One blogger asked the question about these things. My confession is that I'm not a physicist, archeologist or scientist. First of all, unless God is playing a huge joke on the human race, fossils exist, dinosaurs roamed the earth, and carbon dating gives us a timeline of history. I've never had a real problem with any of this because I've always accepted those things as part of the created design. I have also been a Methodist my entire life and as a denomination we affirm the infallibilty of scripture (scripture being true in terms of faith and practice), but not all of us affirm an inerrant Bible (scripture being true in all aspects - faith, practice, history and science, no errors). For me that's the difference. When I hear that the world was created in 7 days, I don't necessarily believe that God's time is the same as mine. The Biblical writers wrote in terms they understood for a people that were uneducated. To say that a day was from sunset to sunset (24 hours) was a mode of time that would have been understandable. The creation of the universe is an incredible task. Considering its complexity, the length of time it took to create it in no way diminishes this amazing show of creative power, whether it was 1 day or 100 million years.
The UMC just adopted an official stance on evolution at this year's General Conference. It says, "We find that science's descriptions of cosmological, geological, and biological evolution are not in conflict with theology. ... We find that as science expands human understanding of the natural world, our understanding of the mysteries of God's creation and word are enhanced." This affirms what I've felt all along. Was the Big Bang the real deal? Yes, I think it probably was. But I also think God pulled the trigger. We have prehistoric evidence of life evolving into the species we're familiar with today. Is it all a fluke? Does evolution happen just "cuz" it does? I think not...it's too complex for it to be a purely happenstance occurrence. But, evolution by the hand of God...that's more in line with what I think.
Simply put, the universe is a complex deal. There's so much we don't know. Some of it is a mystery, for theologians as well as scientists. Come Sunday...I'll talk more about this!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Uncomfortable with the Doctrine of Predestination
The doctrine of predestination and election was "made famous" by John Calvin, a reformed theologian of the 1500-1600s. Strict Calvinism affirmed the belief that God had "elected" certain people to salvation. If you were of the elect group, nothing you did or didn't do would hinder your salvation. On the flip side, if you were not of the elect, nothing you did, no matter how good or prayerful, would save you. With this understanding, grace was irresistible. If you had the grace, you couldn't lose it, and if you didn't have the grace you couldn't get it. This is a very simplistic explanation, but I think you get the point.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, rejected this doctrine. He firmly believed that grace was resistible. We have the gift of freedom, and we can choose the accept the grace of God or we can reject it. I firmly agree with Wesley's understanding of grace. God preveniently reaches out to us, even when we're not aware of that need for grace, and God calls us into relationship. At some point, we decide, "Yes, I accept that grace and will enter into a relationship of faith," or we say, "No, thanks." I do not think that God forces a "yes" or "no" upon us. God is always, always beckoning, but ultimately the choice to accept is ours. The gift of freedom allows for an authentic love between creator and the created.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, rejected this doctrine. He firmly believed that grace was resistible. We have the gift of freedom, and we can choose the accept the grace of God or we can reject it. I firmly agree with Wesley's understanding of grace. God preveniently reaches out to us, even when we're not aware of that need for grace, and God calls us into relationship. At some point, we decide, "Yes, I accept that grace and will enter into a relationship of faith," or we say, "No, thanks." I do not think that God forces a "yes" or "no" upon us. God is always, always beckoning, but ultimately the choice to accept is ours. The gift of freedom allows for an authentic love between creator and the created.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?
Preachers across the world try to model Jesus' communication style. Jesus spoke in parables quite often when talking to the disciples and to the masses. A parable is defined as "a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle". In other words, Jesus used illustrations of sorts. Remember that the people of his time were your average, everyday kind of folk; most were uneducated and worked the land for their livelihood. So Jesus spoke to them in terms they would best relate and understand. Today we call that being "relevant". He drove home his point using stories about farming (parable of the seeds in MT 13...a parable any gardener can relate to) and cooking (parable of the yeast, also in MT 13). Preachers do the same thing with illustrations. We make a point, and then make it contextual with a story from our experience in order to relate our story to the biblical story.
