Is There Such a Thing as Christian Sex?

It is challenging for Christian pastors and counselors to discuss human sexuality in ways which do not alienate liberals on the left, conservatives on the right, or biologists in the middle. Feminists frequently see males as dominating or insensitive, and conservative Christians sometimes feed into this by emphasizing patriarchal models of marriage as if this were the biblical paradigm for all time. Evolutionary biologists view sexuality primarily as a means of propagating the species. Into this cacophony of strident voices the Christian seeks to inject a calm but clear message: Christian sexuality is primarily a search for intimacy. In a culture obsessed with sexuality as entertainment, the followers of Christ call others to view human sexuality not primarily in terms of eroticism, power, or procreation, but rather in terms of psychological intimacy. From a biblical perspective, becoming one flesh, with one\u27s mate also provides the occasion for becoming a co-creator with the eternal I AM. In addition to the procreational potential and orgasmic excitement provided by sexual intercourse, God intended for these encounters to be loaded with an abundance of psychological intimacy. Intimacy is the raison d\u27etre of sexual relationships. Intimacy provides sexuality with a quality that can mollify crises in the present life, and imbue sexuality with a splendor worthy of the next life as well. © 2002 Human Sciences Press, Inc

Training Church Members In The Theory And Practice Of Preaching In The Spanish District Of Tri-City In The Upper Columbia Conference

Problem. One of the challenges of a multi-church district is that the pastor cannot preach at each church, each Sabbath. The Spanish district of Tri-City is comprised of three churches (Pasco/Kennewick/Richland). Some elders are reluctant to speak when the pastor is absent at one of these three churches. In addition, my preliminary research shows that attendance is lower at these churches when the pastor is absent. The reason for this absenteeism, according to some members, is poor preaching. Accordingly, the challenge is to develop qualified preachers who can preach at those churches within the district when the pastor is absent. Method. Three training seminars in the theory and practice of preaching were given in the Spanish District of Tri-City. The first one was for the whole district; it took place in the Spanish church of Pasco. The second one was given in the Spanish company of Richland. Finally, the third one was led in the Spanish church of Kennewick. Results. As a result of this training seminar, eleven church members graduated and are now active in the preaching roll of their churches. Consequently, now it is much easier to make the preaching roll for the District of Tri-City in the Upper Columbia Conference. In addition to that, now these churches have new leaders, more spiritual gifts are being employed, and other church members are being inspired to serve the Lord. Indeed, the pastor experiences great relief when he is absent for fulfilling his duties in other congregations and each local church is now better fed. Conclusions. Bringing the seminar to each church was more beneficial than having only one class for the whole district, hence more people were reached. Interestingly enough, newly church members were more willing to learn and to be evaluated than old ones. Besides, five out of 11 graduates were women. Although it is true that the number of male participants was greater, it is also true that in the last two sessions, the number of female participants was greater than males. In addition to that, five out of 11 of these preachers were new preachers

Dynein Supports Motility of Endoplasmic Reticulum in the Fungus Ustilago maydis

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of most vertebrate cells is spread out by kinesin-dependent transport along microtubules, whereas studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicated that motility of fungal ER is an actin-based process. However, microtubules are of minor importance for organelle transport in yeast, but they are crucial for intracellular transport within numerous other fungi. Herein, we set out to elucidate the role of the tubulin cytoskeleton in ER organization and dynamics in the fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis. An ER-resident green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fusion protein localized to a peripheral network and the nuclear envelope. Tubules and patches within the network exhibited rapid dynein-driven motion along microtubules, whereas conventional kinesin did not participate in ER motility. Cortical ER organization was independent of microtubules or F-actin, but reformation of the network after experimental disruption was mediated by microtubules and dynein. In addition, a polar gradient of motile ER-GFP stained dots was detected that accumulated around the apical Golgi apparatus. Both the gradient and the Golgi apparatus were sensitive to brefeldin A or benomyl treatment, suggesting that the gradient represents microtubule-dependent vesicle trafficking between ER and Golgi. Our results demonstrate a role of cytoplasmic dynein and microtubules in motility, but not peripheral localization of the ER in U. maydis