June 2011
Most of the main evening events at the Disciples of Christ General Assembly will be live streamed via Internet beginning July 9. Here is the schedule:
Scheduled Webcast Events:
All events are in Central Time.
- Opening Worship on Sat., July 9, at 7:30pm (webcast begins at 7:00pm);
- HIV/AIDS Healing Service on Sun., July 10, at 8:30am (webcast begins at 8:00am);
- State of the Church on Sun., July 10, at 2:30pm (webcast begins at 2:20pm);
- “Sing It!” Concert on Sun., July 10, at 7:00pm (webcast begins at 6:30pm);
- Emergent Worship on Mon., July 11, at 7:30pm (webcast begins at 7:00pm);
- “Tell It!” Testimonies on Tues., July 12, at 7:30pm (webcast begins at 7:00pm);
- Commissioning Worship on Wed., July 13, at 7:30pm (webcast begins at 7:00pm).
You can go to this page: http://www.disciples.org/GeneralAssembly/Video/tabid/888/Default.aspx to watch on your computer.
June 29, 2011
The Daily News Journal Editorial Board meets weekly to determine through a process of roundtable discussion the editorial stance of the paper regarding local, state and national issues. For the past few years, the DNJ management has invited a community member to serve on the Board for a three month period. I've been asked to serve a 3 month term, and will begin weekly meetings with the Board July 12.
June 19, 2011
July 10 we begin a new Sunday night class (5:30 PM) and will be studying the book, "Good News for Anxious Christians: 10 Practical Things You Don't Have to Do," by Philip Cary. 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. How can we meet and know God with ongoing joy rather than experiencing the Christian life as a series of guilt-inducing disappointments?
Phillip Cary explains that knowing God is a gradual, long-term process that comes through the Bible experienced in Christian community, not a to-do list designed to help us live the Christian life "right." This clearly written book covers ten things Christians don't have to do to be close to God, such as hear God's voice in their hearts, find God's will for their lives, and believe their intuitions are the Holy Spirit. Cary skillfully unpacks the riches of traditional Christian spirituality, bringing the real good news to Christians of all ages. Order at the widget below to support CCC through our Amazon Web Store.
June 18, 2011
Sermon Texts for July - October
June 16, 2011
Thanks to The Kelt Grass Band, The Folklore Ensemble Betty, and the Folkloric Ballet Son Borincan for the wonderful music and dancing at the Fifth Annual Ecumenical FolkFest held at Central Christian Church. Thanks also to members of CCC's choir and its director, Joan Maples, who provided a half hour of music as guests and performers were assembling. And of course, thank you to the Membership Committee of CCC who provided a dinner for the perfromers and their hosts and drivers.
The performance was recorded, at least partially. Unfortunately, the batteries died on the digital voice recorder, so the recording of the evening, which can be found on the Sermons page of this website, ends partway through the music of the group from Puerto Rico.
June 14, 2011
PROCLAMATION
June 7, 2011
I've been aware of Larry Hurtado as a writer for some years. He's currently Professor of New Testament Language, Literature and Theology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He recently wrote a reflection on the May 21 End of the World fiasco and I thought it was worth passing on. His blog address is larryhurtado.wordpress.com. Hurtado also wrote a great response to all the historical hogwash in Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code," at this page on Slate.
Rapture Nonsense and Serious Matters
I thought about commenting on the recent and hugely-noticed and ridiculously false prediction of “the Rapture” set for 21 May, but recent travels and other pressing demands prevented me from doing so. Now that the dust has settled a bit on Camping’s 21 May prediction (although he is reported now to have re-calculated the date for October this year), a few reflections on the matter.
First, it is profoundly troubling that people who claim to read and seek to follow biblical teaching allow themselves to be taken in by such predictions. Given that Jesus is portrayed as not knowing the timing for the eschatological events that he hoped for (Mark 13:32-33), and that in another text he is portrayed as rejecting any calculation of when the kingdom of God would appear (Luke 17:20-21), how do individuals work up the confidence (hmm, “confidence game”??) to make the sort of prediction that was publicized so widely?
Second, it’s also troubling that the news media report readily on this sort of nonsense, giving it prominence in newspapers and in TV and radio news programmes, virtually ignoring religion otherwise (oh, except for religious-inspired violence).
But perhaps the most troubling thing is that such phenomena trivialize, distort, and indeed miss entirely the serious religious and theological concerns that are involved in traditional Christian expressions of hope in God’s judgement and mercy. The biblical texts expressive of such hopes reflect concerns about the injustice, cruelty, and oppression that characterizes much of human history, and specifically whether God cares and will in some way and some good time make things right. Will the human monsters of history answer for their crimes, if not before a human court, then before God? Does the prayer “your kingdom come” mean anything beyond a wish? Is death triumphant or is God finally triumphant, even over death? Is the universe finally destined simply for decay, atrophy, and futility, or is it a creation with the prospect of some grander outcome?
Whatever you think about religion and Christian faith in particular, these are questions that ring with human authenticity. These are the sorts of questions that traditional Christian eschatological hopes and ideas address, hopes for personal resurrection, hope for final judgement, hope for redemption of the creation. You may find any such hope futile, perhaps even pathetic, but surely the longings involved are understandable and by no means stupid.
So, instead of (or along with) the smug (but justifiable) ridicule at Camping’s silly predictions, another book recommendation for those (whether Christians or not) who might like to have more explanation of what biblical ideas of “eschatology” are: Craig C. Hill, In God’s Time: The Bible and the Future (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002).