Where Does GOD come from?
I got punted this "ball" a couple of weeks ago. Gosh, I can't say that I have a complete answer to this great question. All I know is what John 1:1-4 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." This tells me that from the beginning there was God. More than that, I can't be exactly certain. Just one of those mysteries! Great question though!
Why Does God Allow Poverty?
One question that been asked frequently, is why does God allow poverty, or allow babies to be born into poverty, knowing they will die without food. We are going to touch on this in this coming weekend's message. But the quick answer is, God does not allow this. It's not a God problem, it's a distribution problem. There is enough food in the world to feed everyone. This issue is that it is not distributed evenly. There is enough money collectively to end world hunger, but the money is not distributed evenly. My guess is that God is asking us this very same question..."Why are my children hungry? Aren't you my hands and feet?" The local church is a solution to this epidemic. As the Body of Christ, we can work to be a transforming presence in our communities and in our world. When we hear of poverty, we feel challenged. Jesus said, "When I was hungry, you gave me food." And the disciples said, "Lord when did we see you hungry?" "Whatever you've done for the least of my brothers or sisters, you have done for me," Jesus replied (Matthew 25 - paraphrase).
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Forgiveness
The issue of forgiveness is always a tough one. First and foremost let me say that forgiveness is for you, not the person that harmed you in some way. When we harbor feelings of hatred, guilt or resentment, it does nothing but harm us.
A good quote that I remember from my past is, "Lack of forgiveness is holding on to a burning coal despite the hurt, in the hopes that it is burning and hurting someone else."--Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
Having said that, I do not feel that forgiveness equals tolerance. We can forgive someone of the wrong they have committed, but we do not have to tolerate the continued behavior in our lives. And sometimes we have to love people from a distance. I do not think that God calls us to tolerate injustices in our lives!
Forgiveness is a process. And like any process, we will sometimes take two steps forward and three steps back. But we don't stop, we keep moving forward. Some wrongs are so heavy that forgiveness can be a long journey. Again, the forgiveness is for you, not the other person, so it must be worked towards for healing to occur. Jesus knew the power of forgiveness; the power it gives you, not the person that hurt you. In some cases, we harbor these feelings of resentment and the other person has no idea we even feel this way. Jesus knew the damage those emotions can cause the soul which is why he urges us to forgive. We forgive, because we have been forgiven.
If you're dealing with an issue such as this, I invite you to seek a trusted friend with whom to share your troubles. There is also a loving group of Stephen Ministers at COS that can help listen and provide a ministry of presence for people struggling with issues of forgiveness.
A good quote that I remember from my past is, "Lack of forgiveness is holding on to a burning coal despite the hurt, in the hopes that it is burning and hurting someone else."--Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
Having said that, I do not feel that forgiveness equals tolerance. We can forgive someone of the wrong they have committed, but we do not have to tolerate the continued behavior in our lives. And sometimes we have to love people from a distance. I do not think that God calls us to tolerate injustices in our lives!
Forgiveness is a process. And like any process, we will sometimes take two steps forward and three steps back. But we don't stop, we keep moving forward. Some wrongs are so heavy that forgiveness can be a long journey. Again, the forgiveness is for you, not the other person, so it must be worked towards for healing to occur. Jesus knew the power of forgiveness; the power it gives you, not the person that hurt you. In some cases, we harbor these feelings of resentment and the other person has no idea we even feel this way. Jesus knew the damage those emotions can cause the soul which is why he urges us to forgive. We forgive, because we have been forgiven.
If you're dealing with an issue such as this, I invite you to seek a trusted friend with whom to share your troubles. There is also a loving group of Stephen Ministers at COS that can help listen and provide a ministry of presence for people struggling with issues of forgiveness.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Week 2: My Problem With God Is...
Thanks to everyone who filled out the ivory sheet this past weekend and expressed a problem with God. We continue to receive lots of great responses! Robyn will be back this weekend. In the meantime the Leader’s Team is fielding the questions.
