February 2011
February 23, 2011
New Sunday Evening Class:
Getting the Reformation Wrong: Correcting Some Misunderstandings, by James R. Payton.
Getting the Reformation wrong is a common problem. Most students of history know that Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg Church door and that John Calvin wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion. However, the Reformation did not unfold in the straightforward, monolithic fashion some may think. It was, in fact, quite a messy affair. Using the most current Reformation scholarship, James R. Payton exposes, challenges and corrects some common misrepresentations of the Reformation. Getting the Reformation Wrong:
-
places the Reformation in the context of medieval and Renaissance reform efforts
-
analyzes conflicts among the Reformers
-
corrects common misunderstandings of what the Reformers meant by sola fide (by faith alone) and sola Scriptura (by the Scriptures alone)
-
examines how the Anabaptist movement fits in with the magisterial Reformation
-
critiques the post-Reformational move to Protestant Scholasticism
-
explores how the fresh perspective on the Reformation could make a difference in today's churches
Our new Sunday Evening class with Getting the Reformation Wrong begins March 20 at 5:30 PM. We'll read a chapter a week with a study guide for each chapter. The book is available at Amazon for around $14.50 plus shipping or $13.50 on a Kindle. The public is welcome. Please contactsteven.odom@gmail.com if you plan to attend. Please obtain your own copy of the book before the first class. The first study guide will be emailed to you.
February 22, 2011
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NASHVILLE, TN, July 9 -13th “TELL IT”
I went to order a bag of coffee beans from JUST LOVE COFFEE through our website the other day, and imagine my surprise when I saw that shipping would cost $5.00!! And I only live about 8 blocks away from the store! So, on the way home (they close at 6:00 PM) I went by the store and asked if I bought a bag of beans at the store, could they still credit the purchase to my organization, CCC? Of course, they said, we'll be happy to. Anyone can purchase their beans at the store, they said, and all they have to do is mention who they want to credit it to. So, if you're over on Memorial or Northfield, go by Just Love Coffee at 149 MTCS Drive. Every bag you buy sends $5.00 to Central Christian Church!
February 15, 2011
WooHoo! Congratulations on the 8 day Food Drive competition! We came in fourth place in our OIAM competition, but collecting 415 items in 8 days is certainly a "personal best" for CCC! Based on the attendance those Sundays I calculate we averaged over 6 items per person. All the churches report a much higher total than in previous Food Drives. Let's boost our own monthly count for February by not letting up the next two weeks!
February 9, 2011
Good advice doesn't come much better than this! And while I don't think Socrates actually said this (the old "Historical Socrates" question), obviously some wise person came up with this. I told a friend it sounds like the Rotary Club's Four-Way Test of Things we Think, Say, or Do," which I am still impressed with: First: Is it the Truth. Second; Is it Fair to all Concerned. Third: Will it Build Goodwill and Better Friendships, Fourth: Is it Beneficial to all Concerned.
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"Well, no," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and…"
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
"Umm, no, on the contrary…"
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
February 6, 2011
Hank Mills gave all the Elders really good guidelines for effective "meeting" behavior, which came from consultant, Sam Deep. Thought I'd share them with you.
1. Prior to the meeting perform any follow up to a previous meeting that you agreed to undertake, make any other requested preparation, and respond to any requests from the leader for suggested agenda items.
2. Arrive on time with the supporting materials you need for fully effective participation. Before the meeting actually begins study the agenda and start your mental preparation for the topics at hand.
3. Listen to your colleagues when they speak. Don’t interrupt. If listening is a challenge for you, briefly paraphrase the previous speaker out loud before you offer your thoughts.
4. Avoid side bar conversations unless they are necessary to improve the value or accuracy of something you are about to contribute. This is pretty rude stuff.
5. Participate actively, making the input that reflects the unique expertise or experience you bring to the table.
6. Don’t dominate discussions. Be brief and crisp when you make a point. Don’t say something three different ways. Don’t give detail that others won’t appreciate. Don’t tell unneeded side stories. Don’t fall in love with your voice. Don’t belabor your points the way I’m belaboring this one.
7. Stick to the agenda rather than going off on tangents or verbalizing matters of self interest. If you feel the need to state a related but not totally germane idea, volunteer it for the “parking lot.”
8. Don’t do outside work at the meeting—not on computers, PDA’s, or paper. Hold your twittering for later. One exception here is when you get permission from the team to take a critical message expected during the meeting.
9. Return on time to the room following every time out. When you allow a fifteen minute break to transpire while still back at your desk, you disrespect your coworkers.
10. Support your colleagues by adding information that strengthens and sharpens their ideas. Before you introduce any new train of thought into a discussion either first build on the current train to complete it or ask if people agree that it’s over and that you can move on.
11. Help prevent group think by challenging the assumptions and ideas of others when you don’t agree with them. In the same way, be open to an evaluation of your conjecture.
