Bluefish is a company that produces Christian videos for youth, sermon illustrations, etc. The video above is a reminder of why it is important to listen to, as the Christian band Casting Crowns put it in their song by the same title, “The Voice of Truth.” When all the world tells us that we can’t do something, the Voice of Truth tells us a “different story,” the Voice of Truth says “do not be afraid.”
New Logo Approved
You may have noticed the new logo of Coffeyville First United Methodist Church in the column to the right. The Vision Team approved this new logo Wednesday.
God Loves to Do That
This is the quote I shared in my sermon on April 27:
“Sometimes a writer, in her determined attempt to tell what she knows, just can’t help telling about God … Sometimes, despite themselves, God gives writers the slip and pops up in a story, even when the author thought that this story had no room for God. God loves to do that.”
–William H. Willimon, Reading with Deeper Eyes
No Yoga Tonight
The yoga class will not be held this afternoon, it appears that almost everybody will be at graduation.
One Soldier's Struggle with the War in Iraq
BHAG Approved
The Church Council approved “Excellence in Children’s Ministry” as our BHAG* at Monday night’s meeting. The BHAG does not replace, but instead supplements our mission statement.
*In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins (no relation) talks about a BHAG as a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal.” For church use, we’ve altered that to “Big Holy Audacious Goal.”
Pearls Before Swine
I was initially attracted by the biblical title*, but since then I’ve really enjoyed the Pearls Before Swine comic strip. I think as a blogger that I’m morally obligated to post a link to this particular strip.
*Matthew 7.6
Link: http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/archive/pearls-20080512.html
Possible New Logo
Above is a possibility for a new logo. Churches are often encouraged to stay away from featuring their buildings in their logos, but we have such a distinctive facade that I think everyone in town knows it. With this logo they can know which church that building belongs to and where to go if they want to join us. Let me know what you think at john@coffeyvillefirstumc.org and I’ll pass the word on.
New Direction Considered for Platform Lift
The trustees have long been considering adding a new platform lift (much like an elevator) to provide access to the sanctuary. The new lift would be able to accommodate the larger motorized wheelchairs that are more common today and would allow people with handicapping conditions to enter the front door of the church instead of having to go around to the old elevator in the back alley. The problem has always been where to locate a new lift. Last Wednesday, the trustees asked Dave Larimore to look into the possibility of locating the lift shaft in the old bathroom at the back of the sanctuary. The bathroom would be removed and a door would be cut through the sanctuary and lobby walls into the lobby for ground level access.
Preschool Meeting
Jenny, Julie Thompson, and Cari Redden met again today with Maria Rippe from the Health Department to discuss the state requirements for opening a preschool.
More on the Problem of Evil
I can’t help agreeing with Bart Ehrman, even though I’m reluctant to take lessons in theology and the Bible from agnostics who do not believe in Jesus’ resurrection, when he says:
“Even if we cannot, in the end, know the reasons for suffering, we can at the least have appropriate responses to it. We ourselves can feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked; we can work to solve problems of poverty; we can give money to agencies finding cures for cancer and AIDS; we can volunteer more often locally; we can give more to international relief efforts. We can, in fact, fulfill the urgent demands implicit in Matthew’s account of the judgment between the sheep and the goats, for ‘as you have done this to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you have done it unto me.'”
The last quote I want to share comes from Bart Ehrman’s theological sparing partner N. T. Wright:
“I don’t think much of the Bible is actually addressing the question, ‘Why is there suffering?’, but rather the question, ‘What is God doing about it?’”
Wright’s answer involves Abraham, the first coming of Jesus, the Resurrection of Jesus, the second coming of Jesus and all of God’s plan of salvation. I would encourage you to read the entire post.
And a final passage from that same post:
“The other side of the coin of ‘the problem of evil’ is, after all, ‘the problem of good’: if there is no God, no good and wise creator, why is there an impulse to justice and mercy so deep within us? Why is there beauty, love, laughter, friendship, joy? How do you then tell the difference between Ecclesiastes and Sartre?”
The “problem of good” is a theoretical problem not for Christians, of course; but for atheists and agnostics.
Links:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/
http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/2008/04/thanks-bart-for-a-further.html
Greet One Another with a Holy Kiss
It’s 3:28 am and I’m looking over the lectionary readings for next Sunday. I don’t plan to preach on it, but it occurs to me as I read the epistle lesson from 2 Corinthians 13.12 that Paul’s injunction to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” is seldom, if ever, followed, at least in the Midwest.
That said, I probably won’t be focusing on it much. Right now my sermon is headed in the direction of Genesis 1.1-2.4a and Matthew 28.16-20.
Don’t miss Jenny’s sermon in 5-8 hours, I’ve read it, you don’t want to miss it.