Month: September 2017

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Apologists Don’t Necessarily Apologize

You may have heard the term Christian apologetics and been unsure what exactly it was. It is an old term that doesn’t mean saying “I’m sorry” for Christianity. I finally came across a concise explanation in a book about early Christianity:

Referred to by scholars as the classic Christian “Apologists” (from the Greek word apologia = “defense”), these writers not only responded to accusations against Christians; they also attempted to advocate and defend vigorously Christian beliefs in the larger intellectual world of their time. [1]

Christian apologetics, defenses of the faith, are still being written. C. S. Lewis is a well-known example of a 20th-century apologist.

[1] Larry W. Hurtado, Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2017), 4.

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Flood Bucket Delivery

Jenny and I are conducting a last minute search for volunteers. As a congregation we have collected 17 flood buckets. We would like to get these buckets to the conference office (either in Topeka or Wichita) by the end of the work day tomorrow. Call or email if you’re interested. 

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Christian Holiness

Christian holiness is not (as people often imagine) a matter of denying something good. It is about growing up and grasping something even better. — N. T. Wright [1]

 

[1] N. T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense (San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006), 236-237.

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UMCOR Update

I wanted to share an update on how we, as a church, are doing for Hurricane Relief. We’ve received seven flood buckets and $3614.90 in cash and checks.

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The Story of Christianity

The next meeting of “The Breakfast Club” will be Saturday, September 23, 2017, at 8:30 a.m at the Hitching Post Restaurant. We’ll be discussing the first 121 pages of The Story of Christianity by David Bentley Hart. Our discussion of this book will continue in October (pages 122-238) and November (pages 239-343). We only have one book left, but I’ve ordered more.

The Story of Christianity is a succinct, well-written account of Christian history. As Christians, this is our family history. Knowing where we’ve been helps us better understand where we are. But reading this book isn’t merely a utilitarian exercise. As Hart says “… the true story of Christianity—when told in something like its full breadth—is immeasurably fascinating. It is even, one might say, rather exotic.” [1]

Amazon has a kindle edition here: http://amzn.to/2xO3vjh

[1] David Bentley Hart, The Story of Christianity: A History of 2,000 Years of the Christian Faith (New York: Quercus, 2015), x.

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Communion at 6:00 p.m.

The weekly Wednesday Communion service is being moved from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Choir and Bell Choir practice will follow at 6:15 and 7:15 respectively.

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As the Citizen Among You

Today Attorney General Jefferson B. Sessions announced the end of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). The first scripture passage to come to mind was Leviticus 19:33-34:

When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (NRSV)

“The alien who resides with you shall be to you as a citizen among you.” I cannot imagine a scenario under which God, who created the whole world, cares which side of a human-drawn border someone was born on.