GroshLink

The Lord has been pressing much upon my life. Pray for focus as I lead In the Shadow of the Cross. Last week I introduced the Adult Education Class using Dennis Bratcher's The Season of Lent, some material by Kenneth Bailey on The Parable of the Lost Sons, an overview of the Biblical Story, Psalm 51, and closed with Prayer of St. Ephraim (or Ephraem) the Syrian.

Tomorrow (after waking up too early, considering my runny nose and the time change), I'll open the class with a time of silent prayer in Psalm 51 and for the missionaries highlighted by the Brethren-in-Christ's World Prayer Day.  Then we'll dive into the first section of N.T. Wright's DVD on Evil and based on his Evil and the Justice of God (note:  earlier post on Evil and the Justice of God).  After some discussion regarding the questions provided by the DVD study guide . . .

1. We can't honestly look at the world without realizing there is serious evil going on all the time. What are some specific instances of evil -- whether political, social, natural, or personal -- that we see in the world around us?

2. In what ways do the "arrogance of modern life" and society's belief in progress fail to allow room for an honest assessment of evil and a genuine need for God?

3. How does labeling others as "evil" enable us to treat them as if they don't matter and even perpetrate injustice against them?

4. What steps can we take toward accepting that evil is not just "out there" in others, but in all of us as well?

5. "When people deny the humanity of others, they become evil themselves." Explain what this statement means and how it happens.

6. What can we do to avoid being pulled along this evil pathway?

As we close I'll bring attention to Brethren-in-Christ Lenten Resources, Christianity Today's Lenten Resources, and St. Patrick's Day Resources (for giving testimony to the work of God in St. Patrick's life over the course of the coming week. By-the-way, A Poem by St. Patrick and The Confession of St. Patrick are choice pieces for Lenten prayer and reflective consideration).

 In the 30 seconds that Eden allowed me to choose a book for myself from the library last week, I picked up Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir by Daniel Tammet.  It's a quick read and a fascinating look "inside the extraordinary mind of an autistic savant."

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With regard to the campus, much to consider in this week's NY Times, these 2 pieces immediately caught my attention:

1. Campus Exposure: A new crop of college sex magazines shows students baring it all. In the age of MySpace and confessional blogs, is this the ultimate in self-revelation? -- my first response is one of prayer, my second is to read the Scriptures with Hayley and Ellen over lunch, in order to feed them the Word of God and remind myself of what it means to be received at the table of sinners by Jesus, 3. to not ignore the call to return to campus ASAP to invite those who hunger for life to feed upon the Word of God among the people of God who reflect the likeness of Jesus here and now. 

Father, Grant your grace and renewal to campuses this Lent, culminating in transformative, resurrection power. We eagerly await the coming of the new kingdom, enable us by your Holy Spirit to be a part of it now. In the Name of your Son Jesus who died that there might be victory over evil, Amen.

2. Darwin's God: In the world of evolutionary biology, the question is not whether God exists but why we believe in him. Is belief a helpful adaptation or an evolutionary accident? -- this topic is hot, we were talking about it last fall with Justin Barrett.  Missed Paul Bloom's visit to F&M, but Is God an Accident from the Atlantic Monthly says it all.  I'd encourage you to read and discuss it. PS. Thank-you to Michael Murray for bringing these 2 guys to my attention.

Note:  I already received some feedback to the Darwin's God piece, I posted the thoughts to 2 faculty below.  And don't miss Alvin's Plantiga's recent critique of The God Delusion by Dawkins.

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As I remember my Anglican friends in Western PA, it's hard to read a title such as A Divorce the Church Should Smile Upon.  The NY Times opinion piece talks about the Anglican Communion as having already split and some anticipated implications. No new content here,

except that I anticipate further discussion of the manner in which communications technology has led to the current situation will be picked up by practical theology (if it hasn't already, its definately already in Youth Ministry training), and later church history. It's hard to have perspective on the new ways of doing church.  Although many movements/ideas have failed 'to take' despite their media hype, a number have gained significant strength through the use of the new communications technology punctuated by significant face-to-face conversations/events. In addition to the various Anglican networks, Willow Creek (Seeker Church), Saddleback (Purpose Driven Church), and the Emergent Church immediately come to mind.

In the midst of Lancaster County's Plain Country, I'm reminded of how some of the more restrictive Anabaptist sects delimit conversation in/to the wider world and there is not the ability for mass communication, mobilization, and planning which we see in the above mentioned movements.  E.g., local assemblies of Amish do not even know who their teaching elder will be on given week.  This is to avoid following particular teachers as the local assemblies are based on proximity (I guess you could call it the parish model). 

Father, As we enter a new stage of how various members of the Body of your Son Jesus Christ pursue ministry/authority, by the power of your Spirit grant us humility, love, and direction.  Grant us the grace to offer our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength wherever we find ourselves AND to love our neighbor as ourselves, even if we find them hard to love in the context of difficult conversations.  We lift all of this up to you in the name of your Son Jesus, who gave His life that your Spirit might in us call out to you as Father.  Amen.