Back in the ancient days of the internet (the early and mid-90s), i occasionally posted to some newsgroups, and i've had the same email address at work up until today. So i've grown accustomed to a steady stream of spam at work. But among the advertisements for making money, improving on my genital endowment, and lowering my mortgage rate, i've generally been spared from "Christian" spam. But this week i got a new variant on the Nigerian Army scam emails that have been circulating for quite a while:

Attn: BELOVED BROTHER/SISTER/FRIEND/PARTNER/BENEFICIARY

Dearly Beloved,

It is a privilege to hear from God and it gives me joy to relate my testimony to you having received instruction from God through divine revelation. I feel very privileged, to use this medium as it is the only available means to contact you particularly for the intentions why I have decided to contact you.This message is not specifically for Christains alone but for anyone that has human feelings and who has the fear of God in him/her. I want you to note that I got your contact by sourcing for somebody like you, who is capable and competent enough to help me achieve this objective through your position as a foreigner.Please, try your best to read everything and May God Almighty guide you  as you read through and I expect the best from you as soon as possible.

I am Rtd (Sister) Colonel Rosemary Danladi of the Nigerian Army that served under the past military regime...

and so on, in the usual vein. My "Sister" is trying to recover her $20M so she can "sow half of this money into any reliable ministries, Christian Schools, Christian Organizations, Orphanage homes and charity oriented programes abroad, for the purpose of achieving God's word. "

I'm hoping, unlike previous versions of this popular scam, well-intentioned believers won't be taken in by this fraud. Bad enough to scam people: even worse to do so using God's name.

Donna has a book review of "From Here to Community" in the latest Alban Institute magazine.

This guide is not your everyday fill-in-the-blank Bible study. Rather, it is a thoughtful journey toward the goal of dreaming about our own churches and small groups becoming significant contributors to the "common good . . . of the larger community" ...

I encourage readers to take a look.