Week 2 – July 26 & 27
Maybe I’m the Problem!
Why is There Suffering?
These were two of our most frequently asked topics last week, and this week as well. Seems lots of us struggle with questions about how faithfully we respond to God’s call on us… and how to make sense of the hatred, violence and suffering in the world. If you read further down, to last week’s post, you’ll find our response to these questions.
Organized Religion
My problem is with certain aspects of organized religion. Can’t I love God, and be a good person, without organized worship? We need to return to the roots of Christian worship and away from ‘traditions of man’.
God has problems with certain aspects of organized religion too! Recall the New Testament scriptures where Christ rebukes the Pharisees for their shallow, outward pretenses of religion and their adherence to the letter, and not the spirit, of the law. The Apostle Paul wrote to the different churches and to different people for various reasons. He wrote to some churches to commend them for their good faith and efforts; he wrote to others to correct them on subjects that they had strayed on.
God, through His son Jesus, is pretty straight-forward and unambiguous about His expectations of us – The Great Commandment and The Great Compassion - and the purpose for His church – The Great Commission.
Suicide & Doubt
How can God let people reach levels of hopelessness that they feel death is the only way out? People say ‘God never gives us more than we can handle’, so, if that’s true, how do people reach such despair? Knowing He is holding me in His arms… but wondering if one day He’ll let go… and praying He doesn’t.
We feel compelled to say this up front – If anyone in our congregation feels that they are at an unmanageable level of hopelessness – please call one of our pastors right away. The emergency contact number is 636-328-3132.
God’s promise to us is His presence. Sometimes His presence is in the form of stamina, or perseverance, or wisdom, or discernment. Sometimes His presence is mercy or comfort. When we (all of us) find ourselves in situations where we just can’t handle it by ourselves, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let go, give up control, and trust God. Trusting God is the essence of faith.
Separating Science from Belief
For example, how science says dinosaurs lived thousands of years before man. What about the Theory of Evolution?
This would be a great topic for a small group discussion! The Bible and science are not mutually exclusive and don’t have to be incompatible. A website you might enjoy is http://www.godandscience.org/ to see how one person’s questions led them to faith. Another website that speaks to the question of dinosaurs and the Bible is http://www.answersingenesis.org/.
There is a lot of ‘black and white’ thinking in the area of evolution. Pure evolutionists believe that evolution lays claim to no God, implying human life is the result of random mutation and that beings evolve and adapt, over time, to their surroundings with no creator & without purpose. Some Creation scientists can’t seem to get past a very literal reading of Genesis. In “Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White”, Adam Hamilton sees evolution as an elegant explanation of the God; His creation of us and the intelligent design for beings to adapt and change, over time, to their surroundings. Another great topic for small groups!
Where does GOD come from?
Robyn will be back next week… punt!
Osama Bin Laden
Why doesn’t God perform a miracle & convert a major terrorist like Osama Bin Laden to Christianity like He did with Paul?
To a large extent, the life and letters of Paul the Apostle shape and define the Christian life. Paul's "Damascus road experience" is seen one example of Christian conversion. Paul’s testimony reveals that he… was confronted by the risen Christ, believed that the experience was genuine, and changed his life from his (Paul’s) purpose God’s purpose. All three elements - hearing Christ, believing Christ, obeying Christ – were integral to his conversion.
We believe Christ’s grace (love) is ever-present and always calling all of us into relationship with Him. Osama, Adolph, you, me. In his book, Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, David Gregory describes the concept of ‘all have sinned and all fall short’ in an interesting way. His imagery depicts God’s grace as tall as the Sears Tower in Chicago, and that the difference between the best of us (Mother Theresa) and the worst of us (Adolph Hitler) is the difference between two business cards laying one on the other at the base of the building. Powerful. The key is that Paul chose to believe and obey Christ. It would be great if Osama did the same thing. Here’s a harder question – what could the world be like if WE heard, believed and obeyed like Paul did?
