The Year of Our Lord, 2006

 This was a year of left turns. Marxist Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, used his oil money to grease political wheels across Latin America, adding newly elected Bolivian President, Evo Morales, to his growing anti-American block in our hemisphere. Palestinians elected Islamic militant Hamas candidates into office; Lebanese demonstrators turned out en masse to rally support for Islamic militant Hezbollah; and Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, continued to defy the United Nations in his intent to vaporize Israel off the map. In our own backyard, Democrats rode a mid-term election to victory in the House and the Senate – to the public delight of terrorist leaders around the world.

 This was a year of big foot in mouth. Evangelist Pat Robertson publicly called for the assassination of Hugo Chavez, and declared that Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon’s stroke was a judgment of God. Mel Gibson and Michael Richards let loose a tirade of racial bigotry while under the influence. John Kerry observed that drop-outs end up in Iraq. Muslims incited violence in response to Pope Benedict’s suggestion...that Islam is violent. Nutty professors at reputable universities charged President Bush with masterminding the 911 attack on America. Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called a world conference to promote the idea that the Holocaust is a myth. Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, claimed to have seen the devil and smelled his sulfur on the podium addressing the United Nations. And closer to home, Big Foot was spotted lurking in the shadows of Holy Hill.

 This was a year of striking diversity in the theater: from the Aucan missionary story, End of the Spear, to The DaVinci Code, claiming to expose myths of Christianity; from United 93 and World Trade Center and Path to 911, to Borat (for the Benefit of Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan), to Al Gore’s relentless pursuit of Inconvenient Truth on global warming.

 This was the year the population in the United States topped 300 million (at precisely 7:46 a.m. EDT on October 16). Warren Buffett donated $31 billion to help the Bill Gates Foundation eliminate poor people (for example with targeted abortions); human sex trafficking blossomed into a $10 billion a year industry; South Dakota voters rejected a ban on abortions, while seven of eight states passed bans on gay marriage; the slaughter of hundreds of thousands in Sudan’s western region of Darfur continues to draw winks from the international community; government officials banned trans fats in New York City restaurants; astronomers meeting in Prague demoted Pluto from planet to pluton status; a lone gunman killed five little girls in an Amish Pennsylvania school room; and the Dow Jones briefly topped a record high of $12,500.

 In the world of sports, Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer ever to win 50 PGA events; 1^st CRC Thunder Bay Ontario member, Eric Staal, played a starring role as the Carolina Hurricanes won the NHL 2006 Stanley Cup; and 1^st year football coach, Bret Bielema, led the Wisconsin Badgers beyond anyone’s expectations to 11-1.

 Locally, a recall of Sheboygan Mayor, Juan Perez, failed; while attempts to chose a site for the Police station succeeded, finally. Farm Technology Days came to the Hesselink Farm near Gibbsville. Conjoined twins, Mateo and McHale Shaw, born on May 10, were separated in an 18-hour operation in Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. on September 6, and came home to Sheboygan on December 8.

 The Christian Reformed Church officially unveiled plans for its 150^th anniversary in 2007, celebrating Grace to Every Generation. Classis Wisconsin initiated a plan to send an annual teaching team to the Warray people group in the Philippines. At First Oostburg CRC we reviewed and reaffirmed our commitment to funding Christian education as a line item in the General Fund.

 During the course of the year we witnessed the baptism of three children, the professions of faith of two young people, the professions of faith and baptism of two young people, the marriage of five members, and the death of three members. This was the year of our Lord, 2006.