Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/281845
God talk Lone survivor and a culture of sacrifice I recently saw a film that rocked my world. Lone Survivor is a story of the human dig - nity that makes life worth living and without which we're left with a pale counterfeit. It showcases the difference between living and sur - viving. It is about the will to sacrifice survival, a will without which there is no hope of achieving the dig - nity of authentic human life. Lone Survivor is the true account of a Navy Seals mission gone bad in Af - ghanistan. A four man team is sent to an inacces- sible area to capture or kill a notorious Taliban leader. Unable to keep prisoners, they must make a decision worthy of the Sword of Da - mocles when they acciden- tally capture a trio of goat- herds: kill non-combat- ants who have done them no harm — in cold blood — or release them to the like- lihood at least one will rat them out to the Taliban. They decide releasing is the honorable thing to do, at the sacrifice of their cover. A short time later the four American warriors find themselves under attack by more than two hundred Taliban fighters. In the bloody battle that follows three of the four are killed, taking with them a lopsided number of attackers, and a seriously wounded Mar - cus Luttrell is able to slip away. During the fight team leader Michael Murphy sac- rifices his life by exposing himself to heavy fire in or- der to call for help. Many would find their decision to release the goat- herds to be as senseless as it is suicidal. But the whole story of Lone Survivor is one of sacrifice piled atop sacrifice — from the un - imaginable punishment to mind and body the would- be Seals endure to qualify, the further sacrifices of com - fort and the right to say, "Enough" during training, to the ulti- mate sacrifice of life itself in defense of country and honor. The four Seals are not the only sacrificial lambs in the story. Two helicopter loads of rescue troops are shot out of the sky while landing to res - cue Marcus; there are no survivors — and no re- grets. He falls into the hands of Afghan tribal leaders who nurse him back to life while awaiting his next rescuers. When the Taliban come to de - mand he be given to them his host refuses. The tra- dition of Pashtunwali — the honor of the Pashtun people — requires that a host defend a guest with his life, no matter how or why that person becomes his guest. (It predates Is - lam by centuries.) The film telescopes events into a final climactic firefight — actually the Taliban simply return repeatedly to demand that Marcus be handed over. The tribal el - ders must make the cou- rageous decision to risk death many times. Such decisions are obviously noble, but are they reason - able? For strangers? For goatherds? Reality is the world was structured around an econ - omy of sacrifice from the beginning. What we are taught in school about sur- vival of the fittest is a lie. We buy into that lie only in- sofar as we are fallen from the state for and in which we are created. The vestiges of that original economy of cre - ation are still visible in na- ture. Astronomers know the earth is the product of the sacrificial death of thou- sands of stars that went nova and, in their explosive demise, hurled the right combination of heavy and light elements into this cor- ner of a backwater galaxy so we could live on a planet pregnant with water and abundant life, walking with our God — as the Genesis account proclaims — in the cool of the evening. Every species of animal from spi - ders to salmon progresses from generation to genera- tion because parents sacri- fice their lives for their chil- dren by the instincts built into them. Our own lives come about because a liv- ing sperm and egg sacri- fice their individual lives to come together as a new human being who knows them not. And any time this new human being suffers a breach of his skin thou - sands of white blood cells sacrifice themselves in a kamikaze attack on any in- fection that dares invade. The world is indeed based on the concept of sacrifice, though most of us have for - gotten or suppressed that concept except when we ad- mire it in a fallen hero. When human beings de- cide to live sacrificially over and over again, an econ- omy of sacrifice becomes a culture of sacrifice. Jesus Christ offered the ultimate expression of this economy — this culture. He did not come to change the econ - omy of this world, but to re- store it. Does Lone Survi- vor, a story of sacrifice — whether by risking or relin- quishing survival — lead- ing to authentic humanity make any sense? Nothing else really does. Jim Wilson has led state - wide ministries PrayNorth- State since 2001 and the Cal- ifornia Governor's Prayer Team since 2012. His