On July 9, at the College of Notre Dame 24 students from 7 Maryland counties and Virginia gathered for the 5th Maryland COTH Session.  There were 16 males and 8 females, 14 are home schooled, 7 attend public school and 3 attend private schools. Ages ranged from almost 14 to almost 18.

"Senate Will Come to Order!" As in the past four years, this cry drew the attention of the newly commissioned CITY ON THE HILL senators.

This time it is to draw your attention to an exciting new feature from CITY ON THE HILL:

With their creative juices flowing Joel Ready and Rob Warlick finished editing and publishing the COTH 2007 DVD and immediately began work on the CITY ON THE HILL Monthly.

We are looking forward to your response to this first edition.  As you can see it is your newsletter.  Use it to find out what the other Senators are doing, let us know what’s up with you.

As you have also heard there will be a COTH 2007 reunion this Saturday.  We’re looking forward to expanding the alumni reunion in the future to include past COTH Alumni as well.  It would be nice to have that alumni gathering during the General Assembly session (January-April).  Then we can gather to see the actual Senators in action – and see if they measure up to the standard set by COTH Senators!  Somehow I doubt it!

Take advantage of this periodical, let everyone know how God is writing your life story...

Until we see you again, I’ll say “Sine Die".  - Gov. Stiegler

Hating On The Hill

by Joel Ready

“While you may not agree with the groups of people this bill seeks to protect, as human beings, you must realize that we owe this to them.” – Senator Cristy Payne on the infamous “Hate Crimes” Bill during COTH Session '07.

Hate crimes legislation was a source of controversy in the United States long before the famous debate that shook the halls of power on July 12 and 13 of this year at City on the Hill. Most recently, the U.S. House voted 237 to 180 to adopt a form of legislation that would make it illegal to “harass” an individual of an “alternate sexual orientation.”

Nothing seems to get people fighting quite like this bill.

"You’re essentially creating a civil right based on immoral and changeable behavior, and that’s a bad precedent to set in the law," explains Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth, a legislative watchdog organization.

But 1,385 religious leaders signed a letter to congress stating, “As leaders of America’s religious communities, we urge Congress to stand united against one of the worst forms of oppression: violence based on personal characteristics and identity.”

So with all of this jargon, how can we know who’s right? [read full article +]

Talent is Never Enough

By Rob Warlick

Our creator has blessed each of us with talents- gifts/abilities in various areas that are to be used for His glory. (The ability to write is not one He blessed me with)  Each of us has different strengths.  Some of which has been witnessed in this past CITY ON THE HILL and in previous years. Some of us are gifted with playing the piano, some with organization, others with charisma, and some with the ability to act or speak.  Some have more than one talent, some have barely one.  We all have talent, yet each of us are different.

So the questions then rise: Are the people with more talents more successful or better than those with simply one? Are those talented in certain areas more successful then those in other areas?  Is success based on talent alone? 

I would hope your answer is no. I mean obviously, if that were the case then why in the world is Michael Jackson rich and famous?  Sike, that’s not where I’m headed with this, I am not talking about the untalented lucky ones, I am talking about you.  I am talking about me.  We all have talents and we need to recognize that those talents alone will not ensure success or effectiveness.

So what will? If talent is not enough, then what are the missing factors? [read full article +]

Christian Worldview: The Story of Our Lives

By Rob Warlick adapted from Erik Dressel's TruthEpic Talk

“Christianity, if false is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance.  The only thing it cannot be is moderately important” - C.S. Lewis.

The Story of Our Lives

In all the great stories, the Epic stories, there is a common plot:

+ Once upon a time…

+ Villain comes to the scene

+ Hero battles

+ Happily ever after

At one point in time of lives, we have all dreamed of being a similar story. [read full article +]

Stories on the Wall

by Joel Ready

“They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept” (Nehemiah 1:3-4a).

The story of Nehemiah is the story of one man’s quest to rebuild a nation that had been physically and spiritually broken down. God had judged Israel by destroying the beautiful city of Jerusalem, once the greatest city in the world. Nehemiah set out from the nation of Babylon, walking in the steps of many men who had attempted the same thing, and failed. Rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, both physically and spiritually, had proven before to be a task to great for any one man. [read full article +]