Erin Presbyterian - 130 years old and still growing

130 years old – and still growing strong

Despite being a part of the liberal PCUSA, Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville is still growing. Why? It’s because we preach and practice the Gospel. The denomination may be trying to appease the politically correct and losing its identity through endorsing multi-cultural beliefs, but we hold dear the basics of Presbyterian and Reformed Christianity: that Christ is our Lord; we are all sinners; and Jesus is the only Savior of the world. Other churches may go down the slippery slope of placating current trends and adopting worldly ways, but Erin’s Scots-Irish tenacity enables it to stay the course that Christ requires.

Interested? Come and join us this Sunday at 11.00am. We’re just off Kingston Pike at Lockett Road, diagonally across from the junction at Papermill Drive.

130 years of "Erin Go Bragh" today at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville

West Knoxville’s oldest Scots-Irish church, Erin Presbyterian, off Lockett Rd at Kingston Pike, near Papermill Drive, celebrates 130 years of preaching the Gospel today. It was chartered on Sunday September 30, 1877 and was originally situated where Kingston Pike meets Northshore Road.

‘Erin’ is the old Irish name for Ireland and means ‘the beautiful isle.’ The current pastor of the church is native Scotsman Rev. John Stuart. He has been preaching to the congregation in his Scottish brogue for the past twelve years. Today, he’ll be welcoming visitors and members with two traditional Scots-Irish Gaelic greetings: ‘Ceud Mhille Failte’ (a hundred thousand welcomes) and “Erin Go Bragh” (Ireland Forever).

Everyone is welcome to attend the church at 11.00am for the worship service. During the service, young Ella Grace Levering, whose family goes back six generations to the beginning of the church, will be baptized. An anniversary reception with birthday cake will take place after worship.

Politcal cartoon: Get Newted

Newt's looking for Brewster's Millions...



...aren't they all?

Erin Presbyterian - West Knoxville's Oldest Church is 130 years old this weekend

There's a balloonfest at Pellissippi; a Greekfest on Kingston Pike; and in the Bearden community, Erin Presbyterian celebrates 130 years.



All friends and members of Erin, all families who have a connection to Erin are welcome to attend the special celebration during worship on Sunday Sep 30, 2007 at 11.00am. Ella Grace Levering will be baptized, whose family includes six generations of Erin church members.

Political cartoon: The Da Edwards Code

John Edwards is running out of steam...



...maybe he should hitch a lift on McCain's bus!

Political Cartoon: In Craig's Court

Maybe Larry Craig should ask for a jury trial to clear his name...



...as long as it's Phil Spector's jury!

Dangerous Doctator

Ahmanijead should listen to himself



He showed himself to be the narrow minded bigot we all thought that he was...

Scots-Irish festival in Dandridge today

Looking for an alternative to watching the game? Not willing to pay for pay-per-view? Head down to downtown Dandridge today for an all day festival of Scots-irish music, bagpipes and bands. The fun for all the family begins at 10am, with the official opening ceremony at 12noon.

Knoxville's very own Celtic Bothy Band, Glenfinnan, will be playing at 10.30am, 4pm and warming up the crowd for the main concert at 6.15pm this evening.

Reminding Rudy

Political cartoon

Rudy, when publicly speaking to the NRA...



Shut off your cell-phone!

Glenfinnan - Knoxville's only Celtic Christian Bothy Band

Glenfinnan are playing tomorrow at the Dandridge Scots-Irish festival. All the musicians and singers live in Knoxville. They've played at many festivals in and around this region. They are due to perform at 10.30AM, 4.00pm, and 6.15pm.

As usual, they'll be playing their standard Scots-Irish songs like Loch Lomond, Kelvingrove, Star of the County Down, Green Grow the Rushes, the Water is Wide, and Auld Lang Syne. At the end of their gig, they'll also play "Sweet Tennessee" - a song that they composed all about the beauty, spirit, and strength of Tennesseans.

For more information, visit their page on their church's website at

http://www.erinpresbyterian.org/mission/creative_expr/glenfinnan.html

Move on, Moveon.org

Things are beginning to get dirty...



...and it's all brought to us by the same people who lost the last election...duh!

Political Dubloons

Political cartoon : Mitt Romney's latest ad attacks everyone, including his own party.




I can't wait for the pirated DVD to come out at Christmas!

Blackbeard's Pirate Psalm

Today is speak like a Pirate Day. Aarg!
I wonder how Blackbeard would have written the 23rd psalm....