12. Attack ideas without assaulting people; keep “you” out of the confrontation.
13. Get advance permission from the meeting leader if you must leave early. It’s a welcome sign of respect.
14. Willingly volunteer to carry your share of the load for any follow up required from the meeting. When you do, follow though
February 5, 2011
I want to let all of you know what books we're considering for our next Sunday Evening class beginning soon in March. One is "Good News for Anxious Christians: Ten Practical Things You Don't Have to Do." by Philip Cary. The subtitle drew me in, and I bought it so I could review it as a possibility for the upcoming class. I've read some already and it's pretty fascinating. "Like a succession of failed diet regimens, the much-touted techniques that are supposed to bring us closer to God "in our hearts" can instead make us feel anxious, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Phillip Cary explains that discipleship is a gradual, long-term process that comes through experiencing the Bible in Christian community, not a to-do list designed to help us live the Christian life "right." He covers ten things we don't have to do to be close to God, skillfully unpacking the riches of traditional Christian spirituality to bring the real good news to Christians of all ages." Goodreads.com
Here's the Table of Contents:
1. Why You Don’t Have to Hear God’s Voice in Your Heart
2. Why You Don’t Have to Believe Your Intuitions are the Holy Spirit.
3. Why You Don’t Have to “Let God Take Control”.
4. Why You Don’t Have to “Find God’s Will for Your Life”.
5. Why You Don’t Have to Be Sure You Have the Right Motivations.
6. Why You Don’t Have to Worry About Splitting Head from Heart.
7. Why You Don’t Have to Keep Getting Transformed All the Time.
8. Why You Don’t Always Have to Experience Joy.
9. Why “Applying it to Your Life” is Boring.
10. Why Basing Faith on Experience Leads to a Post-Christian Future.
Another we're considering is "Getting the Reformation Wrong:Correcting Some Misunderstandings," by James R. Payton.
Getting the Reformation wrong is a common problem. Most students of history know that Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg Church door and that John Calvin penned the Institutes of the Christian Religion. However, the Reformation did not unfold in the straightforward, monolithic fashion some may think. It was, in fact, quite a messy affair. Using the most current Reformation scholarship, James R. Payton exposes, challenges and corrects some common misrepresentations of the Reformation. Getting the Reformation Wrong:
- places the Reformation in the context of medieval and Renaissance reform efforts
- analyzes conflicts among the Reformers
- corrects common misunderstandings of what the Reformers meant by sola fide and sola Scriptura
- examines how the Anabaptist movement fits in with the magisterial Reformation
- critiques the post-Reformational move to Protestant Scholasticism
- explores how the fresh perspective on the Reformation could make a difference in today's churches
More later on other books.
February 3, 2011
"When the soul, like a swallow slipped down a chimney, beats up and down in restless want and danger, death is the open casement that gives her rest and liberty from penury, fears, and snares. It is nature's play-day, that delivers man from the thraldom of the world's school to the freedom of his father's family." Owen Feltham, 1602-1668
February 2, 2011
One of the most interesting of the Translators (contemporaries always capitalized the word) of the King James Bible was Lancelot Andrewes, a noted scholar, preacher and bishop of Ely and Winchester. He wrote a Devotional guide for his own use called Preces Privates and never published it. It was later found and published. This is his Prayer for Grace on Wednesdays.
[Defend me from]
Pride Amorite
Envy Hittite
Wrath Perizzite
Gluttony Girgashite
Lechery Hivite
The Cares of Life Canaanite
Lukewarm indifference Jebusite
Give me humility, pitifulness, patience, sobriety, purity, contentment, ready zeal. One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will require, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit His temple. Two things have I required of Thee, O Lord, deny Thou me not before I die; remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full and deny Thee and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal, and take the Name of my God in vain. Let me learn to abound, let me learn to suffer need, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. For nothing earthly, temporal, mortal, to long nor to wait. Grant me a happy life to piety, gravity, purity, in all things good and fair, in cheerfulness, in health, in credit, in competency, in safety, in gentle estate, in quiet; a happy death, a deathless happiness.
February 2, 2011
The Making of the King James Version of the Bible, 1611-2011
Some consider the King James Version of the Bible to be THE Bible. Others have never heard of it (or refer to the “St. James Bible”). And still others prefer more modern translations. Regardless of the version you prefer, the King James Version of the Bible has formed the language, politics, faith and culture of vast swathes of the globe, certainly the English speaking portions. This year is the 400th anniversary of its publication and there are a variety of observances in England and around the world.
A local minister and lecturer at recent Adventures in Learning seminars, is offering a four-part lecture series on The Making of the King James Version of the Bible, 1611-2011. Steve Odom, of Central Christian Church, will deliver four lectures on successive Mondays, at 10 AM at 404 E. Main St. in the sanctuary of the church.
February 14 the lecture will focus on the precursors of the KJV, and the making of Books and Bibles in the era before and after the invention of movable type by Gutenberg (1450).
Lecture two on February 21 will examine the first printed English Bibles which predated the KJV, and the Tudor Kings and Queens of the century before King James, the founder of the Stuart line.
The third lecture on February 28 will examine the reasons for a new translation and introduce the Translators, a group of 54 scholars who did the actual work of translation, as well as the production process.
The last lecture on March 7 will examine the translation issues, the influence of the KJV on the English language and culture since, the Fall and Rise of the KJV and its use in America leading to modern day versions.
The event is free and open to the public. There will be bins available for those who wish to donate non-perishable food items for the Rutherford County Food Bank, and a basket at the back for those who wish to donate to the church.