Official seal of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee – In a fiery sermon about faith, Regeneration Nashville pastor Kent Christmas seemingly honored Islamist suicide bombers in his sermon on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Christmas admonished his audience about lack of faith and noted that Christians must “get hold of some passion” and then be willing to die for their convictions. “You want to know why the Muslim faith has had its advancements? It’s because the Muslims were willing to die for their beliefs. They were willing to strap bombs to their chest,” he said emphatically while pacing across the stage. He noted that the advancement of Islam is linked to their commitment to the afterlife.
A video of Christmas was released on Twitter by Right Wing Watch last Tuesday.
Right-wing pastor Kent Christmas urges Christians to “get a hold of some passion” & be willing to die: “You want to know why the Muslim faith has had its advancements? It’s because the Muslims were willing to die for their beliefs. They were willing to strap bombs to their chest” pic.twitter.com/U7tubfjCnq
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 14, 2023
Christmas is quoted as adding that his fury is because Vermont has made it legal “legal, up to 21 days after full-term birth, that you can kill a baby”. The statement about Vermont is false.
Christmas followed up his statements by asking God to give Christianity some passionate men and women who are in the Spirit and are willing to “lay down [their] life for the Gospel.” Christmas is a supporter of former President Donald Trump and follows the line of other Pro-Trump pastors who are preaching that the United States has been “seized by ‘witchcraft.'”
“I am at war with evil,” Christmas added. “This is one preacher that is not backing down. I can tell you this: I will give my life for the Gospel.”
CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=195581
This year the June solstice will be celebrated at Stonehenge from 7 pm (19:00 British Summer Time) on Tue 20 June to 8 am (08:00 British Summer Time) on Wed 21 June. The sunrise will be live-streamed on the official English Heritage YouTube channel. The sun will rise behind the Heel Stone, the ancient single large sarsen stone standing within the Avenue outside the entrance of Stonehenge. The rays of the rising solstice sun become channeled into the center of the Neolithic monument.
English Heritage released a statement about its conditions for entry in 2023: “Please note that the last normal day of admissions to Stonehenge is on Tuesday 20 June at 13:00 and the site will close at 15:00 in preparation for Summer Solstice Managed Open Access. Stonehenge is closed on Wednesday 21 June and will re-open at 09:00 on Thursday 22nd June, please check our social media for updates.
English Heritage is pleased to provide free Managed Open Access to Stonehenge for Summer Solstice. We ask that if you are planning to join us for this peaceful and special occasion that you read the Conditions of Entry and the information provided on the links below before deciding whether to come.
Stonehenge is a significant World Heritage Site and to many it is sacred – please respect the stones and all those who are attending.
Admission to the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge is free of charge. We hope the weather will be kind and wish you a peaceful and celebratory solstice.”
In other news
The sword is almost “gleams” Photograph: Archäologie-Büro Dr Woidich (BLfD) [Courtesy]
The sword has an octagonal hilt with a green tinge and is well-balanced for slashing opponents. It was found in a grave with the remains of people – a man, a woman, and a boy – buried in quick succession with bronze objects. The sword was found during excavations last week in Nördlingen, southwest of Nuremberg and east of Stuttgart.
More research is being conducted on casting techniques and decorative artwork to determine its origin and perhaps the craftspersons who created it.
The BLfD archaeologists explained that “The decoration is made with an inlay and using hallmarks. While there are two real rivets, another pair of rivets are only implied.”
The sword has an octagonal hilt and was found in a three-person grave in Nördlingen Photograph: Archäologie-Büro Dr Woidich (BLfD) [Courtesy]
Mathias Pfeil, head of the BLfD, concluded his presentation and announcement by saying, “The sword and the burial still have to be examined so that our archaeologists can classify this find more precisely. But it can already be said: the condition is exceptional! A find like this is very rare!”
Announcements
Southland Pagan Press is seeking submissions for Pagan Pride LA. They write “YOU can join Southland Pagan Press to inform, enlighten, and entertain our readers everywhere. YOUR participation forms a chorus of voices, creating a great diversity of thoughts, beliefs, and opinions. YOU fuel our spark, and together, we can ignite change in the World. We invite YOU to submit your articles, poetry, artwork, photos, songs and event notices (without graphics, please). Be creative! Content may be published previously, so long as you are the author/owner. Links to blog articles or video / musical playlists are also appreciated. Deadline for July newsletter submissions is midnight, Saturday, June 24th. Please send submissions or inquiries to tracey@paganpridela.org. We look forward to seeing your contributions!” Additional Information is available at Pagan Pride LA.
