Water in the Baptismal Ceremony :: Theology Essays

Water in the Baptismal Ceremony In the baptismal ceremony water is used during the baptism part of the ceremony. At this point the priest pours blessed water over the forehead of the baby three times whilst saying, "(Name), I baptize you in the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit." Water is a powerful symbol. It is also a rich symbol it makes things clean. It is also a symbol of life and death. Without water plants, animals and humans would not be able to survive (life). It is a sign of destruction, causes floods and it can cause death through drowning. In the sacrament of baptism it is also a sign of life and death. Death in that it is death to original sin and old life of sin before baptism. Life in that it is a new life with God as a Christian free from sin. In the bible water has taken part in many miracles, including, Noah and the great flood, Moses and the red sea, Jesus walks on water and Jesus calms a storm. The story of Moses and the red sea is very relevant when talking about Baptism. Before Moses parted the sea he and the Israelites had been living in their old life of slavery. After they reached the other side of the water they had begun their new life of freedom. When they passed through the water death was brought to their old life and they had begun their new life, just when being baptized. In baptism when blessed with the water death is brought to the catechumens old life and they begin their new life. The White Garment. In the baptismal ceremony the priest clothes the catechumen with a white garment, usually a shawl. He then says, "See in this white garment an outward sign of Christian Dignity." The white garment represents putting on Christ. The parents, god parents and friends then promise to, by their words and examples, help the newly baptized child to bring that dignity unstained into the Heavenly eternal life.

Time Is More Valuable

â€Å"Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. † In the essay â€Å"How America Has Run Out Of Time†, Nancy Gibbs discusses how the inclusion of technology into the workforce has a negative impact on the lives of Americans. Technology was designed to make work easier and faster providing extra time that can be spent freely. Instead, it had the opposite effect causing longer work hour and less time for family. I believe technology in the work place may have a deeper impact American life. Technology has helped to change the nature of the work.Technology like the Internet has helped to connect businesses internally as well as globally with information. Communication has become fast and simple with the use of email and video or phone conference, but at the same time it has made the work place impersonal. With this it reduces the need to meet face to face. Socialization within the work place decrease and there is less â€Å"wat er cooler moments† where employees meet and have conversations. There is a decrease sense of trust, bonds and teamwork present. With the decline in trust there is a decline in work-life balance.Technology provides us with a limitless supply of information and a way to stay connected. â€Å"There are phones in the car, laptops in the den, and humming fax machine eliminates the once peaceful lull between completing a document and delivering it. (602)† The constant connectivity slowly blurs the line between work and leisure. In a sense people are always working. People are able to continue their work at home after leaving the office or even work from home. Even when they are not working, employees can access and reply to email messages from work via their computer and cell phone.As work days increased, negative health effects did as well. Long working hours does not only affect a worker's productivity. Long hours meant less time for an individual to rest, which can create sleeping problems and increase the chance of being in a work related accident. Another result can be the rise of stress due to the need of a competitive advantage. The stress can lead to either high blood pressure and heart disease or bad health habits such as smoking and unhealthy eating. More time spent working meant less time with the family.Some parents feel strained and fatigued trying to juggle the responsibilities at home and at work. Most times this breaks the bond between parent and children because there is less focus on the child. As parents are working, the child is taken care of by a babysitter. Other times the child might take up the parental role and take care of themselves while the parents are away. â€Å"The very culture of children, of freedom and fantasy and kids teaching kids to play jacks, is collapsing under the weight of hectic family schedule. 605)† The structure of American life has changed since technology was introduced in the work force. People ar e on a fast pace schedule to deal with the time constraint caused by work. The accessibility of technology is causing people to overwork to combat the competition faced in the economical market. Overworking causes strain on our own lives and the family life, whether it is neglecting the responsibilities and duties as a parent or not spending time with our spouse. As the sun set and comes close to the end, ask yourself if you are able to find some free time from work?

Business Analysis Tti s Diversification Strategy

TTI’s diversification strategy is currently based on creating a financial hub that would allow them to leverage their current business, while growing their new product lines. TTI’s decision to create a one-stop financial hub for their consumers in theory sounds like a good idea, as they would be able to cross sell from their core tax preparation business to these other â€Å"somewhat related† financial businesses. However, many of the businesses they are entering are targeting the wrong consumer, leading to value destruction. In general, the financial hub seems to be a product of unrelated diversification, in the hopes that the company will be able to leverage its current consumer base to grow the hub; however, since the company has little to no knowledge about these acquisitions and the businesses they compete in, there is high potential for dis-synergies. Though the businesses are in the financial sector, TTI’s core competency is unrelated to the financi al hub. Since the tax business is the core of the financial hub, the discussion of synergies will be based on the core business and the acquisitions. The first area of diversification was from Eldo Financial. Eldo and TTI are two completely different businesses that appeal to two very different consumer bases. Eldo Financial specializes as a discount brokerage. The original thought was that the potential synergies between these two companies would be based on economies of scope, such that these two businesses together would costShow MoreRelatedThe Hoover Company and Dyson2418 Words   |  10 PagesTable of Contents Question 1 2 Dyson’s Value Chain Model 2 Competency framework model 3 DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS 4 Question 2 5 VRIO FRAMWORK 5 DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS 6 Question 3 6 Question 4 7 References: 8 Question 1 Using framework from the chapter, analyse the strategic capabilities of Dyson. Dyson’s Value Chain Model Support Activities FirmInfrastructure | Structuring and planning, HQ in UK, manufacturing and testing facility in Malaysia with 120 testing stationRead MoreCase Studies67624 Words   |  271 Pageseffective case analysis C-3 CASE 1 CASE 2 CASE 3 CASE 4 CASE 5 CASE 6 CASE 7 ABB in China, 1998 C-16 Ansett Airlines and Air New Zealand: A flight to oblivion? C-31 BP–Mobil and the restructuring of the oil refining industry C-44 Compaq in crisis C-67 Gillette and the men’s wet-shaving market C-76 Incat Tasmania’s race for international success: Blue Riband strategies C-95 Kiwi Travel International Airlines Ltd C-105 CASE 8 Beefing up the beefless Mac: McDonald’s expansion strategies in India: C-120 Read MoreAbrahamson, E. (1996). Management Fashion. Academy of Management Review, 21, 1, 254-28515598 Words   |  63 PagesManagement Fashion Author(s): Eric Abrahamson Source: The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan., 1996), pp. 254-285 Published by: Academy of Management Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/258636 . Accessed: 24/08/2013 23:34 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use,