blogs are read by 400,000 readers across the nation and he can be heard 8-9 a.m. Saturday Mornings on Radio KBLF, Red Bluff, at AM 1490. By Eileen Ng The Associated Press kUa l a lU M PU R , M a l ay- sia » The imam cupped his palms before his face and invited the congregation to pray. "Oh Allah, return to us those who are lost. Oh, Allah, grant safe passage to MH370," he said. The prayer was not un - usual. The setting was. Gathered in the courtyard of a shopping mall in a sub- urb of Kuala Lumpur, the Muslim religious leader was followed by a Christian read- ing from the Bible, then a Buddhist monk, a Hindu and finally a Taoist priest echo- ing the imam's pleas before hundreds of worshippers in a largely Muslim country where religious intolerance has been on the rise. The disappearance of Ma - laysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people on March 8 has united Malaysia, a nation of numerous ethnicities. Tuesday night's interfaith ceremony would have been inconceivable 11 days ago in the country of 28 million peo - ple. For Malaysians the sight of non-Muslims bowing re- spectfully as Imam Hilman Nordin said prayers from the rostrum was an incred- ible step toward unity. Ma- lays, who account for about 60 percent of the population, are almost exclusively Mus- lim. Chinese, who are Bud- dhists, Christians and Tao- ists, represent about 21 per- cent, while Indians, who are Hindus, Sikhs and Chris- tians, are about 7 percent. "In the shared sadness of loss, the tragedy has re- vealed and reinforced a strong sense of community," said Bridget Welsh, a politi- cal scientist from Singapore Management University. "If anything, this is a silver lin- ing of the tragedy." Some of the enmity rises from the right of non-Mus- lims to use the word "Al- lah." The government and hardliners say Allah — the Arabic word for God — is ex- clusively for Malay Muslims. The Roman Catholic Church has challenged that asser- tion in an ongoing court case which many Muslims see as a threat to the dominance of Islam. Most indigenous tribes in Borneo are Chris - tians and speak only the Ma- lay language in which the word for God is Allah. At the interfaith vigil, leaders of several religious groups went on stage to of - fer their prayers. "Today is a rare occasion for us to bring unity, peace and harmony," said a Bud - dhist monk who chanted a prayer for the plane's safety. Teh Su They, whose Global Peace Foundation co-organized the gathering, said the tragedy showed that "deep inside the heart of ev - ery Malaysian, we care for one another, that we are one family. In this difficult time we need to come closer to support each other." PRayiNG foR fliGht Mh370 Missing plane boosts ethnic unity in Malaysia Joshua Paul — The associaTed Press a Malaysian Muslim man prays during an interfaith event for the missing Malaysia airlines flight Mh370 at a shopping mall in outside Kuala lumpur, Malaysia. The First southern Baptist church in red Bluff will hold its 5th sunday sing at 6 p.m. March 30. singing will be Jimmy craig of chico, Friends in Faith and Pastor Tom Turner. There will be finger food and lots of fellowship. come out for an evening of good music and fun at 585 Kimball road, red Bluff. ChurCh to hold 5th Sunday Sing Jim Wilson Tehama County Church Directory Red Bluff.... ABUNDANT LIFE FELLOWSHIP 21080 Luther Rd. • 528-2499 Pastor J.E. Heitman • WORSHIP Sunday 11AM & 6PM ANTELOPE HOME FELLOWSHIP(SBC) Berrendos School 401 Chestnut St • 200-4112 • Pastor John Bohrer • WORSHIP • Sun. 10:45AM APOSTOLIC ASSEMBLY 1321 Nelson Dr. • 527-8541 Pastor Rudy Cepeda • WORSHIP • Sunday 1:00PM & Friday 7PM BETHEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD 625 Luther Rd. • 527-0445 Pastor David Blythe • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM CALVARY CHAPEL 12375 Paskenta Rd. • 527-8219 Pastor Gilbert DeLao Jr. • WORSHIP • Sunday 9:00 & 11:00 am CHURCH OF CHRIST 1605 Park Ave • 529-3063 • Evangelist Gary Den WORSHIP • Sun. 11AM & 6:30 PM • Bible Study • Sunday 10AM & Wed 7PM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Antelope 545 Berrendos • 529-2506 • Bishop Phillip Smith • Sunday 11AM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Red Bluff 545 Berrendos • 527-7012 • Bishop Jim Wilhite • Sunday 9:00AM CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS 12881 Baker Rd., Open Daily 9-11am Pastors Brad & Susan Harms•WORSHIP•Sunday 2PM•Bible Study Thur 2-4pm COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH 598 Round -Up Ave. 527-4203 Pastor Dr. Paul Wright • WORSHIP • Sunday 9AM • PRAYER • 6PM CORNERSTONE CHURCH OF GOD Hwy. 36, Jorgenson 527-9210 • Pastor Roy Duggins • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM & 5PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 501 Pine St. • 527-4361 