Happening this Weekend:
GATHER IS AN ANNUAL EVENT HOSTED BY HOUSE KHEPERU from June 23 – 25, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. After hiatus from being in person for a few years due to the state of the world, House Kheperu’s Annual Gather is returning to an in-person event this year, which a twist – It is going to be a hybrid in-person AND online event! Part of our mission is to bring together diverse voices to discuss energy work, spirituality, psychic development, and personal growth. We promote understanding and tolerance to strengthen our communities. We have weathered the pandemic and have learned valuable lessons when it comes to accessibility for our community. House Kheperu’s Gather for 2023 is back and better than ever! We have a new home at the Four Points by Sheraton Cleveland Airport hotel and a range of tickets with exclusive perks and access than ever before. HK has worked hard to make this celebratory return to in-person the best Gather yet and we look forward to seeing you there!
Can’t make it to Gather this year? Don’t worry! House Kheperu is proud to announce our first-ever hybrid event! Virtual tickets are now available. Get access to some of our Saturday classes, live from Cleveland, OH. Virtual ticket holders also get exclusive classes, including a ritual by our founder, M. Belanger! House Kheperu strives to broaden accessibility to our events to help our community. There will also be “Tea With Kheprians”; a first-time-ever event where folks can join members of House Kheperu for a casual evening before the fun and business of Gather begins on Friday! Those with questions can join their open Discord. The team writes: “We invite you to join us and experience Gather!”
LlewellynCon started last weekend and continues for Ten days of author talks, giveaways, swag, and more! The Con is via Crowdcast with recasts on YouTube. Information about the event and the schedules of authors is available on the LlewellynCon site.
Upcoming Gatherings:
- The 12th Annual WitchsFest USA – Ye Olde Pagan Faire will be held in New York City, NY, and will take place July 7-9th, 2023. This magickal hybrid event brings a diverse group of people to the table from all over the world and walks of life for your edification and enjoyment. With over 49 workshops online and 12 workshops in person on Saturday, July 8th at Astor Place. Filled with workshops, educational presentations, Live performances on Saturday, community building, Summer Blessing Ritual, and much more. Register for the online event and come and join us in person to experience this event in all its many-faceted glory. Check out our Magickal Market Place, Featured Presenters, and Featured Performers. Applications are still open for Food, Non-Food Magickal Vendors for in-person on Saturday, July 8th. Applications for Groups/Temples/Covens etc still available as are applications for adverts in the WitchsFest USA Program. Volunteers needed, who will be offered a discount on registration: more details can be found on our website. PROCEEDS TO: CITY HARVEST, ST. JUDE HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN & FEED AMERICA.
- The fifth annual Mystic South Conference (MSC) will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, and will take place on July 14-16, 2023. The conference notes that it is a magickal event with a Southern flair. It is “filled with workshops, educational abstract presentations, rituals, community building, and much more.” Conference registration is now available as it is hotel registration. In addition, the MSC is accepting applications for volunteers who will be offered a discount on registration. Details about volunteer registration are available in the MSC volunteer section. Cherry Hill Seminary (CHS) has also announced it would be holding its Summer Intensive at Mystic South Conference. More details can be found on the CHS website. Editorial Note: Several members of the MSC team are writers for The Wild Hunt. They were not involved in this week’s Pagan Community Notes of these mentions.
- The Texas Local Council of Covenant of the Goddess announced that they will be hosting Merry Meet.
Positively Noteworthy
Deriving its name from combining June and nineteenth, it is celebrated on the anniversary of the order by Major General Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
There is still much to learn about Juneteenth and here is a great place to start to learn on why the holiday is so important.
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: The Herbcrafter’s Tarot, artwork by Joanna Powell Colbert, written by Latisha Guthrie, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Card: Three (3) of Earth – Raspberry
The week ahead is likely to offer ample opportunities for continued collaboration, as well as honoring what has been created or accomplished to date. Recognizing that what has been successfully grown also requires regular tending has the potential to be a theme this week.
Conversely, not performing regular maintenance on projects, relationships, or other endeavors is liable to create fertile ground for problems to take root and spread.
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