So Kepler 22-B is now confirmed as our nearest, most Earth-like planet. It's 600 Light Years away however, so unless we figure out how to travel at the speed of light for 600 years, we better take good care of the one planet that the Lord has given us to live on and care for. Given that the Lord may return at any time...or may wait for another few hundred thousand years to return, I think Christians ought to be about their Master's business - creation, recreation and care of both neighbor and one's neighbor's field.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16040655
Monday, December 05, 2011
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Wal-Mart to the rescue - again
I know that Wal-Mart is much mistrusted for it's colossal size and buying power. Local small businesses fear them. However, the Christian ethos runs strongly through the world's largest retailer and it shows not only in their unashamed selling of Christian books, but also in what (and I hesitate to use this phrase at all in a post-Glenn Beck world) I used to refer to as 'social justice' issues. I guess I ought to drop that incedary phrase and call it 'righteousness-in-society- issues.
First they did what the Federal Government had failed to do for decade: provide afordable medications. Now they are looking out for Joe and Jane Average in the financial services sector too: what they call 'the unbanked or the unhappily banked'. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/business/wal-mart-benefits-from-anger-over-banking-fees.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Good for you Wal-Mart. Good for us too.
I know that Wal-Mart is much mistrusted for it's colossal size and buying power. Local small businesses fear them. However, the Christian ethos runs strongly through the world's largest retailer and it shows not only in their unashamed selling of Christian books, but also in what (and I hesitate to use this phrase at all in a post-Glenn Beck world) I used to refer to as 'social justice' issues. I guess I ought to drop that incedary phrase and call it 'righteousness-in-society- issues.
First they did what the Federal Government had failed to do for decade: provide afordable medications. Now they are looking out for Joe and Jane Average in the financial services sector too: what they call 'the unbanked or the unhappily banked'. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/business/wal-mart-benefits-from-anger-over-banking-fees.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Good for you Wal-Mart. Good for us too.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Humanity's Early History
Unlike many American evangelical Christians, I have no real problem paying the truth of the Bible alongside the every-deepening truth of scientific discovery. Both are types of truth. Sure, science is a process that often revises and sometimes overturns its own conclusions. So we need to understand that, and not be afraid to embrace difficult of inconvenient truths when the evidence seems broad and persuasive. During the Old Testament period we see God working with the Israeli people as they changed from bronze age to iron age technology, from a nomadic people to a settled people - both huge technological changes.
The BBC do a decent job of reporting about the early history of humankind, as in this latest article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15540464. Sure they often are guilty of mixing their science with a pervasive secular humanist worldview. When they do, I try to read past it to get at the science, without the unhelpful philosophical additions. The Discovery Channel and the national Geographic are so caught up in secular humanism that they just can't get over themselves, so I tend not to read/listen to them anymore.
I believe in all that Genesis has to say about our origins. Genesis isn't a science handbook. The first few chapters are not historiographical either. They are a more profound subset of the History genre - theological history. To think of Genesis as a science handbook is to make a genre mistake, or perhaps even a category mistake.
I'd like to encourage my friends and church family to celebrate the God who formed us over such a long time period, breathing into us every moment, working towards what we would become - His conscious, moral children, the object of His love and mercy and providence.
Unlike many American evangelical Christians, I have no real problem paying the truth of the Bible alongside the every-deepening truth of scientific discovery. Both are types of truth. Sure, science is a process that often revises and sometimes overturns its own conclusions. So we need to understand that, and not be afraid to embrace difficult of inconvenient truths when the evidence seems broad and persuasive. During the Old Testament period we see God working with the Israeli people as they changed from bronze age to iron age technology, from a nomadic people to a settled people - both huge technological changes.
The BBC do a decent job of reporting about the early history of humankind, as in this latest article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15540464. Sure they often are guilty of mixing their science with a pervasive secular humanist worldview. When they do, I try to read past it to get at the science, without the unhelpful philosophical additions. The Discovery Channel and the national Geographic are so caught up in secular humanism that they just can't get over themselves, so I tend not to read/listen to them anymore.
I believe in all that Genesis has to say about our origins. Genesis isn't a science handbook. The first few chapters are not historiographical either. They are a more profound subset of the History genre - theological history. To think of Genesis as a science handbook is to make a genre mistake, or perhaps even a category mistake.
I'd like to encourage my friends and church family to celebrate the God who formed us over such a long time period, breathing into us every moment, working towards what we would become - His conscious, moral children, the object of His love and mercy and providence.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Calling Reflection
I've been taking time to reflect on my calling - 13 years on. My calling was to lead people into the Bible, so that they might meet God there, specifically Jesus Christ, and genuinely commit to follow Him all the days of their lives. On reflection, that is still a tight and clean definition of my calling.
