The Tale of Saint Patrick

Penni Bulten
3 Mar 2015
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March 17, known around the world as St. Patrick’s Day, is a national holiday celebrated in Ireland with great joy, and Americans join in as well. It is traditional for Irish Americans and others to commemorate the occasion by the “wearing of the green,” putting on clothing in the national color of Ireland, often in the form of a three-leaf clover. Catholics in Ireland and other countries regard St. Patrick’s Day as a day of holy obligation, that is, a day to worship through rest, just as one would rest on Sabbath. In Ireland, the day is a celebration of […]

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Presidential Faithfulness Inspires Our Own

Penni Bulten
1 Feb 2015
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The faith of American presidents affects the whole nation, as scripture itself affirms: “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan” (Proverbs 29:2 NLT). A ruler may either rule wisely and administer justice or choose the path of injustice. The natural consequence of choosing injustice is that one’s subjects find themselves hiding places (Proverbs 28:12). Leaders serve as moral examples, not only by setting trends but also by reflecting them.   New life from war Presidents are often remembered for wielding power and influence, especially in wartime. Yet to lead […]

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Pastor and Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Remains a Role Model

Penni Bulten
31 Dec 2014
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During Black History Month, Americans celebrate and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday named after him. Basing his principles on the Scriptures and the heritage of three generations of ministers in his family, King joined other pastors to promote peaceful resistance to the injustice inflicted on African-Americans in the 1960s. As a pastor and civil rights leader, Dr. King remains a role model for many. The events of spring 1963 that challenged and strengthened his faith illustrate his inspirational example.   Harsh oppression Though King had advocated nonviolence, Judge W. A. Jenkins issued a blanket injunction against […]

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Will the Real St. Nicholas Please Stand Up?

Penni Bulten
9 Dec 2014
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In America, St. Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) is seen as a jolly, fat, bearded man, who drives a sleigh pulled by reindeer. But this is a caricature, coming from illustrations for Harper’s Illustrated Weekly in 1869, done by Thomas Nast. This art was a continuation of the chubby, plump “jolly old elf” image in the poem “The Night Before Christmas.” (This depiction is normally attributed to Clement C. Moore, professor of Biblical Languages at New York’s Episcopal General Theological Seminary. However, Don Foster’s book Author Unknown suggests that Henry Livingston, a patriot and author of humor and children’s verse, actually […]

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Thanksgiving Proclamations Call for National Repentence

Penni Bulten
3 Nov 2014
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The American Thanksgiving has undergone a shift since the Pilgrims’ 1623 celebration of the good harvest, which arose from abandoning the common-store system in favor of each man working his own property. Currently, most Americans primarily focus on big meals with families, football games and sales as early as Thanksgiving Eve. U.S. presidents, though, have proclaimed more transcendent perspectives of the holiday’s purpose. Washington, quoted by many other presidents on this holiday, directed in his proclamation “that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him […]

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Women Prepare to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to Combat Human Trafficking

Penni Bulten
2 Nov 2014
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A team of women from South Florida, including two women from Boca Raton Community Church, will summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak, to raise funds for women and children who are oppressed, enslaved, exploited and trafficked around the world. The funds will provide vital services through Operation Mobilization’s Freedom Climb projects that help break the cycles of poverty, shame, slavery and despair through prevention, rescue, rehabilitation and development. Debbie Johnson and Lindsey Mitchell, of Boca Raton Community Church, will participate in the trek which is planned for February 26 – March 8, 2015.  As part of their commitment, they have […]

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Appreciate Your Pastor This Month

Penni Bulten
14 Oct 2014
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Scripture exhorts us to regard pastors and elders who rule well as worthy of double honor, especially those communicating God’s word every week. “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17 NIV). The pastor doesn’t just give the message every week; he often is the first to visit if a congregation member is in the hospital. He calls congregants who have been absent to see if everything is fine. He has a vital role not just in preaching and teaching God’s word […]

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Patriots Who Stood Firm in the Lord

Penni Bulten
2 Jul 2014
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The Founding Fathers were a diverse group; some signed the Declaration of Independence, some did not, but all had a part to play in the new nation. Abeka’s books, Of America, reveal much concerning the hearts of Nathan Hale and Samuel Adams. Hale Nathan Hale, in acccepting an undercover operation to obtain information from the British, knew well the consequences. A good friend, Captain Hull, begged him not to go as a spy, arguing, “Your nature is too frank and open for deceit and disguise! Neither General Washington -nor any commander- has any right to ask you to assume the […]

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