Pastor Bruce Cloutier • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH Hickory & Madison • 527-4688 Pastor Dan Woolery • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM FIRST CHURCH OF GOD Jackson & Luther • 527-5717 Pastor Rod Thompson • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Johnson & Hickory • 527-3361 Pastor Jesse Morris • WORSHIP • 10:30 AM FIRST SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH 585 Kimball Rd. • 527-5083 Tom Turner • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 525 David Ave. • 527-5754 Pastor Nancy Pharis-Cure • WORSHIP • Sunday 11:00AM FREEDOM CHURCH 601 Monroe St. • 355-2284 • Pastors Pete & Bev Williams • WORSHIP Sunday 10:30AM • YOUTH Thurs. 7PM GATEWAY BAPTIST CHURCH, IND. FUND. 12830 Glasgow Dr. 527-2964 • Pastor Jeff Eldred • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM & 6PM GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF RED BLUFF 22630 Antelope Blvd. 530-727-7344 • Pastor Carl Miller • WORSHIP • Sun. 10:30AM • Antelope School LAKE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CHURCH Lake Club • 347 6970 Jim Bredow, Pastor • WORSHIP • Sunday 8:30-10:15AM NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH 1625 Johnson St. • 527-8134 SERVICE • 10:00AM NEW HOPE FOURSQUARE CHURCH 645 Antelope Blvd, Suite 13 528-0642 • Pastor Christopher Church • WORSHIP • Sun.10AM • Youth, Thurs. 6 PM NORTH VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH (Ind.) 345 David Ave • 527-0543 Pastor Scott Camp • Sunday 11:00AM • northvalleyredbluff.com NUEVA VIDA 11841 Hyw 99W • Red Bluff • Spanish-speaking Pastor Freddie Villasenor • WORSHIP • Sunday 11:00AM OPEN VISTAS AWARENESS CENTER 900 Walnut St. • 529-9285 Rv. Tresha Wing • SERVICE • Sunday 10:00AM OUT OF THE BOX MINISTRIES-COWBOY CHURCH 585-3070 22812 Antelope Blvd. –– Wednesday 7:00PM –– Sunday 10:00AM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Jefferson & Hickory St. • 527-0372•Rev. Beth Hoyt 9:30 AM Sunday School • 11:00 AM Worship • Childcare Provided PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD 370 Kimball Rd. • 527-6346 Pastor Mike Cox • WORSHIP • Sunday 11:00AM RED BLUFF COMMUNITY CHURCH 1920 Park St. Pastor Stan Kolbert • SERVICES • Sunday 9:30AM • 282-2248 SABBATH COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN 705 So. Jackson St. • 529-1890 Pastor Ron Largent • WORSHIP • Saturday 10:45AM SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH 515 Main St. • Father Joyle T. Martinez MASS • Saturday 5:15, Spanish 7PM • Sun. 8:30AM, 10:30AM, Spanish 12PM THE SALVATION ARMY 944 Walnut St. • 527-8530 Major Kit Wetter, Pastor • SERVICES • Sunday 10AM & 11AM SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHRUCH 720 S. Jackson • 527-3733 Pastor Robert A. Clark • WORSHIP • Saturday 10:30AM ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH Jefferson & Elm • 527-3414 Pastor Dallas D. Dubke • WORSHIP • Sunday 8:30AM & 11AM ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Jefferson & Elm • 527-5205 Rev. Maryly Adair • Sunday 9:30AM, Holy Eucharist Rite II SUNRISE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP GARBC Corner of Cedar & Jackson 529-6884 • Pastor Chris Hurton • WORSHIP • 10:50AM • Bible Study 9:30AM TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL 8529 Placer Rd., Redding 243-5726 • For service dates & times • 529-9246 TRINITY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 20920 Hampton Rhodes Dr. 528-8668•Pastor Loren Browning • WORSHIP • Sun. 10:45AM - Wed. 7PM THE ROCK CHURCH OF RED BLUFF 285 Gilmore Road • 527-7234 Pastor Vik Hylen•WORSHIP • Sun. 10AM & 6:30PM - Wed. 7:30PM - Mens Prayer Sat. 9AM VINEYARD CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 738 Walnut St. • 527-2449 Pastor Steve Igarta • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM WALNUT GROVE CHRISTIAN CENTER RHEMA Bible Church • 527-9065 435 Round Up Ave.• Pastor Michael Ragsdale • WORSHIP • Sun. 10:30AM ZION CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES 836 Washington St. 529-1836 • Pastor Joshua John McKim • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM Bowman... COMMUNITY CHURCH Bowman Rd. & Landes • 347-6130 Pastor Mark Lugg • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM Corning... BELIEVERS CHURCH OF GOD 783 Solano St. • 824-6502 Pastor Dan Steigmn • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:00AM CHURCH OF CHRIST 1418 South St. • 824-3603 WORSHIP • Sunday • 10:30AM CHURCH OF CHRIST 1440 Yolo St. • 824-4333 David King, Minister • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM & 6PM CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Marguerite & Blackburn • Bishop Scott Davis • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM CORNING FOURSQUARE 404 5 th St. • 824-5776 • Sr. Pastor John Gehrung WORSHIP • Sunday: adults 9:15, 10:30 AM • Tues.10AM prayer meeting FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH Marin & Pear Sts. • 824-0989 Pastor Joycel • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:45AM & 6PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 506 Colusa St. • 824-3490 Pastor Chris Fissori • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:15AM • Sunday School 9AM FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1421 Marin St. • 824-5739 WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 824-5535 • Marguerite & McLane Pastor Howard Sanborn• WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM GOOD NEWS LIGHTHOUSE 1520 East St. • Pastor Ben Rorie WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM • Bible Study 10AM • 824-0175 , Cell 701-9292 HARVEST CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH OF GOD 1006 6th St. 824-2091 • Pastor Michael Sharp • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:00AM IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH 824-5879 814 Solano St. • Father Juan Manuel Ponce • MASS • Sun. 10AM, Spanish 12PM MT. OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH 341 Solano St. • 824-5530 Pastor Dallas D. Dubke • WORSHIP • Sunday 9AM NEIGHBORHOOD FULL GOSPEL CHURCH 901 South St. • 824-2323 Pastor Ken Killinger • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:50AM & 6PM NEW LIFE ASSEMBLY CHURCH 824-3426 • Pastor J.R. Gonzales WORSHIP • Sunday 10:00AM - Sunday School 9AM OLIVE BRANCH BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP 565 1st St. • 824-3661 • SERVICE • Sunday 10:30 AM SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH West & Butte • 824-2153 Pastor Robert A. Clark • WORSHIP • Saturday 11AM ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 820 Marin St. • 680-0353 Rev. Diana Lueckert • CHURCH • Sunday 11AM Capay... COMMUNITY FRIENDS CHURCH • 4th & Moller Ave. • 865-2806 Pastor Toni Brown • WORSHIP • Sunday 9:30AM Cottonwood... FOURSQUARE CHURCH 2400 Rhonda Rd. Rev. Paul Shrum • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM Dairyville... CONE COMMUNITY METHODIST CHURCH 11220 Hwy. 99E • 527-2329 Coordinating Pastor Nancy Pharis-Cure • Clay M Pastor Chris Bauer • WORSHIP • Sun. 9AM El Camino... COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Hwy. 99W • 385-2314 Pastor Nancy Pharis-Cure • WORSHIP • Sunday 9:30AM SHADY REST FULL GOSPEL CHURCH 7211 Hwy. 99W 385-2155 • Pastor Andrew Dalson • WORSHIP • Saturday 7PM Gerber... BAHA'I FAITH OF TEHAMA COUNTY 385-1091 Prayer meetings Fridays 7:30PM Brickyard Creek Apartments FAITH HOPE LOVE MINISTRIES 21941 Chard Ave. 385-1431 • Pastor Ina Driggers • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM GERBER BIBLE FELLOWSHIP 301 Samson @ Ventura 385-1718 • WORSHIP • Sunday 10AM Los Molinos.... COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Sherwood & Josephine • 384-2656 Coordinating Pastor Nancy Pharis-Curie•CLayM Pastor Ray Watkins • WORSHIP 11AM MILL CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH HWY 99E and Taft St., 384-1564 Pastor Carl DeBiase • WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM & 6PM SPIRIT OF LIFE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD • 25235 Orange St. 340-2873• Pastor Anthony Roman• WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM Manton... MANTON COMMUNITY CHURCH Forward Rd. • 474-5156 Pastor Michael Stiener•WORSHIP•Sunday School 9:30 Sun. 10:45 Paskenta... PASKENTA FLOURNOY BIBLE CHURCH 13140 Round Valley Rd. Sunday 10:30AM • 833-0557 Platina... ST. HERMAN OF ALASKA MONASTERY Begum Gorge Rd. Abbot Herman • LITURGY • Sunday 8:30AM Rancho Tehama... COMMUNITY CHURCH (Non-Den.) • 585-2526 WORSHIP • Sunday 11AM CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRIES 585-2975 Pastor Don Luke • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM/6:00PM Tehama... ASSEMBLY OF GOD Third St. • 384-2603 Pastor Walter Bright • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM ST. STANISLAUS CATHOLIC CHURCH • 824-5879 Corner of 4th & D • MASS • Sunday 8:00AM - English Vina... VINA COMMUNITY CHURCH 5th & D Street • 839-2340 Pastor Larry Peterson • WORSHIP • Sunday 10:30AM & 6PM HOYT-COLE CHAPEL OF THE FLOWERS 816 Walnut St. - Red Bluff FD 652 This directory sponsored by: TEHAMA ESTATES A Retirement Community for the Active Senior Citizens 750 David Ave. - Red Bluff - 527-9193 Your Ad Could Be Here Call Daleen at 527-2151 ext.101 Hospice Gift and Thrift Store Thank you for ongoing support – M. – F. 9 – 5 • Sat. 10 – 4 Riverside Plaza Main Street 530.528.9430 Faith » redbluffdailynews.com saturday, March 22, 2014 » More aT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS aNd TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS a8