Pirate psalm Aarg!

The Lord is me Cap’n
An' I ain’t wantin’ nuthin’.
He shivers me timbers,
An' sails me through blistering barnacles.
He refreshes me rum
An' guides me
To Spanish galleons
For his booty. Aarg!

Even though I walk the plank
Over shark-infested waters,
I ain’t afeared,
For my Cap’n is wi’ me,
Along wi' the bo’sun
An' first mate. Aarg!

He gets ready the mainsail
An' broadsides the enemy,
The deck o’erflows
Wi’ powder 'n' blood.

Surely pillage 'n' plunder
Will be my pirate life,
An' I will dwell in
Davey Jones’ Locker
Forevermore. Aarg!

(c) 2007 John Stuart

Making the Case for Mukasey or How Lame Ducks avoid ruffling their feathers

Will this be third time lucky for the President?



Or will Mukasey bite the dust, too?

Term Limits for Tennessee Coaches?

I love Tennessee football. Every year, I bleed orange, but lately I've been weeping orange. Today's game was unbelievably bad. For a while I forgot it was only the third week in September - it was such a horror show, I thought we were celebrating Halloween.

Something's got to be done. A decade ago, UT was a team to be feared. These days, we're the team that's going to get fried - SEC style.

I don't know what the rest of the season will bring, but after watching this team for fourteen seasons, I'm noticing an ominous pattern - the teams with younger coaches are mightily outplaying UT.

As someone once said, "Everything rises or falls on leadership." Maybe it's time to term-limit our coaches or cast aside our dreams. If we can't win the crucial games, then we can't win championships. And to allow Florida to almost score 60 points against our team - that's almost impeachable. Perhaps the News Sentinel is suing the wrong group...

Hillary's latest performance on the internet debate or "Hsui fly, shoo!"

This Hsiu scandal may ruin her street cred with independents...

Marathon Men

Today's polls suggest Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani are in a dead heat - but will it really matter in the long run?

An Old Friend

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)

I visited an old friend this morning. I shared some happy memories with him and even shed a few tears. I talked quietly with him and fondly remembered some of the things that we did in church. I thanked him for the years of friendship and support that had helped me become a better person and, hopefully, a better pastor.

It was such a lovely morning. The sky was a wee bit grey and overcast, but there was a beautiful breeze wafting over the hill where I stood. A woodpecker was busily hammering away at an old tree, trying to get its breakfast. In the distance I could hear some traffic, but none that was too intrusive to the sacred quietness that my friend and I were experiencing.

After sharing some happy thoughts and few silly jokes, it was time to say farewell. That’s when the memories flooded over me and took me back, six years ago to the very day. Whilst the entire world was going to hell and the Twin Towers came crashing down to the ground, I was tearfully holding the hand of David Thompson with his wife Linda. We both felt paralyzed and powerless as we watched his life ebb gently away. All the machines in the hospital ward were slowing down and flat lining. The time in between each monitor beep told us that everything was shutting down. David was dying and there was nothing that we could do.

So, this morning, I went to talk to David at the cemetery. It’s how I cope with 9-11. Instead of remaining vindictive and angry, vengeful and enraged at what the terrorists did to us all of those years ago, I remember and esteem the life and death of one of my best friends. I don't dwell on the evil and let it roast my heart; I think of the friendship that I once knew, and hold on to the hope that through our shared faith, David and I will one day meet each other in heaven.

“So long, David,” I prayerfully whispered as I left the cemetery. “I'll see you again, someday.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today I choose to remember life and not death. I choose friendship over foes, happiness over hostility, and faith over fanaticism. Thank You for these blessings and gifts. In Your Holy Name, I cheerfully pray. Amen.

Never Forget 9-11

A stained glass design, depicting the Twin Towers, an American flag, and a jet airliner flying over head. Never forget 9-11.

Dianne Feinstein was on Fox News yesterday. Once again, she managed to put her foot in it.

Go Defense!

Senator Craig is seeking to overturn his guilty plea. Perhaps he should employ this defense:

Final Solution

Sick Lies on Videotape

Bin Laden's latest movie gets both thumbs down...



Yeah, I know...it's not funny...it's not meant to be.

Up Staged

Fred Thompson original?



“Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have… The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.” - Thomas Jefferson

War Games

Benchmark Blues

The results are in and they don't look good...

Surprise, surprise!

Korean Compromise

Will Kim Jong keep his promise?