How has that calling been lived out over the years? In a few different ways. There have been plenty of relational responses outside of the formally-organized church. However, in terms of time and energy spent, stepping into church-based pastoral ministry has been my main response. 2 years at Windham Faith Community and coming up on 10 years at Londonderry/Journey Church: 11 years in all as a licensed minister: 'Reverend'. It's a good time to reflect.
My sense of fulfilling my calling, personal pleasure and satisfaction are most clearly achieved when I'm doing two things:
1) leading a small group or perhaps just one or two people in Bible study and mentoring./discipleship. In other words, deep commitment to a limited number of people.
2) leading a church in the role of a 'missional architect' by which I mean forming a culture of Christlikeness and organizational leadership.
In my pastoral life at Journey Church I think there has been a very little of the first and a gradually increasing amount of the second. I would estimate that perhaps 30 percent of my ministry time is engaged in these activities. The rest is doing pastoral stuff that I enjoy ... less.
Of course in any job, vocation, or human enterprise there are tasks you have to do in able to provide for the tasks you want to do. The question then becomes - is there a better way? Perhaps a more theologically sound way to reframe that question is: Father - is this still the way?
I am going to take more time to consider this. As I return to Journey Church on December 11th, I want to reshape my role to emphasize meeting my calling. This isn't selfish - although it might be read that way, It's trusting that God knows what He is doing. After all, it's his church.
Jesus spent most of His time with the three, and massive time with the twelve. He spent significant time with the seventy, and very little time with stubborn, un-trainable, self-directed people. His public time was used almost entirely in declaring the Kingdom and describing what it is like (culture building).
I'm thinking Jesus might be a good ministry model for me.
I've been taking time to reflect on my calling - 13 years on. My calling was to lead people into the Bible, so that they might meet God there, specifically Jesus Christ, and genuinely commit to follow Him all the days of their lives. On reflection, that is still a tight and clean definition of my calling.
How has that calling been lived out over the years? In a few different ways. There have been plenty of relational responses outside of the formally-organized church. However, in terms of time and energy spent, stepping into church-based pastoral ministry has been my main response. 2 years at Windham Faith Community and coming up on 10 years at Londonderry/Journey Church: 11 years in all as a licensed minister: 'Reverend'. It's a good time to reflect.
My sense of fulfilling my calling, personal pleasure and satisfaction are most clearly achieved when I'm doing two things:
1) leading a small group or perhaps just one or two people in Bible study and mentoring./discipleship. In other words, deep commitment to a limited number of people.
2) leading a church in the role of a 'missional architect' by which I mean forming a culture of Christlikeness and organizational leadership.
In my pastoral life at Journey Church I think there has been a very little of the first and a gradually increasing amount of the second. I would estimate that perhaps 30 percent of my ministry time is engaged in these activities. The rest is doing pastoral stuff that I enjoy ... less.
Of course in any job, vocation, or human enterprise there are tasks you have to do in able to provide for the tasks you want to do. The question then becomes - is there a better way? Perhaps a more theologically sound way to reframe that question is: Father - is this still the way?
I am going to take more time to consider this. As I return to Journey Church on December 11th, I want to reshape my role to emphasize meeting my calling. This isn't selfish - although it might be read that way, It's trusting that God knows what He is doing. After all, it's his church.
Jesus spent most of His time with the three, and massive time with the twelve. He spent significant time with the seventy, and very little time with stubborn, un-trainable, self-directed people. His public time was used almost entirely in declaring the Kingdom and describing what it is like (culture building).
I'm thinking Jesus might be a good ministry model for me.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
End Malaria Day
...is today! You can make a simple, small, rewarding contribution to end the blight of malaria in the world by clicking here: http://endmalariaday.com/ and buying a decent book by 60 well known authors.
When I was a small kid in the Far East, I slept with a mosquito net over my bed for 5 years. I didn't get malaria, so I don't have malaria now. (It's alife-long affliction for those who do get it.) Malria kills more children than HIV/AIDS every year. However, the number of cases is dropping dramatically each year due to the free provision of mosuito nets to vulnerable families. Serve the World!
...is today! You can make a simple, small, rewarding contribution to end the blight of malaria in the world by clicking here: http://endmalariaday.com/ and buying a decent book by 60 well known authors.
When I was a small kid in the Far East, I slept with a mosquito net over my bed for 5 years. I didn't get malaria, so I don't have malaria now. (It's alife-long affliction for those who do get it.) Malria kills more children than HIV/AIDS every year. However, the number of cases is dropping dramatically each year due to the free provision of mosuito nets to vulnerable families. Serve the World!
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
The 5 steps of Apology - 5 'R's
After Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas
1. express regret
2. take responsibility
3. make restitution
4. genuinely reprnt
5. request forgiveness
After Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas
1. express regret
2. take responsibility
3. make restitution
4. genuinely reprnt
5. request forgiveness
Saturday, June 25, 2011
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