Vice President Kamala Harris selected Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., as her running mate on Tuesday, and many Americans are naturally curious to know more about him, including his religious beliefs. Walz does not often discuss his faith, but he occasionally mentions that he attends Pilgrim Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, (both instances are from 2020). Here are nine facts about Walz’s church. Pilgrim Lutheran Church in St. Paul is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a liberal offshoot of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). In 1976, Pilgrim Lutheran left the LCMS to join what would become the ELCA over “views on the inerrancy of the Bible,” the church explains on its website. “The Missouri Synod was quite firm in the belief that the Bible was without error. Others—pastors, scholars, and lay persons—felt that the Bible, while inspired, had portions where informed people could have differing opinions.” The lead pastor of Pilgrim Lutheran Church is Jen Rome. According to the church website, Jen Rome (“she/her”) “received her Masters of Divinity Princeton Theological Seminary in 2000” and “has 17 years of experience in bringing people of all generations to deeply experience and creatively connect with God, the world, and each other.” She is married with two daughters, and the family lives “inter-generationally” in a duplex with her in-laws. On Sunday, Aug. 4, Rome delivered a homily based on a reading from John 6, in which, after feeding the 5,000, Jesus teaches that he is the bread of life. “Jesus goes on and on forever, it seems,” said Rome, but “what Jesus is talking about is setting aside or being healed from what causes you and the ones around to perish, to receive what is life-giving.” Drawing an object lesson from a fictional, young-adult book series in which a young girl studies dragon science in defiance of societal expectations, Rome urged all her hearers to free themselves from the “garbage” of societal norms. She discussed her struggle with aging, saying her body no longer attains what she believes society expects from the female figure, adding that “it is amazing garbage that can go through this feminist’s head.” “We humans love to make systems or hierarchies, whether that’s government, or religion, or gender, or race. We just live in all that stuff. We breathe it in, and the dynamics just circulate around in ourselves,” she said. But she imagined that Jesus would deliver quite a different message: “You, with the sick body, you are important. You, who do something for a living that others don’t appreciate, you are my child. You, who have been excluded by society for simply being who you are, whatever shape your body took, you are God’s child.” Pilgrim Lutheran Church pursues a ‘varied and creative’ liturgy, particularly at evening services “Evening worship at Pilgrim is varied and creative, focusing particularly on contemplation and a sense of calm mindfulness, most notably in the music, readings, use of silences, and lighting,” the website explains. “There is no sermon, so the Celtic Contemplative Communion and Contemplative Prayer from Nordic and Other Lands services use a unique style of ‘Word Weavings.’” The church website lists multiple staff experienced in Celtic and Nordic music, led by Composer-in-Residence Dick Hensold (“he/him”). The church’s “word weaving” aims to “combine scripture and poetry in a way that is inspired by the ancient practice of ‘Lectio Divina.’ These ‘weavings’ juxtapose phrases from the readings in new ways to inspire deeper experience with the texts.” While most deliberate in its evening services, Pilgrim Lutheran also embraces an open-ended worship liturgy in its Sunday morning gatherings. In the most recent service on Aug. 4, for example, Rome announced a “U-pick hymn sing” after the conclusion of her homily and prayer, inviting attendees to select their favorite hymns out of the hymnal. At Pilgrim Lutheran Church, anyone may partake in the Lord’s supper. “All people are ALWAYS welcome to receive Holy Communion,” announced the church newsletter. Rome confirmed this at the most recent service, declaring, “You are all welcome at this table. Whatever your age, wherever you are at in your life of doubt and faith … you are welcome at Christ’s table.” This differs from the practice of many churches that restrict the Lord’s table to baptized believers, based on Paul’s warning to the Corinthians: Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died (1 Corinthians 11:27-30). Pilgrim Lutheran Church recites a modified version of the Lord’s prayer. After reciting Jesus’ instructions about the Lord’s supper from Matthew 26:26-28, Rome led the congregation in a modified version of the Lord’s prayer. “And now,” she said, “we pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us, saying, ‘our guardian, our mother, our father in heaven, hallowed by thy name …’” According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name …’” (Matthew 6:9). The gospel of Luke contains a similar, but