The halls of the Washington Hilton, the hotel that hosted the National Prayer Breakfast, buzzed last Thursday as people discussed the speech — Metaxas’ speech, not President Obama’s, which followed. Outside the hotel, a Occupy Wall Street protestor asked, “Is it true what I’m hearing, that Eric Metaxas talked about Jesus?”

It was true. And then, to end his speech, Metaxas led those in attendance in the singing of the hymn, “Amazing Grace.” The author attacked “phony religiosity,” which he struggled through as an agnostic studying at Yale before he became a Christian.

“Jesus was and is the enemy of dead religion,” Metaxas said. “He came to deliver us from that.” Prayer emanates from “real faith in God,” he said, adding that faith in Jesus leads to courageous acts like those of Bonhoeffer and Wilberforce.

The video below is set to start at approximately the 35 minute mark which is where Metaxas’ speech begins.

One of my friends (who falls left of center, politically) sent this along to me.  It’s a witty ditty, but I can’t quite tell which side Phil Ochs is singing for:

This made my morning:

Yes, that’s my boy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

H/T: Daron

We introduced this FANTASTIC song this past Sunday:

Glad to have Rob aboard. In case you missed it this past Sunday, here’s his first sermon in the Ministry Center:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.