 37243 Washington, DC 20013 Consulate General of Bangladesh Chief Advisor's Relief and Welfare Fund 211 East 43rd St. Suite 502 New York, N.Y. 10017

Jason Wallace recently posted on his blog Hopelessly Blind Tangents an entry entitled "Love the Sinner, Not the Sin." For those of us who have advocated for the rights of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) communities -- you could easily surmise where his post was headed. He quoted verses from Leviticus (18:22 & 20:13) and he expressed frustration that today's society attempts to dictate what he should believe -- especially on TV. He asserts that "God...says [homosexuality] is wrong" and that's what his faith tells him. He continued, "Whether you like it or not that’s the way it is. Those that can’t accept that need to shut their pie holes and understand that it is my right to believe that and not their right to tell me not to." I left him a comment that I believe that homosexuality is NOT a sin, in which he responded with "Don Pratt is clueless." If you recall, Leviticus states that gay sex is detestable [or in...

Recently a number of bloggers wrote about "Church & Money" -- a SynchroBlog for November (perhaps I will join next month). As I write this, I am about to head off to work for the day -- a 'secular' job with Catholic Charities. When I finish my day developing housing for homeless people living with disabilities, I will have about an hour and a half to have some supper and to commute to my second job selling electronics at a popular retailer. As I prepare to enter ministry, I wonder how I will be able to answer God's call while keeping my rent paid and dinner on the table. Developing a new church is no doubt a challenge. I know that it will require a tremendous amount of work and faith on my part. I also know that I can not do it alone. I will need to start by helping others to build their faith and then harness that faith to do the things that need to be done to build a community. I know that building a church (I'm not necessarily talking about a b...

This was forwarded to me from the Long Island Council of Churches : National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East Tel/Fax: (360) 652-4285 E-Mail: usicpme@aol.com Memo To: Key Local Jewish, Christian and Muslim Leaders - Nationwide From: Ron Young, NILI Prayers for Peace: Pre-Annapolis Peace Conference At a meeting of NILI Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders on Friday, just before our meeting at the State Department, we decided to encourage nationwide prayers for peace in the Middle East at worship services on the weekend before the Annapolis Peace conference convenes. While the date is not yet announced, since the conference is expected to take place in late November or December, including prayers for peace in community Thanksgiving Services would also be timely. Attached are six "Prayers for Peace in the Middle East" by Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders in a format for easy duplication and distribution (copy back to back and cut in half) - ...

While the war rages in Iraq, the candidates debate whether or not undocumented immigrants should get drivers licenses, and Barry Bonds is accused of using steroids, on Wednesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that more than 35.5 million Americans -- 12% of the population went hungry last year! The sad news is this is about the same number from year before. Why is this fact not in the news? Please click the 'Hunger Site' link to the right -- it's free and it helps feed the hungry... And feel free to blog amongst yourselves.

Dear friends, Finally! I’m so humbled at the prospect of this next step on my path to the priesthood. Please pray for me on December 1st that God bless me in my new ministry. Peace. In the name of +God the Creator, +God the Son, and +God the Holy Spirit. Amen. With praise, glory and thanksgiving to Almighty God the United American Catholic Church joyfully announces the ordination of Donald Ernest Francis Pratt & Antoinette Neally to the Sacred Order of the Diaconate through the laying on of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by His Excellency Anthony Francis Wayne Hash Archbishop of the United American Catholic Church Saturday, December 1, 2007 At 2:00 St. Joan of Arc United American Catholic Church 2520 Holland Rd, Virginia Beach, VA (Christ Episcopal Church) Reception to follow

A flow of pictures from many missional areas set to Leeland's Tears of the Saints.

A Homily By Don Pratt Sunday, November 11, 2007 – 32 nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C Readings : First Reading : 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 Psalm 17 Second Reading : 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 Gospel: Luke 20:27-38 The first reading is such a disturbing story! Imagine being persecuted because of your faith and being tested in the same way that these seven brothers and their mother were forced to watch as each of them was tortured and brutally killed. And each of them responded bravely, having faith in God that they would be given everlasting life. They were challenged to abandon their faith, but none of them ceded. One at a time, they defied their captors by proclaiming their confidence that God would raise them up. How remarkable that after seeing his brother’s tongue cut out and hands cut-off that the third brother offered his tongue and hands as if to proclaim: “God gave these to me. Here take them. I have faith that God will give them back ...

Once again there has been a spat of news coverage in the mainstream media regarding birth control & sex education in the schools. It's been triggered by a recent news story about a Portland, Maine school that has decided to make available birth control to its students (11-13 years of age) in response to a number of incidents of teen pregnancy in their school district. The King Middle School is the first middle school in Maine to offer birth control through its health center. The services offered by the school health center are confidential, however parents must give permission for the students to have access to the health center services. A recent AP poll has shown that most parents (67%) support giving birth control to children to prevent teen pregnancy and the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The truth is that since the inception of comprehensive sex education programs, the number of teen pregnancies have declined. However, in the past decade ...

I've been meaning to post this for a few days now -- I just got the pictures off my camera. I had off from work for All Souls Day and was laying on my bed doing some reading -- seminary work -- when I noticed in the corner of my eye some "big movement" outside my window. To my surprise, an Osprey landed in a tree just 20-30 feet from my bedroom window. I couldn't help but wonder which of my friends & family who've gone to be with Jesus sent this beautiful bird of prey to visit me? Peace. Don

A lovely little polka about the Reformation. Very funny.