slightly abbreviated, teaching, in which Jesus says, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name …’” (Luke 11:2). Pilgrim Lutheran Church welcomes and affirms people who identify as LGBTQ+ and follow those lifestyles. “Pilgrim is a Reconciling in Christ church,” its website states, “which includes a partnership with Reconciling Works, a ministry devoted to welcoming, celebrating, and advocating for the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals in Lutheran faith communities.” “Reconciling Works advocates for the acceptance, full participation, and liberation of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions within the Lutheran Church,” according to its website. Reconciling Works offers trainings with titles such as “Lutheran Introduction to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, & Gender Expression [SOGIE],” and “Let’s talk SOGIE.” It directs youth and families to PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ activist group that lobbies for explicit books in school libraries and against legislation to protect minors from gender-transition procedures. All six members of the Reconciling Works Board of Directors identity as LGBTQ+, not including their nonbinary chaplain. The current chair of the board has three children, two of whom (ages 9 and 14) also identify as LGBTQ+, while she considers the youngest, age 4, to be “he/him until otherwise declared.” In addition to its partnership with Reconciling Works, Pilgrim Lutheran also incorporates LGBTQ-inclusivity throughout its church culture. Its staff page lists the preferred pronouns of every team member, including one, a kindergarten teacher, who identifies as “she/they.” The church also hosts a trans-friendly, monthly event for mothers, advertising, “All those who identify themselves as mamas from Pilgrim are invited to a Pilgrim Mamas get together approximately once a month in the later evening.” Pilgrim Lutheran Church promotes at least five anti-racism initiatives. On its “ministries” page, Pilgrim Lutheran Church lists an Advocates for Racial Equity (ARE) team, which works “to overcome white supremacy by aligning with Pilgrim’s ‘Mission of Outreach and Welcome’ and ‘Doing Justice’ as we live out the counterculture values of the gospel through education, relationship building and advocacy.” The ARE team developed a land acknowledgement statement “to acknowledge the traditional Indigenous inhabitants of the land we are on, inspiring us towards ongoing awareness and action. The full land acknowledgment is below (the ARE team also approved a shortened version that omits the bracketed material): “This land is not just this address. From time immemorial the Dakota people’s lives and stories have been woven together with this land. [They were forcibly exiled from their land starting with the treaties of 1837 and 1851 and were nearly exterminated after the 1862 US Dakota war. We acknowledge the Dakota people, past and present, for their ongoing story and care of this land. We condemn and lament the way colonialism pillaged both the land and the Dakota way of life. Pilgrim Lutheran Church commits to ongoing efforts to recognize, support, and advocate for the Dakota and other Indigenous peoples.] Let us take a moment of silence to honor the Dakota people, their heritage and resiliency.” Additionally, Pilgrim Lutheran Church maintains a reparations fund “directed specifically to respond to inequities in homeownership for BIPOC families.” The ARE team has led the church in a “process of making reparations for its tacit participation in the system of housing segregation.” Pilgrim Lutheran Church also participates in a Joint Church Anti-Racism Team (JCART), “a collaborative effort of study and action” of four local mainline churches. JCART studies varied topics and is currently engaged in studying “Indigenous/Native understanding and issues.” Most broadly, Pilgrim Lutheran Church participates in “a multi-racial, state-wide, nonpartisan coalition” called ISAIAH, which is “fighting for racial and economic justice in Minnesota” through “activism, organizing, and political action.” ISAIAH celebrated the “bold, progressive agenda” that passed the Minnesota Legislature in 2023 and laid out its 2024 legislative priorities: expansion of green energy, publicly funded day care, publicly funded health care, rent control, and trimming down voting requirements. Pilgrim Lutheran Church also offers a Pilgrims Caring for Creation group, which aims “to reduce material and energy waste on our church campus” and sponsors “education and public events on issues of environmental justice.” The Environmental Justice Movement battles “environmental racism” by working “to improve and maintain a clean and healthful environment, especially for communities of color.” Pilgrim Lutheran has been designated a “Caring for Creation” Congregation by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. Pilgrim Lutheran Church emphasizes social issues in its prayer requests. On the penultimate page of its church newsletter, Pilgrim Lutheran Church