All Saints' Church Forum
All Saints' Episcopal Church
Lakeland, Florida
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Saturday, February 6th 2010
7:10 PM
Practical prayer results
An interesting account from a priest who asked for prayer.
0 Comments / What do you think?
Monday, January 25th 2010
2:57 PM
Oprah's theology
Frank Turk writing at the Evangel blog, thinks that
...we are just like Oprah. The truth is that most people are dissatisfied with church because it doesn’t make sense to us — it just doesn’t work for us...You know: the first chapter of Matthew which lists the “begats” of Jesus doesn’t seem to apply to me — because my name isn’t listed there...
This is basically the experience of Job. God wasn't making sense to him, either, so he figured he had a right to complain. But do we?
...we are just like Oprah. The truth is that most people are dissatisfied with church because it doesn’t make sense to us — it just doesn’t work for us...You know: the first chapter of Matthew which lists the “begats” of Jesus doesn’t seem to apply to me — because my name isn’t listed there...
This is basically the experience of Job. God wasn't making sense to him, either, so he figured he had a right to complain. But do we?
0 Comments / What do you think?
Friday, January 22nd 2010
10:28 AM
What is the Gospel?
Up in Oregon, Christopher Hitchens and Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell had a conversation. It began to be difficult to tell who the real defender of Christianity was.
Rev. Sewell:
The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make a distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?
Hitchens:
I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.
Rev. Sewell:
Let me go someplace else. When I was in seminary I was particularly drawn to the work of theologian Paul Tillich. He shocked people by describing the traditional God—as you might as a matter of fact—as, “an invincible tyrant.” For Tillich, God is “the ground of being.” It’s his response to, say, Freud’s belief that religion is mere wish fulfillment and comes from the humans’ fear of death. What do you think of Tillich’s concept of God?”
Hitchens:
I would classify that under the heading of “statements that have no meaning—at all.” Christianity, remember, is really founded by St. Paul, not by Jesus. Paul says, very clearly, that if it is not true that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, then we the Christians are of all people the most unhappy. If none of that’s true, and you seem to say it isn’t, I have no quarrel with you. You’re not going to come to my door trying convince me either. Nor are you trying to get a tax break from the government. Nor are you trying to have it taught to my children in school. If all Christians were like you I wouldn’t have to write the book.
Rev. Sewell:
The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make a distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?
Hitchens:
I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.
Rev. Sewell:
Let me go someplace else. When I was in seminary I was particularly drawn to the work of theologian Paul Tillich. He shocked people by describing the traditional God—as you might as a matter of fact—as, “an invincible tyrant.” For Tillich, God is “the ground of being.” It’s his response to, say, Freud’s belief that religion is mere wish fulfillment and comes from the humans’ fear of death. What do you think of Tillich’s concept of God?”
Hitchens:
I would classify that under the heading of “statements that have no meaning—at all.” Christianity, remember, is really founded by St. Paul, not by Jesus. Paul says, very clearly, that if it is not true that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, then we the Christians are of all people the most unhappy. If none of that’s true, and you seem to say it isn’t, I have no quarrel with you. You’re not going to come to my door trying convince me either. Nor are you trying to get a tax break from the government. Nor are you trying to have it taught to my children in school. If all Christians were like you I wouldn’t have to write the book.
0 Comments / What do you think?
Thursday, January 7th 2010
1:46 PM
Hume and Woods: UPDATES
The intensity of offense taken at what Hume said is itself revealing. Perhaps it can partly be chalked up to shock; maybe Shales and Hume’s other critics are genuinely surprised to learn that those who hold the Christian faith do so because they believe the claims of Christ are true, that His story is real. But of course if Christians didn’t believe their faith were true, there would be no reason to embrace it, as the Apostle Paul himself understood.
Peter Wehner considers the Britt Hume evangelism episode.
UPDATE: Christianity Today interviews Britt Hume.
"I don't want to practice a faith that I'm afraid to proclaim. I don't want to be a closet Christian."
Another fascinating update, comparing results of following Christianity and Buddhism.
Peter Wehner considers the Britt Hume evangelism episode.
UPDATE: Christianity Today interviews Britt Hume.
"I don't want to practice a faith that I'm afraid to proclaim. I don't want to be a closet Christian."
Another fascinating update, comparing results of following Christianity and Buddhism.
0 Comments / What do you think?
Wednesday, January 6th 2010
3:26 PM
ears to hear
Last fall in my Spiritual Life class we talked a lot about our prayer disciplines. A few days ago I came across that 4-step program on reading the Bible.
Now this. Fabulous. This could be a great year...
[Link corrected - thanks Mike!]
Now this. Fabulous. This could be a great year...
[Link corrected - thanks Mike!]
0 Comments / What do you think?
Friday, January 1st 2010
10:53 PM
Resolution in 4 steps
Joe Carter starts the year doing a good deed:
Before I reveal the four steps I want to reiterate that while the advice could transform your life, it likely will not. As with most life-altering advice, it is simple, easy to implement, and even easier to ignore. Statistically speaking, the odds are great that you’ll ignore this advice. But a handful of you will try it so for the one or two people who will find this useful, the four steps that will transform your worldview are:
Even if you don't follow the steps, you must at least read them here.
Before I reveal the four steps I want to reiterate that while the advice could transform your life, it likely will not. As with most life-altering advice, it is simple, easy to implement, and even easier to ignore. Statistically speaking, the odds are great that you’ll ignore this advice. But a handful of you will try it so for the one or two people who will find this useful, the four steps that will transform your worldview are:
Even if you don't follow the steps, you must at least read them here.
0 Comments / What do you think?
Tuesday, December 22nd 2009
7:18 AM
Yoga
If yoga is really a religious practice, it's logical to grant a place that teaches it a tax exemption just like any other religious organization gets, right? But if it is not religious, if it is just another way to exercise, then it's okay to tax the program just like a gymnasium, right? That's what Missouri is going to do.
0 Comments / What do you think?
Monday, December 21st 2009
4:11 PM
Suffering Church
In case you missed it as I did, here is a look at a historic home of Christianity in the midst of hostile Muslim rulers. You can see the video report from 60 Minutes and read some gentle corrections from Get Religion's T. Matt. Remember those in the contemporary suffering Church in your prayers this Christmas.