Week 2 – July 26 & 27
Maybe I’m the Problem!
Why is There Suffering?
These were two of our most frequently asked topics last week, and this week as well. Seems lots of us struggle with questions about how faithfully we respond to God’s call on us… and how to make sense of the hatred, violence and suffering in the world. If you read further down, to last week’s post, you’ll find our response to these questions.
Organized Religion
My problem is with certain aspects of organized religion. Can’t I love God, and be a good person, without organized worship? We need to return to the roots of Christian worship and away from ‘traditions of man’.
God has problems with certain aspects of organized religion too! Recall the New Testament scriptures where Christ rebukes the Pharisees for their shallow, outward pretenses of religion and their adherence to the letter, and not the spirit, of the law. The Apostle Paul wrote to the different churches and to different people for various reasons. He wrote to some churches to commend them for their good faith and efforts; he wrote to others to correct them on subjects that they had strayed on.
God, through His son Jesus, is pretty straight-forward and unambiguous about His expectations of us – The Great Commandment and The Great Compassion - and the purpose for His church – The Great Commission.
Suicide & Doubt
How can God let people reach levels of hopelessness that they feel death is the only way out? People say ‘God never gives us more than we can handle’, so, if that’s true, how do people reach such despair? Knowing He is holding me in His arms… but wondering if one day He’ll let go… and praying He doesn’t.
We feel compelled to say this up front – If anyone in our congregation feels that they are at an unmanageable level of hopelessness – please call one of our pastors right away. The emergency contact number is 636-328-3132.
God’s promise to us is His presence. Sometimes His presence is in the form of stamina, or perseverance, or wisdom, or discernment. Sometimes His presence is mercy or comfort. When we (all of us) find ourselves in situations where we just can’t handle it by ourselves, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let go, give up control, and trust God. Trusting God is the essence of faith.
Separating Science from Belief
For example, how science says dinosaurs lived thousands of years before man. What about the Theory of Evolution?
This would be a great topic for a small group discussion! The Bible and science are not mutually exclusive and don’t have to be incompatible. A website you might enjoy is http://www.godandscience.org/ to see how one person’s questions led them to faith. Another website that speaks to the question of dinosaurs and the Bible is http://www.answersingenesis.org/.
There is a lot of ‘black and white’ thinking in the area of evolution. Pure evolutionists believe that evolution lays claim to no God, implying human life is the result of random mutation and that beings evolve and adapt, over time, to their surroundings with no creator & without purpose. Some Creation scientists can’t seem to get past a very literal reading of Genesis. In “Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White”, Adam Hamilton sees evolution as an elegant explanation of the God; His creation of us and the intelligent design for beings to adapt and change, over time, to their surroundings. Another great topic for small groups!
Where does GOD come from?
Robyn will be back next week… punt!
Osama Bin Laden
Why doesn’t God perform a miracle & convert a major terrorist like Osama Bin Laden to Christianity like He did with Paul?
To a large extent, the life and letters of Paul the Apostle shape and define the Christian life. Paul's "Damascus road experience" is seen one example of Christian conversion. Paul’s testimony reveals that he… was confronted by the risen Christ, believed that the experience was genuine, and changed his life from his (Paul’s) purpose God’s purpose. All three elements - hearing Christ, believing Christ, obeying Christ – were integral to his conversion.
We believe Christ’s grace (love) is ever-present and always calling all of us into relationship with Him. Osama, Adolph, you, me. In his book, Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, David Gregory describes the concept of ‘all have sinned and all fall short’ in an interesting way. His imagery depicts God’s grace as tall as the Sears Tower in Chicago, and that the difference between the best of us (Mother Theresa) and the worst of us (Adolph Hitler) is the difference between two business cards laying one on the other at the base of the building. Powerful. The key is that Paul chose to believe and obey Christ. It would be great if Osama did the same thing. Here’s a harder question – what could the world be like if WE heard, believed and obeyed like Paul did?
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