6,000 lives impacted by 2014 ‘Day of Hope’ in Bangor

Current Events,
By

The local organizers of Bangor’s first ever ‘Day of Hope’ were pleasantly surprised at the turnout this past Saturday on the Bangor Waterfront. It’s safe to say most volunteers were not expecting so many ‘guests of honor’ to be lined up outside the event’s entrance by 9 AM. But the rain held off, and by day’s end everyone involved was simply thankful to have played a small part in the event’s success.

Imago Dei Church – multi-generational, missional, and Anglican – moves into Bangor’s historic ‘Brick’ church

Ministry Spotlight, , , , , , , ,
By

Imago Dei Anglican Church has moved from their meeting location at the Kenneth Anderson Community House in Orono to Bangor’s historic ‘Brick’ church located at the corner of Union and Main Street. The first service at this new location is this Sunday, September 7th at 10:00 AM.

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some of the men and women that attend and serve at Imago Dei these last few weeks and months, and I am excited for the new spiritual life that they will undoubtedly usher back into this aging landmark.

‘Day of Hope’ coming to Bangor Waterfront September 20th

Current Events, Ministry Spotlight, , ,
By

Convoy of Hope, a non-profit organization out of Missouri, has partnered with organizations and local churches in the Bangor area to offer a ‘Day of Hope’ on the Bangor Waterfront Saturday, September 20th.

The purpose of this event is to simply serve those in need in our area by way of free medical and dental screenings, haircuts, grocery distribution, a hot food area, fun for the kids (Kid’s Zone with bounce houses, etc), clothing items, and much more.

Jesus in The Beatitudes, and the tension of today’s Christian

Christianity, Culture, , , , ,
By

Biblical justice seeks righteousness, often times at the expense of what we determine is fair in a democratic society governed by man. Only through God’s mercy are we justified and made righteous before Him.

Contrarily, democratic justice seeks fairness, often times at the expense of the Biblical righteousness God commands of us. Only through man-made laws are we able to live ‘justly’ with one another.

Why I don’t watch ‘Game of Thrones’

Entertainment, ,
By

Another season of ‘Game of Thrones’ has come and gone, and it seems to be as wildly popular as ever. From the comments in my social media feeds, it is clearly evident people from all values streams are unabashed fans of the show.

While I’m not going to spend time in this post ‘judging’ the people that do watch it, whether they are Christian or not, I will refer to an article from a Christian organization that does a good job illustrating why my wife and I steer clear of the show.

They will know us by our love for one another

Christianity, Culture, ,
By

By Chris Quimby (Guest Contributor)

My conclusion from observing social networking posts from professing Christians (including myself), sharing the company of other believers, and reading online blogs from those that desire to represent the faith, is that there is a ton of negativity, dissatisfaction and disillusionment.

Much of the discussion is focused upon what God is against, what we are against (at least in our public proclamations), and how unChristian non-Christians are (as if we should expect otherwise).

In fact, if I’m being honest, this post is also a critique, but one hopefully with redeeming value.

BELIEF SERIES: Evolutionary ‘soul searching’ with regards to eternal life

Belief Series, Life, , ,
By

When a person acknowledges that along with our physical bodies we also have souls — an affirmation reached by most non-atheists — one must naturally concede these souls of ours must go somewhere after our last earthly breath is taken. If our bodies are nothing more than highly evolved molecular life without a soul, and all that is left of us simply rots away after death, then our life becomes meaningless.

But to accept the claims of macro-evolution alongside the belief that the human race has souls, one must jump through hoops.

The Ben Sauer story: heartache and hope from a blogging mom amid the unthinkable

Christianity, Current Events, Life, , , ,
By

No family should ever have to watch their child die, let alone in barely 3 months from a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Ben Sauer celebrated his 5th birthday with his twin brother just 8 days before he passed away. One can’t help but think about how different it must have been for the family just one year prior, on the 4th birthday, when not a hint of sickness was in little Ben. Or even just a few months prior, in the family Christmas photo, when the cancer still had not yet reared it’s ugly head.

Furthermore, no one should have to go through such a tragedy alone. In years past it would typically be close relatives, and maybe the local community, that would rally and help shoulder the grief and heart ache. But in today’s blogging and social media era, thousands have followed the heart-wrenching story of little Ben Sauer while his mom, Mindy, has blogged every grief-stricken detail, while at the same time maintaining an eternal focus filled with life-giving hope.

Have smart phones become enemy number 1 to having real relationships and productive lives?

Culture, Entertainment, , ,
By

There is a recurring trend in recent online videos to demonstrate how attached we have grown to our mobile devices, specifically smart phones. If we consider the old saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, then videos like the ones that follow are worth so much more.

One in particular, called ‘Look Up’ has over 27 million views (as of this writing) since it was first posted on April 25th.

The basic premise is that we’re missing out on much of life — and possible relationships — by failing to ‘look up’ from our phones.

Things to consider before going to a Bangor abortion clinic; You are never alone

Life, , , , ,
By

Getting pregnant was not part of your plan, and now you’re deciding what to do about the baby growing inside of you. You don’t feel ready to have a baby. You may have gotten pregnant by accident, and you’re worried what others will think of you. You’re worried about what your parents or friends might say, or how they might react.

You searched for Bangor abortion clinics and it brought you to this article. You’re wondering what you should know before going to a Bangor abortion clinic, or maybe you’re concerned about the risks associated with abortion. Or maybe you weren’t aware that there were risks, and you’re just scared. That’s OK. It’s OK to be scared.