lists concerns for prayer. The lower half of the page lists ongoing health concerns, those mourning the loss of loved ones, and ministry partners. The upper half of the page reads as follows: “We pray for God’s loving presence for these Pilgrims who need healing, hope, comfort, and care: “We pray for the people of areas torn by war and violence, including Gaza and Ukraine, for peace and safety. We also pray for those who are refugees fleeing violence seeking help and hope. “We pray for the loved ones and communities of all victims of gun violence across our country. “We pray for our governor and all elected officials and public servants. Guide them and support them in their work to care for our cities, our state, and our nation. “We pray for those whose lives are altered by climate events. We pray for creation and for an increased will to care for it. “We pray for all in the LGBTQIA+ community who face bias, rejection, and violence. We pray that we may all grow in acceptance and each become a voice for acceptance, advocacy, and support as an expression of Pilgrim’s status as a Reconciling in Christ community of faith. “We keep in prayer our Native, Asian, Latino, and Black siblings who continue to face the legacy of racism. We pray for change in systems of oppression and injustice, and that we all may learn to follow the path of anti-racism, and each become a voice for inclusion, equity, and justice. “We pray for our Muslim and Jewish siblings, as well as our siblings of other religions, in our country, state, and community facing prejudice, threats, and destruction of their places of worship.” Pilgrim Lutheran Church maintains a partnership with a Lutheran congregation in Tanzania. Pilgrim Lutheran has maintained a partnership with the Luganga Lutheran congregation, of the Iringa Diocese of Tanzania, since 2002. Luganga Lutheran is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). In contrast to its mainline American counterpart, the ELCT prominently displays on its website its mission, “To make people know Jesus Christ and have life in [his] fullness by bringing to them the Good News through words and deeds based on the Word of God as it is in the Bible and the Lutheran teachings guided by the ELCT Constitution.” Originally published by The Washington Stand The post 9 Facts About Tim Walz’s Church appeared first on The Daily Signal.

'Snow White' Remake: Disney's Really Doing This, Huh?

Independent journalist Matt Taibbi just confirmed a whistleblower report alleging former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard was placed on a terror watc hlist under the “Open Skies” program. The whistleblower from the report in UndercoverDC, Sonya Hightower LaBosco, joins Jill Savage and the “Blaze News Tonight” panel to discuss the implications of such a shocking situation. - YouTube www.youtube.com “How does an Army Reserve officer like Tulsi Gabbard suddenly end up on a terror watch list?” asks Jill. “We still don't know how Ms. Gabbard and her husband were placed on this terrorist watch,” says LaBosco, adding, “we’re internally in the Federal Air Marshal service; we have Federal Air Marshals deployed all over the world and domestically, and there's no one within the agency that can answer that question.” However, LaBosco speculates that the decision to place Gabbard and her husband on the list was a means of political warfare. “We've been blowing the whistle on TSA for putting people on a watch list because of their political opinions,” she tells Jill, noting that her opinion is that “[Tulsi] has been targeted” because of “how vocal she’s been” regarding the Biden-Harris administration’s “absurd policies.” Jill then plays a clip of an interview Gabbard did with Chris Williamson on the “Modern Wisdom Podcast,” during which she said: President Biden has not been the guy calling the shots. He has not been the guy making the decisions, nor has it been Kamala Harris for that matter, nor will it be if she is elected president. It is this cabal of, you know, the Democrat elite, the the woke war mongers made up of the likes of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and, you know, Tony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, and you know, people who are in the military-industrial complex — people who profit from us being in a constant state of war. It is those in the administrative state, in the national security state who derive more authorities and ability to take away our liberty when we are in a heightened state of crisis. Jill cites the First Amendment as proof that Tulsi is well within her right to say this, however angry it may make the politicians she outed. “We do have a Constitution,” LaBosca says, “but unfortunately, unelected bureaucrats at TSA are trying to enforce this unconstitutional policy on Ms. Gabbard, her husband, and many others.” Blaze Media’s editor in chief, Matthew Peterson, asks, “What exactly do we know about the criteria by which they place people on the 'Quiet Skies' list? … Do they actually have set criteria that allow them to go after