News from The Kingdom

Blair charms France’s ruling party amid talk of EU top job

PARIS (AFP) — Tony Blair sought to charm thousands attending a meeting of French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s right-wing party on Saturday, stoking speculation that he wants to become the EU’s future president.

Blair, who stepped down as British prime minister in June, told nearly 3,000 delegates that Europe “is not about left or right”, in a speech sprinkled with humour, drawing laughter and hearty applause. (more…)

There goes Tony Blair, stepping down from his job as Britain’s prime minister to become the special, peace-making envoy of the so-called diplomatic Quartet – the U.S., the United Nations, Russia and the European Union – to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

There goes Blair again, signing a lucrative publishing contract for a tell-all memoir of his decade at the helm of Britain’s government – a book that may well end up telling only the same, tired tale of the ex-PM’s stubborn allegiance to George W. Bush and spinning the same old double-talk about the lies they used to justify the Iraq war. (more…)

The central Church activities that are most emphasized and consume the most time and resources to make happen and tend to become the “thing” church participants focus on as to what church is about and a paradigm for many church participants.

For a lot of churches, that focus is the weekend worship service(s). That focus, for some, is a matter of theology. Certain activities and meetings, particularly the weekend worship, is viewed as essential to our connection with God. For others, if not essential, specific meetings and activities are at least a long and strong tradition and heritage. (more…)