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Jury says Osteen did not assault flight attendant
HOUSTON - A
jury has ruled that the wife of mega-church pastor Joel Osteen did
not assault a flight attendant. The civil jury reached the
unanimous verdict after brief deliberations on Thursday, August 14th.
Continental
Airlines flight attendant Sharon Brown had been seeking at least
$405,000 for actual damages -- physical and mental pain -- as a
result of the alleged attack before the start of a December 2005
flight from Houston to Vail, Colo.
Brown claims Victoria Osteen got so upset when a spill on her
first-class seat's armrest was not quickly cleaned up that she
threw the flight attendant against a bathroom door and elbowed her
in the left breast while attempting to rush the cockpit. Both
Victoria and Joel Osteen, and other passengers, say the assault
never happened.
Victoria Osteen's lawyer dismissed Brown's
lawsuit as a made-up story concocted to land a courtroom payday.
Evangelist Bentley files for separation
A high-profile evangelist known for
sporting tattoos and body piercings and for leading a four-month
series of revival meetings in Florida has filed for separation
from his wife.
Since early
April, Lakeland, Florida, has been the scene of a nightly revival
led by evangelist Todd Bentley, founder of
Fresh Fire Ministries. The nightly meetings, which have been
broadcast live on GodTV, have attracted worldwide media attention
for reports of healings and deliverance.
This week, a former spokesman for Bentley's ministry confirmed
that Bentley and his wife, Shonnah, are headed for separation.
They have three children.
The Bentleys are Canadian citizens and under Canadian law,
separation is a preliminary step in divorce proceedings.
According to the Fresh Fire Ministries website, a meeting set for
September in Birmingham, England, has been postponed.
Recently, Bentley said he would end his regular appearances at the
revival at the end of this month and plans to continue his
evangelistic work on the road.
Clergy divided over Rick Warren's 'gospel'
The head of
the National Clergy Council says the man known as "America's
pastor" threatens to water down the message of the gospel.
Faith and Action president Rob Schenck says there is a wide
concern that California mega-church pastor and The Purpose
Driven Life author Rick Warren's approach to the proclamation
of the gospel is a "downgraded" version.
"Adapted to be perhaps less offensive or less exclusive, maybe
more culturally popular or easy to embrace," Schenk contends.
"When in fact, by doing that, Pastor Warren threatens to
neutralize the very message of the gospel."
Schenck believes it is important to remember that the message
Jesus proclaimed was and is exclusive. "Whenever you set out to
make the gospel more palatable, more easily embraced, you always
risk reducing the gospel to something other than the message that
Jesus lived, and proclaimed, and died for," Schenk points out.
Not all evangelical leaders share Schenck's concern about Rick
Warren. Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention
recently told the Los Angeles Times that Warren "is a guy
whose message has met the right moment."
Steven Curtis Chapman, family hopeful amidst ongoing grief
Steven Curtis
Chapman and his family have been sharing their story of how God is
working in the midst of the tragic death of their youngest
daughter.
In May,
five-year-old Maria Sue Chapman was killed in an accident outside
the Chapman's home in Franklin, Tennessee. Recently, the Chapman
family has appeared on various national television networks,
discussing the tragedy and explaining how God's grace and promises
are never failing.
During an interview segment on ABC's Good Morning America,
Mary Beth Chapman talked of her feelings in the days and months
after the accident.
"I've said, you know, somewhat coldly, 'I don't care whose lives
are touched by this story, and whose lives are changed, or what
good comes of it.' The heart of a mom [is that] I want Maria back,
and that's what I want people know – I want Maria back," Mary Beth
shares. "But, because I know that she is completely whole –
because of my faith, I know that she's completely whole and
completely okay, and I'm going to see her again. As a mom, I have
to shift that grief to go [to]...Emily, who's getting married, and
her fiancé Tanner, and Caleb and his girlfriend Julia, and Will
Franklin – he's my baby boy – and then Shaoey and Stevey. And my
grief gets shifted to making sure they're as whole and healthy as
they can be."
Seventeen-year-old Will Chapman was driving the SUV that
accidentally hit his sister. He says the support from his family
has been crucial. "I've gotten a stronger faith through all this,
but then there's [sic] those days that just hit you and
you're like, 'Oh man, this is just awful.' You have just got to
continue to choose to live, and that's the faith that continues to
keep me going," he explains.
And
Steven Curtis Chapman says while the family has questions,
they are trusting God and are amazed at the outpouring of support
from fans and friends worldwide.
"We've talked a lot, and you will hear all of us talk about the
process of grieving with hope," Chapman contends. "[F]or us,
that's what has kept us breathing, kept us alive...that while we
are grieving this process, there is a hope that we have, that
we're anchored to in the midst of just what sometimes seems
unbearable."
In fact, a special needs healing home will be named in memory of
Maria Sue. Shaohanna's Hope, the adoption and orphan care ministry
founded by the Chapman family, is naming the healing home "Maria's
Big House of Hope." It is located in Luoyang, China, and will be
used to treat orphans with medical impairments. The building is
expected to be completed in October.
CG
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