political opponents?” “TSA is going to say that she or her husband or someone in her connections violated an algorithm or a rule,” says LaBosco, “but there's also one other thing that can happen — if you get sideways at the airport with anyone in the airport in TSA ... they can go in and issue you status on this list.” Will Gabbard’s name being on the list really have an impact on her life, though? Apparently, the answer is: possibly. “Once you're placed on this terrorist watch list, this can go out to local law enforcement” and “create a lot of bad things” when, for example, “you get pulled over for a traffic stop.” According to reports, until recently, Gabbard was unaware that there were “two explosive detective K-9 teams, one transportation security specialist for the explosives, one plainclothes TSA supervisor, and three Federal Air Marshals on every flight she [boarded].” To learn more about the situation, watch the episode above. Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Trying to explain Buc-ee's to someone who has never visited a Buc-ee's is like trying to explain to a fish what it's like to fly a helicopter: It's difficult to even know where to begin because you know that the person you're talking to has no frame of reference for such a thing even existing. The problem, though, is that the fish thinks it knows what's going on, because occasionally it jumps a couple of feet out of the water. All you can do is shake your head sadly and say, "No. I mean, I get that you think you understand, but you don't. Maybe one day you'll be able to do it for yourself, and only then will you understand." In the same way, when you talk to someone from the benighted areas of the country that do not yet have Buc-ee's, they think they know. After all, do they not have gas stations? Are there not Wawas or Sheetz where they live, and are they not basically the same thing? And the cleanliness. My God, the cleanliness. The problem, to paraphrase Jules Winnfield, is that Wawa, Sheetz, and every other gas station on the planet are not in the same ballpark as Buc-ee's. Forget being in the same ballpark; they aren't in the same league or even the same sport. Saying that Buc-ee's is a gas station is a bit like saying that Disney World is a children's park. It's technically accurate, but the picture someone gets in his mind when you say "children's park" likely does not include the possibility that what you are discussing is anything remotely as as ostentatious or grandiose as Disney World. In the same way, the first time you enter a Buc-ee's, you are frankly not prepared to encounter what you will find inside, because the term "gas station" simply does not encompass the palatial environs of the average Buc-ee's. The first thing that will likely floor you upon entering a Buc-ee's is the size. Somehow, although Buc-ee's looks like a normal-sized truck stop on the outside, when you walk inside, it's like walking through a door into Mary Poppins' carpetbag. Even a modest Buc-ee's is larger inside than, say, most Kroger stores. The second thing you'll notice is that this is definitely, far and away, cleaner than any gas station you've ever visited in your life. Every surface inside virtually sparkles. All of the wonderful items for sale (more on that later) are carefully arranged and appropriately placed on the proper rack. And if, like most people, your first stop inside is the restroom, you are in for an even bigger surprise. The bathrooms at Buc-ee's are so amazing that they have their own cult following. The bathrooms at Buc-ee's do not have stalls. Each toilet has its own honest-to-goodness door. To save you the inconvenience of having to even jiggle a door handle to see if it's locked, each toilet room has a light above it that is red if the room is occupied and green if it is unoccupied. The sinks often will have dividers to provide you with privacy even while washing your hands. And the cleanliness. My God, the cleanliness. And we haven't even discussed the infamous Beaver Nuggets, which answer the important question: What if Corn Pops had, like, waaaaay more sugar and then were coated in some sugar for good measure? Every Buc-ee's store has, on a 24/7 basis, a person whose entire job is to do nothing but clean the bathroom continually, and it shows. You'll see them in there, working diligently, with nary a complaint or a frown about having to spend their day cleaning up after the excretions of others. Thanks to their efforts, never will you find a soap dispenser that's even close to being empty or a paper towel dispenser that is either empty or jammed up with poor-quality rubbish. I can say with some degree of confidence that Louis XIV did not defecate in settings as opulent as the average customer of Buc-ee's in 2024. And we haven't even begun to discuss the actual products you can find for sale inside a Buc-ee's. While most of corporate America has been shamed into making at least a substantial portion of food options "healthy," the comestibles on offer at Buc-ee's are a gleeful, delicious, and uninterrupted