The 3 - May 9, 2010

This Mother's Day edition of "The 3" finds the values that my mom taught me upheld in a variety of ways - as atheists lost another one in court, leaders learned to put others first, and people came out to pray across America.

3 - Atheists Lose Appeal of Lawsuit against "God" in Presidential Oath

Noted atheist Michael Newdow's crusade against the mention of God in certain institutions of our society, such as the Pledge of Allegiance, the motto, "In God We Trust" on our money, and the mention of God (as in, "So Help Me, God") in the Presidential oath, was dealt another blow by a three-judge panel of a Federal appeals court in Washington, DC. The Christian Post reported on Friday's development.

This ongoing battle is indicative of the mindsets of people in America that want to eradicate religious expression from the fabric of our nation's life. That's why prayer is so important, as we pray for our religious liberties to be preserved and for people to recognize that our nation was founded on unmistakably Christian principles.

2 - Thousands Inspired by Chick-Fil-A Leadercast

For years, John Maxwell has been presenting a yearly simulcast featuring well-respected business leaders. Churches nationwide have been using this opportunity to invite people into the business community into their facilities. This year, with a new corporate sponsor, the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast attracted an estimated 65,000 people or more.

I reported on the Leadercast for The Meeting House on Faith Radio, and originated my Friday afternoon program from the live location, the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The nexus of post-Leadercast coverage can be found at www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com. This site has links to a variety of blogs, as well as backstage interviews. Notable speakers included Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, Dr. Ben Carson, John Maxwell, and corporate leaders such as Ed Bastian (Delta Air Lines) and Jim Goodnight (SAS). One of the common themes that some of the speakers dealt with was the importance of putting others first, realizing we lead effectively as we seek to reach out to others with humility.

1 - 59th Annual National Day of Prayer Observed

This past Thursday, May 6th, the National Day of Prayer was marked by gatherings all across America - numerous churches, as well as municipalities, hosted events, people gathered for public observances, and the increased visibility for the day may have in fact brought more people out to participate.

That visibility came in part from a judge's ruling in Wisconsin saying that Congress did not have the constitutional right to proclaim such a day, as well as the high-profile withdrawal of Franklin Graham's invitation to speak at the Pentagon. Graham did pray there, but outside the Pentagon instead. And, in a bit of good news, President Obama did declare the day as the National Day of Prayer, following in the tradition of previous Presidents.

CitizenLink offered this coverage of the NDP. Also, some reports from across the media have been assembled at the National Day of Prayer Task Force Facebook page. This is a great American tradition, and hopefully will be a springboard for consistent prayer on a variety of issues, as we intercede for our nation and its leaders to turn to God and rely on His strength, wisdom, and protection.

Honorable Mention:

Nashville Flooding Yields Christian Response

Only 5 in 100 Oppose National Day of Prayer, According to USA Today/Gallup Poll