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Category Archives: Faith
The Uncommon Politic
According to the political scientist Eiten Hersh, of Tufts University, “politics is for power.” In his book by the same name, Hersh, who self-identifies as a political liberal, complains that Americans have lost sight of this obvious truth. This is especially true of the left who, in recent years, has engaged in what he describes as “political hobbyism … emoting and arguing and debating, almost all of this from behind screens.”
Whether Hersh is right or not depends, it seems to me, on two things: (1) whether power is a means or a goal and (2) what type of power is being considered.
If in politics the use of power is seen as a means to an end and that end is the common good of a people, then the acquisition of power is not only a legitimate pursuit, but also a necessary one. However, power is dangerous even when it is legitimate. And it is dangerous, in part, because it is addictive.
The American Church, particularly its more conservative wing, has suffered from this addiction. In the 1970s and 1980s, under the leadership of the Reverend Jerry Falwell, Sr., conservative Christians began seeking power in both politics and the media. The Moral Majority flexed its muscle to oust liberals from Congress and “The Teletubbies” from the airwaves.
The power conservative Christians wielded grew. Politicians began courting them.
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Telling the Good News: Answering Tough Questions
“Religious people think they are better than everyone else. They are so judgmental. I don’t even want to be around them.”
How do you answer? You go back to Jesus. “I don’t know if you know this, but Jesus felt that way too. The people he liked to hang out with most were the ones religious folks looked down on. When they put them down, Jesus stood up for them.”
Jesus had a lot to say about that too. Check out: Matthew 7:1-6; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 10:3-37 (the story of the Good Samaritan); all of Luke 15; Luke 18:9-14.
Some people say, “You know, I’m just not the religious type.” Whenever someone says that to me, I always respond, “I’m not either.” They can hardly believe it. But then you can go on and say: “And you know what? Jesus wasn’t either.” Then you can tell them about Mark 7:1-13, where Jesus distinguished between religion and knowing and loving God. Religion wasn’t his thing, but he was all about God. You might go on to say that the Bible hardly ever mentions religion – that’s not what it’s all about.
Then you can ask: “What? Did you think Jesus was really religious or something?” You will get their curiosity up. Who knows? That may open the door for further conversations – either with you or with some other person God will send along.
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HOPE: Good News About the Future
The Bible gives many reasons for hope. Christians believe that the future will be good – incomprehensibly and incomparably good! This sermon shows us why. (Excerpts will be posted later in the week.)
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Sermons, Theology
Tagged death, Isaiah 65, new earth, reason to hope, Revelation 21, Revelation 22, what will happen in the future
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Creation and the Butterfly Effect
Adam and Even needed to be trained for the awesome task before them, but they didn’t want to wait. They spurned the opportunity to rule under God and the preparation it required and chose instead to rule beside him. They … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Sermons, Theology
Tagged Adam and Eve, Butterfly effect, dynamical system, original sin
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When God Became Immanuel
It was not in a stable that the Creator became Immanuel. It was in a Garden. Do you remember what the Scripture said? “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Theology
Tagged Eden, imago dei, Immanuel, why did God make people
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Living Christian, Living Different.
Christians are not only different in who they are but also in what they do. I know a young woman who, after her first baby was born – I’d never heard of this before – ate the placenta. I’m sure … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Mission
Tagged Colossians 4:5, Ephesians 2:10, Good deeds, Matthew 5:16, Mother Emmanuel forgives Dylan Roof, Titus 2
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Christians Should Be Different: Here’s Why
How do we make the teaching about God attractive to people who have never given it any thought – don’t even know there is anything to think about? How do we help them trust the unseen God, when there are … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Mission, Sermons, Spiritual life
Tagged 1 John 2:15, Christian values, How are Christians different?, Leviticus 19
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The Wrong Metaphor for Christian Mission
Ideas are always context dependent. They make sense within a context. Outside of that context they may have a different meaning – or no meaning at all. The words I just used to describe our role (salespeople, promoters, advance team, … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Mission, Sermons
Tagged 2 Cor. 5:18-20, Acts 17, Christian Mission, reconciliation
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The “Cosmetological” Proof for God
In philosophy, there are five principal arguments or proofs for the existence of God. One of those is known as The Cosmological Proof and argues there must be a sufficient and non-contingent cause for the contingent beings and processes that … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Mission, Sermons
Tagged cosmological proof, Jeremiah 13, Mission, Purpose, Titus 2:9-10
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