on-ramp to type 2 diabetes. Most of them are proprietary to Buc-ee's and are things you will find literally nowhere else on the planet. Have you ever been curious about what peanut brittle tastes like infused with jalapenos? Don't worry, Buc-ee's has you covered. N.B.: Your humble correspondent is of the not-so-humble opinion that it is the most delicious of the many delicious things you can find at Buc-ee's. Gummy bears covered in chamoy? Why the heck not, Buc-ee's has that too. I tried this bizarre concoction as well and am compelled to report that it is also pretty darn good. And we haven't even discussed the infamous Beaver Nuggets, which answer the important question: What if Corn Pops had, like, waaaaay more sugar and then were coated in some sugar for good measure? In addition to several rows of these proprietary pre-packaged foods, every Buc-ee's also offers a substantial amount of freshly prepared food. As you may have guessed, Buc-ee's does not offer the same sad trays of microwave sandwiches and burgers, prepared fresh once every four hours and then left to slow-roast for an indeterminate amount of time under a heat lamp. The fare on offer is delicious, fresh, prepared continually. If you spend half an hour in Buc-ee's (I am personally incapable of escaping a Buc-ee's in less than 45 minutes, so be warned), you will hear multiple cries of "FRESH BRISKET ON THE BOAAAAAAAARD," which is a call that should not be ignored by anyone who likes beef, or barbecue, or things that taste amazing. It's like every person there is in a contest with the drive-thru employees at your local Chick-fil-A to see who can be the most relentlessly cheerful and helpful person in town. But perhaps the most amazing thing about entering a Buc-ee's is that when you do, you feel like you're a part of something. Last weekend, I stopped at a Buc-ee's in Sevierville, Tennessee, and there were easily over 200 people inside the store. I saw not a single unhappy face, which is not what you expect while surveying the faces of the average crowd you find inside a gas station. A huge number of the customers will be happily browsing the Buc-ee's merch line, looking for the best way to show their support for the brand. I was able to get a good look at many of these people as I was buying a shirt and hat for my kids and a beaver bobblehead for myself. It begins with the employees. I have never encountered a single Buc-ee's employee who did not give off the honest impression that he was thrilled to be at work. It's like every person there is in a contest with the drive-thru employees at your local Chick-fil-A to see who can be the most relentlessly cheerful and helpful person in town. In a world where many service industries are struggling to find good employees, Buc-ee's still adheres to an old-school rule forbidding visible tattoos and face piercings. They can do this and still attract younger employees because, by all accounts, they treat their employees better, paying above market rates and offering benefits not usually available for gas station employees. And in a world where seemingly every other cutting-edge company is in a competition for who can smack the customers over the head with liberal politics, Buc-ee's is a blissfully politics-free zone. Buc-ee's CEO and principal owner Arch "Beaver" Aplin appears to be a major donor to Republicans in Texas in particular. But you'll find nothing inside a Buc-ee's that leans either way. The sole focus is on providing a gas station experience that is better than people even imagined was possible. By all accounts, Buc-ee's is succeeding wildly, which is why the company is expanding at a breakneck pace. If you are unfortunate enough to live in an area of the country that does not have one, that is likely to change soon. And when that happens, you'll do yourself a disservice if you don't at least stop in and see the spectacle. Just be sure to have your insulin handy and budget at least an hour for your first experience. You won't want to leave even then, but at least you'll have given yourself a chance to properly ogle a truly amazing sight: a gas station that makes you truly happy to be there.

Aaaaaaand We're Dead! Lord of the Rings Fan Wins the Gold for Olympic Break Dancing Post

Kamala Harris Knows What It Takes to Fix the Border, and Everybody's Asking the Same Question

Venezuela Strongman Maduro, Clinging to Power, Shuts Down X, Accuses Elon Musk of Launching 'Attack'

Brian Terry's Killer Has Conviction Vacated By Appeals Court

The uncle of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooter who killed 19 students and two teachers begged police to let him try to talk his nephew down, according to a 911 call included in a massive trove of audio and video recordings released by city officials Saturday.

The sun came out but the power stayed off in more than 100,000 homes and businesses across four states Saturday as Debby finally moved out of the U.S.After first arriving in Florida as a hurricane, the storm spent the better part of a week unleashing tornadoes and flooding,...